Free Republic

Since the debate over what he said yesterday is still raging, it’s only fair that you get to hear his latest comment about it. Skip to 8:35 of the clip below from last night’s interview on Trump TV.His response to Hannity’s question about North Carolina is a dodge but it’s a dodge with a conservative pedigree. If you’re a Republican who’s been put on the spot about a hot-button social issue, you can’t go wrong saying, “Leave it to the states.” Even righties who disagree with you on the merits will tip their caps at your nod to federalism....

Donald J. Trump’s Republican rivals will be playing catch-up ahead of the New York primary, according to a new poll released on Wednesday that shows the Manhattan businessman holding a substantial lead in his home state. A survey from Monmouth University found that 52 percent of likely Republican primary voters support Mr. Trump. Gov. John Kasich, who has only won his state of Ohio, comes in second with 25 percent, and Senator Ted Cruz of Texas trails with 17 percent.

..... The Republican presidential candidate has repeatedly said that "Muslims love him" despite his provocative policies, but has so far failed to name any single individual Muslim supporter. Asked by the Telegraph to elaborate, Mr Trump again ducked the question responding: "Oh, I could give you about 20 of them."... Donald Trump Junior, Mr Trump's son, was also unable to tell the Telegraph who his father's Muslim friends were, saying only that they had "completed a lot of business deals" in the Middle East.

The central question for conservatives, on these and other issues, is whether Trump truly experienced radical conversions on issues they care about, or whether he has just learned to say the right things when he needs conservatives' votes. Even on his signature issue of immigration, Trump faulted Mitt Romney for being too tough as recently as 2012. In 2013, he told a group of immigration activists that he supported giving DREAMers a path to citizenship, and was shocked that they didn't have one already. Only now, running for president, has he sung a different tune.Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin endorsed...