--- title: Donald Trump Threatens to Run as a Third Party Candidate description: Trump said the RNC's treatment of him during the primary season has led him to consider a third party bid. canonical: https://time.com/3969382/donald-trump-third-party-candidate/ author: Tessa Berenson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-07-23T13:32:57.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:43:39.005Z article:section: Politics og:title: Donald Trump Threatens to Run as a Third Party Candidate og:description: "So many people want me to" og:url: https://time.com/3969382/donald-trump-third-party-candidate/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltceec1f96bb5d2152/69885c225f570f58e5b1c91c/donald-trump22.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: Donald Trump og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Donald Trump Threatens to Run as a Third Party Candidate twitter:description: "So many people want me to" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltceec1f96bb5d2152/69885c225f570f58e5b1c91c/donald-trump22.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Trump Threatens to Run as a Third Party Candidate > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=bc95142b-672d-4b4a-99ac-46b9303b67d9&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1)  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Jul 23, 2015 1:32 PM UTC  Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at his South Carolina campaign kickoff rally in Bluffton, S.C., on July 21, 2015. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at his South Carolina campaign kickoff rally in Bluffton, S.C., on July 21, 2015. Stephen B. Morton—AP  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Jul 23, 2015 1:32 PM UTC The GOP is [getting sick](http://time.com/3953881/donald-trump-republican-candidate/) of Donald Trump—and it turns out the feeling is mutual. Trump, the real estate billionaire running for the Republican presidential nomination, [told The Hill](http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/248910-exclusive-trump-threatens-third-party-run) that the Republican National Committee’s treatment of him during the primary season has led him to consider a third party bid for the White House. “The RNC has not been supportive,” Trump said. “They were always supportive when I was a contributor. I was their fair-haired boy. The RNC has been, I think, very foolish.” Of a potential third party bid, he said, “So many people want me to, if I don’t win… I’ll have to see how I’m being treated by the Republicans. Absolutely, if they’re not fair, that would be a factor.” Reince Priebus, the head of the RNC, [called Trump earlier this month](http://time.com/3951698/donald-trump-reince-priebus-immigration/) after Trump’s inflammatory comments about immigration during his announcement speech. Priebus reportedly told Trump to tone down his rhetoric; Trump says it was just a friendly call. \[[_The Hill_](http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/248910-exclusive-trump-threatens-third-party-run)\] _Read next:_ [_See Donald Trump Hanging Out With Unlikely Celebrities_](http://time.com/3968507/donald-trumps-celebrity/?iid=time%5Freadnext) [_Listen to the most important stories of the day_](http://time.com/newsletter/the-brief/autoplay/?xid=spl-fullbrief-article) ### See Donald Trump Hanging Out With Unlikely Celebrities  Donald Trump, owner of New York's Trump Tower, holds the bridle of a polo pony while talking to Andy Warhol on Nov. 4, 1983. Mario Suriani—AP  Donald Trump, Don King and Barbara Walters on Dec. 12, 1987. Ron Galella—Getty Images  Professional Wrestler Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant With Donald Trump. Russell Turiak—Getty Images  Heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, his wife, actress Robin Givens and Donald Trump, leave the New York State Supreme Court building on July 22, 1988. Charles Wenzelberg—AP  Developer Donald Trump is flanked by super middleweight champion Thomas Hearns, left, of Detroit, and Michael Olajide of Canada at a news conference in New York on Feb. 15, 1990. Timothy Clary—AP  Alec Baldwin is joined by Donald Trump and Melania Knauss at benefit for the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund at the Marriott Marquis Hotel on October 8, 1999. Richard Corkery—NY Daily News Archive/Getty Images  Katie Couric, left, co-host of NBC-TV's "Today" show, is dressed like Donald Trump, right, during a spoof of his "The Apprentice" reality television show, on the morning program's annual Halloween segment on Oct. 29, 2004. Richard Drew—AP  Donald Trump and Larry King arrive at the Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump in New York on March 9, 2011. Charles Sykes—AP  Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino, left, and Donald Trump appear onstage at the Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump in New York on March 9, 2011. Charles Sykes—AP  Snoop Dogg and Donald Trump arrive at the Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump in New York on March 9, 2011. Charles Sykes—AP  Martha Stewart and Donald Trump at Richard "Skip" Bronson's, "The War at the Shore" Book Publication Party held at Loews Regency Hotel in New York City on June 11, 2012. Sylvain Gaboury—Sipa USA  Tiger Woods stands with Donald Trump as he holds the Gene Serazen Cup for winning the Cadillac Championship golf tournament on March 10, 2013, in Doral, Fla. Wilfredo Lee—AP  Donald Trump and recording artist and host Nick Jonas joke around onstage during the 2013 Miss USA pageant at PH Live at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on June 16, 2013 in Las Vegas. 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