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Donald Trump says he started off with a ‘small loan of a million dollars’ from his father

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Welcome to Trail Guide, your daily host through the wilds of the 2016 presidential campaign. It's Monday, Oct. 26, and this is what we're watching:

I would certainly talk with the Russians. I think open conversation is a good thing to do. But in no way would I capitulate to them. You know, Putin has expansionist ideals. There is no question about that. And he's very ambitious. And, you know, he says one thing. And then he does another thing.
Ben Carson, speaking about Russian President Vladimir Putin. Some GOP candidates, like Carly Fiorina, a political outsider like Carson, has said if elected she would not engage with Putin.

Dump Trump, groups ask 'SNL'

Donald Trump gestures while speaking at a town hall meeting in Atkinson, N.H., on Oct. 26.

Donald Trump gestures while speaking at a town hall meeting in Atkinson, N.H., on Oct. 26.

(Cheryl Senter / Associated Press)

Latino advocacy groups and others are joining in a growing call for "Saturday Night Live" to rescind its invitation to Republican front-runner Donald Trump to host the show in two weeks. The Times' Meredith Blake has more on why they want Trump off the show:

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Ted Cruz opens fire at gun range with supporters

Sen. Ted Cruz joined winners of the "Shoot with Cruz" sweepstakes at Top Gun Handgun Training and Shooting Center in Texas on Monday.

Cruz, who has raised substantial amounts of cash in his quest for the GOP nomination, has pegged himself as a candidate willing to upset the party's establishment.

He also has an A-rating from the National Rifle Assn. -- important in a GOP primary.

What's $1 million to Donald Trump? Not much

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump looks out from his car window as he leaves after speaking at a town hall meeting at the Atkinson Country Club in Atkinson, N.H., Monday, Oct. 26, 2015. (AP Photo/Cheryl Senter)

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump looks out from his car window as he leaves after speaking at a town hall meeting at the Atkinson Country Club in Atkinson, N.H., Monday, Oct. 26, 2015. (AP Photo/Cheryl Senter)

(Kurtis Lee)

Donald Trump has made billions of dollars off New York real-estate deals and it was all launched by a "small" $1 million loan.

Speaking at a townhall-style event in New Hampshire on Monday, Trump, who is leading the crowded field of GOP presidential hopefuls in the state with the first presidential primary, said he's battled through adversity.

"My whole life really has been a 'no' and I fought through it," Trump said Monday at the NBC News-sponsored event. "It has not been easy for me, it has not been easy for me. And you know I started off in Brooklyn, my father gave me a small loan of a million dollars."

His father, Fred, began the family real-estate business in New York in the late 1920s and Trump expanded it in the 1970s.

Trump noted that he paid the loan back with interest and that compared to the billions of dollars he's made over the years, "a million dollars isn't very much."

Other issues Trump addressed included the Syrian refugee crises and his biggest weaknesses.

On Syria, Trump said the United States should not accept refugees fleeing the war-torn country.

"We have to help these people, I'm OK with it, but they're not coming to the United States," he said.

The Obama administration has committed to accepting about 10,000 refugees over the next year.

And on his weaknesses?

"I have weaknesses, I really believe I have weaknesses. I don't like exposing them because if I expose them then the enemy knows."

Marco Rubio coming to California to raise money

Sen. Marco Rubio is headed back to California to raise money for his presidential bid in one of the GOP’s strongholds. The Florida Republican is scheduled to attend a reception and dinner at the Newport Beach home of Parvina and Jim Glidewell on Nov. 18.

According to an invitation obtained by The Times' Seema Mehta, members of the host committee are responsible for raising $20,000 each -- $2,700 per person and bringing in the remainder. Hosts are entitled to two tickets to the dinner, four tickets to a VIP photo reception and four tickets to the general reception. Tickets to the general reception are $1,000 each.

Several of the hosts have held fundraisers for Rubio previously. The host committee is the Glidewells, Joleen and David Bahnsen, Christy and John Clarey, Colleen and James Coffman, Michelle and David Horowitz, Valerie and Tracy Price, Manuel Ramirez and Wendy Baugh and Scott Baugh, former chairman of the Orange County Republican Party.

The Horowitz family hosted a June 30 fundraiser at their home, and that host committee was made up of the Clareys, Tracy and Valerie Price and the Blaughs, along with Coleen and David Blatt.

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The Bidens on Biden

Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, go in-depth on what went on behind the scenes this summer as he debated whether to mount a run for president.

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Presidential debates are must-see TV this fall

Republican presidential candidates take the stage in Cleveland before the prime-time debate: from left, Chris Christie, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, Scott Walker, Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, Mike Huckabee, Ted Cruz, Rand Paul and John Kasich.

Republican presidential candidates take the stage in Cleveland before the prime-time debate: from left, Chris Christie, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson, Scott Walker, Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, Mike Huckabee, Ted Cruz, Rand Paul and John Kasich.

(Andrew Harnik / Associated Press)
You've got so many millions of people watching and so many instantaneous evaluations of their performance, any candidate that doesn't measure up, it gets magnified in a way that wasn't true before.
Alan Schroeder, a journalism professor at Northeastern University who wrote a book covering half a century of presidential debate history.

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