Donald Trump has officially accepted the Republican presidential nomination at the GOP National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio.
In his speech at the Quicken Loans Arena on July 21, Donald Trump vowed to tackle multiple threats facing the US.
“The crime and violence that today afflicts our nation will soon come to an end,” the New York billionaire told the Republican convention.
Donald Trump promised his presidency would usher in a new era putting America and ordinary people first.
His nomination has been clouded by the refusal of major party figures like Senator Ted Cruz to endorse him.
Ted Cruz, who was Donald Trump’s bitter rival during the primary contests, was booed off the stage by Trump supporters.
Photo AP
Other Trump opponents such as members of the Bush family stayed away from the convention altogether.
Donald Trump, who was written off when he launched his campaign a year ago, said he hoped his speech would ease tensions and unite the Republican Party.
Speaking for well over an hour, Donald Trump said the security of the country was under threat from Islamist radicals, undocumented immigrants and trade deals that failed American workers.
“We will lead our country back to safety, prosperity, and peace,” he said.
“We will be a country of generosity and warmth. But we will also be a country of law and order.”
Addressing the “forgotten Americans” who worked hard but no longer had a voice, Donald Trump said: “I am your voice.”
The Republican nominee attacked his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, at every opportunity, blaming the former secretary of state for “death, destruction and weakness”.
In his speech, Donald Trump presented his plan to “put America first”:
Promising to build a “great border wall” to stop illegal immigration, gangs and drugs
Accusing Hillary Clinton of proposing mass amnesty, mass immigration and mass lawlessness
Saying that decades of immigration have produced lower wages for African Americans and Latinos
Accusing President Barack Obama of failing US inner cities on education, jobs and crime
Saying that nearly 180,000 illegal immigrants with criminal records were “roaming free” to threaten citizens
Promising to end trade deals that had “destroyed [America’s] middle class”
Promising that “Americanism, not globalism” would be the tenet of foreign policy
Donald Trump was introduced in glowing terms by his daughter Ivanka, who said her father valued women workers and that he would make quality childcare affordable.
Not long into his speech, the audience began calling for the jailing of Hillary Clinton, chanting “Lock her up!”.
Donald Trump promised to defeat Hillary Clinton in November.
In a departure from Republican orthodoxy, Donald Trump took up the theme of acceptance of gay rights, framing it in terms of American values.
“I will do everything in my power to protect our LGBTQ citizens from the violence… of the hateful foreign ideology,” he said to some cheers from the crowd.
“As a Republican it is so nice to hear you cheering for what I just said,” Donald Trump added.
In a key moment earlier in the night, Silicon Valley mogul Peter Thiel told the convention he was proud to be gay.
The chairman of the Hillary for America campaign, John Podesta, attacked Donald Trump’s speech as divisive.
“Tonight, Donald Trump painted a dark picture of an America in decline,” he said.
“And his answer – more fear, more division, more anger, more hate – was yet another reminder that he is temperamentally unfit and totally unqualified to be president.”
Texas Senator Ted Cruz caused a storm on July 20 when he pointedly refused to back the nominee, sparking outrage and boos.
He later defended his decision, saying he would not be a “servile puppy” to someone who had attacked his family.
Donald Trump has previously criticized the appearance of Ted Cruz’s wife, Heidi.
Donald Trump’s nomination has been a source of conflict within the party, with some like Ted Cruz questioning his conservative principles.
Others like former nominee Mitt Romney are concerned about Donald Trump’s strident tone and extreme stance on immigration.
Republican Donald Trump has secured his nomination for US president on day two of GOP’s National Convention.
House Speaker Paul Ryan urged delegates to unite behind Donald Trump, a day after splits in the party were evident as the convention opened.
The Trump campaign also faces accusations a speech by Melania Trump on July 18 was plagiarized from First Lady Michelle Obama’s 2008 Democratic Convention speech.
On the second day of the Republican National Convention, speakers focused almost exclusively on attacking Hillary Clinton, the likely Democratic nominee.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a former prosecutor, held a mock trial for Hillary Clinton as the crowd chanted “lock her up”.
Chris Christie and others criticized Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email account while she was serving as secretary of state.
An FBI investigation said Hillary Clinton was “extremely careless” but found her actions didn’t warrant criminal prosecution. However, Gov. Chris Christie and the crowd disagreed as he repeatedly yelled “guilty”.
Chris Christie said Hillary Clinton has “selfish, awful judgment” and was to blame for various foreign policy problems in Libya, Syria and elsewhere.
Donald Trump is expected to accept the nomination on July 21.
His children played a prominent role on July 19, standing with the New York delegation as he was declared winner and delivering remarks.
Donald Trump youngest daughter, Tiffany Trump, whose mother is former model and dancer Marla Maples, told some personal stories about her father.
Tiffany Trump recalled scribbling notes in her school report cards and how excited she becomes when introducing her father to her friends.
Donald Trump is a “natural-born encourager” who has motivated her to work hard, his daughter said.
His son, Donald Trump Jr., described him as his best friend and role model.
“When people tell him it can’t be done, that guarantees it will get done,” he said of his father.
Donald Trump Jr. said Hillary Clinton was a risk the US could not afford to take and that “if she were elected, she would be the first president who can’t pass a background check”.
Donald Trump addressed the audience via a live-stream and said the nomination was an honor.
“This is a movement, but we have to go all the way,” he said.
“This is going to be a leadership that puts American people first.”
Parts of Donald Trump Jr.’s speech used segments of an article that had already appeared in the journal The American Conservative.
However, the article’s author, FH Buckley, said it was not plagiarism, as Buckley himself acted as one of the family’s speechwriters.
Donald Trump has reached the number of delegates needed to secure Republican presidential nomination.
On May 26, in North Dakota, Donald Trump thanked 15 unbound delegates from the state who he said “got us right over the top”.
Donald Trump defeated 16 other Republican contenders and according to the Associated Press has 1,238 delegates, one more than needed.
Republicans will finalize their nomination at a convention in July.
Photo Getty Images
While Donald Trump has the required amount of delegates, his nomination by a divided GOP is not yet secured.
Unbound delegates in the party are free to support the candidate of their choice.
If his nomination is confirmed, Donald Trump will face former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton or Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who are vying for the Democrat nomination.
On May 25, Donald Trump suggested going against Bernie Sanders in a TV debate in California before the state’s primary on June 7.
Bernie Sanders agreed to the debate in a tweet, saying: “Game on.”
On May 26, Donald Trump said: “The problem with debating Bernie? He’s going to lose.”
The New York billionaire also threw a barb in Hillary Clinton’s direction, saying: “Here I am watching Hillary fight and she can’t close the deal. That should be such an easy deal to close.”
Earlier, President Barack Obama said that world leaders “had good reason to be rattled” by Donald Trump, whose proposals he said were “either ignorance of world affairs or a cavalier attitude”.
In response to that, Donald Trump told reporters in North Dakota that rattling leaders of other countries was a “good thing”.
“[President Barack Obama] knows nothing about business,” Donald Trump said.
“Many of the countries in our beautiful world have been absolutely abusing us and taking advantage of us.
“We’re going to have great relationships with these countries but if they’re rattled in a friendly way that’s a good thing, not a bad thing.”
Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan have said they are “totally committed” to the GOP unity in a statement following their meeting.
Donald Trump and Paul Ryan are trying to find common ground after the House speaker said he could not endorse the presumptive Republican nominee.
Paul Ryan has said Donald Trump lacked conservative principles.
“We had a great conversation this morning,” they wrote in a joint statement.
“While we were honest about our few differences, we recognize that there are also many important areas of common ground.”
Photo Reuters
Donald Trump and Paul Ryan said they would be having “additional discussions” but think they can unify the party and win the election.
At a press conference following the meeting, Paul Ryan said he was “very encouraged” by what he heard from Donald Trump.
Donald Trump arrived for the meeting at the Republican National Committee (RNC) headquarters in Washington amid protesters brandishing placards.
Afterwards, RNC chairman Reince Priebus, who mediated the talks in his office, said it was a success.
In December 2015, Paul Ryan harshly criticized Donald Trump’s proposal to ban Muslims from entering the US.
Donald Trump said it was “not what this party stands for and more importantly it’s not what this country stands for”.
However, on May 11, Donald Trump appeared to soften, saying it was “just a suggestion”.
Paul Ryan, who ran as 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s vice president, clashes with Donald Trump on many issues, including religious freedom and trade.
He has remained popular on Capitol Hill, after being urged to take over as Speaker of the House of Representatives in the autumn.
Many who view him as a more electable figure than Donald Trump have urged him – in vain – to run for president.
However, more Republicans are throwing their support behind Donald Trump, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Donald Trump is one of the least politically experienced nominees in US history, having never held elected office.
That outsider status has appealed to voters who feel let down by Washington.
A recent Gallup Poll shows that two in three Republican-leaning voters view Donald Trump favorably.
Jeb Bush has said he will not vote for his former rival Donald Trump in November’s presidential election.
The former Florida governor joins several high-profile Republicans who have refused to support Donald Trump’s campaign.
On May 5, House Speaker Paul Ryan said he “was not ready” to support Donald Trump, but will meet him next week.
Breaking with tradition, Jeb Bush’s father and brother – both former presidents – also withheld support.
Some Republicans have said they would back Democrat Hillary Clinton but Jeb Bush ruled that out.
He said: “Donald Trump has not demonstrated that temperament or strength of character.
“And, he is not a consistent conservative. These are all reasons why I cannot support his candidacy.”
Jeb Bush had previously pledged to support the eventually Republican nominee while he was still a candidate for president.
Republican Senator Lindsay Graham of South Carolina also announced on May 6 that he would not vote for Donald Trump.
