Fact
ba
.
se
Interview: Chris Wallace Interviews Donald Trump for Fox News at The White House - November 18, 2018
-
Donald Trump Person
-
Chris Wallace Person
-
Matt Whitaker Person
-
Note Person
-
Question Person
Unknown
Note
Unknown
00:00:00-00:00:00 ( sec)
"[Transcript courtesy of Fox News. Minor corrections in official transcript are reflected below]"
1
Chris Wallace
Positive
00:00:00-00:00:11 (11 sec)
"We sat down with Mr. Trump Friday in the Roosevelt Room, just across from the Oval Office, hoping to explore a presidency at a turning point."
2
Chris Wallace
Somewhat Positive
00:00:11-00:00:13 (2 sec)
"[Interview Begins] Mr. President, thank you for talking with us."
3
Donald Trump
Somewhat Positive
00:00:13-00:00:15 (2 sec)
"Thank you Chris, very much."
4
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:00:15-00:00:19 (4 sec)
"Let's start with the state of Donald Trump."
5
Donald Trump
Unknown
00:00:19-00:00:19 ( sec)
"Right."
6
Chris Wallace
Very Negative
00:00:19-00:00:36 (17 sec)
"There are a number of stories out there that you're angry about the mid-terms, about your treatment in the media, about the way you were treated when you were in Paris. One story even said that you were in a "cocoon of bitterness and resentment.""
7
Donald Trump
Unknown
00:00:36-00:00:37 ( sec)
"Right."
8
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:00:37-00:00:41 (4 sec)
"We'll get in to all the details later but how dark is your mood?"
9
Donald Trump
Slightly Positive
00:00:41-00:01:05 (24 sec)
"It's very light, it's fake news, it's disgusting fake news. I read a front page story in the Washington Post, they never even called me, nobody ever calls me. You know, they hear -- I don't even think they have sources I think they just make it up like it's fiction. And I will tell you I'm extremely upbeat, the White House is running like a well-oiled machine, it's doing really well, I have great people."
10
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:01:05-00:01:29 (24 sec)
"I will make some changes but not very many. I'm very happy with my cabinet, other than, you know a couple of exceptions and even there I'm not unhappy. And I will tell you that it's so wrong, the reporting about me is so wrong. I'm loving what I'm doing, I did well in France, I did have a problem where I wasn't able to go to a cemetery because the Secret Service would not let me do it."
11
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:01:29-00:01:31 (1 sec)
"We'll get in to all of this sir --"
12
Donald Trump
Leans Negative
00:01:31-00:01:35 (5 sec)
"No, but I'm just saying the Secret Service would not let me do it and they made it a big deal."
13
Chris Wallace
Very Positive
00:01:35-00:01:59 (24 sec)
"You've said a lot of things there, let's try to unpack them. There's a lot of talk about staff changes, your deputy national security advisor was moved out after your wife did something I've never heard of a first lady doing before: publically calling for her removal. Are you comfortable with the way that went down where it kind of looked like your wife was firing one of your advisors?"
14
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:01:59-00:02:16 (16 sec)
"Well I didn't know the advisor well, really, and I know they had a lot of problem. My wife did a great job in Africa and she was not treated properly by the press, she really worked so hard. They came to me. They wanted to go a little bit public because that's the way they felt and I thought it was fine."
15
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:02:16-00:02:34 (19 sec)
"I met with Mira two days ago and we're going to move her around. She was with me for a long time, although I don't know her. She's really somebody I don't know very well. But we're going to move her around because she's got certain talents. But, frankly, she is not -- she'll never be put in the United Nations, let me put it that way."
16
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:02:34-00:02:36 (2 sec)
"Meaning she's not too diplomatic?"
17
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:02:36-00:02:38 (2 sec)
"She's not too diplomatic, but she's talented."
18
Chris Wallace
Very Positive
00:02:38-00:02:42 (4 sec)
"Are you happy with Kirstjen Nielsen at DHS?"
19
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:02:42-00:02:52 (10 sec)
"Well, I like her a lot. I respect her a lot. She's very smart. I want her to get much tougher and we'll see what happens there. But I want to be extremely tough."
20
Chris Wallace
Slightly Positive
00:02:52-00:02:54 (2 sec)
"What are the chances she'll be DHS Secretary --"
21
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:02:54-00:03:15 (21 sec)
"Well there's a chance. But there's a chance everybody -- I mean that's what happens in government you leave, you make a name, you go. The people that have left have done very well. The people that have left have done very well -- from my White House. I like her very much, I respect her very much, I'd like her to be much tougher on the border -- much tougher, period."
22
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:03:15-00:03:20 (5 sec)
"Back in July you said that Chief of Staff John Kelly will be here through 2020."
23
Donald Trump
Slightly Positive
00:03:20-00:03:21 (1 sec)
"Well --"
24
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:03:21-00:03:23 (2 sec)
"Can you still say that?"
25
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:03:23-00:03:44 (20 sec)
"We -- I wouldn't -- look, we get along well. There are certain things I love what he does. And there are certain things that I don't like that he does -- that aren't his strength. It's not that he doesn't do -- you know he works so hard. He's doing an excellent job in many ways. There are a couple of things where it's just not his strength."
26
Donald Trump
Neutral
00:03:44-00:03:46 (2 sec)
"It's not his fault, it's not his strength."
27
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:03:46-00:03:46 (1 sec)
"Such as?"
28
Donald Trump
Neutral
00:03:46-00:03:53 (7 sec)
"But I haven't even thought about John in terms of this. But John, at some point, is going to want to move on. John will move on."
29
Chris Wallace
Somewhat Negative
00:03:53-00:03:55 (2 sec)
"So 2020 is no longer written in stone?"
