President Donald Trump: The 60 Minutes 2020 Election Interview

[0:01] Tonight, in what has become an election year tradition for 60 Minutes, conversations with [0:07] the major party candidates for president and vice president of the United States. [0:12] Later, Norah O'Donnell interviews former Vice President Joe Biden and his running mate, [0:17] Senator Kamala Harris. But we begin with President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. [0:25] I spoke with the president on Tuesday in the Roosevelt Room at the White House. [0:31] The story will continue in a moment. [0:36] We had prepared to talk about the many issues and questions facing the president. [0:42] But in what has become an all-too-public dust-up, the conversation was cut short. [0:49] It began politely, but ended regrettably contentiously. [0:55] Are you ready for some tough questions? [0:58] You're going to be fair. [0:59] I'm going to be fair. [1:00] Just be fair. [1:01] But you're okay with some tough questions? [1:03] No, I'm not. [1:04] You're not okay with tough questions? [1:05] I want them to be fair. [1:06] You don't ask Biden tough questions. [1:08] So, okay, are you ready? [1:09] You ready? [1:10] Everybody ready? [1:11] So, we have the pandemic on your watch. [1:15] We've had racial strife. [1:16] We've had looting. [1:18] Why do you want this job? [1:20] Why do you want to be president again? [1:21] Because we've done a great job, and it's not finished yet. [1:24] And when I finish, this country will be in a position like it hasn't been maybe ever. [1:30] The economy is already roaring back, and other people aren't going to bring it back. [1:35] Certainly, the person that we're dealing with is not going to bring it back. [1:38] They're going to raise taxes. [1:39] Let me ask you what you think the biggest domestic priority is for you right now. [1:47] Well, ultimately, and I'll tell you, it was happening. [1:51] We created the greatest economy in the history of our country. [1:54] And the other side was coming in. [1:55] You know that. [1:55] You know that's not true. [1:57] It is totally true. [1:57] No. [1:58] It isn't. [1:59] But President Trump did have an impressive string of economic accomplishments. [2:04] We had the best stock market price ever, and we're getting close to that price again. [2:09] The unemployment numbers for African Americans, for Asian Americans, for Hispanic Americans, [2:15] virtually every number was the best. [2:17] And what was happening is things were coming together. [2:19] Well, I asked you, what's the priority? [2:21] I mean, those are all the good things. [2:22] What do you have to solve? [2:24] The priority now is to get back to normal, get back to where we were, [2:28] to have the economy rage and be great with jobs and everybody be happy. [2:34] And that's where we're going, and that's where we're heading. [2:36] And who is our biggest foreign adversary? [2:40] I would say China. [2:43] They're an adversary. [2:44] They're the biggest. [2:44] They're a competitor. [2:46] They're a foe in many ways, but they're an adversary. [2:50] I think what happened was disgraceful. [2:52] It should never have happened. [2:54] They should never have allowed this plague to get out of China and go throughout the world. [2:59] 188 countries should never have happened. [3:02] Four years ago, you were behind in the polls, as you are now, and you pulled it out. [3:07] But this time, you have kind of a double migraine. [3:10] You have unemployment claims going up. [3:13] You have COVID cases going up. [3:16] I mean, it's like the gods have suddenly decided to conspire against you. [3:21] I don't think so at all, no. [3:22] I think we've done a great job with COVID. [3:24] Sir, excuse me. [3:25] Cases are up in about 40 states. [3:27] You know why cases are up also? [3:29] Because we do more testing. [3:31] The fake news media loves to say cases are up. [3:33] The fact is, we've done a very, very good job. [3:36] Cases are up. [3:36] We have done. [3:37] That's right. [3:38] Because we're doing so much testing. [3:40] There is increased testing. [3:42] But according to the COVID Tracking Project, that doesn't account for all of the rise in new [3:48] cases sweeping the country or the 40% increase in hospitalizations in the past month. [3:55] When you're out there saying we've turned the corner, this thing is disappearing. [3:59] That's right. [3:59] We have turned the corner. [4:01] People can see cases going up all over in the Midwest, in the Mountain West. [4:08] Record numbers of cases in some states. [4:09] We have turned the