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Trump Aims Crosshairs On Cruz During Reno Stop

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GOP frontrunner Donald Trump made his second appearance in Northern Nevada Sunday at a packed rally in downtown Reno. Our reporter Julia Ritchey was there and has more.

Billionaire Trump riled up the crowd of several thousand at the Reno Events Center but had his crosshairs squarely aimed on rival Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who's been rising in the polls.

"Is he a natural born citizen?" Trump asked the crowd. "Some people... I don't know. Honestly, I don't know. Who the hell knows?"

Trump mentioned Cruz no less than a half-dozen times, questioning the senator's eligibility for office since he was originally born in Canada. The latest polls show Cruz ahead of Trump in Iowa, the first state to hold its primary on February 1st.

The reality TV star also touched on immigration, trade and the economy, promising to help Recession-battered cities like Reno.

"We bring jobs back, a place like this is going to be a big, fat beautiful beneficiary," he said.

Compared to other recent Trump rallies, Reno’s was without controversy.  

Kaddie Abdul of Ohio stands next to Steve Cartwright of Reno. Abdul drove from Reno to stand in solidarity with another Muslim woman who was evicted from a Trump rally in South Carolina over the weekend.
Credit Julia Ritchey

One woman, Kaddie Abdul, drove from San Francisco to stand in solidarity with another Muslim woman who was evicted from a Trump rally in South Carolina just a few days earlier. Wearing a hijab and holding a Quran, Abdul was not asked to leave.

"She [Rose Hamid] had a great goal in mind, which was to give people an opportunity to talk to Muslims, to ask them questions when they may not otherwise have an opportunity," Abdul said.

Trump ended his hour-long speech encouraging the crowd to register to vote for Nevada's caucus next month.

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Julia Ritchey is a former reporter at KUNR Public Radio.