Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann, whose campaign has been flagging in recent weeks, received a lift from an appearance with real estate mogul/reality TV star Donald Trump Monday night.
Their tele-town hall event drew more than 200,000 listeners, according to the Minnesota representative’s campaign,
Politico reports.
Trump didn’t endorse Bachmann, but the event was the biggest he’s held with any of the presidential candidates who are seeking his endorsement. The Donald said he has "a lot of respect" for Bachmann.
During the call, both Trump and Bachmann criticized Iraq for its treatment of U.S. troops.
"Iraq spit on us; they spit on us by saying we're not going to give immunity to the 5,000 troops staying in Iraq," Bachmann said. "What this shows is complete disrespect for the United States."
She also expressed support for one of Trump’s main points — that the United States should be reimbursed for the military protection it offers foreign nations.
Trump, meanwhile, sounded familiar themes:
- Healthcare: "I have friends that have small businesses . . . They're really thinking of closing up their businesses, because they think when Obamacare kicks in, they're not going to be able to be in business anymore."
- Solyndra: "That obviously had to be a political deal. Their leaders were in and out of the White House every week."
- China: "If we stopped doing business with China, they'd go into a depression the likes of which you've never seen. We have all the cards."