Story highlights "I think we did very well," Trump told reporters in Milford, New Hampshire

Trump said skipping the Republican debate might have been a significant factor in his defeat

Milford, New Hampshire (CNN) Donald Trump on Tuesday said his decision to skip the last Republican debate before the Iowa caucuses may have led to his second-place finish in the Hawkeye State.

"That could've been with the debate," Trump acknowledged to reporters in Milford, New Hampshire, where he was introduced and endorsed by former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown. "I think some people were disappointed that I didn't go into the debate."

Iowa entrance polls showed most voters who made up their minds in the final days before the caucuses settled on chief rival Sen. Ted Cruz and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, not Trump. The nationwide GOP front-runner had skipped Thursday's Fox News debate due to an ongoing feud with the network.

Still, Trump said he would make the same decision again, pointing to the $6 million he raised for veterans' charities.

Later Tuesday, Trump told Fox News' Sean Hannity that he "didn't have much of a ground game" in Iowa because he "didn't think I was going to be winning."

Read More