Mr. President, thank you so much for having us here in this Cabinet Room, which is a room where so much of American history and decisions were made. That's true. A very special room. So, thank you. Thank you. All right so how was your week? Well, I think it was great. I mean, we did a tremendous amount of work -- natural-gas going to China, cattle going to China. We opened it up. You remember, years ago where they really stopped any cattle from being sold into China, and now China's just opened it up to our farmers, and our, our cattle folks, and they're very very happy about it. So, we have a tremendous amount of things happening literally today. But, and I have to interrupt you, because I think that in spite of all the great things that we can talk about, the... the Jim Comey story got, you know, in the middle of everything. Was this the wrong time to fire Jim Comey? Well, there's no right time. Let's say I did it on January 20th, the opening, right then. That would have been the big story as opposed to the inauguration, and I was thinking about it then. I was thinking about it during this period of time. There's really no right time to do it. But, uh, I mean I'm ok with it, as you know. I have the decision to make, and I have to make the decision. Donald Trump He agrees that I have the absolute right to do it. Everybody agrees. I guess I was a little bit surprised because all the Democrats, I mean, they hated Jim Comey. They didn't like him. They wanted him fired or whatever, and... and then all of a sudden they come out with these glowing reports. You know, look, it's, it's politics. Well, the media is in a frenzy, and so given that some of these Congresspeople thought, he should have been fired. They called for an investigation, even if Jim Comey... doesn't it, doesn't it suggests to you that it isn't even about Comey. It's about anything that you, as president, do. It's true. Number one, they're hypocrites. But it's beyond being a hypocrite. You have these tremendous... the level of hatred toward him, especially during that period of time with Hillary Clinton, where he gave her a free ride. I mean he gave her a free pass like nobody's ever, ever gotten, a free pass. And during that period of time, the level of hatred by the Democrats -- also the Republicans, to be honest -- because, you know, first she got a free pass, and then he came out with Comey two, and then he came out with Comey three, and the ultimate thing is he gave her a free pass, so they should have liked him. But, but... Well, they should have liked him, but because he did what he did for her was unbelievable, with all of the guilty, guilty, guilty, guilty -- and then he goes, uh but she's not guilty. The fact is, that we're on to other things, and we had the right to do it. We made it. There is no good time to do it, Jeanine. What I'm most proud about is what's happening with the country. You look at jobs are way up, you look at what we're doing in terms of trade deals. It's going to be unbelievable, the trade deals we're making for this country. We have the worst trade deals ever made by any country, anywhere, and we're making them into great deals. The business that we're now reopening with China, that's been gone for many, many years -- especially when you look at natural gas, and especially when you look at... the deal we just made on cattle, it's really something special. But the, but the problem is, all of the good things, and the good stories that you can talk about, whether it's a passage of the health care bill by the House -- you know, after the initial failure... well... And we're doing very well with health care. By the way. Well, it wasn't really an initial failure. It was just a continuation of a negotiation. All right, granted. But we're doing very... I think we're doing very well with that. Now, that's before the Senate and I think the Senate is going to come up with some really, really great additions and changes and we're going to have a plan that's going to be really great. And by the way, Obamacare is dead. It's dying. I've been saying that for a long time. Now, Aetna just pulled out, the big insurance company just pulled out, and we have to come up with a plan because Obamacare is dead. Would you agree that but for you're getting totally involved in the House and working with the Freedom Caucus, and then the Tuesday group, you know, but for your being is hands-on and as involved, that House bill might never have passed? I agree, but I will also say they're great people. I made so many friends. I read one story where this was like an indoctrination of Trump, because I didn't know a lot. You know, I was in business and I didn't know a lot of these Congressmen and Congresswomen. They're great people. I met so many people that I really like, and it was very intense. You know, a lot of people are saying I wonder if Trump is very much involved. I was speaking to 30, 40, 50 a day. I got to know a lot of them really well, and they're great people. There... there... we have wonderful people representing this country, I can tell you. But given what you took, it took you to really get involved to get the House bill passed. Doesn't that suggest that in order to get your agenda accomplished that, same kind of hands-on has to apply to Democrats and across the aisle? Well, they're obstructionist. I mean what they want to do is obstruct and delay, and I'm actually very surprised with Chuck Schumer, because I know him. I've known him for a long time. I cannot... I really am surprised that he's become such... you know he's gone so far left in order to get into the Elizabeth Warren group that I think he's hurting himself. I think he's hurting the