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Donald Trump says Carson lacks experience, Bush should drop out

Ben Carson "doesn't have the temperament" for negotiating, Marco Rubio is a "lightweight," and Jeb Bush "doesn't have a chance," according to Trump.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump shakes hands with supporters during a campaign rally at the USS Wisconsin battleship in Norfolk, Va., Oct. 31, 2015. (Photo by Joshua Roberts/Reuters)
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump shakes hands with supporters during a campaign rally at the USS Wisconsin battleship in Norfolk, Va., Oct. 31, 2015.

GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump says his Republican opponent Ben Carson “doesn’t have the experience” to be president.

Carson recently took the lead among the GOP candidates in the latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal national poll, with 29% of support from GOP primary voters. Trump came in second in the poll with 23%.

In response to the poll numbers, Trump did not take to name-calling, but he expressed doubt in the former neurosurgeon's ability to do what is necessary as president in an interview with "Good Morning America" on Tuesday -- the same day of his book signing for his new book, "Crippled America: How To Make America Great Again."

“Look, I’m going to make the greatest deals on trade, we’re going to run the military properly, I’m gonna take care of the vets,” Trump said. “Ben can’t do those things.”

The real estate mogul said deal-making and negotiating are not Carson’s talents. Neither Trump nor Carson has held elected office. 

“You know, you’re born with it,” Trump said. “It’s not his thing. He hasn’t got the temperament for it. It’s not the right thing for him.”

Trump was a little harsher on two other GOP opponents, Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush, who polled in third and fifth place, respectively, in the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.

He said he doesn’t think Rubio would be a tough nominee, and he is “not a fan” of him.

“I think he’s overrated,” Trump said. “I think he’s a lightweight. You know, I think Putin would eat him alive.”

Trump said he thought Bush’s critique of Rubio’s low attendance for Senate votes in the last GOP debate was a good message, but Bush did not deliver it well.

“He doesn’t have a chance,” Trump said of Bush. “He ought to do what [Scott] Walker did.”

Trump added that Bush has “been branded as a low energy person,” but he “can’t imagine” who branded him that way.