Trump becomes presumptive GOP nominee after sweeping primaries

President Trump passed the delegate threshold required to be the presumptive 2020 Republican nominee with his victories in the Illinois and Florida GOP primaries Tuesday evening.

The wins were largely expected, with only former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld challenging Trump in the primaries after two other long-shot candidates, former Reps. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) and Mark Sanford (R-S.C.) suspended their campaigns. Walsh ended his bid after receiving 1.1 percent of the vote in the Iowa caucuses, while Sanford dropped out last November without entering any contests.

The Florida win brought Trump’s total to 1,330 delegates, above the 1,276 threshold necessary to win renomination.

“The Republican Party is more unified and energized than ever before and it’s because of President Trump’s leadership and clear record of accomplishment on behalf of all Americans,” Brad Parscale, the president’s 2020 campaign manager, said in a statement.

The Trump campaign said in the same statement that vote totals from the primaries that have already been held puts Trump at least 4 million votes ahead of former President Clinton’s record for total votes cast for an incumbent in the same states. Trump set vote total records in the primaries for Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Washington, the campaign said.