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Donald Trump will not run as a third-party candidate

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Welcome to Trail Guide, your daily tour through the wilds of the 2016 presidential campaign. It's Thursday, Sept. 3, and this is what we're watching:

  • Donald Trump says he won't run as a third-party candidate if he fails to secure the Republican nomination for president
  • Chris Christie says 'sore loser' rule needed 
  • Former Hillary Rodham Clinton aide to invoke 5th Amendment over email inquiry
  • Amid a roiling feud with  Trump , Jeb Bush  says it's "bizarre" that Trump says he should speak English
  • Bernie Sanders is opening a campaign office in Ottumwa, Iowa

 

 

Jeb Bush offers response to Donald Trump's signing of RNC pledge

Jeb Bush in recent weeks has questioned Donald Trump's conservative credentials. Here was Bush's response on Thursday to Trump's signing of the Republican National Committee's pledge to not run as an independent candidate.

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At Bush rally, video of woman nodding off creates a buzz

Sometimes politics is just tiring.

Ask one woman who was at a Jeb Bush town hall in Hampton, N.H., on Thursday. Video of the woman at the GOP presidential candidate's rally made the rounds on social media as she was caught dozing off several times.

After the event, Bush gave a reason for the woman's apparent nodding-off.

Clinton campaign: Biden would 'shake up the dynamic'

Hillary Rodham Clinton's top campaign advisors said Thursday they have no plans to change strategy if Vice President Joe Biden were to enter the Democratic presidential race, even as they concede he would "shake up the dynamic quite a bit."

"He is a sitting vice president. He is certainly going to be a commanding presence in the race," campaign manager Robby Mook told reporters on conference call. "But our strategy will remain the same, to fight for every single vote."

The campaign's real answer to the Biden question, though, may have come before it was asked. Officials opened the call with an update on their organizing efforts, and an array of stats: 27 campaign offices open; 23,000 volunteers in the first four states where nominating contests are held and 35,000 more active in others; 1.3 million doors knocked on or phone calls made.

"From the beginning of this campaign, we've had a plan to build an organization, raise the necessary funds and implement a strategy that would win the early states, and win the nomination," campaign chairman John Podesta said. "Four and a half months in, we feel confident that we're on a path to victory in both the primary and the general election."

In September, Clinton will focus on foreign policy and women's issues, which her campaign sees as two obvious strengths, given her historic candidacy and service as secretary of State. She'll give a speech on the Iran nuclear deal in the coming weeks and mark the 20th anniversary of a landmark speech in China where she declared as first lady that "human rights are women's rights, and women's rights are human rights."

On Friday, the anniversary of that address, she'll sit down for an interview with NBC's Andrea Mitchell, the first of what the campaign says will be a series of television interviews to talk about her campaign.

Podesta acknowledged the "headwinds" the campaign has faced amid questions over Clinton's use of a private email server during her tenure running the State Department.

"But we're confident that when voters hear her say that it wasn't the best choice and that she takes responsibility for this email situation, that they're reassured and they want to get back and hear about the issues that she's been talking about," Podesta said.

Biden has offered no indication of when he might make a final decision about running, but in recent days, he has offered a window into his potential chief arguments during a trip to Florida. On Thursday, he seemed to draw a direct comparison with Clinton by promoting his own foreign policy credentials.

"I've traveled, as of today, 992,894 miles for the president," he said at a roundtable discussion on the Iran deal. "I've met with virtually every major leader in the world. I know these guys. I know them better than anybody in the administration."

Donald Trump agrees to back eventual GOP nominee, even if it's not him

Donald Trump has signed a pledge not to launch an independent bid for the White House should he lose his quest for the GOP nomination.

Standing in the opulent lobby of Trump Tower in New York, Trump said he believes the best way for a Republican to win the White House is for Trump himself to secure the party's nomination and face off directly against a Democrat.

"For that reason, I have signed the pledge," Trump said, lifting a piece of paper emblazoned with his signature in black ink. It was errantly dated Aug. 3, instead of Sept. 3.

Republican Party officials circulated the pledge to all 17 candidates this week, but the effort was aimed squarely at Trump. The billionaire celebrity was the only top-tier candidate who would not publicly promise not to run as an independent in the general election when asked at the first primary debate last month.

