Trump: ‘I Want to Run as a Republican’

Thursday from the U.S.-Mexico border near Laredo, TX, Republican presidential candidate and billionaire business mogul Donald Trump took on the media to discuss border security and immigration.

Trump said, “The fact that Mexico is doing so well—it’s just doing beyond what anybody ever thought. And I don’t know if that’s good for the United States, but it’s good for Mexico.

He addressed various facet of U.S. immigration policy in addition to discussing a potential third party run if he does not get the GOP presidential nomination.

On the Latino vote: “I think I’ll win the Hispanic vote. I have thousands of Mexicans and Hispanics. When it comes—I don’t know if you saw the polls, but they did a big poll in Nevada, and I’m way ahead, and more importantly, as far as I’m concerned, I’m way, way ahead with the Hispanics, well into the 30s. And second is 11. So I have a great relationship. Over the years, thousands and thousands of Hispanics that work for me and the relationship is very good.”

On border security: “The border patrol invited me. I think most of you have that invitation, that the border patrol invited me and then they cancelled because frankly they don’t want to get involved. From the reason they invited me was because of the tremendous problem and the tremendous crime and all of the things you’re talking about.”

“You have to let people do their job. The border patrol, which, by the way, see the unions are very much involved with the border patrol but you have to let them do their job.”

On a border wall: “In certain sections you have to have a wall. Absolutely….By the way, the wall will save you a tremendous amount of money but absolutely there are areas you have to have a wall.”

On running on a third-party ticket: “I’m a Republican. I’m a  conservative. I’m running. I’m in first place by a lot, it seems, according to all the polls. I want to run as a Republican. I think I’ll get the nomination. We’ll see soon enough. but I think I’ll get the nomination. The best way to win is for me to get the nomination and run against Hillary—she his worst Secretary of State in the history of our country. She will be beaten and I’m the one to beat her.  And I will take jobs back. The reason I won with the Hispanic vote and will win all over, because I’ll take jobs back from China, from Japan, and every country that is killing us. I’ll bring the jobs back—ask the Hispanics are going to get those jobs—they will love Trump, and they already do.”

Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN