A political scientist suggests that Donald Trump was considering his legacy when he signed a "loyalty oath" this week to the Republican Party.
Dr. Charles W. Dunn, emeritus professor of government at Clemson University, says Trump wants to be remembered as something more than a spoiler.
"It's just practical business sense that caused him really to come to his senses," Dunn says of Trump, "and to say to himself, Hey, if I want history to remember me constructively, I must do this. Otherwise history will remember me as a spoiler."
Trump, a billioniare real estate magnate, is leading a field of GOP candidates. That lead is partly due to out-spoken criticism of illegal immigration in recent weeks, though he has stated left-leaning opinions in the past and has close ties to the Democratic front-runner, Hillary Clinton.
After threatening in past weeks he might bolt, Trump ruled out the prospect of a third-party White House bid Thursday and vowed to support the Republican Party's nominee, whomever it may be.
The brash billionaire announced his decision shortly after meeting privately with RNC chairman Reince Priebus.
Even though Trump is ahead, Dunn predicts the "odds are still against him" winning the GOP nomination. That's because the field of 17 candidates will narrow in coming months, affecting Trump's current lead in the polls as candidates drop out and endorse others still in the race.
"And as the field narrows," Dunn predicts, "that 30 percent will become less."