corner. [4:11] We understand the disease. [4:12] We understand the elderly. [4:14] And we are taking care of them like nobody's ever taken care of them. [4:17] So we are taking care of our people. [4:20] Okay. [4:20] Let me ask you something about suburban women. [4:24] Yeah. [4:25] Suburban women, will you please like me? [4:28] Remember? [4:29] Please. [4:29] Please. [4:31] I saved your damn neighborhood, okay? [4:34] You said the other day to suburban women, will you please like me? [4:39] Please, please. [4:39] Oh, I didn't say that. [4:40] You know, that's so misleading the way I say jokingly, suburban women, you should love me [4:45] because I'm giving you security and I got rid of the worst regulation. [4:49] See, the way you said that is why people think of you and everyone else as fake news. [4:56] I said kiddingly, suburban women, you should love me. [5:00] I got rid of a regulation that would bring low-income housing into suburbia [5:05] that is destroying, that would destroy suburbia. [5:08] And I said that in a joking way. [5:10] The way you have it, it's like, oh, like I'm begging. [5:13] I'm kidding. [5:14] Play it. [5:15] And I'm kidding. [5:16] That is such a misleading question, Leslie. [5:18] But you're behind with suburban women in the polls. [5:22] I doubt it. [5:23] I doubt it. [5:24] I really doubt it. [5:25] One of the reasons is that they don't feel you're being upfront about the pandemic. [5:31] Are you deliberately downplaying it? [5:32] We're doing well. [5:33] We're doing well. [5:34] We understand the disease. [5:36] We've done a good job. [5:37] We've done maybe a great job. [5:39] What we haven't done a good job on is convincing people like you, [5:43] because you're really quite impossible to convince, but that's okay. [5:47] And the economy now is coming back, and it's coming back very strongly. [5:50] And people see that, Leslie. [5:52] There are more unemployment claims. [5:55] I mean, the economy has kind of stalled a little bit. [5:58] Leslie, we just picked up 11.4 million jobs. [6:02] It's the largest number in the history of our country. [6:05] It is true that of the 22 million jobs lost since February, 11.4 million have been restored. [6:12] Yet unemployment claims are running at historically high levels. [6:17] But the president sees the economy as his strongest suit. [6:21] Gallop did a poll. [6:22] 56 percent of the people said that they're better off now during a pandemic [6:27] than they were during Obama and Biden. [6:30] 56 percent. [6:32] It was a record number. [6:34] Can we go back for one second to the pandemic? [6:38] Because you called Dr. Fauci and other health officials idiots. [6:43] Where did I call them an idiot? [6:45] You called them idiots. [6:47] I wonder if you think... [6:48] Well, he's been wrong a lot. [6:49] I like him, but he's been wrong a lot. [6:50] I wonder if you think that masks don't work. [6:55] I feel masks possibly work. [6:59] But certainly, you want to stay away a certain distance, socially distance, etc. [7:04] But I would say a mask works. [7:06] And I have nothing against masks. [7:08] And I tell people to wear masks. [7:10] I have no problem. [7:11] Well, tell me then about these rallies you've been having. [7:13] A lot of people are wearing masks. [7:14] A lot of people aren't. [7:16] I'm watching all these people jammed in together, and I'm seeing most of them without masks. [7:22] And I'm wondering the message that you're sending with these pictures coming across television. [7:27] Take a look. [7:27] Yesterday, we were in Arizona, record-setting rallies, numbers of people like nobody's seen before. [7:35] You used to have bigger rallies. [7:36] No, these are much bigger than I ever had. [7:38] I don't want to bicker over that. [7:39] You know, you're so negative, you're so negative. [7:42] These are the biggest rallies we've ever had. [7:44] You just come in here with that negative attitude. [7:46] These are the biggest rallies we've ever had. [7:48] But I can't believe, after what happened in the Rose Garden here, [7:52] after the announcement, with all the people getting sick, [7:56] that you are not being more strongly encouraging about wearing masks at your rallies. [8:01] I tell people to wear masks. [8:02] But you don't. [8:03] Leslie, we hand out thousands of masks. [8:06] But you look out, and they're not wearing them. [8:08] You don't get up there and say, look, you know, come on. [8:11] I don't want you to get sick. [8:12] What's your next question, Leslie? [8:13] We're outside. [8:14] The rallies are bigger than they've ever been. [8:17] There's