Subject: RE: Trump on Imus in the Morning
From: "Bhatnagar, Akshai" <[email-masked]>
To: "Sarge, Matthew" <[email-masked]>, Comm_D <[email-masked]>
Cc: "[email-masked]" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 11 May 2016 12:26:18 -0700

TRANSCRIPT

[MUSIC PLAYING]
IMUS: Please welcome to the program the man who is going to be the Republican nominee for President Donald Trump. Good morning Mr. Trump

TRUMP: Hello Don.

IMUS: First of all congratulations

TRUMP: Hey look it has been amazing; I was just thinking when I was waiting. How long have I been doing your show with Bernard and the whole group? Bernard is a big star now with the O'reilly stuff-you know that right?

IMUS: Yes I do know that.

TRUMP: How long have I been doing this show Don?

IMUS: 35 years.

TRUMP: This was not supposed to be in the cards what we are doing now, but we need to keep it going that is all that it is.

IMUS: So now you have to raise by your own estimation of $1.5 billion to run. Where is that money going to come from?

TRUMP: Well I will put in some, but I am going but you know we are going to raise a lot of money with the party. You know we have a really good relationship. You know we are having a meeting tomorrow with Paul Ryan who is a really good person by the way.
[00:59:06]
Who loves the country. Who loves the party and loves the country. So I think that will be good we are going to raise a lot of money for the party and I think that the number would be probably a billion not a billion five. You know I spend money less, I am a little less on the spending. You know I spent so far like $38 million 40 million which is a lot of money but Jeb Bush $230 and you know we spend actually less than everybody else and I am in first place. So that is a good thing, I think I know how to spend it. Maybe that is why people like me as President; right?

IMUS: So if you put yourself in a position to take money from people or organizations or industries. Are they going to expect something?

TRUMP: Well look they are going to pay any money to the party. I don't want to take money. The party will take the money. The party wills supporting me and other people--many other people. And I am going to continue to fund also my own stuff.
[2:00:00]

TRUMP: The party will be uhh I think raising a lot of money, hopefully raising a lot of money. Plus they will also be spending the money on Senator's and other people that are running for office.

IMUS: And this meeting you are going to have Paul Ryan tomorrow. How does that work? Do you show up with your posse and he has his? Do you all get in a room or is it just you and him? Or what happens?

TRUMP: Well, I mean I am going to go and I am going to see and we will meet and you know I do not know Paul. I met him one time. I like him, I think he has is a good man and I really think you know probably we will come out with something that will be good. I hope. Otherwise, I will just go on the path I continued on.

IMUS: Do you envision there will be a point tomorrow--I know you said no. Do you think there will be a point tomorrow where it will be just you and Paul in a room tomorrow?

TRUMP: That I do not know. I think it might be. But I do not mind. He probably has a couple people he feels comfortable with and I do.

[2:58:00]

TRUMP: So it is that way or maybe Paul and I. You know I think maybe more than anything else we need to get to know each other. He knows every other candidate you know they are politicians. He does not know me. And so I think maybe to a certain extent he wants to get to know me a little bit and I can understand that. We will just have to see how it plays out. I think it is going to play out well and if it does not you will be the first to know.

IMUS: You should walk in and offer him the VP spot. To throw him off.

TRUMP: Yeah, well I think number one he would not want it. He is doing a good job where he is. That is not any easy one to fill. That was a tough deal. The whole speaker thing was a tough deal. But you know I expect it is going to be certainly interesting and I think it will probably go well.

IMUS: Mike Tyson famously said everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.

TRUMP: One of the great lines in history, I agree.

IMUS: So do you think that uhh I may--Bill and Hillary particularly Hillary Clinton say they have a plan and the plan was to try and get Bernie to run as expected to do so to get some opposition and they were going into the fall facing Jeb Bush and here you come. They do not appear to--do you think they are prepared for you?

TRUMP: Well I think they are prepared but I am running a campaign where we are going to make great trade details. She cannot do that. We are going to strengthen up our military. You know our military is decimated. With all of the cuts and all of the other things but look you just look at the way she has handled all of the different things--Libya what a disaster with the Benghazi-everything. You look at so many things she has handled so bad. We are going to strengthen trade, we are going to strengthen borders. We are going to do things she wants to abolish the second amendment. Essentially she wants to abolish the second amendment take everybody's guns away. I think that is a very bad issue for her. You know she has got it.
[5:04:05]

TRUMP: She has that issue. So I think we are going to do great but very big for me is going to be trade. Very big for me is going to be cutting waste and all of these countries we defend are ripping us off like you would not believe. The numbers are astronomical.

IMUS: Do you think you are going to walk in the Oval office and discover have you thought about this you discover there are a lot of things you want to do or thought you could do that you may not be able to do? Or may not be that easy?

