AS IT IS 2016-05-05 Will Republicans Unite Behind Trump?

AS IT IS 2016-05-05 Will Republicans Unite Behind Trump¹?

Businessman Donald Trump has become the de facto Republican Party presidential nominee² after all other opponents withdrew from the competition.

Ohio Governor John Kasich was the last candidate to suspend his campaign.

Texas Senator Ted³ Cruz did the same Tuesday night following Trump’s huge win in the nominating election in the state of Indiana. Cruz told supporters that his "path toward victory has been foreclosed," and that “voters have chosen another path.”

Donald Trump has never held public office. When he announced his plan to run for president on June 16, 2015, few Americans considered him a serious candidate.

He was the 12th person to enter the Republican contest. In all there were 17 candidates seeking that party’s presidential nomination⁴. Trump was the best-known among Americans.

He was the host of a TV reality show called, “The Apprentice,” for many years. The show had 28 million viewers its first season. Trump has more than 7 million followers⁵ on the social media site Twitter.

Trump spoke⁶ about unemployment in the United States. He said China, Japan and Mexico had taken U.S. jobs. He criticized Mexico and other Latin American countries which he said were sending illegal immigrants to the United States.

“They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists,” he said. Trump promised to “build a great wall” to keep them out and that he “will have Mexico to pay for that wall.”

For the next 10 months, Trump spread his message and attacked opponents on television, radio and social media. He made many incendiary comments about issues and other politicians.

Trump criticized Senator John McCain for being taken as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. Many Americans consider the 2008 Republican candidate for president a hero. But, Trump disagreed. “He’s not a war hero. … I like people who weren’t captured,” he said.

Trump made other sharp criticisms against his opponents. He accused Senator Ted Cruz of lying. He called Senator Rubio of Florida, “little Marco.”

Both Republicans and Democrats⁷ condemned⁸ Trump when he called for banning all Muslims from the United States.

The comments do not seem to affect Republican voters. A Gallup poll in February reported that Republicans support Trump because he is “outspoken,” “strong” and “not a career politician.”

One by one, Trump’s opponents left the race after losses in the primaries and caucuses⁹. Trump’s opponents sharply attacked him. Some called for changes to how delegates are awarded.

Republican chair calls for unity¹⁰ behind Trump

Reince Priebus is the head of the Republican Party. After Trump’s Indiana victory, he tweeted that Trump will be the “presumptive” nominee. He called for party unity to defeat Hillary Clinton.

Matt Dallek is a professor at George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management. He wonders if Republicans will follow Priebus’s call for unity.

He says, "The chairman of the RNC coming out and saying he’s the presumptive nominee [is] not insignificant¹¹, but that doesn't necessarily persuade Jeb Bush and Ted Cruz and John Kasich and the Lindsey Grahams of the world to endorse¹² him or to certainly appear on the convention stage."

Dallek added, "It’s hard to imagine Ted Cruz endorsing¹³ him after all of the things that he said about Trump."

Cruz had called Trump a “pathological liar” and accused him of repeatedly cheating in his marriages.

U.S. Senator Jeff Session of Alabama is among leading Republicans who support Trump. New Jersey¹⁴ Governor and former candidate Chris Christie is another.

Christie campaigned for the businessman after he dropped out of the race himself.

U.S. Senator Lindsay Graham was also a candidate for the Republican nomination. He wrote, “If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed.......and we will deserve it.”

Paul Helmke is a professor at Indiana University Bloomington's School of Public and Environmental Affairs. He said Trump’s victory “has shocked the entire political establishment."

He told VOA, "I think what’s happened is that a lot of folks think that government isn't working for them, government isn't effective anymore, they're angry, they want somebody who promises that they can make a difference, and Trump’s somebody who says I can make the deal, I can make this happen, and I think that’s what he’s tapping into." 

Words in This Story

de facto – adj. used to describe something that exists but that is not officially accepted or recognized

incendiary – adj. causing anger

insignificant –adj. small not important

endorse –v. to publicly support

pathological – adj. extreme in a way that is not normal or that shows an illness or mental problem

1 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

2 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

3 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

4 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

5 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

9 caucuses   

n.（政党决定政策或推举竞选人的）核心成员( caucus的名词复数 )；决策干部；决策委员会；秘密会议

参考例句：

• Republican caucuses will happen in about 410 towns across Maine. 共和党团会议选举将在缅因州的约410个城镇进行。 来自互联网

10 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

11 insignificant   

adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的

参考例句：

• In winter the effect was found to be insignificant.在冬季，这种作用是不明显的。
• This problem was insignificant compared to others she faced.这一问题与她面临的其他问题比较起来算不得什么。

12 endorse   

vt.(支票、汇票等)背书，背署；批注；同意

参考例句：

• No one is foolish enough to endorse it.没有哪个人会傻得赞成它。
• I fully endorse your opinions on this subject.我完全拥护你对此课题的主张。

13 endorsing   

v.赞同( endorse的现在分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• Yet Communist leaders are also publicly endorsing religion in an unprecedented way. 不过，共产党领导层对宗教信仰的公开认可也是以前不曾有过的。 来自互联网
• Connecticut Independent Senator Joseph Lieberman is endorsing Republican Senator John McCain. 康涅狄格州独立派参议员约瑟夫。列波曼将会票选共和议员约翰。麦凯恩。 来自互联网

14 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。