He told CNN: “I think Donald Trump is going to places where very few people have gone and I’m not going with him.”
Donald Trump swiftly responded to Lindsay Graham who also was a Republican candidate for president: “While I will unify the party, Lindsey Graham has shown himself to be beyond rehabilitation. And like the voters who rejected him, so will I.”
Many Republican candidates for lower offices are concerned about running on the same ballot as Donald Trump, who has alienated minority voters through his rhetoric about building a wall with Mexico and banning US entry to Muslim travelers.
Many Americans choose to vote for either the Democrat or Republican Party, rather than weighing the individual candidates.
Republican representatives fear that voters who oppose Donald Trump may eschew the Republican Party all together.
Some Republicans have begun to openly call for the party to oppose the presumptive nominee and to work to independently elect a conservative candidate, such as Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse, who has indicated that he will not be supporting Donald Trump.
John Kasich has decided to suspend his presidential campaign after struggling to gain traction against Republican front-runner Donald Trump.
The Ohio governor did not have a path to secure the nomination outright, but pledged to lobby for his candidacy during the Republican convention in July.
Donald Trump holds a commanding lead and is closing in on the nomination.
Despite being a popular governor, John Kasich only won his home state.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz dropped out of the race on May 3 after losing to Donald Trump in the Indiana primary.
John Kasich canceled events in Washington and announced an evening event in his home state on May 4.
Earlier, John Kasich released a Star-Wars themed advert describing himself as the “only hope” against Donald Trump.
Blocking from winning the nomination outright, John Kasich and Ted Cruz had hoped to force a contested convention, in which party officials, not voters, choose for the nominee.
Now it is all but certain Donald Trump will have the 1,237 delegates needed to become the nominee before the July convention in Cleveland, Ohio.
John Kasich had been widely seen as the most moderate and electable Republican candidate and polled well against Hillary Clinton, the likely Democratic nominee.
However, John Kasich’s general election strength did not garner him enough support among Republican primary voters.
The Ohio governor promoted an optimistic message while campaigning, shunning negative attacks against other candidates.
Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who dropped out in March, garnered more delegates than John Kasich during primary elections.
Ted Cruz and John Kasich had announced an alliance to stop Donald Trump and “to ensure that we nominate a Republican who can unify the Republican Party and win in November” prior to the Indiana, New Mexico and Oregon state primaries, but that quickly crumbled.
Republicans are now divided over whether to support Donald Trump as the Republican nominee.
John Kasich’s name has been floated as a possible vice presidential pick but he has denied that he would accept a nomination.
Donald Trump’s victory in Indiana has made him the Republican presidential nominee as rival Ted Cruz has been forced to pull out from the race.
The New York businessman, unpopular with many in his own party, now has a clear path to the 1,237 delegates needed to claim his party’s crown.
That would mark a stunning victory for a businessman few took seriously when he launched his campaign in 2015.
Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders has defeated Hillary Clinton in Indiana’s Democratic race.
Bernie Sanders trails Hillary Clinton in the all-important delegate count but after this victory he said the contest was still alive.
“Clinton campaign thinks this campaign is over. They’re wrong,” he said.
Ted Cruz’s advisers had targeted Indiana as the Texas senator’s best hope of halting Donald Trump’s march to the nomination.
Photo Getty Images
“We gave it everything we’ve got, but the voters chose another path,” Ted Cruz told supporters in Indiana.
Ted Cruz’s departure means Donald Trump is now the presumptive Republican nominee, with plenty of state contests this month and next to reach the 1,237 delegates required to win.
Donald Trump is the first nominee since Dwight Eisenhower in 1952 to lack any previous experience of elected office.
Ohio Governor John Kasich has vowed to remain in the Republican race, but trails far behind Donald Trump in terms of delegates.
“It is a beautiful thing to watch, and a beautiful thing to behold,” Donald Trump said during a victory speech in Indiana.
“We are going to make America great again.”
Donald Trump praised Ted Cruz as a “tough, smart competitor”, which marked a sharp reversal in tone after a day when the two men slung mud at each other from close quarters.
The verbal attacks reached a new level of intensity when Ted Cruz attacked Donald Trump as a “pathological liar” and “serial philanderer”.
That was provoked by a bizarre claim from Donald Trump that Ted Cruz’s father was linked to one of the most traumatic episodes in US history, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
It is now increasingly likely that Donald Trump will face Hillary Clinton in the autumn in the battle to succeed President Barack Obama, who will be leaving the White House after two terms.
However, Republicans have expressed reservations about Donald Trump’s outspoken remarks, which have offended women and Hispanics.
There are also concerns about some of Donald Trump’s policies on immigration and national security, like building a wall on the southern US border paid for by Mexico, a ban on Muslims coming to the US and the killing of the families of terrorists.
Ted Cruz has named Carly Fiorina as his running mate, in the event he becomes the GOP nominee at a campaign event in Indianapolis on April 27.
He called Carly Fiorina a “consistent, courageous fighter”.