TRUMP: I will find some of that, but you know for a long time I have been involved in politics for the highest level for a long time. Just not on this time. I understand how it works. I think I will be able to do a lot of things. Obama cannot do things. Obama he resorted to just signing executive orders all over the place. I mean Obama has never how often do you see when everyone agrees.
[5:57:02]

TRUMP: When was the last time you saw a vote where everybody agrees about something? It does not seem like it even happens. You think about it is a level of hatred in Washington between Republicans and Democrats is unbelievable. And I remember ten years ago, twenty years ago certainly during Reagan where the Republicans Democrats fought but they got along a good example would be Tip O'Neil and Ronald Regan. But today the hatred they have for each other is unbelievable.

IMUS: Talk about taxes there is a redefining what you meant about raising taxes on wealthy people. But my question for you is: how do you economically describe the middle-class what level of income in your view represents the middle class.

TRUMP: Well I tell you one way to describe them is the people that have been absolutely disenfranchised in this country because honestly I mean what has happened with people that you would think of in terms of people in middle class that definition changes all the time.
[7:01:04]

TRUMP: You really have if you think of middle-class you know different people in different cities. For instance in New York City a person that is middle-class is like a rich person in other parts of the country. You understand in terms of money, but the person in the other parts of the country may live much better because it is so expensive to live in New York and other places. But the people of the middle-class in this country have been absolutely killed not only with taxes with every other thing. Their jobs have been taken away they have not had a pay raise in eighteen years. Effectively a pay raise in 18 years. I think that is one of the things and one of the reasons I am doing well, because I am going to change this stuff. You know their jobs have been taken away their companies have left for Mexico. China has taken so many of the jobs. Japan all these countries have taken our jobs away. And I know how to stop it. And they know I know how to stop it. And you know when I have these rallies Don--I have 20...25 thousand people at some of these rallies and sometimes much more than that.
[7:59:07]

TRUMP: I talk about how we stop it. And everybody understands it. Everybody agrees, you know when they take out companies there has to be consequences. We cannot just let it keep going like this. Because what Mexico has done to this and what they are doing to us is incredible. Carrier air-condition just left. They are just leaving for Mexico right now. Ford is building plants in Mexico. I mean our jobs are being taken away. We are not going to have any jobs left.

IMUS: Talk with Donald Trump on the Imus program. Gentlemen who has been a friend of mine for a number of years--when you were talking about him not being an American hero and not liking people who were captured he in fact as you know was shot down flying a fighter jet over north Vietnam in that manner and he has said he does not want an apology from you personally but he thinks you ought to apologize to the tens of thousands of POWS we were captured by no fault of their own.

[9:04:08]

TRUMP: Well I have actually done that Don and you know frankly I like John McCain and John McCain is a hero. Also heroes are people that are you know whether they get caught or do not get caught. They are all heroes as far as I am concerned and that is the way it should be.

IMUS: So do you regret saying that?

TRUMP: I don't you know I like not to regret anything. I mean you know you say things uhhh what I said frankly uhh is what I said. And you know some people like what I said. If you want to know the truth. You know there are many people that like what I said. After I said that my poll numbers went up seven points. I mean you know.

IMUS: No I understand that.

TRUMP: You understand that. I mean some people like what I said, but I like John McCain and in my eyes John McCain is a hero. John McCain is a good guy.

IMUS: So in my view and one of the uhhh things that I said about you even though I never said I would vote for him or not vote for him.
[10:05:01]

IMUS: But that that a guy who got three or four deferments to keep you from going to Vietnam probably should not be characterizing people like John McCain. Do you think?

TRUMP: Well I understand. Well I had student I had you know I was going to college I had student deferment.

IMUS: No I understand.

TRUMP: I also got a great lottery number which I think was 356 which is out of uhh you know I guess I do not know what the final number but it was one of the low numbers so I got.

IMUS: Well I tell people that I was in the Marine Corps. I said I was in the jungles of Vietnam killing the Cong' when in fact I pled the bugle in the band at Camp [INAUDIBLE].

TRUMP: I understand that. And I do feel that, you know one of the reasons I was very much involved in building the Vietnam Memorial in New York-- as you know you probably remember to this day, people that fought in Vietnam are always thanking me for that.
[10:58:05]

TRUMP: I did that because I really wanted to do something you know I wanted to do something. But I did I had student deferments. I had a good draft number and uhhh you know so frankly I am very you know I feel fine about it the Vietnam War was a war that was a mistake. It was a big big mistake. A horrible mistake. Just like Iraq was a mistake. You know these people we have leading us make a lot of money from that.

IMUS: Uhh, Don junior is a marvelous I want to offer you your son and Ivana have played a fairly significant role in your campaign to your benefit probably. So my question is there a role for them in your admiration should you get elected?

TRUMP: Well I do not think so. I think there is a little thing called nepotism which maybe is not a good.

