Donald Trump: Open to Independent Bid if GOP Doesn’t Treat Him ‘Fairly’

wsj.com ^ | Laura Meckler

[RoosterRedux]

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump said Sunday he is open to running for president as an independent if he concludes Republicans are not treating him "fairly."

He made his comments on ABC's "This Week" when asked about a Wall Street Journal story first published online Friday that reported an effort by Republican establishment figures to unite to knock Mr. Trump out of the race. The group plans a "guerrilla campaign" backed by secret donors to "defeat and destroy" the celebrity businessman’s candidacy, the Journal reported.

The notion of an independent Trump bid worries some Republicans, who fear he would siphon votes from the GOP nominee and help elect a Democrat.

Asked if he would reconsider his promise not to run as an independent, Mr. Trump didn't give a direct answer.

"Well, we'll see what happens," he said. "It will be very interesting. But I'm leading every poll by a lot. It's not even a little bit anymore, it's a lot."

Asked again if he was open to an independent run, he repeated, "Well, I'm going to have to see what happens. I will see what happens. I have to be treated fairly. You know, when I did this, I said I have to be treated fairly. If I'm treated fairly, I'm fine. All I want to do is a level playing field."

Mr. Trump also said he would bring back use of waterboarding, the controversial interrogation technique that simulates drowning and that is considered torture by many. President Barack Obama barred waterboarding and other harsh techniques at the start of his presidency.

[Albion Wilde]

Ping!

To be added to, or dropped from this pinglist that will link twice each day to the Trump articles on FR, post below or freepmail Albion Wilde.

* * *

Trump titles on FR with links, from 12:00 AM to 5:00 PM EST, 11/22/15:
Donald Trump: Open to Independent Bid if GOP Doesn't Treat Him 'Fairly'
As Terrorism Dominates, Can Trump Be Stopped?
Poll: Trump retakes lead, Cruz surges in IA; Rubio second in NH
Donald Trump on his Black Lives Matter heckler: 'Maybe he should have been roughed up'
Donald Trump unloaded on Karl Rove, then said he could 'make up' with the GOP establishment
Trump retakes lead in Iowa; Cruz, Rubio rise as Carson fades (Jeb at 5% in IA, SC; 6% in NH)
Fulop: Trump 'shamefully politicizing' 9/11 attacks
CNN Edits Donald Trump's 'Muslim Registry''Comments to Make Him Look Like an Anti-Muslim Bigot
Trump: I Would Bring Back Waterboarding, 'Peanuts Compared to What They Do to Us'
Trump again won't rule out a third-party run
Polls: Donald Trump stays in front
Rush Limbaugh on Fox News Sunday 11/22/15
National "Talk Like Trump" Day (humor)
Trump: 'Thousands' in Jersey City cheered on 9/11 (VIDEO)
Trump: "It Did Happen," I Saw Arabs In New Jersey Cheering During 9/11 (saw on TV)
Trump Ahead 10 Points in WaPost/ABC Poll
5 Reasons Ted Cruz is the Perfect GOP Candidate to Defeat Democrats in 2016 (analysis of all leading GOP candidates)
Politico: Trump's "Demagoguery On Muslims Plays Straight Into His Populist Appeal"
FOX News Poll: Trump gains, Carson slips, Cruz and Rubio climb in GOP race
Donald Trump is now the Leading Second Amendment Supporter
Black Activist Punched at Donald Trump Rally in Birmingham
Black Protester Attacked at Donald Trump Rally Called 'Monkey' and Other Racial Slurs, He Says
Donald Trump Rips 'Dishonest Media,' Wants 'Surveillance of Certain Mosques'
Trump leads, Carson second as GOP voters favor change over experience(Trump 32 Carson 22 Rubio 11)
'Black Lives Matter' Activist Calls for Trump's Assassination... IMMEDIATELY Pays the Price
N.H. primary poll puts non-candidate Romney first (See post 31)

[mowowie]

“The notion of an independent Trump bid worries some Republicans, who fear he would siphon votes from the GOP nominee and help elect a Democrat.”

They would rather a democrat than Trump.
Glad i quit the repub party 7 years ago.

[PCPOET7]

I don’t think the politicians realize how close the party is to splitting up over issues like border security, corporate cronyism and misuse of programs like The H-1B visa program.

[LS]

Yep. Keep 'em honest, or, at least, keep 'em out of your way.

You should see the Twitter stuff by the NRO anti-Trump trolls. Every day they pick anything they can dig up to attack him over. Pathetic little trollsies.

[LS]

I could also see Cruz joining him on that Independent ticket. Why not? The GOP in the Senate hates him and doesn’t cooperate with him in the least.

[RightLady]

And ban Candy—make her admit to lying about Bengazi and discussing things with Obama before the pres debate 4 yrs ago. At least Romney would not have ruined the country as badly as Obama.

[hoosiermama]

Bfl

[RightLady]

U R right. And he promised he wouldn’t do that.

[Jim Noble]

The notion of an independent Trump bid worries some Republicans, who fear he would siphon votes from the GOP nominee and help elect a Democrat.

In a three-way race, Trump beats 'em both, easily.

[odawg]

A warning shot across the bow from Trump.

[Hugin]

So only the GOPe are allowed to be sore losers.

[Hugin]

And the GOPe promised to treat him fairly.

[RoosterRedux]

No, a loser of a primary cannot register as an independent in a state which passed sore loser laws.

I'm not an election lawyer, but I think that means a candidate would have to drop out of the GOP before the primary decision to be able to get around sore loser laws.

[arthurus]

The RNC probably thinks it just needs to keep him in the Republican Party until it is too late for him to get enough traction as an independent. If he overwhelms the primaries and then has it snatched away from him by last minute or secret rules changes I think he can then totally take it away without the Republican Party and if Conservatives everywhere follow through with that the Republican Party will simply evanesce and a President Trump would preside over a new party.

[RoosterRedux]

Hillary is poison. Even as a “write-in” candidate, Trump would destroy her.

[RoosterRedux]

I think I misunderstood your comment.

Yes, you are correct. Looks like on the GOP establishment are permitted to be sore losers.

[Jane Long]

[BlueNgold]

Trump is surely aware of the potential for super-delegate shenanigans. I think he is warning the RNC not to play fast and loose with a selection, and to let the voters decide.

[XEHRpa]

I looked over the thread and several people like yourself mention a Trump/Cruz ticket, but what no one has yet entertained is the possibility that Trump, the egotistical man that he is, might run 3rd party against Cruz. That is certainly something that we must consider and prepare for as a possibility. How to handle that situation?

[Hugin]

I was speaking more broadly. But it does raise an interesting question. What if Trump actually won the most votes in those primaries, but was kept off the ticket anyway? Would those laws still apply?