Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.) on Monday said Donald Trump could win all of New York’s delegates in Tuesday’s primary.
“Donald Trump’s popularity is truly amazing,” he told host Steve Kornacki on “MSNBC Live.” “You’ve heard the campaign say 85 [delegates], and quite frankly I think that’s on the low end.
{mosads}“I believe Donald Trump could win all 95. What if it’s just 85? To use Donald Trump’s term, that’s still a huge victory tomorrow for Donald Trump.”
Collins, who has endorsed Trump for president, said that Trump is especially resonating with upstate New Yorkers on issues ranging from the economy to foreign affairs.
“Upstate New York — really outside of the five boroughs, Westchester and Long Island — is so angry about the loss of jobs [and] the devastation of New York over the last 30 years,” said Collins.
“They are really turning out for a non-traditional candidate, someone like Donald Trump, who is hitting all the right notes when it comes to jobs, China and Mexico.”
Collins added that voters would ultimately tire of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and his campaign’s tactics for keeping up with Trump.
“When it comes to all the political maneuvering behind the scenes, there’s no one better than Ted Cruz on the inside baseball,” he said.
“That’s frankly what the voters are rejecting this election. They don’t want someone who excels at the inside baseball game. They want a true outside. That’s Donald Trump.”
Trump leads Cruz by approximately 30 points the day before New York’s primary, according to the latest RealClearPolitics average of polls.
Cruz has repeatedly slammed Trump’s “New York values,” linking the New Yorker with liberal Democrats like New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.