Businessman Donald Trump has reached the number of delegates required to secure the Republican nomination for president, achieving a feat that was thought of as virtually impossible just a year ago.
Trump reached 1,238 delegates on Thursday after a small number of unbound delegates told the Associated Press that they would support him at the Republican convention in July. A candidate needs 1,237 delegates to win the nomination.
Trump’s rivals had already dropped out of the race over the past few months, but candidates such as Ted Cruz and John Kasich remain on the ballot for the upcoming primaries. Thursday’s news ensures that even an unlikely loss in those primaries would still allow the businessman to clinch the Republican nomination.
Trump is likely to face former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who is close to securing the delegates needed to clinch the Democratic nomination. Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson appears likely to be the Libertarian nominee while Dr. Jill Stein is expected to be the Green Partys nominee.
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