Washington: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Wednesday defended his decision to toss a news anchor with the Spanish-language Univision network out of a news conference, in his latest tussle with a US television personality.

“I’m not a bully,” Trump told NBC in an interview.

On Tuesday, Univision’s Jorge Ramos was removed from Trump’s news conference in Dubuque, Iowa, after the business mogul-turned-candidate said the journalist was asking a question out of turn.

“He was totally out of line last night,” Trump said of Ramos, speaking on NBC’s ‘Today’ programme.

Ramos, who has been critical of Trump’s stance on immigration, said he was waiting for his turn to ask a question on the subject when Trump ordered him out.

“He didn’t like my question and when he didn’t like my question then he motioned so the one security guard would come where I was and then threw me out of the press conference,” Ramos told ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’. Trump is locked in a legal battle with Univision over the network’s recent decision to cancel its contract to broadcast the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants, co-owned by Trump, after he made controversial remarks about undocumented Latino immigrants.

Trump extended his lead yet again atop the Republican presidential field, with front-running Democrat Hillary Clinton slipping and Vice President Joe Biden faring better than her against Republicans, poll results revealed Thursday.

Trump, the combative real estate mogul, leads the 16 other Republican candidates with 27 per cent support among registered voters nationwide, up from 20 per cent in a similar July 30 survey by Quinnipiac University.

Widest margin

Thursday’s lead marks the widest margin for any Republican so far in the election cycle, the survey said.

Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson placed second with 13 per cent, former Florida governor Jeb Bush earned eight per cent, Senator Ted Cruz came in fourth with seven per cent, and Senator Marco Rubio fifth with six per cent.

“Other GOP hopefuls seem to disappear. Trump proves you don’t have to be loved to be the leader,” said Quinnipiac poll assistant director Tim Malloy.

Trump’s abrasive style, including his open and caustic criticism of rivals, has led some observers to say he does not have the temperament to be president, but he has dominated the race essentially since he declared his candidacy in June.

On the Democratic side, Clinton’s support has shrunk, to 44 per cent now compared with 55 per cent on July 30, while her main rival Senator Bernie Sanders is polling at his highest level, 22 per cent.

Biden, who is not a declared candidate but is mulling jumping into the race, earned 17 per cent in the poll. Significantly, Biden “has the best appeal in general election matchups against top Republicans,” Malloy said.

Biden beats Trump by nine points, Bush by five points, and Rubio by three points.

Clinton beats them too but by smaller numbers: four points, two points and one point respectively.

Despite Trump’s Republican lead, he has the highest negative favorability numbers in the field, at 35 per cent to 55 per cent. Bush is underwater as well, at 33-41, while Clinton’s negative 39-51 matches her worst favorability rating ever.

Biden’s favorability rating was positive, at 46-41, while Rubio’s was 42-28 and Sanders 32-28.

Trump and Clinton are also seen as the least honest and trustworthy of the field.