WASHINGTON: Republican front-runner Donald Trump predicted on Sunday that he would face his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton on Nov 6, when Americans elect their 44th president.

The prediction follows Saturday’s primaries in South Carolina and Nevada where the Republican and Democratic front-runners cruised to comfortable victories against their rivals.

In South Carolina, Mr Trump received 32.5 per cent of the votes cast and won all 44 delegates who elect the party’s candidate for the presidential election. His nearest rival, Senator Marco Rubio received 22.5pc of the votes and 22.3pc went to Senator Ted Cruz.

In Nevada, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton got 52.7pc votes and captured 19 of the 34 delegates.

Her rival Bernie Sanders received 47.2pc votes and won 15 seats. Nevada divides delegates among candidates according to the number of votes they receive.

Commenting on their victories, the conservative billionaire who now leads the Republican campaign for the White House said that a Clinton-Trump contest would bring out “the greatest turnout in history.”

“Frankly, if she gets indicted (for using personal emails for official purposes), that’s the only way she’s going to be stopped. I think it’s going to be Hillary and myself,” Mr Trump told CNN on Sunday.

Mrs Clinton, who is facing an unexpectedly tough fight from a candidate who calls himself a socialist, too believes that victory in Nevada would help her win Democratic nomination for the White House.

“Now, I’m heading on. I am on my way to Texas, Bill (Clinton) is on his way to Colorado. The fight goes on, the future that we want is within our grasp,” she said in her victory speech.

The US media also noted that the victory in Nevada “lifted an enormous weight off the Clinton campaign’s shoulders, tamping down both Bernie Sanders’ momentum and her own supporters’ increasing anxiety.”

Nevada was a linchpin in Mr Sanders’ plan to break through Mrs Clinton’s advantage before Super Tuesday, March 1, when a dozen states go to vote to elect their candidate for the White House.

The next Democratic primary is in South Carolina on Feb 27 but there Mrs Clinton has a clear advantage.

While Mr Sanders has been defeated in Nevada, his strong show there – 47.2pc votes – means that he remains a formidable threat to the Clinton campaign.

In his concession speech, Mr Sanders pointed out that earlier in the campaign Mrs Clinton was 40 points ahead of him in Nevada but she won by only 10pc. “We sent a message that will stun the political and financial establishment of this country: Our campaign can win anywhere,” he said.

Mr Trump’s victory in South Carolina, however, was more convincing. His strong show in South Carolina persuaded one more rival, former Florida governor Jeb Bush to opt out of the race.

“He advanced his takeover of the Republican Party …(and) vanquished the dynasty that ruled the Republican establishment for decades as Jeb Bush dropped his White House bid,” the CNN observed.

“And in the process, Mr Trump left no doubt that he is the Republican national front-runner and has the most credible path to capture the party’s nomination,” the TV network added.

In his interview to CNN, Mr Trump said he expects to win enough delegates to clinch the Republican nomination before the party’s convention in July.

“I don’t think we’re going to have a convention, a brokered convention. I think it’s unlikely. I think I’m doing better than that,” he said.

Mr Trump predicted that he’d earn a “tremendous amount” of support from African-Americans as well.

And with his convincing win in Nevada even those who said he was not a serious candidate are now forced to take him seriously.

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2016