
Triumphant Donald Trump claimed victory in the Republican presidential contest on Tuesday night, after Ted Cruz dropped out of the race following his defeat in the Indiana primary.

The billionaire, now virtually assured of being the GOP's standard-bearer for the general election in November, called the Texas senator 'a tough, smart competitor' during a 20-minute victory speech.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus called Trump the 'presumptive GOP nominee' and urged party-wide unity after the property mogul cruised to victory over Cruz in Indiana by a 53 to 37 percent margin. To formally secure the nomination, Trump needs to win about 200 more delegates with only John Kasich technically still in the race.

Casting himself as a lifelong fighter in the bruising world of New York real estate, Trump said he had met 'some of the most incredible competitors that I have ever competed against, right here, in the Republican Party.'

'Ted Cruz – I don't know if he likes me, or if he doesn't like me, but he is one hell of a competitor,' he said. 'And he has got an amazing future.'

Flanked by three of his adult children and their spouses, Trump said he had 'never been though anything like this, but it's a beautiful thing to watch and a beautiful thing to behold.

'We're going after Hillary Clinton,' he said, looking ahead to what will be an expensive and protracted fall.

'She will not be a great president. She will not be a good president. She will be a poor president.'

He said Cruz was among a group of his former competitors – including endorsers Chris Christie and Ben Carson – whom he hoped would remain engaged in the party, even as they licked their wounds from a vicious season of insults and attack ads.

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A triumphant Donald Trump spoke to a crowd of supporters alongside his daughter Ivanka (left) and wife Melania (right) after becoming the presumptive nominee for the Republican party. He spoke to a jubilant audience after rival Ted Cruz announced he would be dropping out of the race for the White House following a humiliating defeat in the Indiana primary

Cheers rang out in the lobby of Trump Tower as Ted Cruz uttered the words 'I'm sorry to say' – and then again when he finally suspended his campaign. (From left to right)Trump's son Eric, his daughter Ivanka, Eric's wife Lara Yunaska and Melania joined him on stage for his victory speech where he set his sights on beating Hillary Clinton in the general election.

Trump praised Cruz as a 'one hell of a competitor' and said he had a long future in politics during his victory speech. The billionaire then told the crowd he was turning his focus to November. He also quipped that he didn't know whether anyone else was left in the race - hinting at John Kasich's decision to keep fighting for the nomination

He raised a grin to his supporters as daughter Ivanka (left) and her husband Jared (right) stood in the background. He thanked his family for their support during his speech

Trump shakes the hand of one of his supporters as he makes his way to the podium at Trump Towers. A sign attached to the front of the lectern reads: 'Victory in Indiana'

A victorious Trump follows wife Melania out of the lobby of Trump Tower in New York. He thanked supporters as he left and will now shift his focus to the build-up to the general election

Ivanka, Vanessa and Lara Trump all sat in front of a TV and watched on in glee as Cruz suspended his campaign, just hours after it was clear he would suffer a drubbing at the polls

Texas Senator Cruz dropped out of the Republican presidential race after suffering a humiliating defeat in the Indiana primary. He faced a crowd in the Hoosier state alongside wife Heidi following a disastrous week which saw him scolded for entering the argument on transgender bathrooms

Cruz embraced his running mate, Carly Fiorina, after announcing he was stepping aside from the race. He told his fans he would not be ending his fight for liberty. Fiorina's bid for the VP nomination is officially the shortest in modern political history - running at seven days

Cruz also hugged his father Rafael and held onto wife Heidi after the emotional speech in Indianapolis, Indiana

He reached towards one of his supporters at the front of the audience as he left the stage, officially bringing his campaign for the presidency to an end

Two Cruz fans show their dismay after he dropped out of the race. They were joined by hundreds of others who were disappointed at the outcome, months after he began his presidential bid

Reince Priebus, the Republican National Committee's chairman, made the first official pronouncement – on Twitter – that the Grand Old Party was now the party of Trum

'We've got to keep them totally involved, because we're going to win. We're going to win in November. And we're going to win big.'

'What Ted did is really a very brave thing to do,' he said of the Texan's decision to resist prolonging the inevitable by bowing out instead of subjecting the GOP to a lengthy floor fight during July's convention in Cleveland.

She will not be a great president. She will not be a good president. She will be a poor president Donald Trump on Hillary Clinton following his huge victory in the Indiana primary

'We want to bring unity to the Republican party. We have to bring unity.'

Donald Trump Jr. said afterward that he didn't believe his father had spoken with Cruz after his opponent announced he was stepping aside.

