Trump Agrees to Sign GOP Loyalty Pledge Ruling Out Third-Party Run
It’s official Donald Trump is pledging his loyalty to the Republican party.
In a press conference Thursday following a meeting with RNC chairman Reince Priebus, Mr. Trump said signing the GOP pledge is the best way for him to win the nomination and beat Democrats.
“I will be totally pledging my allegiance to Republican party and the conservative principles for which it stand and we will go out and we will fight hard and we will win, we will win,” Trump said holding up the pledge. “Most importantly we will make our country great again because that’s what’s it’s all about.”
The pledge also requires those who sign not to run as an independent or as a write-in candidate.
The Republican presidential front-runner says he didn’t want to be treated differently than anyone else, all he wanted was fairness. “The RNC has treated me with great respect,” said Trump.
During last month’s GOP debate, Mr. Trump was the only candidate to raise his hand in defiance when Fox News anchor, Bret Baier asked the 10 leading candidates if they would pledge not to run an independent campaign if they did not win the GOP nomination.
When asked if he received anything for signing the pledge, Trump responded that he got absolutely nothing. He also explained that he is running a self-funded campaign.
“We have our heart in it, we have our soul in it and I don’t need money I don’t want money and this is going to be a campaign I think like no other “said Mr. Trump.
The businessman added he is not controlled by lobbyists or by anybody except by the American people in order to make the United States great again.
During the press conference, Trump tackled some of the issues he is most passionate about.
“I want people to come into our country legally. I want to have a big fat beautiful open door. I want people of great talent to come in for Silicon Valley, I want engineers, I want physicists, I want people with great talent to come into the United States” said Mr. Trump
"I want people to come into our country legally. I want to have a big fat beautiful open door."
He went on to say that the country is being “killed on trade” by China, Japan and Mexico.
“They are absolutely killing us. China is taking our jobs, taking our money, taking our base. We owe China $1.4 trillion dollars and we’re paying them interest, we owe Japan $1.4 trillion dollars.” Trump said under his watch that would change.
Trump also lashed out at the Republican candidates that have attacked his candidacy.
“One of the things that I am most honored about is that so far everybody that’s attacked me has gone down the tubes” said Mr. Trump. “Lindsey Graham attacked me he was at 3% now he is at zero, you have Perry, he attacked me now he is getting out of the race he was at 4 or 5%... Rand Paul is down to less than 2% and he attacked me. Now Jeb Bush also just went down in the Monmouth poll very big.”
According to Monmouth’s August poll, Donald Trump is in the lead at 30%, up 4 points from early August before the first debate. Ben Carson is in second place with 18%, up by 13 points. Jeb Bush is at 8% dropping by 4 points and is now tied for third with Ted Cruz. Following behind, Marco Rubio at 5% and also tied at 4% Carly Fiorina and Mike Huckabee.