Trump Emerges as Republican Nominee

With Ted Cruz's withdrawal from the Republican primaries, the fate of the Republican Party has become largely clear, similar to that of the Democratic Party, and Donald Trump will be the final nominee for the party in the 2016 presidential election. Mr. Trump currently holds the votes of 1007 delegates at the Republican National Convention and faces no significant obstacles in securing the additional 230 votes needed to clinch the nomination. The only remaining contender in the Republican Party is John Kasich, who, although he has not yet withdrawn, has only 153 votes, even fewer than Marco Rubio, who dropped out weeks ago! Thus, on November 8 of this year – November 18 on the Iranian calendar – Americans will likely have to choose between Hillary Clinton from the Democratic Party and Donald Trump from the Republican Party for their presidency. Other candidates are also present in this election, but they have no chance of winning. Cruz's sudden withdrawal, a religious senator from the southern state of Texas, occurred despite his apparent high motivation to stop Donald Trump. Mathematically, after the New York elections, Cruz was no longer able to reach the minimum of 1237 votes (or delegates) required. However, he did not withdraw after his defeat in New York, claiming he could still stop Trump. So why did Ted Cruz ultimately withdraw after his defeat in Indiana while the Republican elections were still pending in nine states? The answer lies not in the failed campaign activities of Ted Cruz but in the hopes of the 'Stop Trump' campaign. In fact, from the day after the New York elections – and according to some, from the day after Super Tuesday – Cruz hoped that despite his campaign's failure, a larger Republican unity to stop Trump would succeed, preventing the controversial businessman from reaching the minimum votes needed for nomination (1237 votes at the national convention). In such a situation, Cruz hoped to become the Republican nominee through backroom deals. However, after the Tuesday elections in Indiana, the 'Stop Trump' campaign also collapsed. Cruz and other Trump opponents quickly realized that the only way to stop him was to prevent his victory in states where the competition was held in a 'winner-takes-all' format. In these states, the election winner takes all the delegates from that state at the Republican National Convention. Indiana was one of the most important remaining states where the competition was held in this manner. Apparently, the only chance to defeat Trump in this state and deny him the 51 delegates from Indiana was Ted Cruz. He campaigned vigorously in this state and even at one point, it was awkwardly announced that Kasich had withdrawn in favor of Cruz in Indiana. Although both candidates ultimately disregarded their deal, Kasich's presence in Indiana was noticeably minimal, and he attempted to create an environment for Cruz's victory. However, none of these tactics succeeded, and ultimately Trump was able to defeat Cruz and all his Republican opponents, including the governor of Indiana who had supported Cruz, with 53% of the votes. From this point on, the chances of the anti-Trump campaign to stop him became very slim, even mathematically. In the continuing Republican contests in four states, the competition will be held in a 'winner-takes-all' format, which has a total of 143 delegates or votes at the Republican National Convention. Cruz, who failed to stop Trump in Indiana, was very unlikely to achieve anything in these four states. Additionally, in California, the Republican primaries will be held in a 'winner-takes-most' format. This method will also significantly benefit Trump, who is leading by a wide margin in this large state. With 172 delegates or party votes from California, Trump could easily reach the magical number of 1237 votes even with Cruz still in the race and secure the Republican nomination in the first round of voting at the Republican National Convention. All of this is even without considering the competition in five states where the competition will be held proportionally, and Trump could secure several delegates in all of them under the worst conditions. In fact, Indiana was the last shot for the anti-Trump campaign... a life-and-death battle that led to the death of this campaign. From here, it remains to be seen how the wounded and fragmented Republican Party can unite behind someone who has earned the title of the most despised presidential candidate in recent decades with his fiery remarks. Donald Trump, after Dwight Eisenhower, is the second person since World War II to become the Republican nominee without having previously won any elections. The difference is that Eisenhower was a five-star general who commanded Allied forces in Europe during World War II and ran for the presidency seven years after liberating France and conquering Germany. In contrast, Trump claims to have turned his father's million-dollar fortune from real estate into a billion-dollar empire and owns a chain of hotels, casinos, and golf courses worldwide. Before entering the Republican primaries, he was known for his appearances on popular reality shows and had attracted media attention with the controversy surrounding President Barack Obama's birthplace. Throughout his campaign, Trump has repeatedly made headlines due to his unconventional views. To date, he has alienated a large group of immigrants to the U.S., particularly Latinos and Mexicans, has frightened Muslims – including American Muslims – with his idea of banning their entry into the U.S., and his popularity among women across the U.S. is below 30%. He was also the only Republican candidate who initially supported the nuclear deal with Iran but ultimately changed his position like many other issues and repeated the cliché that other Republican candidates introduced, stating he would tear up the agreement. He also indirectly spoke about the possibility of using nuclear weapons against the Islamic State or ISIS and sending 30,000 troops to Syria. In subsequent interviews, he questioned his own statements in various ways and specifically mentioned that he would consult with 'generals' about sending troops to Syria. He did not specify which generals he would consult, but the Pentagon is currently opposed to sending ground troops to Syria. Trump has also changed his positions on social issues such as abortion rights multiple times and at least in one interview stated that women who have abortions should be punished! He later changed this statement, saying he meant those involved in abortions, which have been legal in the U.S. for 40 years. If Donald Trump wins the presidential election, he will also become the leader of the Republican Party. During the primaries, he repeatedly attacked the party's leaders, calling them corrupt and fraudulent. This has led some prominent Republicans to take a stand against him. Most importantly, based on polls, if the U.S. presidential election were held today, he would lose to Hillary Clinton, the main Democratic candidate, by a significant margin. Nevertheless, the Republican Party has six months to first come to terms with Trump and then convince America to accept him and elect him as president.