Donald Trump says he has 'better chance than anybody' of beating Clinton
'We need people in Washington that know how to make a deal.'
Real estate mogul Donald Trump, a day after announcing he'll form a presidential exploratory committee, told activists his business experience makes him the best candidate to reform Washington.
Trump spoke Thursday at the home of New Hampshire state Rep. Steve Stepanek. Although Trump's critics say he would bring an unflattering and circus-like atmosphere to Republican politics, many people in the crowd said they appreciate the reality TV star's willingness to say exactly what he thinks.
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"We need people in Washington that know how to make a deal," said Trump, who is considering a bid for the Republican nomination.
Former Florida governor Jeb Bush has lately received the most attention, but there is no heavy front-runner among a crowded field of Republicans contemplating a presidential run. On the Democratic side, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is the overwhelming favourite. Neither Bush nor Clinton has formally entered the race.
Trump has repeatedly flirted with a presidential run, but he has recently begun hiring staff in early voting states, including New Hampshire. He did not stop to speak with reporters after the event Thursday but said as he got into a black SUV that he has a "better chance than anybody" of beating Clinton, the favourite for the Democratic nomination.
Trump's pitch to the crowd centred on his career as a businessman. Unlike some of his potential Republican rivals, he said, he would not cut entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicaid.
"I would make this country so rich that you wouldn't have to cut it," he said.
Trump also suggested to the crowd that Wall Street financiers — he called many of them "horrible people" — would negotiate better on the world stage than existing U.S. diplomats.
His comments reflected the brash style that many in the audience said they'd like to see more of in Washington.
"I not only like it, I admire it," said Randy Heller, an independent voter from Barrington. "Many great men have high self-confidence."