Trump refuses pledge not to run as independent candidate

Republican frontrunner and real estate tycoon Donald Trump has not ruled out running the 2016 US presidential elections as an independent if he fails to bag the nomination of the party.
Trump, who is leading the crowded Republican party presidential nominee by a sizeable margin, was the only candidate during the prime time debate for top 10 Republican candidates yesterday to refuse to pledge that he would back the party nominee and not run for president as an independent if he loses the party primary.
"I cannot say," said Trump being the only candidate on the podium in Cleveland, Ohio to raise his hand when the Fox News hosts asked who would not pledge to support the eventual party nominee.

"I will not make the pledge at this time," the business tycoon from New York said, to loud boos and jeers from the crowd.
During the debate, Trump continued with his trademark statements and called American politicians as "stupid" and reporters as not honest.
"I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct. I've been challenged by so many people, and I don't frankly have time for total political correctness. And to be honest with you, this country doesn't have time either. This country is in big trouble. We don't win anymore. We lose to China. We lose to Mexico both in trade and at the border. We lose to everybody," he said.

Every time he spoke, Trump attracted the loudest cheer from the audience in Cleveland, Ohio.

He claimed he has made donations to most of the politicians, including leading Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
Clinton, he said, came to his wedding because he wrote checks to her foundation. "She had no choice," he said.
During the debate, the first of six Republican Party-sanctioned debates scheduled before primary voting begins in February, Trump also argued in favour of creating a wall on the border with Mexico to prevent illegal immigrations into the country.
He said immigration has become an election issue because he raised this.

"If it weren't for me, you wouldn't even be talking about illegal immigration, Chris. You would not even be talking about it. This was not a subject that was on anybody's mind until I brought it up at my announcement. And I said, Mexico is sending.
"Except the reporters, because they're a very dishonest lot, generally speaking, in the world of politics, they didn't cover my statement the way I said it," he said.
"The fact is, since then, many killings, murders, crime, drugs pouring across the border, are money going out and the drugs coming in. And I said we need to build a wall, and it has to be built quickly. And I don't mind having a big beautiful door in that wall so that people can come into this country legally. But we need, Jeb, to build a wall, we need to keep illegals out," he added.

When asked about specific evidence on his allegations against Mexico, he attributed this to the talks he has had with border patrol agents on the border.
The candidates in yesterday's main debate were: Trump, Former Florida governor Jeb Bush, Wisconsin governor Scott Walker, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, Ben Carson, libertarian Kentucky senator Rand Paul, Ohio Governor John Kasich, Florida senator Marco Rubio, Senator Ted Cruz and Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey.