1 00:00:01,201 --> 00:00:02,001 The President: Thank you very much. 2 00:00:07,040 --> 00:00:10,542 I just wanted to begin by mentioning that the 3 00:00:11,644 --> 00:00:16,815 nominee for Secretary of the Department of Labor 4 00:00:16,815 --> 00:00:20,119 will be Mr. Alex Acosta. 5 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:22,455 He has a law degree from Harvard Law School, 6 00:00:22,454 --> 00:00:24,123 was a great student. 7 00:00:24,123 --> 00:00:28,460 Former clerk for Justice Samuel Alito. 8 00:00:28,460 --> 00:00:32,198 And he has had a tremendous career. 9 00:00:32,198 --> 00:00:33,732 He's a member, and has been a member, of the 10 00:00:34,267 --> 00:00:37,303 National Labor Relations Board, and has been 11 00:00:37,302 --> 00:00:41,507 through Senate confirmation three times, 12 00:00:41,508 --> 00:00:44,411 confirmed -- did very, very well. 13 00:00:44,411 --> 00:00:49,314 And so Alex, I've wished him the best. 14 00:00:49,314 --> 00:00:50,048 We just spoke. 15 00:00:50,048 --> 00:00:52,217 And he's going to be -- I think he'll be a 16 00:00:52,218 --> 00:00:54,854 tremendous Secretary of Labor. 17 00:00:54,853 --> 00:00:58,991 And also, as you probably heard just a little while 18 00:00:58,991 --> 00:01:03,629 ago, Mick Mulvaney, former congressman, has just been 19 00:01:03,630 --> 00:01:06,332 approved -- weeks late, I have to say that. 20 00:01:06,331 --> 00:01:08,500 Weeks, weeks late. 21 00:01:08,501 --> 00:01:11,070 Office of Management and Budget. 22 00:01:11,069 --> 00:01:15,974 And he will be, I think, a fantastic addition. 23 00:01:15,974 --> 00:01:18,177 Paul Singer has just left. 24 00:01:18,177 --> 00:01:21,548 As you know, Paul was very much involved with the 25 00:01:21,548 --> 00:01:26,085 anti-Trump, or, as they say, "Never Trump." And 26 00:01:26,084 --> 00:01:28,687 Paul just left and he's given us his 27 00:01:28,688 --> 00:01:30,189 total support. 28 00:01:30,189 --> 00:01:31,724 And it's all about unification. 29 00:01:31,724 --> 00:01:34,828 We're unifying the party, and hopefully we're going 30 00:01:34,828 --> 00:01:37,496 to be able to unify the country. 31 00:01:37,496 --> 00:01:38,697 It's very important to me. 32 00:01:38,697 --> 00:01:40,833 I've been talking about that for a long time, but 33 00:01:40,834 --> 00:01:43,302 it's very, very important to me. 34 00:01:43,302 --> 00:01:45,838 So I want to thank Paul Singer for being here and 35 00:01:45,838 --> 00:01:47,039 for coming up to the office. 36 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:50,176 He was a very strong opponent, and now he's a 37 00:01:50,176 --> 00:01:52,245 very strong ally. 38 00:01:52,245 --> 00:01:54,047 And I appreciate that. 39 00:01:54,046 --> 00:01:55,747 I think I'll say a few words, and then we'll take 40 00:01:55,748 --> 00:01:56,649 some questions. 41 00:01:56,649 --> 00:02:00,920 And I had this time -- we've been negotiating a 42 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:03,756 lot of different transactions to save money 43 00:02:03,756 --> 00:02:06,992 on contracts that were terrible, including 44 00:02:06,992 --> 00:02:09,262 airplane contracts that were out of control and 45 00:02:09,262 --> 00:02:10,697 late and terrible. 46 00:02:10,697 --> 00:02:15,168 Just absolutely catastrophic in terms of 47 00:02:15,168 --> 00:02:15,968 what was happening. 48 00:02:15,968 --> 00:02:18,704 And we've done some really good work. 49 00:02:18,705 --> 00:02:21,508 We're very proud of that. 50 00:02:21,508 --> 00:02:24,177 And then right after that, you prepare yourselves and 51 00:02:24,176 --> 00:02:25,544 we'll do some questions -- unless you 52 00:02:25,544 --> 00:02:26,211 have no questions. 53 00:02:26,211 --> 00:02:28,146 That's always a possibility. 54 00:02:28,146 --> 00:02:31,251 I'm here today to update the American people on the 55 00:02:31,251 --> 00:02:33,986 incredible progress that has been made in the last 56 00:02:33,986 --> 00:02:36,355 four weeks since my inauguration. 57 00:02:36,355 --> 00:02:38,557 We have made incredible progress. 58 00:02:38,557 --> 00:02:41,527 I don't think there's ever been a President elected 59 00:02:41,527 --> 00:02:43,962 who, in this short period of time, has done 60 00:02:43,962 --> 00:02:45,764 what we've done. 61 00:02:45,764 --> 00:02:48,500 A new Rasmussen poll, in fact -- because the people 62 00:02:48,501 --> 00:02:52,205 get it; much of the media doesn't get it. 63 00:02:52,205 --> 00:02:53,740 They actually get it, but they don't write it -- 64 00:02:53,740 --> 00:02:54,474 let's put it that way. 65 00:02:54,473 --> 00:02:57,911 But a new Rasmussen poll just came out just a very 66 00:02:57,911 --> 00:03:01,080 short while ago, and it has our approval rating at 67 00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:04,050 55 percent and going up. 68 00:03:04,050 --> 00:03:06,653 The stock market has hit record numbers, 69 00:03:06,652 --> 00:03:08,086 as you know. 70 00:03:08,086 --> 00:03:11,290 And there has been a tremendous surge of 71 00:03:11,290 --> 00:03:14,627 optimism in the business world, which is -- to me 72 00:03:14,627 --> 00:03:16,528 means something much different than it used to. 73 00:03:16,528 --> 00:03:18,163 It used to mean, oh, that's good. 74 00:03:18,163 --> 00:03:21,266 Now it means that's good for jobs. 75 00:03:21,266 --> 00:03:23,102 Very different. 76 00:03:23,102 --> 00:03:25,572 Plants and factories are already starting to move 77 00:03:25,572 --> 00:03:27,873 back into the United States and big league -- 78 00:03:27,873 --> 00:03:30,576 Ford, General Motors, so many of them. 79 00:03:30,576 --> 00:03:32,544 I'm making this presentation directly to 80 00:03:32,544 --> 00:03:35,814 the American people with the media present, which 81 00:03:35,814 --> 00:03:39,419 is an honor to have you this morning, because many 82 00:03:39,419 --> 00:03:43,790 of our nation's reporters and folks will not tell 83 00:03:43,789 --> 00:03:47,492 you the truth and will not treat the wonderful people 84 00:03:47,492 --> 00:03:50,562 of our country with the respect that they deserve. 85 00:03:50,562 --> 00:03:52,798 And I hope going forward we can be a little bit 86 00:03:52,799 --> 00:03:55,034 different, and maybe get along a little bit better, 87 00:03:55,033 --> 00:03:56,134 if that's possible. 88 00:03:56,134 --> 00:03:59,905 Maybe it's not, and that's okay too. 89 00:03:59,906 --> 00:04:02,408 Unfortunately, much of the media in Washington, D.C., 90 00:04:02,407 --> 00:04:05,544 along with New York, Los Angeles, in particular, 91 00:04:05,544 --> 00:04:09,581 speaks not for the people but for the special 92 00:04:09,581 --> 00:04:14,387 interests and for those profiting off a very, very 93 00:04:14,387 --> 00:04:17,624 obviously broken system. 94 00:04:17,624 --> 00:04:21,927 The press has become so dishonest that if we don't 95 00:04:21,927 --> 00:04:25,898 talk about it, we are doing a tremendous 96 00:04:25,898 --> 00:04:27,634 disservice to the American people -- 97 00:04:27,634 --> 00:04:28,768 tremendous disservice. 98 00:04:28,767 --> 00:04:31,403 We have to talk about it to find out what's going 99 00:04:31,403 --> 00:04:32,137 on, because the press 100 00:04:32,137 --> 00:04:33,505 honestly is out of control. 101 00:04:33,505 --> 00:04:37,042 The level of dishonesty is out of control. 102 00:04:37,043 --> 00:04:39,579 I ran for President to represent the citizens 103 00:04:39,579 --> 00:04:41,079 of our country. 104 00:04:41,079 --> 00:04:44,651 I am here to change the broken system so it serves 105 00:04:44,651 --> 00:04:48,021 their families and their communities well. 106 00:04:48,021 --> 00:04:51,557 I am talking, and really talking, on this very 107 00:04:51,557 --> 00:04:54,761 entrenched power structure, and what we're 108 00:04:54,761 --> 00:04:58,898 doing is we're talking about the power structure, 109 00:04:58,898 --> 00:05:01,434 we're talking about its entrenchment. 110 00:05:01,434 --> 00:05:04,937 As a result, the media is going through what they 111 00:05:04,937 --> 00:05:08,574 have to go through to oftentimes distort -- not 112 00:05:08,574 --> 00:05:10,576 all the time -- and some of the media is fantastic, 113 00:05:10,576 --> 00:05:13,246 I have to say; they're honest and fantastic. 114 00:05:13,245 --> 00:05:16,716 But much of it is not -- the distortion. 115 00:05:16,716 --> 00:05:18,283 And we'll talk about it, and you'll be able to ask 116 00:05:18,283 --> 00:05:20,552 me questions about it. 117 00:05:20,552 --> 00:05:22,422 But we're not going to let it happen, because I'm 118 00:05:22,422 --> 00:05:25,658 here again to take my message straight 119 00:05:25,658 --> 00:05:26,359 to the people. 120 00:05:26,358 --> 00:05:28,894 As you know, our administration inherited 121 00:05:28,894 --> 00:05:32,097 many problems across government and 122 00:05:32,098 --> 00:05:34,467 across the economy. 123 00:05:34,466 --> 00:05:39,471 To be honest, I inherited a mess -- it's a mess -- 124 00:05:42,442 --> 00:05:44,177 at home and abroad. 125 00:05:44,177 --> 00:05:46,412 A mess. 126 00:05:46,411 --> 00:05:48,914 Jobs are pouring out of the country. 127 00:05:48,915 --> 00:05:51,584 You see what's going on with all of the companies 128 00:05:51,584 --> 00:05:55,521 leaving our country, going to Mexico and other places 129 00:05:55,521 --> 00:05:57,256 -- low-pay, low-wages. 130 00:05:57,255 --> 00:06:01,193 Mass instability overseas, no matter where you look. 131 00:06:01,194 --> 00:06:02,795 The Middle East, a disaster. 132 00:06:02,795 --> 00:06:05,598 North Korea -- we'll take care of it, folks. 133 00:06:05,598 --> 00:06:07,199 We're going to take care of it all. 134 00:06:07,199 --> 00:06:11,471 I just want to let you know I inherited a mess. 135 00:06:11,471 --> 00:06:13,572 Beginning on day one, our administration went to 136 00:06:13,572 --> 00:06:18,477 work to tackle these challenges. 137 00:06:18,478 --> 00:06:21,013 On foreign affairs, we've already begun enormously 138 00:06:21,012 --> 00:06:23,649 productive talks with many foreign leaders -- much of 139 00:06:23,649 --> 00:06:26,319 it you've covered -- to move forward toward 140 00:06:26,319 --> 00:06:30,490 stability, security, and peace in the most troubled 141 00:06:30,490 --> 00:06:34,026 regions of the world, which there are many. 142 00:06:34,026 --> 00:06:35,895 We've had great conversations with the 143 00:06:35,894 --> 00:06:38,930 United Kingdom -- and meetings -- Israel, 144 00:06:38,930 --> 00:06:42,601 Mexico, Japan, China, and Canada. 145 00:06:42,601 --> 00:06:46,004 Really, really productive conversations. 146 00:06:46,004 --> 00:06:48,673 I would say far more productive than you 147 00:06:48,673 --> 00:06:50,742 would understand. 148 00:06:50,742 --> 00:06:55,213 We've even developed a new council with Canada to 149 00:06:55,213 --> 00:06:58,117 promote women's business leaders and entrepreneurs. 150 00:06:58,117 --> 00:07:00,086 It's very important to me, very important to my 151 00:07:00,086 --> 00:07:02,121 daughter Ivanka. 152 00:07:02,120 --> 00:07:05,024 I have directed our defense community, headed 153 00:07:05,024 --> 00:07:10,762 by our great general, now Secretary Mattis -- he's 154 00:07:10,762 --> 00:07:14,099 over there now, working very hard -- to submit a 155 00:07:14,100 --> 00:07:18,037 plan for the defeat of ISIS, a group that 156 00:07:18,036 --> 00:07:22,608 celebrates the murder and torture of innocent people 157 00:07:22,608 --> 00:07:24,310 in large sections of the world. 158 00:07:24,310 --> 00:07:26,179 It used to be a small group, and now it's in 159 00:07:26,178 --> 00:07:29,181 large sections of the world. 160 00:07:29,182 --> 00:07:32,084 They've spread like cancer. 161 00:07:32,084 --> 00:07:36,155 ISIS has spread like cancer. 162 00:07:36,154 --> 00:07:38,924 Another mess I inherited. 163 00:07:38,925 --> 00:07:41,860 And we have imposed new sanctions on the nation of 164 00:07:41,860 --> 00:07:44,029 Iran, who's totally taken advantage of our 165 00:07:44,029 --> 00:07:46,798 previous administration. 166 00:07:46,798 --> 00:07:49,467 And they're the world's top sponsor of terrorism. 167 00:07:49,468 --> 00:07:55,441 And we're not going to stop until that problem is 168 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:56,641 properly solved. 169 00:07:56,641 --> 00:07:58,343 And it's not properly solved now. 170 00:07:58,343 --> 00:08:00,146 It's one of the worst agreements I've ever seen 171 00:08:00,146 --> 00:08:02,314 drawn by anybody. 172 00:08:02,314 --> 00:08:04,884 I've ordered plans to begin for the massive 173 00:08:04,884 --> 00:08:07,153 rebuilding of the United States military. 174 00:08:07,153 --> 00:08:10,689 I've had great support from the Senate. 175 00:08:10,689 --> 00:08:14,326 I've had great support from Congress generally. 176 00:08:14,326 --> 00:08:17,797 We've pursued this rebuilding in the hopes 177 00:08:17,797 --> 00:08:22,935 that we will never have to use this military. 178 00:08:22,935 --> 00:08:27,473 And I will tell you that is my -- I would be so 179 00:08:28,040 --> 00:08:30,810 happy if we never had to use it. 180 00:08:30,810 --> 00:08:34,779 But our country will never have had a military like 181 00:08:34,779 --> 00:08:40,385 the military we're about to build and rebuild. 182 00:08:40,385 --> 00:08:42,320 We have the greatest people on Earth in our 183 00:08:42,321 --> 00:08:45,358 military, but they don't have the right equipment. 184 00:08:45,357 --> 00:08:47,993 And their equipment is old. 185 00:08:47,994 --> 00:08:52,163 I used it, I talked about it at every stop. 186 00:08:52,163 --> 00:08:54,500 Depleted -- it's depleted. 187 00:08:54,500 --> 00:08:57,102 It won't be depleted for long. 188 00:08:57,102 --> 00:08:59,437 And I think one of the reasons I'm standing here 189 00:08:59,437 --> 00:09:02,908 instead of other people is that, frankly, I talked 190 00:09:02,908 --> 00:09:04,710 about we have to have a strong military. 191 00:09:04,710 --> 00:09:08,514 We have to have strong law enforcement also. 192 00:09:08,514 --> 00:09:14,220 So we do not go abroad in the search of war. 193 00:09:14,220 --> 00:09:16,923 We really are searching for peace, but it's peace 194 00:09:16,923 --> 00:09:17,956 through strength. 195 00:09:17,956 --> 00:09:21,326 At home, we have begun the monumental task of 196 00:09:21,326 --> 00:09:23,629 returning the government back to the people on a 197 00:09:23,629 --> 00:09:26,465 scale not seen in many, many years. 198 00:09:26,465 --> 00:09:30,235 In each of these actions, I'm keeping my promises to 199 00:09:30,235 --> 00:09:31,069 the American people. 200 00:09:31,070 --> 00:09:32,271 These are campaign promises. 201 00:09:32,270 --> 00:09:33,872 Some people are so surprised that we're 202 00:09:33,873 --> 00:09:34,941 having strong borders. 203 00:09:34,941 --> 00:09:37,343 Well, that's what I've been talking about for a 204 00:09:37,342 --> 00:09:38,677 year and a half -- strong borders. 205 00:09:38,677 --> 00:09:41,212 They're so surprised -- "oh, you're having strong 206 00:09:41,212 --> 00:09:42,581 borders." Well, that's what I've been talking 207 00:09:42,581 --> 00:09:46,619 about to the press and to everybody else. 208 00:09:46,619 --> 00:09:51,223 One promise after another after years of politicians 209 00:09:51,222 --> 00:09:54,159 lying to you to get elected. 210 00:09:54,159 --> 00:09:55,860 They lie to the American people in order 211 00:09:55,860 --> 00:09:56,562 to get elected. 212 00:09:56,562 --> 00:09:58,998 Some of the things I'm doing probably aren't 213 00:09:58,998 --> 00:10:01,600 popular, but they're necessary for security and 214 00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:03,134 for other reasons. 215 00:10:03,134 --> 00:10:06,538 And then coming to Washington and pursuing 216 00:10:06,538 --> 00:10:09,140 their own interests, which is more important to 217 00:10:09,140 --> 00:10:11,610 many politicians. 218 00:10:11,610 --> 00:10:14,113 I'm here following through on what I pledged to do. 219 00:10:14,113 --> 00:10:15,982 That's all I'm doing. 220 00:10:15,981 --> 00:10:17,916 I put it out before the American people. 221 00:10:17,917 --> 00:10:22,655 Got 306 Electoral College votes. 222 00:10:22,654 --> 00:10:24,622 I wasn't supposed to get 222. 223 00:10:24,623 --> 00:10:27,626 They said there's no way to get 222; 224 00:10:27,625 --> 00:10:30,428 230 is impossible. 225 00:10:30,428 --> 00:10:32,464 Two hundred and seventy, which you need, 226 00:10:32,465 --> 00:10:34,466 that was laughable. 227 00:10:34,466 --> 00:10:38,737 We got 306 because people came out and voted like 228 00:10:38,738 --> 00:10:40,039 they've never seen before. 229 00:10:40,038 --> 00:10:41,740 So that's the way it goes. 230 00:10:41,740 --> 00:10:45,477 I guess it was the biggest Electoral College win 231 00:10:45,477 --> 00:10:48,713 since Ronald Reagan. 232 00:10:48,714 --> 00:10:51,083 In other words, the media is trying to attack our 233 00:10:51,082 --> 00:10:54,419 administration because they know we are following 234 00:10:54,419 --> 00:10:58,690 through on pledges that we made, and they're not 235 00:10:58,691 --> 00:11:00,759 happy about it for whatever reason. 236 00:11:00,759 --> 00:11:04,963 But a lot of people are happy about it. 237 00:11:04,964 --> 00:11:08,534 In fact, I'll be in Melbourne, Florida, five 238 00:11:08,533 --> 00:11:12,004 o'clock on Saturday, and I heard -- just heard that 239 00:11:12,004 --> 00:11:16,408 the crowds are massive that want to be there. 240 00:11:16,408 --> 00:11:19,044 I turn on the TV, open the newspapers, and I see 241 00:11:19,044 --> 00:11:22,480 stories of chaos. Chaos! 242 00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:25,985 Yet, it is the exact opposite. 243 00:11:25,985 --> 00:11:31,190 This administration is running like a fine-tuned 244 00:11:31,190 --> 00:11:34,794 machine, despite the fact that I can't get my 245 00:11:34,793 --> 00:11:36,761 Cabinet approved, and 246 00:11:36,761 --> 00:11:38,496 they're outstanding people. 247 00:11:38,496 --> 00:11:40,565 Like Senator Dan Coates whose there -- one of the 248 00:11:40,566 --> 00:11:43,235 most respected men of the Senate -- 249 00:11:43,235 --> 00:11:45,904 he can't get approved. 250 00:11:45,904 --> 00:11:46,838 How do you not approve him? 251 00:11:46,839 --> 00:11:50,209 He's been a colleague, highly respected -- 252 00:11:50,208 --> 00:11:52,377 brilliant guy, great guy, everybody knows it -- but 253 00:11:52,378 --> 00:11:54,780 waiting for approval. 254 00:11:54,779 --> 00:11:58,283 So we have a wonderful group of people that's 255 00:11:58,283 --> 00:12:02,855 working very hard, that's being very much 256 00:12:02,855 --> 00:12:07,026 misrepresented about, and we can't let that happen. 