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 Veteran campaign tactician Paul Manafort was chosen by Trump on
Thursday to oversee a fractious nomination process that many
Republicans expect may not yield a clear winner before the
convention.
Manafort said on CNN's "New Day" program that rival Ted Cruz, the
U.S. senator from Texas, will not be able to dent Trump's delegate
lead before California's June 7 primary.
"The reality is: Ted Cruz has seen his best day," Manafort said.
"The reality is: this convention process will be over with sometime
in June, probably June 7, and it'll be apparent to the world that
Trump is over that 1,237 number."
Trump has been uncharacteristically quiet on social media after his
double-digit loss to Cruz in the Wisconsin primary on Tuesday, which
followed a series of missteps on the campaign trail including his
statement, later recanted, advocating punishment for women who have
illegal abortions.
In elevating Manafort, Trump said he would add more staff before the
convention in an expansion of his campaign team beyond the
close-knit group of advisers who have been at his side since he
jumped into the presidential race last June.
"People that I know that want to get involved and wanted to before
but didn't have a way in," Manafort said.
The next presidential nominating contests before the Nov. 8 election
include a number in East Coast states seen as more fertile ground
for the real estate tycoon, including in his native New York on
April 19.
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Manafort cited Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut and Maryland as
states where Trump would do well.
"By the time we get to California the momentum is going be very
clear and Ted Cruz' path to victory is going to be in shambles," he
said.
Cruz, appearing on the CNN program earlier, said he had a clear path
to 1,237 delegates.
"It's difficult. We've got to win and we've got to win
consistently," Cruz said. "He's right. He has to win," Manafort
said.
(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Bill Trott)
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