An Unfiltered Conversation With President Trump

[0:00] I asked, he answered. [0:02] Weeks ago, when I visited the White House for dinner [0:05] with the President of the United States and Bill Maher, [0:08] I made sure to slide in a request [0:10] that he would sit down with me to conduct an interview. [0:15] The President promised that he would do so, [0:17] and that's exactly what he did. [0:20] This is Stephen A. Smith. [0:22] I am with you right now inside the White House, [0:26] the famous Roosevelt Room, [0:28] and I am here with the President of the United States of America. [0:32] Mr. President, thank you for doing this. [0:35] Thank you. [0:36] You promised me that you would do it, and you kept your word. [0:38] I did. I really appreciate it. [0:40] No problem. [0:40] Before I even start this interview, [0:42] let me say that I just did a show at an HBCU, Tuskegee University, [0:48] and the ladies in the administration there [0:50] wanted me to extend a personal thank you to you [0:52] when you basically eliminated debt of HBCUs back a few years ago [0:59] at a price of $1.6 billion at least. [1:01] So I wanted to thank you for that. [1:03] They wanted to say, make sure I extended that thank you to you. [1:05] That's very nice. Thank you. [1:06] Sure. [1:07] Let's get right to it, [1:08] because I've got a lot of tough questions to ask you. [1:11] We sit here today in the aftermath of the midterms and what happened. [1:16] What happened, Mr. President? [1:18] Well, number one, I wasn't on the ballot, [1:20] and if you look at the numbers that I had just a short time before, [1:23] there were a record. [1:24] Every one of them was a record number. [1:26] I won Texas in a record. [1:28] I won Florida. [1:29] I won Alabama. [1:30] I won virtually every state of the states we talk about [1:35] by a record number. [1:37] What happened? [1:39] I guess they probably, [1:41] well, a couple of different answers to that. [1:45] When you look at what's going on in Alaska, [1:48] where you have two Dan Sullivans running, [1:52] it shouldn't be allowed. [1:53] Now, when you add them up, [1:54] and they actually added another person, [1:56] so they put two people on against one person, [1:59] that's an unfair thing. [2:01] And I think some people would say [2:04] there were some disparities that shouldn't have happened. [2:06] But beyond that, [2:07] I would say that maybe the war was not unpopular as a war, [2:12] but unpopular because of the fact that the gasoline prices were higher, [2:17] the oil prices. [2:19] And I actually thought that that was something [2:21] that people would be able to handle pretty well. [2:23] You know, it's not a big price to pay [2:25] for stopping the number one state sponsor of terror, [2:29] which is the Islamic Republic of Iran, [2:32] and stopping them from having a nuclear weapon. [2:34] And we've done that, and it'll end soon. [2:38] But we've done that, [2:39] and I really thought that that was something [2:41] that the other candidates could wither. [2:44] I think I would have done fine, [2:46] but they weren't able to do that [2:47] because to the voter, I think gas prices went up, [2:50] and that seemed to be, I think, the biggest impact. [2:53] But that doesn't seem to be what your own party is saying. [2:55] I interviewed Governor Ron DeSantis last week on my show. [2:59] Obviously, I've spoken to several Republicans, [3:01] and then you look at some of the numbers. [3:02] Net loss of eight seats with Alaska still uncalled. [3:06] Gubernatorial seats. [3:07] Republican lost five governorships [3:09] in Georgia, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio, and Texas. [3:11] House Republicans are projected [3:13] to lose more than 40 seats, [3:14] and from a state legislative standpoint, [3:16] Democrats flipped more than 500 seats. [3:19] Yeah. [3:19] So you said going into the midterms [3:22] put you on the ballot. [3:23] I did. [3:24] So how can it not be that you were not on the ballot? [3:26] Well, they didn't do it. [3:27] They didn't put me on the ballot. [3:28] The people didn't believe in the candidates, perhaps. [3:32] Look, I won the state a short time before. [3:34] Every state we're talking about, [3:35] and almost in records, Ohio was a record. [3:39] I won by many points, like 14, 15 points. [3:42] In Florida, I won by the largest vote in history. [3:44] In Texas, I won by the largest vote in history. [3:48] Again, Alabama, so many I could name them. [3:51] I think it's over 30. [3:53] I have the highest, Alaska, [3:54] I had the highest vote in history. [3:56] I had so much, and I think I still have it. [4:00] You saw with the rallies. [4:01] I mean, the rallies were packed. [4:02] We'd have 15, 20, 25,000 people at every rally. [4:05] But isn't it possible [4:06] that people might have liked you, [4:11] but they may not have liked [4:13] the candidates you endorsed? [4:15] Or is it one of those simple situations [4:18] where the price of groceries, the price of gas, [4:20] and so on and so forth, those kind of things, [4:22] the cost of living affordability became an issue [4:24] America felt you didn't address [4:26] because you were preoccupied with the war? [4:28] No, I think it's both. [4:29] I feel I had to do what I did in Iran. [4:34] I think historically that's going to be [4:35] a great decision, I hope. [4:37] But short term, I guess it is tougher politically. [4:42] I knew that. [4:43] I mean, I had this thing going so perfectly, [4:45] and it's still going. [4:46] Look, we have the highest stock market we've ever had. [4:48] Now, it's interesting that the day after the election, [4:51] the stock market lost $3 trillion in value. [4:54] And that tells you the people aren't in love [4:57] with the Democrats because they were voting on Democrats. [5:01] But your approval rating was lower than the Democrats. [5:03] Your approval rating was lower than the Democrats. [5:05] Well, I have an approval rating on CNN of 99% [5:08] in the Republican Party. [5:10] And I have an approval rating on, [5:13] they compared myself, Abraham Lincoln, [5:17] and Ronald Reagan. [5:19] And Lincoln was at 8%, Reagan was at 14%, [5:23] and I was at 56% or something like that. [5:27] So I think my approval rating is good. [5:29] But I wasn't on the ballot. [5:30] When you're not on the ballot, you don't pull them in. [5:32] Don't forget, I was on the ballot three times, [5:35] and every time I was on the ballot, we won. [5:37] But, Mr. President, you said, put you on a ballot, [5:42] and now you're saying they didn't. [5:44] That means they didn't listen to President Donald Trump. [5:47] That's not what we know when it comes to you. [5:50] When it comes to MAGA, when it comes to your supporters, [5:53] I mean, they've spent the vast majority of the last decade [5:55] listening to the things that you have to say. [5:58] So when you told them to put you on the ballot, [6:00] now you're saying they didn't listen to you? [6:01] Well, I say that they maybe didn't like the candidates. [6:04] Look, I mean, I understood. [6:04] Did you like them? [6:06] Some of them I liked, some of them I liked less, [6:08] but I thought every one of them was better than the Democrats [6:11] in terms of policy. [6:12] But I'm talking about, did you like them better [6:14] than the other Republicans that they would have gone against? [6:17] I'm thinking along the lines of a Kim Paxton [6:19] compared to Senator John Cornyn in Texas. [6:21] Well, I think Cornyn would have done badly. [6:23] I don't think he would have done very well. [6:25] I think Paxton, you know, didn't do too well. [6:28] But I don't think Cornyn would have done any better. [6:31] I mean, I understood that. [6:32] The base liked him better. [6:34] Look, they had a race and he won. [6:36] It's not a question. [6:38] I did endorse him and he won after I endorsed him. [6:40] But Paxton had a race against Cornyn [6:43] and the Republicans put him out there. [6:46] And when they put him out there, [6:47] he didn't do as well as perhaps he should. [6:49] Why did you endorse Paxton to begin with? [6:51] I mean, his record coming into it wasn't that