With varying enthusiasm, GOP elites are accepting Trump as their nominee, by Philip Rucker.

An aura of inevitability is now forming around the controversial mogul. Trump smothered his opponents in six straight primaries in the Northeast and vacuumed up more delegates than even the most generous predictions foresaw. …

“People are realizing that he’s the likely nominee,” said Tim Pawlenty, a former Minnesota governor and one-time endorser of Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida. “The hysteria has died down and the range of emotion is from resignation to enthusiasm.” …

Celebrating his sweep in Tuesday’s primaries, Trump declared himself the “presumptive nominee.” At a rally the next day in Indianapolis, he proclaimed, “We’re just about ready to put it away, folks.”