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Donald Trump

Trump says he’s willing to spend $1 billion on campaign

Jennifer Jacobs
The Des Moines Register
Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump eats a pork chop at the Iowa State Fair on Saturday, August 15, 2015.

DES MOINES, Iowa — Donald Trump is willing to fork over a billion bucks if that’s what it takes to win the White House.

After the TV star and business mogul blew in via his private helicopter Saturday afternoon, he answered a battery of questions from the 100 or so reporters awaiting him at a softball field near the Iowa State Fair.

One question: Is he willing to spend a billion on his campaign, which would match the amounts President Obama and Republican Mitt Romney raised for their 2012 general election races?

Trump answered: “I would do that, yeah, if I had to.”

He added: “I make $400 million a year so what difference does it make?”

Trump also said all undocumented immigrants “have to go” in an interview with NBC News’ Meet the Press host Chuck Todd.

"We're going to keep the families together, but they have to go," he said, speaking on his private plane as it sat on a runway in Des Moines. The interview will air in full Sunday.

Trump has said he’s worth $10 billion; a study by Bloomberg News puts the figure at $2.9 billion or more.

To separate himself from the other 16 GOP presidential candidates, Trump has pitched his personal fortune as the best insurance against influence from powerful lobbyists and wealthy donors.

“I’m turning down so much money,” he said, and mentioned one donor who wanted to give him $5 million. “If he put it up, I’d feel obligated, because I’m a loyal person.”

Trump didn’t miss a chance to rip on one of his GOP rivals, this time former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.

“Jeb Bush is a puppet to his donors. There’s no question about it,” Trump said. “He’s got lobbyists, I know them. ... He’ll do whatever they want.”

Trump traveled by golf cart to the State Fairgrounds, where he was immediately swarmed by reporters and fairgoers. He spent about an hour at the fair, where he waved to people, stopped for a few selfies and ate a pork chop on a stick as a mob of people watched.

As usual in his news conferences, he tossed out views on a wide smattering of topics:

On why he was offering free rides in his personal helicopter: “I love children and I love Iowa. Great place. I’ve really developed a relationship with it.”

On whether he feels qualified to be president: “Nobody else will do the job that I will do. I will bring back jobs. I will strengthen our military. I’ll take care of our vets. I will get rid of Obamacare. ... I will take care of people. ... I will be so great to women. I cherish women. And the women haven’t been taken care of properly.”

On how he’ll get things done: “I’ll get Congress. I’ve been getting politicians to pass whatever I wanted all my life. Nobody has more experience dealing with politicians than I. ... Whether it’s big New York City zoning, which by the way are probably tougher than things I’ll be dealing with with foreign countries. I mean, I built a city on the west side of Manhattan.”

He did not speak from The Des Moines Register’s Political Soapbox. Asked if he was afraid to do so, he said: “That paper’s not relevant to me.”

On Sunday, he’ll appear on Meet the Press, and he said he plans to unveil a detailed immigration plan during the show. He also will release a tax plan soon, he said.

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