Transcript - Interview: Tom Hauser of ABC's KSTP-TV 5 Saint Paul, MN Interviews Donald Trump - April 15, 2019 | Factba.se

Tom Hauser

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Unidentified

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Tom Hauser

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Mr. President, I appreciate you taking time --

Donald Trump

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Tom Hauser

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-- for an interview today. Interesting discussion out there with a lot of people who support the tax bill, even though it gave tax cuts to at least two out of three Americans, maybe more.

Donald Trump

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Tom Hauser

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There's still a majority of Americans who don't believe it. Have you and Republicans done a good enough job of selling what the tax bill did?

Donald Trump

00:00:25 - 00:00:43 (18 sec)

I think we did a great job in getting it approved, but we -- may be, a lot of the Republicans, including myself, haven't explained to people how much they're getting. Now they know it. A lot of stories are coming out with how incredible it's been for people. So they're learning, but it's had a tremendous impact -- could be seven, eight, nine thousand dollars in some cases.

Donald Trump

00:00:43 - 00:00:55 (12 sec)

It's a tremendous tax cut for people, and people are really learning. I don't have to explain it. They're just seeing a lot more money show up in their check that they didn't see a couple of years ago.

Tom Hauser

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And you said $5 billion in savings here in the state of Minnesota --

Donald Trump

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Tom Hauser

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Is that according to, who?

Donald Trump

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$5 billion, according to whoever does that kind of thing. $5 billion saved in the state of Minnesota alone.

Tom Hauser

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Has enough of it gone to middle-income Americans and Minnesotans?

Donald Trump

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Well, if you look at the job numbers, the job numbers are at record numbers -- including in Minnesota -- the job numbers are at record numbers, and we're creating records in almost every way. Industry, you look at the money that is pouring back into the country. Money that was gone, that was going to be spent in other countries, is now coming back from overseas, because we gave an incentive to bring the money back.

Donald Trump

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So tremendous numbers of jobs are being created by businesses that are all thriving. Small businesses, big businesses. The estate tax is gone from the small farms and businesses, so that people can leave their farm or their business to their children, and they have to pay tax. A lot of things are happening that are very, very good.

Tom Hauser

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As you know, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar wants your job. Today, she released her 2018 tax returns. She challenges you to do the same, and she is also critical of the tax bill. Could you beat Amy Klobuchar in a race in Minnesota?

Donald Trump

00:02:04 - 00:02:21 (17 sec)

Well, I don't think she's a factor, certainly nationwide. I don't even see her showing up on the charts. She seems like a very nice person. I don't know her. As far as taxes, as soon as I do -- they audit, you know, they have been doing an audit of me for a long time, different audits. I have a big company.

Donald Trump

00:02:21 - 00:02:50 (29 sec)

Very big. Lawyers for anybody in the midst of an audi -- audit would not give tax returns, and as far as Minnesota is concerned, you look at the pipeline, and so many other things that the Democrats are stopping. We'll get it done. But the Democrats are stopping very important projects in Minnesota. I've opened up the range, as you know, you take a look at the Iron Range, and all of the things that we've done, and tremendous numbers of jobs are pouring in. You have a record low unemployment in Minnesota.

Donald Trump

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That was caused by what I've done with the taxes, and also, I think importantly, with the regulations.

Tom Hauser

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Are you confident you can win Minnesota regardless of who the Democratic candidate is?

Donald Trump

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Well, I think so. I think Minnesota has been treated very unfairly, really unfairly, in terms of immigration. What they've done with Minnesota for immigration has been very, very unfortunate and unfair. And, yeah, I think I'm going to win Minnesota. Almost won it last time, first time in many, many decades that a Republican would be in that position.

Donald Trump

00:03:18 - 00:03:37 (19 sec)

I think if you look at the Iron Range, if you look at all of the things that we've done for Minnesota, and Minnesota is a big beneficiary of wh -- of what I've done, especially maybe taxes being lowered, but especially with regulations. So I think we're going to win Minnesota. I think we're going to win Minnesota big, and I'm going to treat Minnesota fairly on immigration.

Donald Trump

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They have been treated so badly.

Tom Hauser

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Congresswoman Omar sent out a release last night saying that your tweet from a couple of days ago has led to direct threats on her life. Any second thoughts about that tweet, and the way it was produced and put together?

Donald Trump

00:03:51 - 00:04:12 (21 sec)

No, not at all. Look, she's been very disrespectful to this country. She's been very disrespectful, frankly, to Israel. She is somebody that doesn't really understand, I think, life real life, what it's all about. All she does is criticize people. Take a look at her, take a real good look at her. She's got to respect what's happened in this country.

Donald Trump

00:04:12 - 00:04:30 (18 sec)

She's got to respect people that have been helpful to us, and not always criticize. So I think that it's unfortunate. She's got a way about her that is very, very bad, I think, for our country. I think she's extremely unpatriotic, and extremely disrespectful to our country.

Tom Hauser

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One final question. Thursday, it sounds like the redacted Mueller report might come out. Do you have any concerns about what that might show?

Donald Trump

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Well, it showed that it's a total phony. I don't have to say that -- I mean, you just take a look at the conclusion. Uh, the, uh, they -- they, you -- you just take -- any any any aspect of that report, I hope it does come out, because there was no collusion whatsoever. No collusion. There was no obstruction, because that was ruled by the Attorney General.

Donald Trump

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Where there was collusion, and where there was obstruction, and where there was crime was on the other side, because how did this whole thing start? It was a big con job, and everybody knows. It was a total con job, and I think it's a shame. So, I heard it's going to come out on Thursday. That's good, and there can't be anything there, because there was no crime.

Donald Trump

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There was no anything. The crime was committed by the other side. This crime was all made up. It was all a fabrication. And that's come out loud and clear.

Tom Hauser

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Mr. President, thank you for your time. I appreciate it.

Donald Trump

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Thank you very much. Thank you.