Donald Trump now has the number of delegates needed to become the GOP presidential nominee, according to AP. Trump reached the magic number, 1,237 delegates, after a group of uncommitted party delegates had told AP they now support Trump. The official chart on Thursday put Trump’s delegate count at 1,238, with 335 delegates still left unpicked.
The delegates who pledged their loyalty to Trump included Oklahoma Republican Party Chairwoman Pam Pollard. She told AP that Trump “has touched a part of our electorate that doesn’t like where our country is.” (Although a short review of the world’s map revealed that our country is still where it’s always been, smack between Canada and Mexico).
Colorado GOP Chairman Steve House was another delegate who turned to Trump, explaining that “leadership is leadership.” (It really is).
Pennsylvania delegate Cameron Linton told AP that Trump had won his state’s primary, and so he plans to support him, but only on the first ballot at the Convention in July, and not on a second ballot, because “he’s ridiculous. There’s no other way to say it.” (There won’t be a second ballot, by the way).
The Thursday Rasmussen Reports National Election poll show Trump and the presumptive Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton still neck and neck, giving Clinton 40% to Trump’s 39%. But a Tuesday NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, which showed Clinton leading Trump 46% to 43%, also showed that close to 60% said they disliked Clinton, and 63% said they disliked Trump. Only 40% said they admired or liked Clinton, and only 36% felt the same way about Trump.