The Republican Primary race took another twist Monday with a last ditch effort to block Donald Trump from the nomination.
It’s now two against one after Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich announced a new game plan. The two rivals decided to team up and work together in the final stretch of the primaries. The goal is to divide and counter Trump’s campaign efforts to curb the frontrunner’s path to the White House.
Right now there are 674 republican delegates that are still up for grabs—that also happens to be the exact number Cruz needs to win the nomination.
However, it’s highly unlikely, if not impossible, Cruz will win all of the delegates in all 15 states that remain in the race.
“That is a decision, an allocation of resources, and it makes a lot of sense and it’s devoted to the principle of beating Hillary Clinton in November and turning this country around,” Cruz said.
Trump is the only Republican who can realistically win the nomination before the party’s national convention, otherwise the race goes to an open contest.
According to CNN’s estimates, Trump needs to win about 58 percent of the remaining delegates to get the majority—1,237 delegates—required to win the nomination.
Henson said he does not believe Trump will reach that benchmark before the party’s national convention in July.
“But it does look like he’s going to get pretty close,” Henson said. He also said the two-against-one strategy will make it even more difficult for Trump to collect delegates.
Trump took to Twitter to respond to the new strategy Sunday. He wrote, “Wow, just announced that Lyin’ Ted and Kasich are going to collude in order to keep me from getting the Republican nomination. DESPERATION!”
When asked about the Tweet Kaisch said, “I don’t respond to Donald Trump I mean what, are you kidding me?” The reporter asked if the Kasich-Cruz team up is collusion and Kasich responded, “What does that even mean, I don’t know—does he [Trump] know what that means?”
Kasich echoed Cruz when he said the goal is to work together to beat Hillary Clinton and both candidates need to use their resources wisely.
Kasich said, “I feel that it’s very fair for me to go to areas where I can spend my resources most effectively and the same is true for Senator Cruz. What’s the big deal?”
Henson said it does shows signs of weakness in both Cruz and Kasich’s campaigns.
“I do think that there is something to Trump’s argument that this is a sign of desperation,” said Henson.
Cruz will focus his campaign efforts in Indiana while clearing a path for Kasich to compete in Oregon and New Mexico.
Henson said it’s a much better deal for Cruz than it is Kasich because there is a bonus for the candidate who wins the popular vote in Indiana.
“It’s a better deal for Cruz but we should also point it could also blow up in his face, and then it could wind up actually helping Trump should Trump get a majority of the popular vote,” Henson said.
The three Republican candidates will compete Tuesday in primaries in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island—five state where Trump is expected see a strong showing of support.