30
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:03:55-00:04:11 (16 sec)
"It could happen. Yeah, it could -- I mean it could be. But let's see what happens. I have not -- look, I have three or four or five positions that I'm thinking about. Of that, maybe it's going to end up being two. Maybe, but I want to -- I need flexibility."
31
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:04:11-00:04:16 (5 sec)
"You have already made at least one big change, naming Matt Whitaker as your acting --"
32
Donald Trump
Slightly Positive
00:04:16-00:04:17 ( sec)
"Yeah."
33
Chris Wallace
Positive
00:04:17-00:04:24 (7 sec)
"-- Attorney General. He has a long record of speaking out against the Special Counsel and his probe."
34
Matt Whitaker
Neutral
00:04:24-00:04:37 (13 sec)
"[Video Clip] I could see a scenario where Jeff Sessions is replaced with a recess appointment and that attorney general doesn't fire Bob Mueller, but he just reduces the budget so low that his his investigation grinds to an absolute -- almost a halt."
35
Matt Whitaker
Neutral
00:04:37-00:04:42 (5 sec)
"[Video Clip] The truth is there was no collusion with the Russians and the Trump campaign."
36
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:04:42-00:04:47 (5 sec)
"Did you know, before you appointed him, that he had that record and was so critical of Robert Mueller?"
37
Donald Trump
Unknown
00:04:47-00:04:53 (6 sec)
"I did not know that. I did not know he took views on the Mueller investigation as such."
38
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:04:53-00:04:54 (1 sec)
"And when you found that out?"
39
Donald Trump
Unknown
00:04:54-00:05:01 (7 sec)
"I don't think it had any effect. If you look at those statements those statements that can -- they really can be viewed either way, but I don't think it will have any impact --"
40
Chris Wallace
Neutral
00:05:01-00:05:02 (1 sec)
"Well, he said there's no collusion, he says --"
41
Donald Trump
Unknown
00:05:02-00:05:03 (1 sec)
"Chris, I'll tell you what --"
42
Chris Wallace
Negative
00:05:03-00:05:05 (2 sec)
"-- he said you can starve the investigation --"
43
Donald Trump
Very Negative
00:05:05-00:05:18 (13 sec)
"He's right. What do you do when a person's right? There is no collusion. He happened to be right. I mean, he said it. So if he said there is collusion, I'm supposed to be taking somebody that says there is? Because then I wouldn't take him for two reasons, but the number one reason is the fact that he would have been wrong."
44
Donald Trump
Slightly Negative
00:05:18-00:05:21 (3 sec)
"If he said that there's no collusion, he's right."
45
Chris Wallace
Negative
00:05:21-00:05:45 (24 sec)
"He is going to have to make or could potentially make a lot of big calls in the Mueller investigation. If Mueller decides that he wants to subpoena you, the Attorney General Whitaker can block that. If Mueller issues a final report, he can decide how much goes to Congress or doesn't go to Congress. You tweeted this week about, quote, "Bob Mueller and his gang of Democrat thugs.""
46
Donald Trump
Unknown
00:05:45-00:05:46 (1 sec)
"Right."
47
Chris Wallace
Positive
00:05:46-00:05:52 (6 sec)
"If Whitaker decides in any way to limit or curtail the Mueller investigation, are you OK with that?"
48
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:05:52-00:06:05 (13 sec)
"Look he -- it's going to be up to him. I think he's very well aware politically. I think he's astute politically. He's a very smart person. A very respected person. He's going to do what's right. I really believe he's going to do what's right."
49
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:06:05-00:06:08 (3 sec)
"But you won't overrule him if he decides to curtail --"
50
Donald Trump
Unknown
00:06:08-00:06:18 (10 sec)
"I would not get involved. And all these people that say I'm going to end the investigation, you know, they've been saying that now for -- how long has this witch hunt gone on? It's gone on for, what?"
51
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:06:18-00:06:19 (1 sec)
"Since May of '17."
52
Donald Trump
Somewhat Positive
00:06:19-00:06:22 (4 sec)
"OK, but how long have I been looked at? You know when I've been looked at? From the day I…"
53
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:06:22-00:06:23 (1 sec)
"Since July of 2016."
54
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:06:23-00:06:41 (19 sec)
"From the day I announced. I was looked at as a candidate with nothing, no proof, with phony people like McCabe and Strzok and his lover -- you had Lisa Page, his lover. These people were looking at me, they wanted an insurance policy just in case I won or Hillary lost, and this was the insurance policy. It's a scam."
55
Donald Trump
Very Negative
00:06:41-00:06:46 (4 sec)
"There was no collusion whatsoever, and the whole thing is a scam."
56
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:06:46-00:06:50 (4 sec)
"Your team is preparing written answers to questions about --"
57
Donald Trump
Negative
00:06:50-00:06:56 (6 sec)
"No, no, no, not my team. I'm preparing written answers. My -- I -- I'm the one that does the answering. Yes, are they writing them out?"
58
Chris Wallace
Positive
00:06:56-00:06:56 ( sec)
"Yes."
59
Donald Trump
Slightly Positive
00:06:56-00:06:58 (2 sec)
"Yeah. They're writing what I tell them to write."
60
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:06:58-00:07:00 (2 sec)
"Are they going to be submitted?"
61
Donald Trump
Positive
00:07:00-00:07:02 (2 sec)
"At some point very soon, yes. I've completed them."
62
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:07:02-00:07:04 (1 sec)
"So you're -- you are submitting --"
63
Donald Trump
Somewhat Positive
00:07:04-00:07:25 (22 sec)
"And it wasn't a big deal. By the way, it wasn't a big deal. The answers -- the questions were asked and answered. It wasn't a big deal. You know, they make it like I had meetings for many, many hours -- I got the questions, I responded, we wrote them out, I read them once, I read them a second time, we made some changes, that's it. They're very simple."
