Thursday night rumble! GOP debate rematch in Miami

GOP presidential candidates Marco Rubio, Donald Trump and Ted Cruz (Photo: CNN screenshot)

Just two days after front-runner Donald Trump swept to three more primary victories – and while the GOP kingpin dominates rivals Marco Rubio and John Kasich in their home states of Florida and Ohio – the four remaining Republican candidates will appear in Miami at what's likely to be another intense debate Thursday evening.

Trump, Rubio, Ted Cruz and Kasich will face off in the event hosted by CNN, Salem Media Group, the Washington Times and the Republican National Committee beginning at 8:30 p.m. EST at the University of Miami.

CNN's Jake Tapper will moderate, and CNN's Dana Bash, Salem talk-radio host Hugh Hewitt and the Washington Times' Stephen Dinan will ask questions of the candidates. The event will be broadcast live on CNN, livestreamed at CNN.com and SalemMedia.com. Tuesday's debate is the final presidential showdown to air on CNN.

The New York Times reported Wednesday that Cruz, Rubio and Kasich are huddling with former presidential candidate Jeb Bush before the Miami debate.

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On Tuesday, Trump won Michigan, Mississippi and Hawaii. Cruz captured Idaho.

The next GOP primaries will be held March 15 and include Florida, North Carolina, Illinois, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio.

Meanwhile, a poll by NBC News/Wall Street Journal reveals Democrat Hillary Clinton would defeat Trump by double digits in the general election. The survey has Clinton ahead of Trump, 51 to 38 percent. The same poll show Cruz trailing Clinton by just two points, 47-45, and Rubio tying with Clinton, 46-46.

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But Trump says he's ready to bring the fight to Clinton.

"There's no enthusiasm for Hillary," Trump told CNN Wednesday. "How can you have enthusiasm for Hillary? There is none."

He said Clinton's Michigan loss foreshadows bigger problems for her in the future.

"Losing Michigan is more than a bump in the general, because it says the people don't want her," he said. "I think it's a bad signal for the Democrats."

On Tuesday, Trump captured 71 delegates and Cruz came away with 56. Kasich received 17 and Rubio suffered a shutout.

In an interview with Fox News' Megyn Kelly Wednesday evening, Cruz indicated he's prepared for a contested convention, should it come to that.

"A contested convention is a different thing where you go if nobody gets 1,237 and you’ve got two front-runners. Look, Reagan and Ford battled it out in a contested convention. That’s what conventions are for," Cruz said. "If you’re fighting with the candidates that have earned the votes of the people and it’s the delegates at the convention who elected to do that, that’s the way the system works."

In Real Clear Politics' national polling average from Feb. 19-March 6, Trump leads the pack with 36 percent. Cruz trails at 21.8 percent, Rubio at 18 percent and Kasich at 12 percent.

To win the party nomination, a GOP candidate needs 1,237 delegates. After Tuesday, 1,435 remain available.