The former presidential candidate is the former CEO of Hewlett-Packard.
Carly Fiorina dropped out of the presidential race after a poor showing at the New Hampshire primary.
She has been an active supporter for Texas Senator Ted Cruz on the campaign trail.
The early announcement is unusual because vice-presidential picks are not normally decided until after a candidate secures the nomination.
Photo AP
“Over and over again, Carly has shattered glass ceilings,” Ted Cruz said.
Carly Fiorina could help Ted Cruz in his battle against front-runner Donald Trump, who has made disparaging comments about women – including her.
“Look at that face. Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?” he said.
Carly Fiorina responded: “I think women all over this country heard very clearly what Mr. Trump said.”
Ted Cruz alluded to this exchange in introducing Carly Fiorina in Indiana, saying she handled it with “grace and class”.
While at Hewlett-Packard, Carly Fiorina laid off 30,000 people and was fired by the company’s board, though she has argued that her leadership “saved” the company.
Carly Fiorina also had a failed bid for a California Senate seat.
Donald Trump’s son Eric Trump called the move desperate.
While addressing the crowd, Carly Fiorina broke into song.
She sang about Ted Cruz’s daughters and their times together on the Cruz campaign bus.
“Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are two sides of the same coin,” Carly Fiorina said, and Ted Cruz’s presidential bid is not over yet, despite what “the media says”.
Republican presidential hopefuls Ted Cruz and John Kasich have announced they will now co-ordinate strategies against rival Donald Trump.
Ted Cruz has said he will cut campaigning in the Oregon and New Mexico primaries to help John Kasich, while the latter will give Ted Cruz a “clear path” in Indiana.
Donald Trump responded to his rivals saying they were “totally desperate” and “mathematically dead”.
The New York businessman has a clear lead in delegates but may still fall short of the 1,237 needed to win outright.
If Donald Trump does not reach the target, the vote will go to a contested convention – where a different nominee may emerge through negotiations among party figures.
John Kasich and Ted Cruz announced their move in near-simultaneous statements.
Photo AP
Ted Cruz’s campaign manager, Jeff Roe, said: “Having Donald Trump at the top of the ticket in November would be a sure disaster for Republicans. Not only would Trump get blown out by [Hillary] Clinton or [Bernie] Sanders, but having him as our nominee would set the party back a generation.”
John Weaver, John Kasich’s strategist, said in a statement released on the candidate’s site: “Our goal is to have an open convention in Cleveland, where we are confident a candidate capable of uniting the party and winning in November will emerge as the nominee.”
Some Republican strategists have been urging this deal for weeks but analysts say it may now have come too late to stop Donald Trump.
In response, Donald Trump tweeted: “Wow, just announced that Lyin’ Ted and Kasich are going to collude in order to keep me from getting the Republican nomination. DESPERATION!
“Lyin’ Ted and Kasich are mathematically dead and totally desperate. Their donors & special interest groups are not happy with them. Sad!”
Donald Trump has frequently said the GOP nomination process is “rigged” to favor establishment figures against him.
However, the Republican frontrunner did last week promise to change his image, in a closed-door meeting with GOP leaders.
The Indiana primary is on May 3, Oregon is on May 17, with New Mexico on June 7.
However, before those comes voting in five north-eastern states where Donald Trump is heavily favored.
Maryland, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Delaware all vote on April 26.
Campaigning in Maryland on April 24, Donald Trump said he was confident of avoiding a contested convention.
On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders spoke to a rally of 14,000 supporters in New Haven, Connecticut, on April 24, again accusing rival Hillary Clinton of earning money through “speeches behind closed doors on Wall Street”.
Hillary Clinton retains a clear lead in delegates and will hope the north-eastern state votes will effectively put an end to Bernie Sanders’ dogged campaign.
Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton have traded increasingly hostile remarks in recent weeks.
However, Democratic National Committee chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said: “Regardless of the intensity of what’s played out here… we are going to be unified.”
Ted Cruz has won all 14 delegates in contention at a state party convention in Wyoming.
The delegates were chosen by Republican members rather than ordinary voters.
Ted Cruz’s rival Donald Trump – who did not actively campaign in the state – remains the Republican front-runner overall.
However, Donald Trump could fall short of the number of delegates needed to secure the Republican nomination for the November presidential election.
Photo Getty Images
That would mean a contested convention where voting for candidates starts again from scratch.
Donald Trump is concentrating on New York, which holds a key primary on April 19.
A number of senior Republican leaders have backed Ted Cruz, a Conservative Texas senator, fearing that Donald Trump’s controversial comments make him a weak candidate in the November election.
The result from the Wyoming contest brings Ted Cruz’s tally from 545 to 559 delegates. Donald Trump has 743.
In his victory speech on April 16, Ted Cruz said: “If you don’t want to see Donald Trump as the nominee, if you don’t want to hand the general (election) to Hillary Clinton, which is what a Trump nomination does, then I ask you to please support the men and women on this slate.”
