http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3445174/Trump-says-Bernie-Sanders-communist-Jeb-Bush-gutless-asleep-wheel-wows-16-000-Tampa-rally.htmlTrump says Bernie Sanders is a 'communist' and Jeb Bush is 'gutless' and 'asleep at the wheel' - as he wows 11,000 at Tampa rally
By DAVID MARTOSKO, US POLITICAL EDITOR FOR DAILYMAIL.COM IN TAMPA
PUBLISHED: 21:59 EST, 12 February 2016
Donald Trump took his first serious notice of Bernie Sanders on the campaign trail on Friday night, telling a crowd of more than 11,000 people in Tampa, Florida that the Vermont senator is 'a communist.'
The Republican presidential front-runner never named Sanders, the self-described democratic socialist who is giving former secretary of state Hillary Clinton fits and starts in the Democratic primary fight.
But there's no mistaking who The Donald meant.
'I'd love to run against her,' he said of Clinton. 'I'd also love to run against the communist.'
'I never thought we'd see the day in our country,' he said, 'when a communist – because that's really, if you think about it – when a communist is the leading Democrat!'
'We're going to have a communist against the entrepreneur. I like the entrepreneur. Don't you think?'
'I watch this great country, and if that's the best we can do, that's pretty sad when you think of it. It's pretty sad,' Trump said.
Trump took aim at his Republican challengers too, making a fast-asleep motion with his hands together like a pillow under his head at the first mention of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
'He's asleep. He's asleep at the wheel, folks,' Trump said.
The billionaire has branded Bush a 'low-energy' candidate in the past, and one of the songs in his pre-rally playlist is thought to be a jab at the Floridian.
The heroic aria, 'Nessun Dorma' from the Puccini opera 'Turandot,' includes Italian lyrics that translate to 'No one shall sleep' and "I will win.'
Trump railed against 'special interests' and 'lobbyists' whom he said have poured more than $148 million into Bush's campaign and super PACs supporting him, resulting in 'phony ads' running in South Carolina this week.