WASHINGTON (AP) - WASHINGTON (AP) — Here are the latest developments from the 2016 race for president, one week out from the Iowa caucuses. All times local.
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11:15 a.m.
The Republican's 2012 presidential nominee, Mitt Romney is encouraging this year's field to release their tax returns before the first state contests.
Romney tweeted that four years ago today, "I released my taxes; became issue."
When asked on NBC's "Meet the Press" about the former Massachusetts governor's comments, Trump says his accountants are hard at work, but he couldn't say when his return be released. He says "this is not like a normal tax return."
Trump also says he tries to pay as little tax as possible, because he hates the way "our politicians spend our money." And when pressed on whether he would release past tax returns, Trump says "at the appropriate time, you'll be very satisfied."
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9:30 a.m.
New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio says Donald Trump is not ready to be president.
De Blasio said Trump's comment that he could "shoot somebody" on the city's famous 5th Avenue and not lose support was inappropriate at a time when lawmakers are trying to "deal with the scourge of gun violence." De Blasio says the comments are arrogant and show the billionaire is "not ready for prime time."
De Blasio also says he respects his predecessor, Michael Bloomberg, but Americans aren't interested in a race between billionaires Bloomberg and Trump. He says the 2016 presidential race is really about addressing income inequality. He says, "I don't think most Americans think that billionaires are the ones who are going to give us a more fair economy."
De Blasio spoke Sunday morning on ABC's "This Week."
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9:20 a.m.
Donald Trump says he's as conservative as Ronald Reagan was and vowed to get along with people better than Republican rival Ted Cruz.
The billionaire real estate developer says that he has evolved in some of his positions, just as Reagan did. He says conservatism in government, for example, means not favoring financial risk with the public's money.
He also says he would support rival Cruz for president if there were no questions about the Texas senator's eligibility. Trump repeated that Cruz's birth in Canada raises questions about that. Legal scholars generally agree that Cruz is eligible because his mother was American.
Trump also says he'd love to see former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg enter the race.
Trump made his comments Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press" and on CBS' "Face the Nation."
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9:15 a.m.
Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton says former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg won't need to run for president because she'll win the Democratic nomination.
The former secretary of state said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that as she understands Bloomberg's statement, he'll consider running if Clinton does not win the nomination. She said Sunday that she'll "relieve" him of that decision by winning the nomination.
Clinton is locked in a competitive contest against Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders with a week to go until the Feb. 1 Iowa caucuses.
People familiar with his plans say Bloomberg is taking preliminary steps toward an independent run and has set a March deadline for the decision. The sources told The Associated Press that if Clinton wins the Democratic nomination, the former mayor is not likely to challenge her in a general election.
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8:30 a.m.
Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders says he'll win the race for president if former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg becomes an independent candidate for the White House.
The Vermont senator tells CBS' "Face the Nation" that a battle between Bloomberg and Donald Trump, two New York billionaires, would favor Sanders' upstart Democratic campaign in a general election.
First, Sanders would have to win the Democratic presidential nomination against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Trump would have to triumph over his Republican rivals. And Bloomberg would have to actually launch an independent bid for president, something he threatened to do on Saturday. The voting in the major-party nominating contests begins in a week, with the Feb. 1 Iowa Caucuses.