Trump on 60 Minutes

NORAH O'DONNELL: We will talk about immigration in a moment, but I just wanna talk about the scale of the military operation around Venezuela, because it has been described to 60 Minutes as using a blowtorch to cook an egg. Is this about stopping--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Well, I don't think so. Look--

NORAH O'DONNELL: Is it about-- let me ask you, though. Is it about stopping narcotics? Or is this about getting rid of President Maduro?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: No, this is about many things. This is a country that allowed their prisons to be emptied into our country. To me, that would be almost number one, because we have other countries--

NORAH O'DONNELL: Well we don't need to blow up boats in order to deal--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Look, Mexico has been very bad to us in terms of drugs, okay? Very bad. We have a closed border right now. You probably noticed that for five months in a row, they have zero-- think of this, zero people coming into our country through our southern border.

And it was millions of people a year just a little more than a year ago. Millions of people a year walked into our country totally unchecked, unvetted. We had no idea who they were. And we're never gonna let that happen again. That's what made Biden the worst president, because you know what, inflation I've already taken care of. We had the worst inflation in the history of our country, and now we don't have inflation. It's at 2%. It's-- it's the perfect inflation.

NORAH O'DONNELL: Aren't--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: But what made him so bad-- well, the weaponization of law enforcement, all of that. Look, he was bad in every way. But the worst thing that he did is allow millions, and millions, and millions of people to pour into our country unvetted, unchecked. And they were criminals, they were murderers, they were drug dealers, they were people from jails, and people from mental institutions.

NORAH O'DONNELL: You-- you have had success on immigration, I wanna talk about that in a minute. But on Venezuela--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Big success.

NORAH O'DONNELL: On Venezuela in particular, are Maduro's days as president numbered?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I would say yeah. I think so, yeah.
 
NORAH O'DONNELL: And this issue of potential land strikes in Venezuela, is that true?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I don't tell you that. I mean-- I'm not saying it's true or untrue, but I-- you know, I wouldn't--

NORAH O'DONNELL: Why would we do it?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: --I wouldn't be inclined to say that I would do that. But-- because I don't talk to a reporter about whether or not I'm gonna strike. I'm not gonna-- you know, you're a wonderful reporter, you're very talented, but I'm not gonna tell you what I'm gonna do with Venezuela, if I was gonna do it or if I wasn't going to do it.

NORAH O'DONNELL: Why do we need an aircraft carrier and all of group--strike group--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: It's gotta be somewhere. It's a big one.

NORAH O'DONNELL: I just think it-- it leads to the suggestion that the United States military is planning a larger operation involving Venezuela.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Well, we're not gonna allow countries from-- what-- you know, it's countries from all over the world coming in. You know, they come in from the Congo where we just settled that war. But it come-- they come in from the Congo, they come in from all over the world, they're coming, not just from South America. But Venezuela in particular-- has been bad. They have gangs-- Tren de Aragua, do you ever hear of it?

NORAH O'DONNELL: Of course--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: The most vicious gang anywhere in the world. They cut people's hands off if they call up the cops. You know, they call up the police and they said, "Did you call the police?" "Yes, I did. You took my apartment, you live in my building, you took my apartment." They cut his hand off.

NORAH O'DONNELL: I--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: "Don't ever call the police again."

NORAH O'DONNELL: I fully underst--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: These are animals. Wait a minute. And they came in from Venezuela. Worst gang-- probably the worst gang, most vicious gang in the world. And you know what I did? In Washington, D.C., we had a lot of 'em. We took care of business. They're gone.

Washington, D.C., right now is a very safe place, as it should be. Washington, D.C., be-- before I got here was almost like a crime capital of the world. It's the capital of this country. To me, it's the capital of the world. You see the way they treat me.

