Donald Trump explains why Republicans lose elections

Thomson Reuters

In an extensive interview with The New York Times, Donald Trump pondered his own success within the Republican Party, musing that he was able to gain support by eschewing the party's obsession with ideology.

Trump suggested that his bombastic personality and non-traditional path to the nomination is what has gotten people to the polls to vote for him in likely record-setting numbers.

He also explained why he thinks Republicans lose so many elections:

One thing I’ve seen over the years is that the Democrats stick together, and the Republicans eat their young. That’s why they lose so many elections. You know, a normal, very nice, very likable Republican would be hard pressed to win.

Trump certainly has obliterated his many competitors. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who was thought to be the likeliest Republican nominee before the primary season began, dropped out before winning a single state. Marco Rubio, a Florida senator considered a rising young star within the party, lost his home state to Trump.

The 2016 Democratic primary has certainly tested Trump's theory about Democrats, however. The party has an insurgent candidate of its own in Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has drawn massive crowds at his rallies and drawn significant popular support among younger and more left-leaning voters.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was long expected to be the party's nominee — and likely still will be — but Sanders has refused to drop out and has pledged to fight until the end of the nomination process.

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