Republican John Kasich is expected to announce the end of his presidential bid, according to US media reports. His departure leaves the path to the GOP nomination clear for Donald Trump.

Donald Trump, a real estate tycoon and realty TV star came a step closer to becoming the Republican Party’s presumptive presidential nominee amid reports that his last standing rival was abandoning the race.

Ohio Governor John Kasich canceled a Washington news conference Wednesday and planned to make a statement later in the afternoon from his home state. Unnamed Kasich campaign officials confirmed to the Associated Press that he was pulling the plug on his long-shot candidacy.

Even before word spread that Kasich was dropping out, Trump had already begun to pivot towards the general election campaign.

"I am confident I can unite much of" the GOP, Trump said Wednesday on NBC's Today Show, as several prominent Republicans said they'd prefer Democrat Hillary Clinton over the TV celebrity.

In a shot at his critics, Trump added: "Those people can go away and maybe come back in eight years after we served two terms. Honestly, there are some people I really don't want."

An offensive candidate?

The bombastic billionaire has offended or alienated many, including those in his own party, for denigrating, women, Latinos and Muslims.

Talk of a brokered Republican convention in Cleveland this summer persisted until earlier this week.

But that possibility evaporated Tuesday night when Trump won a convincing victory in the largely conservative Midwestern state of Indiana - making it all but certain that he would colelct the 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the nomination during the nince remaing primaries.

With some 435 delegates still to be claimed, Trump needs to win only 190 to clininch the nomination.

(DW)