The current Republican presidential candidates are politicians too beholden to lobbyists, donors and special interests — including Jeb Bush, whose Common Core and immigration views will "beat him," and Sen. Marco Rubio, who's proven he's "not the next Ronald Reagan," according to contender Donald Trump.
In an exclusive interview with "Newsmax Prime" host J.D. Hayworth aired Thursday night on
Newsmax TV, the real estate billionaire gave a no-holds-barred assessment of the crowded GOP primary field, finding most of them likable, but none frank or competent enough to lead the nation.
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"They're politicians," Trump said. "Remember this: A politician is all talk, no action. They're not going to get us to the Promised Land and I've been saying this … They're controlled by lobbyists, they're controlled by their donors, they're controlled by special interests. … If you're looking at making our country great again, they're not going to do it."
In a blunt breakdown of some of the "army" of candidates in the GOP presidential pack, Trump said he saw flaws with many that would prove problematic for voters in 2016.
For example, Bush "certainly has a lot of problems," Trump said.
"No. 1, he's in favor of Common Core. That means he wants … the source of education coming out of D.C. with the bureaucrats. … The other thing is he's very weak on immigration. … Those two things alone should beat him," he said.
"But on top of that, he'll be a lousy negotiator. He will owe everybody because you know all of this money that he's raising … Every person that gives that money to him has his eye on something."
The former Florida governor also engages in too much "political speak," Trump charged, especially when it comes to Florida Sen. Rubio, whom Trump called "very disloyal … because, in all fairness, it was Jeb Bush's turn, more or less."
"When Jeb Bush in a recent interview – with [Fox News host] Sean Hannity, by the way
— he was asking about the different candidates and one of the questions was, Marco Rubio, give a couple of words," Trump related. "He said, 'a dear friend.' He's not a dear friend. But a politician will say that… They should be honest. That's call political speak and I don't like it… Our country can't deal with that anymore. We have to get back to business."
He also was harshly critical of Rubio on his immigration stance as a member of the
Gang of Eight that backed immigration reform in 2013.
" He was very weak and he was pushing it, pushing it, and he went down like a rocket ship and all of a sudden he said, 'Oh, well, I don't mean that, I'm only kidding,'" Trump charged. "That's not the kind of guy you want because you know where his heart is. But he only did that because he dropped like a rock in the polls. … I don't want to say anybody's overrated, but this is not the next Ronald Reagan."
Of conservative retired pediatric neurosurgeon Ben Carson, Trump called him "a terrific person … But again, he's a doctor … and probably a very good one, but I just don't know."
And of Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard CEO, Trump said though he doesn't know her, "I like her very much."
"But she had a tremendously hard time at Hewlett-Packard and she had a hard time with an election that she lost to [Democratic Sen. Barbara] Boxer in California in a landslide," he said. "So that bothers me."
Trump — under fire for
his announcement speech that called illegal immigrants from Mexico responsible for bringing crimes and drugs to the United States —
declared his platform is the strongest.
"Look, we all have strengths and weaknesses," he noted. "My strength is I'll make this country so strong and I'll create jobs like nobody else can. Nobody can create jobs like I do and I'll strengthen up our borders and I'll be big with the vets and I'll be big with the military because our military is treated badly and our vets are treated horribly … literally like third-class citizens and we can't let that happen."
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