I go to Japan, I go to South Korea, I go to Chi-- any place I go, and you know what I call that? Respect for our country. They didn't treat Biden that way. When Biden went there-- first of all, he hardly went anywhere. Guy couldn't leave his bedroom. But they didn't treat Biden that way. They had no respect for Biden falling up the stairs going to an airplane three times. I mean, this is a man who should've never been president. This was a rigged election. And we--

NORAH O'DONNELL: Can I ask--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: --have to get back-- we have to get to the bottom of that also, because we don't want that to ever happen again. You see what's going on. We don't ever want that to happen again. Look what happened to our country by having Biden as the president.

NORAH O'DONNELL: I--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Our country went to hell. And if we--

NORAH O'DONNELL: I wanted to ask you about Israel--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: --had another couple of years, if Kamala had won the election, our country right now would be finished. It was a dead country, and now we have the hottest country anywhere in the world. We have the strongest stock market, we have everybody wants to come in. A year ago we were a dead country. Right now we have the hottest country anywhere in the world. Think of that. And I did that in nine months. And it's only gonna get better.

Cat Please GIF
 
NORAH O'DONNELL: How do you get Hamas to disarm?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: If I want 'em to disarm, I'll get 'em to disarm very quickly. They'll be-- they'll be eliminated. They know that. Don't forget, you said I got the remaining hostages. I got all the hostages out. But I always said the last 10 or 20 are gonna be tough. But we were tough also, and they let 'em all out.
 
Trump: … Iran wants to make a deal. They don't say that, and they probably shouldn't say-- no good deal maker would. But Iran very much wants to make a deal. The key to Middle East peace-- I made Middle East peace. For 3,000 years they couldn't do it.

… They were-- do you know we had 52 tanker planes, loading 'em up with jet fuel, because it was a long flight. They flied-- they flew for 37 hours. Of course, I flew for thirty-- 42 hours over the last three days, so I know how they feel. But they flew--

NORAH O'DONNELL: Except there's a bathroom on Air Force One--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: --but they were sitting in one seat. I was-- I was able to walk around a little bit. But yeah, they said 42 hours. I've been in the air for 42 hours over a few days-- and that was fine, because we took in trillions of dollars into our country.
 
TRUMP: …
They didn't have respect for us when they had Biden and when they had Obama. Obama was a terrible president. Nobody wants to talk about it because they wanna be politically correct. I don't care. He was a terrible president. Our country was-- it really started a very bad downward spiral. Then I stopped it, then we had a rigged election, and then-- what-- what Biden did to our country should never, ever be forgotten.

NORAH O'DONNELL: We're still on-- on foreign policy, so I just have another question--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: No, I'm with-- I'm on all policy.

NORAH O'DONNELL: I know you are--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I'm not talking about foreign-- no, no. I'm talking about everything.
 
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: No, no. But the subsidies is part of it. We're supposed to spend trillions of dollars to take care of something that-- that is defective. What I'm saying is, we can make it much less expensive for people and give them much better healthcare. And I'd be--

NORAH O'DONNELL: But where is that plan?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: --willing to work with the Democrats--

NORAH O'DONNELL: But where is that plan?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: --on it. The problem is, they want to give money to prisoners, to drug dealers, to all these millions of people that were allowed to come in with an open border from Biden. And nobody can do that. Not--

NORAH O'DONNELL: Can I just--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: --one Republican would ever do that.

NORAH O'DONNELL: Can I just button that up? Because the extension of these Obamacare subsidies, if they are not extended is that's what the Democrats are pushing for. I know you understand that. Tens of millions of Americans will see their monthly payments double.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: No, no. It's going to double--

NORAH O'DONNELL: That's a lot.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: --anyway. It's gonna double anyway--

NORAH O'DONNELL: My understanding is, it's just the...but can I-- may I just-- my understanding is, if those healthcare subsidies are not expan-- extended, premiums will double for many of the people that are on it. And I was looking into it. Three quarters of these people that will see their healthcare premiums double live in states where you won in the last election. I mean, even here in Florida has the highest number of residents on Obamacare in the country. If those--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: And I'm saying we can fix it, Norah.

