Donald Trump Calls For Marco Rubio to Drop Out of the Race

Trump seems to have forgotten about John Kasich.

Foter / Gage Skidmore

In a rambling, self-congratulatory speech following the day's GOP primary elections, GOP frontrunner Donald Trump called for one of his competitors, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, to drop out of the presidential race.

Trump said he wanted to face off against Texas Senator Ted Cruz "one on one." 

Trump is right that Rubio didn't have a great night. He failed to win any state, and didn't pick up many delegates. Rubio's position is that it doesn't matter, because he was never going to do well in these states, and is banking mostly on winning Florida at this point. 

Here's the wrinkle, though, with Trump's call for Rubio to get out of the race: Even if Rubio dropped out, Trump wouldn't be facing Cruz one on one, because Ohio Governor John Kasich would still be in the race. And Kasich, as the sole remaining candidate who could plausibly represent the Republican establishment, would likely pick up a lot of Rubio's support. So Trump wouldn't be facing Cruz one on one, and the fourth-place candidate would likely be emboldened (even though he would still have virtually no chance of winning a majority of delegates). 

The dynamics of the race are extremely complex right now, but in many ways, Cruz had the best night: He won the most delegates of evening, picked up a couple of outright wins, and seems to have benefited from a late-breaking surge in Louisiana, suggesting that support may be swinging his way. 

But Trump came away acting like a winner, noting that he won the biggest prizes of the night, Louisiana and Kentucky, and holding on to his overall delegate lead. He is still the most likely candidate to win the nomination.

Where this all goes is frankly difficult to say at this point. Rubio seems weaker, Cruz seems stronger, but the map looks increasingly tough for him from here on out. Meanwhile, Trump has enough wins and overall strength that he still looks tough to beat. The biggest takeaway from tonight is that the GOP race is far from finished. 

Comments

[SilentCal]

"Trump seems to have forgotten about John Kasich"

See? He is just like the rest of us!

[SIV]

Suderman is probably pulling for Mittens to seize the prize at a brokered convention. Which might well be the best scenario for a true #BTFSTTG outcome.

[Juvenile Bluster]

I'm pulling for all-out Republican civil war at a brokered convention.There are going to be actual fights. It's going to be hilarious.

[JeremyR]

Naw. When it comes down to it, Trump is an establishment candidate. Oh sure, he was part of the Democratic establishment, not Republican. But still, his administration won't do anything to shrink government or even reform it.

If it gets to a brokered convention part, I'd imagine Rubio and Kasich would end up giving their votes to Trump.

[bunnyman]

Neither Trump nor Cruz has a prayer of beating Hillary, so they would give their delegates to the person less likely to damage the GOP brand, which is Cruz.

[buybuydandavis]

I think Hillary is the weakest candidate in the general election, including Bernie.

She loses the swing states to Bernie, and wins the South, where the Dems don't have a chance in the general anyway. She has even managed to damage her own Vote Vagina campaign by alienating younger women by threatening with hell if they don't Vote Vagina.

She is toast, and *especially* against Trump, who will savagely attack her on her decades of corruption, face to face, in the debates. She'll get squashed like a bug.

[Cdr Lytton]

Yeah, but all those Bernie voters she lost in the primary will pull the lever for her or any other D before they do for an R candidate.

[MSimon]

Can you translate #BTFSTTG

[MoriahJovan]

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[buybuydandavis]

Vote Woodchipper 2016!

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[Juvenile Bluster]

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[MoriahJovan]

+1

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[__Warren__]

Thank goodness the election is over and we no longer have to hear about these people any more.

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[MSimon]

Weed federalism will not work until cannabis is rescheduled.

Think of Christy as Att'ny General with weed still Federally scheduled..

[JeremyR]

Think of Christy as that, period. He'd probably be at best, Janet Reno all over again.

And with someone like Trump at president, it's even scarier.

For all Obama's faults, he really doesn't seem to care much about things besides himself - going on lavish trips, having gourmet meals, going golfing as much as possible. Power to him seemed to be about getting him the good life on the taxpayer's dime. Oh sure, he llked to spite/tweak Republicans now and then, but basically he wanted to be president just for the perks.

Trump already has the good life. He just wants power...

[lulztopian]

do you have any evidence that Trump is somehow bad on the War on Drugs?

[PapayaSF]

I believe he's said bad things about heroin and Mexican drug dealers.

[Robert]

Then again, who doesn't have bad things to say about them?