great. [6:54] I know you say as an attorney general, [6:56] but he had a relatively stained past to be kind. [7:01] And there are those that would ask why. [7:04] I mean, he had issues. [7:05] Why him? [7:06] But he was a good attorney general. [7:08] And I had problems with John Cornyn in the past [7:11] where he was not supportive of me [7:14] and a couple of things that I was not that I didn't like. [7:17] So I decided that I'd go with Paxton. [7:20] I don't think Cornyn would have done. [7:22] I'm not I have nothing against Cornyn, really. [7:24] But but he was very disloyal to me early on. [7:28] He was disloyal at certain parts when it perhaps was [7:31] maybe a good thing for him to be, [7:34] you know, when I wasn't in as much favor as at other times. [7:40] But he wasn't for me. [7:41] And I remember that, you know, I have a very good memory. [7:44] One of the things I brought up when [7:46] and I'm going to get off Paxton, [7:47] but one of the things I brought up, [7:48] I'm going to use him as an example, [7:49] because I don't believe any candidate [7:53] that refuses to show up for a debate [7:55] spanning 12 years deserves public office. [7:59] I just think, excuse my language, I think that's a punk move. [8:02] And that's not something anyone will ever accuse you of. [8:04] You're debating anybody. [8:05] You showed up all over the country. [8:07] I'm here. [8:07] You're here right now. [8:09] It's what you do. [8:10] Yet you're endorsing people that are running from the public. [8:13] That's not the Donald Trump that I know. [8:15] And for the record, just so we can remind everybody, [8:17] you and I have gone back decades now. [8:19] We've known each other for a long time. [8:21] I think we've liked each other. [8:22] Yeah, yes, absolutely. [8:23] So he should have done the debates. [8:26] I thought he should have done the debates. [8:28] I thought it was a mistake. [8:29] I thought it was close enough [8:30] that the debates were very important. [8:32] Yeah. [8:33] And others, too. [8:35] Others skipped the debate. [8:36] A lot of them thought, [8:37] if they get my endorsement, they don't have to debate. [8:39] I think getting the endorsement with some hurt them [8:42] because it didn't hurt them, [8:43] but they didn't work as hard as they should have worked. [8:46] What about people who look at it [8:48] and they say there's two things [8:50] that cost the Republicans all these seats? [8:52] It's the war with Iran, [8:54] and it's your tariffs. [8:56] They blame that. [8:58] And I even heard you mention [8:59] something about your tariffs along those lines. [9:02] What role do you think that played [9:03] in the GOP losing [9:06] as much as they did in these midterms? [9:08] Well, the war was just something [9:09] I had to do regardless. [9:11] I knew the war would be... [9:12] Wars are always very difficult [9:14] when you have elections, [9:15] but I had to do it. [9:16] It should have been done long before me [9:18] by other presidents. [9:19] It should have been done a long time ago. [9:21] The S.S. Cole, 400 people killed so many people. [9:25] Well, even recently, [9:26] they killed 75,000 protesters. [9:28] Whoever heard of that? [9:30] Much more than 75,000 now. [9:32] That was as of two or three months ago. [9:34] It's an evil empire, [9:36] and we've knocked the hell out of them. [9:38] And they won't have a nuclear weapon. [9:40] We've taken that away, [9:41] and we'll make sure we take it away. [9:43] That's why I'm there. [9:44] Why is this still going on? [9:45] Why haven't they been finished? [9:46] Because I've heard you say [9:47] you could take them out. [9:49] You could end this. [9:50] Why haven't you? [9:52] I could end it immediately. [9:54] Yes. [9:55] At the request of the nations [9:57] that I'm looking to protect, [9:58] we are doing it a little bit longer way, [10:01] a little bit more civilly. [10:04] Saudi Arabia has asked me to please just let it be [10:08] the way it is now for a while [10:10] because they're disintegrating. [10:12] Qatar, if you look at that. [10:14] Kuwait, UAE, Bahrain, [10:17] all of them would rather, [10:19] would much prefer the waiting period. [10:22] We put a very big financial hurt on them, [10:25] and they are, [10:26] look, they have 300% more than that of inflation. [10:29] They have no money. [10:30] They haven't paid their guard. [10:31] They haven't paid their soldiers. [10:33] They haven't paid their police. [10:34] And it's a nation that's in serious trouble. [10:36] So they've asked me to do that, [10:39] and I'm doing that. [10:40] I'm not sure I agree with it, [10:42] but we've taken them largely out. [10:45] As you know, their Navy's gone. [10:46] Their Air Force is gone. [10:48] Their anti-aircraft is gone. [10:51] Everything is gone. [10:52] Frankly, their leaders are gone for the most part. [10:54] Their leaders have been wiped out. [10:55] But that's the reason we're still there. [10:57] That's the reason we're still in this war, [10:59] because of what you just said. [11:00] Yeah, that's the reason. [11:00] Because the people that we're looking to protect, [11:03] and that includes Israel, [11:05] the people that we're looking to protect, [11:06] which is basically the Middle East, [11:08] and we've had great relationships with them. [11:11] They're tremendous investors in our country. [11:13] They spend trillions of dollars in our country. [11:17] The people that we're here to protect [11:19] would rather have me do it the way I'm doing it now. [11:22] I'm going to say this, Mr. President. [11:27] I'll take you at your word, [11:28] but I don't believe that's all that there is. [11:31] I'm going to ask you this question, [11:32] because I watched you on 60 Minutes, [11:34] and particularly when it came to the issue [11:36] of hating your enemies, [11:38] and Nancy Pelosi's name was mentioned. [11:42] James Comey's name wasn't mentioned. [11:43] And I'm thinking about, as you said, [11:45] look at what they, as in the Democrats, [11:48] tried to do to you in terms of throwing you in jail [11:50] and things of that nature. [11:52] I'm thinking along the lines of, [11:54] well, they tried to throw you in jail. [11:56] Iran tried to kill you. [11:58] Vengeance is not something that you mind exacting [12:01] against those you perceive to be your enemies, [12:04] one would say. [12:05] I don't think you would deny that. [12:07] So if that's the case, [12:10] how much of a role does that play [12:12] in the United States still being in the position [12:15] that it's in with Iran, [12:17] knowing how much you hate them [12:18] because they've tried to kill you? [12:20] Well, it's a human reflex. [12:22] I mean, I feel that way. [12:23] I know you would feel that way, too. [12:25] I think I know you well enough to say that. [12:27] You're probably not a lot different than me in that way. [12:30] But, no, it's certainly if somebody treats you with differently, [12:35] let's say nicely, as opposed to the opposite. [12:38] I hate my opponents. [12:40] It's not a question of opponents. [12:41] I hate certain people. [12:42] I don't hate all my opponents. [12:43] I respect a lot of my opponents. [12:45] But there are some that I think we're way across the line, [12:48] and I have a certain hatred for them. [12:51] So do many people. [12:53] I've heard it said about some, [12:55] oh, he never hates. [12:56] Well, there's a lot of hatred in the world. [12:58] And when you get treated the way I got treated [13:00] by various people, I won't use names, [13:05] but various people politically, [13:07] and I survived. [13:08] I became president again, [13:10] and we have a country that's hot as a pistol. [13:13] And, by the way, speaking about your tariffs, [13:15] without tariffs would be almost a dead country. [13:18] We have right now thousands of plants [13:20] being built all over the United States, [13:22] and that's only done to avoid tariffs. [13:24] If we didn't have the tariffs, we wouldn't have any... [13:26] If I said right now, I'm going to stop the tariffs, [13:29] all of those plants would stop construction immediately. [13:32] I'm going to come right back