The Note: Here's What Happens When Trump Takes on Jorge Ramos
— -- NOTABLES
--ABOUT LAST NIGHT: News anchor Jorge Ramos, who works for Univision and Fusion, was thrown out of a press conference with Donald Trump last night after he asked a question without being called on. Trump told Ramos, who was trying to ask about immigration during the event in Dubuque, Iowa, repeatedly to "sit down." "You haven't been called...go back to Univision," Trump can be heard saying. A security guard removed him as he shouted that he was a "journalist and do not touch me." Ramos returned a short time later to ask his questions. http://abcn.ws/1NSWL4S
--RAMOS ON TRUMP: This morning ABC's GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS asked Ramos on "Good -Morning America" about the altercation. Below is an edited Q&A: http://abcn.ws/1IfEx8K
--IS THIS WHAT YOU WERE EXPECTING FROM TRUMP? "What I would expect is that I can ask a question as a journalist because that's our responsibility and I would expect Mr. Trump to answer honestly about what he really wants to do because he hasn't given us specifics. I saw your show on Sunday. You pushed him on how he's going to deport 11 million undocumented immigrants and he didn't answer your question and he didn't answer mine. What I didn't expect is to be thrown out of a press conference."
--DO YOU THINK TRUMP WAS DIRECTING THE SECURITY GUARD TO TAKE YOU OUT? "Absolutely. He was in control of the press conference. It is very clear with his body language that he was giving orders ... He didn't like my question and when he didn't like my question then he motioned so the one security guard would come where I was and then threw me out of the press conference."
--HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO CRITICS WHO SAY YOU'RE MORE ADVOCATE THAN A JOURNALIST? "As a journalist you have to take a stand. I think the best journalism happens when you take a stand and when it comes to racism, discrimination, corruption, public life, dictatorship or human rights, as journalists, we are not only required but we are forced to take a stand and clearly when Mr. Trump is talking about immigration in an extreme way, we have to confront him and I think that's what I did yesterday."
--TRUMP IS TOPPING THE POLLS. WHAT DOES THAT SAY TO YOU? "It says it's very clear that there are many Americans who think what Donald Trump is saying is right, that they support him. That's exactly what's happening. He continues to say that he's winning the Hispanic vote. That is not true. 75 percent of Latinos have a negative image of him. However, as a journalist, I have to admit that as a journalist I'm still surprised. But the fact is that millions of Americans believe what Donald Trump is saying and millions of Americans are supporting him. That's the only way to explain the polls."
ANALYSIS -- ABC's RICK KLEIN: One of the strangest and most irresistible moments of this or any campaign will be remembered for the surreal scene of Donald Trump having his security guards kick Jorge Ramos out of a news conference, then denying he did it, letting him back in, and jousting on immigration policy with one of the most trusted voices in Spanish-language news. But the exchange wasn't about policy -- and in fact confirmed that the Trump candidacy relates to policy only in the sense that baseball games relate to hot dogs. That is to say, you can get your policy when you go see Donald Trump, but that's not what your ticket actually buys. To watch Trump dispute Ramos' facts and statistics, then claim that he's got a "bigger heart" than the Univision anchor, is to realize that Trump's casual relationship with facts and workable policy is actually most likely part of his appeal. This poses fresh challenges for the media -- not just Ramos-style questioners -- and also for his rivals. The games may be rigged, but few in the audience can claim they didn't get their money's worth. And Trump, of course, owns the ballpark, and is trying to buy the league.
