GOP frontrunner Donald Trump told his supporters in North Augusta, South Carolina on Saturday afternoon that he’s proud to represent the people, rather than the donor class and special interests, which he alleges the Republican National Committee (RNC) stacks in the GOP primary debate audiences.
Trump recalled the debate last Saturday, saying, “The room was stacked with special interests and lobbyists.” He explained it was filled with the heads of drug companies and electric companies, adding, “That was the richest audience I think I’ve ever seen.”
Trump, who was booed repeatedly during Saturday night’s debate as well as Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), said that to a certain extent, it’s “the RNC’s fault,” adding, “so I called them out.”
“I’m honored to represent you people,” Trump told his audience, reminding them that he’s the only candidate self-funding his campaign and putting up his own money.
“I walk on stage everyone is very quiet…it’s sort of wild,” Trump recalled of the debate audience. “Don’t forget, I was on the other side of the equation before June 16th,” the real estate mogul said about donating to various politicians as a business owner in the past before officially launching his presidential campaign.
Roughly 1,000 of the 1,600 tickets from Saturday night’s debate went to the RNC and the South Carolina Republican Party, according to the RNC’s Sean Spicer.
Following the debate, Trump and his campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, have called for the general public to be able to attend the debates rather than donors and special interests.
Trump urged his supporters to get out and vote on Saturday so America can be great again, adding, “These politicians are not going to do it.”
He recalled his big win in the New Hampshire primary last week.
“We won rich. We won poor. We won middle. We won heavy and thin,” Trump joked. “We won highly educated and we won people with high school [education].”