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HOUSTON, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said Tuesday that he was ready to fight Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton after being set free from the "shackles" of the Republican establishment.
Trump made the remarks while attending a fundraiser in Dallas, Texas, according to the Dallas Morning News.
He told a group of about 700 donors that "the shackles" have been taken off him, freeing him to "fight for America the way I want to."
Trump said this in reference to U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan, who said Monday that he would not campaign for Trump any longer after a damaging video of lewd comments led several GOP officeholders to abandon Trump's campaign.
He called U.S. lawmakers who abandoned him "hypocrites."
Trump attacked Ryan, saying in a barrage of tweets that the speaker was "weak and ineffective" and had provided "zero support" for his candidacy.
He had grown as a candidate and looks forward to finishing the job against Clinton, Trump said, adding that "we have to focus on what is important. What's happening today."
On Tuesday, Trump also participated in a fundraiser in San Antonio, a city in southern Texas.
He told the donors that he badly wanted to beat Clinton and that it would be a disappointment if he lost.
A group of San Antonio police officers appeared to violate city policy when they posed for a video with Trump wearing the Republican's "Make America Great Again" red hats.
The city's police bars employees from participating in any sort of political activity while on duty.
San Antonio Mayor Ivy R. Taylor and the city's police chief have apologized for the incident, saying they were disappointed by the police officers' lack of judgement and police must be above politics and serve everyone equally.
