title: Trump to Critics: 'I Have to Be Myself' 
authors: Sandy Fitzgerald
content: People are lining up to criticize Donald Trump 's bombastic style , but he said Wednesday he does n't plan to change anything as the debates and primary caucuses near . `` I have to be myself , '' he told Fox News ' `` Fox & Friends '' program . `` Look , I 've built a great company , great empire , phenomenal success . Saw the filings last week . What I 've done is successful . `` He pointed out that his reality show , `` The Apprentice , '' has , over 14 seasons , `` become one of the most successful shows on television , '' so he has given up `` a lot of money '' to run for the presidency , and moving forward , he does n't plan to change how he operates . `` I do n't want to read teleprompters , '' he said . `` That would be much easier . You do n't learn about a person [ on a teleprompter ] . `` Further , he said he wo n't be hiring a pollster , because he does n't want to have to change his views when a pollster says they are not well-received by the public.But he did n't want to list a potential vice presidential partner , when asked which of his candidates would be suitable . `` Trump is real , '' he replied.As for this week , Trump is n't feeling any regrets at having read out Sen. Lindsey Graham 's private cellphone number during a press conference Tuesday , an action that followed the South Carolina lawmaker and fellow GOP presidential candidate repeatedly called him a `` jackass '' in a CBS interview that morning and in another interview the night before . `` I do n't think he 's popular in his own state , '' Trump said of Graham . `` You heard the applause I was getting . I did it for fun . Everybody had a good time . We had a beyond packed house . The place was amazing , South Carolina . Amazing . I do n't regret it at all . He calls me names . You have to fight back . `` But Trump denied that he does such things out of meanness . `` I want to be nice , '' he said . `` I 'm a nice person . Everybody is calling me names . I guess since I went to No . 1 in the poll , they 're having a field day on me . `` Trump added that the country should also not be backing down in fights . `` We have so many things going wrong , '' he said . `` Look at what China is doing to us , Mexico is doing to us . Mexico , I respect their officials . They 're smarter than our negotiators . They 're killing us on trade . Japan , Saudi Arabia . `` But the people running the United States are `` incompetent , '' he said . `` Look at the Iran deal , which is a disaster , '' he said . `` We do n't get our prisoners back . We give them a scientist but do n't get our prisoners back . They said it was too complicated to ask . `` On Tuesday , during an address to the Veterans of Foreign Wars annual conference in Pittsburgh , President Barack Obama called for the release of the three Americans known to be held in Iran and assistance in finding a fourth missing there , naming them individually during a speech given a week after a nuclear agreement was reached that did not secure the prisoners ' release , reports Fox News But Trump slammed Obama for that demand , saying that the prisoners ' release should have been asked first in the negotiations , and poked fun at Secretary of State John Kerry `` If you had the right messenger , '' like himself or someone he 'd pick , Trump said , the prisoners would have been freed , `` not someone that goes in a bicycle race and breaks a leg at 73 years old . We would have gotten those prisoners back a long time ago . `` Trump also spoke about his plans to fight for veterans , including `` building hospitals officially '' that `` will be run so well , so efficiently . I know the best managers in the country . They do n't have good managers . It 's totally corrupt . `` Trump also talked about his planned trip to the Mexican border on Thursday , saying he was invited by the Border Patrol . `` They want to honor me , thousands of them , '' he said . `` These are tremendous , tough people . They want to do the job . They 're not allowed to do their job by the president essentially ... I 'll be flying in . May never see you again , but we 're going to do it . ''
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  People are lining up to criticize Donald Trump's bombastic style, but he said Wednesday he doesn't plan to change anything as the debates and primary caucuses near."I have to be myself," he told Fox News' "Fox & Friends" program. "Look, I've built a great company, great empire, phenomenal success. Saw the filings last week. What I've done is successful."He pointed out that his reality show, "The Apprentice," has, over 14 seasons, "become one of the most successful shows on television," so he has given up "a lot of money" to run for the presidency, and moving forward, he doesn't plan to change how he operates."I don't want to read teleprompters," he said. "That would be much easier. You don't learn about a person [on a teleprompter]."Further, he said he won't be hiring a pollster, because he doesn't want to have to change his views when a pollster says they are not well-received by the public.But he didn't want to list a potential vice presidential partner, when asked which of his candidates would be suitable."Trump is real," he replied.As for this week, Trump isn't feeling any regrets at having read out Sen. Lindsey Graham's private cellphone number during a press conference Tuesday, an action that followed the South Carolina lawmaker and fellow GOP presidential candidate repeatedly called him a "jackass" in a CBS interview that morning and in another interview the night before."I don't think he's popular in his own state," Trump said of Graham. "You heard the applause I was getting. I did it for fun. Everybody had a good time. We had a beyond packed house. The place was amazing, South Carolina. Amazing. I don't regret it at all. He calls me names. You have to fight back."But Trump denied that he does such things out of meanness."I want to be nice," he said. "I'm a nice person. Everybody is calling me names. I guess since I went to No. 1 in the poll, they're having a field day on me."Trump added that the country should also not be backing down in fights."We have so many things going wrong," he said. "Look at what China is doing to us, Mexico is doing to us. Mexico, I respect their officials. They're smarter than our negotiators. They're killing us on trade. Japan, Saudi Arabia."But the people running the United States are "incompetent," he said."Look at the Iran deal, which is a disaster," he said. "We don't get our prisoners back. We give them a scientist but don't get our prisoners back. They said it was too complicated to ask."On Tuesday, during an address to the Veterans of Foreign Wars annual conference in Pittsburgh, President Barack Obama called for the release of the three Americans known to be held in Iran and assistance in finding a fourth missing there, naming them individually during a speech given a week after a nuclear agreement was reached that did not secure the prisoners' release, reports Fox News But Trump slammed Obama for that demand, saying that the prisoners' release should have been asked first in the negotiations, and poked fun at Secretary of State John Kerry "If you had the right messenger," like himself or someone he'd pick, Trump said, the prisoners would have been freed, "not someone that goes in a bicycle race and breaks a leg at 73 years old. We would have gotten those prisoners back a long time ago."Trump also spoke about his plans to fight for veterans, including "building hospitals officially" that "will be run so well, so efficiently. I know the best managers in the country. They don't have good managers. It's totally corrupt."Trump also talked about his planned trip to the Mexican border on Thursday, saying he was invited by the Border Patrol."They want to honor me, thousands of them," he said. "These are tremendous, tough people. They want to do the job. They're not allowed to do their job by the president essentially ... I'll be flying in. May never see you again, but we're going to do it."