Transcript - Interview: Dave Jordan of WITN-TV Greenville, NC Interviews Donald Trump - July 17, 2019 | Factba.se

Dave Jordan

00:00:00 - 00:00:02 (3 sec)

How important is North Carolina to you in the re-election?

Donald Trump

00:00:02 - 00:00:17 (14 sec)

Well, it's not only important. We're having our -- as you know -- we're having the convention here. We chose North Carolina, and we've had just great luck. We won the state last time, substantially, and it was a great victory and they're great people. Great people.

Dave Jordan

00:00:17 - 00:00:20 (4 sec)

Do you think there is a Democratic opponent that would be formidable to you here in North Carolina?

Donald Trump

00:00:20 - 00:00:40 (19 sec)

I hope not. I'd be very disappointed in North Carolina. They'd be disappointed in me. Now, I think we're going to do great. Special -- really a special place, and it's doing so well. We've brought so many industries back, industries that were gone and they're coming back, and they're already back, and I think your state's doing economic records right now.

Donald Trump

00:00:40 - 00:00:41 (1 sec)

So we should be in good shape.

Dave Jordan

00:00:41 - 00:00:45 (4 sec)

You talk about the economy here in North Carolina. There's a lot of farmers, it's an agricultural state.

Donald Trump

00:00:45 - 00:00:46 (1 sec)

Dave Jordan

00:00:46 - 00:00:52 (6 sec)

Some of those individuals have told us that they have been hurt by the tariffs, the ongoing trade war. What would you say to them?

Donald Trump

00:00:52 - 00:01:13 (21 sec)

Well, for 15 years as you know, the farmers have been doing very poorly and it's been going like this. And I came in and I saw what was happening, and a lot of it was China, a lot of it was Mexico. We have the U.S., Mexico and Canada deal now, the USMCA, and we have to get that approved by Congress, and if it's not approved by Congress would be a terrible upset for the farmers, but you know would only be political.

Donald Trump

00:01:13 - 00:01:31 (18 sec)

It's a phenomenal deal -- much better than NAFTA, which was a disaster. And the other thing is, you know, China, is now -- they're, I guess, having the worst year in 27 years, one of the worst years they've had. They have had the worst year in 27 years, just reported yesterday. They took great advantage of our farmers, and they're not doing it anymore.

Donald Trump

00:01:31 - 00:01:48 (16 sec)

We won't let that happen. And the other thing is, you know, China pulled back in order to try and maybe take support away from me. I said to Sonny Perdue, our great secretary of agriculture, I said, let me ask you Sonny, how much should China -- at their most contribute -- to the farmers, pay to the farmers.

Donald Trump

00:01:48 - 00:02:13 (25 sec)

16 billion. So I'm giving -- I've already done it -- I'm -- I'm giving, as you probably have heard, $16 billion to the farmers of our country. That's the amount that China took back. And I'm doing that out of tariffs, because we've taken in many billions more than that. So the China -- the -- the farmers now, because of wha -- what I've done with it -- and I have to say this, so important, the farmers have been incredible patriots.

Donald Trump

00:02:13 - 00:02:30 (17 sec)

They know what I'm doing is right, because China has taken advantage of this country for so many years, hundreds of billions of dollars a year. So I'm giving back out of the tariffs that we take from China, I'm giving them back to the farmers, and the farmers are very happy. But I'm not sure all the farmers know that.

Donald Trump

00:02:30 - 00:02:31 (2 sec)

But the farmers are very happy about it.

Dave Jordan

00:02:31 - 00:02:42 (11 sec)

Let me ask you about the state of the country in terms of positivity and negativity. Do you think that the country is more united or more divided since you've taken office, and is -- does that even matter, or is that a concern of yours?

Donald Trump

00:02:42 - 00:02:59 (17 sec)

Well, it matters to me. I think it's much more united. If you look back at the Obama administration, there was tremendous -- there was tremendous division, tremendous, and today we had, as you know, we had an overwhelming vote on the most ridiculous thing I've ever been involved with, this whole impeachment thing, is nonsense.

Donald Trump

00:02:59 - 00:03:17 (18 sec)

We're presiding over the strongest economy in the history of our country. Biggest tax cuts we've ever gotten, as you know, the tax cut plan was the biggest we've ever had, and so many other things. Our military now is rebuilt. We're spending billions of dollars. They were -- I took over a very depleted military, it's now totally rebuilt, and so many other things.

Donald Trump

00:03:17 - 00:03:36 (20 sec)

I mean, I could go over point after point, and one of the big points, I think by this time next year, one of the big points is going to be the farmers. The farmers are going to be doing fantastically well, because everybody now, they all want to come, including China. Everybody wants to make a deal. Without the tariffs, I would never have been able to have any negotiating latitude.

Donald Trump

00:03:36 - 00:03:57 (20 sec)

So I really think that, just, things are really going good, and this ridiculous impeachment vote was a totally lopsided vote, to end the whole nonsense, and it should never happen. It should never be allowed to happen to another president again, and nobody should have to go through that -- very, very unfair.

Donald Trump

00:03:57 - 00:03:59 (2 sec)

All politics, and very unfair.

Dave Jordan

00:03:59 - 00:04:10 (11 sec)

You mentioned that that has ended, however the special counsel was going to testify today before Congress. That's been pushed back to next week. Do you have any concerns about what he's going to say?

Donald Trump

00:04:10 - 00:04:27 (17 sec)

No, because the report said no collusion and no obstruction. The attorney general ruled on absolutely no obstruction, and there was no obstruction, and, you know, frankly, the collusion was the bigger thing. When you have no collusion, how do you have obstruction anyway? You have Article 2, and you have many other things.

Donald Trump

00:04:27 - 00:04:49 (21 sec)

No, there was no obstruction. There was no collusion, and maybe more importantly than everything, we just had a vote today, that was a lopsided vote in favor of -- that's the end of impeachment. So, I don't even know if he should testify. Why would he testify if there's no impeachment. They can't do it. They shouldn't be able to redo it. So, we've had a great two and a half years.

Donald Trump

00:04:49 - 00:05:07 (19 sec)

Our country is stronger than it's ever been. We broke the all-time stock market record yesterday, all -- in the history of our country, we broke 7 -- 27,000 on the Dow, and what that means -- that's not rich people. That's all the people that own stock and bonds and 401(k)s and all other things. So, we're doing great.

Donald Trump

00:05:07 - 00:05:29 (22 sec)

Our country is doing great. And, you know, very importantly, our military is doing great. Our vets are doing great. For the first time, you haven't heard complaints. We have choice. For 44 years, they've been trying to get choice, meaning if a vet can't get a doctor fast enough, they go outside to an outdoor -- to a -- to a doctor outside, and we pay for it, and it works out so great, and it's been working so great.

Donald Trump

00:05:29 - 00:05:38 (9 sec)

Our vets are happy. They never thought they could get choice approved and we got it approved, choice for the vets. So we're really happy and North Carolina has been incredible to me. They've really been incredible.

Dave Jordan

00:05:38 - 00:05:40 (1 sec)

Alright, Mr. President thank you so much.

Donald Trump

00:05:40 - 00:05:41 (1 sec)

Thank you. Appreciate it.

Dave Jordan

00:05:41 - 00:05:41 (0 sec)

We appreciate it. Nice to meet you.