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Trump: No 'Brokered' Convention Because I'll Win the Most Delegates
Saturday, December 12, 2015 01:19 PM
By: Sandy Fitzgerald
GOP front-runner Donald Trump Saturday downplayed talk of a potential "brokered" national convention in Cleveland, saying that he just doesn't think that's going to happen, as he believes he'll get the majority of the nation's delegates.
"You know the fighters they go into a home territory ... and say well, the only way I know I'm going to win is to knock them out," Trump explained to Fox News' "Fox and Friends Weekend" on Saturday. "They have to knock them out because they don't want to wait for the judges to rule because a lot of bad decisions."
"I know a lot about sports," he continued. "I have seen a lot of bad decisions. One way you win is to knock them out. In this case the knockout is getting more than 50 percent of the delegates. And I really think I'm going to do that. I don't know why I wouldn't do that. I think I will do much better than them."
Trump pointed to the polls, particularly in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada placing him in first, and in Florida, where he is polling ahead of native sons Jeb Bush and Sen. Marco Rubio.
Americans will back him, Trump said, because they are "tired of what's happening in this country. They are tired of politicians. All talk no, action politicians. And that's why I'm doing.
Further, Trump said he is getting the largest crowds of anyone, including Democrats Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, and is heading to South Carolina on Saturday, where he expects another large crowd.
Earlier this week, The Washington Post reported that 20 senior party officials, along with Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, attended a private dinner on Monday to outline the party's convention strategy.
Priebus and the Kentucky senator remained silent, the sources said, but other party members argued that establishment party members should start preparing for a fight on the floor if Trump maintains his hold on the race and sweeps next year's primaries.
Generally, most delegates must support the candidate they chose in their states' primaries or elections, reported The Post, but that would lift if no clear nominee is chosen, and could lead to a "brokered" convention where deal-making takes place to attract delegates to another candidate.
But while Ben Carson was angry at the news about the private meeting, and Priebus spoke out this week against Trump's call to bar Muslims from entering the United States, Trump said Satuday he believes the RNC has "been treating me fine."
"Feb. 1 is the big day; that's when it all begins...that's when Iowa starts," he told the program. "And then a week later we have the New Hampshire and then South Carolina and I will be able to tell."
And, Trump told the show he's "doing great" in Iowa and he thinks he'll win there.
"I'm not going to say 'oh gee Iowa doesn't matter and I'm going to New Hampshire where I am leading by tremendous amount," he said. No, Iowa is very important to me. I think if I can win Iowa can I clean the table, run the table and that would be great.'"