Democrats very badly, but he has really been brought to the left. And I also don't think they can win any more elections unless they start changing their tune. But they become very obstructionist, and all that means is delay and all of the things that they do and, you know, we're going to end up winning. We've been winning. We won, and now you look, we have the House, we have the Senate. Don't forget, before the election the Republicans were going to lose the Senate, they're going to lose the house and they're going to lose, of course, the presidency, and that was two weeks before the election. I was watching your show, and you were like... not happy. I have to say, I know you're fair and balanced and all of that stuff. But you weren't exactly thrilled by the numbers that you were seeing, and that last two to three-week period was sort of amazing, what was going. Because you started seeing very good... numbers started... Change. But... but the point is, that we were supposed to lose all three. And not only do we lose all three, they said it will be perhaps the greatest election failure in the history of this country. And I said well that's bad. But I worked very hard, and we ended up winning all three instead of losing all three. Right And it became one of the great successes. I will tell you, and I think they're doing even better than that... But given, given the fact... But Mr. President, your... your agenda is not getting out, because people are caught up on the... the Comey issue, and ridiculous stuff. I agree, I agree, I agree. I think... How do you get rid of Comey, who in your press office says one thing, the Vice President says another thing. How do we resolve that? Well, that is an interesting situation. I actually said today, let's not ever do any more press briefings. You know they're getting tremendous ratings, and the especially the fake media, there... they're going crazy, they are going crazy. And they'll be in the room, and you have to see the way they ask questions, I want I want... screaming, and there's never been anything like this to get like a question out. And in all fairness to Sean, and in all fairness to Sara Huckabee, and in all fairness to anybody that stood up there, they don't know me. I'm a very active president. I'm doing like, I'm dealing with China, I'm dealing with Japan, I'm dealing with North Korea, I'm dealing with all of these different things. Russia came in to see me, the Foreign Minister the other day, and right after that, they didn't say this, but right after that the Foreign Minister from Ukraine came in. I said, fellas you got to make peace, you got to get peace. They only talked about Russia coming in, okay? And we took pictures, they took pictures. We released the pictures, they made a big deal out of it. Everybody knew he was coming, and he was scheduled to come. But they didn't talk about Ukraine. The point is this: when we have those press conferences, I actually said we shouldn't have them, because Sara Huckabee said... But let's, let's... But for 100 years we've been doing this. You can't put an end to that. No, but listen, no no. But there's never been action like this. This is crazy. I mean, we're getting higher ratings... But would you seriously consider... We're getting higher ratings on those press conferences... But would you seriously consider stopping these press sessions? No, we'd do it in a different way. How? We'd do it, we'd do it through a piece of paper, with a perfectly accurate, beautiful answer. I'll give you an example. In writing? They are asked 100 questions, or 50 questions, or 20 questions. If they get one out of fifty, just a little bit off, 5%, 10%, 20%, it's... the next day it's a front-page story in every newspaper. Right, right, so? Now, press conferences weren't even covered for Obama practically. They were on C-SPAN and C-SPAN2, when you know, there was nothing going on. But will you put an end to that? But wait a minute, my press... these press conferences are like the biggest thing on daytime television. They are Okay, you see the ratings, they're blowing away everything on just about... everything on daytime television. What I'd love to do is stop them. It's not fair to the people. I'll give you... look, I am a very active person. I have a lot of very positive things going on right up here for this country. It's impossible for a person or two people or three people who are press people, to cover every aspect of what I'm thinking, and what I'm doing, and I think it's unfair. And if they get it just a little bit wrong, they don't mean to, they're liars. They're liars. They're horrible people. They're liars, the press goes, and it becomes a big story for two days or three days, and it's very, very unfair to a person in that job I think that's really a tough job to be on, especially for me because I'm having meeting after meeting. I'm cutting the price of the airplanes with Lockheed. I'm cutting the price of airplanes with Boeing. I'm doing all of these things. I'm making deals for China... with China. I'm trying to solve a problem in North Korea, which by the way, is a really big problem. But are you, but I want to get into North Korea, but are you moving so quickly that your communications department cannot keep up with you. Yes, that's true. So, what do we do about that, because... Maybe we don't have press conferences, and we do... You don't mean that. What... just don't have them, unless I have every two weeks and I do myself. We don't have them. I think it's a good idea. First of all, you have a level of hostility that's incredible, and it's very unfair. Sarah Huckabee is a lovely young woman. You know, Sean Spicer, he is a wonderful human