Donald Trump has reached the number of delegates needed to clinch the Republican nomination for US president.
Trump was put over the top in the Associated Press delegate count by a small number of the party's unbound delegates who said they would support him at the convention. Among them is Oklahoma GOP chairwoman Pam Pollard.
"I think he has touched a part of our electorate that doesn't like where our country is," Pollard said. "I have no problem supporting Mr Trump."
It takes 1237 delegates to win the Republican nomination for president. Trump has reached 1238. With 303 delegates at stake in five state primaries on June 7, Trump will easily pad his total, avoiding a contested convention in Cleveland in July.
The news comes after President Barack Obama that foreign leaders were "rattled" by Trump and had good reason to feel that way, accusing the property magnate of being ignorant about world affairs.
Obama said foreign leaders at the conference were "surprised by the Republican nominee" and unsure how seriously to take his pronouncements.Obama's assessment of the presidential campaign came on the sidelines of a Group of Seven advanced economies summit in Japan earlier this week, the latest world gathering to be coloured by global concerns about Trump.
"They are rattled by it - and for good reason," Obama said. "Because a lot of the proposals he has made display either ignorance of world affairs, or a cavalier attitude, or an interest in getting tweets and headlines."
He contrasted that to proposals that thoughtfully address what's required to keep the US safe and prosperous and "to keep the world on an even keel."
In a news conference, Obama brushed off calls for Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders to move hurriedly to resolve the primary so that Democrats can unite behind one candidate, arguing that unlike the Republicans, this year's Democratic candidates weren't that ideologically divided.
He likened the hard-fought campaign between Clinton and Sanders to the one he waged with Clinton in 2008.
"During primaries, people get a little grumpy with each other," Obama said. "Somebody's supporter pops off and there's a certain build-up of aggravation. Every little speed bump, conflict trash-talking that takes place is elevated."
He urged both Democratic candidates to "try to stick to the issues," adding that the grumpiness often stemmed from voters' frustration when the campaign instead becomes dominated by talk about "personalities and character."
US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has secured the required number of delegates to win the GOP nomination, the latest AP count shows.
Trump’s total count of delegates reached 1,238 after a small number of unbound party delegates told the AP that they would support him.
Trump was the only remaining Republican candidate in the race after his last two opponents Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and Ohio Governor John Kasich dropped out of the race earlier this month.
Oklahoma Republican Party Chairwoman Pam Pollard was one of the pledged unbound delegates who said Trump “has touched a part of our electorate that doesn't like where our country is.”
Steve House, chairman of the Colorado Republican Party and an unbound delegate who confirmed his support of Trump to the AP, said he made the decision because he likes Trump’s background as a businessman.
Some delegates, however, offered lukewarm support for Trump with Pennsylvania delegate Cameron Linton saying he'll support the real estate mogul at the Republican National Convention in July, only because Trump won the state's primary.
It takes 1,237 delegates to win the Republican nomination and there are still 303 delegates up for grabs in five state primaries on June 7. This means Trump can easily increase his total and avoid a contested convention in Cleveland.
During his rise to the top of the GOP race, Trump eliminated 16 rivals for the Republican presidential nomination through a chaotic primary process.
Trump has funded nearly 75 percent of his $57 million campaign and still managed to defeat Cruz, his closest rival, who spent significantly higher at $81 million.
Trump’s spending was even lower than the $54 million spent by Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who bowed out of the race more than two months ago.
He is expected to run against Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton in the November election.
The RealClearPolitics reported last week that for the first time, Trump had passed Clinton in an average of head-to-head national polls.
Trump was leading Clinton by 0.2 percentage points, defeating her 43.4 percent to 43.2 percent in the average.
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