Donald Trump

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Loss in Ohio slows Trump’s march to Republican nomination

Long-shot candidate John Kasich has defeated Donald Trump in Ohio’s key presidential primary. Trump’s candidacy faces mounting resistance from moderate Republicans, DW’s Spencer Kimball reports from Cincinnati, Ohio.

Days after protests forced the Republican front-runner to cancel a rally in Chicago, Donald Trump has suffered a significant defeat in Ohio’s key primary.

John Kasich, the moderate governor of Ohio, managed to pull ahead in the neck-and-neck race on Tuesday, denying Trump all 66 delegates under the state’s winner-take-all rules.

The billionaire reality television star’s loss in Ohio slows, although it does not halt, his steady march toward the Republican nomination.

“Losing Ohio means he’ll have to deal with Kasich for a little bit longer, but it doesn’t end the process,” said David Nevin, a US politics expert at the University of Cincinnati.

“The way the map and the way the winner-take-all rules are set up, it’s going to get easier and easier for Trump to roll up big delegate totals from here on out,” said Nevin.

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Chicago protests force Trump to call off rally

Donald Trump’s political ascent is mobilizing fierce opposition. Days before a string of key primaries, the Republican front-runner was forced by protesters to call off a major rally in Chicago, reports Spencer Kimball.

Even for the protesters, the news came as a surprise.

Donald Trump called off his rally in Chicago on Friday, citing “security concerns” amid reports of scuffles inside the university arena where he was scheduled to appear.

“Honestly, I’m shocked they called it off as quickly as they did,” said Annelise Steele, a 20-year-old student who showed up to protest against the Republican front-runner.

A large number of anti-Trump demonstrators descended on the University of Illinois Pavilion Center, many carrying signs and chanting slogans that panned the billionaire as a fascist and white supremacist. Activists said thousands had showed up to protest.

“I feel ecstatic. I feel like I actually have a voice,” said Uber driver Robert Willard as his fellow protesters celebrated their victory.

In a press release, Trump’s campaign said he decided to “postpone” the rally after landing in Chicago and discussing the situation with law enforcement. Supporters like Tayler Fuentes were disappointed in their candidate for not showing up.

“He should have stuck it out,” said Fuentes, a 28-year-old veteran and surgical assistant. “He always projects this image of being strong. What’s he going to do when China and Russia come knocking on the door?”

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Born in the USA: Trump stokes calls for end to birthright citizenship

There are growing calls in the Republican Party to end birthright citizenship for the children of undocumented migrants. The debate strikes at the very core of American nationhood. Spencer Kimball reports from Chicago.

Born in the United States? Then you’re a citizen, regardless of your parents’ national origins or legal status. Many Americans view this principle as a cornerstone of their democracy.

Others, like Donald Trump, believe birthright citizenship is a problem. The billionaire real estate tycoon, reality television star and now Republican presidential front-runner would crack down on undocumented migrants by denying citizenship to their children born on US soil.

“They’re illegal,” Trump said in an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press. “Either you have a country or you don’t.”

He’s not alone. Most Republican presidential candidates back the idea outright or waver when asked to take a position. Only Jeb Bush, whose wife was born in Mexico, and Marco Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, have publicly expressed support for the principle of birthright citizenship.

“Within the 14th amendment, there’s something called the citizenship clause, and the debate is centered on exactly who fits the definition of being subject to the jurisdiction of the United States,” Jon Feere, a legal policy analyst at the Center for Immigration Studies, told DW.

“All sides of the debate agree, in the least, that children born to foreign diplomats are not to be considered US citizens at birth,” Feere said. “The question is whether or not that includes children born to illegal immigrants, children born to tourists, children born to foreign students and so on.”

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The people’s billionaire? Trump dominates Republican primary polls

Flush with money and armed with social media, Donald Trump’s racially charged populism now dominates the Republican race. Dismiss the billionaire tycoon at your own peril. Spencer Kimball reports from Chicago.

Donald Trump wants to “make America great again.”

“Our country is in serious trouble,” Trump said when announcing his campaign for president in June. “We use to have victories, but we don’t have them. When was the last time anybody saw us beating, let’s say China, in a trade deal?” he asked rhetorically. “They kill us. I beat China all the time.”

It’s not just China that’s beating the United States. According to Trump, Mexico has turned America “into a dumping ground,” sending immigrants across the border who are “rapists.” In response to his racially charged rhetoric, broadcaster NBC canceled Trump’s Miss USA pageant. Pundits and observers thought his campaign had imploded on its launch pad.

But Trump didn’t stop there. During a July interview in Iowa, he said Senator John McCain – a Vietnam veteran who was held captive and tortured – wasn’t a war hero. Sacrilege in America. Outrage ensued, but Trump’s campaign didn’t suffer as a result.

During the first Republican debate in August, Trump refused to rule out running as a third party candidate. The audience booed him. Yet according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll published on Tuesday, Trump decisively leads the Republican primary by a 20 point margin, garnering about 30 percent support. He leads in every major primary state, from New Hampshire to Iowa, from South Carolina to Florida.

“The inflammatory comments increase his popularity,” Bruce Newman, author of the forthcoming book, “The Marketing Revolution in Politics,” told DW. “His brand is all about the ability to make inflammatory comments and not care about what people think.”

“The xenophobic approach that Trump has, which is to appeal to people’s fear of the role of immigrants, is no different than what we witness in Europe,” said Newman, a professor at DePaul University. “It’s no different than the oratory of a Le Pen in France.”

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