Republican party plot campaign to derail Donald Trump yet many see him as best election bet

THE Republican party is putting together a multi-million campaign to try and derail Donald Trump, yet many see him as the party’s best election bet.

PALM BEACH, FL - MARCH 01: Republican Presidential frontrunner Donald Trump speaks to the media at his Mar-A-Lago Club on Super Tuesday, March 1, 2016 in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump held a press conference, flanked by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, after the polls closed in a dozen states nationwide. John Moore/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

BACKROOM Republican operatives desperate to scuttle the fierce Trump momentum are frantically trying to piece together a multi-million dollar campaign in a bid to change the course of the election.

But the party is deeply divided over the appeal of Donald Trump, with other GOP elders concluding the billionaire’s success on Super Tuesday was a sure sign he was the party’s best bet to defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton at a general election.

Former Republican nominee Mitt Romney was last night preparing to state the case against Mr Trump at a keynote speech today at the University of Utah. It will be timed with a massive ad campaign in Florida — the next important state on the primaries calendar — which will paint Mr Trump as unelectable.

If the anti-Trump forces are to succeed they will need to seismically shift voter perception of the frontrunner whose wins have so far managed to unite grassroots supporters across ideological and socio-economic divides.

Fresh figures yesterday revealed the Republican primary polls had smashed records for voter turnout on Super Tuesday with foot traffic to the booths increasing in some cases by millions of people.

It was a pattern not repeated across the democratic race, which gives the Republicans reason to believe Mr Trump could mobilise a grassroots voter base that could sweep the Democrats from the White House come November.

It was revealed last night that the Koch brothers — America’s most powerful conservative donors — have refused to contribute to a stop-Trump effort.

Reuters revealed that the Koch brothers didn’t want to contribute to an anti-Trump fund because they feared the money would be wasted, writing “they had not yet seen any attack on Trump stick”.

It came as Mr Trump made a fresh appeal to the party to unify behind him.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is publicly decrying his Republican opponents’ lack of support. Picture: AP / John Minchillo

In a series of tweets that included a video message, Mr Trump told how he had brought a whole new force of voters to the party.

“Why can’t the leaders of the Republican Party see that I am bringing in new voters by the millions — we are creating a larger, stronger party!” he wrote.

And then:

Because of me, the Republican Party has taken in millions of new voters, a record. If they are not careful, they will all leave. Sad!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 3, 2016

Those wanting to stop Trump have money for an advertising campaign in Florida — the first big winner-take-all state to vote which will deliver a slew of delegates to one candidate — but they can’t agree on who should be the nominee.

Ted Cruz — who picked up Alaska yesterday taking his total states to four — is running second to Trump, but his tea-party sentiment is equally repulsive to the Republican elders.

Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz is seen by traditional party members as abhorrent as Donald Trump. Picture: Kyle Rivas / Getty Images / AFP

Their pick is Marco Rubio, who has won just a single state and hasn’t proven he has the same appeal as either of his opponents.

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