US presidential bets Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump. AP PHOTOS
CLEVELAND鈥擱epublican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump romped to victory in the Florida primary Tuesday, thwarting party efforts to stop his march to the White House nomination and knocking Marco Rubio out of the race.
Hillary Clinton meanwhile earned three more big wins in her quest to become the Democratic party鈥檚 nominee, sweeping to victory in Florida, Ohio and North Carolina on 鈥淪uper Tuesday 2鈥�.
READ: Clinton, Trump win in Florida鈥擴S networks
The Sunshine State鈥檚 Republicans almost guaranteed Trump a plurality of delegates heading into the July convention 鈥� but John Kasich scored a do-or-die victory in his home state of Ohio, throwing up an obstacle to Trump鈥檚 ascent.
With five states 鈥� Florida, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio 鈥� voting on Tuesday, both Clinton and Trump hope Tuesday鈥檚 polls can make a November general election showdown near inevitable.
Trump claimed victory in Florida鈥檚 winner-takes-all contest even before the polls had fully closed.
鈥淲ord is that, despite a record amount spent on negative and phony ads, I had a massive victory in Florida. Numbers out soon!鈥� Trump tweeted.
Trump鈥檚 victory will shock the Republican establishment as much as it will raise hopes they can challenge in the one-time swing state come the general election in November.
President Barack Obama carried the state in both the 2008 and 2012 elections.
After the Florida race was called in Trump鈥檚 favor, Rubio bowed out.
鈥淲hile it is not God鈥檚 plan that I be president in 2016 or maybe ever, and while today my campaign is suspended, the fact that I鈥檝e even come this far is evidence of how special America truly is,鈥� Rubio told supporters in Florida.
In Ohio, another general election battle ground state, Kasich 鈥� the state鈥檚 governor 鈥� defeated Trump, US networks projected.
鈥淭he grand prize is Ohio, because Ohio is critical for a Republican to win the White House,鈥� said Republican strategist and Kasich supporter Mike Gonidakis.
He predicted a large turnout: 鈥淲e believe that they鈥檙e coming out to draw a line in the sand against Donald Trump.鈥�
Ted Cruz, an arch-conservative from Texas, is now the main threat to the Trump juggernaut.
Early projections by US media showed Cruz coming in second in Missouri, Illinois and North Carolina.
Hillary鈥檚 advance
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Democratic contests in the racially diverse, industrial Midwest delivered further evidence of Clinton鈥檚 advantage over her rival Bernie Sanders, especially with the win in Ohio.
Her rival, a US senator from Vermont, has denounced her support of free-trade pacts in a part of the country that has seen manufacturing jobs disappear as entire industries have moved offshore.
Sanders鈥� failure to win in any state on Tuesday would make his nomination bid near impossible.
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Tough rhetoric
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Trump鈥檚 incendiary attacks on immigrants, threats of mass deportations and a proposal for a wall on the border with Mexico have ignited the campaign trail and drawn condemnation in some quarters 鈥� the latest being from President Barack Obama.
Without pointing the finger directly at Trump, Obama professed to being 鈥渄ismayed鈥� at some of the comments during campaigning.
READ: Obama worries Trump damaging US reputation
鈥淲e have heard vulgar and divisive rhetoric aimed at women and minorities 鈥� at Americans who don鈥檛 look like 鈥榰s,鈥� or pray like 鈥榰s,鈥� or vote like we do,鈥� said the president, who along with First Lady Michelle cast absentee ballots in their home state of Illinois.
But Trump鈥檚 populist message has resonated 鈥� even with some Democrats like 69-year-old Katharine Berry.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 need all these illegals,鈥� she told AFP outside a polling station at the Zion Lutheran Church in Canton. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e taking our jobs, they鈥檝e got all these rights, Americans don鈥檛 have rights.
鈥淚 voted Democrat today. But if Trump wins, then I鈥檓 going to vote for him in the general election.鈥�
Campaigning in Ohio, Trump pitched his candidacy not to the core Republican electorate but to blue-collar workers, attacking free-trade deals and the loss of jobs to foreign competitors.
鈥淚鈥檝e been with the people of Ohio. They hate the fact their coal and steel industries are gone. I think we鈥檙e going to do well in Ohio,鈥� he told NBC鈥檚 鈥淭oday鈥� show on Tuesday.
He will hope to put America鈥檚 vast 鈥渞ust belt鈥� in play in November.