64
Chris Wallace
Slightly Positive
00:07:25-00:07:25 ( sec)
"OK."
65
Donald Trump
Leans Positive
00:07:25-00:07:28 (3 sec)
"You know why? I did nothing wrong."
66
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:07:28-00:07:31 (3 sec)
"Here's my question, though. You are submitting written answers --"
67
Donald Trump
Positive
00:07:31-00:07:31 ( sec)
"Yes."
68
Chris Wallace
Very Positive
00:07:31-00:07:36 (5 sec)
"-- to the special counsel about the issue of collusion but not on obstruction of justice?"
69
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:07:36-00:07:37 (1 sec)
"Well there was no obstruction of justice."
70
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:07:37-00:07:39 (2 sec)
"I -- I'm -- let me -- if i might, sir, just ask --"
71
Donald Trump
Somewhat Positive
00:07:39-00:07:41 (1 sec)
"I think they'd probably agree with me."
72
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:07:41-00:07:42 (1 sec)
"If I may ask the question,"
73
Donald Trump
Unknown
00:07:42-00:07:43 (1 sec)
"And all you have to do is look at Article II."
74
Chris Wallace
Slightly Negative
00:07:43-00:07:51 (8 sec)
"Is that your final position, that there's going to be no sit-down interview and nothing written or in person on obstruction?"
75
Donald Trump
Unknown
00:07:51-00:07:55 (4 sec)
"I would say probably. Probably. I mean, I can change my mind, but probably. I think we've --"
76
Chris Wallace
Slightly Negative
00:07:55-00:07:56 (1 sec)
"No interview?"
77
Donald Trump
Negative
00:07:56-00:08:03 (7 sec)
"I think we've wasted enough time on this witch hunt and the answer is probably, we're finished."
78
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:08:03-00:08:07 (4 sec)
"What are the odds? One in a hundred? What -- What?"
79
Donald Trump
Unknown
00:08:07-00:08:09 (3 sec)
"I don't do odds, I gave very detailed --"
80
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:08:09-00:08:10 (1 sec)
"You ran a casino sir."
81
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:08:10-00:08:33 (23 sec)
"You're right, and very successfully actually. We gave very, very complete answers to a lot of questions that I shouldn't have even been asked and I think that should solve the problem, I hope it solves the problem, if it doesn't, you know, I'll be told and we'll make a decision at that time. But probably this is the end."
82
Chris Wallace
Negative
00:08:33-00:08:47 (14 sec)
"Turkish President Erdogan says that he has shared a tape with the U.S. and other countries that is of the killing of Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul."
83
Donald Trump
Unknown
00:08:47-00:08:48 (1 sec)
"Right."
84
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:08:48-00:08:55 (8 sec)
"Have you one, either heard the tape yourself or been briefed on it and if so, to your mind what does it show?"
85
Donald Trump
Somewhat Negative
00:08:55-00:09:00 (5 sec)
"We have the tape, I don't want to hear the tape, no reason for me to hear the tape."
86
Chris Wallace
Neutral
00:09:00-00:09:02 (2 sec)
"Why don't you want to hear it sir?"
87
Donald Trump
Very Negative
00:09:02-00:09:15 (13 sec)
"Because it's a suffering tape, it's a terrible tape. I've been fully briefed on it, there's no reason for me to hear it, in fact I said to the people should I? They said: "you really shouldn't, there's no reason." I know exactly -- I know everything that went on in the tape without having to hear it."
88
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:09:15-00:09:16 (1 sec)
"And what happened?"
89
Donald Trump
Very Negative
00:09:16-00:09:20 (4 sec)
"It was very violent, very vicious and terrible."
90
Chris Wallace
Slightly Negative
00:09:20-00:09:28 (8 sec)
"A month ago you said you had spoken with Saudi crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman and that he had told you directly that he had no knowledge of this."
91
Donald Trump
Unknown
00:09:28-00:09:31 (2 sec)
"That's right, that's right and still says that."
92
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:09:31-00:09:41 (11 sec)
"But we now know that some of the people closest to him, some of his closest advisors were part of this. Question, did MBS lie to your sir?"
93
Donald Trump
Negative
00:09:41-00:09:50 (8 sec)
"I don't -- I don't know, you know who could really know but I can say this he's got many people now that say he had no knowledge."
94
Chris Wallace
Neutral
00:09:50-00:09:55 (5 sec)
"What if the Crown Prince speaking to you, the President of the United States directly lied to you about --"
95
Donald Trump
Slightly Positive
00:09:55-00:10:01 (6 sec)
"Well, he told me that he had nothing to do with it, he told me that I would say maybe five times at different points."
96
Chris Wallace
Very Negative
00:10:01-00:10:02 (1 sec)
"But what if he's lying?"
97
Donald Trump
Unknown
00:10:02-00:10:04 (2 sec)
"As recently as a few days ago."
98
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:10:04-00:10:06 (2 sec)
"Do you just live with it because you need him?"
99
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:10:06-00:10:28 (22 sec)
"Well, will anybody really know? All right, will anybody really know? But he did have certainly people that were reasonably close to him and close to him that were probably involved. You saw we put on very heavy sanctions, massive sanctions on a large group of people from Saudi Arabia. But at the same time we do have an ally and I want to stick with an ally that in many ways has been very good."
100
Chris Wallace
Very Negative
00:10:28-00:10:37 (9 sec)
"So, if Congress were to move to either try to cut off any U.S. involvement in the war in Yemen or to block any arms sales you won't go along with it?"
101
Donald Trump
Leans Positive
00:10:37-00:10:58 (21 sec)
"Well I want to see Yemen end but it takes two to tango. Iran has to end it also. And Iran is a different country than it was when I took over, it's far weakened because of what I did with the Iran -- so-called Iran deal, Iran nuclear deal, which was one of the great rip-offs of -- of all time. But I want Saudi to stop but I want Iran to stop also."