being. He's a nice man. Is he your Press Secretary today and tomorrow? Yeah, he is, sure. Will he be tomorrow? Well, he's doing a good job, but he gets beat up... Will he be there tomorrow? Yeah, well, he's been there from the beginning. I mean... Is he, is he, in the, what do they say, in the woods? No, he just gets beat up by these people, and again, you know, they don't show the 90 questions that they asked and answered properly. I'm saying if they're off just a little bit, just a little bit, it's a big story. When will you make a decision as to whether or not you have... And, and, here's the thing. The difference between me and another President, another president -- I won't use names -- but another President doesn't do what I'm doing. They really don't. I'm not saying that in a bragging way. I'm not saying it in any way. Another President Jeanine will sit in the Oval Office and do practically nothing all day. I'm doing every minute of the day. I'm doing something. I'm cutting prices up, whether this nation has such unbelievable potential. The thing is they can't keep up with it, and I'll be honest, they do their best. If they give an answer, and if it's a little bit off, they're liars and horrible things. Okay. It's really unfair. I would... I would recommend we don't have it. When will you make that decision? Over the next couple of weeks. I'll tell you what, they'll be very unhappy because the ratings are so high, that I don't know what these networks are going to do. They're going to start to cry. Let me, let me ask you this, Mr. President. They get the free ratings because of me, and yet they don't treat us fairly. Mr. President here's the bottom line. You've got this Russia story that is causing a... Corey Booker said the other day the Russians are coming. I thought it was 1950 and I had to run under the desk... I know. Corey Booker ought to get his address right, where he lived, when he ran for Mayor. That's what he ought to do. Why, he didn't live in the right place? But, let me finish my question. Check it out. Check out the old publicity. Let me finish my question. Wouldn't it be better, because all of the successes that we can talk about are being overshadowed by this Russia story. By fake news. By fake news, to have an independent commission, you were convinced you did nothing, and... I am not convinced. Clapper is convinced, other people are convinced. DNI, oh yes, everybody said the same thing, so get it out of the White House. Everybody is convinced, they say there is no collusion. You know the expression? They're all saying, there is no collusion. There is no collusion. Precisely. Well, I'd like it to move fast, if possible. But I'll tell you what I really want... There is no collision. We had nothing to do with Russia, and everything else, but there is a question. Was it Russia... who was it that went in and tried to hack? Now... Right. There are other questions too Jeanine, why didn't the DNC, the Democrats, why didn't they allow the FBI to check their server. They wouldn't allow them to check. Right And why didn't the FBI insist on checking this? They have subpoena They have very powerful subpoenas, so Podesta -- who, by the way has a company with his brother, as I understand it, in Russia -- I mean those are the ones they should be checking. But with all of that being said, what I want and I think it's very important... I want to get to the bottom, if Russia or anybody else is trying to tamper or play with our election. To me that is very important. Okay, so get it out of the White House. Do an independent commission, and then you can get your agenda out there. You're right. Well, you're right but all it is is more time. I'll tell you what, you have it before two -- you have it before the House and you have it before the Senate. Right I know some of the people on those Commissions are highly -- they're very ethical people, very talented, very smart people. I think let them just do it. You know, they've been doing it for a long time. I'd love to see... They may never be finished. How do you prove a negative? How do you prove that you weren't involved? This could go on for 10 years... Well, I think it's been proved already, and to be honest with you, I want it to be accurate also. I want them... Of course. ...to devote the time they need. I'd like it to go fast, but more important to me, much more than speed. I want them to be sure that Russia or anybody else, that if it did happen, if there was any -- and everybody also agrees by the way it didn't change the election... Right, right. It didn't change the vote. So that's important. That's important to me. But I don't want it ever to be even a question again. So if it takes longer, let it take longer, but let them do the job right. At the risk of the country not being able to see your successes. Look, we're coming up to January of 2018. We're talking midterms soon, unless we get, let this... the promises to the American people, health care tax reform, how are you going to... how are you going to that? I know. Well I'll give you an example. You got to work with these people. I mean, we made... we made that incredible deal with China last night at 11 o'clock, right? And the front page of the papers had more to do with unimportant stories than that, okay? And I think that's very unfair... It is. But you can't change that unless you take that off the table. But that's the way... Well I think it's going to be off the table as soon as they announce the result. Hopefully they announce the result quickly. I'd like to see it quick, but it would all due respect I want to see it done properly. I don't want to be in a position where something took place having to do