In the Democratic race, Hillary Clinton is still ahead of her only remaining rival, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.
Paul Ryan has officially ruled out his 2016 presidential bid as Republican candidate.
The Speaker of the House said: “I do not want, nor will I accept the Republican nomination.”
Paul Ryan’s name was floated as a late contender if there is a contested convention in July, as doubts persist over the strength of the candidates.
If Donald Trump, John Kasich nor Ted Cruz is able to win 1,237 delegates, the convention will be contested.
The state-by-state primary contests, which come to New York next week, determine the number of delegates pledged to a particular candidate.
Donald Trump is still well ahead in the number of delegates accumulated but may fall short of the magic number required.
At a contested convention, the delegates are free after the first ballot to back whom they want, opening the door for Texas Senator Ted Cruz or even the third candidate in the race, John Kasich.
Some in the party had hoped Paul Ryan would emerge as a candidate at that stage, believing he would be a more effective and less divisive figure than Donald Trump or Ted Cruz.
Speaking at the Republican National Committee headquarters in Washington, Paul Ryan – who ran as Mitt Romney’s running mate in the 2012 presidential election – ruled himself out unequivocally.
Some commentators were quick to point out that Paul Ryan said he did not want to run for Speaker of the House in 2015 before eventually accepting the job.
Donald Trump and Ted Cruz’s feud is becoming increasingly personal, with the Texas senator accusing “sleazy Donald” of spreading rumors.
Ted Cruz told reporters that Donald Trump was behind a story in the National Enquirer that alleged Cruz has had extramarital affairs.
The Texas senator called the story “garbage, complete and utter lies”.
“It is a tabloid smear and it has come from Donald Trump and his henchmen.”
As evidence that Donald Trump planted the story, Ted Cruz pointed out that the only person quoted by name in the Enquirer story was Roger Stone, a former top adviser to the Trump campaign.
Photo AP
Ted Cruz also noted that Donald Trump and National Enquirer CEO David Pecker are close friends.
Asked whether he would still support Donald Trump, the current Republican frontrunner, if he won the nomination, Ted Cruz did not answer directly.
However, he said: “I’m not in the habit of supporting people who attack my wife and my family.”
Donald Trump said in a statement: “I had absolutely nothing to do with it.”
On March 22, Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, who had been on good terms earlier in the campaign, began trading insults on Twitter.
Mistakenly believing the Cruz campaign had produced an attack advert about his wife Melania, Donald Trump on Twitter threatened to “spill the beans” on Cruz’s wife, Heidi.
Ted Cruz responded saying his campaign did not produce the advert, calling Donald Trump “classless” and a “coward”.
On March 23, Donald Trump continued, posting an unflattering photo of Heidi Cruz on Twitter.
Ted Cruz responded, calling Donald Trump a “sniveling coward” and told him to “leave Heidi the hell alone”.
Republican Marco Rubio has won the latest contest in the battle to be the GOP’s presidential candidate, a day after being urged to quit the race.
With more than a quarter of votes counted, Marco Rubio has nearly 75% of the vote in Puerto Rico.
Despite his projected second victory in the state-by-state contest, Marco Rubio still trails Donald Trump and Ted Cruz.
On March 5, Donald Trump called for a “one-on-one” battle with Ted Cruz, urging other rivals to quit the race.
Photo marcorubio.com
In the Democratic race, Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton are awaiting the outcome of a nominating contest in Maine, and preparing for a Sunday night debate in Flint, Michigan.
Speaking after wins in the Republican Kentucky caucuses and Louisiana primary election on Saturday, Donald Trump told a news conference: “I would love to take on Ted Cruz one on one.”
“Marco Rubio had a very very bad night and personally I call for him to drop out of the race. I think it’s time now that he dropped out of the race. I really think so.”
Meanwhile, Texas Senator Ted Cruz – who won Republican caucuses in Kansas and Maine – said he believed that “as long as the field remains divided, it gives Donald an advantage”.
While the win in Puerto Rico will boost Marco Rubio’s campaign, it sends just 23 delegates to the Republican convention which nominates a presidential candidate. Republican hopefuls need the votes of 1,237 delegates to get the nod for the presidential race proper.
Ben Carson has officially suspended his campaign for the Republican nomination for the 2016 presidential election.
Speaking to conservative activists, Ben Carson, 64, said: “I’m leaving the campaign trail.”
Dr. Ben Carson, a retired neurosurgeon, had been a front-runner but his campaign stalled in recent months after he performed badly on foreign affairs and questions about his background story.
He has not said which of the remaining four candidates he plans to endorse in the race for the Republican nomination.
“There are a lot of people who love me, they just won’t vote for me,” he said at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) near Washington DC.
After receiving a standing ovation from the crowd, Ben Carson said he would still be “heavily involved in trying to save the nation”.
Ben Carson’s announcement was expected after he said earlier this week that he did not see a “political path forward” in his campaign for the nomination.
