Transcript - Interview: WWMT's Nick Minock Interviews Donald Trump in Ypsilanti, MI - March 15, 2017 | Factba.se

Nick Minock

00:00:00 - 00:00:18 (19 sec)

Thank you for sitting down with us for the second time. First as a candidate and now as president of the United States, and I want to talk to you about jobs, the economy, health care. But first I want to get your reaction on something. It appears that your 2005 federal taxes were leaked to the mainstream news. Your reaction to that?

Donald Trump

00:00:18 - 00:00:48 (29 sec)

So, first of all it's illegal to do it. But, I just think it's so disgusting when people can take a tax return, which is supposed to be almost sacred, and just release it like it's nothing. I think it's a terrible thing. In the meantime I paid a lot of tax. Paid $38 million in tax. That doesn't include sales taxes and real estate taxes and lots of other taxes, don't forget. But I paid a lot of tax and I employed a lot of people and I made money. Made good money.

Donald Trump

00:00:48 - 00:01:04 (16 sec)

My company is a phenomenal company and you never have anything to be embarrassed about. It's successful and you know I employ thousands of people and that's a very important thing to me. But they shouldn't be leaking tax returns. That's for sure, whether they're good or bad.

Nick Minock

00:01:04 - 00:01:06 (2 sec)

Do you know who leaked them? Do you have any idea?

Donald Trump

00:01:06 - 00:01:29 (23 sec)

I don't really have too much of an idea. I know the reporter is a... he's a weird dude who's covered me for... he's been following me for 25 years, so obviously he hasn't done so well. He's been following me in a negative fashion for 25 years. Always a hit. And I'm president. So I guess he hasn't done a very good job. But, I don't really know. Could be him. Could be him.

Nick Minock

00:01:29 - 00:01:43 (14 sec)

Alright sir, so I want to talk to you about jobs and the economy, especially here in Michigan. Right now, China is the largest manufacturer in the world. So how does Michigan, how does the United States really build the rebirth of the auto industry specifically here in the Midwest.

Donald Trump

00:01:43 - 00:02:02 (19 sec)

Well, we're coming back, Nick. We're coming back big league. We're, as you know what's happening in Michigan. Ford's coming back. General Motors is coming back. They're stopping, largely with other plants and other countries... I won't go as specific as to countries, but they're coming back with... with plants big league over here. Ford's going to be announcing a... an expansion today.

Donald Trump

00:02:02 - 00:02:26 (24 sec)

General Motors is announcing an expansion. Fiat is coming in. I'm not only talking about the plants, but while we're in Michigan, let's talk about Michigan. The auto industry -- and I said this to the people from day one -- when I won Michigan, I said I'm going to win Michigan, because when I got the award, the man of the year, five years ago in Michigan, I talked about how Mexico, for the most part, but others are taking your industry away. You've got to stop it.

Donald Trump

00:02:26 - 00:02:36 (10 sec)

But I wasn't running for office. Who knew I was going to run for office? And then this happened. And I've been the best thing that can ever happen to jobs and to the auto industry in Michigan, that I can tell you.

Nick Minock

00:02:36 - 00:02:37 (1 sec)

Why is that specifically?

Donald Trump

00:02:37 - 00:02:57 (19 sec)

Because I'm going to bring back the jobs. I mean, I'm already doing it. You know, they've already stopped building two factories in Mexico. They're coming back to Michigan, big league, and they're coming back to Ohio and Pennsylvania and other states also. But they're coming back big league to our country, and that's what I said I was going to do. It's one of the reasons I won.

Donald Trump

00:02:57 - 00:03:05 (8 sec)

And next week we're going to be announcing something that's going to be very big for the auto industry and I look forward to that. [Note: there appears to be a break in the video interview]

Nick Minock

00:03:05 - 00:03:10 (5 sec)

Looking at health care. What role did you play in congressional Republicans proposal?

Donald Trump

00:03:10 - 00:03:24 (13 sec)

Well, in a way, I'm an arbitrator. I want to see it happen, but it's got to be great for the people. But in a certain way, I'm an arbitrator. I want to make it really good. I want to make it really strong. It's tough, because we're not going to get any Democrat votes, even if it is good.

Donald Trump

00:03:24 - 00:03:44 (20 sec)

If we gave you the greatest health care plan in the world, in the history of the world, the Democrats won't vote, because they don't want the Republicans to get credit, which is a very serious thing. They're selfish, and it's a very, very... I don't even have my cabinet approved yet. I can't get people out of their long process, and they're great people, but I can't get them out of the process.