Such a statement is ostensibly among the videos up at https://www.donaldjtrump.com/issues . However, it's not among the written statements at https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions , which I take to be the ones his campaign (i.e. advisors) is serious about. That is, I take the things he's pictured as coming out of his mouth to be so much noise & hoopla, but the written statements as the serious campaign.

[hurts_donut]

He's been against the war on drugs in the past, I think. Jesus christ after reading the last few threads people are losing their shit over trump. Which is why I'll be voting for him in the Ca primary.

[MSimon]

I have yet to see a candidate besides Bernie talk about rescheduling.

The key here is that pot with no restrictions would be a huge blow to the medical industrial complex. I will mention two points.

1. A cure for cancer - well proven in animal studies plus copious anecdotal human evidence. $100 bn a year. 7% of the medical industrial complex.

2. Treatment for 2/3rds of diabetics - lots of literature on that. $100 bn a year. 7% of the medical industrial complex.

So we are up to 14% of the medical industrial complex.and that is without even trying. I estimate that it would take away 25% to 75% of the revenue of big medicine.

There is a reason Drug Companies are in the lead in funding anti-cannabis efforts. Alcohol companies are in the #2 spot for obvious reasons.

[Robert]

Trump's position papers include:

"Remove barriers to entry into free markets for drug providers that offer safe, reliable and cheaper products."

So I think he's got rescheduling covered.

[MSimon]

If he doesn't mention pot specifically and descheduling in particular I'm not impressed.

Trump on healthcare:

Trump on healthcare

That contains the quote you mention.

BTW his current position on pot is medical only. Them damn hippies can resort to the black market.

[NotAnotherSkippy]

And where's you engine that runs on water? Still sitting in a vault under GM headquarters?

Oh, and how's that polywell workin' out? Got your kickstarter almost funded?

[bunnyman]

Disagree about Obama. He does like to live in luxury, but it should be clear now that he is just as concerned about leaving a legacy of leftist "accomplishments" behind.

[Trials and Trippelations]

Tell that to Sharyl Attkisson, James Rosen, and a host of other reporters and whistle blowers that he has made life a hell for.

[buybuydandavis]

For all Obama's faults, he really doesn't seem to care much about things besides himself

He's certainly not working hard at anything but his golf game, but when he bothers to do things, it's always about enabling Progressive power.

[Ken Shultz]

"And Kasich, as the sole remaining candidate who could plausibly represent the Republican establishment, would likely pick up a lot of Rubio's support."

I thought of Rubio as more of a Tea Party candidate. I thought the evangelicals backed him as the only candidate who might matter . . . that seemed like he might be mistaken for one of them. . . . but I don't think of evangelicals as the Republican establshment, and I don't think of Rubio as an establishment candidate.

On the other hand, I think Kasich really is an establishment candidate--and I think that's one of the reasons he's done so poorly. In other words, to the extent that Rubio has done well, it's because he isn't establishment. I don't think Rubio's primary voters would line up behind an establishment candidate like Kasich.

I'd expect them to vote for Cruz, which means Trump is being an idiot here. The question on Republican voters' minds is whether or not to vote for Trump. People who decided not to vote for Trump aren't going to Kasich, but if they've already decided not to vote for Trump, then they're not going to Trump either.

If I were Cruz, I'd be on the horn to Rubio asking him what he wants to drop out--before Florida. Cruz could offer him the Secretary of State job. If Hillary can do it, anyone can. And it would save Rubio the embarrassment of maybe losing his home state.

[buybuydandavis]

Cruz is almost as hated by the Establishment as Trump.

Getting it down to a two man race means more delegates for Trump. I think he's sure that he will win any head to head race, he just wants to make sure that he has the delegates required to win on the first ballot, to avoid a brokered convention.

Currently with the split of delegates between 4, he's not getting 50% of the total.

And if he runs against Cruz, he can start his general election campaign, as he can run to the Left of Cruz.

[hurts_donut]

I don't see Cruz pulling off a win against Hilary. He's just too unlikable. Between the overtly religiousness and the slimy lawyer demeanor, he's a flop. The commentator that was advocating for Cruz in one of the previous threads compared him to Regan. The major difference that he didn't take into account is that Regan had charisma. Ted Cruz has zero charisma.

[John C. Randolph]

I don't see Cruz pulling off a win against Hilary. He's just too unlikable.

That might matter if he was running against a normal human being, but against the "it's my turn, you fucking peasants!" candidate? I think that's a wash.

-jcr

[Ken Shultz]

Cruz is damn likable by way of comparison with the image of Donald Trump still fresh in everyone's minds.