NORAH O'DONNELL: But if the subsidies are not extended, they're not gonna be able to afford health insurance--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Look. It was a defective plan put into line by Barack Hussein Obama, who was a lousy president, not nearly as bad as Biden, by the way, who by the way is building a museum that's, like, four times over budget. It'll never open, built in a neighborhood that-- you know, it's just not gonna work. The neighborhood doesn't even want 'em.

NORAH O'DONNELL: Okay.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: And it's a disaster. The same guy that did his museum, which is a total catastrophe, came up with a bad healthcare plan. And for the sake of one vote, we would have had, you know, it's so sad thinking back--

NORAH O'DONNELL: But how-- I guess the question is-- I hear you.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: If we had the vote, that one vote, we would have great healthcare at a much lower cost, and that's what I want. But I don't want to give $1.5 trillion to prisoners and drug dealers and-- and the people that-- that came into our country from mental institutions. What they allowed to come into our country, and we're getting 'em out, but what they allowed to come into our country, Norah, is horrible. So--

NORAH O'DONNELL: I just--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: --ready?

NORAH O'DONNELL: Okay.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We can make it good.

NORAH O'DONNELL: I don't want to get into a back-- too much of a back and forth on this--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: No, but here's all I have to do. Open up the country. Open up the country.

NORAH O'DONNELL: You mean, end the shutdown--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We only need five of the-- of their votes. We only need five votes, and already a couple of Democrats, a few Democrats are already voting. They want to open up. And we'll fix all of those problems.

NORAH O'DONNELL: You're st--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Those problems are much easier than what I just did with solving all these wars.
 
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I'm not gonna do it by being extorted by the Democrats who have lost their way. The-- there's something wrong with these people.

NORAH O'DONNELL: So then what happens on November 15th--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Schumer-- Schumer is a basket case.

NORAH O'DONNELL: --when the troops don't get a paycheck?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Schumer is a basket case. He's gonna be defeated in the next election by a vast number of people. And he has nothing to lose. He's become-- I just left Japan. He's become a kaz-- kamikaze pilot. This guy--

NORAH O'DONNELL: It sounds like-- it sounds like this is not gonna get solved--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: --is, this guy is a kamikaze. He would rather see the country fail than have Trump and the Republicans do well. But the people don't want that--

NORAH O'DONNELL: It's, I know, I hear you. It sounds like--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: So we have a record-setting country right now, and we're not gonna be extorted by a man who's grossly incompetent, who-- who is gonna be defeated by any one of five different candidates. We're not gonna let that happen--

NORAH O'DONNELL: It sounds like this is not gonna get solved.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Say it?

NORAH O'DONNELL: It sounds like it's not gonna get solved, the shutdown.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: It's gonna get solved, yeah. Oh, it's gonna get solved.

NORAH O'DONNELL: How?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We'll get it solved. Eventually, they're gonna have to vote.

NORAH O'DONNELL: You're saying the Democrats will capitulate?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I think they have to. I mean, look, I-- I use the word kamikaze, not freely. I don't like to have to use that word. They are kamikazes, but there are gonna be four or five Democrats that come. We need five. They're gonna come and vote.

NORAH O'DONNELL: That's--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: And if they don't vote, that's their problem. Now, I happen to agree to something else. I think we should do the nuclear option. This is a totally different nuclear, by the way. It's called ending the filibuster.
 
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Yeah, just-- just one thing. I watched a show this morning where a very well-known Democrat Congressman was fighting like hell for men playing in women's sports. They don't change it--

NORAH O'DONNELL: Who was that?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I don't want to tell. You'll be able to check it. Just check your local TV.
 
NORAH O'DONNELL: What happens to your economic plan if the Supreme Court invalidates your tariffs?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I think our country will be immeasurably hurt. I think our economy will go to hell. Look, because of tariffs, we have the highest stock market we've ever had. Because of tariffs, 401(k)s at the highest level that-- and this is millions and millions of people that we've ever had 401(k)s.

