launch a third-party White House run will ‘absolutely’ increase if the Republican National Committee is unfair to him during the 2016 primary season. ‘The RNC has not been supportive. They were always supportive when I was a contributor. I was their fair-haired boy,’ the business mogul told The Hill in a 40-minute interview from his Manhattan office at Trump Tower on Wednesday. ‘The RNC has been, I think, very foolish.’ Pressed on whether he would run as a third-party candidate if he fails to clinch the GOP nomination, Trump said that ‘so many people want me to, if I don’t win.’ ‘I’ll have to see how I’m being treated by the Republicans,’ Trump said. ‘Absolutely, if they’re not fair, that would be a factor.’” [The Hill, 7/23/15] In First GOP Debate, Trump Refused To Pledge To Support The Eventual GOP Nominee: “I Cannot Say. I Have To Respect The Person If It’s Not Me Who Wins.” “Fireworks erupted at the outset of the first Republican debate on Thursday night, when Donald Trump said he wouldn’t pledge not to run as an independent if he doesn’t win the Republican nomination. Anchor Bret Baier asked the field of candidates to raise their hands if they were unwilling to pledge their support to the eventual Republican nominee, and only Trump raised his hand. ‘I cannot say [that],’ Trump said. ‘I have to respect the person if it’s not me who wins.’" [The Hill, 8/6/15] SEPTEMBER 2015: TRUMP SIGNED A LOYALTY PLEDGE TO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY Trump Signed Loyalty Pledge To The GOP. “Donald Trump on Thursday signed a loyalty pledge to the Republican Party -- and, with that, the renegade candidate became a little less of a renegade and a party establishment unsure of what to do with the bedeviling front-runner brought him more fully into its embrace. The document the GOP presidential front-runner signed promises that he will support the Republican nominee in next year’s general election, effectively ruling out a third-party or independent run.” [Washington Post, 9/3/15] CAMPAIGN FINANCE PRO-TRUMP SUPER PAC SHUT DOWN AFTER SCRUTINY OVER ITS CONNECTION TO TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN Make America Great Again, The Main Super PAC Supporting Donald Trump, Shut Down Amidst Increasing Scrutiny Of Its Connections To Trump’s Campaign. “The main super PAC backing Donald Trump is shutting down amidst increasing scrutiny of its ties to Trump’s campaign. Trump, who has made his independence from wealthy donors a cornerstone of his anti-establishment presidential campaign, never officially blessed the Make America Great super PAC. But Mike Ciletti, a Republican operative based in Colorado, reportedly used contact information obtained from a top Trump aide to reach out to prospective donors.” [Politico, 10/22/15] • The Political Operative Who Launched Pro-Trump Super PAC Make America Great Again Solicited Political Contributions Using Contact Information He Obtained From One Of Trump’s Close Aides. “A super PAC backing Donald Trump solicited a Trump business acquaintance for a political contribution using contact information obtained from a top aide to the real estate tycoon, according to an e-mail obtained by The Confidential Page 201