Wednesday on Fox News Channel’s “Hannity,” conservative commentator Pat Buchanan warned about the perception of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Gov. John Kasich (R-OH), both candidates for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination taking away that nomination from party front-runner Donald Trump, despite having been outdone by Trump in most of the match-ups to date.

Buchanan likened any outcome with Cruz or Kasich emerging as the victor to a heavyweight boxing champion scoring a knockout, but the win going to his opponent.

“[S]ean, the things perceived as real are real in their consequences,” Buchanan said. “The American people are looking at this and they say, you know, whether we like Donald Trump or not, the guy went out and has won this thing. Now, if by poaching and pilfering delegates here and there, Cruz and Kasich can hold Trump off from the nomination on the first ballot — then then they take it, it will be like the heavyweight champion there with his gloves over his head and the award going to the guy lying on the canvas.”

Host Sean Hannity asked Buchanan about the validity Cruz using the rules of the process to take delegates, which Buchanan acknowledge wasn’t criminal, but went on to declared that Trump was the winner.

“My answer is there is no doubt about it — Ted Cruz knew the rules better than Donald Trump,” he replied. “Ted Cruz has a better ground game than Donald Trump. And Ted Cruz is not doing anything criminal in pilfering delegates and telling them to hold out and all the rest of it. But, what I’m saying is the American people have perceived an tremendously exciting, interesting contest, and the reality is that Donald Trump won it and everybody knows it. Look at that TV last night, Sean. Are people going to turn around and say now they’re going to give it to the guy who was runner-up by 300 delegates? Why?”

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