Trump scores major endorsement, Democrats look to SC

“This guy has a fresh mouth”, Trump said of Rubio during his Arkansas appearance. But for Christie to endorse someone vocally opposed to his signature issue when there are other candidates still fighting for the nomination who believe, like him, that entitlement reform is necessary is a betrayal of everything he was supposed to stand for.

“Once a choker, always a choker”, Trump declared at a news conference Friday in Fort Worth, where he received Christie’s endorsement. Wentworth said part of his decision-making process is that he is now convinced it is inevitable that Trump will clinch the Republican nomination.

“Christie had a choice”.

Cruz countered by stating he had widespread Hispanic support during his senatorial campaign in Texas, while Rubio responded by saying Hispanic voters care more about more than just immigration. “When you sit back, kind of a no-brainer”.

“It is my great honour to receive the endorsement of the Governor (Christie)”.

But then, in charged Christie to steal the news cycle and momentum.

Katie Packer, who runs Our Principles, a Republican anti-Trump group that has spent millions of dollars campaigning against the billionaire, said Trump supporters she dubbed “Trumpbots” had been intimidating her group.

“Desperate people on campaigns do desperate things, flailing punches in the last days of a losing campaign, ” Christie sneered.

On Saturday, Cruz said his daughters would get in trouble at home if they repeated the obscenities Trump dishes out. Trump is often lumped together with Cruz as an “anti-establishment” candidate, while Christie and his fellow governors like former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (who has also dropped out of the race) and Ohio Gov. John Kasich have been considered “establishment” candidates.

Trump’s latest attack was one of dozens he and Christie leveled against Rubio in back-to-back remarks here on Saturday.

That was all forgotten in the endorsement.

“He’s a nervous Nellie”, Trump claimed.

“He has been a spectacular governor”. Cruz’s unprompted riff was altogether his most extensive critique so far of Trump’s personal financial dealings, during which Cruz went as far as to say that it is an open question whether Trump is hiding crimes that he had committed.

Trump took a different approach.

“The people that are behind Trump think he’s real; they’re sick and exhausted of politicians and they see Trump as not a politician”.

A week later, Christie responded.

Rubio also gave a dramatic reading from the stage of Trump’s tweets mocking him. “I just watched you repeat yourself five times five seconds ago”, Rubio said with glee.

Trump insisted that even though officials in Mexico have said they won’t pay for his planned wall, “Mexico will pay for the wall”.

“I was Donald Trump before Donald Trump became popular”, LePage added, in a boast that’s largely true.