257 00:12:07,025 --> 00:12:11,896 So if the Democrats, who have -- all you have to do 258 00:12:11,897 --> 00:12:14,800 is look at where they are right now -- the only 259 00:12:14,799 --> 00:12:17,402 thing they can do is delay, because they've 260 00:12:17,403 --> 00:12:20,406 screwed things up royally, believe me. 261 00:12:20,405 --> 00:12:22,607 Let me list to you some of the things that we've done 262 00:12:22,607 --> 00:12:24,175 in just a short period of time. 263 00:12:24,176 --> 00:12:27,146 I just got here. 264 00:12:27,145 --> 00:12:30,149 I got here with no Cabinet. 265 00:12:30,149 --> 00:12:33,085 Again, each of these actions is a promise I 266 00:12:33,085 --> 00:12:34,519 made to the American people. 267 00:12:34,519 --> 00:12:36,422 So we'll go over just some of them, and we have a lot 268 00:12:36,422 --> 00:12:41,127 happening next week and in the weeks coming. 269 00:12:41,126 --> 00:12:45,163 We've withdrawn from the job-killing disaster known 270 00:12:45,163 --> 00:12:46,731 as Trans-Pacific Partnership. 271 00:12:46,731 --> 00:12:48,299 We're going to make trade deals, but we're going to 272 00:12:48,299 --> 00:12:50,335 have one-on-one deals -- bilateral. 273 00:12:50,336 --> 00:12:53,605 We're going to have one-on-one deals. 274 00:12:53,605 --> 00:12:56,975 We've directed the elimination of regulations 275 00:12:56,975 --> 00:13:00,211 that undermine manufacturing, and called 276 00:13:00,211 --> 00:13:05,350 for expedited approval of the permits needed for 277 00:13:05,350 --> 00:13:10,089 America and American infrastructure, and that 278 00:13:10,089 --> 00:13:14,660 means plants, equipment, roads, bridges, factories. 279 00:13:14,659 --> 00:13:17,262 People take 10, 15, 20 years to get disapproved 280 00:13:17,263 --> 00:13:17,930 for a factory. 281 00:13:17,929 --> 00:13:21,699 They go in for a permit -- it's many, many years. 282 00:13:21,700 --> 00:13:23,969 And then at the end of the process -- they spend tens 283 00:13:23,969 --> 00:13:27,105 of millions of dollars on nonsense -- and at the end 284 00:13:27,105 --> 00:13:29,040 of the process, they get rejected. 285 00:13:29,041 --> 00:13:30,910 Now, they may be rejected with me, but it's going to 286 00:13:30,909 --> 00:13:32,076 be a quick rejection. 287 00:13:32,076 --> 00:13:33,412 It's not going to take years. 288 00:13:33,412 --> 00:13:35,781 But mostly, it's going to be an acceptance. 289 00:13:35,780 --> 00:13:38,316 We want plants built, and we want factories built, 290 00:13:38,317 --> 00:13:40,719 and we want the jobs. 291 00:13:40,719 --> 00:13:43,556 We don't want the jobs going to other countries. 292 00:13:43,556 --> 00:13:47,192 We've imposed a hiring freeze on nonessential 293 00:13:47,192 --> 00:13:48,994 federal workers. 294 00:13:48,994 --> 00:13:53,699 We've imposed a temporary moratorium on new federal 295 00:13:53,698 --> 00:13:54,966 regulations. 296 00:13:54,966 --> 00:13:57,836 We've issued a game-changing new rule 297 00:13:57,836 --> 00:14:01,039 that says for each one new regulation, two old 298 00:14:01,039 --> 00:14:02,807 regulations must be eliminated. 299 00:14:02,807 --> 00:14:05,510 Makes sense. 300 00:14:05,510 --> 00:14:08,213 Nobody has ever seen regulations like we have. 301 00:14:08,214 --> 00:14:09,748 If you go to other countries and you look at 302 00:14:09,748 --> 00:14:11,951 industries they have, and you say, let me see your 303 00:14:11,951 --> 00:14:15,521 regulations, and they're a fraction, just a tiny 304 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:17,488 fraction of what we have. 305 00:14:17,489 --> 00:14:20,024 And I want regulations because I want safety, I 306 00:14:20,024 --> 00:14:23,394 want all environmental situations to be taken 307 00:14:23,394 --> 00:14:25,096 properly care of. 308 00:14:25,096 --> 00:14:28,033 It's very important to me. 309 00:14:28,033 --> 00:14:32,137 But you don't need four or five or six regulations to 310 00:14:32,136 --> 00:14:34,339 take care of the same thing. 311 00:14:34,340 --> 00:14:35,975 We've stood up for the men and women of law 312 00:14:35,975 --> 00:14:39,478 enforcement, directing federal agencies to ensure 313 00:14:39,477 --> 00:14:43,214 they are protected from crimes of violence. 314 00:14:45,417 --> 00:14:49,053 We've directed the creation of a task force 315 00:14:49,053 --> 00:14:54,092 for reducing violent crime in America, including the 316 00:14:54,092 --> 00:14:57,596 horrendous situation -- take a look at Chicago and 317 00:14:57,596 --> 00:14:59,731 others -- taking place 318 00:14:59,731 --> 00:15:04,102 right now in our inner cities. Horrible. 319 00:15:04,102 --> 00:15:05,570 We've ordered the Department of Homeland 320 00:15:05,571 --> 00:15:08,072 Security and Justice to coordinate on a plan to 321 00:15:08,072 --> 00:15:10,975 destroy criminal cartels coming into the United 322 00:15:10,975 --> 00:15:14,078 States with drugs. 323 00:15:14,078 --> 00:15:18,149 We're becoming a drug-infested nation. 324 00:15:18,149 --> 00:15:21,886 Drugs are becoming cheaper than candy bars, and we're 325 00:15:21,886 --> 00:15:24,289 not going to let it happen any longer. 326 00:15:24,289 --> 00:15:27,592 We've undertaken the most substantial border 327 00:15:27,592 --> 00:15:30,795 security measures in a generation to keep our 328 00:15:30,796 --> 00:15:34,333 nation and our tax dollars safe, and are now in the 329 00:15:34,332 --> 00:15:37,135 process of beginning to build a promised wall on 330 00:15:37,135 --> 00:15:37,935 the southern border. 331 00:15:37,936 --> 00:15:43,175 Met with General, now Secretary, Kelly yesterday 332 00:15:43,174 --> 00:15:45,843 and we're starting that process. 333 00:15:45,844 --> 00:15:50,582 And the wall is going to be a great wall, and it's 334 00:15:50,581 --> 00:15:52,583 going to be a wall negotiated by me. 335 00:15:52,583 --> 00:15:55,820 The price is going to come down, just like it has on 336 00:15:55,821 --> 00:15:57,355 everything else I've negotiated 337 00:15:57,355 --> 00:15:59,258 for the government. 338 00:15:59,258 --> 00:16:01,427 And we're going to have a wall that works. 339 00:16:01,427 --> 00:16:02,894 We're not going to have a wall like they have now, 340 00:16:02,894 --> 00:16:06,164 which is either nonexistent or a joke. 341 00:16:06,164 --> 00:16:08,733 We've ordered a crackdown on sanctuary cities that 342 00:16:08,734 --> 00:16:11,769 refuse to comply with federal law and that 343 00:16:11,769 --> 00:16:14,807 harbor criminal aliens, and we've ordered an end 344 00:16:14,807 --> 00:16:17,241 to the policy of catch and release on the border. 345 00:16:17,241 --> 00:16:22,313 No more release, no matter who you are -- release. 346 00:16:22,313 --> 00:16:24,783 We've begun a nationwide effort to remove criminal 347 00:16:24,783 --> 00:16:28,187 aliens, gang members, drug dealers, and others who 348 00:16:28,187 --> 00:16:31,456 pose a threat to public safety. 349 00:16:31,456 --> 00:16:34,393 We are saving American lives every single day. 350 00:16:34,393 --> 00:16:38,997 The court system has not made it easy for us. 351 00:16:38,996 --> 00:16:42,166 And we've even created a new office in Homeland 352 00:16:42,167 --> 00:16:46,839 Security dedicated to the forgotten American victims 353 00:16:46,839 --> 00:16:50,075 of illegal immigrant violence, 354 00:16:50,075 --> 00:16:51,643 of which there are many. 355 00:16:51,643 --> 00:16:55,214 We've taken decisive action to keep radical 356 00:16:55,214 --> 00:16:58,817 Islamic terrorists out of our country. 357 00:16:58,817 --> 00:17:00,719 Though parts of our necessary and 358 00:17:00,719 --> 00:17:03,722 constitutional actions were blocked by a judge's, 359 00:17:03,721 --> 00:17:08,594 in my opinion, incorrect and unsafe ruling, our 360 00:17:08,594 --> 00:17:12,131 administration is working night and day to keep you 361 00:17:12,131 --> 00:17:17,536 safe -- including reporters safe -- and is 362 00:17:17,536 --> 00:17:20,638 vigorously defending this lawful order. 363 00:17:20,637 --> 00:17:22,940 I will not back down from defending our country. 364 00:17:22,941 --> 00:17:26,144 I got elected on defense of our country. 365 00:17:26,144 --> 00:17:28,046 And I keep my campaign promises. 366 00:17:28,046 --> 00:17:33,619 And our citizens will be very happy when they see 367 00:17:33,618 --> 00:17:34,285 the result. 368 00:17:34,286 --> 00:17:35,053 They already are. 369 00:17:35,053 --> 00:17:36,522 I can tell you that. 370 00:17:36,521 --> 00:17:38,624 Extreme vetting will be put in place, and it 371 00:17:38,624 --> 00:17:40,491 already is in place in many places. 372 00:17:40,491 --> 00:17:42,894 In fact, we had to go quicker than we thought 373 00:17:42,894 --> 00:17:45,263 because of the bad decision we received from 374 00:17:45,263 --> 00:17:49,067 a circuit that has been overturned 375 00:17:49,067 --> 00:17:49,902 at a record number. 376 00:17:49,902 --> 00:17:54,105 I've heard 80 percent -- I find that hard to believe; 377 00:17:54,105 --> 00:17:56,040 that's just a number I heard -- that they're 378 00:17:56,040 --> 00:17:57,809 overturned 80 percent of the time. 379 00:17:57,809 --> 00:18:01,746 I think that circuit is in chaos and that circuit is, 380 00:18:01,747 --> 00:18:05,784 frankly, in turmoil. 381 00:18:05,784 --> 00:18:10,189 But we are appealing that and we are going further. 382 00:18:10,189 --> 00:18:13,859 We're issuing a new executive action next week 383 00:18:13,858 --> 00:18:17,596 that will comprehensively protect our country, so 384 00:18:17,596 --> 00:18:20,231 we'll be going along the one path and 385 00:18:20,231 --> 00:18:21,333 hopefully winning that. 386 00:18:21,333 --> 00:18:25,971 At the same time, we will be issuing a new and very 387 00:18:25,971 --> 00:18:30,342 comprehensive order to protect our people, and 388 00:18:30,342 --> 00:18:33,045 that will be done some time next week, toward the 389 00:18:33,045 --> 00:18:35,781 beginning or middle at the latest part. 390 00:18:35,780 --> 00:18:38,383 We've also taken steps to begin construction of the 391 00:18:38,383 --> 00:18:42,621 Keystone Pipeline and Dakota Access Pipelines -- 392 00:18:42,621 --> 00:18:46,391 thousands and thousands of jobs -- and put new "Buy 393 00:18:46,391 --> 00:18:49,061 American" measures in place to require American 394 00:18:49,060 --> 00:18:50,795 steel for American pipelines. 395 00:18:50,796 --> 00:18:53,731 In other words, they build a pipeline in this country 396 00:18:53,731 --> 00:18:57,368 and we use the powers of government to make that 397 00:18:57,368 --> 00:18:59,203 pipeline happen. 398 00:18:59,203 --> 00:19:04,675 We want them to use American steel. 399 00:19:04,675 --> 00:19:07,245 And they're willing to do that, but nobody ever 400 00:19:07,246 --> 00:19:09,448 asked before I came along. 401 00:19:09,448 --> 00:19:11,650 Even this order was drawn and they didn't say that. 402 00:19:11,650 --> 00:19:13,252 And I'm reading the order, I'm saying, why aren't we 403 00:19:13,251 --> 00:19:15,253 using American steel? 404 00:19:15,253 --> 00:19:16,587 And they said, that's a good idea. 405 00:19:16,587 --> 00:19:19,057 We put it in. 406 00:19:19,057 --> 00:19:22,059 To drain the swamp of corruption in Washington, 407 00:19:22,059 --> 00:19:25,530 D.C. I've started by imposing a five-year 408 00:19:25,530 --> 00:19:28,799 lobbying ban on White House officials and a 409 00:19:28,799 --> 00:19:33,739 lifetime ban on lobbying for a foreign government. 410 00:19:33,739 --> 00:19:34,840 We've begun preparing 411 00:19:34,839 --> 00:19:38,644 to repeal and replace Obamacare. 412 00:19:38,644 --> 00:19:41,179 Obamacare is a disaster, folks. 413 00:19:41,179 --> 00:19:42,714 It's a disaster. 414 00:19:42,713 --> 00:19:46,484 You can say, oh, Obamacare -- I mean, they fill up 415 00:19:46,484 --> 00:19:50,988 our alleys with people that you wonder how they 416 00:19:50,989 --> 00:19:53,925 get there, but they're not the Republican people that 417 00:19:53,925 --> 00:19:56,662 our representatives are representing. 418 00:19:56,662 --> 00:19:59,530 So we've begun preparing to repeal and replace 419 00:19:59,530 --> 00:20:04,036 Obamacare and are deep in the midst of negotiations 420 00:20:04,036 --> 00:20:07,873 on a very historic tax reform to bring 421 00:20:07,873 --> 00:20:08,907 our jobs back. 422 00:20:08,906 --> 00:20:10,274 We're bringing our jobs back to this 423 00:20:10,275 --> 00:20:11,043 country big league. 424 00:20:11,042 --> 00:20:14,712 It's already happening, but big league. 425 00:20:14,712 --> 00:20:17,214 I've also worked to install a Cabinet over the 426 00:20:17,214 --> 00:20:21,218 delays and obstruction of Senate Democrats. 427 00:20:21,219 --> 00:20:24,523 You've seen what they've done over the last long 428 00:20:24,522 --> 00:20:25,856 number of years. 429 00:20:25,856 --> 00:20:27,759 That will be one of the great Cabinets ever 430 00:20:27,759 --> 00:20:30,796 assembled in American history. 431 00:20:30,796 --> 00:20:33,798 You look at Rex Tillerson -- he's out there 432 00:20:33,798 --> 00:20:35,933 negotiating right now. 433 00:20:35,933 --> 00:20:39,870 General Mattis I mentioned before, General Kelly. 434 00:20:39,871 --> 00:20:41,773 We have great, great people. 435 00:20:41,772 --> 00:20:43,074 Mick is with us now. 436 00:20:43,075 --> 00:20:44,543 We have great people. 437 00:20:44,542 --> 00:20:46,410 Among their responsibilities will be 438 00:20:46,411 --> 00:20:51,616 ending the bleeding of jobs from our country and 439 00:20:51,616 --> 00:20:56,922 negotiating fair trade deals for our citizens. 440 00:20:56,922 --> 00:21:01,927 Now, look, fair trade -- not free -- fair. 441 00:21:01,926 --> 00:21:04,328 If a country is taking advantage of us, we're not 442 00:21:04,328 --> 00:21:06,798 going to let that happen anymore. 443 00:21:06,798 --> 00:21:10,234 Every country takes advantage of us, almost. 444 00:21:10,234 --> 00:21:13,838 I may be able to find a couple that don't. 445 00:21:13,838 --> 00:21:16,375 But for the most part, that would be a very tough 446 00:21:16,375 --> 00:21:18,609 job for me to do. 447 00:21:18,609 --> 00:21:20,511 Jobs have already started to surge. 448 00:21:20,511 --> 00:21:22,813 Since my election, Ford announced it will abandon 449 00:21:22,814 --> 00:21:26,151 its plans to build a new factory in Mexico and will 450 00:21:26,151 --> 00:21:29,421 instead invest $700 million in Michigan, 451 00:21:29,421 --> 00:21:32,190 creating many, many jobs. 452 00:21:32,190 --> 00:21:35,227 Fiat-Chrysler announced it will invest $1 billion in 453 00:21:35,227 --> 00:21:37,796 Ohio and Michigan, creating 2,000 new 454 00:21:37,796 --> 00:21:38,730 American jobs. 455 00:21:38,730 --> 00:21:41,466 They were with me a week ago. 456 00:21:41,465 --> 00:21:42,433 You know -- you were here. 457 00:21:42,433 --> 00:21:44,502 General Motors, likewise, committed to invest 458 00:21:44,502 --> 00:21:47,872 billions of dollars in its American manufacturing 459 00:21:47,873 --> 00:21:50,741 operation, keeping many jobs here that 460 00:21:51,276 --> 00:21:52,076 were going to leave. 461 00:21:52,844 --> 00:21:54,246 And if I didn't get elected, believe me, they 462 00:21:54,246 --> 00:21:55,347 would have left. 463 00:21:55,346 --> 00:21:57,915 And these jobs and these things that I'm announcing 464 00:21:57,915 --> 00:22:00,384 would never have come here. 465 00:22:00,384 --> 00:22:02,788 Intel just announced that it will move ahead with a 466 00:22:02,788 --> 00:22:06,625 new plant in Arizona that probably was never going 467 00:22:06,625 --> 00:22:08,226 to move ahead with. 468 00:22:08,226 --> 00:22:09,327 And that will result in 469 00:22:09,326 --> 00:22:12,564 at least 10,000 American jobs. 470 00:22:12,564 --> 00:22:15,433 Walmart announced it will create 10,000 jobs in the 471 00:22:15,433 --> 00:22:17,836 United States just this year because of our 472 00:22:17,836 --> 00:22:21,573 various plans and initiatives. 473 00:22:21,573 --> 00:22:23,341 There will be many, many more. 474 00:22:23,340 --> 00:22:24,008 Many more. 475 00:22:24,009 --> 00:22:26,243 These are a few that we're naming. 476 00:22:26,243 --> 00:22:29,480 Other countries have been taking advantage of us for 477 00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:33,451 decades -- decades and decades and decades, folks. 478 00:22:33,451 --> 00:22:36,288 And we're not going to let that happen anymore. 479 00:22:36,288 --> 00:22:38,022 Not going to let it happen. 480 00:22:38,022 --> 00:22:39,790 And one more thing. 481 00:22:39,790 --> 00:22:43,595 I have kept my promise to the American people by 482 00:22:43,595 --> 00:22:46,131 nominating a justice of the United States Supreme 483 00:22:46,131 --> 00:22:52,070 Court, Judge Neil Gorsuch, who is from my list of 20, 484 00:22:52,069 --> 00:22:54,806 and who will be a true defender of our laws and 485 00:22:54,806 --> 00:22:58,910 our Constitution -- highly respected, should get the 486 00:22:58,910 --> 00:23:01,213 votes from the Democrats -- you may not see that, 487 00:23:01,212 --> 00:23:05,383 but he'll get there one way or the other. 488 00:23:05,383 --> 00:23:08,787 But he should get there the old-fashioned way, and 489 00:23:08,787 --> 00:23:11,323 he should get those votes. 490 00:23:11,323 --> 00:23:13,225 This last month has represented an 491 00:23:13,224 --> 00:23:15,860 unprecedented degree of action on behalf of the 492 00:23:15,861 --> 00:23:18,663 great citizens of our country. 493 00:23:18,663 --> 00:23:20,932 Again, I say it -- there has never been a 494 00:23:20,932 --> 00:23:24,635 presidency that's done so much in such a short 495 00:23:24,635 --> 00:23:27,004 period of time. 496 00:23:27,005 --> 00:23:29,407 And we haven't even started the big work that 497 00:23:29,406 --> 00:23:32,309 starts early next week. 498 00:23:32,309 --> 00:23:33,310 Some very big things are 499 00:23:33,310 --> 00:23:36,914 going to be announced next week. 500 00:23:36,914 --> 00:23:38,016 So we're just getting started. 501 00:23:38,016 --> 00:23:40,384 We will be giving a speech, as I said, in 502 00:23:40,384 --> 00:23:43,521 Melbourne, Florida, at 5:00 p.m. 503 00:23:43,521 --> 00:23:45,723 I hope to see you there. 504 00:23:45,723 --> 00:23:48,759 And with that, I'd just say, God bless America, 505 00:23:48,759 --> 00:23:51,395 and let's take some questions. 506 00:23:51,395 --> 00:23:53,898 Mara. Mara, go ahead. 507 00:23:53,898 --> 00:23:55,733 You were cut off pretty violently at our 508 00:23:55,733 --> 00:23:58,102 last news conference. 509 00:23:58,103 --> 00:24:00,572 The Press: Did you fire Mike Flynn? 510 00:24:00,571 --> 00:24:03,007 The President: Mike Flynn is a fine person, and I 511 00:24:03,008 --> 00:24:05,977 asked for his resignation. 