to the tariffs, [13:34] but I still want you to finish answering [13:36] about the hatred that you feel for Iran. [13:38] They've got a billboard in Tehran right now [13:41] talking about killing you. [13:42] Yeah. [13:43] That has nothing to do with why you're still there. [13:46] They're an evil enemy. [13:48] They've killed many Americans. [13:49] They've killed many American soldiers, sailors, [13:52] as you know, with the SS call, [13:54] but other things other than that. [13:57] They've killed 75,000 protesters recently, [14:01] and it's much more than that. [14:02] They're a very evil group of people, [14:05] and I certainly... [14:07] I don't hate the people of Iran, [14:10] but I think their leadership [14:11] has been a horrible, horrible thing. [14:14] It truly is. [14:15] It's the number one state sponsor of terror in the world. [14:18] Everybody said that. [14:19] That's not a phrase used by me. [14:21] It's a phrase given by many people [14:23] that know what's happening, [14:24] including the United Nations. [14:27] And... [14:27] So you bombed them. [14:29] You bombed them twice. [14:30] When I say hate, [14:32] I certainly don't love them. [14:34] They have done... [14:36] They've killed a lot of American soldiers. [14:38] But like you've said, [14:39] you've basically disarmed them. [14:40] You've obliterated them to some degree. [14:42] At least that's what you say. [14:43] Okay, fine. [14:44] No, no, no, no. [14:44] It's not what I say. [14:45] It's what happened. [14:47] Okay. [14:47] Okay? [14:47] I mean, you just take a look. [14:49] You sound like the New York Times. [14:51] They try and justify everything. [14:52] That's what happens. [14:53] Look, they are a very bad group of people, [14:58] the leadership I'm talking about. [15:00] They're violent. [15:02] They hate us. [15:03] They say death to America constantly. [15:06] They say death to Israel. [15:08] They say death, in many cases, to the Middle East. [15:10] Look, they attacked five countries [15:12] that weren't even their enemies, [15:13] and they attacked them, [15:14] which was the biggest surprise of that war, [15:17] because they went after Saudi Arabia, [15:19] they went after UAE, [15:20] and they went after Qatar. [15:22] Okay, so let's put it this way. [15:23] If it were for the other nations, [15:25] particularly in the Middle East, [15:26] that don't want you to do that, [15:29] would you have already taken them out? [15:31] Yes, I would. [15:33] I would have, yeah. [15:34] And by taking them out, [15:35] that means what exactly would you have done? [15:36] Going further than I went. [15:38] We've gone very far. [15:39] We've attacked them pretty far. [15:43] But we, for the most part, [15:45] left their bridges alone. [15:47] We took out one big bridge [15:48] because they behaved very badly. [15:50] But, and we've let their electric, [15:53] you know, manufacturing capability survive. [15:56] And we haven't attacked their energy at all. [16:00] We haven't attacked their energy. [16:02] If I want to take them out, [16:03] I hit their, in one day, [16:06] their energy's gone. [16:07] In one day, their bridges are gone. [16:10] And in one day, [16:11] their manufacturing capability is gone. [16:14] It would only take me three days, [16:15] one day each. [16:16] Let's go back to the tariffs, [16:18] because you brought that up, [16:19] and I brought that up. [16:20] Kansas is a state. [16:22] You lost. [16:24] First time. [16:24] No, no, I didn't lose. [16:26] I won Kansas in a record number. [16:27] I got the highest. [16:28] I'm talking about the midterms. [16:29] I'm just talking about the midterms. [16:30] Turned over the first time since 1932. [16:31] Because, again, I'm not on the ballot. [16:33] I went. [16:34] I made a speech for some people, [16:36] but I'm not on the ballot. [16:37] If I was on the ballot, [16:38] I think it would have been a different situation. [16:39] But in the Midwest, [16:40] you're talking about tractors and what have you. [16:41] It was at $4 per gallon for diesel fuel, [16:44] and now it's over $6. [16:45] People are using that. [16:47] That's because of the war. [16:48] But remember this. [16:50] Under Biden, gasoline was higher than Trump. [16:54] Under Barack Hussein Obama, [16:57] gasoline was higher than Trump. [17:00] And they didn't take out Iran. [17:01] I did. [17:02] I did something that they were not willing to do. [17:05] In fact, Obama gave them a path to a nuclear weapon. [17:09] He said he signed the JCPOA. [17:12] It's a disastrous deal. [17:14] One of the dumbest deals I've ever seen. [17:16] That was a path for Iran to have a nuclear weapon. [17:19] It expired three years ago, by the way, [17:21] if I didn't terminate it, [17:22] but I'd terminate it before that. [17:24] It was a short-term deal. [17:25] It gave a path for Iran to have a nuclear weapon. [17:28] If Iran had a nuclear weapon, [17:30] they would use it, Stephen, immediately. [17:33] So with that being said, [17:34] basically what you're saying is the tariffs, [17:36] the war, [17:37] even though obviously it contributed to an elevation in prices, [17:39] affordability, [17:40] creating affordability issues, [17:42] at least in people's minds in the United States of America. [17:44] You're saying at the end of the day, [17:46] you have no doubt that you did the right thing [17:47] and you wouldn't do anything differently. [17:49] Well, look, can you say no doubt? [17:52] I, look, there's a possibility [17:54] that they wouldn't have used, possibility, [17:57] I think it's a small possibility, [17:58] that they wouldn't have used the nuclear weapon [18:01] that they were two weeks away from having. [18:03] In which case, I guess I would say [18:05] I shouldn't have done this. [18:06] But I think the probability, [18:08] the strong probability, [18:09] is they would have used it. [18:10] And they would have wiped out the entire Middle East [18:12] and they would have gone beyond that. [18:14] I know my customer. [18:15] You know, my whole thing in life is deals. [18:18] Even the presidency, that's a deal. [18:20] You know, you have to wheel and deal [18:22] and everything else. [18:24] Someday you may try it. [18:26] But my whole thing is deals. [18:30] My whole life has been a big deal. [18:32] And I know people. [18:33] And if you don't know people, [18:34] you wouldn't know how to make a deal. [18:38] And I will tell you, [18:39] these are very vicious people. [18:41] They're very violent people. [18:42] They were trying to get a nuclear weapon to use it. [18:45] And I bombed the hell out of their sights. [18:47] And now we have a site called Pickaxe Mountain, [18:50] which I may do or may not do. [18:51] They haven't been very active there. [18:53] But if they are, we'll bomb that one too. [18:55] But we bombed. [18:56] They would have had a nuclear weapon within, [18:58] that was over a year ago now, the B-2 bombers. [19:00] They would have had a nuclear weapon [19:02] and they would have used it. [19:04] So if that's the case, [19:06] that makes oil going up [19:07] actually a pretty small amount. [19:10] You know, I thought oil was going to go much higher. [19:12] If you look today, [19:13] I'm taking out more oil [19:14] through the harmless trait [19:16] than they did before the war started. [19:18] You and I spoke weeks ago. [19:20] And thank you again [19:21] for hosting me to the dinner here. [19:23] Myself with Bill Maher. [19:24] We won't bring him up. [19:25] But here's my question to you. [19:26] Back then you told me, [19:28] you said trillions of dollars [19:29] are coming into America. [19:32] You'll see. [19:33] You'll see. [19:34] That's true. [19:35] The American people are saying, [19:36] when are we going to see it? [19:38] We haven't seen it yet. [19:39] It takes a while to have the plants open. [19:41] Look, right now, [19:43] they just announced [19:44] massive car companies are coming in. [19:46] They're leaving Mexico. [19:47] They're leaving Canada. [19:49] You know, they sold all these cars. [19:50] They sold 60% of our companies. [19:53] Mexico, Canada. [19:54] If you look at South Korea, [19:57] mostly