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Donald Trump and Jeb Bush Spar Over Eminent Domain

February 6, 2016

Donald Trump and Jeb Bush sparred over eminent domain during Saturday night's Republican debate on ABC.

While talking about a development project of Trump's, Bush criticized him for having a city force an elder woman out of her house in Atlantic City.

"And the simple fact is, to turn this into a limousine parking lot for his casinos is not a public use, and in Florida, based on we did, we made that impossible. It is part of our constitution, that's the better approach, that is the conservative approach," Bush said.

When the audience booed Trump, he took his criticisms to the television audience.

"That's all of his donors and special interests out there. So, that's what it is. And by the way, let me just tell you, we needed tickets, you can't get them.  You know who has the tickets?  I'm talking about to the television audience," Trump said. "Donors, special interests, the people that are putting up the money, it's what it is. The RNC told us. We have all donors in the audience. And the reason they're not loving me, the reason they're not, excuse me, the reason they're not loving me is I don't want their money. I'm going to do the right thing for the American public. I don't want their money, I don't need their money."

Later in the squabble, Trump asked Bush over his view of whether the Keystone XL Pipeline was a public project or private, which would use eminent domain to be built.

"Do you consider the Keystone Pipeline private? Is it public or private?" Trump said.

"It's a public use," Bush said.

"It's a private job," Trump said.