The day after a big victory in New York, ABC’s Cecilia Vega revealed that Hillary Clinton wants to run against Donald Trump. The Good Morning America journalists on Wednesday lectured Bernie Sanders that it’s time for him to get out. Vega also showed no hesitation when George Stephanopoulos wondered, “Who do you think the Clinton camp, assuming she gets the nomination, really wants to run against?”
She immediately responded, “Trump. No doubt. Trump. They're ready.” Vega is the 2016 Clinton correspondent for ABC and seems to know the campaign. As for the Democratic primary, analyst Matt Dowd dismissed Sanders, saying, “I think he needs to reassess and decide where to go from here fundamentally, because the math is a problem.”
Dowd even quoted the musical Hamilton to declare that race over:
MATTHEW DOWD: give a little homage or paraphrase Aaron Burr in Hamilton, he needs to ask himself, "is the world wide enough for Hillary and me?" And I think that's what he needs to decide. He can stay but does he need to get into a duel with her?
Vega agreed, saying the consensus is for Clinton:
CECILIA VEGA: It's not just Sanders asking himself. I think you're going to hear the Clinton campaign behind closed doors, you will hear Democratic Party leaders say, "Bernie Sanders, it's time for you to step aside because these attacks you're hitting Hillary Clinton with will start to hurt her moving forward to a general election." As she clearly starts to pivot. We heard her. She's focused on Trump. She's focused on Ted Cruz.
See transcript below:
GMA
4/20/16
7:08GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Okay, I'm here with Matthew Dowd and Cecilia Vega, as well. Let's start out with the Democrats, Matt Dowd. It looks like when you saw that interesting concession Cecilia just reported from the Sanders team that next week it's more or less do or die from them. Just in time for Hillary Clinton because the way the race has been going here in New York was taking a toll on her overall numbers.
MATTHEW DOWD: Yeah, her overall numbers have declined both in the primary and general election in the course of this. I actually think Sanders, he's back home today, I think he needs to reassess and decide where to go from here fundamentally because the math is a problem. And to give a little homage or paraphrase Aaron Burr in Hamilton, he needs to ask himself, “is the world wide enough for Hillary and me?” And I think that's what he needs to decide. He can stay but does he need to get into a duel with her?
STEPHANOPOULOS: Yeah. And that’s what the Clinton campaign is bracing for there as you reported, looking ahead to Trump and Cruz. But they know they have to fix her problems, particularly on honesty and trustworthiness.
CECILIA VEGA: And especially if Sanders doesn't go away for the next few months, right? It’s not just Sanders asking himself. I think you're going to hear the Clinton campaign behind closed doors, you will hear Democratic Party leaders say, “Bernie Sanders, it's time for you to step aside because these attacks you're hitting Hillary Clinton with will start to hurt her moving forward to a general election.” As she clearly starts to pivot. We heard her. She’s focused on Trump. She’s focused on Ted Cruz.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Jon Karl, on the Republican side, boy, such a tough night for Ted Cruz. Even though he's been gaining the delegates he's been getting crushed by the voters. The question is where does he find a win?
KARL: Yeah. And he's probably going to get crushed again next week. When you look at those states coming forward, we have a poll that just came out in Connecticut, another one of those next Tuesday, Trump's got a huge lead there. He's had a lead in Pennsylvania. But, again, that Pennsylvania state is interesting because 54 of the delegates are elected under their own name so you vote for presidential candidate but you're also voting for individual delegates.
STEPHANOPOULOS: But, Matthew Dowd, it looks like we're getting to the point where all Donald Trump has to do is actually get close because he's got that powerful argument that a lot of Republican voters agree with, whoever has the most states and the most voters and the most delegates in the convention should get the nomination.
DOWD: I think this is a big turning point in the race. He won with such an overwhelming victory. He basically cleared up almost every single delegate in the course of this and as Jon said, he’s going to consistently win and now Ted Cruz has lost his only argument which he was the only one that had the that had the math on his side. He has the exact same mathematical possibility of getting 1,237 by June 7th as John Kasich does at this point and that is zero.
KARL: There's still a real chance that Trump will not clinch before the convention, still an uphill battle for him to clinch.
DOWD: If he gets 1150, then I think he can get the unbound delegates on his side.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Real quickly, Cecilia Vega, who do you think the Clinton camp, assuming she gets the nomination, really wants to run against?
VEGA: Trump. No doubt. Trump. They're ready.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Okay. Thank you all very much.
