Trump: Other GOP Candidates ‘Controlled’ By Lobbyists, Donors, Special Interests

The Associated Press
The Associated Press

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump argued that other Republican candidates for president are “controlled by lobbyists, they’re controlled by their donors, they’re controlled by special interests” in an interview aired on Thursday’s broadcast of Newsmax TV’s “Newsmax Prime.”

Trump said of his fellow Republican candidates, “They’re politicians. Remember this, a politician is all talk, no action. They’re not going to get us to the promised land, and I’ve been saying this. They are not getting us there. They’re controlled by lobbyists, they’re controlled by their donors, they’re controlled by special interests. They’re just not getting us there. If you’re looking at making our country great again, they’re not going to do it.”

Trump was then asked about the other non-politician GOP candidate, Dr. Ben Carson and Carly Fiorina. He said of Carson, “I know a Ben a little bit, and I think he’s terrific person. I really like him. But, you know, again, he’s a doctor, he’s a heart doctor, [note: Carson is a neurosurgeon] and probably a very good one, but I just don’t know. I like Ben very much.” Trump added of Fiorina that he likes her, but “she had a tremendously hard time at Hewlett-Packard” and with her unsuccessful Senate run in California in 2010. Although, he conceded that these maybe weren’t “the end-all.”

He later declined to list which candidate he thinks is the weakest in the GOP field, but did say Jeb Bush wasn’t the weakest. He continued, that Bush “certainly has a lot of problems. Number one, he’s in favor of Common Core, that means he wants children — wants the source of education coming out of DC with the bureaucrats. If I’m in Iowa, if I’m in New Hampshire, if I’m in California, if I’m in New York, I want local people to work with the children. I don’t want somebody in Washington that’s never even seen my state. So, that’s one thing. And the other thing is he’s very weak on immigration. Remember, they come to love? Illegals are coming in for love. What was that all about? That’s Jeb Bush. He’s very weak on immigration, and he’s in favor of Common Core. Those two things alone should beat him. But on top of that, he’ll be a lousy negotiator. He will owe everybody, because you know all of this money that he’s raising…every person that gives that money to him has his eye on something. With me, I don’t want any money.”

Trump was then asked about the other Floridian on the GOP side, Senator Marco Rubio. Trump argued that it was “early” for Rubio, and said he didn’t like Rubio drinking from a water bottle during his response to the State of the Union a few years ago. Trump added that he thought Rubio is “very disloyal” to Jeb Bush because “it was Jeb Bush’s turn, more or less.”

He continued that he didn’t like the “political speak” of Bush saying that Rubio was his dear friend, objecting, “He’s not a dear friend. … They should be honest. He is so angry, and he has so much hatred right now for Marco Rubio.” Trump added that “our country can’t deal with” “political speak.”

The interview concluded with Trump talking about Rubio’s support of the Gang of Eight bill, stating, “He was very weak and he was pushing it, pushing it, and he went down like a rocket ship and all of a sudden he said, ‘Oh, well, I don’t mean that, I’m only kidding.’ That’s not the kind of guy you want, because you know where his heart is. But he only did that because he dropped like a rock in the polls. I don’t think — look, I don’t want to say anybody’s overrated, but this is not the next Ronald Reagan.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett

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