Donald Trump thanks the media, defends Bernie Sanders in surprisingly jolly victory speech

(Image credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

published 27 April 2016

Donald Trump left the Time 100 gala to make a buoyant victory speech Tuesday night after sweeping all five primary states across the Northeast. In a surprising show of good spirits, Trump thanked his archenemy, the media, saying they have been "very fair the past two hours."

Trump also took a swing at the Democratic Party — on behalf of Bernie Sanders. Trump slammed the system for treating Sanders "unfairly" and, despite some boos, he urged the senator to run as an independent.

Trump added that at this point he considers himself "the presumptive nominee, absolutely." Trump, who needs 1,237 delegates to lock up the nomination, earned 36 times as many as his primary rival, Ted Cruz, on Tuesday.

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"We're going to have our country back, we are going to make America Great Again, and I just want to tell the five states, I am so honored, this was our biggest night," Trump said.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.