512 00:24:05,977 --> 00:24:09,147 He respectfully gave it. 513 00:24:09,146 --> 00:24:12,384 He is a man who -- there was a certain amount of 514 00:24:12,384 --> 00:24:14,486 information given to Vice President Pence, who is 515 00:24:14,486 --> 00:24:16,888 with us today. 516 00:24:16,887 --> 00:24:19,191 And I was not happy with the way that 517 00:24:19,191 --> 00:24:21,425 information was given. 518 00:24:21,425 --> 00:24:25,462 He didn't have to do that, because what he did wasn't 519 00:24:25,462 --> 00:24:27,665 wrong, what he did in terms of the 520 00:24:27,665 --> 00:24:30,335 information he saw. 521 00:24:30,335 --> 00:24:33,371 What was wrong was the way that other people, 522 00:24:33,371 --> 00:24:37,242 including yourselves in this room, were given that 523 00:24:37,241 --> 00:24:39,845 information, because that was classified information 524 00:24:39,845 --> 00:24:40,979 that was given illegally. 525 00:24:40,979 --> 00:24:43,448 That's the real problem. 526 00:24:43,448 --> 00:24:46,218 And you can talk all you want about Russia, which 527 00:24:46,218 --> 00:24:50,555 was all a fake news, fabricated deal to try and 528 00:24:50,555 --> 00:24:52,624 make up for the loss of the Democrats, and the 529 00:24:52,624 --> 00:24:55,427 press plays right into it. 530 00:24:55,426 --> 00:24:57,628 In fact, I saw a couple of the people that were 531 00:24:57,628 --> 00:24:59,830 supposedly involved with all of this -- they know 532 00:24:59,830 --> 00:25:00,764 nothing about it. 533 00:25:00,765 --> 00:25:02,434 They weren't in Russia, they never made a phone 534 00:25:02,433 --> 00:25:05,302 call to Russia, they never received a phone call. 535 00:25:05,303 --> 00:25:06,638 It's all fake news. 536 00:25:06,637 --> 00:25:08,673 It's all fake news. 537 00:25:08,673 --> 00:25:11,977 The nice thing is I see it starting to turn, where 538 00:25:11,977 --> 00:25:15,413 people are now looking at the illegal, Mara -- and I 539 00:25:15,413 --> 00:25:20,518 think it's very important -- the illegal giving out 540 00:25:20,518 --> 00:25:24,588 classified information. 541 00:25:24,588 --> 00:25:27,458 And let me just tell you, it was given out, like, 542 00:25:27,459 --> 00:25:28,826 so much. 543 00:25:28,826 --> 00:25:30,394 I'll give you an example. 544 00:25:30,394 --> 00:25:35,466 I called, as you know, Mexico. 545 00:25:35,467 --> 00:25:38,570 It was a very confidential, classified 546 00:25:38,569 --> 00:25:41,138 call, but I called Mexico. 547 00:25:41,138 --> 00:25:43,474 And in calling Mexico, I figured, oh, well, that's 548 00:25:43,474 --> 00:25:44,909 -- I spoke to the President of Mexico, 549 00:25:44,910 --> 00:25:46,577 had a good call. 550 00:25:46,577 --> 00:25:49,614 All of a sudden it's out for the world to see. 551 00:25:49,614 --> 00:25:50,715 It's supposed to be secret. 552 00:25:50,714 --> 00:25:53,684 It's supposed to be either confidential or 553 00:25:53,684 --> 00:25:55,119 classified in that case. 554 00:25:55,119 --> 00:25:57,388 Same thing with Australia. 555 00:25:57,388 --> 00:26:00,424 All of a sudden people are finding out exactly 556 00:26:00,424 --> 00:26:02,159 what took place. 557 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:04,596 The same thing happened with respect to 558 00:26:04,596 --> 00:26:07,499 General Flynn. 559 00:26:07,499 --> 00:26:09,768 Everybody saw this, and I'm saying -- the first 560 00:26:09,768 --> 00:26:11,769 thing I thought of when I heard about it is, how 561 00:26:11,769 --> 00:26:13,504 does the press get this information 562 00:26:13,505 --> 00:26:14,673 that's classified? 563 00:26:14,673 --> 00:26:15,507 How do they do it? 564 00:26:15,507 --> 00:26:16,141 You know why? 565 00:26:16,141 --> 00:26:18,143 Because it's an illegal process, and the press 566 00:26:18,143 --> 00:26:19,944 should be ashamed of themselves. 567 00:26:19,944 --> 00:26:22,547 But, more importantly, the people that gave out the 568 00:26:22,547 --> 00:26:24,481 information to the press should be 569 00:26:24,481 --> 00:26:26,317 ashamed of themselves. 570 00:26:26,317 --> 00:26:27,285 Really ashamed. 571 00:26:27,285 --> 00:26:28,153 Yes, go ahead. 572 00:26:28,153 --> 00:26:29,621 The Press: Why did you keep your Vice President 573 00:26:29,621 --> 00:26:31,022 in the dark for almost two weeks? 574 00:26:31,021 --> 00:26:32,289 The President: Because when I looked at the 575 00:26:32,289 --> 00:26:34,491 information, I said, I don't think he did 576 00:26:34,491 --> 00:26:35,559 anything wrong. 577 00:26:35,559 --> 00:26:37,061 If anything, he did something right. 578 00:26:37,061 --> 00:26:38,562 He was coming into office, he looked at 579 00:26:38,563 --> 00:26:40,532 the information. 580 00:26:40,531 --> 00:26:43,268 He said, huh, that's fine, that's what they're 581 00:26:43,268 --> 00:26:44,134 supposed to do. 582 00:26:44,134 --> 00:26:45,269 They're supposed to be -- and he didn't 583 00:26:45,269 --> 00:26:46,304 just call Russia. 584 00:26:46,304 --> 00:26:50,442 He called and spoke to, both ways -- I think there 585 00:26:50,442 --> 00:26:52,743 were 30-some-odd countries. 586 00:26:52,743 --> 00:26:53,778 He's doing the job. 587 00:26:53,778 --> 00:26:55,713 You know, he was just doing his job. 588 00:26:55,713 --> 00:26:58,182 The thing is he didn't tell our Vice President 589 00:26:58,182 --> 00:27:02,686 properly, and then he said he didn't remember. 590 00:27:02,686 --> 00:27:06,156 So either way, it wasn't very satisfactory to me. 591 00:27:06,156 --> 00:27:10,728 And I have somebody that I think will be outstanding 592 00:27:10,729 --> 00:27:15,366 for the position, and that also helps, I think, in 593 00:27:15,366 --> 00:27:16,768 the making of my decision. 594 00:27:16,768 --> 00:27:21,806 But he didn't tell the Vice President of the 595 00:27:21,806 --> 00:27:26,010 United States the facts, and then he didn't 596 00:27:26,010 --> 00:27:26,778 remember. 597 00:27:26,778 --> 00:27:28,413 And that just wasn't acceptable to me. 598 00:27:28,413 --> 00:27:29,780 Yes. 599 00:27:29,780 --> 00:27:31,081 The Press: President Trump, since you brought 600 00:27:31,082 --> 00:27:32,851 up Russia, I'm looking for some clarification here. 601 00:27:32,851 --> 00:27:35,920 During the campaign, did anyone from your team 602 00:27:35,920 --> 00:27:37,788 communicate with members of the Russian government 603 00:27:37,788 --> 00:27:39,691 or Russian intelligence? 604 00:27:39,691 --> 00:27:41,058 And if so, what was the nature of 605 00:27:41,058 --> 00:27:42,460 those conversations? 606 00:27:42,460 --> 00:27:44,095 The President: Well, the failing New York Times 607 00:27:44,095 --> 00:27:45,497 wrote a big, long front-page 608 00:27:45,497 --> 00:27:47,298 story yesterday. 609 00:27:47,298 --> 00:27:52,202 And it was very much discredited, as you know. 610 00:27:52,202 --> 00:27:53,971 It was -- it's a joke. 611 00:27:53,971 --> 00:27:55,874 And the people mentioned in the story -- I notice 612 00:27:55,874 --> 00:27:58,076 they were on television today saying they never 613 00:27:58,076 --> 00:27:59,477 even spoke to Russia. 614 00:27:59,477 --> 00:28:01,246 They weren't even a part, really -- I mean, they 615 00:28:01,246 --> 00:28:04,382 were such a minor part -- I hadn't spoken to them. 616 00:28:04,382 --> 00:28:06,284 I think the one person, I don't think I've ever 617 00:28:06,284 --> 00:28:07,152 spoken to him. 618 00:28:07,152 --> 00:28:09,586 I don't think I've ever met him. 619 00:28:09,586 --> 00:28:11,855 And he actually said he was a very low-level 620 00:28:11,855 --> 00:28:13,424 member of, I think, a committee for a short 621 00:28:13,424 --> 00:28:15,527 period of time. 622 00:28:15,527 --> 00:28:16,561 I don't think I ever met him. 623 00:28:16,560 --> 00:28:18,362 Now, it's possible that I walked into a room and he 624 00:28:18,363 --> 00:28:19,564 was sitting there, but I don't think 625 00:28:19,564 --> 00:28:20,532 I ever met him. 626 00:28:20,531 --> 00:28:23,268 I didn't talk to him, ever. 627 00:28:23,268 --> 00:28:25,370 And he thought it was a joke. 628 00:28:25,369 --> 00:28:27,071 The other person said he never spoke to Russia, 629 00:28:27,071 --> 00:28:28,173 never received a call. 630 00:28:28,173 --> 00:28:30,174 Look at his phone records, et cetera, et cetera. 631 00:28:30,174 --> 00:28:32,943 And the other person, people knew that he'd 632 00:28:32,943 --> 00:28:34,511 represented various countries, but I don't 633 00:28:34,511 --> 00:28:37,115 think he represented Russia -- but knew that he 634 00:28:37,115 --> 00:28:38,916 represented various countries. 635 00:28:38,916 --> 00:28:39,850 That's what he does. 636 00:28:39,851 --> 00:28:41,786 I mean, people know that. 637 00:28:41,786 --> 00:28:43,555 That's Mr. Manafort, who's, by the way -- 638 00:28:43,555 --> 00:28:45,355 who's, by the way, a respected man. 639 00:28:45,355 --> 00:28:46,790 He's a respected man. 640 00:28:46,790 --> 00:28:50,260 But I think he represented the Ukraine, or Ukraine 641 00:28:50,260 --> 00:28:51,428 government, or somebody. 642 00:28:51,429 --> 00:28:52,397 But everybody -- people knew that. 643 00:28:52,396 --> 00:28:53,764 Everybody knew that. 644 00:28:53,765 --> 00:28:56,301 So these people -- and he said that he has 645 00:28:56,300 --> 00:29:00,704 absolutely nothing to do and never has with Russia. 646 00:29:00,704 --> 00:29:01,872 And he said that very forcefully. 647 00:29:01,873 --> 00:29:02,807 I saw his statement. 648 00:29:02,807 --> 00:29:03,908 He said it very forcefully. 649 00:29:03,907 --> 00:29:05,542 Most of the papers don't print it because that's 650 00:29:05,542 --> 00:29:07,478 not good for their stories. 651 00:29:07,479 --> 00:29:10,648 So the three people that they talked about all 652 00:29:10,647 --> 00:29:12,282 totally deny it. 653 00:29:12,282 --> 00:29:14,618 And I can tell you, speaking for myself, I own 654 00:29:14,618 --> 00:29:17,221 nothing in Russia. 655 00:29:17,221 --> 00:29:19,590 I have no loans in Russia. 656 00:29:19,590 --> 00:29:22,659 I don't have any deals in Russia. 657 00:29:22,660 --> 00:29:25,864 President Putin called me up very nicely to 658 00:29:25,864 --> 00:29:28,799 congratulate me on the win of the election. 659 00:29:28,799 --> 00:29:31,769 He then called me up extremely nicely to 660 00:29:31,769 --> 00:29:33,872 congratulate me on the inauguration, which 661 00:29:33,872 --> 00:29:35,306 was terrific. 662 00:29:35,306 --> 00:29:37,307 But so did many other leaders -- almost all 663 00:29:37,307 --> 00:29:39,877 other leaders from almost all other countries. 664 00:29:39,877 --> 00:29:41,980 So that's the extent. 665 00:29:41,980 --> 00:29:43,480 Russia is fake news. 666 00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:46,384 Russia -- this is fake news put out by the media. 667 00:29:46,384 --> 00:29:49,921 The real news is the fact that people, probably from 668 00:29:49,921 --> 00:29:52,390 the Obama administration because they're there -- 669 00:29:52,390 --> 00:29:54,259 because we have our new people going in place 670 00:29:54,259 --> 00:29:54,893 right now. 671 00:29:54,893 --> 00:29:59,931 As you know, Mike Pompeo is now taking control 672 00:29:59,931 --> 00:30:02,933 of the CIA. 673 00:30:02,933 --> 00:30:05,002 James Comey at FBI. 674 00:30:05,002 --> 00:30:08,038 Dan Coats is waiting to be approved. 675 00:30:08,038 --> 00:30:09,907 I mean, he is a senator, and a highly 676 00:30:09,907 --> 00:30:11,842 respected one. 677 00:30:11,843 --> 00:30:13,711 And he's still waiting to be approved. 678 00:30:13,711 --> 00:30:15,547 But our new people are going in. 679 00:30:15,547 --> 00:30:17,548 And just while you're at, because you mentioned 680 00:30:17,548 --> 00:30:21,685 this, Wall Street Journal did a story today that was 681 00:30:21,685 --> 00:30:24,254 almost as disgraceful as the failing New Times's 682 00:30:24,255 --> 00:30:26,758 story yesterday. 683 00:30:26,758 --> 00:30:30,694 And it talked about -- you saw it, front page. 684 00:30:30,694 --> 00:30:34,398 So, Director of National Intelligence just put out 685 00:30:34,398 --> 00:30:38,001 -- acting -- a statement: "Any suggestion that the 686 00:30:38,001 --> 00:30:40,704 United States intelligence community" -- this was 687 00:30:40,704 --> 00:30:44,041 just given to us -- "is withholding information 688 00:30:44,041 --> 00:30:47,811 and not providing the best possible intelligence to 689 00:30:47,811 --> 00:30:52,149 the President and his national security team is 690 00:30:52,150 --> 00:30:54,018 not true." 691 00:30:54,018 --> 00:30:57,020 So they took this front-page story out of 692 00:30:57,020 --> 00:31:00,591 The Wall Street Journal -- top -- and they just wrote 693 00:31:00,592 --> 00:31:02,393 the story is not true. 694 00:31:02,393 --> 00:31:04,929 And I'll tell you something, I'll be honest 695 00:31:04,929 --> 00:31:06,730 -- because I sort of enjoy this back and forth, and I 696 00:31:06,730 --> 00:31:08,766 guess I have all my life, but I've never seen more 697 00:31:08,766 --> 00:31:10,468 dishonest media than, frankly, the 698 00:31:10,468 --> 00:31:11,702 political media. 699 00:31:11,702 --> 00:31:13,805 I thought the financial media was much better, 700 00:31:13,805 --> 00:31:15,105 much more honest. 701 00:31:15,105 --> 00:31:18,442 But I will say that I never get phone calls from 702 00:31:18,442 --> 00:31:20,912 the media. 703 00:31:20,912 --> 00:31:22,212 How do they write a story like that in The Wall 704 00:31:22,212 --> 00:31:23,347 Street Journal without asking me? 705 00:31:23,347 --> 00:31:25,582 Or how do they write a story in The New York 706 00:31:25,583 --> 00:31:28,152 Times, put it on front page? 707 00:31:28,152 --> 00:31:30,221 That was like that story they wrote about the women 708 00:31:30,221 --> 00:31:32,323 and me -- front page. 709 00:31:32,323 --> 00:31:34,525 Big massive story. 710 00:31:34,525 --> 00:31:36,561 And it was nasty. 711 00:31:36,560 --> 00:31:37,327 And then they called. 712 00:31:37,327 --> 00:31:39,463 They said, "We never said that. 713 00:31:39,463 --> 00:31:42,567 We like Mr. Trump." They called up my office -- we 714 00:31:42,567 --> 00:31:46,136 like Mr. Trump; we never said that. 715 00:31:46,136 --> 00:31:49,139 And it was totally -- they totally misrepresented 716 00:31:49,140 --> 00:31:51,976 those very wonderful women, I have to tell you 717 00:31:51,976 --> 00:31:54,279 -- totally misrepresented. 718 00:31:54,278 --> 00:31:56,446 I said, give us a retraction. 719 00:31:56,446 --> 00:31:58,582 They never gave us a retraction. 720 00:31:58,583 --> 00:32:01,219 And, frankly, I then went on to other things. 721 00:32:01,219 --> 00:32:08,058 Go ahead. 722 00:32:08,058 --> 00:32:08,425 The Press: Mr. President -- 723 00:32:08,425 --> 00:32:09,159 The President: You okay? 724 00:32:09,160 --> 00:32:10,327 The Press: I am. 725 00:32:10,327 --> 00:32:11,362 Just wanted to get untangled. 726 00:32:11,362 --> 00:32:13,531 Very simply, you said today that you had the 727 00:32:13,530 --> 00:32:14,932 biggest electoral margins since Ronald Reagan with 728 00:32:14,932 --> 00:32:17,501 304 or 306 electoral votes. 729 00:32:17,501 --> 00:32:20,370 In fact, President Obama got 365 in 2008. 730 00:32:20,371 --> 00:32:22,105 The President: Well, I'm talking about Republican. Yes. 731 00:32:22,105 --> 00:32:24,409 The Press: President Obama, 332. 732 00:32:24,409 --> 00:32:25,843 George H.W. Bush, 733 00:32:25,843 --> 00:32:29,013 426 when he won as President. 734 00:32:29,012 --> 00:32:30,280 So why should Americans trust -- 735 00:32:30,280 --> 00:32:31,316 The President: Well, no, I was told -- I was given 736 00:32:31,316 --> 00:32:32,283 that information. 737 00:32:32,282 --> 00:32:33,083 I don't know. 738 00:32:33,084 --> 00:32:33,584 I was just given. 739 00:32:33,584 --> 00:32:35,053 We had a very, very big margin. 740 00:32:35,053 --> 00:32:35,720 The Press: I guess my question is, why should 741 00:32:35,720 --> 00:32:38,489 Americans trust you when you have accused the 742 00:32:38,489 --> 00:32:40,057 information they receive of being fake when you're 743 00:32:40,057 --> 00:32:41,625 providing information that's fake? 744 00:32:41,625 --> 00:32:42,059 The President: Well, I don't know. 745 00:32:42,059 --> 00:32:43,661 I was given that information. 746 00:32:43,661 --> 00:32:45,028 I was given -- actually, I've seen that 747 00:32:45,028 --> 00:32:46,864 information around. 748 00:32:46,864 --> 00:32:48,499 But it was a very substantial victory. 749 00:32:48,499 --> 00:32:50,500 Do you agree with that? 750 00:32:50,500 --> 00:32:51,168 The Press: You're the President. 751 00:32:51,169 --> 00:32:51,703 The President: Okay, thank you. 752 00:32:51,702 --> 00:32:53,904 That's a good answer. Yes. 753 00:32:53,904 --> 00:32:55,272 The Press: Mr. President, thank you so much. 754 00:32:57,008 --> 00:32:58,875 Can you tell us in determining that 755 00:32:58,875 --> 00:33:02,779 Lieutenant General Flynn -- there was no wrongdoing 756 00:33:02,779 --> 00:33:05,750 in your mind, what evidence was weighed? 757 00:33:05,750 --> 00:33:07,518 Did you have the transcripts of these 758 00:33:07,518 --> 00:33:10,288 telephone intercepts with Russian officials, 759 00:33:10,288 --> 00:33:12,356 particularly Ambassador Kislyak, who he was 760 00:33:12,356 --> 00:33:14,959 communicating with? 761 00:33:14,959 --> 00:33:16,760 What evidence did you weigh to determine there 762 00:33:17,260 --> 00:33:18,363 was no wrong doing? 763 00:33:18,363 --> 00:33:19,897 And further than that, sir, you've said on a 764 00:33:20,498 --> 00:33:21,766 couple of occasions this morning that you were 765 00:33:22,299 --> 00:33:23,334 going to aggressively pursue the sources of 766 00:33:23,701 --> 00:33:24,302 these leaks. 767 00:33:24,301 --> 00:33:25,168 The President: We are. 768 00:33:25,169 --> 00:33:26,104 The Press: Can we ask what you're doing to do? 769 00:33:26,837 --> 00:33:28,405 And also, we've heard about a review of the 770 00:33:28,405 --> 00:33:30,107 intelligence community headed by 771 00:33:30,107 --> 00:33:31,576 Stephen Feinberg. 772 00:33:31,576 --> 00:33:32,276 What can you tell us about that? 773 00:33:32,276 --> 00:33:33,177 The President: Well, first of all, about that, we now 774 00:33:34,112 --> 00:33:35,012 have Dan Coats, hopefully soon Mike Pompeo and James 775 00:33:38,249 --> 00:33:40,284 Comey, and they're in position. 776 00:33:41,184 --> 00:33:43,488 So I hope that we'll be able to straighten that 777 00:33:43,488 --> 00:33:45,655 out without using anybody else. 778 00:33:45,655 --> 00:33:47,258 The gentleman you mentioned is a very 779 00:33:47,258 --> 00:33:49,093 talented man, very successful man. 780 00:33:49,093 --> 00:33:52,630 And he has offered his services, and it's 781 00:33:52,630 --> 00:33:53,464 something we may take advantage of. 782 00:33:53,463 --> 00:33:56,600 But I don't think we'll need that at all because 783 00:33:56,601 --> 00:33:59,036 of the fact that I think that we're going to be 784 00:33:59,036 --> 00:34:00,571 able to straighten it out very easily on its own. 785 00:34:01,271 --> 00:34:04,741 As far as the general is concerned, when I first 786 00:34:05,175 --> 00:34:08,346 heard about it, I said, huh, that doesn't 787 00:34:08,780 --> 00:34:09,447 sound wrong. 