Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump defended his support of eminent domain Tuesday evening on Fox News, going as far as to call it “wonderful.”
During a lengthy interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, the New York businessman said most right-leaning voters oppose the government-led process of forcefully repurposing private property for public use because they don’t understand it.
“I don’t think [eminent domain] was explained to most conservatives,” Trump told Baier.
“If you’re building a highway and you’re going to be blocked by a hold-out — I think eminent domain for massive projects, for instance you’re going to create massive jobs and you pay that person far more … is fine,” he said.
“Nobody knows this better than I do because I’ve built a lot of buildings in Manhattan,” Trump continued.
“Now, the Club for Growth doesn’t like it because of me,” he said, referring to the fiscally conservative super PAC that has launched a slew of attack ads against Trump’s position on both eminent domain and taxes.
Trump continued, “If you have a road or a highway, if you have a factory where you have thousands of jobs and you need eminent domain — it’s called economic development.”
The GOP’s leading man also holds the No. 1 spot in the latest Washington Examiner presidential power rankings. He will continue to campaign in Iowa Wednesday where he told Baier he expects to encounter a “packed house.”