Because of tariffs, I've ended six of the eight wars that I've ended, and it'll end up being used also for the last war in a different way. Because of tariffs and the economy, but because of tariffs, we have a great economy. Because of tariffs, our country is wealthy again. Because of tariffs, tremendously good things happened. Because of tariffs, our country is respected again. Because of tariffs, a president-

NORAH O'DONNELL: So what if the Supreme--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: --wait a minute. Because of tariffs, President Xi allowed us to win every single point. He bought billions and billions of dollars of-- of our soybeans, of our everyth-- it was the money they're spending. When I came out, did you see what happened with the farmers? They're having rallies for Trump right now because of tariffs.

Because it gives us national security. If we didn't have tariffs, and remember this. Tariffs are used against us. Let me talk about that lawsuit. That lawsuit against us was instituted and backed by foreign countries that have been ripping us off for years.

They don't want it because they were rippin' us off for years. And if we lose that lawsuit, they'll continue to rip us off and you're not gonna end up with a country. I think it's the most important subject discussed by the Supreme Court in 100 years.

If they don't-- if they take away the power of tariffs from us, and it has to be quick and nimble, you can't have Congress, well, hundreds of people have to look. They can't even agree to continue a country. You can't have Congress here. This has to be quick and nimble. As an example--

NORAH O'DONNELL: Well, you just-- finish that sentence. You said, "If they take away my power to do tariffs," what?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: It would be a very sad day for the United States of America. We're making a lot of money. We're respected again all over the world. We have great national security. Let me give you an example. With China, they were, you know, very strongly threatening us frankly with the rare earths.

And then I said, "Well, if you're gonna play that card, I'm gonna put a 100% tariff on over and above what you're already paying," which was 55%, which was very high. A lotta money coming in, tremendous money like we've never seen. "I'm gonna put a 100% tariff on everything over and above."

And you know what happened? We got a phone call 20 minutes later. "We'd like to talk." If they take away the right to tariff, if they-- if-- if we're forced to use Congress to approve, they can't approve anything. They would be sitting around for years debating whether or not we should use tariffs. If they take--

NORAH O'DONNELL: You want that power. You want that executive power.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: You need it to ru-- to protect our country. This is a national secure-- tariffs are national security. If you take away the right to tariff, and remember this.

NORAH O'DONNELL: And--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Tariffs have been used against us.
 
NORAH O'DONNELL: Can you just answer that question that tariffs have led to inflation? They have led to an increase in cost of living for most Americans--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: They haven't led to inflation. We have no inflation. We have no inflation. Biden had inflation, and he didn't have tariffs. He didn't use tariffs.

NORAH O'DONNELL: For the average American--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: You know why he didn't use 'em? 'Cause he's not smart enough to use 'em.

NORAH O'DONNELL: But the companies say they passed on more than 30% of these costs to the American consumer off the tariffs--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Okay, ready, are you ready?

NORAH O'DONNELL: Somebody has to pay for it.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Yeah. You have to pay, but we don't have any inflation. Inflation is the que-- is the real test of paying. Everybody said, "Oh, if you do tariffs, you're gonna have inflation." So Biden had the highest inflation in the history of our country by far, okay. No tariffs.

I have very modest tariffs compared. Let me tell you. These tariffs ultimately are so good that at some point when they're used properly, and I use them more properly than anybody's ever even dreamt possible, think of it. We become rich. We're taking in trillions of dollars.

