Donald Trumps Says Rivals Are 'Hanging on by Their Fingertips'

GOP front-runner attacks rivals in Indiana

ByABC News
May 1, 2016, 3:35 PM

— -- Donald Trump returned to the Hoosier state today, saying "it's over" for his Republican rivals as he began a two-day swing ahead of Indiana's primary Tuesday.

With new polls showing Trump with a strong lead over rival Sen. Ted Cruz, Trump said his competitors are "hanging by their fingertips."

"By the way, if we win Indiana, it's over. OK? If we win Indiana, it's over. It's over. And we're going to get there -- I shouldn't say this, 'cause it takes away your incentive. We're going to get there anyway. But if we win Indiana, most people think that they quit the race. And, then we can focus on crooked Hillary [Clinton]. Please, let's focus on Hillary," Trump told the packed theater.

"I knocked out 17 people. I mean, the two last ones, they're like hanging by their fingertips. They’re choking, don't let me fall, don't let me fall," Trump said grasping onto an imaginary mountain pretending to be Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Cruz. "Let me choose Carly, maybe that'll turn it around. But Carly got out, she had zero. How she -- when somebody gets out, you had no popularity, it doesn’t help, right? And she’s a nice woman. Now, if you could say [former Indiana basketball coach] Bobby Knight, that’s a different story. Do we agree?"

Just Saturday, the Trump campaign was dealt another delegate blow –- loosing delegates at the Republican state conventions in Virginia and Arizona, states the New York billionaire won in the respective state's primaries. Campaign officials have repeatedly said they are confident the frontrunner will secure the nomination in the first ballot round of voting.

"I don’t think people can get away with that stuff. So we don't play the second ballot game," Trump said Sunday.

As the polls continue to show Trump has a problem with women, he dusted off a line from his early travels around the country regarding women's health.

"Women want to see a strong country. Women want to see a strong military. Women want to see strong borders. And on top of that, nobody will be better to women and nobody will be better to women’s health issues -- a big thing -- than Donald Trump. That I can tell you, OK? Nobody. Nobody."

A small group of protesters gathered outside the arena. Well over a thousand Trump supporters were blocked from entering the theater after the fire marshall said the facility had reached capacity. Trump will be campaigning over the next two days across Indiana.

ABC News' Ben Gittleson contributed to this report.