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The billionaire
businessman came in second to Texas Senator Ted Cruz in the Iowa
caucuses last week, although polls put him ahead. His candidacy
has alarmed the Republican establishment and has been marked by
rows, including over his calls for a temporary ban on Muslims
entering the United States.
No Republican has won the presidential nomination without
winning either the Iowa caucuses or the New Hampshire primary
since the 1970s, but it would not technically be impossible.
Asked whether a loss in New Hampshire would derail his campaign,
Trump told the NBC News show "Meet the Press": "I don't think I
need it. I hope that I get it."
"I would like to win but I don't know that it is necessary."
Recent opinion polls give him a lead of between 10 and 22
percentage points over the next closest contender.
Trump has built his campaign in part around his self-declared
reputation as a "winner," and a loss in New Hampshire would
intensify doubts that he can translate opinion poll support into
votes.
He also told "Meet the Press" that he has spent as much as $50
million less than expected on the campaign so far, in part
because the media provides him so much free publicity.
"People like you put me on. What do I take a commercial for?"
Trump told the show's moderator, Chuck Todd.
(This story has been refiled to restore dropped word "in" in 2nd
paragraph; restores quotation marks to "Meet the Press" in
paragraphs 4 and 8)
(Reporting by Howard Schneider; Editing by Louise Ireland)
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