GOP results: Trump celebrates 5-state sweep

GOP front-runner Donald Trump

The GOP nomination race shifted to the Northeast Tuesday, and Republican front-runner Donald Trump swept primaries in five states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.

"I am so honored. This was, to me, our biggest night," Trump said in his speech Tuesday evening.

"I consider myself the presumptive nominee," he said, arguing that Ted Cruz and John Kasich have no path to the nomination and should both drop out of the race.

"We're going to win," Trump said. "We're going to beat Hillary Clinton."

As for Cruz, who has come up with a short list of vice presidential running-mates, Trump said, "He's wasting his time."

After Democrat Hillary Clinton championed her own efforts to capture the support of women Tuesday, Trump said, "I'll do far more for women than Hillary will ever do."

Asked what he believes is the single greatest threat to America, Trump said enemy countries using a nuclear weapon against the U.S. And he said America cannot afford to allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon.

Watch a portion of Trump's victory speech:

The five states offered 118 GOP delegates, and Trump walked away with 109:

Connecticut: 28 delegates, winner takes most
Delaware: 16 delegates, winner takes all
Maryland: 38 delegates, winner takes all
Pennsylvania: 17 delegates, combined selection winner-take-all primary statewide, loophole primary district
Rhode Island: 19 delegates, awarded proportionally

Kasich secured five delegates and Cruz, just three.

Leading up to the primaries, numerous polls showed the billionaire contender with large leads over Republican rivals Ted Cruz and John Kasich.

Republican candidates Donald Trump and Ted Cruz

International Business Times noted Tuesday's five primary races could virtually seal the GOP nomination for Trump.

In addition to Trump's solid lead, polls reveal the steady demise of Cruz. In states that are not winner-take-all, Ohio Gov. John Kasich could take a few delegates home. However, it will not be nearly enough to put him in a competitive position.

At a campaign event in Indiana Tuesday, Cruz said, "Tonight, Donald Trump is expected to have a good night. Donald Trump is likely to win some states, and the media is going to have heart palpitations this evening. They're going to be very excited, so very excited at Trumps victories. And the media is going to say, 'The race is over.' The media is going to say, 'Donald Trump is the nominee.' If you find yourself wondering why the media is so eager to have Trump as the nominee, you don't have to look any further than USA Today's front page: 40% of GOP voters doubt they will vote for Trump. Now I want you to think for a second: The network executives, are they Democrats or Republicans?"

Cruz called Trump "the media's chosen candidate" and said he has a major announcement: "Hillary Clinton has decided on her vice presidential nominee. Hillary has decided on Donald Trump."