102
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:10:58-00:11:21 (24 sec)
"When Democrats flipped the House back in 2006 and picked up 30 seats, President Bush 43 had a news conference the next day and said, "We had a thumping." Last week, in this election, the House picked up, so far it's 36 seats, it may be on the way to 40 seats and your reaction was that it was almost a complete victory."
103
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:11:21-00:11:23 (2 sec)
"I won the Senate, you don't mention that."
104
Chris Wallace
Slightly Positive
00:11:23-00:11:24 (1 sec)
"But, well -- I --"
105
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:11:24-00:11:25 (1 sec)
"Excuse me, I won the Senate."
106
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:11:25-00:11:27 (2 sec)
"I understand that but --"
107
Donald Trump
Unknown
00:11:27-00:11:29 (2 sec)
"I think they said 88 years."
108
Chris Wallace
Somewhat Negative
00:11:29-00:12:08 (39 sec)
"But this was a -- this was a historically big defeat in the House. You lost 36, maybe 40 seats. Some would argue that it was a thumping. And I want to talk about some of the ways in which you lost. You lost in traditionally Republican suburbs, not only around liberal cities like Philadelphia and D.C. but also red-state big cities like Houston and Oklahoma City. You lost among suburban women. You lost among independents and, in three key states that I think you remember pretty well -- Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Michigan -- you lost both the governor seats and the senate seats."
109
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:12:08-00:12:30 (22 sec)
"Are you ready? I won the Senate, and that's historic too, because if you look at presidents in the White House it's almost never happened where you won a seat. We won -- we now have 53 as opposed to 51 and we have 53 great Senators in the U.S. Senate. We won. That's a tremendous victory. Nobody talks about that."
110
Donald Trump
Positive
00:12:30-00:12:36 (6 sec)
"That's a far greater victory than it is for the other side. Number two, I wasn't on the ballot. I wasn't --"
111
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:12:36-00:12:37 (1 sec)
"Wait -- wait a minute you said -- you kept saying --"
112
Donald Trump
Unknown
00:12:37-00:12:39 (2 sec)
"I said look at me -- I said look me."
113
Chris Wallace
Leans Negative
00:12:39-00:12:40 (1 sec)
"You said, "Pretend I'm on the ballot...""
114
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:12:40-00:13:01 (21 sec)
"But I have people and you see the polls, how good they are, I have people that won't vote unless I'm on the ballot, OK? And I wasn't on the ballot. And almost everybody that I won -- I think they said it was 10 out of 11. And I won against President Obama and Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama in a great state called Georgia for the governor."
115
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:13:01-00:13:28 (27 sec)
"And it was all stacked against Brian and I was the one that went for Brian and Brian won. Look at Florida. I went down to Florida. Rick Scott won and he won by a lot. I don't know what happened to all those votes that disappeared at the very end. And if I didn't put a spotlight on that election before it got down to the 12,500 votes he would of lost that election, OK? In my opinion he would have lost."
116
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:13:28-00:13:48 (20 sec)
"They would have taken that election away from him. Rick Scott won Florida. You'd have to say, excuse me, a man named Ron DeSantis is now your governor -- your new governor of Florida. A wonderful man named DeWine is your governor of the great state of Ohio. Remember what they used to say before my election?"
117
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:13:48-00:13:56 (8 sec)
"You cannot win unless you win Ohio. I won Ohio. We had a tremendous set of victories. You look at the victories --"
118
Chris Wallace
Somewhat Positive
00:13:56-00:14:06 (10 sec)
"But if you can't carry -- and you certainly didn't carry it two weeks ago -- Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania -- you're not going to get reelected."
119
Donald Trump
Slightly Positive
00:14:06-00:14:24 (18 sec)
"I didn't run. I wasn't running. My name wasn't on the ballot. There are many people that think, "I don't like Congress," that like me a lot. I get it all the time; "Sir, we'll never vote unless you're on the ballot." I get it all the time. People are saying, "Sir, I will never vote unless you're on the ballot."
120
Donald Trump
Neutral
00:14:24-00:14:32 (8 sec)
"I say, "No, no, go and vote." "Well, what do you mean?" As much as I try and convince people to go vote, I'm not on the ballot. [Part 1 of Interview Ends]"
121
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:14:32-00:14:45 (13 sec)
"[Part 2 of Interview begins] A federal judge who you appointed has just ruled that you must give CNN reporter Jim Acosta his press pass back. Your reaction to the ruling, sir."
122
Donald Trump
Slightly Negative
00:14:45-00:14:59 (14 sec)
"It's fine, I mean it's not a big deal. What they said, though, is that we have to create rules and regulations for conduct et cetera, et cetera, we're doing that. We're going to write them up right now, it's not a big deal. And if he misbehaves, we'll throw him out or we'll stop the news conference. Actually --"
123
Chris Wallace
Negative
00:14:59-00:15:03 (4 sec)
"What are your rules going to be? What what is it that you're saying this is over the line and you lose your press pass --"
124
Donald Trump
Slightly Positive
00:15:03-00:15:23 (20 sec)
"Yeah, they're doing them now. I mean, we'll have rules of decorum, you know, you can't keep asking questions, you have -- we had a lot of reporters in that room, many, many reporters in that room and they were unable to ask questions because this guy gets up and starts, you know, doing what he's supposed to be doing for him and for CNN and, you know, just shouting out questions."
125
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:15:23-00:15:42 (19 sec)
"But but I will say this, look, nobody believes in the First Amendment more than I do and if I think somebody's acting out of sorts, I will leave, I'll say thank you very much everybody, I appreciate you coming and I will leave. And those reporters will not be too friendly to whoever it is that's acting up."
