Freddy Gray

Farewell then Ted Cruz, who has now accepted the inevitable and suspended his candidacy for the Republican Party Nomination. Cruz ran a brilliant campaign but was endlessly undermined by his own unattractiveness as a human being. It wasn't just his looks, and his unfortunate physical awkwardness. He came across as a duplicitous evangelical preacher, despised by everyone but his own flock. Donald Trump, who has genius for spotting weakness in others, nailed his opponent's greatest flaw when he called him 'Lyin' Ted.' 'Nobody likes him,' he said, and he was right. Trump is a dishonest monster, too, of course, but in 2016 he is the right kind of dishonest monster. As for Trump's candidacy, that would appear to be that.

Tell me something. When you watch the above video of Justin Trudeau, does it warm your heart? Do you think it funny and therefore good? Do you say to yourself, 'Aww, isn't it great that our politicians don't take themselves too seriously? It's all in a good cause, too, bless!' Or do you cringe and think, 'You vain prat Justin! You are a politician not a light entertainer. Stop degrading us with this cutesy comic crap! Don't you have anything better to do? Stop using charity as an excuse to celebrate your narcissism and get back to work!' If, like me, your reaction is the latter, then consolations, comrade. We are in the humourless minority. Most people adore this stuff. Trudeau's little skit is being shared all over the internet today.

Another Tuesday, another triumph for Donald Trump. The Republican frontrunner had a clean sweep at last night's primaries, winning easily in all the states that voted. He took all the delegates from Pennsylvania Maryland,  Connecticut, and Delaware -- plus 9 of 15 in Rhode Island. After his huge victory in New York last week, that means he has won around 200 delegates in the last seven days. Before last week, it looked very much as if Trump would fall short of 1237 delegates, which is the majority he needs (in theory) to win the nomination in the first round of voting in July. Now, he is on course not only to reach that 1237 bar but to clear it comfortably.  He's won around 200 delegates in the last week alone.

Ted Cruz once suggested - it feels like years ago but was only January - that Republican voters would not choose Donald Trump because of his 'New York values'. The idea behind the diss was that Trump's elite social liberalism would not play well with the conservative majority. Well, Cruz was wrong - and New Yorkers repaid him last night with a giant slap in the face, as the Donald swept to victory in his home state. Poor ol' Ted came in a distant third. Everybody knew Trump would win in New York, but the extent of his victory is staggering. He won almost two-thirds of the Republican vote, which meant he was awarded 89 delegates. Cruz, with less than 15 per cent on the vote, won none.

Last night in Chicago, a mob of progressives shut down a Donald Trump rally. The protestors -- described as mostly young millennials -- infiltrated the University of Illinois Pavilion, in central Chicago, and set about subverting the event. They waved Mexican flags -- pro-immigrant, geddit -- and wore t-shirts calling Trump Hitler. There were violent clashes and a policeman was reportedly injured. The protestors cheered when police announced the rally would be shut down because of security concerns. They revelled in their victory against free speech, taunting the furious Trump fans with chants of 'we won'. This is American politics now: juvenile, anti-liberal, menacing. We know that Trump voters are angry.

[audioplayer src="http://rss.acast.com/viewfrom22/donaldtrumpsangryamerica/media.mp3" title="Freddy Gray talks to Isabel Hardman about Donald Trump's angry America"] Listen [/audioplayer]It was, in the end, the best possible night for Donald Trump. On Super Tuesday, 11 American states voted for Republican and Democratic presidential candidates. Trump won seven. That was enough to ensure he remains easily the frontrunner, but not enough to persuade his opponents to coalesce around one of his rivals. Had he won nine or ten, the Republican party might have fallen in behind the man in second place, Ted Cruz. As it turned out, Marco Rubio, the last establishment man standing, won one state, which has encouraged him to keep fighting.

It was, in the end, the best possible night for Donald Trump. On Super Tuesday, 12 American states voted for Republican and Democratic presidential candidates. Trump won seven. That was enough to ensure he remains easily the frontrunner, but not enough to persuade his opponents to coalesce around one of his rivals. Had he won nine or ten, the Republican party might have fallen in behind the man in second place, Ted Cruz. As it turned out, Marco Rubio, the last establishment man standing, won one state, which has encouraged him to keep fighting. But Rubio’s reluctance to admit defeat means the anti-Trump vote will continue to fracture. His stubbornness is beginning to look like denial. It’s time to face reality.