Donald Trump

00:03:44 - 00:04:08 (24 sec)

So, if we put a plan down that was the greatest plan in history, we wouldn't get the votes. So people ought to call them and tell them to get on the ball. But we're going to have a great... we're going to end up with a great health care plan. And to me, that's very important. Because Obamacare is a disaster. It's failing. It's expensive. It doesn't work. You don't have your plan, you don't have your doctor. All the lies that were told, and pretty much that's it.

Nick Minock

00:04:08 - 00:04:13 (4 sec)

So what does the GOP plan... what does it do that Obamacare doesn't do?

Donald Trump

00:04:13 - 00:05:10 (58 sec)

Well, it does many things. I mean, I could... I could literally... I could talk about this for ten minutes. But, on many things when we get Phase three approved, we're going to go for drug prices reduced. We're going to reduce drug prices. We're going to have a bidding system that's going to be fantastic. It's either going to come in phase three, and if we can't put it in phase three I'm going to do a separate bill. But that's so important to me, is drug prices. But prices for health care will go down. We're going to have tremendous competition. We're going to have a much, much better plan in terms of health care. We're going to cover every single circumstance, which Obamacare doesn't. You take a look at what's going on with Obamacare... first of all, Obamacare won't even be around in a year. If we didn't do anything, within a year or two, it's going to implode. It's already imploded. If you look at Arizona, it's up 116 percent. This year is going to be worse. This area's through the roof, and next year it's only going to get worse, and this year. So Obamacare, you're really... when you compare things, you're comparing a fiction because Obamacare is not going to be around.

Nick Minock

00:05:10 - 00:05:21 (11 sec)

I want to ask you, what have you learned in this role so far, within the last two months. What's the difference between being a CEO of a very successful company, and being president of the United States?

Donald Trump

00:05:21 - 00:05:48 (27 sec)

Well, I think one of the differences is the dishonest media. You know, I deal with the fake press, and some of it is wonderful, and they're wonderful people, but much of it is fake. It's, you know, it's lies and it's a whole big... a whole big, I guess, political bent. What can I say? So.. so much of the news is false. When you do something great, and they say not good, or not as good as it should be.

Donald Trump

00:05:48 - 00:06:14 (26 sec)

And, you know, but we just got poll numbers today. I had my best numbers today that we've had since... since President. We're doing really well. People understand. The people of Michigan understand, because the people in Michigan see the cars... the car factories, and the, you know, the manufacturing coming back. The automobile companies are coming back to Michigan. Believe me, if I didn't get elected, they wouldn't be thinking about it. They're not doing what they were supposed to be doing, which is building all over Mexico and other places.

Donald Trump

00:06:14 - 00:06:33 (18 sec)

They are coming back to Michigan, and other states, and they're coming back fast, and I think you see that. In fact, I'm meeting with them in a little while. We have a big roundtable with all of the major car manufacturers. I want them back in Michigan and we're... we're going to put a lot of... we're going to make it real easy for them to come back.

Donald Trump

00:06:33 - 00:06:56 (23 sec)

But if they want to leave and fire all their people, and they're going to build cars and then sell them back into the United States with no tax, those days are over. If they want to build in another state, they can do... in another country, they can do that. But when that car is manufactured, they're not selling that car back into this country without paying a price. And that's going to keep the car companies here.

Nick Minock

00:06:56 - 00:07:00 (4 sec)

And when you meet with these auto executives, what tone are you going to take in this meeting?

Donald Trump

00:07:00 - 00:07:14 (13 sec)

Well, I think it's a very nice tone. I mean I'm going to help them. I'm going to help them on a mission. I'm going to help them on fuel. I'm going to help them on things that they need help on, because they can't meet the standard. There's no way they can do it. You know, you can only do so much. You can only get so much out of a grape is the expression.

Donald Trump

00:07:14 - 00:07:23 (9 sec)

So I'm going to help them. But they're going to help me. Because if I help them, they're going to open up factories and they're going to create jobs. And if they're not going to do that, I'm not helping them.

Nick Minock

00:07:23 - 00:07:24 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:07:24 - 00:07:25 (1 sec)

Thank you very much.

Nick Minock

00:07:25 - 00:07:27 (2 sec)

Thank you for sitting down with us. It was a pleasure.

Donald Trump

00:07:27 - 00:07:28 (1 sec)

Thank you. Thank you.