with Russia -- or any other country or any other person -- who knows, but I don't want to be in a position where it's not done correctly. So let them do it correctly. Let them take their time. You're talking about the House, the Senate, the FBI... ...to do it correctly. I'm talking about the House, the Senate, the FBI... So no independent commission? I don't think you need it. I mean honestly, whatever's going to do the best, but I don't think you need it. But they're playing politics, can't you see that? It's stepping on your success. I see, I see a lot of things. Yesterday, the Department of Justice nullified the Eric Holder and the Obama marijuana drug politics. I know. Yesterday, 1,400 gangbangers arrested, in the biggest sweep in American history... I know, and you don't read about it the way you should. That's on page ten. ...and what, and all of this is being subjugated to ridiculous stuff. Can I be honest with you? I think the people are seeing it though, Jeanine? You do? I think the people, you know, I have a very strong base of incredible people. I think they know what's going on. I had dinner with a group last night that, just great people, great friends. And they come in and they're very angry about what's going on. They're angry from the other... from our standpoint. They're very angry about what's going on. I think that people see it. I think the people see our successes. Hey look, putting the Supreme Court judge on within a hundred days, and I don't mean just nominating, having him confirmed, and he's going to be great. And so many other things. We've done, you know... they said we did no legislative work. We signed 32 bills. Jeanine, did you hear that? 32 bills, and they were saying a couple of weeks ago, during the hundred days we signed none. Not everybody was saying that, but some were saying it. Right We signed 32 bills. That means went through Congress and signed it. In addition, we freed up this system which was all glued up, so the people can build houses and they can build factories, and they can build so much. Our trade deals are about to come, they're going to be unbelievable. I mean, we're doing things... and I honestly believe that people see it, but there's no question, it would be wonderful to go fast, but I want it to be done right. [Break] What about the new director for the FBI? You're looking for someone now. Yes. Will, before we... To me that's one of most exciting questions you can ask, if you want to know the truth. Okay, good. We have some great candidates. We're interviewing people. We're going to pick somebody who is outstanding. That's what we want to get. Will you ask for loyalty and fidelity? I want loyalty to the country. I mean, I want loyalty to the United States of America. I want him to do a good job, or her to do a great job. So, when people... I think we have some wonderful candidates. People suggest that the question that apparently The New York Times is selling, that you asked Comey whether or not you had his loyalty was possibly inappropriate. Did you see how they would think that? No, I don't think... I read, I read that article. I don't think it's inappropriate, number one. Did you ask that? No, no I didn't. But I don't think that's a bad question to ask. I think loyalty to the country, loyalty to the United States is important. You know, it depends on how you define loyalty, number one. Number two, I don't how that got there, because, I didn't ask that question. What about the idea that, in a tweet you said there might be tape recordings... That I can't talk about that. I won't talk about that. All I want is for Comey to be honest and I hope he will be. I'm sure he will be. I hope. So, this new director of the FBI, will be someone from within the ranks? Will be someone, a lawyer like Comey or have you had... I'll tell you, we have a lot of choice. Everybody wants the position. It's a great position to have and we have extremely capable people, in some cases, people of, you know, great prestige, actually. People of, who have had tremendous careers would like to do it. When do you think? We gonna have somebody fantastic. When do you think? Fairly quickly. Okay. I think we, I think we owe it to the public to do it fairly quickly. And, you know, do you think the Senate will confirm? Yes. Oh yeah. I want to pick somebody that can be confirmed. Look, I thought this would be a very popular thing that I did when I terminated Comey. Because, all of the Democrats couldn't stand him. But because I terminated him, they said, ahh, we'll get political points. We'll go against Trump. So, I assumed it would be fairly popular, and they got together and said, again, we're talking obstruction. This is total obstruction. Uh, they got together and they, all of a sudden, they love... you know, it's sort of funny, when you listen to Schumer and you listen to the other people talking about Comey, but then you back a few months and you get their statements from a few months ago... and they, they couldn't stand him. So it is very interesting think. Will you be able to work with Schumer after all the horrible things he said about you? It's pretty tough to work with him. I'm surprised, because I've known him for a long time. Right. Again, he's gonna very, very far left. He does not have good control of his party. He is not a good leader. I think it will be tough for me to work with him. We'll see. Hopefully what will happen is in '18, we gonna elect some Republican senators, because only have a margin now of two. We're gonna elect people, some people, some more Republicans and we will be able to do it without having to go through that situation with Schumer. Because, honestly, they just want to stop