Priebus: Nominee must earn delegate majority

(AP) — The Republican Party won't "hand the nomination" to any presidential candidate who fails to win a majority of delegates in the coming weeks, the head of the GOP said Friday.

Trump at different times has declined to rule out a third-party candidacy, should his bid for the Republican nomination fall short.

Supporters of Trump and contender Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and many grassroots conservatives have worried that party leaders will try dumping Trump and Cruz in hopes that an outside candidate will emerge.

An internal GOP battle of emails erupted last weekend, with RNC Arizona committeeman Bruce Ash, who chairs the party rules committee, accusing Republican leaders of "a breach of our trust" by trying to improperly sideline Yue's proposal.

Priebus and other party leaders have argued that any rules change would leave grassroots voters suspicious that leaders were trying to help a particular candidate.