And I have no inflation. And I have total national security. When I put the 100% tariff on China over and above what they were already paying, which was about 55%, so 155%, they came to the table immediately and they made a deal with us that was a very fair deal. That's called national security. And then I didn't make 'em pay the 100%. That would have been instituted. That would have come to fore on November 1st. Norah, Norah, listen to me--

NORAH O'DONNELL: I know our time with you is limited. I hear you.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: If I didn't have the power of tariff, we would be-- we would be like a subject nation. We'd be subject to everyone else. Everybody uses tariffs on us. If I wasn't allowed to use tariffs on them, we would be a third rate-- we would be a third world nation.
 
nycfan said:
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: If I didn't have the power of tariff, we would be-- we would be like a subject nation. We'd be subject to everyone else. Everybody uses tariffs on us. If I wasn't allowed to use tariffs on them, we would be a third rate-- we would be a third world nation.
Click to expand...
Article I, Section 8, Clause 3:

[The Congress shall have Power . . . ] To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations,
 
NORAH O'DONNELL: --and you succeeded on that. Illegal crossings at the Southern border are at a 55-year low. Want to ask you about this. More recently, Americans have been watching videos of ICE tackling a young mother, tear gas being used in a Chicago residential neighborhood, and the smashing of car windows. Have some of these raids gone too far?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: No. I think they haven't gone far enough because we've been held back by the-- by the judges, by the liberal judges that were put in by Biden and by Obama. We've been held--

NORAH O'DONNELL: You're okay with those tactics?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Yeah, because you have to get the people out. …

NORAH O'DONNELL: Well, you promised in your campaign that you were going to deport the worst of the worst, violent criminals--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: That's what I'm-- oh we're doin' that-

NORAH O'DONNELL: --rapists.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Well, that's what we're doing--

NORAH O'DONNELL: But a lot of the people that your administration has arrested and deported aren't violent criminals. Landscapers, nannies, construction workers--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Oh, no, no, landscapers who are criminals--

NORAH O'DONNELL: --farmworkers.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Now, look, look.

NORAH O'DONNELL: The family of US service members--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I need landscapers and I need farmers more than anybody, okay.

NORAH O'DONNELL: But was it your in--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We-- and we want to-- we focus on the bad ones, and we've gotten tremendous numbers of bad people. Don't forget.

NORAH O'DONNELL: The-- there--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: When you have over 11,000 murderers released into our country, over 11,000, 50% of which have murdered more than one person, we gotta get 'em outta here.

NORAH O'DONNELL: Is it your intent to deport people who do not have a criminal record?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We have to start off with a policy, and the policy has to be you came into the country illegally, you're gonna go out. However, you've also seen, you're gonna go out. We're gonna work with you, and you're gonna come back into our country legally. Because we have a lotta good people. We have some great people. But, you know, the problem we have, and people don't like talking about-- these are very--

NORAH O'DONNELL: But there isn't--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: --wait. These are very smart countries. Their leaders are very smart. They're very street-wise. They might not have gone to the finest schools, but they're very street-wise. They want-- they don't want, they have good people. They want people that are bad out.

So they, what do they do? They open their jails. They let 'em out. They get rid of their drug dealers. They let 'em out. But you know who else they get out? The people that are on welfare that aren't working. In other words, they have people that just don't work. They don't want people that just don't work, so they put them into our country.
 
It's too much. I'm so sick of listening to this delusional senile old fool lie. How can anyone watch that and come to the conclusion the country isn't fucked.
 
TRUMP: … When I look at D.C. now, you can walk down the middle of the street. You can have your daughter who's ten years old meet you at the park. She's gonna be okay.

NORAH O'DONNELL: In certain parts of D.C.--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: She woulda been murdered. Well, I-- in almost--

NORAH O'DONNELL: I live in D.C.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Well, you tell me--

NORAH O'DONNELL: Certain parts of D.C.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: How big a difference is D.C. now compared to what it was a year ago?

NORAH O'DONNELL: Uh-huh.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Right? I mean, you have to be honest with me. People walk-- people in the White House, they walk up to me, young ladies I've never seen. "Sir, thank you very much." I know-- I-- they don't even have to tell me what they're thanking me for.

