Donald Trump said in a new interview that his campaign hasn’t “really” started yet and will begin after the Republican convention.
The presumptive Republican presidential nominee discussed his efforts to secure the Oval Office in two interviews with NBC’s Meet the Press that aired on Saturday and Sunday. “We really haven’t started. We start pretty much after the convention,” Trump said, adding that presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton has had a “head start” in her campaign.
Trump has come under fire from many in his own party for criticizing the Mexican ancestry of a federal judge and once again calling for a ban on Muslims from entering the country in the wake of the deadly Orlando shooting. He’s also been lagging in recent polls against presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Some Republicans are pushing to change convention rules in the hopes of possibly denying Trump the party’s nomination.
The real estate mogul said he has recently “raised a lot of money” for the Republican Party and would donate his own cash to the cause should the campaign come short of funds. “We’re doing very well,” he said. “We’re going to raise a lot of money. I’m raising it for the Republican Party. I mean, I’m doing a good job. I think we’re going to go on to a great victory.”
“I’d put up whatever I need to win,” he added.
In the same interview, Trump said he could win the presidency with or without the Republican Party, but that “it would be nice if we stuck together.”
More Must-Reads From TIME
- The 100 Most Influential People of 2024
- How Far Trump Would Go
- Scenes From Pro-Palestinian Encampments Across U.S. Universities
- Saving Seconds Is Better Than Hours
- Why Your Breakfast Should Start with a Vegetable
- 6 Compliments That Land Every Time
- Welcome to the Golden Age of Ryan Gosling
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com