In an extraordinary move, Donald Trump's Republican rivals late Sunday announced plans to coordinate primary strategies in upcoming states to deprive the GOP front-runner of the delegates needed to win the Republican nomination.
Ted
Cruz and John Kasich issued near-simultaneous statements outlining an
agreement that may be unprecedented in modern American politics. The
Kasich campaign will give Cruz "a clear path in Indiana." In return, the
Cruz campaign will "clear the path" for Kasich in Oregon and New
Mexico.
The
arrangement does not address the five Northeastern states set to vote
on Tuesday, where Trump is expected to add to his already overwhelming
delegate lead. Kasich and Cruz had already retreated to Indiana, which
holds its primary on May 3. Yet the shift offers increasingly desperate
Trump foes a glimmer of hope in their long and frustrating fight to halt
the former reality television star's unlikely rise.
"Having
Donald Trump at the top of the ticket in November would be a sure
disaster for Republicans," Cruz's campaign manager, Jeff Roe, said in a
statement explaining the new plans. "Not only would Trump get blown out
by Clinton or Sanders, but having him as our nominee would set the party
back a generation."
Added
Kasich's chief strategist, John Weaver, "Our goal is to have an open
convention in Cleveland, where we are confident a candidate capable of
uniting the party and winning in November will emerge as the nominee."
The
announcement marks a sharp reversal for Cruz's team, which aggressively
opposed coordinating anti-Trump efforts with Kasich as recently as late
last week. And it only applies to Indiana, Oregon and New Mexico —
three of the 15 states remaining on the Republican primary calendar.
Yet
the development underscores a bleak reality for the billionaire
businessman's Republican foes: Time is running out to stop him.
Trump
responded on Twitter shortly before midnight: "Wow, just announced that
Lyin' Ted and Kasich are going to collude in order to keep me from
getting the Republican nomination. DESPERATION!"
The
announcement came less than 48 hours before voting begins across five
Northeastern states where the New York billionaire leads in many polls.
Trump campaigned Sunday in Maryland, which will vote on Tuesday along
with Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Delaware.
Speaking
to several thousand people in an airplane hangar in Hagerstown,
Maryland, Sunday evening, Trump stressed repeatedly that he expects to
win the 1,237 delegates needed in the first round of voting to stave off
a contested convention.
"I only care about the first. We're not going for the second and third and fourth and fifth," said Trump.
As Kasich backs out of Indiana, Cruz promised to not compete in primary contests in Oregon on May 17 and New Mexico on June 7.
"We
will focus our time and resources in New Mexico and Oregon, both areas
that are structurally similar to the Northeast politically, where Gov.
Kasich is performing well," Weaver said.
As
recently as three days ago Kasich's campaign announced investments in
Indiana, including the opening of two offices and the creation of a
campaign leadership team. His campaign on Sunday night canceled a town
hall and gathering in Indianapolis scheduled to watch the results of
Tuesday's primaries.
Like Cruz's campaign, Kasich's campaign encouraged allied super PACs and other outside groups to "honor the commitments."
In
recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly denounced the GOP's presidential
nominating system as "rigged." That criticism is likely to intensify in
the coming days.
There was far less drama on the Democratic side Sunday.
Underdog
Bernie Sanders rallied thousands of voters in two New England states,
seeking momentum even as he offered mixed signals on how hard he would
push his differences with front-runner Hillary Clinton.
The
Vermont senator largely steered clear of Clinton at a Rhode Island
park, but hours later ramped up his critique before more than 14,000
supporters in New Haven, Connecticut. Sanders reiterated his call for
Clinton to release transcripts of lucrative Wall Street speeches she
delivered after leaving the State Department in early 2013.
"This
campaign, unlike Secretary Clinton's, has not raised $15 million from
Wall Street and millions more from other special interests," he said as
the crowd booed at the mention of Clinton's name.
Clinton eyed victories in four or five of Tuesday's contests, which would all but cripple Sanders' White House bid.
The
former secretary of state went to two Philadelphia church services
attended largely by African-Americans ahead of the primary in
Pennsylvania, Tuesday's top delegate prize. She declined to attack her
Democratic rival by name in the morning appearance and a subsequent stop
in Bridgeport, Connecticut, focusing on the GOP candidates.
Democratic
National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz downplayed tensions
between Sanders and Clinton, whose rivalry has become increasingly nasty
in recent weeks.
"Regardless of the intensity of what's played out here ... we are going to be unified," she declared.
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