But when I ask why? He said-- she-- one girl said, "I'd get into Uber and I felt dangerous even in an Uber." They'd attack the car, okay. It wasn't even safe then. "Sir, I now walk to work every day and I walk, I-- I-- I-- I'm so safe. I f-- there's nothing going to happen. 100% safe." And you know that too, Norah.

NORAH O'DONNELL: I wanna ask you about the s--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: You live here. You know that too.

NORAH O'DONNELL: I wanna ask you about amer--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Do you see a difference?

NORAH O'DONNELL: --American cities--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: You see a difference?

NORAH O'DONNELL: --in Washington, D.C.?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Yes.

NORAH O'DONNELL: I think I've been working too hard. I haven't been out and about that much--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Oh, that's not a fair answer. You see the difference.

NORAH O'DONNELL: I get in my car and go to work and I go home--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: That's good. You don't have to use that one. Don't worry. Don't worry. I don't want to embarrass her.

NORAH O'DONNELL: I've been working too hard--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: It's-- it's like you know what the difference is? Like, day and night.

NORAH O'DONNELL: I want to ask you more about some American cities.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Sure.
 
NORAH O'DONNELL: Uh-huh. This past Tuesday, while speaking to American troops in Japan, you talked about U.S. cities that are having trouble with crime. And you said, "If we need more than the National Guard, we'll send more than the National Guard." What does that mean, send more than the National Guard?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Well, if you had to send in the Army or if you had to send in the Marines, I'd do that in a heartbeat. You know, you have a thing called the Insurrection Act. You know that, right?

NORAH O'DONNELL: Uh-huh.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Do you know that I could use that immediately and no judge can even challenge you on that. But I haven't chosen to do it because I haven't felt we need it. …

NORAH O'DONNELL: But when you say, "Send in more than the National Guard," what does that mean?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Well, more would be Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines.

NORAH O'DONNELL: So you're gonna send the military into American cities?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Well, if I wanted to I could, if I want to use the Insurrection Act. Do you know how many presidents--

NORAH O'DONNELL: Will you-- what would be the--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: No, no.

NORAH O'DONNELL: What would-- what would cause you to do that?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Do you know how many presidents have used the Insurrection Act?

NORAH O'DONNELL: Tell me.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Almost 50% of 'em. Do you know that some of the presidents, recent ones, have used it 28 times? Twenty-eight times. The Insurrection Act has been used routinely by presidents. I haven't chosen to use it, but if I-- because I've done well without it. But if I needed it, I could do it. And if I needed it, that would mean I could bring in the Army, the Marines, I could bring in whoever I want. But I haven't chosen to use it. I hope you give me credit for that.
 
nycfan said:
NORAH O'DONNELL: Uh-huh. This past Tuesday, while speaking to American troops in Japan, you talked about U.S. cities that are having trouble with crime. And you said, "If we need more than the National Guard, we'll send more than the National Guard." What does that mean, send more than the National Guard?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Well, if you had to send in the Army or if you had to send in the Marines, I'd do that in a heartbeat. You know, you have a thing called the Insurrection Act. You know that, right?

NORAH O'DONNELL: Uh-huh.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Do you know that I could use that immediately and no judge can even challenge you on that. But I haven't chosen to do it because I haven't felt we need it. …

NORAH O'DONNELL: But when you say, "Send in more than the National Guard," what does that mean?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Well, more would be Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines.

NORAH O'DONNELL: So you're gonna send the military into American cities?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Well, if I wanted to I could, if I want to use the Insurrection Act. Do you know how many presidents--

NORAH O'DONNELL: Will you-- what would be the--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: No, no.

NORAH O'DONNELL: What would-- what would cause you to do that?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Do you know how many presidents have used the Insurrection Act?