126
Chris Wallace
Somewhat Positive
00:15:42-00:15:48 (6 sec)
"Why did you call on Acosta in the first place? I mean, it seems to me there's a simple solution here, just don't call on him."
127
Donald Trump
Negative
00:15:48-00:16:04 (16 sec)
"Actually I like to do it, but in many cases I don't. He'll stand up, he's unbelievably rude to Sarah Huckabee, who's a wonderful woman, unbelievably rude and I see that and I actually ask her the same. Why do you call on these people that are so nasty?"
128
Donald Trump
Slightly Positive
00:16:04-00:16:16 (12 sec)
"I think one of the things we'll do is maybe turn the camera off that faces them because then they don't have any air time, although I'll probably be sued for that and maybe, you know, win or lose it, who knows. I mean, with with this stuff you never know what's going to happen."
129
Chris Wallace
Very Negative
00:16:16-00:16:28 (12 sec)
"Let's get to the bigger issue. In 2017, last year, you tweeted this, and I want to quote it accurately, "The fake news media is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American people.""
130
Donald Trump
Positive
00:16:28-00:16:31 (3 sec)
"That's true, 100 percent. Not the media."
131
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:16:31-00:16:32 (1 sec)
"I --"
132
Donald Trump
Slightly Positive
00:16:32-00:16:36 (4 sec)
"I'm glad you're finally quoting it correctly because they like to leave the fake news out --"
133
Chris Wallace
Slightly Positive
00:16:36-00:16:37 (1 sec)
"OK, but that's what you said."
134
Donald Trump
Negative
00:16:37-00:16:40 (2 sec)
"The fake news -- so --"
135
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:16:40-00:16:40 ( sec)
"But here's here's --"
136
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:16:40-00:16:52 (12 sec)
"The people that are supporting me in particular, they're very smart people. They're hard working, brilliant, great people. They know when the news is fake and they get angry when they see all of the fakeness --"
137
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:16:52-00:16:53 (1 sec)
"But but --"
138
Donald Trump
Unknown
00:16:53-00:16:54 (1 sec)
"At, frankly, the networks --"
139
Chris Wallace
Very Negative
00:16:54-00:17:09 (15 sec)
"But there have been people who have been critical of other presidents, they're they're -- no president has liked his press coverage. John Kennedy, in your Oval Office, canceled the subscription to the New York Herald-Tribune. Nobody called it the enemy of the American people."
140
Donald Trump
Very Negative
00:17:09-00:17:13 (4 sec)
"Chris, I'm calling the fake news is the enemy -- it's fake, it's phony."
141
Chris Wallace
Leans Negative
00:17:13-00:17:16 (2 sec)
"But a lot of times, sir, it's just news you don't like --"
142
Donald Trump
Very Negative
00:17:16-00:17:27 (11 sec)
"No it's not, no. No. I don't mind getting bad news if I'm wrong. If I do something wrong -- like, for instance, the cemetery. I was not allowed to go because of the Secret Service. Because they expected to take a helicopter --"
143
Chris Wallace
Slightly Positive
00:17:27-00:17:28 (1 sec)
"OK."
144
Donald Trump
Neutral
00:17:28-00:17:41 (13 sec)
"They had zero visibility. They said, "Sir, we are totally unequipped for you to go." In addition to that, the cemetery was far too far away from Air Force One, which is sort of like a control center, where you had to be near."
145
Donald Trump
Unknown
00:17:41-00:17:53 (12 sec)
"Not one paper that I saw wrote it that way. They said I stayed out of it because of the rain. And yet, the following day, I made a speech at the American cemetery --"
146
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:17:53-00:17:53 (1 sec)
"I understand."
147
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:17:53-00:17:58 (5 sec)
"It was pouring. It wasn't even really raining the first day but the fog was tremendous. OK?"
148
Chris Wallace
Neutral
00:17:58-00:18:08 (10 sec)
"But, sir leaders in authoritarian countries like Russia, China, Venezuela, now repress the media using your words."
149
Donald Trump
Unknown
00:18:08-00:18:13 (4 sec)
"I can't talk for other people, I can only talk for me. I will tell you --"
150
Chris Wallace
Very Negative
00:18:13-00:18:17 (4 sec)
"But you're -- but you're seen around the world as a beacon for repression, not for --"
151
Donald Trump
Unknown
00:18:17-00:18:22 (5 sec)
"The news -- Chris -- Chris, I'm not talking about you, but you sometimes maybe. But I'm not talking about you."
152
Donald Trump
Slightly Negative
00:18:22-00:18:33 (11 sec)
"The news about me is largely phony. It's false. Even sometimes they'll say, uh, "Sources say." There is no source, in many cases -- in many cases there is --"
153
Chris Wallace
Leans Negative
00:18:33-00:18:34 (1 sec)
"But -- I understand you don't like your coverage --"
154
Donald Trump
Very Negative
00:18:34-00:18:36 (1 sec)
"No, no, no. It's not a question --"
155
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:18:36-00:18:37 (1 sec)
"Can I just bring the -- can I just bring the bigger issue --"
156
Donald Trump
Very Negative
00:18:37-00:18:38 (2 sec)
"Ninety-four percent negative."
157
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:18:38-00:18:40 (2 sec)
"Can I bring the -- the bigger issue up --"
158
Donald Trump
Slightly Positive
00:18:40-00:18:40 ( sec)
"Yeah."
159
Chris Wallace
Very Positive
00:18:40-00:18:48 (8 sec)
"Bill McRaven, Retired Admiral, Navy Seal, 37 years, former head of U.S. Special Operations --"
160
Donald Trump
Somewhat Positive
00:18:48-00:18:48 ( sec)
"Hillary Clinton fan."
