Donald Trump. Right Side Broadcasting Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump had an unusual moment during his Sunday-afternoon rally in Atlanta.

As he spoke, the lights suddenly went out and left the stage in darkness. But it didn't faze the reality-television star.

Without missing a beat, Trump used the opportunity to take a shot at reporters covering the event.

"They didn't pay the electric bill," Trump said. "Oh, I like that much better. That's so much better. Those lights were brutal. Are they coming from the dishonest press?"

Trump repeatedly told the crowd that he enjoyed the low lighting. When the lights came back on, the real-estate magnate began waving his arms. He led the crowd in a chant to turn the lights back off.

"No! Get those lights off! Off! They're too bright, turn them off!" Trump told the event's staff. "Ready? Turn off the lights! Turn off the lights! Turn off the lights!"

After the stage crew yielded to Trump's call for dimmer lighting, he said the moment demonstrated how he would negotiate for the US as president.

"And because the lights didn't work, I won't pay the rent, so we get better lighting, and we don't pay the rent, right?" Trump said to cheers. "That's the way we have to negotiate for our country."

He later said a protester had turned off the lights.

"They just told me it was the protester that turned the lights off," Trump told his supporters.