He said he was with the candidate when the news of Cruz's withdrawal filtered in to the campaign over social media.

No words were spoken, he said, but the elder Trump made a face that he immediately recognized.

'It was sort of that look of, "Wow, we did it",' he said.

'I think we assumed everyone was going to be in all the it to the end,' Donald Jr. told reporters.

'It's surreal. It's incredible to see it. I couldn't be more proud of tmy father.'

Trump now faces a period of reconciliation within the GOP.

'I want to thank and congratulate the Republican National Committee and [chairman] Reince Priebus, who I just talked to,' he said during his speech.

'It's not an easy job when you have 17 egos, and I guess he's down to one.'

'He's done an amazing job and I think we're going to see something really, really fantastic.'

Trump's campaign manager Corey Lewandowski (left) and other members of the campaign staff watch Ted Cruz as he gives his withdrawal speech during a primary night news conference

They congratulated each other as cheers rung out around the lobby of Trump Towers. They marked the moment Trump became the presumptive nominee for the Republican party

Dan Scavino (second left), a senior advisor to Trump, hugs another campaign staff member as he celebrates with Lewandowski (second right looking down)

Trump's key lieutenants struck poses on the periphery of the marbled tableau as he spoke, taking no questions from the press corps whom he has derided as 'the most dishonest people in the world.'

Stephen Miller, a young policy adviser who doubles as Trump's warmup act on the road, applauded over and over, conscious of his place in history.

From the beginning, I've said that I would continue on as long as there is a viable path to victory. Tonight I'm sorry to say it appears that path has been foreclosed Ted Cruz during a speech in Indiana

Corey Lewandowski, the embattled but resolute campaign manager, stood with his hands clasped in front of him and stared ahead, careful not to draw focus from the boss.

'There's one star in this campaign,' Lewandowski told DailyMail.com on Monday in Indiana. 'Just one.'

Paul Manafort, the convention delegate-counter and the newest face in the top echelon of Trumpworld, folded his arms across his chest and smiled broadly.

That smile widened as Trump ticked off a list of interest groups whom he believes will rally around him in November.

'The Hispanics have been so incredible to me. They want jobs. Everybody wants jobs,' he said. 'The African-Americans want jobs. ... people are going to have great jobs again.'

'I won with women. I love winning with women.'

Cruz dropped out of the race after suffering a humiliating defeat in the Indiana primary.

He told supporters during a downbeat farewell address that he was suspending his campaign, just hours after it was clear he would suffer a drubbing at the polls.

'From the beginning, I've said that I would continue on as long as there is a viable path to victory,' Cruz said at the climactic moment of the somber Indianapolis speech.

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With 98 percent of precincts reporting their counts in Indiana, Trump had a huge lead over Cruz with Kasich in a distant third. Trump also took all 57 delegates from the state

'Tonight I'm sorry to say it appears that path has been foreclosed.'

'We left it all on the field in Indiana. We gave it everything we've got. But the voters chose another path.'

'And so with heavy heart, but with boundless optimism for the long-term future of our nation, we are suspending our campaign,' he said.

The Hispanics have been so incredible to me. They want jobs. Everybody wants jobs. The African-Americans want jobs. ... people are going to have great jobs again... I won with women. I love winning with women Trump during his victory speech

Cheers rang out in the lobby of Trump Tower as Cruz uttered the words 'I'm sorry to say' – and then again when he finally conceded the race.

Lewandowski, Manafort and Dan Scavino, Trump's social media manager, laughed and embraced.

A woman behind a red velvet rope yelled, 'Yes!'

Reince Priebus, the Republican National Committee's chairman, made the first official pronouncement – on Twitter – that the Grand Old Party was now the party of Trump.

'@realDonaldTrump will be presumptive @GOP nominee, we all need to unite and focus on defeating @HillaryClinton #NeverClinton,' Priebus tweeted as a phalanx of reporters and cameras awaited Trump's grand entrance in the marble-coated entryway of his namesake skyscraper.

With more than a third of the vote counted, Trump was leading Cruz with 54 percent to 36 percent, with Ohio Gov. John Kasich trailing with just 8 percent of the vote.

As the margin of Trump’s victory looked increasingly decisive, the candidate’s campaign manager Corey Lewandowski told Daily Mail Online that Cruz should step aside 'for the good of the party.'

Before polls closed, Trump had repeatedly declared that 'it's over' if the Texas Senator couldn't win Indiana.

Trump’s victory in Indiana, which splits its 57 delegates between a statewide total and individual congressional districts, put Trump within about 200 delegates of what he needs to clinch the nomination.

