Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally Wednesday in Bethpage, N.Y
A day after losing Wisconsin’s Republican presidential primary, Donald Trump brought his insurgent campaign to New York Wednesday night, kicking off a bid to win his home state primary with a massive rally that harkened back to the early days of his unlikely presidential effort.
“It’s great to be home,” Trump declared in a massive movie-studio soundstage in the heart of Long Island that was packed with at least 10,000 people — one of his biggest rallies in more than a month. “I love New York. … I love this city, I love this country, and we are going to start winning again.”
Trump was referring to his campaign line of making America great again, but the line also could have applied to his campaign, which seemed mired in turmoil Wednesday, amid reports of staff infighting as the real estate mogul strives to win the 1,237 delegates needed to stave off a contested convention this July.
Several news outlets, including Politico and CNN, reported that Paul Manafort, a Trump senior adviser recently hired to oversee the campaign’s convention and delegate efforts, met with Trump Wednesday to insist on a more coherent campaign strategy. A Trump spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment on the reports, which also suggested a diminishing role for Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s embattled campaign manager.
Adding to the intrigue are questions over the candidate’s upcoming schedule. He had been expected to travel all week, including to Colorado, which holds its state GOP convention this weekend. But as of Wednesday night, the candidate had just one event on his schedule for the remainder of the week: a press conference set for Friday afternoon in Los Angeles.
But there was good news for Trump. As he formally kicked off his New York campaign, a new Monmouth poll released Wednesday found 52 percent of likely GOP voters are backing Trump ahead of the state’s April 19 primary. Ohio Gov. John Kasich came in second, with 25 percent, while Texas Sen. Ted Cruz trailed with 17 percent support.
Trump, who almost always brings up poll numbers in his stump speech, was beside himself as he cited the poll Wednesday night. “A poll came out that was through the roof,” Trump bragged. “You know what makes me happiest, when the people that know me best — and boy, do you know me well — when the people that know you the best … give you poll numbers that nobody can believe.”
Though he made no mention of his loss in Wisconsin on Tuesday night, Trump renewed his attacks on Cruz, describing him as a phony beholden to special interests. And he beamed when the crowd at one point began chanting “Lyin’ Ted,” Trump’s favorite nickname for his bitter rival.
“Make sure you spell it right,” Trump said, with a huge grin on his face. “It’s L-Y-I-N apostrophe. Lyin’ Ted.”
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