788 00:34:09,447 --> 00:34:12,114 My counsel came -- Don McGahn, White House 789 00:34:12,449 --> 00:34:16,319 Counsel -- and he told me, and I asked him, and he 790 00:34:17,288 --> 00:34:19,123 can speak very well for himself. 791 00:34:19,123 --> 00:34:23,594 He said he doesn't think anything is wrong. 792 00:34:24,228 --> 00:34:26,496 He really didn't think -- it was really what 793 00:34:27,097 --> 00:34:28,065 happened after that, but he didn't think anything 794 00:34:28,398 --> 00:34:28,833 was done wrong. 795 00:34:28,833 --> 00:34:30,001 I didn't either, because I waited a period of time 796 00:34:30,300 --> 00:34:31,469 and I started to think about it. 797 00:34:31,469 --> 00:34:33,271 I said, well, I don't see -- to me, he was 798 00:34:33,271 --> 00:34:34,472 doing the job. 799 00:34:34,472 --> 00:34:37,375 The information was provided by -- who I don't 800 00:34:37,375 --> 00:34:41,277 know -- Sally Yates -- and I was a little surprised 801 00:34:41,277 --> 00:34:44,681 because I said, doesn't sound like he did anything 802 00:34:44,681 --> 00:34:46,716 wrong there. 803 00:34:46,717 --> 00:34:49,853 But he did something wrong with respect to the Vice 804 00:34:49,853 --> 00:34:53,389 President, and I thought that was not acceptable. 805 00:34:53,391 --> 00:34:59,063 As far as the actual making the call -- in 806 00:34:59,063 --> 00:35:01,798 fact, I've watched various programs and I've read 807 00:35:01,798 --> 00:35:05,536 various articles where he was just doing his job. 808 00:35:05,536 --> 00:35:06,737 That was very normal. 809 00:35:06,737 --> 00:35:08,572 At first, everybody got excited because they 810 00:35:08,572 --> 00:35:10,074 thought he did something wrong. 811 00:35:10,074 --> 00:35:12,643 After they thought about it, it turned out he was 812 00:35:12,643 --> 00:35:14,612 just doing his job. 813 00:35:14,612 --> 00:35:17,315 So -- and I do -- and, by the way, with all of that 814 00:35:17,315 --> 00:35:19,450 being said, I do think he's a fine man. 815 00:35:19,449 --> 00:35:20,917 Yes, Jon. 816 00:35:20,918 --> 00:35:22,553 The Press: On the leaks, sir -- 817 00:35:22,552 --> 00:35:23,788 The President: Go ahead, finish off, then I'll get 818 00:35:23,788 --> 00:35:24,989 you, Jon. 819 00:35:24,989 --> 00:35:26,324 The Press: Sorry, what will you do on the leaks? 820 00:35:26,324 --> 00:35:27,458 You have said twice today -- 821 00:35:27,458 --> 00:35:28,291 The President: Yes, we're looking at it very, 822 00:35:28,291 --> 00:35:30,027 very seriously. 823 00:35:30,027 --> 00:35:33,597 I've gone to all of the folks in charge of the 824 00:35:33,597 --> 00:35:37,668 various agencies, and we're -- I've actually 825 00:35:37,668 --> 00:35:39,903 called the Justice Department to look 826 00:35:39,903 --> 00:35:40,704 into the leaks. 827 00:35:40,704 --> 00:35:42,706 Those are criminal leaks. 828 00:35:42,706 --> 00:35:45,876 They're put out by people either in agencies. 829 00:35:45,876 --> 00:35:47,844 I think you'll see it stopping because now we 830 00:35:47,844 --> 00:35:48,445 have our people in. 831 00:35:48,445 --> 00:35:50,581 You know, again, we don't have our people in because 832 00:35:50,581 --> 00:35:52,048 we can't get them approved by the Senate. 833 00:35:52,048 --> 00:35:55,887 We just had Jeff Sessions approved in Justice, 834 00:35:55,887 --> 00:35:57,321 as an example. 835 00:35:57,320 --> 00:36:00,557 So we are looking into that very seriously. 836 00:36:00,557 --> 00:36:02,326 It's a criminal act. 837 00:36:02,326 --> 00:36:04,762 You know what I say -- when I was called out on 838 00:36:04,762 --> 00:36:06,530 Mexico, I was shocked. 839 00:36:06,530 --> 00:36:07,898 Because all this equipment, all this 840 00:36:07,898 --> 00:36:09,400 incredible phone equipment. 841 00:36:09,400 --> 00:36:13,738 When I was called out on Mexico, I was -- honestly, 842 00:36:13,737 --> 00:36:15,505 I was really, really surprised. 843 00:36:15,505 --> 00:36:17,741 But I said, you know, it doesn't make sense, 844 00:36:17,742 --> 00:36:18,943 that won't happen. 845 00:36:18,943 --> 00:36:21,078 But that wasn't that important to call, 846 00:36:21,077 --> 00:36:22,012 it was fine. 847 00:36:22,012 --> 00:36:23,447 I could show it to the world and he could show it 848 00:36:23,447 --> 00:36:25,416 to the world -- the President who is a very 849 00:36:25,416 --> 00:36:26,784 fine man, by the way. 850 00:36:26,784 --> 00:36:29,820 Same thing with Australia. 851 00:36:29,820 --> 00:36:31,622 I said, that's terrible that it was leaked but it 852 00:36:31,621 --> 00:36:32,722 wasn't that important. 853 00:36:32,722 --> 00:36:34,324 But then I said, what happens when I'm dealing 854 00:36:34,324 --> 00:36:37,294 with the problem of North Korea? 855 00:36:37,295 --> 00:36:39,997 What happens when I'm dealing with the problems 856 00:36:39,996 --> 00:36:41,531 in the Middle East? 857 00:36:41,532 --> 00:36:43,401 Are you folks going to be reporting all of that 858 00:36:43,400 --> 00:36:47,070 very, very confidential information -- very 859 00:36:47,070 --> 00:36:49,639 important, very -- I mean, at the highest level, are 860 00:36:49,639 --> 00:36:51,741 you going to be reporting about that too? 861 00:36:51,742 --> 00:36:55,947 So I don't want classified information getting out to 862 00:36:55,947 --> 00:36:56,614 the public. 863 00:36:56,614 --> 00:36:58,849 And in a way, that was almost a test. 864 00:36:58,849 --> 00:37:01,686 So I'm dealing with Mexico. 865 00:37:01,686 --> 00:37:04,689 I'm dealing with Argentina. 866 00:37:04,688 --> 00:37:06,656 We were dealing on this case with Mike Flynn. 867 00:37:06,657 --> 00:37:08,826 All this information gets put into the Washington 868 00:37:08,826 --> 00:37:13,396 Post and gets put into the New York Times. 869 00:37:13,396 --> 00:37:15,199 And I'm saying, what's going to happen when I'm 870 00:37:15,199 --> 00:37:16,032 dealing on the Middle East? 871 00:37:16,032 --> 00:37:18,335 What's going to happen when I'm dealing with 872 00:37:18,335 --> 00:37:22,305 really, really important subjects like North Korea? 873 00:37:22,306 --> 00:37:24,641 We've got to stop it. 874 00:37:24,641 --> 00:37:25,942 That's why it's a criminal penalty. 875 00:37:25,943 --> 00:37:27,979 Yes, Jon. 876 00:37:27,978 --> 00:37:29,179 The Press: Thank you, Mr. President. 877 00:37:29,179 --> 00:37:31,915 I just want to get you to clarify just a very 878 00:37:31,916 --> 00:37:34,518 important point. 879 00:37:34,518 --> 00:37:36,153 Can you say definitively that nobody on your 880 00:37:36,152 --> 00:37:37,454 campaign had any contacts with the Russians during 881 00:37:37,454 --> 00:37:38,788 the campaign? 882 00:37:38,789 --> 00:37:41,425 And, on the leaks, is it fake news or are these 883 00:37:41,425 --> 00:37:43,527 real leaks? 884 00:37:43,527 --> 00:37:44,695 The President: Well, the leaks are real. 885 00:37:44,695 --> 00:37:45,997 You're the one that wrote 886 00:37:45,996 --> 00:37:47,097 about them and reported them. 887 00:37:47,097 --> 00:37:48,431 I mean, the leaks are real. 888 00:37:48,431 --> 00:37:50,333 You know what they said -- you saw it. 889 00:37:50,333 --> 00:37:52,102 And the leaks are absolutely real. 890 00:37:52,103 --> 00:37:54,572 The news is fake because so much of 891 00:37:54,572 --> 00:37:55,840 the news is fake. 892 00:37:55,840 --> 00:37:58,608 So one thing that I felt it was very important to 893 00:37:58,608 --> 00:38:01,077 do -- and I hope we can correct it, because there 894 00:38:01,077 --> 00:38:02,679 is nobody I have more respect for -- well, maybe 895 00:38:02,679 --> 00:38:04,815 a little bit -- than reporters, 896 00:38:04,815 --> 00:38:06,083 than good reporters. 897 00:38:06,083 --> 00:38:08,586 It's very important to me, 898 00:38:08,585 --> 00:38:10,086 and especially in this position. 899 00:38:10,086 --> 00:38:11,489 It's very important. 900 00:38:11,489 --> 00:38:13,324 I don't mind bad stories. 901 00:38:13,324 --> 00:38:16,693 I can handle a bad story better than anybody as 902 00:38:16,693 --> 00:38:18,262 long as it's true. 903 00:38:18,262 --> 00:38:20,530 And over a course of time, I'll make mistakes and 904 00:38:20,530 --> 00:38:23,266 you'll write badly and I'm okay with that. 905 00:38:23,266 --> 00:38:26,469 But I'm not okay when it is fake. 906 00:38:26,469 --> 00:38:30,040 I mean, I watch CNN -- it's so much anger and 907 00:38:30,041 --> 00:38:33,044 hatred and just the hatred. 908 00:38:33,043 --> 00:38:35,545 I don't watch it anymore because it's very good -- 909 00:38:35,545 --> 00:38:36,480 he's saying no. 910 00:38:36,480 --> 00:38:37,815 It's okay, Jim. 911 00:38:37,815 --> 00:38:38,481 It's okay, Jim. 912 00:38:38,481 --> 00:38:39,583 You'll have your chance. 913 00:38:39,583 --> 00:38:41,619 But I watch others too. 914 00:38:41,619 --> 00:38:43,721 You're not the only one, so don't feel badly. 915 00:38:43,721 --> 00:38:45,956 But I think it should be straight. 916 00:38:45,956 --> 00:38:47,324 I think it should be -- I think it would be, 917 00:38:47,324 --> 00:38:48,526 frankly, more interesting. 918 00:38:48,525 --> 00:38:50,326 I know how good everybody's ratings are 919 00:38:50,327 --> 00:38:51,829 right now, but I think that actually would be -- 920 00:38:51,829 --> 00:38:55,700 I think that it would actually be better. 921 00:38:55,699 --> 00:38:57,600 People -- I mean, you have a lower approval 922 00:38:57,601 --> 00:38:58,602 rate than Congress. 923 00:38:58,601 --> 00:39:00,304 I think that's right. 924 00:39:00,304 --> 00:39:01,572 I don't know, Peter, is that one right? 925 00:39:01,572 --> 00:39:03,407 Because you know, I think they have lower -- I 926 00:39:03,407 --> 00:39:05,276 heard, lower than Congress. 927 00:39:05,275 --> 00:39:08,913 But honestly, the public would appreciate it. 928 00:39:08,913 --> 00:39:09,847 I'd appreciate it. 929 00:39:09,847 --> 00:39:13,384 Again, I don't mind bad stories when it's true. 930 00:39:13,384 --> 00:39:16,454 But we have an administration where the 931 00:39:16,454 --> 00:39:19,323 Democrats are making it very difficult. 932 00:39:19,322 --> 00:39:21,625 I think we're setting a record, or close to a 933 00:39:21,625 --> 00:39:24,461 record in the time of approval of a Cabinet. 934 00:39:24,461 --> 00:39:25,730 I mean, the numbers are crazy. 935 00:39:25,730 --> 00:39:27,398 When I'm looking -- some of them had them approved 936 00:39:27,398 --> 00:39:28,298 immediately. 937 00:39:28,298 --> 00:39:30,668 I'm going forever, and I still have a lot of people 938 00:39:30,668 --> 00:39:32,303 that we're waiting for. 939 00:39:32,302 --> 00:39:34,672 And that's all they're doing, is delaying. 940 00:39:34,672 --> 00:39:36,639 And you look at Schumer and the mess that he's got 941 00:39:36,639 --> 00:39:39,743 over there, and they have nothing going. 942 00:39:39,744 --> 00:39:42,079 The only thing they can do is delay. 943 00:39:42,079 --> 00:39:45,249 And you know, I think they'd be better served by 944 00:39:45,248 --> 00:39:48,318 approving and making sure that they're happy and 945 00:39:48,318 --> 00:39:50,487 everybody is good. 946 00:39:50,487 --> 00:39:52,623 And sometimes, I mean -- I know President Obama lost 947 00:39:52,623 --> 00:39:55,226 three or four, and you lose them on the way. 948 00:39:55,226 --> 00:39:55,960 And that's okay. 949 00:39:55,960 --> 00:39:57,228 That's fine. 950 00:39:57,228 --> 00:40:01,231 But I think they would be much better served, Jon, 951 00:40:01,231 --> 00:40:04,134 if they just went through the process quickly. 952 00:40:04,135 --> 00:40:06,771 This is pure delay tactics. 953 00:40:06,771 --> 00:40:09,039 And they say it, and everybody understands it. 954 00:40:09,039 --> 00:40:11,041 Yeah, go ahead, Jim. 955 00:40:11,041 --> 00:40:11,742 The Press: The first part of my 956 00:40:11,742 --> 00:40:13,210 question on contacts. 957 00:40:13,210 --> 00:40:14,778 Do you definitively say that nobody -- 958 00:40:14,778 --> 00:40:16,313 The President: Well, I had nothing to do with it. 959 00:40:16,313 --> 00:40:17,782 I have nothing to do with Russia. 960 00:40:17,782 --> 00:40:20,284 I told you, I have no deals there. 961 00:40:20,284 --> 00:40:20,985 I have no anything. 962 00:40:20,985 --> 00:40:23,921 Now, when WikiLeaks, which I had nothing to do with, 963 00:40:23,920 --> 00:40:26,790 comes out and happens to give -- they're not giving 964 00:40:26,791 --> 00:40:28,526 classified information. 965 00:40:28,525 --> 00:40:30,960 They're giving stuff -- what was said at an office 966 00:40:30,960 --> 00:40:33,863 about Hillary cheating on the debates -- which, by 967 00:40:33,864 --> 00:40:35,632 the way, nobody mentions. 968 00:40:35,632 --> 00:40:39,169 Nobody mentions that Hillary received the 969 00:40:39,170 --> 00:40:41,905 questions to the debates. 970 00:40:41,905 --> 00:40:44,842 Can you imagine -- seriously, can you imagine 971 00:40:44,842 --> 00:40:48,077 if I received the questions? 972 00:40:48,077 --> 00:40:52,550 It would be the electric chair, okay? 973 00:40:52,550 --> 00:40:55,085 "He should be put in the electric chair." 974 00:40:55,085 --> 00:40:57,588 You would even call for the reinstitution of the 975 00:40:57,588 --> 00:40:59,490 death penalty, okay? 976 00:40:59,489 --> 00:41:00,824 Maybe not you, Jon. 977 00:41:00,824 --> 00:41:02,058 Yes, we'll do you next, Jim. 978 00:41:02,059 --> 00:41:02,993 I'll do you next. Yes? 979 00:41:02,992 --> 00:41:04,027 The Press: Thank you, Mr. President. 980 00:41:04,027 --> 00:41:05,562 I just want to clarify one other thing. 981 00:41:05,563 --> 00:41:06,230 The President: Sure. 982 00:41:06,230 --> 00:41:08,498 The Press: Did you direct Mike Flynn to discuss the 983 00:41:08,498 --> 00:41:10,233 sanctions with the Russian ambassador? 984 00:41:10,233 --> 00:41:10,668 The President: No, I didn't. 985 00:41:10,668 --> 00:41:11,902 No, I didn't. 986 00:41:11,902 --> 00:41:12,769 The Press: (Inaudible.) (Off mic.) 987 00:41:12,769 --> 00:41:13,336 The President: No, I didn't. 988 00:41:13,336 --> 00:41:15,639 The Press: Did you fire him because (inaudible) -- 989 00:41:15,639 --> 00:41:16,907 The President: Excuse me -- no, I fired him because 990 00:41:16,907 --> 00:41:19,777 of what he said to Mike Pence, very simple. 991 00:41:19,777 --> 00:41:21,846 Mike was doing his job. 992 00:41:21,846 --> 00:41:24,914 He was calling countries and his counterparts. 993 00:41:24,914 --> 00:41:26,683 So it certainly would have been okay with 994 00:41:26,684 --> 00:41:27,685 me if he did it. 995 00:41:27,684 --> 00:41:29,253 I would have directed him to do it if I thought he 996 00:41:29,253 --> 00:41:30,588 wasn't doing it. 997 00:41:30,588 --> 00:41:33,524 I didn't direct him but I would have directed him 998 00:41:33,523 --> 00:41:35,692 because that's his job. 999 00:41:35,693 --> 00:41:38,028 And it came out that way -- and, in all fairness, I 1000 00:41:38,027 --> 00:41:41,931 watched Dr. Charles Krauthammer the other 1001 00:41:41,931 --> 00:41:46,870 night say he was doing his job. 1002 00:41:46,871 --> 00:41:49,340 And I agreed with him. 1003 00:41:49,340 --> 00:41:50,608 And since then I've watched many other 1004 00:41:50,608 --> 00:41:51,408 people say that. 1005 00:41:51,407 --> 00:41:53,376 No, I didn't direct him, but I would have directed 1006 00:41:53,376 --> 00:41:56,112 him if he didn't do it, okay? Jim. 1007 00:41:56,112 --> 00:41:57,380 The Press: Mr. President, thank you very much. 1008 00:41:57,380 --> 00:41:58,882 And just for the record, we don't hate you, 1009 00:41:58,882 --> 00:41:59,949 I don't hate you. 1010 00:41:59,949 --> 00:42:00,984 If you could pass that along. 1011 00:42:00,985 --> 00:42:01,751 The President: Okay. 1012 00:42:01,751 --> 00:42:04,188 Well, ask Jeff Zucker how he got his job, okay? 1013 00:42:04,188 --> 00:42:07,090 The Press: If I may follow up on some of the 1014 00:42:07,090 --> 00:42:08,224 questions that have taken place so far, sir. 1015 00:42:08,224 --> 00:42:09,793 The President: Well, not too many. 1016 00:42:09,793 --> 00:42:11,195 We do have other people. 1017 00:42:11,195 --> 00:42:13,397 You do have other people, and your ratings aren't as 1018 00:42:13,396 --> 00:42:15,231 good as some of the other people that are waiting. 1019 00:42:15,231 --> 00:42:16,065 The Press: They're pretty good right now, actually. 1020 00:42:16,065 --> 00:42:16,699 The President: Okay. 1021 00:42:16,699 --> 00:42:17,768 Go ahead, Jim. 1022 00:42:17,768 --> 00:42:20,371 The Press: If I may ask, sir, you said earlier that 1023 00:42:20,371 --> 00:42:24,375 WikiLeaks was revealing information about the 1024 00:42:24,375 --> 00:42:27,710 Hillary Clinton campaign during the election cycle. 1025 00:42:27,710 --> 00:42:29,312 You welcomed that at one point. 1026 00:42:29,313 --> 00:42:30,047 The President: I was okay with it. 1027 00:42:30,047 --> 00:42:32,215 The Press: You said you loved WikiLeaks. 1028 00:42:32,215 --> 00:42:34,918 At another campaign press conference you called on 1029 00:42:34,918 --> 00:42:39,255 the Russians to find the missing 30,000 emails. 1030 00:42:39,255 --> 00:42:40,391 I'm wondering, sir, if you -- 1031 00:42:40,391 --> 00:42:41,291 The President: Well, she was actually missing 1032 00:42:41,291 --> 00:42:44,027 33,000, and then that got extended with a whole pile 1033 00:42:44,027 --> 00:42:44,794 after that, but that's okay. 1034 00:42:44,795 --> 00:42:45,396 The Press: Maybe my numbers are off a 1035 00:42:45,396 --> 00:42:45,930 little bit too. 1036 00:42:45,929 --> 00:42:46,963 The President: No, no, but I did say 30,000, but it 1037 00:42:46,963 --> 00:42:47,764 was actually higher than that. 1038 00:42:47,764 --> 00:42:49,098 The Press: If I may ask you, sir, it sounds as 1039 00:42:49,099 --> 00:42:52,303 though you do not have much credibility here when 1040 00:42:52,302 --> 00:42:55,239 it comes to leaking if that is something that you 1041 00:42:55,239 --> 00:42:56,340 encouraged in the campaign. 1042 00:42:56,340 --> 00:42:57,474 The President: Okay, fair question. Ready? 1043 00:42:57,474 --> 00:42:58,509 The Press: So if I may ask you that -- if I may ask a 1044 00:42:58,509 --> 00:42:59,175 follow-up -- 1045 00:42:59,175 --> 00:42:59,777 The President: No, no, but are you -- let me do one 1046 00:42:59,777 --> 00:43:00,244 at a time. 1047 00:43:00,244 --> 00:43:01,010 Do you mind? 1048 00:43:01,010 --> 00:43:01,445 The Press: Yes, sir. 1049 00:43:01,445 --> 00:43:02,379 The President: All right. 