He had earned only eight delegates before his decision to drop out from the nomination race.
Republicans in four states – Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana and Maine – go to the polls on Saturday.
On March 4, Ben Carson was announced as a new chairman of My Faith Votes – a group set up to encourage Christians to vote in elections.
Ben Carson had a poor upbringing in Detroit but made it to Yale before a brilliant medical career.
Ted Cruz has won the first vote of the US 2016 presidential election in the Iowa Republican caucuses.
The Texas senator declared as he railed against Washington, lobbyists and the media: “Tonight is a victory for courageous conservatives.”
Ted Cruz, 45, took 28% of the Republican vote, beating his rivals Donald Trump (24%) and Marco Rubio (23%).
Votes in the Democratic race are still being counted, and some media outlets have declared it a dead heat.
With 95% of results confirmed, Hillary Clinton clung to the narrowest of leads over Bernie Sanders and told supporters she was “breathing a sigh of relief”.
Hillary Clinton stopped short of declaring victory, and her rival, a 74-year-old senator from Vermont, said it was a “virtual tie”.
No such ambiguity from Republican victor Ted Cruz, whose triumph was reward for the months he spent criss-crossing the state to woo its influential conservative and evangelical leaders.
As country music blared across the loud speaker at his Des Moines rally, Ted Cruz, who has been a thorn in the side of his party, relished his victory.
“Iowa has sent notice that the Republican nominee and the next president of the United States will not be chosen by the media, will not be chosen by the Washington establishment,” he said.
“Tonight is a victory for courageous conservatives across Iowa and all across this great nation.”
Donald Trump congratulated the Texas senator and said he was “honored” by the second-place finish.
Marco Rubio, who has struggled to gain support in recent months, has performed far better than expected, and finished in third place – just one percentage point behind Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, two candidates are bowing out.
Democrat Martin O’Malley, former Maryland governor, will suspend his campaign – narrowing the field to two competitive candidates.
On the Republican side, Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee tweeted that he too would suspend his campaign.
Iowa has an unusual election system based on caucuses, which involve people gathering at private homes, schools and other public buildings across the state.
Democratic voters divide themselves into groups based on their preferred candidate, but the Republican caucus process is more like a traditional ballot.
Over the coming months, the other 49 states as well as US territories will vote for the party nominees.
Each states’ delegates will be tallied and a nominee will become apparent towards the middle of the year.
In November, the US will pick who its next president will be.
The new president will assume office in January 2017.
Former New York Governor George Pataki has pulled out of the race for the Republican nomination.
Correspondents say George Pataki has failed to make any impact in the polls.
In a tweet on December 29, George Pataki said he was suspending his campaign but was “confident we can elect the right person”.
George Pataki launched his campaign in May, positioning himself as a moderate in a heavily conservative field.
However, he has barely registered in state or national polls and was not eligible to take part in televised debates involving the high-profile candidates.
Bruce Breton, a member of George Pataki’s New Hampshire steering committee, said the former governor had told him on Tuesday that he would be leaving the race.
He said George Pataki’s campaign had struggled to win media attention or to raise funds.
“He said he couldn’t get any traction. He worked hard, it’s just a different type of year,” Bruce Breton said.
Fox News chairman Roger Ailes allegedly sent political analyst Kathleen McFarland to Afghanistan to tell then-General David Petraeus that he should run for president in 2012 and that Rupert Murdoch would “bankroll” the campaign.
Bob Woodward of The Washington Post obtained recorded conversations between David Petraeus and Kathleen McFarland, a Fox News analyst who flew to Kabul in the spring of 2011 to pitch the idea to him.
At the time, David Petraeus was the commander of the Allied Forces in Afghanistan, and Kathleen McFarland said that if President Barack Obama didn’t offer him a position like the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff or something comparable, Petraeus should consider a run for the Republican nomination.
Apparently David Petraeus was unaware that the conversation was being recorded, and Bob Woodward has since gained access to those tapes.
Kathleen McFarland is heard saying that the “advice to you from Roger Ailes is…. He says that if you’re offered (JCS) chairman, take it. If you’re offered anything else, don’t take it; resign in six months and run for president,” according to The Washington Post.
“Tell him if I ever ran…but I won’t…but if I ever ran, I’d take him up on his offer… He said he would quit Fox,” David Petraeus said of Roger Ailes’ alleged offer to help run his possible campaign.
David Petraeus was apparently clear in his rejection of the offer, but also reaffirmed that he respected and liked Roger Ailes.
Fox News chairman Roger Ailes allegedly sent political analyst Kathleen McFarland to Afghanistan to tell then-General David Petraeus that he should run for president in 2012
In the light of his resignation from his CIA post and ensuing sex scandal, another one of David Petraeus’ reasonings against a presidential run is particularly interesting.
He said during the taped conversation that he would not run because “my wife would divorce me. And I love my wife… we have a beautiful house, with his and hers bathrooms, believe it or not. I just want to live in it. I’ve never spent a night in it.”