THE BUZZ
with ABC's VERONICA STRACQUALURSI
WHY TRUMP MAY BE RUNNING OUT OF TIME TO RULE OUT THIRD-PARTY BID. The clock is ticking on the possibility of a Donald Trump independent presidential bid. The real estate mogul made headlines at the first GOP debate after saying he would not necessarily support the eventual Republican nominee, leaving the door open to a third-party run. Trump didn't say when he would decide, but now it looks like he may need to make up his mind soon if he wants to compete in the crucial South Carolina primary. South Carolina, traditionally the third state to hold a nominating contest, is requiring every GOP candidate to pledge to support the eventual Republican nominee if they want to appear on the state's primary ballot. The deadline to file the paperwork is Sept. 30. ABC's LOUISE SIMPSON, VERONICA STRACQUALURSI and RYAN STRUYK have more. http://abcn.ws/1hEVq7P
DONALD TRUMP VS. THE WORLD. Even before his altercation with Jorge Ramos last night, Donald Trump spent Tuesday doing what he does best: Antagonizing everyone from Fox News host Megyn Kelly to fellow Republican presidential candidate Lindsey Graham, and sparking pointed responses from all quarters. Monday night, Trump unleashed a fresh tirade against Kelly, who he has been disparaging ever since she moderated the first GOP presidential debate earlier this month, ABC's MICHAEL FALCONE and JESSICA HOPPER report. "I liked The Kelly File much better without @megynkelly. Perhaps she could take another eleven day unscheduled vacation!" Trump tweeted. http://abcn.ws/1V7QZR1
--FOX CHAIRMAN DEMANDS APOLOGY: Fox News chairman and CEO Roger Ailes called on Trump to apologize in a statement yesterday. "Donald Trump's surprise and unprovoked attack on Megyn Kelly during her show last night is as unacceptable as it is disturbing. Megyn Kelly represents the very best of American journalism and all of us at Fox News Channel reject the crude and irresponsible attempts to suggest otherwise," Ailes said in his statement. "I could not be more proud of Megyn for her professionalism and class in the face of all of Mr. Trump's verbal assaults." http://abcn.ws/1V7QZR1
--TRUMP INDICATED HE HAS NO INTENTION OF APOLOGIZING: "I totally disagree with the Fox statement. I do not think Megyn Kelly is a quality journalist," Trump said. "I think her questioning of me, despite all of the polls saying I won the debate, was very unfair. Hopefully in the future I will be proven wrong and she will be able to elevate her standards to a level of professionalism that a network such as Fox deserves." http://abcn.ws/1V7QZR1
WHY AN ANTI-CHRIS CHRISTIE PAC IS SAYING MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. Chris Christie is still in the race for president, but an anti-Chris Christie PAC is declaring mission accomplished. The fundraising group, dubbed "Stop Chris Christie PAC," was set up last November to stop the New Jersey governor and GOP candidate from becoming the next president and it has announced it will shut down. In an email sent to Federal Election Commission officials and posted to the PACs Facebook page Tuesday, "Stop Chris Christie" Treasurer Tom Bjorklund writes the PAC is shutting down based on recent polling and the "miserable showing" of the Christie campaign in this presidential race, ABC's RYAN STRUYK and ADAM DESIDERIO report. http://abcn.ws/1KiKGqL
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
HOW SCOTT WALKER'S BARGAIN HUNTING AT KOHL'S INFORMS HIS ECONOMIC POLICY. Scott Walker likes to wear inexpensive clothes. It's a fact the Republican presidential candidate quite literally wears with pride, pointing out on one occasion that he was wearing a sweater that was purchased for just $1 at Kohl's department store. If you've listened to him to give his standard campaign stump speech, chances are you've heard his Kohl's story -- perhaps more than once. "Some of you know that Tonette and I like to shop at Kohl's," Walker says, easing into the story of how he became a Kohl's-convert through his wife, who frequents the retailer with her family several times a month. Walker uses the story to pivot into a discussion on fiscal policy, weaving the Kohl's business model into the fabric of his own politics, according to ABC's JORDYN PHELPS. http://abcn.ws/1ETp8ut
WHO'S TWEETING?
@JohnJHarwood: my new Speakeasy interview, with Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio: http://www.cnbc.com/2015/08/26/marco-rubio-complete-package-or-too-green.html ...
@GeraldFSeib: Recent history says that what Joe Biden is considering--a late entry into a presidential race--is a tough act. http://on.wsj.com/1LwgNle
@nationaljournal: While our current VP is contemplating the 2016 race, see where his predecessors ended up after leaving office http://buff.ly/1U65JTv
@gregmcrc: Jeb pushing importance of Supreme Court issue is smart. #SCOTUS is a big issue for #GOP voters. http://ow.ly/Rofj0
@ByronTau: 90% of my Instagram feed right now is political reporters posting photos of Trump swag they found in some part of America.