Trump Urges Republican Unity as He Eyes Clash with Clinton

Local Editor

Republican candidate Donald Trump pledged Wednesday to unify the fractured party following a bruising primary season, as he declared the battle for the White House starts now against likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Trump's path to the GOP presidential nomination is clear after his commanding victory in Indiana's primary Tuesday pushed remaining challengers Ted Cruz and then Ohio Governor John Kasich out of the race.

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

"Now we'll unify the party," Trump, 69, told Fox News. "We're going to get people together."

But with un-favorability 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."

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

Names being tossed around included Senator Rob Portman of critical swing state Ohio, and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.

Trump himself said he could consider Kasich, a former congressman who helped balance the federal budget, as his vice presidential pick.

Bowing out on Wednesday, the Ohio governor grew wistful about the thousands of Americans he met on the campaign trail.

"They loved me, they encouraged me. The people of our country changed me... with stories of their lives," he said.

Just as Trump seized the GOP mantle, a new CNN poll emerged that highlighted the formidable challenge facing him.

It found Clinton, hoping at 68 to become America's first female commander-in-chief, leading the tycoon 54 percent to 41 percent -- her largest lead since July.

Like Trump, 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."

Her campaign released an advertisement mocking Trump's claim that he will unify the Republican Party, airing a collection of video clips showing his former presidential rivals and other prominent Republicans denouncing him in withering terms.

The former reality TV star is "the most vulgar person ever to aspire to the presidency," says Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who dropped out of the race last month.

Trump dismissed Clinton's criticism along with concerns about his unfavorability ratings, 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.

As Tuesday's contest in Indiana was called overwhelmingly in Trump's favor, Cruz conceded to supporters in Indianapolis that he no longer had a viable way forward.

"We gave it everything we've got, but the voters chose another path," he said.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team