Donald Trump loses Wisconsin, brands rival Ted Cruz a ‘trojan horse
DONALD Trump has suffered a blow in his bid for the White House, losing sorely to rival Ted Cruz in what could be a turning point in the race.
Mr Trump reacted to crushing defeat in the key state of Wisconsin angrily, refusing to make a concession speech and instead issuing a campaign statement that blasted Mr Cruz as a liar and “trojan horse” who was being used by party bosses “attempting to steal” his nomination.
Wisconsin is an industrial midwest state that should have been geared towards Mr Trump’s usual support base, yet the billionaire went down to Mr Cruz in double digits, 34 per cent to 48.
Mr Trump still retains the overall lead in the race, but dropping last night’s delegates makes it more difficult for the frontrunner to secure the nomination outright ahead of the Republican Convention in July.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has had a crushing defeat in Wisconsin. Picture: APSource:AP
Exit polling in Wisconsin showed a third of Republican voters said they were “scared” of what Mr Trump could do in the White House.
The Cruz camp hopes the win — the first major victory of the stop Trump forces who have been dogging the frontrunner with a negative ad campaign — will change the trajectory of the contest.
“Tonight is a turning point,” Mr Cruz said. “It is a rallying cry. It is a call from the hardworking men and women of Wisconsin to the people of America: We have a choice, a real choice.”
Failure to rack up 1237 delegates in time will see party faithful vote on the floor of the convention to decide the nominee — a process the Trump camp fears will not favour the real estate mogul.
Trump branded Ted Cruz a ‘liar’ and ‘trojan horse’ after losing to him in the Wisconsin primary. Picture: AP Photo/Nam Y. HuhSource:AP
“Either before Cleveland or at the convention in Cleveland, together we will win a majority of the delegates — and together, we will beat Hillary Clinton in November,” Mr Cruz said.
A statement issued by the Trump campaign last night lashed out at the Republican establishment.
“Donald J Trump withstood the onslaught of the establishment yet again,” the campaign statement read.
“Lyin’ Ted Cruz had the Governor of Wisconsin, many conservative talk show hosts, and the entire party apparatus behind him.”
The statement said Mr Cruz was propelled by “the anti-Trump super PAC’s spending countless millions of dollars on false advertising”.
The Trump campaign has blasted rival Ted Cruz in a tersely-worded statement. Picture: APSource:AP
It also accused Mr Cruz of breaking the law in his dealings with his own super PAC.
Mr Trump will try to mount a comeback in his home state of New York which votes on April 19.
The loss came as Mr Trump revealed how he planned to pay for the multi-billion dollar wall he wants to build along the Mexican border.
He proposed cutting off cash payments Mexican immigrants send home to their families.
On the Democratic side, frontrunner Hillary Clinton lost to Bernie Sanders in Wisconsin last night.
It marks Mr Sanders’s sixth victory in a row, yet Ms Clinton still leads the delegate count significantly.