more enthusiasm than we've ever had. [8:21] There has never been anything like what you're witnessing now. [8:24] And you'll see that soon. [8:26] Okay, I'll ask you another health question, okay? [8:29] I told you, okay. [8:32] You promised that there was going to be a new health package, a health care plan. [8:37] Yeah. [8:39] You said that it was going to be great. [8:41] You said it's ready. [8:42] It's going to be ready. [8:44] It will be. [8:44] It'll be here in two weeks. [8:45] It's going to be like nothing you've ever seen before. [8:48] And, of course, we haven't seen it. [8:50] So why didn't you develop a health plan? [8:53] It is developed. [8:54] It is fully developed. [8:55] It's going to be announced very soon. [8:56] Very soon. [8:57] When we see what happens with Obamacare. [9:00] If the Supreme Court ends this Obamacare. [9:04] Well, we're going to have to see what happens. [9:06] I think, I hope that they end it. [9:09] It'll be so good if they end it. [9:10] And if they end it, people with pre-existing conditions will be stranded. [9:13] No, no. [9:13] And that's just a fact. [9:15] It's wrong. [9:15] It's wrong. [9:16] No. [9:17] A new plan will happen. [9:18] But will. [9:19] And we won't do anything will and is. [9:22] We won't do anything and no plan unless we have pre-existing conditions covered. [9:27] With little more than a week till the election, the president has been barnstorming the swing states [9:33] where the polls are tight, including Florida, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and here in Michigan. [9:41] Can you characterize your supporters? [9:45] Yeah, I think I can. [9:46] People that love our country more than anything else. [9:49] And they like to see our country thrive. [9:51] But do you think that when you hold rallies and encourage people to say, [9:57] lock her up, the way you- [9:59] I don't encourage them. [9:59] They say it. [10:00] And you enjoy it. [10:02] Hillary Clinton- You don't say, don't do that. [10:03] Hillary Clinton deleted, she deleted 33,000 emails after she got a subpoena from the United States Congress. [10:11] But why is this still an issue? [10:13] Why do people- [10:14] I think it's an issue. [10:14] They're not going to vote on that. [10:15] To me, it's an issue. [10:16] She ran last time. [10:17] Excuse me. [10:18] When they say, lock up, it's not me. [10:20] They say it. [10:21] It starts- You encourage it. [10:23] I don't encourage it. [10:24] Yes, you do. [10:24] No. [10:24] If I mention her name about something, they go crazy. [10:29] Well, what about the governor of Michigan? [10:31] Governor Gretchen Whitmer was the target of a kidnapping plot by an armed militia group. [10:37] It was our Justice Department that is the one that's helping her. [10:42] Yes. [10:42] My Justice Department, if you call it that. [10:44] The FBI. [10:44] It was our Justice Department that's helping her. [10:47] And, you know, people aren't so- they're not liking her so much because she's got everybody locked down. [10:54] You got to get your governor to open up your state, okay? [10:56] Lock them all up. [11:09] You are very powerful. [11:11] And the people who love you, love you with passion. [11:16] And if you go after somebody the way you've been going after her- [11:20] I haven't gone after her. [11:21] They take it to heart and then there are plots and threats and the same with Dr. [11:26] I haven't gone after her. [11:27] You did? [11:28] I've helped her. [11:29] It was our Justice Department that's helping her. [11:31] You criticized her. [11:33] Oh, I do criticize her, yeah. [11:34] Well, that's going after her. [11:34] I think the way she locked down Michigan is a disgrace. [11:37] The way she closed churches in Michigan is a disgrace. [11:41] Yeah, I think it's disgraceful what she's done. [11:44] I do. [11:45] You want to lock her up? [11:46] And by the way, that's other- [11:47] Of course I don't want to lock her up. [11:48] Why would I lock her up? [11:49] Because you were in front of a rally of people saying it, encouraging it. [11:53] Leslie, it's such a vicious thing you just said. [11:56] I never said lock up the governor of Michigan. [11:58] I would never say that. [11:59] Do you take any responsibility for the country being divided against itself? [12:05] Do you feel that? [12:06] I'd like not to, but, you know, perhaps everybody has to take a little responsibility for it. [12:13] But when people put out phony witch hunts, you know, when they spy on your campaign, [12:18] you have to fight back. And if you don't fight back, you're not sitting here