In yet another sign that the Republican presidential nomination may well be headed to a free-for-all at the party convention in July, front-runner Donald Trump has practically renounced his pledge to back whosoever emerges as the party nominee.
The other two contenders in the fray, Senator Ted Cruz and Ohio Governor John Kasich, have also refused to commit to fall in line and support the chosen nominee, especially if that happens to be Trump.
The New York billionaire’s renunciation of the loyalty pledge is being viewed by pundits as a signal that he could mount an independent bid if he falls short of the requisite 1,237 delegates in the ongoing primaries and fails to muster the numbers at what could well be a contested convention.
The loyalty pledge came to the fore at a CNN town hall forum on Tuesday night, when all the three candidates were pointedly asked if they will honour it, regardless of the nominee. There has also been speculation that the Republican establishment could prop an altogether different person.
“No, I don’t anymore. No, we’ll see who it is,” Trump said categorically when quizzed on the subject, taking the stand that he has been “treated very unfairly” by the Republican National Committee and the party establishment. Cruz, for his part, said he was “not in the habit of supporting someone who attacked my wife and attacked my family”. His reference came against the backdrop of the recent feud between the two in what has come to be called the “War Over Wives”.
Dealing with the other new controversy dogging his campaign, with his manager Corey lewandowski being charged with simple battery over allegations he grabbed the arm of reporter Michelle Fields at an event earlier this month, Trump strongly defended his aide. He ruled out any action against his aide.