Donald Trump, real estate billionaire and reality TV star, announced his presidential campaign today in a dramatic and eccentric speech at the Trump Tower in New York City. Here are some of the strangest quotes from the Republican field’s strangest candidate:
11 bonkers quotes from Donald Trump’s campaign announcement
- On Mexican immigrants: "When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best [sic]. They're sending people that have lots of problems. They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists."
- On Obamacare, which he also called the Big Lie: "It is going to be amazingly destructive."
- On Obamacare deductibles: "You have to get hit by a tractor, literally a tractor, to use it, because the deductibles are so high it's virtually useless. It is a disaster."
- On HealthCare.gov: "We have a 5 billion dollar website. I have so many websites ... I hire people. They do a website. It costs me three dollars."
- On the American dream: "Sadly the American dream is dead. But if I get elected president, I will bring it back bigger and better and stronger than ever before, and we will make America great again."
(Darren McCollester/Getty Images)
- On what makes a good president: "We need a leader that wrote The Art of the Deal."
- On foreign policy: "I beat China all the time."
- On his personality: "People say, 'Mr. Trump, you’re not a nice person.' But actually I am."
- On Jeb Bush: "He's weak on immigration. He's in favor of Common Core. How the hell can you vote for this guy?"
- On building walls: "I will build a great wall — and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me —and I'll build them very inexpensively. I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will make Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words."
- On Obama: "I'd love him to leave early and play [golf]. That would be a good thing."
Watch the entire announcement speech here.
