Donald Trump had shrewdly set up headquarters for his team in the Horseshoe Casino in Cleveland’s Tower City, smack in the heart of downtown. Reciprocity among casino owners was as advertised — legendary until it turned lethal — and Trump’s excellent relationships throughout the gaming industry had opened all the doors in the four year old citadel of gaming on “The Lake,” as it was known in the land of Ohio State University. Rock Ohio Caesar owns the Horseshoe, and though it did not operate a hotel there, the top floor was ideal for the massive delegate tracking operation underway. The set of interconnected suites in the casino’s aerie also allowed all of Trump’s large and very loyal inner circle to operate much as they did on the home turf of Trump Tower in New York.

Donald Trump was not in control of the convention, but you couldn’t tell it by his welcome to Ted Cruz, the Texas senator’s wife, Heidi, and his campaign manager, Jeff Roe, when the three were ushered into the inner conference room with a beautiful view of Lake Erie.

“Ted, come in, come in. Good to see you. Quite a show, isn’t it?” Trump said, waving at the white-capped lake visible at night from beach lighting by First Energy Stadium, the Great Lakes Science Center and, of course, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. But it was uncertain as to whether Trump meant the waves or the bank of television monitors airing wall-to-wall coverage of the proceedings.