very long. [12:21] You go back home. You go back home to mommy. [12:26] The president's accusations against the Biden family, the abrupt end of our conversation, [12:33] and Vice President Mike Pence's assessment of what happened when we return. [12:38] As we moved from subject to subject, our conversation grew more tense. [12:51] President Trump brought up what he calls the unfairness of the fake media, most prominently, [12:57] a lack of coverage of his unproven and unverified charges that former Vice President Joe Biden and [13:04] his son Hunter have received millions of dollars in corrupt payments from a Russian oligarch [13:12] and a Chinese billionaire. [13:14] The story will continue in a moment. [13:17] I wish you would interview Joe Biden like you interview me. [13:24] It would be so good. You know what? [13:25] You like this, I thought. I thought you liked sparring. [13:28] I don't mind it. I don't mind it. But when I watch him walk out of a store and he's walking with [13:33] the ice cream. And the question the media asked him, what kind of ice cream, what flavor ice cream [13:38] do you have? And he's in the midst of a scandal. [13:41] He's not. [13:42] And he's taking, of course he is, Leslie. [13:45] Come on. [13:45] Of course he is. It's the biggest, second biggest scandal. [13:48] The biggest scandal was when they spied on my campaign. They spied on my campaign, Leslie. [13:53] There's no real evidence of that. [13:55] Of course there is. It's all over the place. [13:57] Leslie, they spied on my campaign and they got caught. [14:00] Can I say something? You know, this is 60 Minutes and we can't put on things we can't [14:06] verify. [14:07] You won't put it on because it's bad for Biden. [14:08] We can't put on things we can't verify. [14:11] Leslie, they spied on my campaign. [14:12] Well, we can't verify that. [14:13] It's been totally verified. [14:14] No. [14:15] It's been, just go down and get the papers. [14:18] They spied on my campaign. They got caught. [14:20] No. [14:21] And then they went much further than that and they got caught. [14:24] And you will see that, Leslie. And you know that, but you just don't want to put it on the air. [14:28] No. As a matter of fact, I don't know that. [14:30] Okay. [14:30] And you're out there. [14:31] So why don't you get back to your interview and let's go. [14:34] Do you think that your tweets and your name calling are turning people off? [14:41] No, I think I wouldn't be here if I didn't have social media, but the media is fake. [14:46] And frankly, if I didn't have social media, I'd have no way of getting out my voice. [14:51] Do you know what you told me a long time ago when I asked why you keep saying fake media? [14:57] Yeah. [14:57] You said to me, I say that because I need to discredit you so that when you say negative [15:04] things about me, no one will believe you. [15:06] I don't have to discredit you. [15:07] But that's what you told me. [15:08] You've discredited yourself. [15:09] You know, I didn't want to have this kind of angry. [15:14] Of course you did. [15:14] No, I didn't. [15:15] Of course you did. [15:15] No, I didn't. [15:16] Well, then you brought up a lot of subjects that were inappropriately brought up. [15:18] Well, I said I'm going to ask you tough questions. [15:20] They were inappropriately brought up right from the beginning. [15:24] No, your first question was, this is going to be tough questions. [15:27] Why? [15:27] You don't ask Joe Biden. [15:29] I saw your interview with Joe, the interview with Joe Biden. [15:31] I never did a Joe Biden interview. [15:33] It was a joke. [15:34] The interview, 60 minutes. [15:35] I see Joe Biden giving softball after softball. [15:40] I've seen all of his interviews. [15:42] He's never been asked a question that's hard. [15:44] Okay, but forget him for a minute. [15:46] No, but you start with me. [15:47] Your president, your president. [15:48] Excuse me, Leslie, you started with me. [15:50] Your first statement was, are you ready for tough questions? [15:54] Are you? [15:55] That's no way to talk. [15:56] That's no way to talk. [15:59] At this point, one of our producers interrupted [16:03] to advise about the time remaining in the interview. [16:07] I think we have enough of an interview here, Hope. [16:09] Okay, that's enough. [16:10] Let's go. [16:12] Let's go. [16:14] Let's go meet for two seconds, okay? [16:16] Thanks. [16:16] I'll see you in a little while. [16:17] Thanks. [16:18] Be careful. [16:24] We were scheduled to take a walk with the president around the White House grounds. [16:29] I've got a lot