Donald Trump’s accusation that the Republican debate audiences are packed with Republican National Committee donors is false, RNC Communications Director Sean Spicer said Wednesday.
“At the South Carolina debate, we had a total of 10 RNC donors there out of 1,600 people. Ten people gave to the RNC. That is what it is,” he told CNN’s Chris Cuomo on “New Day.” “In New Hampshire the number was seven. In Iowa, the number was 16. So the idea that that’s — again, take it for what it’s worth. Those are the numbers of the donors that were at the debate. The rest of the tickets are allocated to the candidates.”
“The fact is is that when the candidates had asked for more tickets going into the debate, they got more. And guess what? You get more tickets, you get more partisans, you get more excitement, that is how it goes,” Spicer added.
Trump accused the ABC News Republican Debate audience of being packed with donors after he was booed for putting his finger to his mouth and telling former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush to be quiet.
“That’s all of his donors and special interests out there,” Trump said at the debate. “That’s what it is.”
The businessman said his campaign asked for tickets, but the RNC told them they weren’t available.
“The RNC told us ‘We have all donors in the audience.’ And the reason they’re not loving me is I don’t want their money. I’m going to do the right thing for the American public. I don’t want their money. I don’t need their money. And I’m the only one up here who can say that,” Trump added.