Republican frontrunner Donald Trump is again threatening an independent or third-party run because the Republican National Committee is showing bias in the campaign. Trump made that insinuation while speaking to the press after his Mount Pleasant, South Carolina rally on Monday, Feb. 15, 2016. Trump said if a party is in default, the other can could renege on an agreement and he can on his pledge not to run as an independent.
Trump believes the RNC is not treating him “fairly,” Particularly they are showing bias at the debates for the establishment and “special interests and donors.” Trump accused the RNC of filling the debate with Cruz and Rubio supporters. The frontrunner said, “The RNC gave all the tickets to special interests that represented Cruz and Rubio. They had all the tickets. They walked on the stage and the place went crazy.”
Trump is self-financing his campaign and has no donors or special interests in his corner only his supporters. The frontrunner finds that the RNC is catering to the donors and special interests, and in turn, giving special treatment to the candidates these groups support. Trump said his campaign warned the RNC not to play favorites and be fair, which they have been doing at the debates.
Trump told reporters, “I think the RNC did a very poor job. We’ve warned them…and they don’t listen.” He also said the RNC has “total control” over his opponents, mostly referring to Cruz and Rubio. Trump said the RNC is showing where their loyalties lie, “The bottom line is the RNC is controlled by the establishment and the RNC is controlled by the special interests and the donors and that’s too bad.”
Trump is arguing because the RNC is not keeping with the agreement they had with him when he signed the pledge in this past summer not to run as an independent. Trump is now saying the RNC is in default, and all bets are off, “When somebody’s in default, that means the other side can do what they have to do. The RNC is in default. I signed a pledge but it’s a double-edge pledge, and as far as I’m concerned they’re in default of the pledge.”
This is not the first time Trump suggested he might run in a third party bid. Trump told The Hill last summer he would consider the possibility if the RNC were not fair to him. Trump said, “The RNC has not been supportive. They were always supportive when I was a contributor. I was their fair-haired boy. The RNC has been, I think, very foolish.” Trump seemed to imply the third party run would remain a possibility, “I’ll have to see how I’m being treated by the Republicans. Absolutely, if they’re not fair, that would be a factor.”