1050 00:43:02,378 --> 00:43:05,081 So in one case you're talking about highly 1051 00:43:05,081 --> 00:43:07,451 classified information. 1052 00:43:07,451 --> 00:43:10,753 In the other case you're talking about John Podesta 1053 00:43:10,753 --> 00:43:11,554 saying bad things about the boss. 1054 00:43:11,554 --> 00:43:14,590 I will say this: If John Podesta said that about me 1055 00:43:14,590 --> 00:43:16,025 and he was working for me, I would have fired him so 1056 00:43:16,025 --> 00:43:17,694 fast your head would have spun. 1057 00:43:17,695 --> 00:43:19,663 He said terrible things about her. 1058 00:43:19,663 --> 00:43:22,166 But it wasn't classified information. 1059 00:43:22,166 --> 00:43:23,667 But in one case you're talking about classified. 1060 00:43:23,666 --> 00:43:27,337 Regardless, if you look at the RNC, we had a very 1061 00:43:27,338 --> 00:43:29,773 strong -- at my suggestion -- and I give Reince great 1062 00:43:29,773 --> 00:43:33,510 credit for this -- at my suggestion, because I know 1063 00:43:33,510 --> 00:43:36,413 something about this world, I said I want a 1064 00:43:36,413 --> 00:43:39,983 very strong defensive mechanism. 1065 00:43:39,983 --> 00:43:42,286 I don't want to be hacked. 1066 00:43:42,286 --> 00:43:45,121 And we did that, and you have seen that they tried 1067 00:43:45,121 --> 00:43:47,123 to hack us and they failed. 1068 00:43:47,123 --> 00:43:50,727 The DNC did not do that. 1069 00:43:50,728 --> 00:43:52,195 And if they did it, they could not have 1070 00:43:52,195 --> 00:43:53,896 been hacked. 1071 00:43:53,896 --> 00:43:55,498 But they were hacked, and terrible things came. 1072 00:43:55,498 --> 00:43:58,034 And the only thing that I do think is unfair is some 1073 00:43:58,034 --> 00:44:00,536 of the things were so -- they were -- when I heard 1074 00:44:00,536 --> 00:44:02,239 some of those things, I said -- I picked up the 1075 00:44:02,239 --> 00:44:03,639 papers the next morning, I said, oh, this is going 1076 00:44:03,639 --> 00:44:04,775 to front page. 1077 00:44:04,775 --> 00:44:06,744 It wasn't even in the papers. 1078 00:44:06,744 --> 00:44:10,581 Again, if I had that happen to me, it would be 1079 00:44:10,581 --> 00:44:12,950 the biggest story in the history of publishing or 1080 00:44:12,949 --> 00:44:14,550 the head of newspapers. 1081 00:44:14,550 --> 00:44:16,186 I would have been the headline 1082 00:44:16,186 --> 00:44:17,688 in every newspaper. 1083 00:44:17,688 --> 00:44:19,490 I mean, think of it. 1084 00:44:19,489 --> 00:44:22,125 They gave her the questions for the debate, 1085 00:44:22,126 --> 00:44:24,961 and she should have reported herself. 1086 00:44:24,961 --> 00:44:27,764 Why didn't Hillary Clinton announce that, "I'm sorry, 1087 00:44:27,764 --> 00:44:31,969 but I have been given the questions to a debate or a 1088 00:44:31,969 --> 00:44:37,441 town hall, and I feel that it's inappropriate, and I 1089 00:44:37,440 --> 00:44:41,010 want to turn in CNN for not doing a good job"? 1090 00:44:41,010 --> 00:44:42,445 The Press: And if I may follow up on that, just 1091 00:44:42,445 --> 00:44:44,148 something that Jonathan Karl was asking you about 1092 00:44:44,148 --> 00:44:46,416 -- you said that the leaks are real, but 1093 00:44:46,416 --> 00:44:47,583 the news is fake. 1094 00:44:47,583 --> 00:44:49,286 I guess I don't understand. 1095 00:44:49,286 --> 00:44:50,788 It seems that there is a disconnect there. 1096 00:44:50,788 --> 00:44:53,891 If the information coming from those leaks is real, 1097 00:44:53,891 --> 00:44:55,291 then how can the stories be fake? 1098 00:44:55,291 --> 00:44:56,293 The President: Well, the reporting is fake. 1099 00:44:56,293 --> 00:44:57,327 Look, look -- 1100 00:44:57,327 --> 00:44:58,128 The Press: And if I may ask -- I just want to ask 1101 00:44:58,128 --> 00:44:58,862 one other question. 1102 00:44:58,862 --> 00:44:59,762 The President: Jim, you know what it is? 1103 00:44:59,762 --> 00:45:00,797 Here's the thing. 1104 00:45:00,797 --> 00:45:02,165 The public isn't -- they read newspapers, they see 1105 00:45:02,166 --> 00:45:04,535 television, they watch. 1106 00:45:04,534 --> 00:45:07,670 They don't know if it's true or false because 1107 00:45:07,670 --> 00:45:09,505 they're not involved. 1108 00:45:09,505 --> 00:45:10,139 I'm involved. 1109 00:45:10,139 --> 00:45:12,208 I've been involved with this stuff all my life. 1110 00:45:12,208 --> 00:45:14,510 But I'm involved. 1111 00:45:14,510 --> 00:45:16,246 So I know when you're telling the truth or when 1112 00:45:16,246 --> 00:45:17,614 you're not. 1113 00:45:17,614 --> 00:45:20,349 I just see many, many untruthful things. 1114 00:45:20,349 --> 00:45:21,451 And I tell you what else I see. 1115 00:45:21,452 --> 00:45:22,286 I see tone. 1116 00:45:22,286 --> 00:45:23,921 You know the word "tone." 1117 00:45:23,920 --> 00:45:27,390 The tone is such hatred. 1118 00:45:27,391 --> 00:45:29,226 I'm really not a bad person, by the way. 1119 00:45:29,226 --> 00:45:31,829 No, but the tone is such -- I do get good ratings, 1120 00:45:31,829 --> 00:45:33,097 you have to admit that. 1121 00:45:33,097 --> 00:45:36,934 The tone is such hatred. 1122 00:45:36,934 --> 00:45:39,870 I watched this morning a couple of the networks, 1123 00:45:39,869 --> 00:45:42,705 and I have to say "Fox & Friends" in the morning, 1124 00:45:42,706 --> 00:45:45,275 they're very honorable people. 1125 00:45:45,275 --> 00:45:46,910 They're very -- not because they're good, 1126 00:45:46,909 --> 00:45:50,346 because they hit me also when I do something wrong. 1127 00:45:50,347 --> 00:45:53,650 But they have the most honest morning show. 1128 00:45:53,650 --> 00:45:54,485 That's all I can say. 1129 00:45:54,485 --> 00:45:55,052 It's the most honest. 1130 00:45:55,052 --> 00:45:57,121 But the tone, Jim. 1131 00:45:57,121 --> 00:45:59,956 If you look -- the hatred. 1132 00:45:59,956 --> 00:46:01,257 I mean, sometimes -- sometimes somebody gets -- 1133 00:46:01,257 --> 00:46:02,358 The Press: (Off mic.) 1134 00:46:02,358 --> 00:46:04,061 The President: Well, you look at your show that 1135 00:46:04,061 --> 00:46:07,164 goes on at 10 o'clock in the evening. 1136 00:46:07,164 --> 00:46:08,699 You just take a look at that show. 1137 00:46:08,699 --> 00:46:10,601 That is a constant hit. 1138 00:46:10,601 --> 00:46:14,271 The panel is almost always exclusive anti-Trump. 1139 00:46:14,271 --> 00:46:16,173 The good news is he doesn't have good ratings. 1140 00:46:16,172 --> 00:46:20,009 But the panel is almost exclusive anti-Trump. 1141 00:46:20,010 --> 00:46:23,580 And the hatred and venom coming from his mouth, the 1142 00:46:23,579 --> 00:46:27,150 hatred coming from other people on your network. 1143 00:46:27,150 --> 00:46:28,684 Now, I will say this. 1144 00:46:28,684 --> 00:46:31,054 I watch it. 1145 00:46:31,054 --> 00:46:32,489 I see it. 1146 00:46:32,489 --> 00:46:35,057 I'm amazed by it. 1147 00:46:35,057 --> 00:46:36,893 And I just think you'd be a lot better off -- I 1148 00:46:36,893 --> 00:46:37,894 honestly do. 1149 00:46:37,894 --> 00:46:39,163 The public gets it, you know. 1150 00:46:39,163 --> 00:46:40,664 Look, when I go to rallies, they turn around, 1151 00:46:40,664 --> 00:46:41,965 they start screaming at CNN. 1152 00:46:41,965 --> 00:46:43,800 They want to throw their placards at CNN. 1153 00:46:43,800 --> 00:46:49,539 I think you would do much better by being different. 1154 00:46:49,539 --> 00:46:50,541 But you just take a look. 1155 00:46:50,541 --> 00:46:52,576 Take a look at some of your shows in the morning 1156 00:46:52,576 --> 00:46:54,610 and the evening. 1157 00:46:54,610 --> 00:46:56,579 If a guest comes out and says something positive 1158 00:46:56,579 --> 00:46:59,715 about me, it's brutal. 1159 00:46:59,715 --> 00:47:01,018 Now, they'll take this news conference. 1160 00:47:01,018 --> 00:47:02,920 I'm actually having a very good time, okay? 1161 00:47:02,920 --> 00:47:04,820 But they'll take this news conference -- don't forget 1162 00:47:04,820 --> 00:47:06,222 that's the way I won. 1163 00:47:06,222 --> 00:47:07,623 Remember, I used to give you a news conference 1164 00:47:07,623 --> 00:47:08,958 every time I made a speech, which was like 1165 00:47:08,958 --> 00:47:10,059 every day. 1166 00:47:10,059 --> 00:47:10,960 The Press: (Off mic.) 1167 00:47:10,960 --> 00:47:12,028 The President: No, that's how I won. 1168 00:47:12,028 --> 00:47:13,262 I won with news conferences and 1169 00:47:13,262 --> 00:47:14,163 probably speeches. 1170 00:47:14,164 --> 00:47:16,233 I certainly didn't win by people listening to you 1171 00:47:16,233 --> 00:47:17,768 people, that's for sure. 1172 00:47:17,768 --> 00:47:19,202 But I am having a good time. 1173 00:47:19,202 --> 00:47:22,605 Tomorrow they will say, Donald Trump rants and 1174 00:47:22,606 --> 00:47:23,840 raves at the press. 1175 00:47:23,840 --> 00:47:24,942 I'm not ranting and raving. 1176 00:47:24,942 --> 00:47:26,909 I'm just telling you, you're dishonest people. 1177 00:47:26,909 --> 00:47:29,346 But -- but I'm not ranting and raving. 1178 00:47:29,346 --> 00:47:29,947 I love this. 1179 00:47:29,947 --> 00:47:31,882 I'm having a good time doing it. 1180 00:47:31,882 --> 00:47:34,318 But tomorrow the headlines are going to be: 1181 00:47:34,318 --> 00:47:37,287 Donald Trump Rants and Raves. 1182 00:47:37,286 --> 00:47:37,987 I'm not ranting and raving. 1183 00:47:37,987 --> 00:47:38,688 The Press: If I may just -- 1184 00:47:38,688 --> 00:47:39,155 The President: Go ahead. 1185 00:47:39,155 --> 00:47:39,989 The Press: One more follow-up because -- 1186 00:47:39,989 --> 00:47:40,623 The President: Should I let him have 1187 00:47:40,623 --> 00:47:41,357 a little bit more? 1188 00:47:41,358 --> 00:47:42,192 What do you think, Peter? 1189 00:47:42,192 --> 00:47:43,460 The Press: Just because of this -- 1190 00:47:43,460 --> 00:47:44,293 The President: Peter, should I have let him have 1191 00:47:44,293 --> 00:47:44,894 a little bit more? 1192 00:47:44,894 --> 00:47:45,262 Sit down. 1193 00:47:45,262 --> 00:47:46,129 Sit down. 1194 00:47:46,128 --> 00:47:47,063 The Press: Just because of the attack -- 1195 00:47:47,063 --> 00:47:47,530 The President: We'll get it. 1196 00:47:47,530 --> 00:47:48,864 The Press: Just because of the attack of fake news 1197 00:47:48,864 --> 00:47:51,634 and attacking our network, I just want to ask you, sir -- 1198 00:47:51,635 --> 00:47:52,603 The President: I'm changing it from fake 1199 00:47:52,603 --> 00:47:53,503 news, though. 1200 00:47:53,503 --> 00:47:54,571 The Press: Doesn't that undermine -- 1201 00:47:54,570 --> 00:47:55,538 The President: Very fake news now. 1202 00:47:55,539 --> 00:47:57,708 (Laughter.) 1203 00:47:57,708 --> 00:47:59,343 The Press: But aren't you -- 1204 00:47:59,342 --> 00:48:00,243 The President: Yes, go ahead. 1205 00:48:00,244 --> 00:48:01,178 The Press: Real news, Mr. President. 1206 00:48:01,177 --> 00:48:01,978 Real news. 1207 00:48:01,978 --> 00:48:03,413 The President: And you're not related to our new -- 1208 00:48:03,413 --> 00:48:05,048 The Press: I am not related, sir, no. 1209 00:48:05,047 --> 00:48:07,917 (Laughter.) I do like the sound of Secretary Acosta, 1210 00:48:07,918 --> 00:48:08,518 I must say. 1211 00:48:08,518 --> 00:48:09,786 The President: I looked -- you know, I looked 1212 00:48:09,786 --> 00:48:11,088 at that name. 1213 00:48:11,088 --> 00:48:11,722 I said, wait a minute, is there any relation there? 1214 00:48:11,722 --> 00:48:12,689 Alex Acosta. 1215 00:48:12,688 --> 00:48:13,856 The Press: I'm sure you checked that out, sir. 1216 00:48:13,856 --> 00:48:14,523 The President: No, I checked it. 1217 00:48:14,523 --> 00:48:15,659 I said -- they said, no, sir. 1218 00:48:15,659 --> 00:48:17,394 I said, do me a favor, go back and check 1219 00:48:17,393 --> 00:48:18,961 the family tree. 1220 00:48:18,961 --> 00:48:21,197 The Press: But aren't you concerned, sir, that you 1221 00:48:21,197 --> 00:48:23,567 are undermining the people's faith in the 1222 00:48:23,567 --> 00:48:26,269 First Amendment freedom of the press, the press in 1223 00:48:26,269 --> 00:48:28,739 this country when you call stories you don't like 1224 00:48:28,739 --> 00:48:29,940 "fake news"? 1225 00:48:29,940 --> 00:48:32,275 Why not just say it's a story I don't like? 1226 00:48:32,275 --> 00:48:32,875 The President: I do that. 1227 00:48:32,876 --> 00:48:33,677 The Press: When you call it fake news, you're 1228 00:48:33,677 --> 00:48:35,045 undermining confidence -- 1229 00:48:35,045 --> 00:48:35,746 The President: No, I do that. 1230 00:48:35,746 --> 00:48:36,980 No, no, I do that. 1231 00:48:36,980 --> 00:48:37,880 The Press: -- in our news media. 1232 00:48:37,880 --> 00:48:38,382 The President: Here's the thing. 1233 00:48:38,382 --> 00:48:38,914 The Press: Isn't that important? 1234 00:48:38,914 --> 00:48:39,715 The President: Okay, I understand -- and you're 1235 00:48:39,715 --> 00:48:40,583 right about that except this. 1236 00:48:40,583 --> 00:48:42,184 See, I know when I should get good and when I should 1237 00:48:42,184 --> 00:48:43,387 get bad. 1238 00:48:43,387 --> 00:48:45,489 And sometimes I'll say, wow, that's going to be a 1239 00:48:45,489 --> 00:48:47,990 great story, and I'll get killed. 1240 00:48:47,990 --> 00:48:49,192 I know what's good and bad. 1241 00:48:49,192 --> 00:48:50,327 I'd be a pretty good reporter -- not 1242 00:48:50,327 --> 00:48:51,662 as good as you. 1243 00:48:51,661 --> 00:48:53,195 But I know what's good. 1244 00:48:53,195 --> 00:48:54,764 I know what's bad. 1245 00:48:54,764 --> 00:48:57,833 And when they change it and make it really bad -- 1246 00:48:57,833 --> 00:48:59,268 something that should be positive. 1247 00:48:59,268 --> 00:49:01,237 Sometimes something that should be very positive, 1248 00:49:01,237 --> 00:49:02,938 they'll make okay. 1249 00:49:02,938 --> 00:49:04,473 They'll even make it negative. 1250 00:49:04,474 --> 00:49:06,910 So I understand it because I'm there. 1251 00:49:06,909 --> 00:49:07,844 I know what was said. 1252 00:49:07,844 --> 00:49:09,713 I know who is saying it. 1253 00:49:09,713 --> 00:49:10,647 I'm there. 1254 00:49:10,646 --> 00:49:11,614 So it's very important to me. 1255 00:49:11,614 --> 00:49:14,450 Look, I want to see an honest press. 1256 00:49:14,451 --> 00:49:17,186 When I started off today by saying that it's so 1257 00:49:17,186 --> 00:49:19,389 important to the public to get an honest press. 1258 00:49:19,389 --> 00:49:21,157 The press -- the public doesn't believe you 1259 00:49:21,157 --> 00:49:23,293 people anymore. 1260 00:49:23,293 --> 00:49:24,260 Now, maybe I had something to do with 1261 00:49:24,260 --> 00:49:25,594 that, I don't know. 1262 00:49:25,594 --> 00:49:26,529 But they don't believe you. 1263 00:49:26,530 --> 00:49:31,668 If you were straight and really told it like it is, 1264 00:49:31,668 --> 00:49:34,570 as Howard Cosell used to say, right? 1265 00:49:34,570 --> 00:49:36,873 Of course, he had some questions also. 1266 00:49:36,873 --> 00:49:39,675 But if you were straight, I would be your biggest 1267 00:49:39,675 --> 00:49:42,144 booster, I would be your biggest fan in the world 1268 00:49:42,144 --> 00:49:44,847 -- including bad stories about me. 1269 00:49:44,847 --> 00:49:48,018 But if you go -- as an example, you're CNN -- I 1270 00:49:48,018 --> 00:49:52,822 mean, it's story after story after story is bad. 1271 00:49:52,822 --> 00:49:55,725 I won. I won. 1272 00:49:55,726 --> 00:49:56,960 And the other thing: Chaos. 1273 00:49:56,960 --> 00:49:58,795 There's zero chaos. 1274 00:49:58,795 --> 00:50:02,199 We are running -- this is a fine-tuned machine. 1275 00:50:02,199 --> 00:50:04,334 And Reince happens to be doing a good job. 1276 00:50:04,333 --> 00:50:05,935 But half of his job is putting out 1277 00:50:05,936 --> 00:50:08,204 lies by the press. 1278 00:50:08,204 --> 00:50:10,940 I said to him yesterday, this whole Russia scam 1279 00:50:10,940 --> 00:50:13,576 that you guys are building so that you don't talk 1280 00:50:13,577 --> 00:50:16,346 about the real subject, which is illegal leaks. 1281 00:50:16,346 --> 00:50:20,583 But I watched him yesterday working so hard 1282 00:50:20,583 --> 00:50:24,587 to try and get that story proper. 1283 00:50:24,588 --> 00:50:26,790 And I'm saying, here's my Chief of Staff, a really 1284 00:50:26,789 --> 00:50:30,059 good guy, did a phenomenal job at RNC. 1285 00:50:30,059 --> 00:50:32,429 I mean, we won the election, right? 1286 00:50:32,429 --> 00:50:34,131 We won the presidency. 1287 00:50:34,130 --> 00:50:35,364 We got some senators. 1288 00:50:35,364 --> 00:50:37,133 We got some -- all over the country, you take a 1289 00:50:37,134 --> 00:50:38,835 look, he's done a great job. 1290 00:50:38,835 --> 00:50:40,170 And I said to myself, you know -- and I said to 1291 00:50:40,170 --> 00:50:41,738 somebody that was in the room -- I said, you take a 1292 00:50:41,737 --> 00:50:43,906 look at Reince, he's working so hard just 1293 00:50:43,907 --> 00:50:47,210 putting out fires that are fake fires. 1294 00:50:47,210 --> 00:50:48,612 They're fake. 1295 00:50:48,612 --> 00:50:50,780 They're not true. 1296 00:50:50,780 --> 00:50:52,581 And isn't that a shame, because he'd rather be 1297 00:50:52,581 --> 00:50:54,583 working on health care. 1298 00:50:54,583 --> 00:50:57,153 He'd rather be working on tax reform, Jim. 1299 00:50:57,153 --> 00:50:58,288 I mean that. 1300 00:50:58,288 --> 00:50:59,789 I would be your biggest fan in the world if you 1301 00:50:59,789 --> 00:51:00,757 treated me right. 1302 00:51:00,757 --> 00:51:02,826 I sort of understand there's a certain bias, 1303 00:51:02,826 --> 00:51:06,596 maybe by Jeff or somebody -- for whatever reason. 1304 00:51:06,596 --> 00:51:08,931 And I understand that. 1305 00:51:08,931 --> 00:51:11,267 But you've got to be at least a little bit fair. 1306 00:51:11,268 --> 00:51:12,936 And that's why the public sees it -- they see it. 1307 00:51:12,936 --> 00:51:15,005 They see it's not fair. 1308 00:51:15,005 --> 00:51:17,173 You take a look at some of your shows and you see the 1309 00:51:17,173 --> 00:51:19,608 bias and the hatred. 1310 00:51:19,608 --> 00:51:21,043 And the public is smart. 1311 00:51:21,043 --> 00:51:22,445 They understand it. 1312 00:51:22,445 --> 00:51:25,347 Okay, yeah, go ahead. 1313 00:51:25,347 --> 00:51:26,550 The Press: We have no doubt that your latest 1314 00:51:26,550 --> 00:51:27,951 story is (inaudible). 