things, they want to clog up the wheels and we cannot let that happen. I interviewed General Kelly last week or the week before, and he said that he can see, in your first term, the North Korea having the ability put a nuclear warhead on an intercontinental ballistic missile. That's what they want to do. That's terrifying. They should have been stopped a long time ago. They should have been stopped by Obama. They should have been stopped from before Obama. So what are you going to do about it? I remember when Clinton wrote in his book about the wonderful deal they made with North Korea. They started making missiles the next day and nuclear the next day. What can you do about this? I can't talk to about that, but I think we're having some very, very good thoughts. Are you going to build that wall? We're going to build the wall, absolutely. Is there question about that? There's no question about it. We're going to build the wall. I sat with the parents of a young girl who was murdered by MS-13. Right, sure. Horrible group of people. I cried with the parents. Yeah. You made this huge sweep, yesterday. A couple of days ago. We are sweeping them the hell out of the country. They are being swept out of the country so fast. You know, we go into to towns like in Long Island, I grew up, essentially on Long Island. Where you grew up. ...and we go into towns that I have known, and the towns are living in fear. They're like occupied camps. They're petrified. And General Kelly goes in with his guys, and they are tough, too. They are tougher, believe me. This MS-13, somebody said they are the equivalent of Al-Qaeda in terms of their mentality and toughness. And we go into to towns and the people are cheering as we take these people and throw them into the vans. They're cheering. It is almost like they have been freed or liberated. This is in the United States. And under Obama, they were just pouring in. So, MS-13, we have thousands of them in this country. They are going very, very fast. Okay, and finally, you're going to the Middle East. Yes. Saudi Arabia, Israel, and then Rome. Rome, right. And then we are going to the big, the big conference of our countries that we want to help the world. But we are... What are you going to accomplish? I think we are going to accomplish a lot of things. We've established great relationships with a lot different countries that frankly we didn't have. You know, one thing I did is Aya. You know about Aya? Yes. Young girl, who was in an Egyptian prison. President Obama worked three and a half years to try and get her out. He was unable to get her out. I had a meeting with General El-Sisi of Egypt and within one minute, we made an agreement and she was released. She was there... going to be there for 28 years. She is a wonderful young person. And I will tell you, I was very honored by what General El-Sisi did. Not only her, but her husband out and a total of eight people out. They were going to be there for many, many years in an Egyptian prison. The past administration worked on it for three years, three and half years to be exact. They were unable to do a thing. I got them out in less than one minute. And That's what we need. Given your ability, your successes, all of the things that you can talk about for two hours here. How are we going to get that across to the American people? I hope that they understand it. I hope that they see it. Again, this was a... a plan to... because, this was just an excuse that the Democrats came up with for losing an election. They lost an election, they lost it badly, and this was just an excuse for losing the election, and I think people are seeing through it. I really do. I believe people see through it. Your daughter-in-law Lara, who is pregnant with a boy, talked about her first introduction to the Trump family was the friendliness and the camaraderie at family dinners. I've even had occasion to be at some of those dinners. Do you still have those dinners here at the White House? We do, to a lesser extent, because of the time and the busy. I'm very.. I tell you what, I am really going at it. I'm busy from early in the morning... I know you. until late at night, because I took over a mess. This was a mess, whether it's trade or whether it's Obamacare, which is so disastrous, or whether it's any one of so many things I could name. I took over a mess, so I don't have much time, but we do do it as much as possible. You talked about your brother Fred when I interviewed you a year and a half ago, two years ago. What, what would Fred think of all of this? He'd be very proud. He had a very profound impact on my life, and I learned a lot from Fred, and he'd be very proud. He was a great guy. What is he telling you now? He had... He had a whole.... He's telling me just keep doing what you're doing, because we're having a great impact. We're going to have, I think, I would love to say one of the truly great impacts of any President on the lives and the betterment of lives of the people of this nation. Fred would be looking down and he would say keep going. And I would tell you if it were different, if I thought he would be looking down and say you can do better here or there. I think he'd be very proud of the things that we've accomplished, having to do with everything from jobs to the military, to the borders -- you see what's happening on the borders. 70% reduction. To frankly we're going to have to solve some big problems, like the North Korea problem that we've been talking about, but I think he'd be very proud all right. All right, Mr. President, thank you... Thank you. ...for having us here. Thank you very much Jeanine Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.