"Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that?" Donald Trump was talking about a fellow Republican primary candidate when he said this during a "Rolling Stone" interview, according to Fox News.
"Can you imagine that, the face of our next president...I mean, she's a woman, and I'm not supposed to say bad things, but really, folks, come on. Are we serious?" Donald Trump said. He was referring to Carly Fiorina and the only female on the GOP side of the presidential race. Like Trump, Fiorina has a business background, not a political one.
Trump has taken criticism for the comments, which are not the first insults he has publicly doled out to a woman. In speaking with Fox News, Trump clarified his remarks.
"I'm talking about persona, I'm not talking about look," Trump said. He also stated that he was joking around when he made the comments.
Trump will share a debate stage with Fiorina for the first time next Wednesday. Both will participate in the main Republican debate, which will feature the top 10 candidates in the polls. The other seven candidates will have a separate debate.
"Maybe, just maybe, I'm getting under his skin a little bit, 'cause I am climbing in the polls," Fiorina said in a Wednesday interview, according to Politico. She provided no additional comments about Trump's insulting remarks.
In preparation for next week's debate, Donald Trump wrote a letter to CNN President Jeff Zucker, according to The New York Daily News. He asked that the cable news network use the money they make for airing the debate to support veterans.
"I am self-funding my campaign - I do not want money from lobbyists, donors or special interest groups. Likewise, you should view the second debate broadcast as a public service," Trump wrote.
