The Note: Trump and Cruz’s Delegate Duel

— -- NOTABLES

--INSIDE THE DELEGATE FIGHT IN NORTH DAKOTA: Nearly 2,000 people descended upon Fargo's Scheels Arena for the North Dakota GOP Convention over the weekend -- a political event that drew unexpected attention as the state's delegates could prove to have a crucial impact on the Republican nomination, ABC’s KATHERINE FAULDERS reports. Unlike every other state, except Colorado, GOP stronghold North Dakota did not hold a caucus or primary. Instead, delegates were chosen by party insiders, not voters. Also, North Dakota has 28 unbound delegates, who will essentially be free agents at the GOP convention. And after a weekend of campaign surrogates and aides schmoozing in hospitality suites and holding backroom meetings, both Ted Cruz and Donald Trump’s campaigns released statements declaring victory. http://abcn.ws/1MLixf4

--THE RESULTS: Trump senior advisor Barry Bennett told ABC news he was “popping bottles of champagne” because he was so ecstatic with the slate of delegates Saturday night. But Cruz may be better positioned here. Of the 25 delegates nominated by party leaders Saturday, 16 were selected and 9 new delegates were added on the floor Sunday. Eighteen of those on the final slate were identified by the Cruz campaign as Cruz supporters. Seven of the additional 9 delegates added on the floor were on the Cruz slate distributed Sunday morning. But some of those delegates who Cruz was listing as supporters, have not made up their mind or are not Cruz supporters. 

--ANALYSIS -- ABC’s RICK KLEIN: There are gaffes and missteps and misstatements – more than enough of each to disappear in the whirl of a news cycle or two. Then there’s what Donald Trump has done with his comments on abortion, over a period of just a few sensitive days. His multiple, confusing, conflicting positions – punish the mother, treat the mother as a victim; keep current laws intact; change them as soon as he becomes president – could haunt the campaign for quite some time for the vulnerabilities Trump has exposed, and how that translated into organizing against him. In the short term, it has galvanized opposition to Trump in Wisconsin, with Ted Cruz holding a prime example for his argument that Trump never has been a true conservative. In the longer view, the comments are likely to remembered all the way through the convention, where delegates will be mindful of the need to keep the “pro-life” portion of the GOP satisfied with any major developments. At a convention that may have to seek out its own powerbrokers, social and cultural conservative leaders will be active – and with more at stake, from their perspective, than just a week ago.

ON GMA -- CLINTON: ‘NO INDICATION' SANDERS WOULD HELP ELECT MORE DEMOCRATS. Hillary Clinton questioned Bernie Sanders' loyalty to the Democratic Party during an interview on "Good Morning America" on Monday, saying "there's no indication" her opponent wants to help elect more Democrats to Congress. "There's no indication there's any interest there," the Democratic presidential candidate responded when asked by ABC News' George Stephanopoulos if she thinks the Vermont senator would help the Senate go back to the Democrats. "I am committed to electing Democrats. I'm committed to raising money. I'm already helping to fund Democratic campaigns, because at the end of the day a president can do a lot, and I have a very robust agenda with big goals for our country," she continued. http://abcn.ws/234Vq6F

LAST WEEKEND ON THE TRAIL with ABC’s VERONICA STRACQUALURSI

CLINTON AGREES TO ABC NEWS’ GOOD MORNING AMERICA DEBATE: ‘I’LL BE THERE.’ Hillary Clinton on Sunday agreed to participate in an upcoming debate hosted by ABC News' "Good Morning America" -- saying in an exclusive interview, "I'll be there." "I want a debate, and I'm confident that we can work out a time to do that," the Democratic presidential candidate told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos. "'GMA' offered a debate during 'GMA' on Friday the 15th. I'll be there," she added. "I think it's a great opportunity to reach an audience that may not always be able because of other obligations to tune in to debates." Bernie Sanders has not yet accepted ABC News' invitation to attend the "GMA" debate, which would be held on the morning of Friday, April 15. ABC’s LIZ KREUTZ has more. https://abcn.ws/1PPIVyV

SANDERS CONFIDENT HE’LL DEBATE CLINTON BEFORE NEW YORK PRIMARY.  Sanders said Sunday morning he was confident that he and Clinton would debate in New York before the primary in the state later this month, ABC’s MARYALICE PARKS reports. Despite an escalation in tone and finger-pointing between the two campaigns over the weekend, Sanders told ABC’s GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS he thought both sides would reach an agreement on a time and date. “The people of New York deserve to hear us discussing the important issues facing that state and facing the country. I suspect it will work out,” Sanders said on "This Week." “There will be, I suspect, a very spirited debate.” https://abcn.ws/1SLvbtB