1315 00:51:27,951 --> 00:51:30,186 But for those who believe that there is something to 1316 00:51:30,186 --> 00:51:33,255 it, is there anything that you have learned over 1317 00:51:33,255 --> 00:51:35,826 these last few weeks that you might be able to 1318 00:51:35,826 --> 00:51:38,494 reveal that might ease their concerns that this 1319 00:51:38,494 --> 00:51:39,496 isn't fake news? 1320 00:51:39,496 --> 00:51:40,130 And secondly -- 1321 00:51:40,130 --> 00:51:41,231 The President: I think they don't believe it. 1322 00:51:41,231 --> 00:51:42,399 I don't think the public would. 1323 00:51:42,398 --> 00:51:43,933 That's why the Rasmussen poll just has me through 1324 00:51:43,934 --> 00:51:45,302 the roof. 1325 00:51:45,302 --> 00:51:47,804 I don't think they believe it. 1326 00:51:47,804 --> 00:51:49,773 Well, I guess one of the reasons I'm here today is 1327 00:51:49,773 --> 00:51:52,275 to tell you the whole Russian thing -- 1328 00:51:52,275 --> 00:51:53,343 that's a ruse. 1329 00:51:53,342 --> 00:51:54,677 That's a ruse. 1330 00:51:54,677 --> 00:51:58,714 And, by the way, it would be great if we could get 1331 00:51:58,715 --> 00:52:00,983 along with Russia, just so you understand that. 1332 00:52:00,983 --> 00:52:03,052 Now, tomorrow you'll say, Donald Trump wants to get 1333 00:52:03,052 --> 00:52:05,688 along with Russia, this is terrible. 1334 00:52:05,688 --> 00:52:07,123 It's not terrible -- it's good. 1335 00:52:07,123 --> 00:52:10,393 We had Hillary Clinton try and do a reset. 1336 00:52:10,393 --> 00:52:14,597 We had Hillary Clinton give Russia 20 percent of 1337 00:52:14,597 --> 00:52:18,034 the uranium in our country. 1338 00:52:18,034 --> 00:52:19,503 You know what uranium is, right? 1339 00:52:19,503 --> 00:52:20,769 It's this thing called nuclear weapons 1340 00:52:20,769 --> 00:52:21,871 and other things. 1341 00:52:21,871 --> 00:52:24,740 Like, lots of things are done with uranium, 1342 00:52:24,740 --> 00:52:26,443 including some bad things. 1343 00:52:26,443 --> 00:52:29,880 Nobody talks about that. 1344 00:52:29,880 --> 00:52:31,314 I didn't do anything for Russia. 1345 00:52:31,313 --> 00:52:33,349 I've done nothing for Russia. 1346 00:52:33,349 --> 00:52:36,085 Hillary Clinton gave them 20 percent of our uranium. 1347 00:52:36,085 --> 00:52:37,987 Hillary Clinton did a reset, remember, with the 1348 00:52:37,987 --> 00:52:40,556 stupid plastic button that made us all look like a 1349 00:52:40,556 --> 00:52:41,625 bunch of jerks? 1350 00:52:41,625 --> 00:52:42,726 Here, take a look. 1351 00:52:42,726 --> 00:52:46,162 He looked at her like, what the hell is she doing 1352 00:52:46,161 --> 00:52:49,031 with that cheap plastic button? 1353 00:52:49,032 --> 00:52:51,034 Hillary Clinton -- that was a reset. Remember? 1354 00:52:51,034 --> 00:52:52,969 It said "reset." 1355 00:52:52,969 --> 00:52:54,838 Now, if I do that, oh, I'm a bad guy. 1356 00:52:54,838 --> 00:52:56,973 If we could get along with Russia, that's 1357 00:52:56,972 --> 00:52:58,041 a positive thing. 1358 00:52:58,041 --> 00:53:00,943 We have a very talented man, Rex Tillerson, who is 1359 00:53:00,943 --> 00:53:03,512 going to be meeting with them shortly. 1360 00:53:03,512 --> 00:53:06,215 And I told him, I said, I know politically it's 1361 00:53:06,215 --> 00:53:07,717 probably not good for me. 1362 00:53:07,717 --> 00:53:10,186 Hey, the greatest thing I could do is shoot 1363 00:53:10,186 --> 00:53:12,222 that ship that's 30 miles offshore right out 1364 00:53:12,222 --> 00:53:13,456 of the water. 1365 00:53:13,456 --> 00:53:14,624 Everyone in this country is going to say, oh, it's 1366 00:53:14,623 --> 00:53:17,126 so great. 1367 00:53:17,126 --> 00:53:18,929 That's not great. 1368 00:53:18,929 --> 00:53:20,030 That's not great. 1369 00:53:20,030 --> 00:53:21,798 I would love to be able to get along with Russia. 1370 00:53:21,797 --> 00:53:25,334 Now, you've had a lot of Presidents that haven't 1371 00:53:25,335 --> 00:53:26,536 taken that tact. 1372 00:53:26,536 --> 00:53:27,938 Look where we are now. 1373 00:53:27,938 --> 00:53:29,039 Look where we are now. 1374 00:53:29,039 --> 00:53:34,110 So, if I can -- now, I love to negotiate things. 1375 00:53:34,110 --> 00:53:36,780 I do it really well and all that stuff, but it's 1376 00:53:36,780 --> 00:53:39,482 possible I won't be able to get along with Putin. 1377 00:53:39,481 --> 00:53:40,516 Maybe it is. 1378 00:53:40,516 --> 00:53:44,320 But I want to just tell you, the false reporting 1379 00:53:44,320 --> 00:53:46,288 by the media, by you people -- the false, 1380 00:53:46,289 --> 00:53:49,559 horrible, fake reporting makes it much harder to 1381 00:53:49,559 --> 00:53:52,796 make a deal with Russia. 1382 00:53:52,795 --> 00:53:56,332 And probably Putin said, you know -- he's sitting 1383 00:53:56,333 --> 00:53:59,402 behind his desk and he's saying, you know, I see 1384 00:53:59,402 --> 00:54:01,438 what's going on in the United States, I follow it 1385 00:54:01,438 --> 00:54:04,106 closely; it's got to be impossible for President 1386 00:54:04,106 --> 00:54:07,677 Trump to ever get along with Russia because of all 1387 00:54:07,677 --> 00:54:12,582 the pressure he's got with this fake story. Okay? 1388 00:54:12,581 --> 00:54:14,083 And that's a shame. 1389 00:54:14,083 --> 00:54:15,684 Because if we could get along with Russia -- and, 1390 00:54:15,684 --> 00:54:19,688 by the way, China and Japan and everyone -- if 1391 00:54:19,688 --> 00:54:22,091 we could get along, it would be a positive thing, 1392 00:54:22,092 --> 00:54:23,360 not a negative thing. 1393 00:54:23,360 --> 00:54:24,728 The Press: Tax reform -- 1394 00:54:24,728 --> 00:54:25,996 The Press: Mr. President, since you -- 1395 00:54:25,996 --> 00:54:27,163 The President: Tax reform is going to happen 1396 00:54:27,163 --> 00:54:28,231 fairly quickly. 1397 00:54:28,231 --> 00:54:30,200 We're doing Obamacare -- we're in final stages. 1398 00:54:30,199 --> 00:54:33,369 We should be submitting the initial plan in March, 1399 00:54:33,369 --> 00:54:35,971 early March, I would say. 1400 00:54:35,972 --> 00:54:38,775 And we have to, as you know, statutorily and for 1401 00:54:38,775 --> 00:54:41,077 reasons of budget, we have to go first. 1402 00:54:41,077 --> 00:54:44,881 It's not like -- frankly, the tax would be easier, 1403 00:54:44,880 --> 00:54:47,182 in my opinion, but for statutory reasons and for 1404 00:54:47,182 --> 00:54:48,784 budgetary reasons, we have to submit the 1405 00:54:48,784 --> 00:54:50,920 health care sooner. 1406 00:54:50,920 --> 00:54:53,722 So we'll be submitting health care sometime in 1407 00:54:53,722 --> 00:54:54,590 early March, mid-March. 1408 00:54:54,590 --> 00:54:56,458 And after that, we're going to come up -- and 1409 00:54:56,458 --> 00:54:58,527 we're doing very well on tax reform. Yes. 1410 00:54:58,527 --> 00:54:59,962 The Press: Mr. President, you mentioned Russia. 1411 00:54:59,963 --> 00:55:01,631 Let's talk about some serious issues that have 1412 00:55:01,630 --> 00:55:03,500 come up in the last week that you have had to deal 1413 00:55:03,500 --> 00:55:04,634 with as President of the United States. 1414 00:55:04,634 --> 00:55:05,135 The President: Okay. 1415 00:55:05,135 --> 00:55:06,436 The Press: You mentioned the vessel, the spy 1416 00:55:06,436 --> 00:55:07,704 vessel, off the coast of the United States. 1417 00:55:07,704 --> 00:55:08,405 The President: Not good. 1418 00:55:08,405 --> 00:55:09,506 The Press: There was a ballistic missile test 1419 00:55:09,505 --> 00:55:10,639 that many interpreted as a violation -- 1420 00:55:10,639 --> 00:55:11,240 The President: Not good. 1421 00:55:11,240 --> 00:55:12,608 The Press: -- of the agreement between 1422 00:55:12,608 --> 00:55:13,342 the two countries. 1423 00:55:13,342 --> 00:55:15,244 And a Russian plane buzzed a 1424 00:55:15,244 --> 00:55:15,978 U.S. destroyer. 1425 00:55:15,978 --> 00:55:16,846 The President: Not good. 1426 00:55:16,846 --> 00:55:18,213 The Press: I listened to you during the campaign -- 1427 00:55:18,213 --> 00:55:18,748 The President: Excuse me, excuse me, 1428 00:55:18,748 --> 00:55:20,282 when did it happen? 1429 00:55:20,282 --> 00:55:24,688 It happened when -- if you were Putin right now, you 1430 00:55:24,688 --> 00:55:27,791 would say, hey, we're back to the old games with the 1431 00:55:27,791 --> 00:55:29,159 United States. 1432 00:55:29,159 --> 00:55:31,861 There's no way Trump can ever do a deal with us 1433 00:55:31,860 --> 00:55:34,897 because the -- you have to understand, if I was just 1434 00:55:34,898 --> 00:55:37,701 brutal on Russia right now, just brutal, people 1435 00:55:37,701 --> 00:55:39,536 would say, you would say, oh, isn't that wonderful. 1436 00:55:39,536 --> 00:55:41,237 But I know you well enough. 1437 00:55:41,237 --> 00:55:43,773 Then you would say, oh, he was too tough, he 1438 00:55:43,773 --> 00:55:44,541 shouldn't have done that. 1439 00:55:44,541 --> 00:55:45,709 Look, of all -- 1440 00:55:45,708 --> 00:55:46,375 The Press: I'm just trying to find out your 1441 00:55:46,376 --> 00:55:47,210 orientation to those -- 1442 00:55:47,210 --> 00:55:47,677 The President: Wait a minute. 1443 00:55:47,677 --> 00:55:48,044 Wait, wait. 1444 00:55:48,043 --> 00:55:48,478 Excuse me just one second. 1445 00:55:48,478 --> 00:55:49,045 The Press: I'm just trying to find out what you're 1446 00:55:49,045 --> 00:55:50,180 doing to do about them, Mr. President. 1447 00:55:50,179 --> 00:55:52,414 The President: All of those things that you 1448 00:55:52,414 --> 00:55:53,382 mentioned are very recent, because probably Putin 1449 00:55:53,382 --> 00:55:54,783 assumes that he's not going to be able to make a 1450 00:55:54,784 --> 00:55:57,153 deal with me because it's politically not popular 1451 00:55:57,152 --> 00:55:58,520 for me to make a deal. 1452 00:55:58,521 --> 00:56:00,923 So Hillary Clinton tries to reset, it failed. 1453 00:56:00,923 --> 00:56:02,092 They all tried. 1454 00:56:02,092 --> 00:56:03,425 But I'm different than those people. 1455 00:56:03,425 --> 00:56:03,960 Go ahead. 1456 00:56:03,960 --> 00:56:05,095 The Press: How are you interpreting those moves? 1457 00:56:05,094 --> 00:56:06,495 And what do you intend to do about them? 1458 00:56:06,496 --> 00:56:07,329 The President: Just the way I said it. 1459 00:56:07,329 --> 00:56:08,431 The Press: Have you given Rex Tillerson any advice 1460 00:56:08,431 --> 00:56:09,432 or counsel on how to deal? 1461 00:56:09,431 --> 00:56:10,065 The President: I have. 1462 00:56:10,065 --> 00:56:10,466 I have. 1463 00:56:10,467 --> 00:56:12,469 And I'm so beautifully represented. 1464 00:56:12,469 --> 00:56:14,436 I'm so honored that the Senate approved him. 1465 00:56:14,436 --> 00:56:16,306 He's going to be fantastic. 1466 00:56:16,306 --> 00:56:19,008 Yes, I think that I've already -- 1467 00:56:19,007 --> 00:56:19,875 The Press: Is Putin testing you, do you 1468 00:56:19,876 --> 00:56:20,877 believe, sir? 1469 00:56:20,876 --> 00:56:21,945 The President: No, I don't think so. 1470 00:56:21,945 --> 00:56:24,514 I think Putin probably assumes that he can't make 1471 00:56:24,514 --> 00:56:26,316 a deal with me anymore because politically it 1472 00:56:26,315 --> 00:56:29,551 would be unpopular for a politician to make a deal. 1473 00:56:29,552 --> 00:56:31,019 I can't believe I'm saying I'm a politician, but I 1474 00:56:31,019 --> 00:56:32,021 guess that's what I am now. 1475 00:56:32,021 --> 00:56:34,891 Because, look, it would be much easier for me to be 1476 00:56:34,891 --> 00:56:36,226 tough on Russia, but then we're not going 1477 00:56:36,226 --> 00:56:36,760 to make a deal. 1478 00:56:36,760 --> 00:56:38,027 Now, I don't know that we're going to 1479 00:56:38,027 --> 00:56:38,795 make a deal. 1480 00:56:38,795 --> 00:56:39,729 I don't know. 1481 00:56:39,728 --> 00:56:41,563 We might, we might not. 1482 00:56:41,563 --> 00:56:43,599 But it would be much easier for me to be so 1483 00:56:43,599 --> 00:56:46,101 tough -- the tougher I am on Russia, the better. 1484 00:56:46,101 --> 00:56:49,071 But you know what, I want to do the right thing for 1485 00:56:49,072 --> 00:56:50,774 the American people. 1486 00:56:50,773 --> 00:56:52,808 And to be honest, secondarily, I want to do 1487 00:56:52,809 --> 00:56:54,444 the right thing for the world. 1488 00:56:54,443 --> 00:56:58,181 If Russia and the United States actually got 1489 00:56:58,181 --> 00:57:02,251 together and got along -- and don't forget, we're a 1490 00:57:02,251 --> 00:57:05,121 very powerful nuclear country and so are they. 1491 00:57:05,121 --> 00:57:06,689 There's no upside. 1492 00:57:06,688 --> 00:57:09,291 We're a very powerful nuclear country 1493 00:57:09,291 --> 00:57:10,293 and so are they. 1494 00:57:10,293 --> 00:57:11,126 I've been briefed. 1495 00:57:11,126 --> 00:57:12,795 And I can tell you, one thing about a briefing 1496 00:57:12,795 --> 00:57:15,798 that we're allowed to say because anybody that ever 1497 00:57:15,798 --> 00:57:19,168 read the most basic book can say it: Nuclear 1498 00:57:19,168 --> 00:57:22,471 holocaust would be like no other. 1499 00:57:22,472 --> 00:57:24,440 They're a very powerful nuclear country 1500 00:57:24,440 --> 00:57:25,742 and so are we. 1501 00:57:25,742 --> 00:57:28,244 If we have a good relationship with Russia, 1502 00:57:28,244 --> 00:57:30,780 believe me, that's a good thing, not a bad thing. 1503 00:57:30,780 --> 00:57:32,615 The Press: So when you say they're not good, do you 1504 00:57:32,614 --> 00:57:33,482 mean that they are -- 1505 00:57:33,483 --> 00:57:34,417 The President: Who did I say is not good? 1506 00:57:34,416 --> 00:57:35,918 The Press: No, when I read off the three things that 1507 00:57:35,918 --> 00:57:36,885 have recently happened and each one of them you said 1508 00:57:36,885 --> 00:57:37,519 they're not good. 1509 00:57:37,519 --> 00:57:38,021 The President: No, it's not good, 1510 00:57:38,021 --> 00:57:38,488 but they happened. 1511 00:57:38,487 --> 00:57:39,254 The Press: But do they damage the relationship? 1512 00:57:39,255 --> 00:57:40,690 Do they undermine this country's ability to work 1513 00:57:40,690 --> 00:57:42,625 with Russia? 1514 00:57:42,625 --> 00:57:44,327 The President: They all happened recently, and I 1515 00:57:44,327 --> 00:57:45,695 understand what they're doing, because they're 1516 00:57:45,695 --> 00:57:46,996 doing the same thing. 1517 00:57:46,996 --> 00:57:49,532 Now, again, maybe I'm not going to be able to do a 1518 00:57:49,532 --> 00:57:51,968 deal with Russia, but at least I will have tried. 1519 00:57:51,967 --> 00:57:55,471 And if I don't, does anybody really think that 1520 00:57:55,471 --> 00:57:58,974 Hillary Clinton would be tougher on Russia than 1521 00:57:58,974 --> 00:57:59,875 Donald Trump? 1522 00:57:59,876 --> 00:58:03,179 Does anybody in this room really believe that? Okay. 1523 00:58:03,179 --> 00:58:05,548 But I tell you one thing: She tried to make a deal. 1524 00:58:05,547 --> 00:58:07,149 She had the reset. 1525 00:58:07,150 --> 00:58:09,285 She gave all the valuable uranium away. 1526 00:58:09,284 --> 00:58:10,385 She did other things. 1527 00:58:10,385 --> 00:58:12,188 You know, they say I'm close to Russia. 1528 00:58:12,188 --> 00:58:14,190 Hillary Clinton gave away 20 percent of the uranium 1529 00:58:14,190 --> 00:58:15,592 in the United States. 1530 00:58:15,592 --> 00:58:17,327 She's close to Russia. 1531 00:58:17,327 --> 00:58:19,662 I gave -- you know what I gave to Russia? 1532 00:58:19,661 --> 00:58:20,429 You know what I gave? 1533 00:58:20,429 --> 00:58:21,196 Nothing. 1534 00:58:21,197 --> 00:58:22,332 The Press: Can we conclude there will be no response 1535 00:58:22,331 --> 00:58:25,034 to these particular provocations? 1536 00:58:25,034 --> 00:58:26,102 The President: I'm not going to tell you anything 1537 00:58:26,101 --> 00:58:27,469 about what response I do. 1538 00:58:27,469 --> 00:58:28,971 I don't talk about military response. 1539 00:58:28,972 --> 00:58:31,708 I don't say I'm going into Mosul in four months. 1540 00:58:31,708 --> 00:58:34,543 "We are going to attack Mosul in four months." 1541 00:58:34,543 --> 00:58:36,278 Then three months later: "We are going to attack 1542 00:58:36,278 --> 00:58:38,981 Mosul in one month." "Next week, we are going to 1543 00:58:38,981 --> 00:58:40,949 attack Mosul." In the meantime, Mosul is very, 1544 00:58:40,949 --> 00:58:42,384 very difficult. 1545 00:58:42,385 --> 00:58:42,986 Do you know why? 1546 00:58:42,985 --> 00:58:47,489 Because I don't talk about military, and I don't talk 1547 00:58:47,489 --> 00:58:48,590 about certain other things. 1548 00:58:48,590 --> 00:58:49,893 You're going to be surprised to hear that. 1549 00:58:49,893 --> 00:58:52,362 And, by the way, my whole campaign, I'd say that. 1550 00:58:52,362 --> 00:58:53,463 So I don't have to tell you -- 1551 00:58:53,463 --> 00:58:54,898 The Press: There will be a response? 1552 00:58:54,898 --> 00:58:56,266 The President: I don't want to be one of these 1553 00:58:56,266 --> 00:58:57,233 guys that say, "Yes, here's what 1554 00:58:57,233 --> 00:58:58,635 we're going to do." 1555 00:58:58,635 --> 00:59:00,036 I don't have to do that. 1556 00:59:00,036 --> 00:59:00,836 The Press: There will be a -- in other words, there 1557 00:59:00,836 --> 00:59:01,536 will be a response, Mr. President? 1558 00:59:01,536 --> 00:59:01,971 The President: I don't have to tell you what I'm 1559 00:59:01,971 --> 00:59:02,338 going to do in North Korea. 1560 00:59:02,338 --> 00:59:03,006 Wait a minute. 1561 00:59:03,005 --> 00:59:04,440 I don't have to tell you what I'm going to do in 1562 00:59:04,440 --> 00:59:07,043 North Korea. 1563 00:59:07,043 --> 00:59:09,112 And I don't have to tell you what I'm going 1564 00:59:09,112 --> 00:59:11,914 to do with Iran. 1565 00:59:11,914 --> 00:59:12,782 You know why? 1566 00:59:12,782 --> 00:59:14,684 Because they shouldn't know. 1567 00:59:14,684 --> 00:59:16,686 And eventually you guys are going to get tired of 1568 00:59:16,686 --> 00:59:18,153 asking that question. 1569 00:59:18,153 --> 00:59:19,956 So when you ask me, what am I going to do with the 1570 00:59:19,956 --> 00:59:23,425 ship -- the Russian ship, as an example -- I'm not 1571 00:59:23,425 --> 00:59:24,760 going to tell you. 1572 00:59:24,760 --> 00:59:26,628 But hopefully, I won't have to do anything. 1573 00:59:26,628 --> 00:59:27,963 But I'm not going to tell you. Okay. 1574 00:59:27,963 --> 00:59:29,766 The Press: Thanks. 1575 00:59:29,766 --> 00:59:32,367 The Press: Can I just ask you -- thank you very 1576 00:59:32,367 --> 00:59:35,070 much, Mr. President -- the Trump -- 1577 00:59:35,070 --> 00:59:36,538 The President: Where are you from? 1578 00:59:36,539 --> 00:59:37,507 The Press: BBC. 1579 00:59:37,507 --> 00:59:38,273 The President: Okay. 1580 00:59:38,273 --> 00:59:40,108 Here's another beauty. 