Trump Facing New Doubts in US Republican Presidential Nomination Race

Billionaire real estate mogul Donald Trump is drawing new attention for his views on abortion, NATO, nuclear arms and his treatment of women as his political challengers try to cut into his lead as the front-running U.S. Republican Party presidential candidate.

Political analysts are suggesting his unexpected surge to the nomination has been slowed as Republicans and others begin to question his views and say that his chances are bleak of winning November’s election against the expected Democratic Party nominee, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

In recent days, major news outlets have reported he would be the candidate with the worst national favorability ratings to win a major party presidential nomination in three decades and political surveys show him losing badly in the national contest to replace President Barack Obama, who he leaves office next January.

Trump, who has never held elective office, has a significant lead in winning delegates to July’s Republican national convention, where the party will pick its 2016 presidential nominee. But Trump could end up short of winning a majority of delegates before the start of the quadrennial gathering, throwing the contest to a contentious second ballot or perhaps more.

Wisconsin  polls

The one-time television reality show host faces voters Tuesday in Wisconsin, the next state to vote in the months-long Republican nomination contest.  Political surveys in the northern state show Trump’s nearest challenger, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, ahead of him in the state contest for 42 national convention delegates.

Cruz said Saturday that Trump’s nomination would be “a trainwreck” in a national election face-off against Clinton.

Trump, campaigning in Wisconsin, fought back against any contention that he is not capable of handling the demands of the presidency and noted that while he negotiated business deals across the globe for decades, he never had been asked about the numerous issues he is now is being confronted with.

“I have good common sense,” he told one rally. “I have good business sense.”