Thread: Trump Backing Romney as Candidate Defends Remark on ‘Poor’

Trump Backing Romney as Candidate Defends Remark on ‘Poor’

February 02, 2012, 12:59 PM EST

Feb. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Mitt Romney, a day after being criticized by Democrats for his comments about America’s poor, will win the backing of real estate developer Donald Trump, according to two people who aren’t authorized to speak about the matter before a joint event today in Las Vegas.

Trump, 65, the host of “The Celebrity Apprentice” on NBC, flirted last year with his own presidential run. He planned what he billed as a “major announcement” today, and didn’t immediately return a call seeking comment.

Trump and Romney have had bumps in their relationship. In December, Romney declined to attend a Republican presidential candidates’ debate Trump had proposed in Iowa. The event was subsequently canceled. Trump, who owns a casino hotel in Las Vegas, would be throwing his support behind Romney two days before Nevada’s party caucuses. The timing has the potential to be both beneficial and awkward.

Romney, 64, a former private equity executive, is facing fresh questions about whether he is out of touch with less- fortunate people after saying in a CNN interview yesterday that “I’m not concerned about the very poor” because they have many programs to help them. He later told reporters on his campaign plane that his comment was taken out of context.

‘Ample Safety Net’

“No, no, no, no,” Romney protested when asked about his statement. “I’ve said throughout the campaign my focus, my concern, my energy is going to be devoted to helping middle- income people, all right?” He said poor people have an “ample safety net,” including Medicaid, housing vouchers, food stamps and the Earned Income Tax Credit.

“If there are people that are falling through the cracks, I want to fix that,” Romney said. “Wealthy people are doing fine. But my focus in the campaign is on middle-income people.”

Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, defiant after his 14-point loss in Florida and vowing to stay in the race, pounced on Romney’s comments, saying they illuminated a “perfect distinction” between himself and his competitor.

At a rally in Reno, Nevada, Gingrich, 68, said he is “fed up with politicians of either party dividing Americans against each other. I am running to be the president of all the American people and I am concerned about all the American people.”

Trump’s Nod

The potential of a Trump endorsement for Romney was first reported today by the New York Times. Trump had once raised the possibility that he would make a third-party bid for the White House if he wasn’t satisfied with the Republican nomination race.

Several news organizations had reported yesterday that Gingrich would get Trump’s endorsement, citing anonymous sources. The former speaker’s campaign didn’t respond to requests for comment from Bloomberg News.

“I have no idea what the Donald is going to do,” Gingrich told reporters yesterday in Reno. “He is always interesting, and I don’t know of anybody who does a better job of getting attention by announcing that he will presently announce something.”

Gingrich has cast his candidacy in populist terms, portraying Romney as beholden to Washington politicians and Wall Street bankers. He attributed his Florida loss to the large spending disparity between Romney and his allies, who kept up a steady flow of negative television advertising, and Gingrich and his own backers.

“We are going to pit people-power against money-power in this campaign,” Gingrich said.

Romney Rally

Romney arrived in Las Vegas last night and drew hundreds of people to a rally in a paper warehouse, pressing for advantage in Nevada, where Texas Congressman Ron Paul and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, also were campaigning ahead of the caucuses. The race was shifting into a different phase, featuring a series of caucuses that will test the candidates’ organizational strength.

There will be six contests in February, starting with this weekend’s Nevada and Maine caucuses, followed by Colorado and Minnesota, and then primaries in Arizona and Michigan on Feb. 28. A nonbinding primary will be held Feb. 7 in Missouri with delegate allocation based on the state’s caucuses in March.

Santorum, counting on support from socially conservative voters who oppose abortion rights and gay marriage, was endorsed by Sharron Angle, an ally of the anti-tax Tea Party movement who lost her 2010 bid to oust Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.

Romney’s win in Florida -- the most populous and diverse state to weigh in so far in the Republican race -- earned him 50 delegates and dealt a blow to Gingrich after the former speaker had triumphed in South Carolina’s Jan. 21 primary. Gingrich, who finished second in Florida, vowed to press on, as did Santorum, who ran third, and Paul, who finished fourth.

--With assistance from Amanda J. Crawford in Phoenix. Editors: Robin Meszoly, Jeanne Cummings

To contact the reporters on this story: John McCormick in Las Vegas at jmccormick16@bloomberg.net; Julie Hirschfeld Davis in Las Vegas at jdavis159@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Jeanne Cummings at jcummings21@bloomberg.net

Trump Backing Romney as Candidate Defends Remark on ‘Poor’ - Businessweek

That comment really didn't come off very well, but I think the media is taking it over the top. The formerly middle class in this country are in limbo and many can't seem to "qualify" for assistance, even if they are losing their homes.

This contentious primary is interesting but, regardless of who the nominee is, I am OK with any one of them and will vote for anyone but the Obama Collective. JMO

I have to agree with the comment personally even though it was politically incorrect to say. The poor to have an ample safety net and do have a lot of benefits for them. The middle class is who is hurting hardcore and is the backbone of the country. Its the middle class that should be focused on which is job creation by lowering legal immigration, reversing illegal immigration, and imposing whatever is needed to bring back American jobs. Raise up the economy and then start throwing the poor to work and if they won't work they don't need to eat.

I for one am sick of hearing about the poor as its always the same, sacrifice the working class for those who refuse to work and live off of others work. If they worked for themselves they would eventually make middle class status as making $50k between a husband and wife isn't that difficult when the job situation is fixed.