GOP frontrunner Donald Trump slammed the Wall Street Journal, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, and the Pope —who questioned Trump’s faith — during his campaign rally on Thursday morning in Kiawah Island, South Carolina.
“That poll was so different than every other poll. Some of the broadcasters looked at it and said this doesn’t make sense,” Trump explained to a packed room of his supporters at the Turtle Point Clubhouse, referencing yesterday’s Wall Street Journal / NBC News poll that had him in second place.
“I never get treated well in the Wall Street Journal,” he added. “They’re weak on immigration.”
“I don’t poll what I say,” the real estate mogul stated. “I say what’s right.”
“If it doesn’t work, that’s fine,” he added. “I have to be honest,” Trump said. “We need to bring honesty back to our country.”
Trump added, “The vets get it,” referencing his comments on Iraq war during the GOP primary debate last Saturday in Greenville, South Carolina, where he criticized President George W. Bush and the war in Iraq.
“I went up. I was supposed to go down,” Trump commented, referencing a recent poll among veterans. “People like honesty.”
Trump also discussed the problem of illegal immigration and sanctuary cities to the packed audience. “We had five or seven in Florida,” while Bush was governor, he added.
“All they know how to do is spend,” Trump said of politicians, referencing how Jeb Bush spent nearly $40 million in New Hampshire, while Trump only spent $3 million and won.
Trump also went after the Pope, who questioned Trump’s faith, reading the audience a statement that he released to the press in response to the Pope criticizing him:
If and when the Vatican is attacked by ISIS, which as everyone knows is ISIS’s ultimate trophy, I can promise you that the Pope would have only wished and prayed that Donald Trump would have been President because this would not have happened. ISIS would have been eradicated unlike what is happening now with our all talk, no action politicians.
The Mexican government and its leadership has made many disparaging remarks about me to the Pope, because they want to continue to rip off the United States, both on trade and at the border, and they understand I am totally wise to them. The Pope only heard one side of the story – he didn’t see the crime, the drug trafficking and the negative economic impact the current policies have on the United States. He doesn’t see how Mexican leadership is outsmarting President Obama and our leadership in every aspect of negotiation.
For a religious leader to question a person’s faith is disgraceful. I am proud to be a Christian and as President I will not allow Christianity to be consistently attacked and weakened, unlike what is happening now, with our current President. No leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another man’s religion or faith. They are using the Pope as a pawn and they should be ashamed of themselves for doing so, especially when so many lives are involved and when illegal immigration is so rampant.
Trump also has a campaign rally scheduled for this evening in Gaffney, South Carolina before he participates in CNN’s town hall with Bush and Ohio Gov. John Kasich at 8 PM.