1581 00:59:40,108 --> 00:59:41,877 The Press: That's a good line. 1582 00:59:41,878 --> 00:59:43,346 Impartial, free, and fair. 1583 00:59:43,346 --> 00:59:45,081 The President: Yeah, sure. 1584 00:59:45,081 --> 00:59:45,581 The Press: Mr. President -- 1585 00:59:45,581 --> 00:59:46,816 The President: Just like CNN, right? 1586 00:59:46,815 --> 00:59:49,151 The Press: Mr. President, on the travel ban -- we 1587 00:59:49,152 --> 00:59:50,153 could banter back and forth. 1588 00:59:50,152 --> 00:59:53,388 On the travel ban, would you accept that that was a 1589 00:59:53,389 --> 00:59:56,726 good example of the smooth running of government, 1590 00:59:56,726 --> 00:59:57,293 that fine-tuned -- 1591 00:59:57,293 --> 00:59:57,626 The President: Yeah, I do. 1592 00:59:57,626 --> 00:59:57,927 I do. 1593 00:59:57,927 --> 00:59:58,260 And let me tell you about the travel -- 1594 00:59:58,260 --> 00:59:59,128 The Press: Were there any mistakes in that? 1595 00:59:59,128 --> 01:00:00,396 The President: Wait, wait, wait. 1596 01:00:00,396 --> 01:00:00,964 I know who you are. 1597 01:00:00,963 --> 01:00:02,030 Just wait. 1598 01:00:02,030 --> 01:00:04,032 Let me tell you about the travel ban. 1599 01:00:04,032 --> 01:00:08,570 We had a very smooth rollout of the travel ban, 1600 01:00:08,570 --> 01:00:10,539 but we had a bad court. 1601 01:00:10,539 --> 01:00:11,541 We got a bad decision. 1602 01:00:11,541 --> 01:00:13,643 We had a court that's been overturned -- again, maybe 1603 01:00:13,643 --> 01:00:15,978 wrong, but I think it's 80 percent of the time. 1604 01:00:15,978 --> 01:00:17,012 A lot. 1605 01:00:17,012 --> 01:00:18,280 We had a bad decision. 1606 01:00:18,280 --> 01:00:19,614 We're going to keep going with that decision. 1607 01:00:19,614 --> 01:00:22,784 We're going to put in a new executive order next 1608 01:00:22,784 --> 01:00:24,319 week sometime. 1609 01:00:24,320 --> 01:00:26,489 But we had a bad decision. 1610 01:00:26,489 --> 01:00:27,490 That's the only thing that was wrong 1611 01:00:27,489 --> 01:00:28,290 with the travel ban. 1612 01:00:28,291 --> 01:00:31,394 You had Delta with a massive problem with their 1613 01:00:31,393 --> 01:00:33,395 computer system at the airports. 1614 01:00:33,396 --> 01:00:35,731 You had some people that were put out there, 1615 01:00:35,731 --> 01:00:37,532 brought by very nice buses, and they were put 1616 01:00:37,532 --> 01:00:39,668 out at various locations. 1617 01:00:39,668 --> 01:00:41,471 Despite that, the only problem that we had is we 1618 01:00:41,471 --> 01:00:42,505 had a bad court. 1619 01:00:42,505 --> 01:00:45,775 We had a court that gave us what I consider to be, 1620 01:00:45,775 --> 01:00:48,211 with great respect, a very bad decision. 1621 01:00:48,210 --> 01:00:49,778 Very bad for the safety and security 1622 01:00:49,778 --> 01:00:50,880 of our country. 1623 01:00:50,880 --> 01:00:52,382 The rollout was perfect. 1624 01:00:52,382 --> 01:00:55,585 Now, what I wanted to do was do the exact same 1625 01:00:55,585 --> 01:00:57,686 executive order but said one thing -- and I said 1626 01:00:57,686 --> 01:00:59,322 this to my people: Give them a 1627 01:00:59,322 --> 01:01:01,157 one-month period of time. 1628 01:01:01,157 --> 01:01:04,727 But General Kelly, now Secretary Kelly, said, if 1629 01:01:04,726 --> 01:01:08,964 you do that, all these people will come in, in 1630 01:01:08,965 --> 01:01:10,400 the month -- the bad ones. 1631 01:01:10,400 --> 01:01:12,335 You do agree, there are bad people out there, right? 1632 01:01:12,335 --> 01:01:14,237 They're not everybody that's like you. 1633 01:01:14,237 --> 01:01:15,905 You have some bad people out there. 1634 01:01:15,905 --> 01:01:19,776 So Kelly said, you can't do that. 1635 01:01:19,775 --> 01:01:20,809 And he was right. 1636 01:01:20,809 --> 01:01:21,643 As soon as he said it, I said, wow, 1637 01:01:21,643 --> 01:01:22,444 never thought of it. 1638 01:01:22,445 --> 01:01:23,446 I said, how about one week? 1639 01:01:23,445 --> 01:01:24,646 He said, no good. 1640 01:01:24,646 --> 01:01:25,715 You got to do it immediately, because if 1641 01:01:25,715 --> 01:01:27,517 you do it immediately, they don't have 1642 01:01:27,516 --> 01:01:29,751 time to come in. 1643 01:01:29,751 --> 01:01:31,788 Now, nobody ever reports that, but that's why we 1644 01:01:31,788 --> 01:01:32,989 did it quickly. 1645 01:01:32,989 --> 01:01:34,624 Now, if would have done it a month, everything would 1646 01:01:34,623 --> 01:01:35,357 have been perfect. 1647 01:01:35,358 --> 01:01:39,095 The problems is we would have wasted a lot of time, 1648 01:01:39,094 --> 01:01:40,228 and maybe a lot of lives, because a lot of bad 1649 01:01:40,228 --> 01:01:42,397 people would have come into our country. 1650 01:01:42,398 --> 01:01:44,666 Now, in the meantime, we've vetting very, 1651 01:01:44,666 --> 01:01:48,403 very strongly. 1652 01:01:48,403 --> 01:01:49,704 Very, very strongly. 1653 01:01:49,704 --> 01:01:53,208 But we need help, and we need help by getting that 1654 01:01:53,208 --> 01:01:54,176 executive order passed. 1655 01:01:54,177 --> 01:01:54,844 The Press: Just a brief follow-up. 1656 01:01:54,844 --> 01:01:56,445 And if it's so urgent, why not introduce -- 1657 01:01:56,445 --> 01:01:57,413 The President: Yes, go ahead. 1658 01:01:57,413 --> 01:01:58,213 The Press: Thank you. 1659 01:01:58,213 --> 01:02:00,817 I just was hoping that we could get a yes- or-no 1660 01:02:00,817 --> 01:02:01,751 answer on one of these questions 1661 01:02:01,751 --> 01:02:03,286 involving Russia. 1662 01:02:03,286 --> 01:02:05,588 Can you say whether you are aware that anyone who 1663 01:02:05,588 --> 01:02:06,789 advised your campaign had contacts with Russia 1664 01:02:06,789 --> 01:02:10,293 during the course of the election? 1665 01:02:10,293 --> 01:02:11,461 The President: Well, I told you, General Flynn 1666 01:02:11,460 --> 01:02:12,594 obviously was dealing. 1667 01:02:12,594 --> 01:02:13,628 So that's one person. 1668 01:02:13,628 --> 01:02:15,397 But he was dealing -- as he should have been -- 1669 01:02:15,398 --> 01:02:16,298 The Press: During the election? 1670 01:02:16,298 --> 01:02:18,400 The President: No, no, nobody that I know of. 1671 01:02:18,400 --> 01:02:19,534 The Press: So you're not aware of any contacts 1672 01:02:19,534 --> 01:02:20,435 during the course of the election? 1673 01:02:20,436 --> 01:02:21,571 The President: Look, look, how many times do I have 1674 01:02:21,570 --> 01:02:22,804 to answer this question? 1675 01:02:22,804 --> 01:02:23,940 The Press: Can you just say yes or no on it? 1676 01:02:23,940 --> 01:02:24,807 The President: Russia is a ruse. 1677 01:02:24,806 --> 01:02:26,274 Yeah, I know you have to get up and ask a question, 1678 01:02:26,275 --> 01:02:26,909 so important. 1679 01:02:26,909 --> 01:02:27,910 Russia is a ruse. 1680 01:02:27,909 --> 01:02:31,446 I have nothing to do with Russia, haven't made a 1681 01:02:31,447 --> 01:02:33,883 phone call to Russia in years. 1682 01:02:33,882 --> 01:02:35,417 Don't speak to people from Russia. 1683 01:02:35,418 --> 01:02:36,786 Not that I wouldn't, I just have 1684 01:02:36,786 --> 01:02:38,688 nobody to speak to. 1685 01:02:38,688 --> 01:02:39,956 I spoke to Putin twice. 1686 01:02:39,956 --> 01:02:41,858 He called me on the election -- I told you 1687 01:02:41,858 --> 01:02:44,560 this -- and he called me on the inauguration, and a 1688 01:02:44,559 --> 01:02:45,628 few days ago. 1689 01:02:45,628 --> 01:02:50,733 We had a very good talk, especially the second one 1690 01:02:50,733 --> 01:02:53,336 -- lasted for a pretty long period of time. 1691 01:02:53,335 --> 01:02:55,237 I'm sure you probably get it because it was 1692 01:02:55,237 --> 01:02:57,139 classified, so I'm sure everybody in this room 1693 01:02:57,139 --> 01:02:58,507 perhaps has it. 1694 01:02:58,507 --> 01:03:00,842 But we had a very, very good talk. 1695 01:03:00,842 --> 01:03:02,478 I have nothing to do with Russia. 1696 01:03:02,478 --> 01:03:04,746 To the best of my knowledge, no person that 1697 01:03:04,746 --> 01:03:06,214 I deal with does. 1698 01:03:06,215 --> 01:03:07,884 Now, Manafort has totally denied it. 1699 01:03:07,884 --> 01:03:08,818 He denied it. 1700 01:03:08,818 --> 01:03:11,020 Now, people knew that he was a consultant over in 1701 01:03:11,019 --> 01:03:12,588 that part of the world for a while, but 1702 01:03:12,588 --> 01:03:13,823 not for Russia. 1703 01:03:13,822 --> 01:03:15,590 I think he represented Ukraine or people having 1704 01:03:15,590 --> 01:03:18,994 to do with Ukraine, or people that -- whoever. 1705 01:03:18,994 --> 01:03:19,761 But people knew that. 1706 01:03:19,762 --> 01:03:20,930 Everybody knew that. 1707 01:03:20,929 --> 01:03:22,931 The Press: But in his capacity as your campaign 1708 01:03:22,931 --> 01:03:25,167 manager, was he in touch with Russian officials 1709 01:03:25,168 --> 01:03:26,135 during the election? 1710 01:03:26,135 --> 01:03:28,004 The President: I have -- you know what, he said no. 1711 01:03:28,003 --> 01:03:30,572 I can only tell you what he -- now, he was replaced 1712 01:03:30,572 --> 01:03:31,973 long before the election. 1713 01:03:31,974 --> 01:03:33,309 You know that, right? 1714 01:03:33,309 --> 01:03:36,012 He was replaced long before the election. 1715 01:03:36,012 --> 01:03:37,547 When all of this stuff started coming out, it 1716 01:03:37,547 --> 01:03:38,947 came out during the election. 1717 01:03:38,947 --> 01:03:41,951 But Paul Manafort, who's a good man also, by the way 1718 01:03:41,951 --> 01:03:45,153 -- Paul Manafort was replaced long before the 1719 01:03:45,153 --> 01:03:46,621 election took place. 1720 01:03:46,621 --> 01:03:48,056 He was only there for a short period of time. 1721 01:03:48,056 --> 01:03:56,198 How much longer should we stay here, folks? 1722 01:03:56,199 --> 01:03:58,701 Five more minutes, is that okay? Five? 1723 01:03:58,701 --> 01:04:00,036 The Press: Mr. President, on national security -- 1724 01:04:00,036 --> 01:04:01,403 The President: Wait, let's see, who's -- I want to 1725 01:04:01,403 --> 01:04:03,139 find a friendly reporter. 1726 01:04:03,139 --> 01:04:07,043 Are you a friendly reporter? 1727 01:04:07,043 --> 01:04:08,477 Watch how friendly he is. 1728 01:04:08,476 --> 01:04:10,545 Wait, wait -- watch how friendly he is. 1729 01:04:10,545 --> 01:04:10,879 Go ahead. 1730 01:04:10,880 --> 01:04:13,715 Go ahead. 1731 01:04:13,715 --> 01:04:15,083 The Press: So, first of all, my name is 1732 01:04:15,083 --> 01:04:16,985 (inaudible) from (inaudible) Magazine. 1733 01:04:16,985 --> 01:04:21,089 And (inaudible). 1734 01:04:21,090 --> 01:04:24,360 I haven't seen anybody in my community accuse either 1735 01:04:24,360 --> 01:04:27,997 yourself or any of the -- anyone on your staff of 1736 01:04:27,996 --> 01:04:29,565 being anti-Semitic. 1737 01:04:29,565 --> 01:04:33,034 We have an understanding of (inaudible). 1738 01:04:33,034 --> 01:04:33,568 The President: Thank you. 1739 01:04:33,568 --> 01:04:36,505 The Press: However, what we are concerned about, 1740 01:04:36,505 --> 01:04:39,608 and what we haven't really heard be addressed is an 1741 01:04:39,608 --> 01:04:42,143 uptick in anti-Semitism and how the government is 1742 01:04:42,143 --> 01:04:43,712 planning to take care of it. 1743 01:04:43,713 --> 01:04:48,251 There have been reports out that 48 bomb threats 1744 01:04:48,251 --> 01:04:49,785 have been made against Jewish centers all across 1745 01:04:49,784 --> 01:04:52,153 the country in the last couple of weeks. 1746 01:04:52,153 --> 01:04:54,289 There are people who are committing anti-Semitic 1747 01:04:54,289 --> 01:04:55,625 acts or threatening to -- 1748 01:04:55,625 --> 01:04:57,193 The President: You see, he said he was going to ask a 1749 01:04:57,193 --> 01:04:59,762 very simple, easy question. 1750 01:04:59,762 --> 01:05:00,796 And it's not. 1751 01:05:00,795 --> 01:05:01,596 It's not. 1752 01:05:01,597 --> 01:05:03,266 Not a simple question, not a fair question. 1753 01:05:03,266 --> 01:05:04,333 Okay, sit down. 1754 01:05:04,333 --> 01:05:06,369 I understand the rest of your question. 1755 01:05:06,369 --> 01:05:08,037 So here's the story, folks. 1756 01:05:08,036 --> 01:05:13,408 Number one, I am the least anti-Semitic person that 1757 01:05:13,409 --> 01:05:16,345 you've ever seen in your entire life. 1758 01:05:16,344 --> 01:05:20,582 Number two, racism -- the least racist person. 1759 01:05:20,583 --> 01:05:22,851 In fact, we did very well relative to other people 1760 01:05:22,851 --> 01:05:24,085 running as a Republican. 1761 01:05:24,085 --> 01:05:24,986 The Press: (Inaudible.) 1762 01:05:24,987 --> 01:05:26,422 The President: Quiet, quiet, quiet. 1763 01:05:26,422 --> 01:05:28,391 See, he lied about -- he was going to get up and 1764 01:05:28,391 --> 01:05:30,526 ask a very straight, simple question. 1765 01:05:30,525 --> 01:05:33,962 So you know, welcome to the world of the media. 1766 01:05:33,963 --> 01:05:38,234 But let me just tell you something -- that I 1767 01:05:38,233 --> 01:05:40,101 hate the charge. 1768 01:05:40,101 --> 01:05:41,569 I find it repulsive. 1769 01:05:41,570 --> 01:05:43,639 I hate even the question because people that know 1770 01:05:43,639 --> 01:05:45,974 me -- and you heard the Prime Minister, you heard 1771 01:05:45,974 --> 01:05:51,212 Netanyahu yesterday -- did you hear him, Bibi? 1772 01:05:51,213 --> 01:05:54,083 He said, I've known Donald Trump for a long time, and 1773 01:05:54,083 --> 01:05:56,885 then he said, forget it. 1774 01:05:56,885 --> 01:05:59,521 So you should take that, instead of having to get 1775 01:05:59,521 --> 01:06:00,655 up and ask a very 1776 01:06:00,655 --> 01:06:01,423 insulting question like that. 1777 01:06:01,423 --> 01:06:03,224 Yeah, go ahead. 1778 01:06:03,224 --> 01:06:03,958 Go ahead. 1779 01:06:03,958 --> 01:06:05,393 The Press: Thank you. 1780 01:06:05,393 --> 01:06:06,561 I'm Lisa from the PBS -- 1781 01:06:06,561 --> 01:06:07,295 The President: See, it just shows you about the 1782 01:06:07,295 --> 01:06:08,630 press, but that's the way the press is. 1783 01:06:08,630 --> 01:06:10,398 The Press: Thank you, Mr. President. 1784 01:06:10,398 --> 01:06:11,833 Lisa Desjardins from the PBS Newshour. 1785 01:06:11,833 --> 01:06:12,867 The President: Good. 1786 01:06:12,867 --> 01:06:14,636 The Press: On national security and immigration, 1787 01:06:14,637 --> 01:06:16,072 can you give us more details on the executive 1788 01:06:16,072 --> 01:06:17,673 order you planned for next week, even 1789 01:06:17,672 --> 01:06:19,375 its broad outlines? 1790 01:06:19,375 --> 01:06:20,976 Will it be focused on specific countries? 1791 01:06:20,976 --> 01:06:22,010 The President: It's a very fair question. 1792 01:06:22,010 --> 01:06:24,512 The Press: And in addition, on the DACA 1793 01:06:24,512 --> 01:06:26,681 program for immigration, what is your plan? 1794 01:06:26,681 --> 01:06:29,718 Do you plan to continue that program or to end it? 1795 01:06:29,719 --> 01:06:31,287 The President: We're going to show great heart. 1796 01:06:31,286 --> 01:06:34,155 DACA is a very, very difficult subject for me, 1797 01:06:34,155 --> 01:06:34,989 I will tell you. 1798 01:06:34,989 --> 01:06:36,925 To me, it's one of the most difficult subjects I 1799 01:06:36,925 --> 01:06:39,994 have, because you have these incredible kids, in 1800 01:06:39,994 --> 01:06:41,663 many cases -- not in all cases. 1801 01:06:41,664 --> 01:06:44,066 In some of the cases they're having DACA and 1802 01:06:44,065 --> 01:06:46,701 they're gang members and they're drug dealers too. 1803 01:06:46,702 --> 01:06:50,406 But you have some absolutely incredible kids 1804 01:06:50,405 --> 01:06:55,677 -- I would say mostly -- they were brought here in 1805 01:06:55,677 --> 01:06:57,813 such a way -- it's a very, very tough subject. 1806 01:06:57,813 --> 01:07:00,182 We are going to deal with DACA with heart. 1807 01:07:00,181 --> 01:07:01,616 I have to deal with a lot of politicians, don't 1808 01:07:01,617 --> 01:07:03,552 forget, and I have to convince them that what 1809 01:07:03,552 --> 01:07:07,490 I'm saying is right. 1810 01:07:07,489 --> 01:07:09,157 And I appreciate your understanding on that. 1811 01:07:09,157 --> 01:07:13,395 But the DACA situation is a very, very -- it's a 1812 01:07:13,396 --> 01:07:16,399 very difficult thing for me. 1813 01:07:16,398 --> 01:07:17,766 Because, you know, I love these kids. 1814 01:07:17,766 --> 01:07:18,900 I love kids. 1815 01:07:18,900 --> 01:07:21,603 I have kids and grandkids. 1816 01:07:21,603 --> 01:07:25,206 And I find it very, very hard doing what the law 1817 01:07:25,206 --> 01:07:26,509 says exactly to do. 1818 01:07:26,509 --> 01:07:27,510 And you know, the law is rough. 1819 01:07:27,510 --> 01:07:28,778 I'm not talking about new laws. 1820 01:07:28,777 --> 01:07:32,180 I'm talking the existing law is very rough. 1821 01:07:32,181 --> 01:07:33,715 It's very, very rough. 1822 01:07:33,715 --> 01:07:36,184 As far as the new order, the new order is going to 1823 01:07:36,184 --> 01:07:40,121 be very much tailored to what I consider to be a 1824 01:07:40,121 --> 01:07:43,192 very bad decision, but we can tailor the order to 1825 01:07:43,192 --> 01:07:45,494 that decision and get just about everything, in 1826 01:07:45,494 --> 01:07:47,329 some ways more. 1827 01:07:47,329 --> 01:07:49,798 But we're tailoring it now to the decision. 1828 01:07:49,798 --> 01:07:51,266 We have some of the best lawyers in the country 1829 01:07:51,266 --> 01:07:54,235 working on it. 1830 01:07:54,235 --> 01:07:56,739 And the new executive order is being tailored to 1831 01:07:56,739 --> 01:08:01,577 the decision we got down from the court. Okay? 1832 01:08:01,577 --> 01:08:07,750 The Press: Mr. President, Melania Trump announced 1833 01:08:07,750 --> 01:08:09,585 the reopening of the White House Visitors Office. 1834 01:08:09,585 --> 01:08:10,719 The President: Yes. 1835 01:08:10,719 --> 01:08:12,655 The Press: And she does a lot of great work for the 1836 01:08:12,655 --> 01:08:13,622 country as well. 1837 01:08:13,621 --> 01:08:15,089 Can you tell us a little bit about what First Lady 1838 01:08:15,090 --> 01:08:18,158 Melania Trump does for the country? 1839 01:08:18,158 --> 01:08:19,993 And there is a unique level of interest in your 1840 01:08:19,993 --> 01:08:22,064 administration, so by opening the White House 1841 01:08:22,064 --> 01:08:25,234 Visitors Office, what does that mean to you? 1842 01:08:25,234 --> 01:08:26,569 The President: Now, that's what I call 1843 01:08:26,569 --> 01:08:28,636 a nice question. 1844 01:08:28,636 --> 01:08:29,904 That is very nice. 1845 01:08:29,904 --> 01:08:30,805 Who are you with? 1846 01:08:30,805 --> 01:08:31,906 The Press: (Inaudible.) 