Germany and Japan, [19:59] those five, but others also. [20:01] They took our car industry [20:02] and they cut it in half, [20:04] but more than half. [20:06] And all of a sudden, [20:07] we're importing cars [20:08] from all over the world [20:09] and we don't have our workers. [20:10] Our auto workers were, [20:11] I did phenomenally in Michigan. [20:13] I won Michigan, [20:14] as you probably know. [20:15] And I won the auto workers [20:16] because they knew [20:18] exactly what I was saying. [20:20] And what I've done [20:20] is we have auto plants [20:21] now being built [20:22] all over the United States, [20:24] including Detroit, [20:25] where they're doing [20:26] massive expansions [20:27] of existing plants. [20:28] without me, [20:29] all those, [20:30] we would be losing [20:31] the rest of our auto plants. [20:33] I also saved the steel industry. [20:35] Without tariffs, [20:36] it would be impossible. [20:37] And the reason is, [20:38] and it seems so simple, [20:40] but I really believe [20:41] that people are smart, [20:43] but sometimes [20:44] they're just bad people. [20:45] They just don't want it [20:46] to be known. [20:46] The reason is [20:47] that they were coming in [20:49] and dumping steel [20:50] in the United States [20:51] and our factories [20:52] were all going bankrupt. [20:53] We were down to almost nobody. [20:55] Nothing. [20:55] I saved U.S. Steel. [20:57] I made a merger. [20:58] I worked out a merger [20:59] saving U.S. Steel, [21:01] which used to be [21:02] the biggest company. [21:03] That was the big company [21:05] of the day. [21:05] When you hear about [21:06] the Googles [21:07] and the Apples [21:07] and all these big companies, [21:09] the big company [21:10] used to be U.S. Steel, [21:11] the biggest company in the world [21:12] for a long period of time. [21:14] It was reduced to nothing. [21:15] Now it's thriving. [21:17] It's doing great. [21:17] Well, that's not the message [21:18] the American people received. [21:19] Why did they receive it? [21:20] Because you're the master messenger. [21:22] How come they didn't receive that message? [21:23] Because you have fake news [21:24] that doesn't want to report the message. [21:26] But it's gotten to the point [21:28] where you've been saying [21:29] fake news for years, [21:30] but somehow, someway, [21:32] you were able to get your message across [21:34] when you ran in 2015, 2016, 2020, [21:36] 2024, et cetera. [21:37] I mean, why now? [21:38] Well, I just think [21:40] that it's just a point in time, [21:41] and I think it had to do [21:42] maybe with the war, [21:43] but I don't think it was the war [21:44] as much as what the war did. [21:46] It lifted up the gasoline prices. [21:48] I'm disappointed in people [21:49] because I really think [21:51] it's a very small, [21:52] it's really a very small thing to pay [21:55] to get rid of a country [21:58] that would absolutely, [22:00] in my opinion, [22:00] use nuclear weapons on us, [22:02] on others, but also on us. [22:05] And by the way, [22:05] if it's others, [22:06] that pertains also. [22:07] You're killing millions of people. [22:08] They would kill millions [22:10] and millions of people. [22:12] But the tariff thing [22:14] has made this country so rich. [22:18] We are building... [22:19] People are leaving. [22:20] Now, it's... [22:21] You know, tariffs were used against us [22:23] by China and others. [22:25] Now, we're using them much better [22:26] than anybody ever used them. [22:28] And we have... [22:29] Somebody's going to be president [22:30] in two years, [22:32] and they're going to say, [22:33] that person is an incredible genius [22:35] because we have factories opening up, [22:38] and they're starting now, [22:39] but they're opening up [22:40] at levels never seen before. [22:42] Look at our jobs numbers. [22:43] We had the best job numbers [22:44] we've ever had. [22:45] Look at the numbers from last week. [22:47] They were expecting 20 jobs, [22:49] 20,000, [22:50] and it turned out to be [22:50] 165,000 jobs for the month. [22:53] Nobody's ever seen numbers [22:55] like what we're doing, [22:56] and that's because of tariffs. [22:58] Now, the Democrats say tariff... [23:01] I always say that tariff [23:02] is a word that needs [23:04] public relations. [23:06] It's the best thing [23:07] that ever happened to us. [23:08] It's made us strong again. [23:11] It's saved our job. [23:12] We would be a country with... [23:15] The factories were all leaving [23:16] under Obama. [23:18] You know, Obama... [23:19] But it's been a bit... [23:20] Obama said, [23:21] we will never be [23:22] a manufacturing country again. [23:24] So last week, [23:25] it came out that exporting, [23:27] the exporting is the number one [23:29] we've ever had, [23:29] number one month we've ever had. [23:31] That's manufacturing. [23:32] Obama said that. [23:33] Biden didn't say anything [23:34] because I don't think [23:35] Biden knew too much [23:36] about what was happening, [23:37] if you want to know the truth. [23:38] But Obama said it, [23:40] and we were losing [23:41] our country under Biden. [23:43] We were losing our country. [23:44] If we had to go through [23:45] another year, [23:46] I don't think we would have [23:46] had a country. [23:48] And we're thriving, [23:49] just so you understand. [23:50] We're building hundreds [23:52] and hundreds of factories, [23:55] plants. [23:55] But you can't... [23:56] You know, [23:56] the entire medical industry [23:57] is coming back. [23:58] You know, during COVID, [23:59] we learned something, [24:00] that we don't make [24:01] medicine anymore. [24:03] Do you know that Pfizer, [24:05] Merck, [24:06] Eli Lilly, [24:08] do you know they're building [24:09] hundreds of billions [24:10] of dollars worth of plants now? [24:11] You know why? [24:12] Because of tariffs. [24:13] I said, [24:14] you've got two years [24:15] to build your plant. [24:16] After that, [24:17] we're going to charge you [24:17] 300% tariff. [24:19] First year, [24:20] no tariff. [24:21] Second... [24:21] You can keep bringing it in [24:23] from China, [24:24] Ireland, [24:25] England. [24:27] First year, [24:27] no tariff. [24:28] Second year, [24:28] 10%, [24:29] very small. [24:30] Third year, [24:31] 300%. [24:32] You have two years [24:33] to build your factory. [24:34] They're building like crazy. [24:36] And what's going to happen? [24:37] We're going to make [24:37] all of our own medicine. [24:39] We're going to make [24:39] all of our own steel. [24:40] We're going to make [24:41] all of our own aluminum. [24:42] These are commitments [24:42] in writing that's coming [24:44] to the United States. [24:45] You know for a fact [24:46] this is going to come. [24:46] This is not just people [24:47] giving you your word. [24:48] It's already built. [24:49] They're building it. [24:50] I'm asking you this. [24:51] No, no. [24:51] These are factories [24:52] that are under construction [24:53] right now. [24:54] They're spending [24:55] hundreds of billions [24:56] of dollars building [24:58] factories that are [24:59] under construction. [25:00] And if you look [25:01] at the job numbers [25:02] last week, [25:03] the job numbers [25:04] are incredible. [25:04] The job numbers are [25:05] people have never seen. [25:07] The construction numbers. [25:08] You know why? [25:09] Because we're building, [25:10] we're leading in SI [25:11] by a lot. [25:12] And data centers [25:13] are very important, [25:14] by the way. [25:14] But people are going [25:15] to start to understand that. [25:16] And people are going [25:17] to start participating [25:18] in data centers financially. [25:20] And that's going to be good. [25:21] But we're leading China [25:22] now in SI. [25:23] We're leading everybody. [25:24] We're leading the whole world. [25:25] I have to interject. [25:26] And our car industry [25:27] is coming back. [25:30] Here's where I'm coming [25:31] at with you. [25:34] You can't have it both ways. [25:35] You can't say [25:35] you weren't on the ballot [25:36] and all of those changes [25:38] took place. [25:38] But give out these numbers. [25:39] I can have