Donald Trump says he will 'gladly accept the mantle of anger'

(Image credit: Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images)

Donald Trump isn't bothered by people who say he's angry, he admitted during the Fox Business Network Republican debate Thursday night.

Trump was asked about South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley's Republican response to the State of the Union on Tuesday, in which she said "during anxious times, it can be tempting to follow the siren call of the angriest voices. We must resist that temptation," a veiled swipe at Trump. Haley was in the audience, and Trump said the two were on good terms. "I said she's a friend, so she's a friend," he said. Later, he said he will "gladly accept the mantle of anger," and feels justified in his stance. "I'm angry because our country is a mess," he said.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.