NORAH O'DONNELL: Tell me.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Almost 50% of 'em. Do you know that some of the presidents, recent ones, have used it 28 times? Twenty-eight times. The Insurrection Act has been used routinely by presidents. I haven't chosen to use it, but if I-- because I've done well without it. But if I needed it, I could do it. And if I needed it, that would mean I could bring in the Army, the Marines, I could bring in whoever I want. But I haven't chosen to use it. I hope you give me credit for that.
Click to expand...
The guy that wouldn't send in the Guard on Jan 6 is talking about using the Insurrection Act.

Jon Stewart Mind Blown GIF
 
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: You mean, do you think it's bad that I went after a public figure?

NORAH O'DONNELL: Is it political retribution?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: You know what? You know who got indicted, the man you're lookin' at. I got indicted, and I was innocent. And here I am, because I was able to beat all of the nonsense that was thrown at me. I got indicted. They indicted the President of the United States.

You know, they impeached me twice and I got out of it quickly and easily? They impeached me twice. These people are scum. And yet, when you go after a dirty cop like Comey or a guy like Bolton, who I hear has, I don't know anything about it, I hear he took records all over the place, who knows.

Letitia James is a terrible, dishonest person, in my opinion. Terrible. I just won the case against her. She wanted me to pay $500 million for something I didn't do anything wrong on. And the judge just overturned the-- the decision. So and then you--

NORAH O'DONNELL: Have you--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Wait, wait, wait. And then you tell me about me. Just so you understand, you say I went after these people. These people are bad people. They're dishonest people.

NORAH O'DONNELL: No, I was just asking, is it political retribution--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: And Comey's a dirty cop. Look, Comey's known as a dirty cop. I'm not known as a dirty person. They indicted me many times, indicted me. They were after me. I'm lookin' at you now. I'm President of the United States. I went through numerous indictments and two impeachments. And you tell me that I went after people? These people are dishonest.

Look. Biden didn't have a clue. He illegally used, as you know, a machine, the autopen in order to give pardons to people. The only pardon he signed it looks like was his son, Hunter. He signed Hunter's, so, "Hunter, you're free, con-- congratulations, Hunter." But everyone else, I think those pardons are all just, were just a waste of time. Those pardons--

NORAH O'DONNELL: Did you instruct--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: --wait a minute, those pardons--

NORAH O'DONNELL: --the Department of Justice to go after them?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Did I what?

NORAH O'DONNELL: Did you instruct the Department of Justice to go after them?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: No, and not in any way, shape or form. No. You don't have to instruct 'em because they were so dirty, they were so crooked, they were so corrupt that the honest people we have, Pam Bondi's doin' a very good job. Kash Patel's doing a very good job.

The honest people that we have go after 'em automatically. But they instructed them to go after me, because the records now have been found. So when you tell me about I went after Comey, Comey's low on the totem pole. They went after the President of the United States. Do you know that they raided my house in Palm Beach, Florida called Mar-a-Lago? They raided my house. I had 78 or 98 FBI agents with arms--

NORAH O'DONNELL: I know how you--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: --come into my house. And you're telling me, Norah, that I went after some low-life named Comey, who's judged to be a crooked guy. He lied all over the place. He lied to Congress and did many other bad things.

NORAH O'DONNELL: But I was just asking, has this--

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: For that, you should be ashamed.

NORAH O'DONNELL: No, no. I was just asking, is this-- is this retribution on your part?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: No, it's the opposite. I think I've been very mild-mannered. You're looking at a man who was indicted many times, and I had to beat the rap. Otherwise I couldn't have run for president. They tried to get me not to run for president by going after me and by indicting me.

But even during my term, on a perfect phone call, I got impeached. This call was perfect. Tim Scott, from South Carolina, highly respected, a legitimate person totally legit, he read the tran-- thank goodness we had a transcript of the call.

The call I got indicted on, a call on Ukraine of all places, with the President of Ukraine. It was a perfect phone call. Tim Scott said, "I just read the transcript. The President didn't do anything wrong, was perfect." And that was the end of the indictment pretty much.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top