TRUMP GOES ON APOLOGY TOUR. By Donald Trump’s own admission, last week was a bad one, even for the controversy-prone candidate. "Was this my best week? I guess not," he admitted on Fox News Sunday. Trump was dealing with the aftermath of his comments that suggested that women should be punished for abortion, then recanting and amending his statement in various forms over the following days. But for the businessman who rarely admits a mistake, yesterday he admitted two. "Yes. I would have rather answered it in a different manner," he said on "Fox News Sunday" of his initial comments. Trump had also come under fire for retweeting an unflattering photo of Heidi Cruz, the wife of his rival, Sen. Ted Cruz. In the past, Trump had doubled down on the picture, saying that Cruz had started the battle of the wives. On Sunday, however, Trump offered a mea culpa, of sorts, ABC’s CANDACE SMITH writes. "If I had it to do again, I probably wouldn't have sent it. I didn't think it was particularly bad, but I probably wouldn't have sent it,” he said. https://abcn.ws/1UNr9oh

AFTER CANDIDATES BACK OFF LOYALTY PLEDGE, RNC CHAIR SAYS ‘TONE AND TENOR MATTER.’ While a contested convention seems more and more likely, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus says nothing is final until all the votes are counted. “We will know where everyone stands on delegates on June 8, after the June 7th primaries.” Priebus said Sunday on ABC’s "This Week." “There will be no mystery over who has the majority, or if someone doesn’t, whether it’s going to be an open convention.” Priebus' comments come in a week where candidates Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and John Kasich backed off the loyalty pledge they made to support the GOP candidate, with Trump even saying he isn’t ruling out a third-party run,  ABC’s MOLLY NAGLE notes. But Priebus says he’s not convinced by the threat. “I think candidates are also posturing. I think they’re posturing for the possibility of an open convention. I think some candidates think that there’s leverage to be had over making these kinds of statements. There’s no leverage over us,” Priebus said. http://abcn.ws/1X93Cvt

CRUZ LAUNCHES ATTACK ADS, MAILERS AGAINST KASICH. In the final days before the Wisconsin primary, Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz strengthened his efforts against rival John Kasich by launching a television ad and sending mailers attacking the Ohio governor. The 30-second television ad released by the Cruz campaign this weekend explores Kasich's ties to Worthington Industries, a Fortune 500 company in Ohio that last year laid off hundreds of employees, including 115 in Ohio. In addition to the television ad, the Cruz campaign also sent mailers to Wisconsinites attacking Kasich's spending policy as governor of Ohio, and his stances on guns and the military. This is the first time the Cruz campaign has run a negative ad against Kasich, ABC’s JESSICA HOPPER and BEN GITTLESON note. https://abcn.ws/1V3c8y9

KASICH LAUGHS OFF PRO-CRUZ SUPER PAC ATTACKS AHEAD OF WISCONSIN. Gov. John Kasich says he isn't worried about Trusted Leadership PAC, which supports Ted Cruz, ramping up its attacks against him ahead of Wisconsin's primary. "I think it's funny," Kasich said on "This Week." "It's what you put up with in a campaign and of course that distorts virtually everything." The group released a 30-second ad titled "Kasich Won't Play" that accuses the Ohio governor of having a "liberal record." Kasich and Cruz have been strengthening their attacks against each other ahead of the Wisconsin primary, as they fight to be the alternative to Donald Trump, ABC’s NICKI ROSSOLL reports. http://abcn.ws/1RxdXkN

TRUMP WANTS KASICH OUT: Donald Trump made an early morning stop Sunday at Miss Katie's diner in downtown Milwaukee, where in addition to his eggs and hot chocolate his other order was for John Kasich to leave the race. "Kasich shouldn't be allowed to run. Look, under the grounds that Rand Paul could've stayed in, and he had nothing. Marco Rubio could've stayed in. Jeb Bush could've stayed in. They all could've stayed. They could’ve just stayed in. That’s all he's doing. He's 1-for-29. And the one thing that he won barely, and if I spent one more day in Ohio, I would've beaten him," Trump told a small group of reporters that accompanied him on this trip. ABC’s JOHN SANTUCCI has more. https://abcn.ws/1Tu7nwF

COMING UP: THE 5 BIGGEST THINGS TO WATCH FOR IN THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE IN APRIL. The month of April appears to be do-or-die for Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders as both presidential candidates try to win as many delegates as possible and prevent each of their party’s respective frontrunners from winning the nomination outright. Meanwhile, those frontrunners –- Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton -– will be looking to move further in the direction of locking things up over the next four weeks. With so much on the line for every candidate, ABC’s JEFF NAFT, PAOLA CHAVEZ, RYAN STRUYK and VERONICA STRACQUALURSI note the five things to watch for in April. http://abcn.ws/237dj15

WHO’S TWEETING?

‏@gabrielsherman: Inside the most unorthodox campaign in political history. My Trump cover story: http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/04/inside-the-donald-trump-presidential-campaign.html …

@bykowicz: “I have to find a place for these rich guys to go to." Team Trump beginning to think about raising money.

@maggieNYT: Trump met privately with some major veteran lobbyists at meeting arranged by Jeff Sessions http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/04/04/donald-trump-met-secretly-with-interests-groups/ …

@ShaneGoldmacher: FARGO -- If you're up early, read all about what a delegate war really looks like http://www.politico.com/story/2016/04/what-a-delegate-war-really-looks-like-221518 …

@kylieatwood: Early Missteps Seen as a Drag on Bernie Sanders’s Campaign, @Yamiche & @patrickhealynyt -> http://nyti.ms/1RWpdcw