He also went on to say that in addition to heading up the Joint Chiefs, David Petraeus would consider heading up the CIA as its director if he was offered the position.
He explained that since the military efforts in the Middle East would be ramping down in the following months, much emphasis would be placed on the intelligence community, which piqued David Petraeus’ interest in running the CIA.
That prediction came true just a few weeks after the conversation took place.
When asked for comment for The Washington Post piece, Roger Ailes said that while he did ask McFarland to bring the idea up to David Petraeus, he never meant it seriously.
He explained that he suggested the conversation as a way to get a message across that he felt that, in the early stages of the Republican presidential primary, the main candidates left something to be desired and David Petraeus would shake up the field.
Republican Mitt Romney has secured his place as the challenger to Barack Obama in November’s US presidential election, following a primary in Texas.
Projections show Mitt Romney easily won enough votes to pass the threshold of 1,144 delegates needed for the nomination.
Mitt Romney said he was “humbled”. He is the first Mormon from a major party to contest the presidential election.
He is set to be officially anointed as the Republican nominee at the party convention in Florida in late August.
Mitt Romney has been the presumptive nominee for several weeks as his rivals withdrew or suspended campaigning.
With 1,086 delegates secured as he entered the Texas race, Mitt Romney only needed 58 to pass the 1,144 mark.
Republican Mitt Romney has secured his place as the challenger to Barack Obama in November's US presidential election, following a primary in Texas
In early returns, Mitt Romney had captured more than 70% of the vote. Texas awards 152 delegates proportionally.
He will surpass his father, George Romney, a former Michigan governor who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination in 1968.
Opinion polls suggest Mitt Romney is locked in an extremely close race with Barack Obama in November.
“I am honored that Americans across the country have given their support to my candidacy and I am humbled to have won enough delegates to become the Republican Party’s 2012 presidential nominee,” Mitt Romney said in statement.
As polls closed, the former Massachusetts governor was attending a fundraiser in Las Vegas with real estate tycoon Donald Trump.
He spent the day campaigning in Colorado and Nevada.
Ahead of Tuesday’s private fundraiser, the Obama campaign released a video focusing on Donald Trump’s comments falsely alleging that the president was born in Kenya.
The video seeks to draw a contrast between Mitt Romney and Senator John McCain, the 2008 Republican nominee, who once corrected a woman after she called Barack Obama a Muslim.
“Why won’t Mitt Romney do the same?” asks the clip.
On Monday, Mitt Romney stopped short of condemning Donald Trump’s comments.
“I don’t agree with all the people who support me. And my guess is they don’t all agree with everything I believe in,” Mitt Romney told reporters.
The Obama campaign video against Donald Trump is the latest in a series of attack ads.
On Monday, the Romney campaign released an attack ad criticizing Barack Obama over a federal loan to a solar panel maker which later went bankrupt.
On Tuesday Mitt Romney also met casino tycoon Sheldon Adelson, who gave millions to supporters of Newt Gingrich’s campaign during the primary season.
Experts say the outcome of November’s election could depend on what happens in a handful of battleground states, including Colorado and Nevada, as the candidates vie for the support of independent voters.
The next question of the campaign is who Mitt Romney will pick as his vice-presidential running mate.
Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican nominee for the presidential elections in US, has vowed to take the White House from President Barack Obama and end four years of “disappointments”.
Speaking while racking up a series of primary night victories, Mitt Romney said a “new campaign” was beginning, heralding the start of the road to November’s vote.
“Hold on a little longer. A better America begins tonight,” Mitt Romney said.
Mitt Romney easily won primaries in Connecticut, Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.
His claim to the Republican nomination is now unrivalled, with no serious challengers remaining in the contest.
With 14 primaries remaining, Mitt Romney has amassed an unbeatable lead in the race for the delegates who will formally crown him the Republican nominee at the party’s convention in late August.
Without competition in the remaining contests he is expected to cruise past the 1,144 delegates he needs to take the nomination.
Mitt Romney has vowed to take the White House from President Barack Obama and end four years of "disappointments"
Among the states still to vote are California and Texas, both heavily populated states with large hauls of delegates.
Just Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul actively remain in the contest.
Newt Gingrich, a former speaker of the House of Representatives, spoke in North Carolina as Tuesday’s results came in but gave few clues as to his future in the contest.
He had pinned his hopes on a strong showing in Delaware, but instead polled less than half of Mitt Romney’s total.
As the results began to come in on a night with the most electoral delegates at stake since Super Tuesday, Mitt Romney took the stage in New Hampshire, the site of his first primary win of the year.
He focused on the forthcoming general election campaign, saying America needed a new direction and a renewal of its greatness.
“Tonight is the start of a new campaign to unite every American who knows in their heart that we can do better,” Mitt Romney said.
“The last few years have been the best that Barack Obama can do, but it’s not the best America can do.