A Cruz supporter stands in the crowd looking completely dejected as Cruz announces he is dropping out of the race

Former vice-presidential candidate Carly Fiorina speaks to the crowd before Cruz's speech

She then watched as the emotional Republican hugged members of his family, including father Rafael

She then turned to Cruz and gave him a hug. Fiorina was announced as running mate in a last-ditched bid to reignite the campaign

Earlier on Tuesday, Cruz had shown no signs of fading away. After holding a furious press conference where he ripped Trump as a habitual 'liar' and 'serial philanderer'. The story changed dramatically by Tuesday night

Eleanor Darragh, Cruz's mother, looks emotional as she listens to him announce that he is suspending his presidential campaign

He quickly blew past the 1,000 delegate mark by winning the state overall.

The real estate tycoon was facing plenty of favorable terrain going forward, including campaigns in New Jersey, bordering his native New York, as well as New Jersey and California.

At Trump Tower in midtown Manhattan, Lewandowski said Indiana is 'a state where Ted Cruz had to win. And he didn't.'

'The sooner we unite this party, the sooner we bring everyone together, the better chance we have of beating Hillary Clinton and her machine in November,' he said in advance of an election-night speech by his billionaire boss.

Lewandowski said the campaign is looking ahead to November with an eye toward raising money for so-called 'down-ballot' races – including congressional contests – 'so that when he's president he can govern with majorities in both the House and the Senate.'

'We're working hand-in-glove with the Republican National Committee right now,' he told DailyMail.com during a hastily assembled chat with reporters.

'If you look at his electoral success in the primary, particularly in states like New Hampshire and Pennsylvania where he's won every single county,' Lewandowski said, 'he's going to go and make sure that those down-ticket races ... have the financial resources necessary.'

'And he'll leverage his contacts to make sure that those people are going to be successful in November as well.'

The pugnacious campaign chief said confidently that 'Donald Trump is going to be the Republican nominee,' and called the concept of an organized anti-Trump effort 'a passing fad.'

'And I think right now most of the people understand that Donald Trump is going to be the nominee whether they like it or not,' he said.

Trump will campaign in Charleston, West Virginia on Thursday before traveling to Nebraska on Friday and the Pacific northwest after that.

Despite the awful result, Kasich's campaign officials insisted he will be staying in the race and will be continuing towards his plan - which is to win the Republican nomination at an open convention.

Trump thanked the residents of the Hoosier state following his projected victory very early on Tuesday that edged him one step closer to cementing the Republican nomination. Cruz's decision to remove himself from the race virtually gave the billionaire the GOP nod

Carly Fiorina, Cruz's running mate, greets a supporter during a campaign stop at a pancake house in Westfield, Indiana

A Cruz supporter holds her hands close to her chest as she waits for the candidate to appear in Indianapolis following his huge loss in the crucial Indiana primary

Their statement read in part: 'Gov. Kasich will remain in the race unless a candidate reaches 1,237 bound delegates before the Convention.'

Katie Packer, chair of the anti-Trump Our Principles super PAC, vowed to keep spending money to damage the presumptive nominee.

'A substantial number of delegates remain up for grabs in this highly unpredictable year. In addition, there is more than a month before the California primary -- more time for Trump to continue to disqualify himself in the eyes of voters, as he did yet again today spreading absurd tabloid lies about Ted Cruz's father and the JFK assassination,’ she said.

We continue to give voice to the belief of so many Republicans that Trump is not a conservative, does not represent the values of the Republican Party, cannot beat Hillary Clinton, and is simply unfit to be President of the United State Katie Packer, chair of the anti-Trump Our Principles super PAC, vowing to keep spending money to damage Trump

'We continue to give voice to the belief of so many Republicans that Trump is not a conservative, does not represent the values of the Republican Party, cannot beat Hillary Clinton, and is simply unfit to be President of the United States,’ vowing to ‘continue to educate voters’ about Trump until someone wraps up the delegates needed to win.'

Earlier on Tuesday, Cruz had shown no signs of fading away. After holding a furious press conference where he ripped Trump as a habitual 'liar' and 'serial philanderer.'

Cruz himself elevated Indiana to a must-win test for himself. He even had the field partially cleared when Ohio Gov. John Kasich agreed not to campaign in the state as part of a controversial pact that fizzled anyway.

But his campaign showed signs of strain and endured uncomfortable mishaps in the campaign's final days.