of questions I didn't ask. [16:31] While we waited to see if the president was coming back, [16:35] his press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, came in with a hand delivery. [16:40] Leslie, the president wanted me to deliver his health care plan. [16:43] It's a little heavy. [16:45] Oh, my God. [16:45] This is his health care plan? [16:46] Yes. [16:47] Okay, Kayleigh, thank you. [16:49] You're welcome. [16:49] And the vice president will be with you shortly. [16:51] Okay. [16:52] And the president's not coming back? [16:54] The president's giving you a lot of time. [16:56] It was heavy, filled with executive orders, congressional initiatives, [17:01] but no comprehensive health plan. [17:05] Hello, Leslie. [17:06] Hi, Mr. Vice President. [17:08] While our interview with the president did not go forward, [17:11] Thank you very much. [17:12] The one scheduled with the vice president did. [17:15] So what just happened with the president? [17:20] Leslie, President Trump is a man who speaks his mind. [17:23] I think it's one of the great strengths that he's had. [17:26] But he walked out. [17:28] As president of the United States is that the American people always know where they stand. [17:31] I'll buy that. [17:32] And he's always ready. [17:33] And the American people know that in this time, it's less about the back and forth with the media, [17:40] and it's really more about how we bring this country all the way back. [17:44] We then asked the vice president to put on his hat as the head of the White House Coronavirus Task Force. [17:51] Dr. Fauci, you know the president said that he's a disaster, [17:57] and he and the other public health officials around him are idiots. [18:03] Would you care to comment on that? [18:07] The scientists who've worked around the White House Coronavirus Task Force, [18:11] who we'll meet again today here at the White House, have provided a great public service. [18:16] They brought the perspective of scientists all along the way. [18:21] And I have a strong relationship with Dr. Fauci and Dr. Birx. [18:25] But remember, the president of the United States has to consider the whole of America. [18:31] The president's been balancing the broad interests of the country and the health of the American people, [18:36] and we'll continue to do that every day. [18:38] So let's say there's a mother out there, let's say in a hot spot in Wisconsin, [18:45] and she's wondering whether she should send her children to school. [18:49] Now, what's your advice? [18:51] Dr. Leslie, we've got to get our kids back in school. [18:53] And I would say to that mother, or any mother, that we're going to continue to work our hearts out [18:59] to make sure that those schools have the testing, have the PPE, have the supplies they need [19:05] to get our kids back where they belong safe and sound in the classroom. [19:09] So are you saying she should send the kids back? [19:11] Should the kids wear masks? [19:12] Dr. I think they should adhere to whatever criteria the school administrators [19:18] and local health officials determine to be appropriate. [19:22] But really, again, I want to say the American Academy of Pediatricians made it clear early on [19:27] that distance learning, this online learning is no substitute for being in the classroom. [19:33] What about Thanksgiving? [19:35] Should people feel safe to get together with their family, with their grandparents, [19:42] with their aunts and uncles? [19:43] Dr. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. [19:47] Me too. [19:47] Dr. And I'm looking forward to it with our family. [19:51] With a big, with extended? [19:53] I think that's a decision every American family can make based on the circumstances in their community, [19:59] the vulnerability of particular family members. [20:02] You know, one of the things we apprehended early on is that seniors, particularly those with serious [20:08] underlying health conditions, are the most at risk for a serious outcome if they contract the coronavirus. [20:16] And so families may make a decision that certain elderly family members might take a pass. [20:22] But I think the difference between President Trump and me and some of the public voices in this debate [20:29] over the last year has been we trust the American people. [20:31] Norah O'Donnell talks with former Vice President Joe Biden and his running mate, Senator Kamala Harris, [20:40] that we will try to solve any of these issues. [20:44] And we will try to solve緊ively head back from the next one. [20:49] I will highlight you again when we come back.