America
Donald looks beyond summer of Trump
By
By Arun Kumar Washington, Aug 26
Outshining seasoned
politicians, drawing huge crowds and surging in polls, frontrunner
Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump has served notice on his
opponents that he is in the game to win.
"It's one thing to have
the summer of Trump. But it doesn't mean anything unless we win," Trump
told a crowd Tuesday in Dubuque in Iowa, the state where the nomination
process begins with a caucus of party functionaries. "If you lose, what
does it all matter?"
The declaration came ahead of another day of
media attention sparked by renewed attacks on his opponents
particularly establishment favourite Jeb Bush and reigniting a simmering
debate night clash with Fox News host Megyn Kelly.
In an email
to supporters Tuesday afternoon, Trump touted "Tens of Thousands Support
Trump" referring to new polling which showed him with double-digit
leads in the early primary states of South Carolina and New Hampshire.
Before
addressing another huge rally in Dubuque, Trump had testy exchanges
with Jorge Ramos, anchor of Univision, the leading American Spanish
language channel, with a security officer at one point ejecting Ramos
from his news conference.
Trump also mocked Jeb Bush on Twitter
Tuesday after the former Florida governor found himself in a deeper mess
in trying to explain his "anchor babies" comment as "frankly, more
related to Asian people."
"In a clumsy move to get out of his
'anchor babies' dilemma, where he signed that he would not use the term
and now uses it, he blamed ASIANS," Trump wrote.
"Asians are very
offended that JEB said that anchor babies applies to them as a way to
be more politically correct to hispanics. A mess!" Trump then wrote, a
few minutes later.
Trump also vowed Monday not to host a lavish state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping when he visits the US in September.
"I'd
get him a McDonald's hamburger and I'd say we gotta get down to work,
because you can't continue to devalue (the Chinese currency)," Trump
said Monday night on Fox News.
"I would give him a very, yeah, but I would give him a double, probably a double size Big Mac."
Meanwhile,
a new deadline loomed for Trump, who has repeatedly refused to rule out
a third-party candidacy, noting that he could use the threat of an
independent bid as leverage.
But he cannot compete in South
Carolina's Republican primary, unless he signs a pledge before Sep 30 to
support the Republican nominee in the general election.
Trump said Tuesday when asked about the rule by reporters in Iowa that his campaign is "looking into it."
"We
certainly have plenty of time," he said. "My whole desire is just
fairness, and I want to run as the Republican nominee, I want to win, I
think we will win."
According to the Washington Post the Virginia
Republican Party is also considering requiring a loyalty oath from
presidential primary contenders - a move widely considered aimed at
Trump.
The development could be an early sign of trouble for
Trump, particularly if other state parties consider similar ideas, the
influential daily said.
But, according to the Post, Republicans
are also worried that it could backfire and breed resentment among
activists who are suspicious of attempts by the Republican establishment
to control the party.
(Arun Kumar can be contacted at [email protected])