Real estate mogul and reality TV star Donald Trump thrilled some New York Republican party members last week by promoting himself as a possible candidate to defeat Governor Andrew Cuomo in a race for the governor’s mansion.
“The Republicans can absolutely win,” Trump told a Manhattan Republican Party dinner February 12. Trump added he would enter the race only if the Republican Party as a whole gets behind him.
“The last thing you need is a primary where two people go beat the hell out of each other and then come limping into an election against someone that should absolutely be beaten,” Trump said. “If that were the case, I would run and I believe I would win.”
Trump later delivered the keynote address at a New York County GOP dinner, reported the New York Daily News. People close to the mega-developer say he already has 60 percent of the party committee’s weighted vote. It takes 25 percent to get on the ballot and 50 percent to be the official party candidate. Trump declares the GOP is begging him to serve.
“The Republican leadership has come to my office on numerous occasions,” Trump said. “They want me to do it.” He also sneered at Cuomo’s $33 million campaign account. “Fortunately for me that’s not a lot of money,” he said.
Dan Isaacs of the Manhattan Republican County Committee scorned Governor Andrew Cuomo as someone who was “born on third base and thinks he can win a triple.” Trump called Cuomo’s father, former governor Mario Cuomo “one of the worst governors ever.”
At the dinner, Isaacs said Cuomo deserves to be a “former governor” in 2015. He then unveiled a “Trump for Governor” poster, the Daily News reported.