it both ways. [25:40] Give out these numbers. [25:41] Okay. [25:41] It is both ways. [25:42] But give out these numbers. [25:44] Give out these facts [25:44] that are clearly beneficial [25:45] to Americans. [25:46] I did. [25:46] But Americans didn't receive it [25:48] that way during the midterms. [25:49] I gave them out. [25:50] I gave them out. [25:50] And I gave them out. [25:53] Not a lot different [25:54] than I'm giving them out to you. [25:55] I'm thinking about the man [25:55] that rolled down the escalator. [25:56] I'm thinking about the guy [25:58] that walked into the black community [26:00] before the 2016 election. [26:04] And you looked at folks [26:05] and you said, [26:05] what do you have got to lose? [26:07] You asked that question. [26:09] The black community [26:10] is the biggest beneficiary [26:11] of what I've done. [26:12] I did criminal justice reform. [26:15] Yes, you did. [26:15] I did things. [26:16] I saved the historically black [26:18] colleges and universities. [26:20] They were out of business. [26:22] I have a list of things [26:23] that I wrote here. [26:24] Read the list. [26:24] And I said, [26:25] I'll read the whole thing. [26:27] You have the time? [26:28] I'm going to read it. [26:28] I've got nothing but time. [26:30] Read the list. [26:30] The Trump administration [26:31] awarded a record [26:32] one-time investment [26:33] of $438 million [26:35] to historically black colleges [26:37] and universities. [26:39] They were ready to go bankrupt [26:40] before I got this done. [26:42] Okay? [26:42] You know that. [26:44] Historically, [26:44] black colleges and universities. [26:46] In September 2026, [26:48] the Department of Education [26:49] announced another $174 million [26:52] that I personally approved [26:53] to HBCUs, [26:55] bringing the extra funding [26:56] above what Congress approved [26:57] to more than $612 million [27:00] over a two-year period. [27:02] Money that the Democrats [27:04] fought me on. [27:05] $612 million. [27:07] That's the HBCUs. [27:10] Right? [27:10] In April 2025, [27:13] President Trump signed [27:14] an executive order [27:14] bringing the HBCU initiative [27:17] back to the White House [27:18] where it was taken out [27:19] by the Democrats [27:20] and recreating President, [27:22] Board of Advisors. [27:24] So I have a Board of Advisors [27:25] of the HBCUs, [27:27] the presidents of the colleges. [27:29] The Democrats didn't do that. [27:30] They didn't want that. [27:31] And they treated them badly, [27:32] by the way. [27:33] I don't understand how [27:34] any black person [27:35] that votes for a Democrat, [27:36] I don't understand. [27:37] President Trump's historic price [27:39] to Save America Act, [27:41] to Save America Act, [27:42] safeguards black voices, [27:44] ensuring illegal votes [27:45] don't drown out [27:47] the disenfranchised [27:48] black communities. [27:50] It's a big deal. [27:51] Thanks to President Trump's, [27:52] the Trump Accounts initiative, [27:54] 100% of black newborn babies [27:56] now have exposure [27:58] to the stock market, [28:00] closing a longstanding [28:02] fiscal divide. [28:02] And they're getting [28:03] $1,000 from our government [28:06] when they're born. [28:08] Governor Westmore [28:09] spoke about that. [28:09] No, think of that. [28:10] Primarily, yes. [28:10] Oh, it's very popular. [28:12] But I did that. [28:13] The Democrats, [28:13] they voted. [28:14] By the way, [28:14] do you know that [28:15] 100% of the Democrats [28:17] voted against it? [28:20] President Trump's [28:20] working families tax cut [28:22] secured no tax on overtime, [28:25] benefiting millions [28:26] and millions of black workers [28:28] eligible for overtime benefit. [28:30] President Trump secured [28:31] a tax-free $1,776 [28:34] warrior dividend, [28:35] of which the black soldier [28:38] is a big percentage [28:39] of our military, [28:40] got $1,776 as a dividend, [28:44] $1,776, right? [28:46] The Trump administration [28:47] lowered the backlog [28:49] of veterans waiting [28:50] for VA benefits by 70%, [28:52] reformed the VA loan program, [28:55] and largely, [28:56] many of these loans [28:57] are going to black soldiers [28:59] and black ex-soldiers [29:02] from the military. [29:04] I did that. [29:05] Nobody else did. [29:05] President Trump named [29:06] Alice Marie Johnson, [29:09] the black great-grandmother [29:10] whose life sentence [29:11] was commuted [29:12] and ultimately pardoned [29:14] by President Trump. [29:15] Yes. [29:16] And we made her [29:17] the pardon czar. [29:18] So there's a woman [29:19] who was in jail. [29:21] Wait a minute. [29:21] This is a black woman [29:22] who was in jail [29:23] for 22 years, [29:26] and I was, [29:27] her name was brought to me, [29:29] and I said, [29:30] what did she do? [29:31] She was involved [29:32] in the sale of marijuana, [29:33] very lightly involved. [29:35] She was on a phone conversation. [29:37] I said, [29:38] how many years [29:39] was she given? [29:39] 50. [29:40] I said, [29:41] wait a minute, [29:41] you mean she's got to serve [29:42] another 28 years? [29:43] She was 22 years [29:44] when she was presented to me. [29:46] I was so impressed [29:47] whether I made her [29:48] the pardon czar. [29:49] She's a fine woman. [29:50] I'm sure you met her, [29:51] Alice Johnson. [29:52] And it was a saddest story. [29:54] She spent 22 years in jail. [29:56] She had another 28 years [29:57] to go with no, [29:58] no commutation, [30:00] no anything. [30:01] I mean, [30:02] I saved her life, [30:03] and I made her [30:03] the pardon czar. [30:05] She's got a tremendous [30:06] power of pardon. [30:07] Because I asked her, [30:08] I said, [30:08] Alice, [30:09] she's a fine word. [30:11] I knew it immediately. [30:12] I said, [30:13] how many people like you [30:14] are in jail? [30:16] She said, [30:16] many. [30:17] I said, [30:18] well, [30:18] you were in jail [30:18] the same jail [30:19] for 22 years, [30:20] right? [30:20] How many people are like you? [30:22] What percentage? [30:23] She said, [30:24] 25%. [30:25] I see. [30:26] Okay. [30:26] So there are bad people, too, [30:28] because I didn't want to say [30:29] everybody's perfect. [30:30] You know, [30:30] it's prison, right? [30:31] Yes. [30:31] She said, [30:32] no, [30:32] there are some very bad people, [30:34] but there are also [30:35] some very good people [30:36] that did nothing wrong. [30:37] I said, [30:38] I want you to give me a list [30:39] of all of those people. [30:40] We're going to pardon those people. [30:42] And we've done that, [30:43] largely done that. [30:43] The Trump administration [30:44] expended, [30:46] and this is really a big deal, [30:48] expanded Medicaid access, [30:49] to new gene therapies [30:51] for sickle cell disease [30:53] and sickle cell anemia, [30:55] a painful inherited blood disease [30:57] that falls hardest [30:58] on black Americans [30:59] in states covering [31:00] about 84% of Medicaid. [31:02] Well, [31:03] wait a minute. [31:03] Okay. [31:03] The Democrats [31:04] wouldn't do sickle cell anemia, [31:06] and I did it. [31:07] President Trump's [31:08] working families tax cuts [31:10] made opportunity zones permanent. [31:12] I did opportunity [31:13] with Senator Tim Scott, [31:16] a black senator. [31:18] I understand. [31:18] I want to get to a point, though. [31:19] First of all... [31:20] Oh, no, but I have three pages of this. [31:21] I understand it. [31:22] You talked about... [31:23] You wish you didn't ask me this question. [31:25] No, no, not at all. [31:25] I just don't want to take [31:26] all my time on that, [31:27] but I got you. [31:28] I'd rather do that. [31:30] I do remember. [31:30] Well, I got some more questions. [31:32] Murders fell 18.1%. [31:34] Okay, Mr. President, [31:35] Mr. President, [31:36] Barack Obama gave over 2.9 billion, [31:39] 2.4 billion to HBCUs 2009. [31:42] You did about 1.9 billion in 2019. [31:43] Excuse me. [31:44] Biden came in and did over 17 billion [31:46] when you take everything into account. [31:48] My... [31:48] They were going bankrupt [31:49] during my administration. [31:51] The