Donald Trump says then-Florida Gov. Jeb Bush would have approved casino gambling in the state if Trump had personally asked him.
The question came up in the second GOP presidential debate on Wednesday, when Bush said that Trump had attempted to get him to pass casino gambling after donating to his campaign.
Trump denied that was true, but a new Bush campaign ad shows fact checkers saying Bush was right and Trump was wrong.
Appearing on CNN's "
State of the Union," and ABC's "
This Week" on Sunday, Trump said he never requested Bush to pass casino gambling because it was too early in the process.
"Had I called him I think he would have done it. But I never called Jeb Bush," Trump told host Jake Tapper, who also was moderator of the debate.
Trump noted that Charlie Crist, who succeeded Bush as governor, did make a deal to allow casino-style gambling at Seminole operations in the state in exchange for money for the state's education budget in 2007.
As for Wednesday's debate, Trump said Carly Fiorina did well as did Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.
"I think just about everybody did well. I don't think there was any disaster that night," he said.
But he told Tapper he gave Fiorina "some beautiful softballs" and asked him the toughest questions.
"You are the front-runner, sir," Tapper replied.
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