[Olivia Nuzzi wrote this story with a narrative piece here: http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2018/10/my-private-oval-office-press-conference-with-donald-trump.html. While it is not a transcript, she has recounted on CNN and MSNBC that the story is a faithful transcript of what Trump said, without editing his quotes.] [As such, we are including it in the index and the record. What is below is verbatin from the piece as to what Trump said, and in what context. The interview was on October 9, 2018 and was published October 10, 2018.] I just heard that you were doing a story on... this stuff. General Kelly's doing a very good job. We have a very good relationship. The White House is running very, very smoothly. We've had a big week. We just got a Supreme Court justice on the bench. We have the USMCA, meaning the NAFTA replacement, and many other things. We had a great meeting with North Korea. It was a great meeting. The secretary of State's coming just in ten minutes. But I want to tell you a couple of things: the chief is doing a very good job. I'm very happy with him, we have a very good relationship, number one. Number two, I didn't offer anybody else the job. I didn't talk to anybody about the job. And I'm not, I'm not looking. Now, look, with time, do people leave? As an example, Nikki Haley told me six months ago, even a year ago -- but six months ago, that, you know, she's been governor, she's done this, she's helped us with the campaign, a lot of good things, and you probably saw the conference. It was a very, very positive thing. We have a very positive story going on at the White House. We have a very positive story for the country. We're doing a great job. We have the greatest economy in the history of our country. We have among the greatest job numbers. Among many groups, we have the greatest job numbers. We have things going on that are phenomenal on trade. China wants to make a deal -- I said, you're not ready yet. But they wanna make a deal, and at some point we might. Iran wants to make a deal. They all wanna make a deal. We have great things going. We have a very smooth-running organization even though it's never reported that way. So the real story is that. It's really the real story. When you walk in here, you don't see chaos. There is no chaos. The media likes to portray chaos. There's no chaos. I'm leaving for Iowa in a little while. We're doing something that's going to be very exciting tonight in Iowa. A big, a big announcement, actually. Doing four rallies this week. I think the rallies have, frankly, built up our poll numbers very greatly. What am I now in Rasmussen? 52? [Confirmed the Rasmussen Number] Plus there's 10 percent, they think, where people don't respond, unfortunately. I'm not sure if this is nice or not nice, but when they don't respond, that means it's an automatic Trump vote. But it's a 52, and we're doing very well in the polls. You see what's happening with respect to the election, I mean, you know, to the midterms, even though -- I know -- historically, the president, you don't tend to do so well in the midterms, but we have, this is a different presidency and this is the greatest economy ever. So, we'll have to test that. But even the polls are saying that we have really come a long way in the last three weeks. I think we're gonna do well. And that's all I have to say. I want to just tell you that I'm very happy with General Kelly and I get along very well with him. We have a very good relationship. And if we didn't, I wouldn't stand for it for a minute, and he wouldn't want it any other way. So it's just a different narrative than what you were saying. And with that, you're gonna have to write what you have to write, but the truth is, we have a really smooth-running White House and nothing and nobody has done more in their first two years as president. We're not even up to the second year. [Calling to assistant outside the Oval Office. I've gotta give you the list. Nobody has come close to doing what we've done in less than two years as president. Whether it's regulations or tax cuts or so many other things. [To assistant] Give that to Olivia. These are just some of the things that were done since taking office. So it would be great to have an accurately written story, because we do have -- when you walk in here, I think you see, if you read something, it's totally different than the fact. [Asks question about the White House was different with John Kelly as Chief of Staff] He's a four-star marine. He is a man who likes to see order and discipline, which I like. We came in and it was more free-rolling. We did a lot! We did a lot during the entire period. But I think there is great order now. He claimed that this has never been a point of frustration, as has often been reported. No, I like it. I like order. I like it both ways! Honestly, I've had it both ways. I've had it both ways in my life and in my business, and sometimes freewheeling is a very good thing. You know, it's not a bad thing. We did a lot. If you look at the first six months, we did a lot. Like what? Well, you can take a look at some of the things on the list. Some of that was done early. Look at the pipelines. That was done early. A lot of great job-producing events. A lot of regulation cutting, we did tremendous regulation cuts. That was all done pretty early. So what I'm saying— and this is not even updated. We have achieved a lot in the last month and a half, two months, since that's been done. But we've done a really great job and it's so reported by those that are, by those that want it to be accurately reported. And I think, at least, I should be able -- because I know you're gonna go in and write something -- at least I should be able to tell you, out of respect, that the relationships are very good and I think you could say, Sarah, that the relationships in the White House have been very good, especially over the last six months, seven months. It's been very, very smooth. It's been a very smooth-running White House. [Asks question about if relationship with Kelly Well, I made changes. For instance, secretary of State, I put somebody in that I wanted. And it's really working out very well -- he's done a very fantastic job. Mike Pompeo, Mike Pompeo. But tht doesn't mean that we weren't doing a good job before, whether the relationships were good or not good. But I wanted to make a change and I made a change. [Completes question about relationship, contrasted with staffers who have been removed in the past.] This is Olivia, she's going to say very, very wonderful things about you. This is General Kelly. Come in, Mike! Olivia can write badly about you. Stay there for a second. I just wanted to see Olivia for two seconds. Look, look who comes in, and we actually have lunch today [Asked if she is invited to lunch, jokingly.] Anytime you want. Best French fries in the world. But Bannon, if you've seen Bannon on shows over the last month... [Trump goes off the record] Look who you have here. Look who you have here. We had a meeting scheduled! This is Olivia. She's a disruptive writer but that's okay. [Clarifies question about why it is challenging to believe Trump will keep a staffer on the team.] [No precise quote, but states that he has good relationships, asks Nuzzi to name anyone speaks bad about me on the record.] People that are off the record -- I think it doesn't even exist. I think writers make it up. Generally, generally. Not in all cases, but generally. Well, you've cited anonymous sources before. Were they made up? I say this: we have a really great White House. We have a really successful White House. We have -- I call it a well-oiled machine. It's ruled with tremendous people. And if you remember, you heard my story, when I got elected -- I haven't been to Washington my whole life, very rarely, probably never slept over. All of a sudden, I'm president of the United States. I didn't know a lot of people in Washington. Now I know everybody that I want to know, a lot of people. And I bring changes, and those changes have been great changes. One of them over there. [Asks if Trump is happy in Washington, or misses New York.] I love it. I think it's great. Do I like it? Do I like the work? I love it. I actually really love it. Do you know why I love it? One simple reason, because nobody has accomplished as much in so short a period of time. How are you measuring that, exactly? See the list that's in your hand? But are you comparing it to a similar list from previous administrations? No, I'm saying in the first two years of a president, and we're not even at two years, nobody has come close to it. No one. Take a look. I mean, you take a look, and nobody has come close. So, I heard you're gonna do a nasty story ... [Laughs] Well, but it was. And at least I should say, I never— one of your things was that I offered Nick, that man right there, a job. I didn't. He just walked in! I told her that. He has a good relationship with the general. I didn't offer Nick the job. I mean, I'm telling you in front. Now, you can write that I did. But now, you have him, you have me, and I didn't offer him a job and he didn't accept a job. And there was no offer! [Questions whether Trump met with Ayers in the White House residence to discuss the job.] No. No! He's been in the residence, but the only time I can remember him being in the residence is with Mike. He's Mike's guy. And I would never offer him something without speaking to Mike. I don't do that. I don't take people from people... Even though I guess I can. There's no reason to do it though, so your narrative is wrong. It's just amazing. We're all having lunch and it's so great that you're all here. This was not set up. [Jokes their interview seems spontaneous.] When he says I didn't offer him a job. When he says I didn't, and when I didn't, it's just a false narrative. And I have a very good relationship with him. And if I didn't, I'd have no problem, I'd say, 'John, time to go.' But you know what? I'm very happy with him. He's happy with me. Have you ever had an argument in which you have -- I argue with everyone. Except Pompeo. I don't think I've had an argument with Pompeo! Stand by! Stand By! The day is young. Let's make this the last question. I'm not sure I've had an argument with Mike! [Asks if Trump is worried, looking ahead to the midterms and the Mueller investigation.] Well, the Mueller investigation, if anything, it's showing that the Democrats colluded with Russia and others. And it's showing there's no collusion from me. There never was. And yes, I'm very satisfied with the way that's going. It's a process. I'm very satisfied. I consider it to be an illegal investigation. It should've never been called. But is there anything there? Nothing. There's no collusion. There is no collusion. By the way, I don't know if you heard, Richard Burr just came out, he said, 'No, we have found no collusion.' He's a judge at the Senate committee. And you know, Nunes and all of them, Congressman Nunes came out and said there's no collusion. So, you have two committees that spent much more than a year on this and they have found no collusion. Richard Burr just made the statement, just very recently. He said: 'I found no collusion.' You know why? Because there is no collusion. And they only interviewed, like, hundreds -- I mean, the number of people is, like, incredible. The money that's been spent is incredible. They've found no collusion. So, as far as other things are concerned, I think we're just doing great. Yes, am I concerned about the election? I'd rather win elections. I've never lost an election in my life, okay? You know that, right? I've run one time. It was for the presidency. I actually had a senator come in and say, 'Mr. President, I've been a senator for 24 years. Sir, I think this is the way you should do it.' I said, 'Well, you know, I've just been a president for two years. It's the only time I ever ran for office.' He said, 'You know, that's one of the most amazing things that I've ever seen and I've been doing this a long time.' It is sort of interesting. But I've only run one election, and I've won. But we have an election coming up, I think we're going to do well. I think, on the Senate side, we're looking very strong. In fact we're getting numbers in that, Olivia, races that people said six months ago we wouldn't even challenge, we could win. Or do very well. You know, either way we'll do very well. I won't name senators because I'm not looking to embarrass anybody or have somebody say, Oh, gee, you're wrong. But there are races for the Senate that really weren't going to be in play. I mean, one would be Heidi. I would say Heidi was not really in play and now I just see that she's down, supposedly, 14, 12 to 14, 10 to 14 points. I don't know. Maybe she'll do very well... But we'll see what happens. I think the Senate looks very good. In the House, I think it looks like we have a good chance of doing okay. [Asks if Trump has discussed a worst-case scenario.] No, no, I don't discuss it. If we don't do okay, I think we'll be in great shape. And if we do okay, I think we're gonna do very well in the Senate, and I think we're gonna do much— here's the thing, I've given you, and without the regulations and without the taxes, I've given you the greatest economy in the history of our country or, at a minimum, close. Four-point-two percent? Nobody thought that was even possible this early. You know, we're talking about early. Jobs numbers, production numbers, everything up. Confidence levels, everything. I think we're gonna do very well in the elections. If we don't, we'll do very well, we'll find a way to do very well. [Tries to end interview, but Trump states he can answer one more question.] You're saying that the narratives about your White House and your staff are false, but why do ... [Asks Nuzzi to speak louder] Have you been told that you speak very softly? You were saying that the narratives about your White House and your staff are incorrect. Why do they... [Stated it was not true among everybody, just some people.] I'll be honest, I think Fox has covered it very accurately. They say, you know, we are producers. We produce like very few people anywhere produce. So, others don't cover it as accurately. [Questions why non-Fox News narratives persisted, such as the question of his relationship with John Kelly.] Because you were gonna write a bad story about the relationship. I have a good relationship. Uh, general, what do you think of the president? He's a great president. Do we disagree sometimes? We do. My job is to make sure that that man has all of the information available from whatever source so that he makes the best decision, and then, when that decision is made, my job is to then implement that decision. There is, to the best of my knowledge, no chaos in this building. We've gotten rid of a few bad actors, but everyone works very, very well together. The biggest surprise when we bring new people in, like Bill Shine, it's like, 'I thought this place was gonna be full of backstabbers and chaos and, Chief, people all like each other.' To the best of my knowledge ... Bill was actually a little disappointed. He thought it would be a lot more exciting. So that's why, with all due respect to you, people like you listen to people that I've had to let go, and they continue to report about chaos and this type of thing. The president of the United States is who I serve, right after the people of the United States and the Constitution, and right now this president is well served, not just by me, but by an entire White House staff. I respect you. I just wanted you to get the real picture. The timing was incredible. This was like, it was like ... We had a lunch plan. Is that a correct statement? This was just, like, perfect timing.