IMUS: Well  Kennedy's brother was attorney General.
[11:57:04]

TRUMP: Well you are right. You are right that is exactly right but they are fantastic people. They are wonderful kids. I will always call them kids. They will always be my kids. Your boy is always going to be your child. But no matter how old he is it is one of those things. But I will say that uhh they are doing really well they will be running the business cause I will not have anything to do with the business anymore. They will be running the business and they will do a good job and you know probably do a good job. Ivana is another one she has been fantastic. It has been great.

IMUS: Let me get this final question. President Obama is going to have to tread on uhh a fairly tenuous tight rope while discouraging uhh a nuclear proliferation in the world. He also has to not apologize for Hiroshima. What do you think he should do?

TRUMP: Well number one he should not apologize. There was a war and you know a lot of...

IMUS: I do not think he is going to.
[12:57:01]

TRUMP: Yeah I hope he does not. He should not. He is going there does not bother me because it really shows the tremendous you know power of nuclear. You know it reminds people of this single biggest threat to the world in my opinion. Nuclear. Not global warming--nuclear. You know Obama said global warming. I think he going there is absolutely fine. He should not apologize in anyway shape or form, but it does show the fact that you know this nuclear proliferation is a disaster. And by the way the Iran Deal does nothing to solve this problem as you know.

IMUS: So 16 down one to go.

TRUMP: Yeah 16 down one to go. It is great to talk to you Don. You just keep up the good work ok?

IMUS: Donald Trump on the program.

[MUSIC PLAYS]
[14:02:05]

From: Sarge, Matthew
Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2016 10:30 AM
To: Comm_D
Cc: [email-masked]
Subject: Trump on Imus in the Morning

h/t Matt
Listen here<https://toolbox.dnc.org/?tool_name=vantage%20uploader&path=vantageuploader.dnc.org/videos/shared_show?jwt=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpYXQiOjE0NjI5NzUwODUsImVtYWlsIjoiamFrdWJpZWNtQGRuYy5vcmciLCJpZCI6MzE3MzU0LCJkb3dubG9hZGFibGUiOnRydWV9.6KVJ8iTV7Ksmisbc869qMa0cV8WqfjOiyaod3h2aA0w>

See exchange on POWs and McCain

-          TRUMP: "Some people like what I said, to know the truth. There are many people who like what I said. After I said that, my poll numbers went up seven points."

Trump on Imus in the Morning:

We will raise a lot of money. $1 billion or $1.5 billion.

-          I spend less than anybody else

-          I know how to spend it. Maybe that's why people like me

Putting yourself in a position to take money from people and groups that will expect things?

-          "Well they are really paying-any money  is going to be paid to the party. So I'm not taking money, but the party will take money, and the party will support me and other people."

-          The party will also be spending on Senators, etc.

Meeting with Paul Ryan? Just you and him? Or Staff?

-          Don't know him. Only met him one time

-          "Might be" just him and I. But he probably has a few people that he feels comfortable having

-          He probably wants to get to know me a little bit

You should offer him VP slot to throw him off

-          He wouldn't want it

-          Speaker slot was already hard enough to fill

Tyson said "everybody has a plan until they get punched." Clintons didn't expect Bernie challenge. Are they prepared?

-          HRC can't make great trade deals

-          Libya, Benghazi were a disaster. So many things she handled so badly

-          She wants to abolish the 2nd amendment. She essentially wants to abolish the 2nd amendment and take guns away

-          I will eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse. Other countries are ripping us off

When you get to Oval Office, will you find that things are harder to get done than expected?

-          There will be some of that.

-          But I've been involved in politics at the highest level for a long time, just not on this side

-          Obama can't get things done

What level of income represents the middle class?

-          One way to describe is people that have been absolutely disenfranchised

-          Different levels in different places

-          In NYC, middle class person would be considered wealthy in other cities

-          Have to be consequences for companies leaving

John McCain wants apology for the POWs?

-          I've actually done that

-          I like John McCain. McCain is a hero.

-          All POWs are heros, whether or not they are captured

Do you regret saying that [about McCain]?

-          "I like not to regret anything"

-          "What I said, frankly, is what I said. Some people like what I said, to know the truth. There are many people who like what I said. After I said that, my poll numbers went up seven points."

Someone who avoided draft through deferments shouldn't say that?

-          College deferments. Great lottery numbers

-          I do feel bad... that's why I was involved in building Vietnam memorial in NY

-          Vietnam War was a mistake. Just like Iraq

Family's role in your campaign. Role in your administration?

-          Probably not

-          A little thing called nepotism that is not very good

-          They will be running the business

Obama going to Hiroshima.

-          He should not apologize.

-          His going there does not bother me

-          Reminds people of the tremendous power of nuclear

-          Should not apologize in any way, shape, or form