"The establishment — they want to throw that right out the window. Because if I get out, all those people are going, they're all going with me," Trump said on MSNBC's "Morning Joe.'

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Pressed about whether he was still willing to run as an independent, Trump said, "Well, look. Do I want to? No. I'm leading by a lot [among] Republicans."

"But they're spending now $100 million on negative, phony ads on Trump University," Trump said.