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Rubio, Cruz defeat Trump in DC, Wyoming

US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks to attendants at a Campaign Rally in Ohio, March 12, 2016. (AFP photo)

Leading US Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump has finished third in the Washington, DC, and Wyoming caucuses, winning only 1 of a total of 31 delegates available.

The real-estate magnate finished the Saturday contest in the capital behind Senator Marco Rubio of Florida and Ohio Governor John Kasich, who won 10, and 9 delegates respectively.

At the bottom was Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who ended up fourth.

In the state of Wyoming, however, Cruz came out on top and won 9 out of the 12 pledged delegates, followed by Rubio and Trump who each bagged one delegate.

Having scored victories only in Minnesota and Puerto Rico, this is considered a relatively small victory for Rubio who is struggling to keep his campaign competitive.

For Cruz and Trump, however, the defeat in the capital would serve as a boost to their anti-Washington talking points.

Florida Senator Marco Rubio (L) and Texas Senator Ted Cruz (R) watch Donald Trump (C) speak during the CNN Republican Presidential Debate in Miami, Florida, March 10, 2016. (AFP photo)

The candidates directed heavy criticisms against the federal government during the 12th televised GOP debate earlier this week.

When asked about Common Core educational standards, candidates billed them as centralized and disseminated from the top-down.

Trump said he didn't want education policy set through Washington, while Cruz said he would “send education back to the states and back to the local governments.”

They were also critical of President Barack Obama’s policy in Syria, where the US and its allies have been running an aerial campaign against purported Daesh (ISIL) positions.

“We need to do whatever is necessary to utterly defeat ISIS,” Cruz said, using another acronym for the terror group. “We need to put whatever ground power is needed.”

“We really have no choice, we have to knock out ISIS,” said Trump. “I would listen to the generals, but I’m hearing numbers of 20,000 to 30,000.”

With 460 delegates, the New York businessman is about one-third of the way to the 1,237 delegates he needs to win the GOP nomination.


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