Trump tries to shore up Republican support as he takes on Clinton

WASHINGTON — Billionaire Donald Trump set about unifying a fractured Republican party yesterday, fortified by the support of a key party leader as he launches into battle for the White House against likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Late Wednesday, the top Republican in the Senate, Mitch McConnell, publicly endorsed Mr Trump’s candidacy “to prevent what would be a third term of Barack Obama”.

Mr Trump’s commanding victory in Indiana’s primary on Tuesday pushed remaining challengers Ted Cruz and then Ohio Governor John Kasich out of the race, leaving the real estate tycoon an uncontested path to the nomination.

Their capitulations brought the curtain down on one of the most contentious and chaotic nomination battles in generations, in which Mr Trump pummelled no fewer than 16 rivals into submission.

But with unfavourability ratings among the highest of any modern presidential candidate, and concern within his own party about his temperament, the real estate mogul swiftly sought to assuage concerns about how he would govern.

“I know people aren’t sure right now what a President Trump will be like,” he told The New York Times.

“But things will be fine. I’m not running for President to make things unstable for the country.”

Mr Trump also began discussing the idea of his possible running mate, telling ABC News he wanted “a person with political experience” to complement his own business acumen.

Names being tossed around include Senator Rob Portman of critical swing state Ohio, and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley. Mr Trump himself said he could consider Mr Kasich.

Just as Mr Trump seized the GOP mantle, a new CNN poll emerged that highlighted the formidable challenge facing him. It found Mrs Clinton, hoping at 68 to become America’s first female commander-in-chief, leading the tycoon 54 per cent to 41 per cent — her largest lead since July.

Nevertheless, the former secretary of state suffered a shock loss in Indiana to Senator Bernie Sanders, who has pledged to remain in the race until the end, despite an extremely steep hill to climb. Mrs Clinton has amassed 2,217 delegates — just shy of the 2,383 needed to secure the nomination. Mr Sanders is at 1,443.

With the match-up essentially set, several prominent Republicans are refusing to support Mr Trump in November, despite his status as the presumptive nominee. Those refusals highlight the continued tensions within the GOP, which has been at a loss to describe the stunning ascent of a brash billionaire.

“If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed ... and we will deserve it,” tweeted Senator Lindsey Graham, a Trump rival whose campaign fizzled.

Like Mr Trump, Mrs Clinton was already pivoting to the General Election. “He is a loose cannon, and loose cannons tend to misfire,” she said on CNN. “He makes these grand statements and grand accusations,” she said. “At some point when you’re running for President you actually have to put a little meat on the bones.”

The former reality television star is “the most vulgar person ever to aspire to the presidency”, said Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who dropped out of the race last month.

Mr Trump dismissed Mrs Clinton’s criticism, saying his campaign had attracted millions of supporters to the Republican Party.

“Hillary will actually be easier to beat than many of the senators, governors, etc, we were just victorious with,” he told NBC. AFP