Cruz awkwardly referred to a 'basketball ring' on a famed Hoosier court, then named Carly Fiorina as his 'running mate' in a desperate bid to shake up the race.

Fiorina delivered some slashing lines against Trump, but on Sunday night she toppled from a stage at a Cruz rally, providing more fodder for the bizarre 2016 campaign season.

Kasich, who abandoned Indiana, announced that he'll be in the DC area for fundraising events, and made plans to address reporters Wednesday, as a plan to defeat Trump by winning on a second or third ballot appears considerably less likely than it did only a few weeks ago.

Cruz told reporters this week that he would carry his campaign all the way to California, where he trails Trump in the polls.

'If we win Indiana, it's over,' Trump said in Indiana Monday. 'They're finished. They're gone,' he added.

Trump was leading Cruz by 10 percentage points in the Real Clear Politics polling average leading up to the final vote.

Fans of the Texas Senator looked dejected as they watch a news broadcast showing Donald Trump leading the vote

More glum faces turn towards television screens to watch as news networks begin to predict a huge victory for Trump over Cruz

Trump's expected road to victory in Indiana crystallized by late afternoon on Tuesday when exit polling revealed the same trends spotted in his earlier crushing victories in New York and a quintet of other Northeastern U.S. states last month.

About two-thirds of Republican voters in the Hoosier state told pollsters that they think the candidate who is ahead in the popular vote – meaning Trump – should become the GOP's nominee if no one enters July's convention with control of the 1,273 delegates who could constitute the slimmest possible majority.

Nearly 90 per cent of Trump voters agreed with that position, compared with just half of Cruz and Kasich supporters.

But that 50 per cent number is declining compared with primary voters who were surveyed in April, suggesting that more and more Trump detractors are prepared to accept his legitimacy as the party's standard-bearer.

Better still for Trump, six in 10 Republican voters on Tuesday said they want an 'outsider' candidate to face Hillary Clinton. In previous GOP primaries that number averaged just 52 percent.

Also climbing in Indiana was the proportion of GOP voters who agree with Trump on the need to deport illegal immigrants. Previous primaries yielded 41 per cent support for that position among Republicans. The number was closing in on 50 per cent in preliminary exit poll results on Tuesday.

In one of the strongest flashes of anger of the campaign, Cruz tore into Trump Tuesday as a 'pathological liar' who is 'utterly amoral.'

Cruz added: 'If you hooked him up to a lie detector test he could say one thing in the morning one thing at noon and one thing in the evening, all contradictory and he'd pass the lie detector test each time. Whatever lie he's telling at that minute, he believes it.'

Cruz blew up after Trump touted a report in the National Enquirer that linked Cruz's father, Rafael Cruz, to the John F. Kennedy assassination. The story quoted a supposed expert who said a man in a famous photo of Oswald could be Cruz's dad.

'His father was with Lee Harvey Oswald prior to Oswald's being — you know, shot. I mean, the whole thing is ridiculous,' Trump told Fox News.

'I mean, what was he doing? What was he doing with Lee Harvey Oswald shortly before the death, before the shooting?' Trump added. 'It's horrible.'

Earlier on Tuesday, as Indiana voters headed to the polls, The Donald posted a scathing Tweet about Cruz

Voters cast their ballots in the Indiana Primary at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Carmel, Indiana

Voters wait to cast their ballot in the Indiana Primary at the Hamilton Co. Auto Auction, in Noblesville, Indiana

Michael Kuzma shows his support for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during his campaign stop at the Palladium at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana

A big Trump win could be a game changer, setting up a late spring where he can lock up the needed delegates to the convention even if he only scores a winning percentage of remaining delegates in the mid-40s.

There are no longer enough outstanding delegates for Cruz and Kasich to win the nomination through the primary process, but they can try to beat Trump on a second ballot if they are somehow able to hold Trump under the magic number of 1,237 delegates.

There are indications GOP voters are rallying around Trump. Trump won five northeastern and mid-Atlantic states a week ago by blowout margins, as an increasing number of Republicans think he'll ultimately win.

'If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed, and we will deserve it,' tweeted South Carolina Republican senator Lindsey Graham Tuesday.

White evangelicals made up more than half of the electorate, according to exit polls.

Cruz repeatedly went after Trump on values issues – ripping him Tuesday for having said he didn't recall when he last sought god's forgiveness, while denouncing his use of bad language and even labeling him a 'philanderer.'

But Trump beat Cruz among evangelical voters by a 48 per cent to 45 percent, according to CNN exit poll results.

Nebraska and West Virginia are the next contests. Voters in both states go to the polls May 10.