Unless something changes, it appears most likely that Donald Trump will not arrive in Cleveland with 1,237 delegates.  The Cruz campaign has been playing the delegate game before anyone else knew there was a delegate game to be played–and as a result, Cruz is now running circles around Trump in the chase for delegates.  Unless Trump is willing to unload many millions of dollars on paid advertising against Cruz in the remaining primary states, we predict it will be Cruz–not Trump–who arrives in Cleveland with 1,237 pledged delegates, and that he only will have to wait for the second ballot before all of them will be freed from their binding and able to vote for him.

+ Donald Trump, losing ground, tries to blame the system | The New York Times – Jeremy W. Peters and Jonathan Martin

+ Despite complaints, delegate system has given Trump a 22% bonus | NBC – Ari Melber

+ RNC tells Trump: Delegate process “easy to understand for those willing to learn it” | The Washington Post – Ed O’Keefe

+ Trump’s delay in building a delegate operation may cost him the nomination | The Guardian – Ben Jacobs

+ Is GOP headed for its own Bush v. Gore? | Washington Examiner – Byron York