Trump Lashes Out at Carson After Iowa Polls Dip
Saturday, 24 Oct 2015 02:14 PM
Donald Trump earlier this month said he couldn't attack "too nice" Ben Carson, but that was before a pair of Iowa polls showed the retired neurosurgeon taking over first place — and the gloves started to come off Friday night.
"I like Ben, but he cannot do with trade like I do," the New York real estate mogul told CNN's Jake Tapper, in an interview slated to air in full on Sunday at 9 a.m. on the network's "State of the Union" program. "He can't do with a lot of things like I do, so we'll just have to see what happens."
Polls released on Thursday and Friday showed Trump in second-place in the early-voting state. He received 20 percent of the vote in one poll and 19 in another, but Carson landed solidly in first place, with 28 percent in each of the polls.
"I've done really well with the evangelicals and with the tea party and everything and I just don't understand the number, but I accept the number," Trump told Tapper. "It means I have to work a little bit harder in Iowa."
But Trump, who has said often that he only attacks other candidates when they go after him, threw the first punches at Carson during the interview, criticizing him on immigration and saying that he will not be able to complete deals with China and Japan on trade.
"He's very, very weak on immigration and I'm very strong on immigration," Trump said. "He believes in amnesty strongly. He believes in citizenship. He's going to give citizenship to people who are here illegally — you can't do that."
Carson told CBS News last month that he does support giving immigrants guest worker status if they register, but denies his plan calls for allowing them amnesty.
Trump also attacked Carson during a rally at his Trump National Doral Miami resort, reports CNN, poking fun at his quiet personality and questioning his competence.
"Donald Trump falls to second place behind Ben Carson," Trump told the crowd, reading a headline."We informed Ben, but he was sleeping."
Carson, though, said Friday he does not want to return Trump's attacks, if they become stronger.
"If he does attack me, I'll continue to talk about issues. I just really don't buy into the attack-your-fellow-Republicans thing. I'm just not going to do that," Carson told Bloomberg's "With All Due Respect."
He also said that during his interactions with Trump, the often-brash billionaire has been "a gentleman. I think there's another element sometimes when he's on camera."
"I like Ben, but he cannot do with trade like I do," the New York real estate mogul told CNN's Jake Tapper, in an interview slated to air in full on Sunday at 9 a.m. on the network's "State of the Union" program. "He can't do with a lot of things like I do, so we'll just have to see what happens."
"I've done really well with the evangelicals and with the tea party and everything and I just don't understand the number, but I accept the number," Trump told Tapper. "It means I have to work a little bit harder in Iowa."
But Trump, who has said often that he only attacks other candidates when they go after him, threw the first punches at Carson during the interview, criticizing him on immigration and saying that he will not be able to complete deals with China and Japan on trade.
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"He's very, very weak on immigration and I'm very strong on immigration," Trump said. "He believes in amnesty strongly. He believes in citizenship. He's going to give citizenship to people who are here illegally — you can't do that."
Trump also attacked Carson during a rally at his Trump National Doral Miami resort, reports CNN, poking fun at his quiet personality and questioning his competence.
"Donald Trump falls to second place behind Ben Carson," Trump told the crowd, reading a headline."We informed Ben, but he was sleeping."
Carson, though, said Friday he does not want to return Trump's attacks, if they become stronger.
"If he does attack me, I'll continue to talk about issues. I just really don't buy into the attack-your-fellow-Republicans thing. I'm just not going to do that," Carson told Bloomberg's "With All Due Respect."
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