money that they gave was stolen, [31:53] and it didn't fund. [31:54] They were going bankrupt. [31:55] They came to me. [31:57] You know, I got to know a lot of the head people [31:59] from the various colleges, [32:00] and I said, [32:02] tell me, [32:02] how come, after three years, [32:05] how come I see you every year? [32:06] They said, [32:07] because they want us to be beggars. [32:08] These are the presidents of the colleges. [32:11] Of the HBCUs. [32:11] About 50 of them. [32:12] And I got to know them, [32:13] because I'd see them every year, [32:14] once a year, [32:15] they came down looking for money. [32:17] And I said, [32:18] the first time, [32:19] I didn't see anything wrong. [32:20] I didn't think anything was so... [32:22] Then the second time, [32:23] I was a little surprised. [32:24] I said, [32:24] how come you're here again? [32:26] And the third time, [32:26] I said, [32:27] how come I've met you again? [32:28] They said, [32:28] because they want us to beg every year. [32:30] The Democrats demand that we come back [32:32] every single year, [32:33] I said, [32:34] well, [32:34] I'm going to get you 10-year financing. [32:37] Now, [32:37] the only bad thing is, [32:38] they actually became friends with some, [32:39] as you know. [32:40] Yes. [32:40] And I said, [32:41] I'll never see you again, [32:42] probably, [32:43] because I'm going to get you 10-year financing. [32:45] I got them financed, [32:46] and I got them more than they wanted. [32:49] Barack Obama did nothing for it, [32:50] and Biden did nothing for it. [32:52] All they did was the 19, [32:54] I guess it was the 1996 Crime Act, [32:57] which is the worst thing [32:58] that ever happened to black people. [33:00] That was the worst thing. [33:01] That was under Clinton. [33:03] That was under Clinton in 1994, [33:04] the crime bill with Clinton and Biden. [33:06] What did I do? [33:07] I did criminal justice reform. [33:09] That's bigger than all of this stuff put together. [33:11] I did criminal justice reform [33:13] at the request of a lot of black journalists, [33:17] one in particular that I told you about. [33:19] I think he's a disgrace, [33:20] because he was very unthankful. [33:22] They came to my office. [33:24] He was very thankful. [33:24] They had no chance [33:25] of getting criminal justice reform. [33:27] They had many senators [33:28] that would never have voted, [33:30] and they came, [33:31] they made their case to me. [33:32] They've been trying to get it [33:33] for 25 years, [33:34] and I got criminal justice reform done. [33:37] You did it. [33:38] And I did that, [33:39] and everybody acknowledges I did that. [33:41] But you're talking about Van Jones. [33:42] I got no credit for it. [33:43] You're talking about Van Jones, [33:44] who you asked me to call. [33:46] I called him. [33:47] He said he has thanked and thanked [33:49] and thanked you time and time again, [33:50] on camera, off camera. [33:52] He knows. [33:52] He said, for the record, [33:53] he knows that he came to you, [33:55] and you were the one [33:55] that got the five Republican senators [33:57] inside of an hour to help him. [33:59] He said all of these things. [34:00] He's giving you thanks for that. [34:01] So let's get that out of the way. [34:03] But when you talk about the black community [34:04] and how they're feeling about it, [34:06] obviously, [34:07] there's a feeling that Obama did his share, [34:09] Biden did his share. [34:10] They know you did his share. [34:12] But then they look at the modern day... [34:14] Criminal justice reform. [34:16] Criminal justice... [34:16] That's the biggest thing there is, right? [34:18] Yes. [34:18] Because black people were put in jail, [34:21] like Wallace Johnson for 50 years [34:24] that somebody else would have been [34:25] not even gone to jail for. [34:26] Well, the biggest thing is employment. [34:28] And you've got black women, [34:29] over 300,000, [34:31] lost their federal jobs. [34:32] Obviously, you told me, [34:33] you said, [34:34] but they're flourishing in the private sector. [34:35] They all got new jobs. [34:36] You said they're flourishing [34:36] in the private sector. [34:37] They're flourishing. [34:38] They tell me that's not true. [34:40] That's true. [34:40] That's what they say. [34:42] And they're getting more money. [34:43] Look, you can't have a federal government [34:45] where you have 10 people to do one job. [34:48] The federal government, [34:49] and if I wanted to leave everybody [34:52] in the federal government [34:52] and the system, [34:54] you'd have a country that would fail. [34:56] Those people, for the most part, [34:58] went out and got better jobs, [35:00] better paying jobs, [35:01] and they liked the job more. [35:02] They loved going to work [35:03] as opposed to working [35:04] for the federal government [35:05] where you sit around doing nothing. [35:07] Somebody had to do something about it, [35:09] and I did it. [35:11] Black women, black men, [35:13] and, you know, [35:13] I did very well with the black men. [35:14] Black men, you did well with them in 2024. [35:17] They didn't do so well in the midterms. [35:18] They didn't vote for me in the midterms. [35:20] I wasn't on the ballot. [35:21] I was on the ballot on 24. [35:23] Again, I wasn't on the ballot. [35:25] It's a big difference [35:26] when I'm on the ballot. [35:27] All three times [35:28] that I've been on the ballot, [35:29] I won big. [35:30] You campaigned everywhere [35:31] for everybody on the GOP. [35:32] I helped. [35:33] I mean, you were all over the place. [35:34] And you know what? [35:34] And you said, [35:35] put me on the ballot, [35:36] plus you campaigned. [35:37] They would have done worse. [35:38] If I didn't campaign, [35:39] they would have done worse. [35:40] You had a lot of very close elections. [35:42] But, like, [35:43] we did great [35:44] with Byron [35:46] in Florida. [35:48] Byron. [35:49] Byron Donald. [35:50] Yes. [35:50] Yeah. [35:50] In Florida. [35:51] He's a great guy. [35:52] He's a black man. [35:54] There's a black U.S. senator [35:56] in the state of Mississippi [35:58] for the first time [35:59] since Reconstruction, [36:00] Mr. President. [36:01] I don't know the gentleman, [36:02] but I give him credit. [36:03] And you know what he did? [36:04] He campaigned on lines. [36:06] I give him a lot of credit for this. [36:08] He campaigned on lines. [36:09] I heard it the other day [36:10] where I had a rally there [36:12] and we had lines [36:14] that went 10 miles long [36:15] and he campaigned [36:17] on that line [36:17] telling everybody on the line [36:19] what a good job he did. [36:20] I give him a lot of credit for that. [36:21] I don't know. [36:21] You know, you say something. [36:22] I got a question. [36:23] You're going to... [36:23] You say you weren't on the ballot. [36:26] Let me ask you a question, [36:28] Mr. President. [36:30] Let's say hypothetically [36:31] that... [36:33] Because I don't want to hear [36:34] about circumventing [36:35] the 22nd Amendment [36:36] of the Constitution [36:36] and running for a third turn. [36:38] No. [36:38] Let's just speak in hypotheticals. [36:40] If you could run [36:42] for president again, [36:43] so could Barack Obama. [36:47] What would Donald Trump do [36:49] if he had to square off [36:51] against Barack Obama [36:53] for the presidency [36:54] of the United States? [36:56] Well, I got... [36:56] What if that would have happened [36:57] right now? [36:58] I got many more votes [36:58] than he got [36:59] and I got many more votes [37:00] in the states [37:01] and I have all the state... [37:03] You know, most of the state records [37:04] of the big states. [37:05] If you take a look at Texas, [37:07] I have the all-time record. [37:09] Florida, I have the all-time record. [37:11] Are you saying [37:11] you would beat Obama? [37:13] Yeah. [37:13] I think I'd beat him easily, yeah. [37:15] Easily. [37:16] I think he's highly overrated, yeah. [37:18] Oh, my Lord. [37:19] How is Barack Obama overrated? [37:21] I just think... [37:21] That's just my opinion. [37:22] I think he's overrated. [37:24] I didn't think [37:24] he was a good president. [37:25] I thought he was a divider. [37:27] A divider? [37:28] Yeah. [37:28] And what would you classify yourself [37:29] as being said? [37:30] As a person [37:31] that brings people together. [37:34] And you bring people together [37:35] how exactly? [37:36] Through success. [37:37] Because our country [37:38] is so successful [37:39] and you're going to see [37:39] the results [37:40] pretty much starting now [37:41] because of [37:42] the trillions of dollars. [37:44] We have [37:44] $22.2 trillion [37:47] being invested [37:48] in the United States. [37:50] Billion or trillion? [37:52] Trillion. [37:53] Okay. [37:53] I'm just making sure. [37:54] We have $22 trillion. [37:55] It's the biggest number [37:57] ever in history [37:58] by many times. [37:59] Not just by a little bit, [38:01] by many times. [38:03] And the worth, [38:05] other than the hit [38:06] we took [38:06] the day after the election [38:07] where $3 trillion was lost, [38:09] we've created [38:10] $25 trillion [38:12] worth of value, [38:15] worth, [38:15] if you call it worth, [38:17] between stock markets [38:18] and values. [38:19] The worth [38:20] of the United States [38:22] gained [38:22] in a short period of time, [38:24] less than two years, [38:25] over $25 trillion. [38:28] Under Biden, [38:29] it was losing money. [38:31] I mean, [38:31] you were going to... [38:32] I'll tell you what, [38:33] I don't think this country [38:34] would have survived [38:35] had Harris gotten in, [38:37] Kamala. [38:38] Had she gotten in, [38:39] I think this country [38:40] would have failed. [38:41] What we've done [38:42] to turn this country around [38:43] is incredible. [38:43] And one other thing, [38:45] the border. [38:46] People were pouring [38:47] into our country. [38:48] It was like water. [38:49] I stopped. [38:50] For the last 17 months, [38:52] think of this. [38:53] For the last 17 months, [38:55] we had zero people [38:56] coming into our country [38:57] illegally. [38:59] Go ahead. [38:59] What are you looking for? [39:00] Because I'm looking... [39:01] I got it right here. [39:02] I want to ask you a question [39:03] about Stephen Miller. [39:05] Okay. [39:05] Because he's your [39:06] new chief of staff. [39:08] Yeah, that's a good man. [39:09] I don't know him. [39:10] I'm not going to comment [39:11] about him. [39:11] I know that I don't like [39:12] things that I've read [39:13] about Project 2025, [39:14] but that's a subject [39:15] for another day. [39:16] He wasn't involved in it. [39:16] But I would ask you this [39:18] about Stephen Miller. [39:19] Let me ask you this. [39:20] I'm thinking about a guy [39:21] in Stephen Miller [39:22] that was essentially [39:23] the... [39:24] I wouldn't say [39:25] the architect, [39:26] but he was very heavily [39:27] behind everything [39:28] that transpired [39:29] with immigration. [39:30] There is no question [39:31] that people look at [39:32] what you did [39:32] with the border [39:33] and nobody can refute that. [39:35] You know, [39:35] I've been on the record [39:36] stating that. [39:37] But on the border... [39:38] We've got 18 months [39:39] with not one person [39:41] coming in through [39:41] the southern border illegally, [39:43] meaning no criminals, [39:45] no murderers, [39:46] no drug dealers, [39:47] no people [39:48] from mental institutions [39:49] who were pouring [39:50] into our country. [39:51] By the way, [39:51] should I put this away now? [39:52] You can put that away now. [39:53] Because I have another two pages. [39:54] I got my own thing [39:55] to read right here. [39:55] I have another two pages. [39:56] Let me give you... [39:57] I could read [39:58] for another 10 minutes. [39:59] Let me give you [39:59] some background [40:00] about Stephen Miller [40:01] because you know it. [40:02] So I'm going to read. [40:02] I'm going to regurgitate this. [40:04] Leading supporter [40:05] of Trump first term, [40:07] zero tolerance immigration policy [40:09] in 2018 resulting [40:10] in thousands [40:10] of family separations, [40:12] press dramatic reductions [40:13] in refugee admissions, [40:15] championed administration's [40:16] immigration enforcement [40:17] expansion, [40:18] supported by approximately [40:19] $170 billion [40:20] that Republicans allocated [40:22] in a big, beautiful bill, [40:24] developed and defended [40:25] the administration's [40:26] executive order [40:27] that restricted entry [40:28] by nationals [40:29] of several Muslim [40:31] majority countries, [40:32] advocated for penalizing [40:34] legal immigrants [40:35] who received public benefits [40:36] and making it harder [40:38] for them to obtain citizenship, [40:40] and in the second term, [40:41] pushed ICE to make [40:42] at least 3,000 [40:43] immigration arrests per day. [40:46] I want to say [40:47] for the record, [40:48] I've asked Stephen Miller [40:49] to sit down with me [40:50] and interview me. [40:50] I can defend that record. [40:51] Please agree. [40:52] But I'm asking you, [40:53] please defend that record. [40:54] So we had people [40:55] in our country [40:56] that if we didn't have ICE, [40:58] they would still be here. [41:00] They were murderers. [41:01] So we had thousands [41:02] and thousands [41:03] of murderers [41:04] brought into our country. [41:06] Many of them murdered [41:07] more than one person. [41:08] Those people had to get out. [41:10] We brought them out. [41:11] When you talk about detention, [41:13] Obama is the one [41:14] that built the jails. [41:15] You know the jails for the kids? [41:16] They all said Trump built it. [41:18] And then somebody got up [41:19] and said, no, actually, [41:19] they were built [41:20] during Barack Hussein Obama. [41:22] And Obama built those jails. [41:24] You know, they gave me [41:25] a bad rap with the jails. [41:26] And all of a sudden, [41:27] and these are jails for children. [41:29] And all of a sudden, [41:30] it turned out [41:31] that it was Obama [41:32] that built those jails [41:33] for the children. [41:35] We have now gotten out [41:37] some of the worst criminals, [41:39] Trende Aragua, [41:40] which is a gang [41:41] that makes our gangs [41:42] look like nice people. [41:43] We've gotten out [41:44] some of the worst people [41:45] in the world [41:45] out of our country, [41:46] murderers, rapists, [41:48] the worst people, [41:49] the worst drug dealers [41:50] anywhere in the world, [41:51] the biggest drug dealers [41:52] in the world, [41:53] they came into our country. [41:54] They're gone. [41:55] Some of them are so bad, [41:56] we actually put them [41:57] in our jails. [41:58] I don't want them [41:58] in our jails [41:59] because I don't want [42:00] to have to afford them [42:01] for the next 50 years. [42:03] But we have murderers [42:04] that were so violent [42:05] and so bad. [42:05] You look at Trende Aragua, [42:07] they make the Hells Angels [42:09] look like the nicest [42:10] people on earth, [42:10] and the Hells Angels [42:11] actually support me, [42:12] so I have to be very careful. [42:13] I want to get last question, [42:15] last couple of questions. [42:16] Number one, legacy. [42:17] Because I'm thinking [42:18] about Stephen Miller, [42:19] I'm thinking about [42:19] your dealings [42:20] with the Democrats [42:21] over the final two years. [42:22] Well, I made the borders wrong. [42:22] You just said nobody else [42:24] could have done it. [42:24] Yes. [42:25] The border was an open wound. [42:27] The world's criminals [42:28] were pouring in. [42:28] But nobody's questioning [42:29] you on the border. [42:30] They're questioning [42:30] what was happening [42:31] in the streets of America [42:32] with ICE. [42:33] And as a result, [42:34] when you take Stephen Miller [42:34] into consideration, [42:36] and how he's going to have [42:36] to deal with the Democrats [42:37] as your chief of staff. [42:39] But I got rid of the murderers. [42:41] I got rid of the drug dealers. [42:42] I got rid of really bad people. [42:44] Okay. [42:45] So I'm saying, [42:45] moving forward, [42:46] because people obviously [42:48] did what they did [42:49] during