“The Final Five” answered questions from Anderson Cooper and Wolf Blitzer on CNN Monday night ahead of Tuesday’s Utah and Arizona primaries and the Idaho Democratic primary. Justin highlighted key moments from the event, including where the candidates stand on the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. Before votes are counted tonight, the presidential candidates took a moment Tuesday morning to respond to the terrorist attack in Brussels, which has so far left 31 dead and nearly 200 injured.
Republican primaries
Donald Trump:Trump delivered a speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in Washington, D.C., on Monday, where he outlined a controversial proposal to withdraw the U.S. from NATO. Trump also unveiled his foreign policy team, which Politico called “a strange mix of advisors.” Polls show Trump trailing in Utah, where he has just 11 percent support. But he is ahead in Arizona, where he has won the endorsements of Sheriff Joe Arpaio and former Gov. Jan Brewer. Rumors suggest the GOP has plans to block Trump’s nomination if the campaign ends in a contentious convention. But two recent polls show Trump still trailing his opponents nationally — by two digit.
Ted Cruz:Cruz responded forcefully but calmly to the Brussels attacks on Capitol Hill Tuesday morning, calling on President Obama to cut miniature his visit to Cuba and book the next available flight to the devastated Belgian city. In the same speech, Cruz criticized Trump for his suggestion that we withdraw from NATO. Ahead of today’s competition, Cruz appears road ahead in Utah. However, John Kasich could play a bit of a spoiler and prevent Cruz from winning 50 percent of the vote and all 98 state delegates. That’s why the senator is warning voters that a vote for Kasich is a vote for Trump. Leon Wolf of RedState agrees, asking just how many delegates Kasich will win as favorite.
Jan Kasich: Experts predict Kasich could more or less secure the GOP nomination for Trump if he stays in the race much longer. While the Ohio governor effectively kept Trump from winning Ohio, he is poised to lend a hand him pick up delegates in Tuesday’s primary. Kasich is also taking flak this week for saying he would at least meet with President Obama’s fresh Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland. When conservatives protested the comment, Kasich explained that as president, he would of course nominate his own candidates and told everyone to take a “chill pill.” In good news for the governor, the fresh vote CBS News reports that voters prefer Kasich as their second candidate after Trump.
Democratic primaries
Hillary Clinton he spoke on Monday at AIPAC headquarters in Washington, where she said she was a forceful supporter of Israel and criticized Trump for claiming he was “neutral” regarding the hostility between Israelis and Palestinians.
Bernie Sanders He did not attend the conference, but stated on his website that he was the only candidate in the race with “personal ties to Israel.” Meanwhile, Clinton’s campaign is dealing with the fallout after her husband, former President Bill Clinton, delivered a shocking critique of President Obama’s last eight years in office, calling them “terrible.” Sanders won the Democratic primaries abroad. Clinton is still seven points advantage of them nationwide and has almost twice the number of delegates.
Number of delegates
Primary/Debate Schedule:
Tuesday, March 22 – Utah, Arizona, American Samoa (Republican Convention), Idaho Caucus (D).