The prospect of Trump funding his own third-party sent shivers down the spines of the GOP establishment, who believe Trump would likely pull voters away from the Republican nominee and hand the victory to Democrats.

Trump said he agreed to endorse the party's nominee and forego a write-in, third-party or independent candidacy because the Republican Party leaders, specifically Chairman Reince Priebus, had treated him fairly.

"That's what I've wanted," he said. "I just wanted fairness from the Republican Party."

Trump met with Priebus privately shortly before the afternoon news conference and handed over the document. He told reporters he "got absolutely nothing" in return for his signature and he has "no intention of changing my mind."

That promise and the signature is the most reassurance party officials can hope for from a famously unpredictable and untraditional candidate. The party's document does not mention any repercussions if the vow is broken.

After announcing his pledge, Trump went on to demonstrate why his candidacy is such a quandary for the Republican Party. In rapid fire, he fielded a range of questions -- offering his thoughts on Kanye West, Tom Brady, Chinese currency, Joe Biden, campaigning in Spanish and his top target this week, Jeb Bush.

Bush is "very low-energy," Trump said, repeating his favorite slam on the former Florida governor, rival and the man he'd just pledged to endorse should Bush win the party's nomination. Bush is beholden to special interests funding his campaign, Trump accused.

"Every negative ad you see against me is paid for by lobbyists and special interests," he said.

Former Hillary Clinton aide to invoke 5th Amendment over questions of private email

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks at the Iowa Democratic Wing Ding in Clear Lake, Iowa on Aug. 14.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks at the Iowa Democratic Wing Ding in Clear Lake, Iowa on Aug. 14.

(Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)

A former campaign staffer to Hillary Rodham Clinton will look to invoke the 5th Amendment when he is called to testify before Congress this month.

The staffer, Bryan Pagliano, who worked on Clinton's 2008 campaign, helped her set up a personal computer server at her home in New York after she became secretary of State in 2009.

Clinton has been ensnared in a controversy over her exclusive use of a private email server while in Foggy Bottom.

The Times' Richard A. Serrano and Evan Halper have more.

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Two new polls show Trump on top, Carson moving up

In subtle jab toward Trump, Chris Christie says 'sore loser' rule needed

(FILES) In this February 26, 2015 file photo, New Jersey Governor and Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie addresses the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at National Harbor, Maryland. Christie on August 30, 2015 defended his controversial proposal to keep tabs on immigrants electronically the way FedEx tracks packages. In an interview with Fox News Sunday, Christie denied he was suggesting "people are packages. Don't be ridiculous." "Let's use the same type of technology to make sure that 40% of the 11 million people here illegally don't overstay," he said. Immigration has emerged as a dominant issue in the Republican race since billionaire and frontrunner Donald Trump launched his campaign in June with incendiary accusations that Mexican immigrants were drug traffickers and rapists. AFP PHOTO/NICHOLAS KAMM/FILESNICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **

(FILES) In this February 26, 2015 file photo, New Jersey Governor and Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie addresses the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at National Harbor, Maryland. Christie on August 30, 2015 defended his controversial proposal to keep tabs on immigrants electronically the way FedEx tracks packages. In an interview with Fox News Sunday, Christie denied he was suggesting “people are packages. Don’t be ridiculous.” “Let’s use the same type of technology to make sure that 40% of the 11 million people here illegally don’t overstay,” he said. Immigration has emerged as a dominant issue in the Republican race since billionaire and frontrunner Donald Trump launched his campaign in June with incendiary accusations that Mexican immigrants were drug traffickers and rapists. AFP PHOTO/NICHOLAS KAMM/FILESNICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD **

(Kurtis Lee)

There's no room for “sore losers” in the Republican presidential primary, according to Chris Christie.

Christie, the New Jersey governor, is among the majority in the crowded field of GOP presidential hopefuls who have vowed that they won't run as independents should they fail to capture the nomination.

The Republican National Committee has circulated a pledge asking candidates to commit to supporting the eventual nominee, an implicit challenge to Donald Trump, the billionaire businessman and front-runner for the presidential nomination, who has toyed with the idea of running as an independent. If he were to do so, he would likely draw conservative votes away from the Republican nominee and thus hurt the party's chances in the general election.

