Trump: 'I identify with some things as a Democrat'

Donald Trump, a 2016 Republican presidential candidate, said Friday he sometimes identifies more as a Democrat when pressed to explain previous statements that the economy generally does better under Democrats than Republicans.

"I identify with some things as a Democrat," Trump said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" when pressed about the comments from 2004, adding that "generally speaking" he was "never a Bush fan."

"When the economy crashed so horribly under George Bush because of mistakes they made having to do with banking and lots of other things, I don't think the Democrats would have done that," Trump said.

"Now, I see it both ways, but I hated what I was watching in the last two years of George Bush, because it was a bubble that was waiting to explode," he added. "What they were doing was a death wish, and I saw that."

"I have seen things done by Republicans that are not good and are not smart, and I would not do that," he said.

The celebrity real estate developer skyrocketed to the top of many polls following the launch of his GOP White House bid in mid-June, amid weeks of criticism and media attention to his controversial comments on Mexican immigrants.

Trump made waves this week after he threatened during an interview with The Hill to run as a third-party candidate. He played down that possibility Thursday, saying, "I want to run as a Republican. I think I'll get the nomination."

"Over the years as a businessman, I've always helped everybody," Trump said Friday on MSNBC, further explaining his past support for both Democrats and Republicans.

"I'm a conservative, I want to run as a Republican, I'm leading every poll," he said. "I do not want to do independent at all. Now, if I'm treated poorly, that's one thing. If I'm treated well and with great respect and don't win, I would not do that."

Trump had suggested to The Hill on Wednesday that the Republican National Committee "has not been very supportive." He said Friday that the RNC has been "very, very nice over the last few days.”

One would need to define what “Win” means, of course.

To trounce the other so decisively that the electorate is profoundly affected?

To convince a majority of people honestly wishing to compare and contrast achieving ‘the greatest good for the greatest number’?

Or to have the people on each side who’ve already decided who they are going to vote for feel that they won and the other is as much of a jerk as they always thought?

I don’t remember slamming Cruz for anything.

As for the Perot voters....I voted for Perot in 92. Everyone I know who voted for Perot said they would not have voted otherwise. So don’t say my vote for Perot took a vote away from “Read my lips” Bush. I’m proud to never have voted for that rino bastard, the one mistake Reagan made.

I would not have voted and wasn’t going to until Perot got in the race. I won’t vote for a rino this time around either. I fell back into the trap with Bush II. Didn’t vote in his re-election against Kerry. Fell back into the trap with evil fraud McCain and democrat Romney. I’m too old to fall for it again. If there’s a decent third party candidate I MAY waste my gas and go vote for him. But I will not vote for the gopE candidate.

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