(Left) Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump delivers a speech about his vision for foreign policy at the Mayflower Hotel yesterday in Washington, DC. (Right) Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton addresses supporters during a primary night event in Philadelphia after winning the Pennsylvania state primary. — AFP

WASHINGTON: Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were a giant step closer to their parties' presidential nominations Wednesday after crushing their respective Democratic and Republican rivals in a string of presidential primaries. Clinton has now virtually cleared the way to become the Democratic nominee in the November presidential election, the first woman in US history to reach that milestone. The former secretary of state won four out of five primaries Tuesday in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland and the night's big prize, the battleground state of Pennsylvania.

She conceded only the small state of Rhode Island to rival Bernie Sanders in a near sweep that gives her an almost insurmountable delegate lead. Clinton now has 2,168 delegates, including more than 500 "super-delegates," against Sanders's 1,401, with about 1,000 more to be distributed in the 14 remaining nominating races. She needs 2,383 delegates to win the nomination. "What a great night," Clinton told a thrilled crowd of supporters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The 68-year-old former first lady telegraphed her eagerness to shift toward the general election and a showdown with Republicans. "Let's go forward, let's win the nomination, and in July let's return as a unified party," she said. Clinton's strong showing heaps pressure on the well-funded Sanders, a self-styled democratic socialist senator from Vermont who vowed to battle on until the California primary on June 7.

"The people in every state in this country should have the right to determine who they want as president and what the agenda of the Democratic Party should be. That's why we are in this race until the last vote is cast," Sanders said in a statement. "That is why this campaign is going to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia with as many delegates as possible to fight for a progressive party platform."

'Presumptive Nominee'

Trump swept all five presidential races held Tuesday, strengthening his grip on the Republican race. He demolished his rivals Ted Cruz and John Kasich in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island - a stunning show of force by a candidate seen as a populist political savior by millions despite being loathed by the party establishment. "I consider myself the presumptive nominee," the real estate mogul told a crowd at Trump Tower in New York, despite still being short of the 1,237 delegates required to win the nomination outright. "As far as I'm concerned, it's over."

The 69-year-old billionaire extended his lead in the delegates who will officially choose the Republican nominee at the party's convention in July. "For weeks, the stop Trump, dump Trump movement has tried to puncture" his rise, James Morone, a political science professor at Brown University, told AFP. "Today's results overwhelmingly tell you it's not working."

Trump also offered a preview yesterday of what a Trump-Clinton matchup would look like, repeating on CNN his assertion that Clinton is "playing the woman card left and right". But at her victory party in Philadelphia, Clinton told supporters that "if fighting for women's healthcare and paid family leave and equal pay is playing the woman's card, then deal me in". Trump recently faced criticism when a top aide revealed the candidate was preparing to reshape his image, but Trump insisted yesterday morning he was not undergoing a makeover. "I'm not going to be changing. I'm presidential anyway," he told CNN.

Foreign Policy

Later yesterday, rolling out a foreign policy that he said would always put America first, Trump vowed yesterday that if elected president, he would make US allies in Europe and Asia take on more of the financial burden for their defense, or they would be left to defend themselves. In a major speech, Trump delivered a withering critique of Barack Obama's foreign policy, saying the Democratic president has let China take advantage of the United States and has failed to defeat Islamic State militants.

Trump pledged to "shake the rust off America's foreign policy" and said he would seek better relations with China and Russia. Trump, who was also critical of policies of the last Republican US president, George W. Bush, said he would use America's strength sparingly. He said he would build up the US military to keep pace with Chinese and Russian military programs but would use American armed forces only when absolutely necessary.

"I will not hesitate to deploy military force when there is no alternative. But if America fights, it must fight to win. I will never send our finest into battle unless necessary - and will only do so if we have a plan for victory," Trump said. With U.S.-Russian relations strained over numerous issues including Moscow's support for Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, Trump said "an easing of tensions with Russia from a position of strength" is possible.

Trump, a real estate magnate, also said he would use US economic leverage to persuade China to rein in North Korea's nuclear program. "China respects strength and by letting them take advantage of us economically we have lost all their respect," he said. Trump said he would call separate summits of NATO and Asian allies to discuss a "rebalancing" of the US financial commitment to their defense. He was stern in charging that American allies have benefited from a US defense umbrella but have not paid their fair share. "The countries we defend must pay for the cost of this defense. If not, the US must be prepared to let these countries defend themselves. We have no choice," Trump said. Trump said he would develop a plan to halt the spread and reach of Islamic State militants but that more would be needed beyond the use of military force. "Events may require the use of military force. But it's also a philosophical struggle, like our long struggle in the Cold War," he said.

VP Pick

Separately, Cruz yesterday was expected to announce that former business executive Carly Fiorina will be his vice presidential running mate if he wins his party's nomination, ABC affiliate WMUR reported, citing unnamed sources. The report by WMUR, an ABC station in Manchester, New Hampshire, followed a statement from Cruz that he would make a major announcement. Fiorina, 61, endorsed Cruz, a 45-year-old US senator from Texas, for the nomination in March, one month after dropping out of the Republican race herself.

The announcement of a running mate at this point in the campaign would be unusually early. Traditionally, the winners of the Republican and Democratic nominating contests announce their running mates for November's general election at their parties' summer national conventions. Picking a running mate could be seen as part of a bid by Cruz to recover from Tuesday's crushing loss to Trump.

The choice of Fiorina, a former Hewlett-Packard Co chief executive, could help Cruz with women voters, a group the pugnacious Trump has had difficulty winning over to his outsider campaign. Trump criticized Fiorina earlier yesterday as a potential Cruz vice presidential pick. "I think it would be a bad choice," he said, "not because she's a woman but because she did not resonate at all with people. It's too early to do it. And frankly, he's wasting his time because he's not going to be the nominee." - Agencies