Donald Trump is slipping a bit in the polls, but that doesn’t mean that the brash former reality TV host is planning on leaving the Republican Primary, and thus the national stage, anytime soon.
“I’m not getting out. I’m going to win, OK?” Trump said on CNN Tuesday morning. “The answer is: I’m going all the way and I’m going to win.”
In the latest average of national polls from Real Clear Politics, Trump is still the leading candidate with 22.8% of the vote, leading retired neurosurgeon at 17.3% and former HP CEO Carly Fiorina at 11%. The highest ranked candidate who has actually held elected office is Marco Rubio in fourth with 9.5% of the vote.
Some of the shine does seem to be coming off of the Trump campaign, though. The latest poll has him in second with 17%, with Carson claiming the lead at 24%.
Unlike other candidates, though — such as the recently departed Scott Walker, currently the governor of Wisconsin — Trump doesn’t need to worry about running out of money. If people stop donating, he can easily self-finance his campaign with his $4 billion (or more) personal wealth.
Trump went after Rubio during the CNN interview.
“Rubio is not the guy that’s going to be negotiating with the kinds of people you have to negotiate with to turn this country around,” he said.
The news cycle has been quieter in recent weeks, which is probably bad news for Trump, who mostly gets supporters by being on TV and making bold statements. The next time the Republican primary candidates will be front and center for most people is at the third major debate, to be held on Oct. 28 in Boulder, Col.