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Texas Sen. Ted Cruz pointed to a string of endorsements from candidates who suspended their presidential campaigns as examples of his potential ability to unite the Republican party. | AP Photo Cruz predicts Trump won't be able to mount a third-party run

Donald Trump won’t be able to mount a third-party bid for president if he loses the Republican nomination, Ted Cruz said Thursday.

“He doesn’t have the option of running as a third-party [candidate],” the Texas senator told Wisconsin radio host Charlie Sykes. “Quite a few states across the country have what are called sore-loser laws, that once you run as a Republican and lose, you don’t get to then turn around and file on the ballot as an independent, so that will not be an option available to him.”

Trump has continually entertained the idea of running as an independent should he lose the GOP nomination, and his Republican rivals have been reluctant to stand by their loyalty pledges to support him as the nominee.

The New York billionaire holds a 273-delegate advantage over Cruz, who maintains that he will ultimately win the nomination — either by accruing 1,237 delegates to secure it outright or by winning a contested convention. Trump has suggested his supporters would riot if he were to lose the nomination at an open convention.

“You know, Donald doesn’t handle losing well. So there is a risk if he loses — and I believe we’re gonna win this nomination and win 1,237 delegates — there’s a risk that Donald takes his marbles and goes home and throws a fit,” Cruz said. “I hope he doesn’t, but it’s not complicated to see that’s a real risk.”

Asked how he would unite the party if he were to top Trump for the nomination, Cruz pointed to a string of endorsements from candidates who suspended their presidential campaigns, including Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.

“I think that is a powerful demonstration of unity of the party coming together, and we’re gonna continue working to unify the party, and I think even if Donald throws a tantrum and goes home, I think a great many of his supporters, if we have a fair battle at the ballot box and then at the convention with the delegates who are elected by the people voting, I think a great many of those voters and supporters will remain energized,” Cruz said. “I’ve got a lot of support in the same demographics he does. And we’re gonna have to work to do that. That’s our challenge in front of us.”