The Donald was booed multiple times tonight in South Carolina, first for viciously attacking Jeb Bush, as is his custom, and then for lashing out at the audience for their disapproval. Another round of booing came when Trump slammed former presidential hopeful Lindsay Graham in his home state.
Donald Trump, booed for the third time tonight, dismisses the audience: "I only tell the truth, lobbyists."
— McKay Coppins (@mckaycoppins) February 14, 2016
Trump decided the crowd’s anger was a sign they were linked with the Bush campaign, calling them “lobbyists.”
“I only tell the truth, lobbyists” - Donald Trump, after being booed by crowd for mocking Lindsey Graham’s poll numbers
— Josh Eidelson (@josheidelson) February 14, 2016
This is one of Trump’s signature moves, even if it looks bizarre to see a candidate openly heckling a crowd of potential voters. He wants to demonstrate that nobody owns him—not lobbyists, not special interest groups, not even voters.
After another blast of hissing from the audience, Trump said: “I’m a self-funder. I don’t have anyone, I have my wife and I have my son.”
The crowd, remarkably, cheered.