the midterms. [42:50] Right. [42:50] And you have the Democrats [42:51] to deal with. [42:52] I'm thinking about [42:52] the legacy of Donald Trump. [42:54] What it was [42:55] when you first arrived. [42:57] What do you think [42:57] it's going to be [42:58] since you've got [43:00] two more years? [43:00] I think it's going to be, [43:03] and I actually said this [43:04] on 60 Minutes. [43:05] He said, [43:05] what would be the legacy? [43:07] I said, [43:08] I think it will go down [43:09] as somebody that [43:10] made America great again. [43:12] I've made America great again. [43:14] We have a strong country. [43:15] We have never been stronger. [43:17] We have tremendous [43:19] industry being built. [43:21] All of those people [43:22] that you say were the jobs [43:23] are all going to have [43:23] great paying jobs, [43:25] and they're going to be [43:25] working in plants [43:26] and factories [43:26] and hotels [43:27] and everything [43:28] that are all under construction [43:29] and being built. [43:31] We have the largest investment [43:33] in the history of the world. [43:35] There's never been a country [43:36] with $22 trillion [43:37] being invested. [43:38] Never been in one, [43:39] in a short period of time. [43:41] Democrats are not saying this. [43:42] They're not saying this. [43:43] Well, they don't say it [43:44] because they failed. [43:45] Look, our country was dead [43:47] two years ago under Biden. [43:50] Our country was dead. [43:51] We had a dead country. [43:52] Our country was gone to hell. [43:54] And I say it all the time. [43:55] Leaders of the world tell me, [43:57] but the king of Saudi Arabia [43:59] told me a short while ago, [44:00] he said, [44:00] you know, [44:01] it's amazing. [44:02] Two years ago, [44:02] your country was dead. [44:04] We thought it was dead. [44:05] They didn't want to invest. [44:06] They didn't want to invest at all. [44:07] Now you have the hottest country [44:09] anywhere in the world. [44:10] We are the hottest country. [44:11] You're hotter now [44:12] than you were two years ago. [44:13] Let me tell you, [44:14] you're doing very well. [44:15] Are you going to run for office? [44:17] So I would keep your life [44:19] the way it is. [44:19] You know what? [44:20] Yes, I like my life. [44:20] You'll find it very nasty [44:21] if you do it. [44:22] You told me that weeks ago [44:23] and I totally believe you. [44:25] Before I let you get on out of here, [44:26] shifting, [44:28] Jensen Huang, [44:29] NVIDIA, [44:30] resigned as CEO. [44:32] Sad. [44:33] Your feelings about that? [44:35] Well, he's a tremendous talent. [44:37] He did something [44:38] that nobody else, [44:38] you know, [44:39] you have China [44:39] and these people, [44:40] they copy. [44:41] They pirate so much. [44:42] Here's a chip [44:43] that's so complex, [44:45] so brilliant, [44:45] that you can't copy it. [44:46] I mean, [44:47] it's beyond copying [44:47] because of the level of genius. [44:51] What he's done is incredible. [44:53] He built an incredible, [44:55] NVIDIA is unbelievable. [44:56] Should he have stepped down? [45:00] Well, [45:01] the big thing is, [45:02] was the woman a spy? [45:04] And I don't know [45:05] if that's been determined yet, [45:06] but if the woman was a spy, [45:08] yes. [45:08] If the woman was not a spy, [45:10] perhaps it would be different. [45:12] But I can tell you this, [45:15] somehow he'll end up in his feet. [45:17] I mean, [45:18] I know him. [45:18] I know him pretty well. [45:20] I always thought of him [45:21] as a fine man. [45:22] He's, [45:23] I spoke to him yesterday. [45:25] He's, [45:25] he's gone through hell. [45:28] What he feels most badly about [45:29] is his wife and family. [45:31] That's what he is really, [45:33] that's what he told me. [45:35] I mean, [45:35] in strongest, [45:36] he called me as the president. [45:38] I'm president. [45:39] And he called me. [45:40] And he said, [45:41] what I've done to my wife [45:43] and family is, [45:45] that's what he talked about. [45:46] Can he be replaced? [45:48] Well, [45:49] you know the expression, [45:50] anybody can be replaced. [45:52] So, [45:52] it's very hard to replace him. [45:54] But, [45:55] I had an idea this morning [45:57] that I sort of just released. [45:59] Tim Cook, [46:00] he just, [46:01] sort of semi-retired from Apple. [46:03] He's done one of the greatest jobs [46:04] in the history of business. [46:06] I think if Tim Cook, [46:08] who built Apple, [46:10] if Steve Jobs were around, [46:11] Apple would never be what it is today. [46:13] Tim Cook took a lot of these brilliant ideas [46:16] and designs and everything else [46:17] from Jobs and others, [46:19] and he made it into [46:20] one of the great companies of the world [46:22] that are fairly short-grant. [46:23] I think Tim Cook would be a great candidate [46:26] to run NVIDIA. [46:28] What about you, [46:29] over your last two years in office? [46:31] What are you going to do, [46:32] dealing with the Democrats? [46:33] Are you, [46:34] is there anything that you change? [46:36] Is there anything that you're going to do differently? [46:38] Are you willing to work with them? [46:39] I know you said you have. [46:40] You're willing to. [46:41] So, [46:41] I'm going to be, [46:41] I'm going to be vetoing a lot of things [46:44] that they're going to send me initially [46:45] that are bad for the country. [46:47] And I think eventually, [46:49] they're going to call in, [46:50] they're going to say, [46:50] let's make a deal, [46:51] and we'll be able to make deals [46:52] on, [46:53] on healthcare, [46:55] on drug prices. [46:57] Again, [46:57] I took the highest drug prices [47:01] in the entire world, Stephen. [47:03] We paid the highest, [47:04] you've heard that for years. [47:05] We were, [47:06] we were screwed by the entire world. [47:09] And now we pay the lowest drug prices [47:11] in the entire world. [47:14] I use tariffs on that, [47:15] by the way. [47:16] I said to companies and countries, [47:18] first I had to get the companies, [47:19] but they weren't worried [47:20] because they said [47:21] they'll never get the countries. [47:23] And I went to the countries, [47:24] I went to France and Germany [47:25] and all these different places, [47:27] by telephone, [47:27] in some cases in person, [47:29] I said, [47:30] you're going to have to double [47:30] and triple your drug prices [47:32] because ours are [47:34] ten times what they should be [47:36] and we're not going to do it [47:37] any longer. [47:38] And they said, [47:39] no, no, no. [47:39] And I said, [47:39] that's okay, [47:40] I'm going to charge your country [47:41] massive tariffs [47:42] until such time [47:44] as you make that change. [47:45] And every single one of them [47:46] made the change. [47:47] So we went from [47:48] the highest drug prices [47:49] anywhere in the world [47:51] to now we pay [47:52] the lowest drug prices [47:54] anywhere in the world. [47:54] It sounds like you're [47:55] doubling down on them, [47:56] Mr. President. [47:56] That is going to have [47:57] a huge impact [47:58] on health care [47:58] and other things [47:59] and I'll work with [48:00] the Democrats on that. [48:01] It sounds like you believe [48:02] that you have been right [48:03] all along. [48:04] You're not budging one bit. [48:05] You're going to double down [48:06] which means that the Democrats [48:08] and you, [48:10] it's going to be more chaos [48:11] over the next two years. [48:12] Or they may work with me [48:13] because I think they want [48:14] to see good health care. [48:15] We have terrible health care. [48:16] What about immigration reform? [48:18] Anybody can do it, [48:19] you can do it. [48:19] It's possible. [48:20] I mean, look, [48:20] it's possible. [48:21] You're willing to keep yourself [48:21] open to that? [48:22] There are things, [48:23] I'm not going to negotiate it now, [48:24] but there are things [48:25] that could be done [48:25] with immigration [48:26] that would be very positive. [48:30] Thank you very much. [48:31] Thank you so much for the time. [48:32] Thank you, Stephen. [48:32] Appreciate it.