By Eric Bradner, CNN
(INDIANAPOLIS, IN) Donald Trump says if he defeats Ted Cruz in Indiana, he’ll seal the Republican presidential nomination.
“Yes, it’s over,” Trump said on “Fox News Sunday” when host Chris Wallace asked if a win in the Hoosier State Tuesday would end Cruz’s chances.
Trump is the front-runner in Indiana, according to a new NBC/Wall Street Journal/Marist poll that shows him leading with 49% compared to 34% for Cruz and 13% for Ohio Gov. John Kasich. Tuesday’s primary has 57 delegates on the line.
Trump pointed to Indiana Gov. Mike Pence’s endorsement of Cruz, noting that it only came after Pence lavished praise on Trump in an Indianapolis radio show appearance.
He said that Pence “gave me more of an endorsement than he gave Cruz,” and said Pence’s decision to back Cruz was influenced by “his donors and special interests.”
“Most people think it was more of an endorsement of me than it was for Cruz. And it was the weakest endorsement anyone has seen in a long time,” Trump said of Pence’s endorsement of Cruz.
Trump also dismissed poll numbers that show him struggling with female voters, predicting that Clinton would crater once he’s able to focus all of his attention on her.
He said he’ll use Bernie Sanders’ primary attacks that Clinton is “not qualified” for the presidency due to her close ties to Wall Street and stances on issues like trade against Clinton in the general election.
“I’m going to use that. We’ll have that teed up,” Trump said.
He added: “What he said was incredible. It’s a soundbite.”
Also on “Fox News Sunday,” Cruz took a shot at Trump, highlighting the endorsement the mogul got from Mike Tyson — the boxer who spent three years in prison in Indiana after a rape conviction.
“Donald said Mike Tyson is a ‘tough guy.’ Well I don’t think rapists are tough guys,” Cruz said.
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