Photo Courtesy of IB Times
Donald Trump made a splashy visit Thursday to the U.S.-Mexico border in a bid to draw attention to illegal immigration. He used the newly acquired attention to claim his threat to mount an independent run for the White House if the Republican Party won’t welcome him.
The warning, made in an interview with The Hill, comes as Trump faces some of the toughest criticism yet from fellow Republican candidates. Trump said the Republican National Committee “has not been supportive,” and suggested if he does not clinch the nomination and is not “treated” well by Republicans, he’d consider an independent bid.
Asked about the remarks Thursday during his border visit, Trump did not rule out an independent run but said: “I want to run as a Republican…I think I’ll get the nomination.”
Trump’s comments immediately raised questions about whether the billionaire businessman and political provocateur – who is leading several primary polls – could siphon off votes from a GOP presidential nominee, potentially helping the Democrat. As a self-funded candidate, he would not have to worry about donations drying up if he does poorly in the Republican primaries and caucuses and considers setting out on his own.
Meanwhile, Trump tried to keep the focus Thursday on border security and immigration enforcement. At his border press conference, he said: “I think I’ll win the Hispanic vote.”
The visit was overshadowed not only by his comments to The Hill but by a local Border Patrol union canceling a scheduled meeting shortly before his arrival.