At a town hall today in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, Donald Trump floated the idea — without explicitly threatening to do so — that he may run as an independent candidate.
Trump attacked the Republican National Committee, saying it «better get its act together» and it «does a terrible job.» Trump said he believes the RNC treated him unfairly.
Trump also went off on the crowd that booed him during Saturday night’s GOP debate in South Carolina: «Look at it, that was a wealthy room.»
«The whole room was made of special interests and donors, which is a disgrace from the RNC,» Trump said. «The RNC better get its act together because, you know, I signed a pledge. The pledge isn’t being honored by the RNC.»
Trump signed an RNC pledge in September, agreeing not to run a third-party candidacy and to support the eventual Republican nominee.
«I signed a pledge, but it’s a double-edged pledge. As far as I’m concerned, they’re in default on their pledge,» Trump said of the RNC.
Trump also spent several minutes hitting Sen. Ted Cruz on dirty campaign tactics, calling him the most dishonest guy in politics he’s ever met.
He’s criticized Cruz “holding up the Bible,” and says he’s beating Cruz when it comes to evangelical voters.
He asked the crowd several times to “spread the word” that Ted Cruz was dishonest.
“I hope you can get the word out to the press,” he explained, “because if you do, I save about two million dollars in advertising.”
He added: “I like to watch my costs. Does that make sense?»
While Trump called Cruz the most dishonest man in the race, “Jeb is just Jeb,” he said of Bush. He also continued to hit former President George W. Bush, noting that the fact he’s visiting Charleston tonight is “just lovely.” A moment later he asked, “ever wonder why his brother went silent all these years? No, don’t ask yourself that.”
And before going off on the RNC for the most recent debate, Trump also criticized the state party for its handling of the Iowa caucuses.
“If Iowa had any guts all, they would disqualify him from winning Iowa,» Trump said of Cruz’s win in the Iowa Caucuses.
BRAD MIELKE
ABC News Feb 15, 2016,
