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                 Trump Expected to Sweep Five Tuesday Primaries

   by Chris Hannas

   Donald Trump is expected to win all five states holding their
   presidential primaries Tuesday, adding a needed batch of delegates in
   his quest to clinch the Republican Party's nomination.

   The voting in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland and Rhode
   Island follows an announcement by Trump's remaining rivals that they
   are strategically campaigning in a bid to block him from earning a
   delegate majority.

   Trump called the effort by Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Ohio Governor
   John Kasich "pathetic."

   As has been the case throughout the nominating process, the margin of
   Tuesday's voting will be important because the more delegates Trump
   earns the better his chance of reaching a majority at 1,237.  If he
   fails to hit that threshold, Cruz and Kasich could have a shot at the
   nomination at the party's convention in July.

   ''In the Democratic race, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton led
   polls in four of the five states voting Tuesday, with Vermont Senator
   Bernie Sanders ahead only in Rhode Island.

   A strong showing Tuesday for Clinton would move her to within striking
   distance of the Democratic nomination.  She entered the day with 1,962
   delegates, including hundreds of super delegates who have pledged to
   support her.  The five states voting Tuesday have 462 delegates at
   stake, and another 276 are available during the next month, meaning
   Clinton needs to win just over half of them to reach a majority 2,383.

   Despite the tough math he faces, Sanders has repeatedly vowed to remain
   in the race through the July convention.  The self-described democratic
   socialist has campaigned for higher wages, eliminating special interest
   money in politics, breaking up big banks and expanding access to
   healthcare, and has developed a big following among young people.  He
   told supporters Monday that his campaign is the only one asking
   Americans to "think outside of the status quo."

   ''

   Clinton, whose background also includes time as a senator and first
   lady, gave a speech Monday targeting Trump as out of touch with regular
   people.

   "You got to spend time with Americans of all sorts and backgrounds in
   every part of our country," she said.  "Don't just fly that big jet in
   and land it and go make a big speech and insult everybody you can think
   of and then go back, get on that big jet and go back to your country
   club house in Florida or your penthouse in New York."

   Trump used his appearances Monday to reiterate his criticisms of the
   nomination process.  He has accused the Republican Party of treating
   him unfairly, and said Monday the system is "rigged."

   The plan by Cruz and Kasich to stop Trump is aimed primarily at voting
   a week from Tuesday in the state of Indiana, where Kasich is supposed
   to avoid campaigning in order to give Cruz a better shot at defeating
   Trump.  But despite their announcement, the plan may be easier in
   theory than in practice, and Kasich said Monday that even though he
   will back off campaigning in Indiana he still wants his supporters to
   vote for him.

   Trump came into Tuesday with 845 delegates, followed by Cruz with 559.
   Kasich had 148, trailing even Florida Senator Marco Rubio who dropped
   out of the race in mid-March.
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References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/trump-expected-to-sweep-tuesday-primaries/3302796.html