Donald Trump could be in "big trouble" if he doesn't cinch the GOP presidential nomination on the first ballot at the party's convention in July, GOP pollster John McLaughlin said Sunday.
In a "Cats Roundtable" radio interview with businessman and former GOP mayoral candidate
John Catsimatidis in New York, McLaughlin said the front-runner "should win this on a first ballot."
The remarks begin at about the 42:37-minute mark.
"If he doesn’t, he’s in big trouble, because he’s been out-organized” by the campaign of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, McLaughlin said.
“You’ve got the Cruz campaign putting in people that may be bound to Trump on the first ballot, but on the second ballot they’re gonna leave Donald Trump," McLaughlin said.
McLaughlin added that Trump needs at least 68 percent of the remaining delegates to lock up the nomination on the first ballot. To do this, the pollster argued that Indiana will be the most important state following New York, where Trump is expected to win big on Tuesday.
“If Cruz beats him there then it’s gonna be harder for Trump to win,” he said. “If Trump wins Indiana, then he’s on his way to doing very well in California and securing enough delegates.”
He added that going into the crucial states, "the one person who can beat Trump… is Trump.
"When he goes off-message" and gets into "personal fights," he loses momentum, McLaughlin said.
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