1847 01:08:31,907 --> 01:08:32,274 The President: Good. 1848 01:08:32,274 --> 01:08:34,676 I'm going to start watching. 1849 01:08:34,676 --> 01:08:35,443 Thank you very much. 1850 01:08:35,444 --> 01:08:36,444 Melania is terrific. 1851 01:08:36,444 --> 01:08:37,377 She was here last night. 1852 01:08:37,377 --> 01:08:39,613 We had dinner with Senator Rubio and his wife, who 1853 01:08:39,613 --> 01:08:41,149 is, by the way, lovely. 1854 01:08:41,149 --> 01:08:43,885 And we had a really good discussion about Cuba 1855 01:08:43,886 --> 01:08:47,223 because we have very similar views on Cuba. 1856 01:08:47,221 --> 01:08:49,890 And Cuba was very good to me in the Florida election 1857 01:08:49,890 --> 01:08:52,260 as you know, the Cuban people, Americans. 1858 01:08:52,261 --> 01:08:55,798 And I think that Melania is going 1859 01:08:55,796 --> 01:08:56,465 to be outstanding. 1860 01:08:56,465 --> 01:08:57,698 That's right, she just opened up the Visitors 1861 01:08:57,698 --> 01:08:58,666 Center -- in other words, 1862 01:08:58,667 --> 01:09:00,336 touring of the White House. 1863 01:09:00,336 --> 01:09:03,872 She, like others that she's working with, feels 1864 01:09:03,872 --> 01:09:08,542 very, very strongly about women's issues, women's 1865 01:09:08,542 --> 01:09:12,113 difficulties, very, very strongly. 1866 01:09:12,113 --> 01:09:14,582 And she's a very, very strong advocate. 1867 01:09:14,582 --> 01:09:16,216 I think she's a great representative 1868 01:09:16,216 --> 01:09:17,653 for this country. 1869 01:09:17,653 --> 01:09:20,055 And a funny thing happens because she gets so 1870 01:09:20,055 --> 01:09:22,057 unfairly maligned. 1871 01:09:22,055 --> 01:09:23,457 The things they say -- I've known her 1872 01:09:23,457 --> 01:09:24,393 for a long time. 1873 01:09:24,393 --> 01:09:26,095 She was a very successful person. 1874 01:09:26,095 --> 01:09:28,596 She was a very successful model. 1875 01:09:28,595 --> 01:09:30,899 She did really well. 1876 01:09:30,899 --> 01:09:34,167 She would go home at night and didn't even want to go 1877 01:09:34,167 --> 01:09:36,171 out with people. 1878 01:09:36,171 --> 01:09:38,439 She was a very private person. 1879 01:09:38,439 --> 01:09:41,175 She was always the highest quality that 1880 01:09:41,176 --> 01:09:43,479 you'll ever find. 1881 01:09:43,479 --> 01:09:45,346 And the things they say -- and I've known her for a 1882 01:09:45,345 --> 01:09:49,018 long time -- the things they say are so unfair. 1883 01:09:49,018 --> 01:09:51,520 And actually, she's been apologized to, as you 1884 01:09:51,520 --> 01:09:53,154 know, by various media because they said things 1885 01:09:53,154 --> 01:09:54,355 that were lies. 1886 01:09:54,355 --> 01:09:55,590 I'd just tell you this: I think she's going to be a 1887 01:09:55,591 --> 01:09:57,426 fantastic First Lady. 1888 01:09:57,426 --> 01:09:59,662 She's going to be a tremendous representative 1889 01:09:59,662 --> 01:10:01,864 of women and of the people. 1890 01:10:01,863 --> 01:10:04,766 And helping her and working with her will be 1891 01:10:04,766 --> 01:10:07,802 Ivanka, who is a fabulous person and a fabulous, 1892 01:10:07,802 --> 01:10:10,939 fabulous woman. 1893 01:10:10,939 --> 01:10:12,173 And they're not doing this for money. 1894 01:10:12,173 --> 01:10:15,411 They're not doing this for pay. 1895 01:10:15,411 --> 01:10:16,211 They're doing this because they feel it, 1896 01:10:16,211 --> 01:10:17,179 both of them. 1897 01:10:17,179 --> 01:10:19,381 And Melania goes back and forth, and after Barron 1898 01:10:19,381 --> 01:10:22,251 finishes school -- because it's hard to take a child 1899 01:10:22,251 --> 01:10:24,587 out of school with a few months left -- she and 1900 01:10:24,587 --> 01:10:26,488 Barron will be moving over to the White House. 1901 01:10:26,488 --> 01:10:26,989 Thank you. 1902 01:10:26,988 --> 01:10:28,323 That's a very nice question. 1903 01:10:28,323 --> 01:10:31,893 Go ahead. 1904 01:10:31,894 --> 01:10:32,494 The Press: Mr. President. 1905 01:10:32,493 --> 01:10:33,362 The President: Yes. 1906 01:10:33,362 --> 01:10:34,329 Oh, this is going to be a bad question 1907 01:10:34,329 --> 01:10:35,296 but that's okay. 1908 01:10:35,296 --> 01:10:35,897 The Press: No, it's not going to be 1909 01:10:35,898 --> 01:10:36,465 a bad question. 1910 01:10:36,465 --> 01:10:37,533 The President: Good, because I enjoy watching 1911 01:10:37,533 --> 01:10:38,300 you on television. 1912 01:10:38,300 --> 01:10:40,135 The Press: Well, thank you so much. 1913 01:10:40,135 --> 01:10:43,271 Mr. President, I need to find out from you -- you 1914 01:10:43,271 --> 01:10:46,841 said something as it relates to inner cities. 1915 01:10:46,841 --> 01:10:48,042 That was one of your platforms 1916 01:10:48,042 --> 01:10:49,877 during your campaign. 1917 01:10:49,877 --> 01:10:50,912 The President: Fix the inner cities, yes. 1918 01:10:50,912 --> 01:10:52,213 The Press: Fixing the inner cities. 1919 01:10:52,213 --> 01:10:55,184 What will be that fix and your urban agenda, as well 1920 01:10:55,184 --> 01:10:58,820 as your HBCU executive order that's coming out 1921 01:10:58,820 --> 01:11:00,189 this afternoon? 1922 01:11:00,189 --> 01:11:01,090 See, it wasn't bad, was it? 1923 01:11:01,090 --> 01:11:01,990 The President: That was 1924 01:11:01,990 --> 01:11:03,458 very professional and very good. 1925 01:11:03,458 --> 01:11:04,393 The Press: I'm very professional. 1926 01:11:04,393 --> 01:11:05,493 The President: We'll be announcing the order in a 1927 01:11:05,493 --> 01:11:06,327 little while, and I'd rather let the order 1928 01:11:06,328 --> 01:11:07,329 speak for itself. 1929 01:11:07,328 --> 01:11:09,965 But it will be something I think that will be very 1930 01:11:09,965 --> 01:11:11,400 good for everybody concerned. 1931 01:11:11,399 --> 01:11:12,835 But we'll talk to you about that after we do the 1932 01:11:12,835 --> 01:11:14,269 announcement. 1933 01:11:14,269 --> 01:11:16,038 As far as the inner cities, as you know, I was 1934 01:11:16,037 --> 01:11:17,705 very strong on the inner cities 1935 01:11:17,706 --> 01:11:18,707 during the campaign. 1936 01:11:18,707 --> 01:11:20,843 I think it's probably what got me a much higher 1937 01:11:20,842 --> 01:11:23,244 percentage of the African American vote than a lot 1938 01:11:23,244 --> 01:11:25,146 of people thought I was going to get. 1939 01:11:25,146 --> 01:11:27,682 We did much higher than people thought I was going 1940 01:11:27,682 --> 01:11:29,952 to get and I was honored by that, including the 1941 01:11:29,952 --> 01:11:32,721 Hispanic vote, which was also much higher. 1942 01:11:32,720 --> 01:11:34,455 And, by the way, if I might add, including the 1943 01:11:34,456 --> 01:11:36,958 women's vote, which was much higher than people 1944 01:11:36,958 --> 01:11:38,726 thought I was going to get. 1945 01:11:38,726 --> 01:11:41,997 So we are going to be working very hard on the 1946 01:11:41,997 --> 01:11:43,865 inner cities having to do with education, having to 1947 01:11:43,865 --> 01:11:46,001 do with crime. 1948 01:11:46,001 --> 01:11:49,471 We're going to try and fix as quickly as possible -- 1949 01:11:49,470 --> 01:11:50,438 you know it takes a long time. 1950 01:11:50,439 --> 01:11:52,641 It's taken 100 years or more for some of these 1951 01:11:52,640 --> 01:11:56,577 places to evolve, and they evolved many of 1952 01:11:56,578 --> 01:11:57,680 them very badly. 1953 01:11:57,680 --> 01:11:59,248 But we're going to be working very hard on 1954 01:11:59,247 --> 01:12:01,817 health and health care; very, very hard 1955 01:12:01,817 --> 01:12:03,819 on education. 1956 01:12:03,819 --> 01:12:06,488 And also, we're going to working in a stringent 1957 01:12:06,488 --> 01:12:08,757 way, and a very good way, on crime. 1958 01:12:08,756 --> 01:12:12,427 You go to some of these inner city places, and 1959 01:12:12,427 --> 01:12:14,796 it's so sad when you look at the crime. 1960 01:12:14,796 --> 01:12:16,631 You have people -- and I've seen this, and I've 1961 01:12:16,631 --> 01:12:18,466 sort of witnessed it. 1962 01:12:18,466 --> 01:12:19,367 In fact, in two cases, I 1963 01:12:19,368 --> 01:12:21,570 have actually witnessed it. 1964 01:12:21,569 --> 01:12:24,405 They lock themselves into apartments, petrified to 1965 01:12:24,405 --> 01:12:27,975 even leave, in the middle of the day. 1966 01:12:27,975 --> 01:12:28,609 They're living in hell. 1967 01:12:28,609 --> 01:12:29,677 We can't let that happen. 1968 01:12:29,677 --> 01:12:31,713 So we're going to be very, very strong. 1969 01:12:31,713 --> 01:12:35,917 It's a great question, and it's a very difficult 1970 01:12:35,917 --> 01:12:38,820 situation, because it's been many, many years. 1971 01:12:38,820 --> 01:12:40,088 It's been festering for many, many years. 1972 01:12:40,088 --> 01:12:42,890 But we have places in this country that we 1973 01:12:42,890 --> 01:12:43,925 have to fix. 1974 01:12:43,926 --> 01:12:47,196 We have to help African American people that, for 1975 01:12:47,195 --> 01:12:49,064 the most part are stuck there -- 1976 01:12:49,064 --> 01:12:51,600 Hispanic American people. 1977 01:12:51,600 --> 01:12:53,535 We have Hispanic American people that are in the 1978 01:12:53,534 --> 01:12:56,604 inner cities, and they're living in hell. 1979 01:12:56,604 --> 01:13:00,108 I mean, you look at the numbers in Chicago. 1980 01:13:00,109 --> 01:13:01,376 There are two Chicagos, as you know. 1981 01:13:01,376 --> 01:13:06,715 There's one Chicago that's incredible, luxurious and 1982 01:13:06,715 --> 01:13:08,016 all, and safe. 1983 01:13:08,015 --> 01:13:13,020 There's another Chicago that's worse than almost 1984 01:13:13,020 --> 01:13:16,090 any of the places in the Middle East that we talk 1985 01:13:16,091 --> 01:13:18,127 about, and that you talk about every night 1986 01:13:18,127 --> 01:13:19,161 on the newscasts. 1987 01:13:19,161 --> 01:13:21,130 So we're going to do a lot of work on 1988 01:13:21,130 --> 01:13:21,764 the inner cities. 1989 01:13:21,764 --> 01:13:23,332 I have great people lined up to help with 1990 01:13:23,332 --> 01:13:24,166 the inner cities. 1991 01:13:24,166 --> 01:13:25,266 The Press: Well, when you say -- when you say the 1992 01:13:25,266 --> 01:13:27,536 inner cities, are you going to include the CBC, 1993 01:13:27,536 --> 01:13:29,805 Mr. President, in your conversations with your 1994 01:13:29,805 --> 01:13:32,240 urban agenda, your inner city agenda, 1995 01:13:32,240 --> 01:13:33,274 as well as your -- 1996 01:13:33,274 --> 01:13:34,208 The President: Am I going include who? 1997 01:13:34,208 --> 01:13:35,109 The Press: Are you going to include the 1998 01:13:35,109 --> 01:13:37,145 Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional 1999 01:13:37,145 --> 01:13:37,912 Hispanic Caucus, as well as -- 2000 01:13:37,912 --> 01:13:38,446 The President: Well, I would. 2001 01:13:38,447 --> 01:13:39,114 I tell you what, do you want to set 2002 01:13:39,113 --> 01:13:39,881 up the meeting? 2003 01:13:39,881 --> 01:13:40,748 Do you want to set up the meeting? 2004 01:13:40,748 --> 01:13:41,783 The Press: No, no, no. 2005 01:13:41,783 --> 01:13:42,951 The President: Are they friends of yours? 2006 01:13:42,951 --> 01:13:43,484 The Press: I'm just a reporter. 2007 01:13:43,484 --> 01:13:44,619 The President: No, g ahead, set up the meeting. 2008 01:13:44,619 --> 01:13:45,653 The Press: I know some of them, but I'm sure they're 2009 01:13:45,654 --> 01:13:46,755 watching right now. 2010 01:13:46,755 --> 01:13:47,189 The President: Let's go set up a meeting. 2011 01:13:47,189 --> 01:13:48,289 I would love to meet with the Black Caucus. 2012 01:13:48,289 --> 01:13:49,024 I think it's great -- 2013 01:13:49,024 --> 01:13:50,325 the Congressional Black Caucus. 2014 01:13:50,324 --> 01:13:52,293 I think it's great. 2015 01:13:52,293 --> 01:13:54,930 I actually thought I had a meeting with Congressman 2016 01:13:54,930 --> 01:14:01,570 Cummings, and he was all excited, and then he said, 2017 01:14:01,569 --> 01:14:04,072 oh, I can't move, it might be bad for me politically, 2018 01:14:04,072 --> 01:14:05,507 I can't have that meeting. 2019 01:14:05,506 --> 01:14:06,574 I was all set to have the meeting. 2020 01:14:06,574 --> 01:14:08,210 You know, we called him and called him, and he was 2021 01:14:08,210 --> 01:14:09,110 all set. 2022 01:14:09,110 --> 01:14:10,311 I spoke to him on the phone. 2023 01:14:10,311 --> 01:14:11,445 Very nice guy. 2024 01:14:11,445 --> 01:14:12,514 The Press: I hear he wanted that meeting with 2025 01:14:12,514 --> 01:14:13,015 you as well. 2026 01:14:13,015 --> 01:14:13,816 The President: He wanted it. 2027 01:14:13,815 --> 01:14:15,416 But we called, called, called, called -- they 2028 01:14:15,417 --> 01:14:17,920 can't make a meeting with him. 2029 01:14:17,920 --> 01:14:19,788 Every day, I walked in, I said, I would like to meet 2030 01:14:19,787 --> 01:14:20,588 with him. 2031 01:14:20,588 --> 01:14:22,490 Because I do want to solve the problem. 2032 01:14:22,490 --> 01:14:24,525 But he probably was told by Schumer or somebody 2033 01:14:24,525 --> 01:14:27,729 like that -- some other lightweight -- he was 2034 01:14:27,729 --> 01:14:31,300 probably told -- he was probably told, don't meet 2035 01:14:31,300 --> 01:14:34,235 with Trump, it's bad politics. 2036 01:14:34,235 --> 01:14:35,903 And that's part of the problem of this country. 2037 01:14:35,904 --> 01:14:37,172 Okay, one more. 2038 01:14:37,171 --> 01:14:38,439 Go ahead. 2039 01:14:38,439 --> 01:14:39,640 The Press: Yes, Mr. President, two 2040 01:14:39,640 --> 01:14:40,074 questions -- 2041 01:14:40,074 --> 01:14:40,608 The President: No, no. 2042 01:14:40,609 --> 01:14:41,109 One question. 2043 01:14:41,109 --> 01:14:42,344 Two, we can't handle. 2044 01:14:42,344 --> 01:14:43,444 This room can't handle two. 2045 01:14:43,444 --> 01:14:45,279 Go ahead, give me the better of your two. 2046 01:14:45,279 --> 01:14:49,917 The Press: (Inaudible) it's not about your 2047 01:14:49,917 --> 01:14:52,186 personality or your beliefs. 2048 01:14:52,186 --> 01:14:54,555 We're talking about (inaudible) around the 2049 01:14:54,555 --> 01:14:57,658 country, some of it by supporters in your name. 2050 01:14:57,658 --> 01:14:58,359 What do you -- 2051 01:14:58,359 --> 01:14:59,694 The President: And some of it -- and can I be 2052 01:14:59,694 --> 01:15:00,695 honest with you? 2053 01:15:00,695 --> 01:15:02,564 And this has to do with racism and horrible things 2054 01:15:02,564 --> 01:15:03,832 that are put up. 2055 01:15:03,832 --> 01:15:06,969 Some of it written by our opponents. 2056 01:15:06,969 --> 01:15:07,703 You do know that. 2057 01:15:07,703 --> 01:15:09,805 Do you understand that? 2058 01:15:09,805 --> 01:15:10,739 You don't think anybody would do a 2059 01:15:10,738 --> 01:15:12,039 thing like that. 2060 01:15:12,039 --> 01:15:14,976 Some of the signs you'll see are not put up by the 2061 01:15:14,976 --> 01:15:17,311 people that love or like Donald Trump, they're put 2062 01:15:17,311 --> 01:15:19,648 up by the other side, and you think it's like 2063 01:15:19,648 --> 01:15:22,851 playing it straight. No. 2064 01:15:22,850 --> 01:15:24,652 But you have some of those signs, and some of that 2065 01:15:24,653 --> 01:15:27,489 anger is caused by the other side. 2066 01:15:27,488 --> 01:15:30,625 They'll do signs and they'll do drawings that 2067 01:15:30,626 --> 01:15:32,994 are inappropriate. 2068 01:15:32,994 --> 01:15:34,328 It won't be my people. 2069 01:15:34,328 --> 01:15:36,465 It will be the people on the other side to anger 2070 01:15:36,465 --> 01:15:38,367 people like you. 2071 01:15:38,367 --> 01:15:43,739 Okay. Go ahead. 2072 01:15:43,738 --> 01:15:44,238 The Press: You are the President now. 2073 01:15:44,238 --> 01:15:45,206 What are you going to do about it? 2074 01:15:45,207 --> 01:15:45,807 The President: Who is that? 2075 01:15:45,806 --> 01:15:46,440 Where is that? 2076 01:15:46,440 --> 01:15:48,277 Oh, stand up. 2077 01:15:48,277 --> 01:15:49,043 You can -- 2078 01:15:49,043 --> 01:15:50,311 The Press: What are you going to do about the 2079 01:15:50,311 --> 01:15:51,646 tensions that have been discussed? 2080 01:15:51,646 --> 01:15:52,680 The President: Oh, I'm working on it. 2081 01:15:52,680 --> 01:15:53,681 No, I'm working on it very hard. 2082 01:15:53,681 --> 01:15:54,448 The Press: Are you going to give a speech? 2083 01:15:54,448 --> 01:15:55,583 The President: No, no, look. 2084 01:15:55,583 --> 01:15:56,885 Hey, just so you understand, we had a 2085 01:15:56,885 --> 01:15:58,987 totally divided country for eight years, and long 2086 01:15:58,987 --> 01:16:00,122 before that, in all 2087 01:16:00,122 --> 01:16:01,990 fairness to President Obama. 2088 01:16:01,989 --> 01:16:04,358 Long before President Obama, we have had 2089 01:16:04,359 --> 01:16:05,427 a very divided. 2090 01:16:05,426 --> 01:16:07,662 I didn't come along and divide this country. 2091 01:16:07,662 --> 01:16:10,932 This country was seriously divided before I got here. 2092 01:16:10,932 --> 01:16:12,567 We're going to work on it very hard. 2093 01:16:12,567 --> 01:16:14,168 One of the questions that was asked -- I thought it 2094 01:16:14,168 --> 01:16:15,103 was a very good question -- was about 2095 01:16:15,103 --> 01:16:15,904 the inner cities. 2096 01:16:15,904 --> 01:16:17,139 I mean, that's part of it. 2097 01:16:17,139 --> 01:16:19,274 But we're going to work on education. 2098 01:16:19,274 --> 01:16:20,709 We're going to work on lack -- you know, we're 2099 01:16:20,708 --> 01:16:21,777 going to stop -- we're going to try and 2100 01:16:21,777 --> 01:16:22,577 stop the crime. 2101 01:16:22,577 --> 01:16:24,212 We have great law enforcement officials. 2102 01:16:24,212 --> 01:16:26,114 We're going to try and stop crime. 2103 01:16:26,113 --> 01:16:27,181 We're not going to try and stop, we're going 2104 01:16:27,181 --> 01:16:28,849 to stop crime. 2105 01:16:28,850 --> 01:16:30,419 But it's very important to me. 2106 01:16:30,418 --> 01:16:31,886 But this isn't Donald Trump that 2107 01:16:31,886 --> 01:16:33,587 divided a nation. 2108 01:16:33,587 --> 01:16:36,858 We went eight years with President Obama, and we 2109 01:16:36,858 --> 01:16:38,260 went many years before President Obama. 2110 01:16:38,260 --> 01:16:43,230 We lived in a divided nation. 2111 01:16:43,230 --> 01:16:46,033 And I am going to try -- I will do everything within 2112 01:16:46,033 --> 01:16:48,402 my power to fix that. 2113 01:16:48,403 --> 01:16:49,838 I want to thank everybody very much. 2114 01:16:49,837 --> 01:16:51,472 It's a great honor to be with you. 2115 01:16:51,472 --> 01:16:52,740 Thank you. 2116 01:16:52,740 --> 01:16:53,809 Thank you very much. 2117 01:16:53,809 --> 01:16:57,079 (Applause.)