“Tonight is the beginning of the end of the disappointments of the Obama years and the start of a new and better chapter that we will write together.”
Mitt Romney accused the president of failing to deliver on his promises of “hope and change” made during his 2008 election campaign.
The average American is still feeling the pain of the economic collapse, Mitt Romney said. “It’s still about the economy… and we’re not stupid.”
Shortly after Mitt Romney’s remarks, Barack Obama took to the stage in Colorado, a state his strategists see as part of a potential route to re-election.
Barack Obama is making a three-state tour of campuses in Colorado, North Carolina and Iowa – all swing states set to feature heavily in November.
The trip is an effort to highlight the growing cost of higher education and, analysts say, revitalize his support among young voters who may have become disillusioned with the president since 2008.
Barack Obama stressed his humble background and said that the election in November would be about making education, and the nation as a whole, affordable for ordinary people.
His spokesman Ben LaBolt said in a statement that the choice between the two men was clear.
“The title for Governor Romney’s speech tonight should have been Back to the Future, because he has proposed a return to the same policies that got us into the economic crisis in the first place,” he said.
“Mitt Romney has spent the past year out on the campaign trail tearing down the president with a negative message that even Republicans who have endorsed him have criticized.
“This marks the end of that monologue. Now he must put his record and his agenda next to the president’s.”
Republican Rick Santorum has ended his bid for the White House, leaving Mitt Romney as the presumptive nominee.
The former Pennsylvania senator made the announcement at a news conference in the city of Gettysburg.
“While this presidential race is over for me, we are not done fighting,” said Rick Santorum, a social conservative.
Rick Santorum had been campaigning in Pennsylvania, his home state, ahead of its primary on 24 April.
But he was far behind Mitt Romney in terms of funding and was in danger of losing the state for the second time in six years, analysts said.
In 2006 Rick Santorum lost his Pennsylvania Senate seat by an 18-point margin.
In the current race for the Republican nomination, Rick Santorum lags far behind Mitt Romney in terms of the number of delegates needed to seal the nomination at the Republican convention in Tampa, Florida, in late August.
Rick Santorum’s children and his wife Karen stood behind him in Gettysburg as he made the announcement that he was suspending his campaign.
He had taken time off the campaign trail in recent days as his 3-year-old daughter Isabella, who has a rare genetic disorder, was admitted to hospital.
Republican Rick Santorum has ended his bid for the White House, leaving Mitt Romney as the presumptive nominee
Rick Santorum proved to be the most resilient of the Republican rivals challenging Mitt Romney’s front-runner status.
In his statement Rick Santorum said he had surpassed expectations, adding that “against all odds, we won 11 states, millions of voters, millions of votes”.
“We were winning in a very different way,” Rick Santorum said.
“We were touching hearts.”
Rick Santorum remembered some of the volunteers he worked with during the campaign.
Without the help of people like Wendy in Iowa, who made 5,000 phone calls or the girls in Tulsa, Oklahoma, whose song “Game On” became an internet sensation, the campaign would not have come as far as it did, Rick Santorum said.
He mentioned his visit to the factory of the Minnesota manufacturer of his sweater vests, which became known as the former Senator’s signature outfit.
Rick Santorum won a total of 11 primaries and caucuses, and picked up additional delegates in states that awarded them proportionally.
He emerged on the national scene on the night of the Iowa caucuses in January, eventually winning the state by a whisker after victory was initially handed to Mitt Romney.
His old-fashioned, hard-working campaign style saw him visit every one of the Iowa’s 99 counties in the months preceding the vote, and won him the respect and support of many in the state.
Rick santorum continued to garner strong support in the Midwest and in the South, halting Mitt Romney in a swathe of states from Minnesota to Alabama and as far west as Colorado and North Dakota.
In conceding that he could not win the nomination Rick Santorum made no specific mention of Mitt Romney, and did not say whether he planned to endorse the front-runner.
However, he reportedly telephoned the former governor to concede shortly before speaking to reporters.
In a statement, Mitt Romney congratulated Rick Santorum on his campaign, calling him an “able and worthy competitor”.
“He has proven himself to be an important voice in our party and in the nation,” the former Massachusetts governor said.
Meanwhile, fellow candidate Newt Gingrich said Rick Santorum had run a “remarkable campaign”, adding that “his success is a testament to his tenacity and the power of conservative principles”.
Newt Gingrich, though, insisted that he would remain in the race in an effort to broaden the policy discussion and offer a conservative alternative to Mitt Romney.
Texas Congressman Ron Paul congratulated the former senator on running a “spirited campaign”. Ron Paul has the fewest delegates but, like Newt Gingrich, has refused to pull out of the contest.
Despite them remaining in the race, many analysts quickly characterized Rick Santorum’s decision as the moment the general election campaign effectively began.
Mitt Romney, who made his fortune in a private equity firm is now seen as the man to take on Democratic President Barack Obama, a former law professor and community organizer, in November’s election.
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