Trump predicts he’ll ‘easily’ get delegates to win nomination

Donald Trump on Monday predicted that he’ll be able to avoid a contested convention by winning the support of a majority of delegates to this summer’s GOP gathering.

{mosads}”I think we will easily make that number of the 1,237,” Trump said of the delegate threshold needed to lock up the presidential nomination at the party’s national convention in July.

“We should make it pretty easily. So from what I’m seeing, we won’t have to fight at a convention.”

Trump spoke to reporters at a news conference at the construction site of his new Washington, D.C., hotel.

He added that it is “a bit unfair” to ask him to win the majority of delegates because he initially competed against a large field of challengers.

“Even now, we have the three, when Hillary has had one,” Trump said.

“We have a lot of delegates. We are almost up to 700. I got those delegates the hard way, running against many different people.”

He later softened that prediction, telling reporters that he thinks he’ll win the delegate majority, but “we’ll see what happens.” 

Also during the press conference, Trump said he’ll release a list of seven to 10 potential choices for the Supreme Court to push back against concerns that he may not nominate a conservative.

“I’m going to submit a list of potential justices for the United States Supreme Court that I will appoint from the list,” he said.

“Some people say maybe I’ll appoint a liberal judge. I won’t.”

Trump added that the conservative Heritage Foundation is helping him with that list, which he said would be released within weeks. 

Heritage’s head, former Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), on Monday attended a closed-door meeting with Trump on Capitol Hill.

Trump has faced accusations from his main GOP rival, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), that he isn’t a true conservative and wouldn’t appoint one to the high court.

– Updated at 4:08 p.m.