“If you're running for the Republican nomination for president, you should be willing to be able to support the Republican nominee. I think there should be a sore loser rule,” Christie, who has struggled to gain traction in the polls, said Thursday on Fox News. “If you run, you can't be a sore loser and then run as an independent if you don't win the nomination. I have no problem with it. I obviously will sign the pledge.”

Unlike many of his rivals for the nomination, Christie is friends with Trump. Two men with deep roots in the Tri-State area, they have, for the most part, remained cordial on the campaign trail.

Christie said Thursday that there is no gray area for Trump on the matter.

“He's just got to make a decision. That's all,” Christie said. “Every candidate has to make the decision about do you really want the nomination of our party or do you want to have it both ways.”

During last month's debate, moderators asked candidates whether they could pledge to support whoever ultimately won the party's nomination for president, as well as rule out an independent bid, and Trump indicated he wouldn't. All the other candidates on the debate stage said they would.

Trump is set to meet with RNC Chairman Reince Priebus on Thursday in New York and hold a news conference afterward.

Jeb Bush slams Trump's 'bizarre' demand he speak English

Jeb Bush says Donald Trump is "trying to insult his way to the presidency" and criticized Trump's comments about his bilingual campaigning as "hurtful" and "bizarre."

"It's not going to work," Bush said Thursday on "Good Morning America." "People want an uplifting, hopeful message."

Bush was responding to Trump's comment Wednesday that Bush, the former Florida governor, "should really set the example by speaking English while in the United States." Trump made the comment in an interview with Breitbart.com in which he discussed his escalating feud with Bush.

Bush, who is bilingual, regularly speaks Spanish on the stump. Earlier this week, while campaigning in at a Miami school, Bush said of Trump: " El hombre no es conservador" (The man is not a conservative)."

On Thursday, Bush explained that he was answering a question in the language it was asked.

"[T]hese young beautiful kids all speak English but also speak Spanish, and one of them asked me a question in Spanish and I answered it," Bush said. "That's the reality of America. That's the goodness of America. That's the kind of America we want."

"People come to this country to pursue their dreams. Sometimes they start without speaking English, but they learn English and they add vitality to our country," he added.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie took the opportunity to remark on the dispute, casting both men as focused on personal attacks, instead of issues that voters care about.

"This is about two people running for president who are looking to pick on each other day and make personal, petty back-and-forths," Christie said on Fox News. "Donald Trump and Jeb Bush, who want to be president of the United States, are going back and forth with each other about whether he should speak Spanish or not. Who cares, who cares?"

Stephen Colbert to Jeb Bush: Where's my cut?

"Late Show" host Stephen Colbert is taking Jeb Bush to task for using his upcoming appearance on the show's premiere to raise money for the campaign. Bush apparently didn't consult Colbert first.

Bush responded Wednesday night with his own video.

GOP takes harder line in pushing Donald Trump to pledge loyalty

GOP officials are getting serious about handling their Donald Trump problem.

After weeks of the party's front-runner for the presidential nomination openly toying with the idea of running as an independent -- a move that could sink Republicans chances of winning the White House -- the Republican National Committee essentially said enough.

RNC officials on Wednesday asked Trump, along with the other GOP candidates, to sign a so-called loyalty pledge, vowing not to run as a third-party, write-in or independent candidate if he doesn't win the nomination. The pledge also includes a promise to endorse the eventual Republican nominee.

Trump's campaign did not immediately comment on the pledge. RNC Chairman Reince Priebus is slated to meet with Trump at Trump Tower in New York on Thursday. Trump has scheduled a news conference after the meeting.

The RNC's move is an attempt by the GOP establishment to restore some order to an unruly race. Republican candidates spent much of the summer getting pummeled by the unlikely and unpredictable front-runner, while Trump's anti-immigrant message threatened to dash party leaders' hopes of strengthening ties to Latino voters.

Some candidates hit back, hoping to grab some of the spotlight. But the top-tier contenders and Republicans officials have largely been delicate in their handling of the billionaire candidate. Trump clearly has the means to run an independent bid, which could siphon conservative votes away from the GOP nominee. No one has wanted to give him the motivation.

But time and polls have shown Trump's support to be more resilient than initially expected. As if they'd set an end-of-summer deadline, party officials took a new, direct approach.

It's not clear what immediate effect Trump's signature on the document would have. The pledge won't be legally binding. Still, it will probably give party officials some reassurance that if Trump loses his bid for the White House, he won't bring the party down with him.

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