We have breaking news to report. Brace yourselves. This might shock you.
The Associated Press has called the Republican Primary. The winner is… Donald Trump!
Donald Trump reached the number of delegates needed to clinch the Republican nomination for president Thursday, completing an unlikely rise that has upended the political landscape and set the stage for a bitter fall campaign.
Trump was put over the top in the Associated Press delegate count by a small number of the party’s unbound delegates who told the AP they would support him at the national convention in July. Among them is Oklahoma GOP chairwoman Pam Pollard.
“I think he has touched a part of our electorate that doesn’t like where our country is,” Pollard said. “I have no problem supporting Mr. Trump.”
It takes 1,237 delegates to win the Republican nomination. Trump has reached 1,238. With 303 delegates at stake in five state primaries on June 7, Trump will easily pad his total, avoiding a contested convention in Cleveland.
Okay, this isn’t really news. Trump all but wrapped up the nomination on May 3, when he won the Indiana Primary and Ted Cruz and John Kasich dropped out of the race shortly after.
But still. Let’s take a moment and recognize the absolute, incredible absurdity of all of this.
Donald Trump, the guy who has never technically run for public office, came out of nowhere and wiped the floor with 17 different GOP candidates, who had several centuries of political experience between them.
He knocked Jeb Bush off his game immediately and single-handedly prevented the establishment GOP from coronating Bush as the nominee. Remember, a little over a year ago, many people thought Bush would be unbeatable after his team announced record fundraising numbers — more than $100 million — for his Super PAC, Right to Rise.
Conventional wisdom said that Trump would have zero shot at winning this thing. The smart money was on Bush, and then after Bush faltered, Rubio.
But that didn’t happen. Trump won state after state in decisive fashion, and now he’s one victory away from becoming President of the United States. Wow.
Jon Schweppe is the Communications Director for American Principles Project. Follow him on Twitter @JonSchweppe.
