Transcript - Interview: Jackie Coffin of KULR-TV in Billings, Montana Interviews Donald Trump - November 3, 2018 | Factba.se

Jackie Coffin

00:00:00 - 00:00:08 (9 sec)

You mentioned Ronnie Jackson and Brett Kavanaugh as reasons that you're coming to Montana to campaign against Jon Tester. Is this race personal for you?

Donald Trump

00:00:08 - 00:00:30 (22 sec)

It's very personal, because they were treated so unfairly. Ronnie Jackson is an admiral, and he's a doctor. He's been a doctor for years at the White House. One of the highest thought of, and regarded men anywhere. Just a fantastic man. He was the doctor for President Obama, President Bush, and myself. And what John Tester put him through is disgraceful.

Donald Trump

00:00:30 - 00:00:49 (19 sec)

Tried to ruin his reputation, in a way did ruin his reputation, and it turned out to be false, and it was a horrible thing that happened. And then on top of that, he voted against Justice Kavanaugh, now Justice Kavanaugh. And, as you know, a woman just came out and said that it was a fake story, she made it up. It was a lie.

Donald Trump

00:00:49 - 00:01:21 (32 sec)

And, they're waiting for other things to happen. And what they put him through was horrible, Justice Kavanaugh. Just horrible. So yeah, it becomes personal when they do that to Admiral Jackson, who's -- again, his son just graduated at one of the top spots in Annapolis. Just graduated last year. One of the finest families, incredible family, wife, everybody, and for them to say the kind of things they said about him for political reasons, and then it was all false.

Donald Trump

00:01:21 - 00:01:29 (7 sec)

But by then, the damage was done to a family. That's why I'm here, and that was all done by Jon Tester. It was horrible.

Jackie Coffin

00:01:29 - 00:01:46 (17 sec)

And another person you're campaigning for, Greg Gianforte, last time when you were in Montana, in Missoula, you made some lighthearted, joking comments about Congressman Gianforte's assault of a reporter. Are those comments you still stand behind? Is it okay to use violence against the media?

Donald Trump

00:01:46 - 00:02:05 (19 sec)

Well, I have to do this, okay? I have to tell you something. Greg is one of the most respected men -- in a short period of time, he's become one of the most, and I mean, one of the most respected people in Congress. Everybody listen to -- listens to him. His ideas are fantastic. and his whole thought process -- he's just a, a fantastic person.

Donald Trump

00:02:05 - 00:02:14 (9 sec)

So we're really honored to have Greg, and I hear is doing very well, and I hope he does very well. But he loves the people of Montana.

Jackie Coffin

00:02:14 - 00:02:22 (8 sec)

And, there is a huge problem in Montana right now with violence against Native American and Indigenous women. They're disappearing from our reservations and our towns.

Donald Trump

00:02:22 - 00:02:26 (4 sec)

That is horrible. Is this at a faster rate? Is this now at a more -- faster rate?

Jackie Coffin

00:02:26 - 00:02:44 (17 sec)

-- And our towns? Yes, compared to other women in America, they face significantly higher rates of domestic abuse sexual assault, and they're disappearing without a trace. Could there be something done at a federal, or even a presidential level to bring awareness to this issue, and combat some of this violence?

Donald Trump

00:02:44 - 00:03:00 (16 sec)

Well, the answer is yes, and I'll talk to Matt and I'll speak to Greg and I will do something about that. I have been hearing about it. I think it's terrible. This is again, maybe, human trafficking, which is worldwide, because of the Internet, it's at the highest level it's ever been. You know, who would think this?

Donald Trump

00:03:00 - 00:03:16 (16 sec)

You would think it's 500 years ago we're talking about. Human trafficking is terrible. Now, that could be the case in this situation. But I have been hearing about it, and I've been actually hearing about it from Greg, who was saying that it's terrible, what is going on. We will look at it from the federal level.

Donald Trump

00:03:16 - 00:03:18 (2 sec)

Absolutely. It is horrible.

Jackie Coffin

00:03:18 - 00:03:24 (6 sec)

All right. And turning to a little a little bit to agriculture, which is one of our top economies in Montana.

Donald Trump

00:03:24 - 00:03:24 (1 sec)

Jackie Coffin

00:03:24 - 00:03:38 (13 sec)

Farmers are feeling frustrated, because they're not able to sell their crops and the products they produce because of increasing tariffs from the Chinese market. Is there a point when you would roll back some tariffs to give our farmers relief?

Donald Trump

00:03:38 - 00:03:59 (22 sec)

Well, we want to open the China markets. And, what we're doing is, you know we just made a great deal with Canada, where that whole market is opening up, which is great for your farmers. And we just also made a deal with Mexico, also made a deal with South Korea, and then we're in the midst of a real battle with China, who has really taken advantage of the country for a long time, and we're going to win that, and we're going to open up China to our farmers.

Donald Trump

00:03:59 - 00:04:22 (23 sec)

And, they will go through. This is a little bit of a short term. Don't forget, when I -- when I said Canada, they all said, you'll never be able to do what we did, and we did it, and it's successful, and everybody's happy with it. Your farmers are you happy with it. But, we are going to be opening up China, and in order to get them there, I have to do tariffs, and tariffs have really been great, because they are -- they want to talk.

Donald Trump

00:04:22 - 00:04:34 (12 sec)

They want to talk. We want to open up China to your farmers, which would make it better than it's ever been. You know, farmers have been going down economically over a 15 year period -- long before we got here. We're going to have to go the other way.

Unidentified

00:04:34 - 00:04:35 (1 sec)

Jackie Coffin

00:04:35 - 00:04:41 (6 sec)

And -- and also talking about farmers, again real quickly, in migrant labor, in our Montana's agriculture economy.

Donald Trump

00:04:41 - 00:04:41 (0 sec)

Jackie Coffin

00:04:41 - 00:04:49 (8 sec)

Could there not be a place to bring migrants coming here, to places like Montana, with underemployment, where we need more people in our agriculture sector?

Donald Trump

00:04:49 - 00:05:07 (18 sec)

We're going to allow people into the country legally. And that means -- that includes people that help the farmers. And that's part of what we're doing. We're openly allowing -- because we need workers. I mean, we're at 3.7% unemployment, which is the lowest in 50 years, which is great, but we need workers for the farmers and others.

Donald Trump

00:05:07 - 00:05:12 (5 sec)

And we are going to allow large numbers of people, but they're going to come in legally. That way we have safety also.

Jackie Coffin

00:05:12 - 00:05:15 (3 sec)

Any final message you want to send to the people of Montana?

Donald Trump

00:05:15 - 00:05:34 (19 sec)

No, I just would like to have you go out and vote for Matt Rosendale and for Greg, who are two terrific people, and they represent you well in D.C., and -- Matt's going to be a great senator, and Greg has already proven himself. He's been a great congressman, and we just had a terrific, a terrific group of people out there.

Donald Trump

00:05:34 - 00:05:39 (5 sec)

I really enjoyed it. I love this state. Very special. Thank you very much.

Jackie Coffin

00:05:39 - 00:05:40 (1 sec)

Mr. President --

Donald Trump

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

Thank you. Great job.