The Daily Donald: Trump teases third party run if GOP doesn't stroke his ego enough

“I’ll have to see how I’m being treated by the Republicans,” Trump warns

By Sophia Tesfaye

Senior Politics Editor

Published July 23, 2015 1:18PM (EDT)

Donald Trump                      (Reuters/Brendan Mcdermid)
Donald Trump (Reuters/Brendan Mcdermid)

Donald Trump heads to Laredo, Texas today to visit the U.S.-Mexico border and the former reality TV host is threatening to expand his "us vs. them" campaign to his own Republican party. With the first Republican primary debate exactly two weeks away, Trump is threatening to wage a third party campaign if he isn't treated better by the GOP.

Here are the latest developments in the Trump Show:

Trump considering a third party run

“The RNC has been, I think, very foolish," Trump told The Hill newspaper.

“The RNC has not been supportive. They were always supportive when I was a contributor. I was their fair-haired boy,” Trump complained. “I’m not in the gang. I’m not in the group where the group does whatever it’s supposed to do,” he said. “I want to do what’s right for the country — not what’s good for special interest groups that contribute, not what’s good for the lobbyists and the donors.”

Asked if he would consider a third party run if the treatment from the RNC continues, Trump suggested the possibility was strong. “So many people want me to, if I don’t win,” Trump explained. “I’ll have to see how I’m being treated by the Republicans,” Trump said. “Absolutely, if they’re not fair, that would be a factor.”

Trump gets rude with Anderson Cooper 

"People don’t trust you."

Trump sat with CNN's Anderson Cooper last night for yet another interview only to blast him as untrustworthy in his reporting because the host pushed back on some of the bombastic candidate's claims and mentioned some unfavorable poll numbers.

"You keep bringing up negative. You're the only one who wants to talk about negative. Why don't you bring up the positive polls," Trump demanded.

Trump went on to berate Cooper over which polls he cited. Trump also became upset by Cooper's insistence that the Republican had no evidence to support his claim that Mexico plots to send it's criminals to the U.S. similarly to an alleged plan by the Cuban government in the 1980s. At another point, Cooper pushed Trump's past flip-flops, questioning its effect on conservative primary voters.

“All I know is I have a very big group of support,” Trump said. “And I think one of the reasons is the people don’t trust you and the people don’t trust the media. And I understand why.”

He agrees with Bernie Sanders!

“You know the funniest thing about Bernie Sanders? The one thing we agree on is trade,” Trump said to The Hill with a smile. “He knows the country is ripped off. And I know the country is being ripped off. The difference is that I can do something about it and he can’t. He’ll never be able to negotiate with China.”

Speaking out on Sandra Bland 

"I thought it was terrible," Trump told Cooper on CNN of the arrest and later death in police custody of Sandra Bland, an African American woman from Texas.

"Who gets out of the car for a traffic signal," Trump asked, admitting he hadn't been pulled over in a while. “I thought it was terrible to be honest with you. I’m a huge fan of the police. I think the police have to be given back power. But this guy was overly aggressive. Terribly aggressive," Trump added before conceding that African Americans may be systemically treated more forcefully by police.

Trump said of African Americans, "they like me, I like them."


By Sophia Tesfaye

Sophia Tesfaye is Salon's senior editor for news and politics, and resides in Washington, D.C. You can find her on Twitter at @SophiaTesfaye.

MORE FROM Sophia Tesfaye


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2016 Elections Anderson Cooper Bernie Sanders Donald Trump Gop Sandra Bland