161
Chris Wallace
Positive
00:18:48-00:18:50 (2 sec)
"Special Operations --"
162
Donald Trump
Somewhat Positive
00:18:50-00:18:52 (2 sec)
"Excuse me, Hillary Clinton fan."
163
Chris Wallace
Very Negative
00:18:52-00:19:02 (10 sec)
"Who led the operations, commanded the operations that took down Saddam Hussein and that killed Osama bin Laden says that your sentiment is the greatest threat to democracy in his lifetime."
164
Donald Trump
Positive
00:19:02-00:19:08 (6 sec)
"OK, he's a Hilary Clinton, uh, backer and an Obama-backer and frankly --"
165
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:19:08-00:19:10 (2 sec)
"He was a Navy Seal 37 years --"
166
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:19:10-00:19:27 (18 sec)
"Wouldn't it have been nice if we got Osama Bin Laden a lot sooner than that, wouldn't it have been nice? You know, living -- think of this -- living in Pakistan, beautifully in Pakistan in what I guess they considered a nice mansion, I don't know, I've seen nicer. But living in Pakistan right next to the military academy, everybody in Pakistan knew he was there."
167
Donald Trump
Unknown
00:19:27-00:19:32 (4 sec)
"And we give Pakistan $1.3 billion a year and they don't tell him, they don't tell him --"
168
Chris Wallace
Somewhat Positive
00:19:32-00:19:34 (2 sec)
"You're not even going to give them credit --"
169
Donald Trump
Unknown
00:19:34-00:19:34 ( sec)
"For years --"
170
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:19:34-00:19:35 (1 sec)
"for taking down Bin Laden?"
171
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:19:35-00:19:50 (15 sec)
"They took him down but -- look, look, there's news right there, he lived in Pakistan, we're supporting Pakistan, we're giving them $1.3 billion a year, which we don't give them anymore, by the way, I ended it because they don't do anything for us, they don't do a damn thing for us."
172
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:19:50-00:19:57 (7 sec)
"I'm totally in favor of the media, I'm totally in favor of free press, got to be fair press. When it's fake --"
173
Chris Wallace
Positive
00:19:57-00:20:00 (3 sec)
"But but the President [doesn't] get to decide what's fair and what's not."
174
Donald Trump
Somewhat Positive
00:20:00-00:20:03 (3 sec)
"I can tell what's fair and not and so can my people and so can a lot of other people."
175
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:20:03-00:20:04 (1 sec)
"I understand that but but --"
176
Donald Trump
Neutral
00:20:04-00:20:12 (8 sec)
"When you do something very good and they write it badly and this is consistently when you -- as an example, rarely do they talk about --"
177
Chris Wallace
Very Negative
00:20:12-00:20:17 (5 sec)
"Barack Obama whined about Fox News all the time but he never said we were the enemy of the people."
178
Donald Trump
Very Negative
00:20:17-00:20:38 (21 sec)
"Well, no, he didn't talk about the news, he didn't talk about anything, I'm only saying it very differently than anyone's ever said it before, I'm saying fake news, false reporting, dishonest reporting, of which there is a lot, and I know it. See, I know it because I'm a subject of it. A lot of people don't know it. But when I explain it to them, they understand it."
179
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:20:38-00:20:49 (10 sec)
"And, Chris, you know that better, you don't have to sit here and act like a perfect little, wonderful, innocent angel, I know you too well, I knew your father too well, that's not your gene. But let me tell you --"
180
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:20:49-00:20:50 (1 sec)
"I -- look -- I think --"
181
Donald Trump
Negative
00:20:50-00:20:50 (1 sec)
"Fake news --"
182
Chris Wallace
Neutral
00:20:50-00:20:56 (6 sec)
"I think some of the coverage of you, sir -- and I've said it on the record -- is bias, but I don't think that there is --"
183
Donald Trump
Slightly Negative
00:20:56-00:20:59 (3 sec)
"Most of it is bias, most of it is bias."
184
Chris Wallace
Very Negative
00:20:59-00:21:02 (3 sec)
"I don't know, but the idea that you call us the enemy of the people."
185
Donald Trump
Unknown
00:21:02-00:21:03 (1 sec)
"I'm not calling you that."
186
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:21:03-00:21:05 (1 sec)
"I'm talking about, we're all together."
187
Donald Trump
Unknown
00:21:05-00:21:06 (1 sec)
"I'm not calling you -- you don't understand it."
188
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:21:06-00:21:06 (1 sec)
"We're all together."
189
Donald Trump
Very Negative
00:21:06-00:21:09 (3 sec)
"No, no, no, I'm not calling you --"
190
Chris Wallace
Positive
00:21:09-00:21:15 (6 sec)
"It doesn't matter whether you call, but when you call CNN and the New York Times and -- we, we're in solidarity, sir."
191
Donald Trump
Very Negative
00:21:15-00:21:26 (11 sec)
"I am calling fake news, fake reporting, is what's tearing this country apart because people know, people like things that are happening and they're not hearing about it."
192
Chris Wallace
Very Positive
00:21:26-00:21:36 (10 sec)
"Where do you rank yourself in the pantheon of great Presidents? There's Lincoln and Washington, there's FDR and Reagan, do you make the top 10?"
193
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:21:36-00:21:40 (4 sec)
"I think I'm doing a great job. We have the best economy we've ever had."
194
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:21:40-00:21:41 (1 sec)
"So where do you rank yourself?"
195
Donald Trump
Somewhat Negative
00:21:41-00:21:47 (5 sec)
"We're doing really well. We would have been at war with North Korea if, let's say, that administration continued forward."
196
Donald Trump
Negative
00:21:47-00:21:57 (11 sec)
"I would give myself, I would -- look, I hate to do it, but I will do it, I would give myself an A+, is that enough? Can I go higher than that?"