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[marthayounga]

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[Wizard with a Woodchipper]

The second pick for many Rubio supporters is not Trump, but Cruz. When Rubio drops out, these will likely line up behind Cruz, which is why Cruz has been wanting Rubio to drop out for a long time now. He beats the Donald in a one on one race.

[bunnyman]

Any of the 16 other GOP candidates would have beaten Trump in a one on one race, too. Despite being a terrible candidate who has no chance in the general election, Cruz is probably going to be the last Trump opponent standing, only because the other bible thumpers dropped out early allowing him to get a big chunk of support for himself. It's an interesting game theory example.

[Derp-o-Matic 5000]

Ted Cruz is a smarmy dickbag and everyone hates him.

I generally put zero weight on endorsements, but the fact that not a single senator has endorsed Cruz should be telling. Not one of his colleagues think he's qualified for the position.

Trump has more endorsements from the Senate than Ted does.

[bunnyman]

Yes, Cruz is a terrible candidate and seems to be a terrible person too. But Trump is even worse. I would have preferred Rubio to be the last anti-Trump candidate standing but that hasn't worked out, so I'll take what I can get.

Even if Trump reacts to losing the GOP nomination by mounting a third-party run that hands the election to Hillary, that would be preferable to allowing him to carry the GOP banner in the general election.

[Pat (PM)]

Rand Paul's only senate endorsement was Mitch McConnell (the shitbag who fought as hard as possible to torpedo his senate campaign in 2010 and only reconciled with him after Paul sufficiently kissed his ass).

Can you name a senator (other than Paul) whose opinion and judgment you would hold in any sort of esteem? Being rejected by a body of the most contemptible pieces of shit in America should be seen as a shining badge of honor, if anything.

[Grand Moff Serious Man]

Rand didn't kiss McConnell's ass. He bailed McConnell out and save him from being primaried by another Tea Partier in 2014.

McConnell owes him and it's a testament to Rand's foresight that he realized having the Senate Majority Leader backing him is a good thing for his legislative agenda.

[steve walsh]

For some of us his lack of endorsements from the likes of McConnell and McCain are major positives.

[Robert]

the fact that not a single senator has endorsed Cruz should be telling. Not one of his colleagues think he's qualified for the position.

No, it means they don't think his advance to the presidency or to the nomination for same would advance their own career if they endorsed him. That could be because they don't think he's qualified so they don't want to be publicly tied to him if he fails badly at either the campaign or the job itself, or because they're afraid he'll do well & overshadow them, possibly elevating other senators relatively to themselves in standing. Who knows how these calcul'ns work? But I don't think they have the general public's benefit in mind.

[Vanguard96]

Amash has endorsed Cruz. With reservations.

[Vanguard96]

By name recognition alone Trump would beat most of them. The issue is the party did not coalesce around one candidate early on like 1996. Of course did not help they picked an old SoCon.

[steve walsh]

"Oh please Brer Fox, whatever you do, please don't throw me into the briar patch.".

Trump knows this and so this is his way of encouraging Rubio to stay in. Which he will do anyway and so prevent Cruz from overtaking Trump. We have seen peak Trump - roughly 35% - and Cruz has been gaining significantly of late. With Rubio and Kasich still in the race Cruz is unlikely to surpass Trump.

This is of a piece with Trump's tried and true insult making; "The last thing I would do is refer to Megyn Kelly as a bimbo. Just won't do it."

[Derp-o-Matic 5000]

Trump seems to have forgotten about John Kasich.

Who?

[bunnyman]

Some famous gay dude?

[AlmightyJB]

Needs Kasich to take votes from Cruz

[Res ipsa loquitur]

I'm voting for Trump.....a Trump Presidency will keep the Reason writers busy, never seen them turn out so much over one person so quickly.

[MSimon]

He IS a gold mine for the commentariat.

[4thaugust1932]

wh.gov/ifEgi is better

[Jackand Ace]

I could see Rubio drop out before Florida. He got rocked last night with a dismal showing, and clear rejection of the GOP electorate.

If he is polling poorly a couple of days before the primary (down 20 or so points), I'm not sure he would want the added humiliation of Trump whooping him in his own state. Not a good thing for his future.

[IceTrey]

Kasich should be the one suing Cruz and Rubio about their natural born status.

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[gphx]

'Trump seems to have forgotten about John Kasich.'

Everyone has forgotten about John Kasich, even John Kasich.
Now, who was he again? I forgot.

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[David_B]

Trump is the only candidate that can beat Hillary.

The other candidates have lackluster support, while Trump's support is energized.

[Eman]

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