Primary Takeaways: Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton Edge Closer to Nominations (6137 hits)
By MICHAEL BARBARO
Donald J. Trump and Hillary Clinton were each looking for a convincing five-state romp on Tuesday that would quiet skeptics and marginalize stubborn rivals.
He pulled it off. She fell slightly short.
But they both collected enough delegates to make an increasingly compelling case that their party’s nomination is finally in reach. Here are the key takeaways from Tuesday’s East Coast primaries:
Trump is winning, and winning big
Mr. Trump’s past six victories have been veritable blowouts in which he has routinely collected a convincing majority of the vote despite a three-candidate field.
Tuesday night represented a new high-water mark for his candidacy and a dour milestone for his rivals: Mr. Trump won an average of 59 percent of the Republican vote in the five states, and his average margin of victory was 35 percentage points.
With decisive wins like that, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and Gov. John R. Kasich of Ohio will have a much harder time arguing that Mr. Trump lacks the broad support of his party at this summer’s Republican convention, quite possibly their last chance to stop his march to the nomination.