197
Chris Wallace
Very Positive
00:21:57-00:22:16 (19 sec)
"Can you envision a situation, you talk about six more years. Can you envision a situation well into your second term where you think that you're so good for the country and so essential for the progress of the country that you would try to amend the Constitution so you could serve a third term?"
198
Donald Trump
Very Negative
00:22:16-00:22:17 (1 sec)
"No, no."
199
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:22:17-00:22:19 (1 sec)
"Why not?"
200
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:22:19-00:22:24 (6 sec)
"Just won't happen, it's not -- I think the eight year limit is a good thing, not a bad thing."
201
Chris Wallace
Somewhat Positive
00:22:24-00:22:33 (9 sec)
"You've talked a lot already about the cemetery and the fact that you didn't go because it was a security concern and you did go the next day. Here's the thing --"
202
Donald Trump
Somewhat Negative
00:22:33-00:22:37 (4 sec)
"No, excuse me. Not security concern -- they wouldn't allow me to go --"
203
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:22:37-00:22:38 (1 sec)
"I understand."
204
Donald Trump
Neutral
00:22:38-00:22:48 (10 sec)
"They said, "Sir," Secret Service said, "Sir, you cannot go. We are not prepared. You cannot go." Because it was supposed to be helicopter, but the helicopter couldn't fly because of zero visibility. So --"
205
Chris Wallace
Positive
00:22:48-00:22:49 (1 sec)
"OK. But, let me --"
206
Donald Trump
Unknown
00:22:49-00:22:51 (1 sec)
"They said, "Sir, you cannot go.""
207
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:22:51-00:23:04 (13 sec)
"But here's the question, you're back in Washington on Monday, Veterans Day, why don't you go across the river to Arlington for that ceremony? Barack Obama went every year he was here in D.C."
208
Donald Trump
Unknown
00:23:04-00:23:11 (7 sec)
"I should have done that. I was extremely busy on calls for the country, we did a lot of calling, as you know --"
209
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:23:11-00:23:12 (1 sec)
"But this is Veterans Day --"
210
Donald Trump
Slightly Positive
00:23:12-00:23:35 (23 sec)
"I probably, you know, in retrospect I should have and I did last year and I will virtually every year. But we had come in very late at night and I had just left, literally, the American cemetery in Paris and I really probably assumed that was fine and I was extremely busy because of affairs of state doing other things."
211
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:23:35-00:23:36 (1 sec)
"Why haven't --"
212
Donald Trump
Unknown
00:23:36-00:23:38 (2 sec)
"But I would have -- I would have done it."
213
Chris Wallace
Very Negative
00:23:38-00:23:47 (9 sec)
"Why haven't you visited our troops serving in war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan in the two years you've been in office as Commander-in-Chief?"
214
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:23:47-00:23:58 (10 sec)
"Well, I think you will see that happen. There are things that are being planned. We don't want to talk about it because of -- obviously because of security reasons and everything else."
215
Donald Trump
Very Negative
00:23:58-00:24:06 (8 sec)
"But there are things that are planned. As you know, I was very much opposed to the war in Iraq. I think it was a tremendous mistake, should have never happened --"
216
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:24:06-00:24:07 (1 sec)
"But this is about the soldiers, sir."
217
Donald Trump
Unknown
00:24:07-00:24:07 (1 sec)
"You're right."
218
Donald Trump
Unknown
00:24:07-00:24:17 (10 sec)
"I don't think anybody's been more with the military than I have, as a president. In terms of funding, in terms of all of the things I've been able to get them, including the vets. I don't think anybody's done more than me."
219
Donald Trump
Slightly Positive
00:24:17-00:24:31 (13 sec)
"I've had an unbelievable busy schedule and I will be doing it. On top of which you have these phony witch hunts. On top of which -- I mean, we've just been very busy. But I will be doing that."
220
Chris Wallace
Very Negative
00:24:31-00:24:44 (13 sec)
"Just before the midterms you said your biggest regret is that perhaps you should have had a softer tone in your two years as president. But since then, some could argue, you've been on a tear."
221
Chris Wallace
Very Negative
00:24:44-00:24:53 (9 sec)
"At the press conference the day after the election you mocked some of the Republican congressmen who lost not embracing you."
222
Donald Trump
Somewhat Negative
00:24:53-00:25:00 (7 sec)
"[Video Clip] Mia Love gave me no love and she lost. Too bad. Sorry about that Mia."
223
Chris Wallace
Very Negative
00:25:00-00:25:06 (6 sec)
"You went after two African-American reporters and basically said that they were dumb."
224
Donald Trump
Very Negative
00:25:06-00:25:14 (8 sec)
"[Video Clip] The same thing with April Ryan. I watch her get up. I mean, you talk about somebody that's a loser, she doesn't know what the hell she's doing."
225
Question
Neutral
00:25:14-00:25:16 (2 sec)
"[Video Clip] Do you want him to rein in Robert Mueller?"
226
Donald Trump
Very Negative
00:25:16-00:25:26 (10 sec)
"[Video Clip] What a stupid question that is. What a stupid question. But I watch you a lot. You ask a lot of stupid questions."
227
Chris Wallace
Very Positive
00:25:26-00:25:46 (20 sec)
"Question. I was in Saint Joe's, Missouri this last week and I was talking to a lot of loyal Republicans. They love what you've done to the economy. They love the fact that you have basically put ISIS out of business. The one thing they say is, why do you have to be so divisive? Why don't you do more to bring the country together?"
228
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:25:46-00:26:07 (21 sec)
"I think that if I was very different I wouldn't have gotten what we had to get. We got the biggest tax cuts in history, we got ANWR approved, we have -- we got rid of the individual mandate, which was the most unpopular thing you can imagine -- health care -- I got rid of it, everybody said it would be impossible to get rid of it."
