10 Dec 2015

Trump advisor campaigns in American Samoa

2:27 pm on 10 December 2015

A representative for the United States presidential hopeful, Donald Trump, is visiting American Samoa this week.

Mr Trump is the frontrunner for the Republican Party's nomination to contest the presidency next year, despite several controversial outbursts including a proposal to ban all muslims from entering the United States.

As an unincorporated territory, American Samoans cannot vote for president, but the local branches of parties can vote for presidential nominees.

Donald Trump

Donald Trump Photo: AFP

One of Mr Trump's senior advisors, Alan Cobb, says this makes the American Samoa branch of the Republican Party important, and candidates need to learn about the territory's issues.

"We expect it to be a close nomination fight. Every delegate matters; American Samoa has nine delegates, six at large delegates and I'm here to speak to potential delegates and hopefully recruit them to support Mr Trump at the convention in Cleveland. So some of it is just pure political numbers."

Aland Cobb is the third Republican representative to visit American Samoa, with representatives for other prominent candidates, Ted Cruz and Ben Carson, also visiting.

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