Trump On Iowa: I Only Recently Learned What ‘Ground Game’ Means! (VIDEO)

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks with members of the media during a news conference Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2016, in Milford, N.H. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Donald Trump on Wednesday morning acknowledged that his campaign may have needed a more robust operation in Iowa, noting that he only recently learned what the term “ground game” means.

“I think we could’ve used a better ground game, a term I wasn’t even familiar with. You know, when you hear ‘ground game,’ you say, ‘What the hell is that?’ Now I’m familiar with it,” Trump said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” when asked if his campaign needed better organization to win in Iowa.

“I think in retrospect we should’ve had a better ground game, I would’ve funded a better ground game,” he continued. “But people told me my ground game was fine. And I think by most standards it was.”

Trump came in second place in the Iowa caucus, despite polls showing he had a good chance of winning the state.

At the beginning of his Wednesday interview on “Morning Joe,” it seemed Trump was not thrilled to talk about his second place finish.

“So let’s talk about Iowa. What happened?” “Morning Joe” co-host Mika Brzezinski asked Trump.

After a long pause, Trump simply responded, “OK.”

The hosts then asked if Trump could hear them, and he said he could.

When asked again what happened in Iowa, Trump responded, “Well, I think I did well there,” adding that he could have done better if he “did a little more work there.”

“The caucus system is a complex system that I was never familiar with,” the Republican presidential candidate continued. “I mean, I was never involved with the caucus system. Don’t forget, Joe, I’m doing this for the first time. I’m like a rookie. And I’m learning fast, and I do learn fast.”

Watch the interview via MSNBC:

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. unfortunately Donnie now thinks that ‘ground game’ means anything you shoot yourself and then grind into hamburger patties…

  2. "I think we could’ve used a better ground game, a term I wasn’t even familiar with. You know, when you hear ‘ground game,’ you say, ‘What the hell is that?
    “But people told me my ground game was fine. And I think by most standards it was.”

    He didn't know what the term even meant. But his people told him it was fine. How do you absorb feedback that an aspect of your campaign is OK, yet acknowledge you didn't even know what it was you were being told was working?
  3. Avatar for sjk sjk says:

    Its means hard physical work you freaking idiot. You treated Iowa like flyover country and they crapped on you. Get used to it clown boy.

  4. Thought you said you were surrounding yourself with the best, Drumpf.

  5. “But people told me my ground game was fine. And I think by most standards it was.”

    Well, not by the standard of how many votes you got, you stupid ape.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

64 more replies

Participants

Avatar for daled Avatar for lestatdelc Avatar for littlegirlblue Avatar for 1audiofile Avatar for ncsteve Avatar for mattinpa Avatar for fargo116 Avatar for vonq Avatar for trnc Avatar for steviedee111 Avatar for squirreltown Avatar for mantan Avatar for daveyjones64 Avatar for ralph_vonholst Avatar for tomanjeri Avatar for dickweed Avatar for jcblues Avatar for darrtown Avatar for zlohcuc Avatar for kleah51 Avatar for eatbees Avatar for antisachetdethe Avatar for crow_t Avatar for jalus

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: