Chaos over the weekend has left Republican frontrunner Donald Trump with a beefed up security presence at his rallies. Protesters crashed his events in both Chicago and North Carolina - news that has overshadowed other happenings in the 2016 campaign. For instance, did you know that Ted Cruz won the Wyoming Caucus and Marco Rubio won the Washington, D.C. contest this Saturday? The business mogul failed to pick up any delegates in the latter contest – but you wouldn’t have guessed by today’s Trump-heavy headlines.
Republican Primary
Donald Trump: Several Trump rallies this weekend were tainted with violence. In Chicago, hundreds of protesters disrupted his event at the University of Illinois at Chicago, forcing his campaign to cancel the scheduled rally. His presidential rivals condemned the violence, as well as Trump’s response. On Sunday, the businessman suggested that he might cover the legal fees for a supporter who punched a protester. Rubio said that kind of rhetoric was “not excusable.” The Democratic candidates appeared to be even more incensed by his behavior. Hillary Clinton accused Trump of “trafficking in hate and fear” and Bernie Sanders called him a “pathological liar” for suggesting his campaign had incited the protests.
The businessman is also facing heat in a new ad from Our Principles PAC, which confronts Trump with his supposed history of disrespecting women. To the chagrin of all of these rivals and opponents, Trump is ahead in Florida by double digits, according to new polling. Trump to his event with Chris Christie in North Carolina, where the New Jersey governor set up an interview with Trump.
Ted Cruz: As noted above, Cruz won the Wyoming caucus on Saturday and is currently enjoying a surge in key swing states. Before a campaign event in Ohio on Sunday, he told the press that Rubio and Kasich have no paths to the nomination and again defined himself as the only alternative to Trump.
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Marco Rubio: Rubio won the caucus in the nation’s capital on Saturday and picked up some needed delegates, but he seems to be lagging behind in his home state of Florida – a must win for the struggling candidate. The New York Times has already declared “The End of Marco-mentum.” Rubio's team is not quitting though. They just released a new ad entitled "Florida," which highlights some of Trump's controversial comments.
John Kasich: Kasich will be joined by former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney in Ohio Monday as he competes to win his home state. Romney has not endorsed anyone, but he has made it clear what he thinks of Donald Trump. Polls out of Ohio indicate that Kasich could indeed pull off a victory.
Democratic Primary
Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton took part in Sunday night’s CNN Democratic town hall. Clinton stepped into some controversy when she announced her plan to effectively sink the coal industry and her failure to answer a woman’s question about her rising health care costs thanks to Obamacare. “Saturday Night Live” had a bit of fun with Clinton this weekend, suggesting she has to morph into Bernie Sanders if she has any hope of winning the Millennial vote.
Delegate Count
Republicans (1,237 needed to win):
Trump - 460
Cruz - 370
Rubio – 163
Kasich - 63
Dems (2,383 needed to win):
Clinton – 1,231
Sanders – 576
Primary/Debate schedule:
Tuesday – R/D primaries in Florida, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina
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