Trump: Iowa organization was lacking because 'I didn't think I was going to be winning'

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) -- Donald Trump says he didn't have much of a ground game in Iowa — "because I didn't think I was going to be winning."

He tells Fox News Channel's Sean Hannity  that, "in retrospect, we could have done much better with the ground game."

He also admitted that his decision to skip the last GOP debate before the Iowa caucuses may have contributed to his second-place finish.

But the billionaire businessman says he'd do it the same if he had to do it again.

Trump finished second to Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in Monday evening's contest after placing first in multiple polls.

He skipped the debate because of a spat with Fox News and instead held a fundraiser for veterans that raised $6 million.

Trump says he "would never, ever give that up to go between first and second in Iowa."