Gainesville–Super Tuesday 2 was a big night for Donald Trump, with only one loss in Ohio to its state governor John Kasich. However, despite Trump’s big win in the winner take all state of Florida, his loss in Ohio could be problematic when it comes time for the GOP nomination.
Trump currently has 673 delegates and needs 1,237 in order to secure the nomination. While Trump remains adamant that he will secure the remaining delegates, the math disagrees. With only 1,061 delegates left up for grabs it appears more and more likely that the GOP is headed to a brokered convention.
A brokered convention could be disastrous for Trump’s presidential aspirations. If he doesn’t secure a majority of the delegates and a brokered convention takes place, delegates could “switch sides” and choose another nominee, despite Trump being the front-runner. Trump realizes that the majority of the GOP establishment is against him and has already warned the establishment what will happen if they circumvent him for the nomination.
“I think you’d have problems like you’ve never seen before. I think bad things would happen.” Trump said, regarding what would happen if he didn’t receive the GOP nomination. He elaborated further on CNN’s “News Day” Wednesday morning stating “I think you’d have riots.”
While Trump’s veiled threat might be brushed off by some as just another “trumpism”, there is some real truth in what he is saying. According to an early CNN exit poll, more than half of the Republicans that voted in North Carolina and Ohio feel the Republican Party has betrayed them. This sentiment coupled with the dissatisfied and angry nature of Trump supporters is a deadly combination.
By planting the idea of riots in his supporter’s heads, Trump has escalated an already volatile situation. And while it’s easy to understand his supporter’s anger with the current establishment, there is never a situation where violence is justifiable.
Whether you agree with Trump or not, one thing can be said for certain; he is setting a dangerous precedent. A precedent where the ends justify the means and violence will be tolerated by a presidential nominee.
