MACON, Georgia -- Business mogul Donald Trump demanded on Monday that CNN, the host of the next GOP debate, pay him $5 million dollars to participate, with the proceeds to be donated to veterans.

"I won't do the debate unless they pay me 5 million dollars," Trump said.

Trump floated being paid to participate in the last CNN Republican debate in September, when he wrote in a letter to CNN president Jeff Zucker: "While I refuse to brag, and you know very well, this tremendous increase in viewer interest is due 100% to 'Donald J. Trump."

Due to the interest in the debate, Trump said, at the time, Zucker should donate all the profits that CNN was receiving from increased advertising rates to veterans groups.

Trump made the demands at a rally in Macon, Georgia as a result of what he deemed unfair treatment by the network of his candidacy, including a meeting with African-American pastorsearlier in the day at Trump Tower. At first he seemed unsure. Trump asked the crowd if he should make the payment a condition of his participation in the debate.

"You have to tell me because I know what they're going to say," Trump said. "Trump is a chicken."

"If I do this, it could be he's playing too cute, Trump said. "[And] maybe I don't do well, and maybe my real polls, which are the polls we're leading by so much, maybe they go down." Trump also said he could face repercussions in the polls as a result of the gambit of not participating in the debate. 

"The problem is they'll say 'Trump is chicken,'" Trump went on. "One thing I'm not is chicken, okay?"
"I don't know if I wanna take the chance," Trump said. 

A CNN spokesperson did not respond to requests for comments. The next debate is slated to take place on December 15th in Las Vegas.