http://nypost.com/2015/08/03/why-donald-trump-is-nervous-about-debating/Why Donald Trump is nervous about debating
By Marisa Schultz
August 3, 2015 | 11:44pm
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump admits he’s a “little bit nervous” heading into the first GOP presidential debate, but insists that’s a good thing.
“You have to be a little bit nervous,” Trump said Monday on “Fox and Friends.”
“I know the great athletes are always a little bit nervous,” he said. “If you’re not nervous, you’re going to be flat. So, certainly, I’m a little bit nervous, but I look forward to it at the same time.”
Trump, who will face nine GOP contenders Thursday in Fox News’ Republican debate, says he realizes he has a target on his back as the clear front-runner on center stage.
He tried to downplay expectations as a first-time debater facing seasoned politicians, but predicted he’d do “fine.”
“I’ve never debated before. That’s all these guys do. They debate. They don’t do anything, but they debate,” he quipped.
Trump said he won’t be afraid to counterpunch.
“I’m reading everything. I’m studying everything,” Trump said of his debate prep. “I don’t have pollsters telling me what to say. A lot of these folks have pollsters giving them little quips and little kills for Trump. Go kill him with this line or that line.
“They’ve got it memorized. I don’t do that. I don’t believe in it. And it’s not me.”
Trump is dominating national and local polls ahead of the debate.
He’s even beating New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in the Garden State for the first time.
Trump grabbed 21 percent while Christie was a distant second at 12 percent, according to a Rutgers-Eagleton poll.
Trump also is trying to make good on his pledge to woo the Latino vote — despite earlier controversial comments referring to illegal immigrants as rapists and criminals from Mexico.
State Sen. Ruben Diaz (D-Bronx) said Trump was the only GOP candidate to accept his invitation to walk the streets of The Bronx and talk with residents.
Voters got a chance to see most of the Republican presidential candidates Monday night when C-SPAN hosted them in a two-hour forum, but not Trump.
The mogul boycotted the event because it was co-sponsored by the New Hampshire Union Leader, which attacked him in an editorial for his questioning whether Sen. John McCain is a war hero.
Trump on Monday said his first priorities as president would be building up the military, improving veterans’ health care, erecting a wall on the southern US border and repealing ObamaCare.