229
Donald Trump
Unknown
00:26:07-00:26:19 (12 sec)
"And many many -- you know, the regulations. I think if I was a more modified, more moderate, in that sense, I don't think I would have done half of the things that I was able to get completed."
230
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:26:19-00:26:33 (14 sec)
"With that being said, other than you have to have a certain ability to fight back and, as you know, people have -- you know, they take strong stands on me both ways, you know, love and hate. I'd like to see it a little bit, maybe, more right down the middle."
231
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:26:33-00:26:49 (16 sec)
"But tone is something that is important to me. But a lot of times you can't practice tone because you have people coming at you so hard that if you don't fight back in a somewhat vigorous way you're not going to win. And we have to win. This country has to win."
232
Donald Trump
Unknown
00:26:49-00:26:55 (6 sec)
"We have a lot of victories coming and I think if I -- if I go too low-key we're not going to have those victories."
233
Chris Wallace
Somewhat Positive
00:26:55-00:26:56 (1 sec)
"Mr. President, thank you."
234
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:26:56-00:26:57 (1 sec)
"Thank you. Thank you very much, Chris."
235
Chris Wallace
Positive
00:26:57-00:26:58 (1 sec)
"Very much appreciate it, sir. [Part Two of Interview Ends]"
236
Chris Wallace
Very Positive
00:26:58-00:27:03 (4 sec)
"[Part 3 of Interview begins] So have you gotten comfortable with the place yet, sir?"
237
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:27:03-00:27:14 (12 sec)
"I have, I feel very comfortable. It took me a little while. You know, it's sort of incredible. You say you're the President of the United States, and I say, wow, and it takes a little while to get over that."
238
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:27:14-00:27:16 (2 sec)
"I was going to ask you, the first time --"
239
Donald Trump
Slightly Positive
00:27:16-00:27:16 ( sec)
"Yeah."
240
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:27:16-00:27:18 (1 sec)
"-- that you're in the Oval Office --"
241
Donald Trump
Unknown
00:27:18-00:27:18 ( sec)
"Right."
242
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:27:18-00:27:23 (5 sec)
"-- by yourself, everybody's gone, you're looking around the room, the -- the iconic room, the most famous --"
243
Donald Trump
Slightly Negative
00:27:23-00:27:35 (11 sec)
"Here we are, you know I've had people come into this -- the biggest people in the world, presidents, prime ministers, the heads of the biggest companies in the world and they always stop and they say, this is the Oval Office."
244
Chris Wallace
Positive
00:27:35-00:27:35 ( sec)
"Yes."
245
Donald Trump
Leans Positive
00:27:35-00:27:45 (10 sec)
"This is the Oval Office. There is nothing like it in the world. This is the Resolute Desk, very famous. This is where John John, at the time, right?"
246
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:27:45-00:27:45 ( sec)
"Right."
247
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:27:45-00:28:09 (24 sec)
"John Kennedy was right here, that's a little door that opens up and that was the famous picture, I could show you that picture, in fact, I'll give it to you. But this is a very important desk -- FDR, John Kennedy, you know, we have seven desks and as president you can choose any one of the desks. This is to me, I think the most beautiful, in terms of its carving."
248
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:28:09-00:28:13 (5 sec)
"I also think in many respects it's just some people that I respect."
249
Chris Wallace
Very Negative
00:28:13-00:28:21 (8 sec)
"How, when you're sitting at the desk, how do you make decisions? I mean do you agonize over them, do you second guess yourself? How does --"
250
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:28:21-00:28:39 (18 sec)
"I don't think about it, I don't think about, you know, how I make them. I make what I consider the right decision, I have great people working at the White House, they don't get enough credit. I have some tremendously talented people and I will talk to them and sometimes I'll have them go at each other, I do like that, you know let them go at each other."
251
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:28:39-00:28:50 (11 sec)
"And they do. They've very competitive people and at the end I make a decision and it's certainly -- on the economy, a lot of things we've been -- we've made a lot of good decisions and I want to keep it that way."
252
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:28:50-00:28:53 (2 sec)
"Do you ever second guess yourself? Do you ever --"
253
Donald Trump
Positive
00:28:53-00:28:54 (1 sec)
"Yes, oh, all the time."
254
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:28:54-00:28:56 (2 sec)
"And do you sometimes change your --"
255
Donald Trump
Unknown
00:28:56-00:29:05 (9 sec)
"I've done things where I wished I went a different route but then what you do is you change course and you -- you bring it back, you stabilize it out. But --"
256
Chris Wallace
Neutral
00:29:05-00:29:07 (2 sec)
"Toughest decision you've had to make as President?"
257
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:29:07-00:29:27 (20 sec)
"Well, I think North Korea's been very tough because you know we were very close. When I took that over President Obama right in those two chairs, we sat and talked and he said that's by far the biggest problem that this country has. And I think we had real decision as to which way to go on North Korea and certainly at least so far I'm very happy with the way we went."
258
Donald Trump
Positive
00:29:27-00:29:29 (1 sec)
"I have a very good relationship with --"
259
Chris Wallace
Unknown
00:29:29-00:29:31 (3 sec)
"Even though there was talk that they putting up new sites?"
260
Donald Trump
Very Positive
00:29:31-00:29:56 (25 sec)
"Maybe they are, maybe they're not, I don't believe that, I don't. And you know could which is -- if that's the way it goes, that's the way it goes. You know, I go with the way we have to go but so far it's been good, we have a very good relationship. We've made I think some great decisions for the people of this country and I do, you know I put America first and other countries should put themselves first."
261
Donald Trump
Leans Negative
00:29:56-00:30:13 (17 sec)
"It's not like we should put -- and everybody else should be second to us, no. Other countries are proud of their countries and their leadership put their countries first. But we were putting our country in many cases last. We were more worried about the world than we were worried about the United States, that's not going to happen with me."
262