Transcript - Interview: Maria Bartiromo of Fox Business Interviews Donald Trump - April 12, 2017 | Factba.se

Maria Bartiromo

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

We are coming to you live this morning from our nation's capital following my exclusive interview with President Trump. Here are your top stories 6:00am on the East Coast.

Maria Bartiromo

00:00:16 - 00:00:28 (12 sec)

The president lays out his economic plan, the commander-in-chief vowing to get tax reform done but not before tackling another top issue. The repeal and replace of Obamacare still on tap. [Begin Clip Video of Interview]

Donald Trump

00:00:28 - 00:00:42 (14 sec)

We have to do healthcare first to pick up additional money so that we get great tax reform. So we're going to have a phenomenal tax reform but I have to do healthcare first, I want to do it first to really do it right. [End Video Clip of Interview]

Maria Bartiromo

00:00:42 - 00:00:59 (17 sec)

The battle for reform at home coming in a tension across the globe. Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson in Moscow this morning. It is the first official meeting between the countries following last week's U.S. missile strikes in Syria. I spoke with President Trump about his plans for Syria going forward. [Begin Video of Interview]

Donald Trump

00:00:59 - 00:01:13 (14 sec)

We're not going into Syria. But when I see people using horrible, horrible chemical weapons which I agreed not to use under the Obama Administration but the violated it. [End Video Clip of Interview] [Note: Video breaks from Trump Interview at this point]

Maria Bartiromo

00:01:13 - 00:01:28 (15 sec)

Let's get straight to my exclusive interview with President Donald Trump. I asked America's first business president about his economic priorities for 2017 to kick off his first interview with the business network since taking office. Here's a bit of what he has to say on that. [Begin Video of Interview]

Donald Trump

00:01:28 - 00:01:43 (15 sec)

We are going to have tax reform at some point very soon. I think we're doing very well on healthcare. It's been very much misreported that we failed with healthcare. We haven't failed, we're negotiating and we continue to negotiate and we will save perhaps $900 billion.

Donald Trump

00:01:43 - 00:02:04 (21 sec)

If you look at the kind of numbers that we're talking about, that's all going back into the taxes and we have to do healthcare first to pick up additional money so that we get great tax reform. So we're going to have a phenomenal tax reform but I have to do healthcare first, I want to do it first to really do it right and after that, we're going to start on tax reform and infrastructure.

Maria Bartiromo

00:02:04 - 00:02:06 (2 sec)

But do you have to do healthcare before tax reform?

Donald Trump

00:02:06 - 00:02:06 (0 sec)

Maria Bartiromo

00:02:06 - 00:02:13 (7 sec)

And when I speak with business managers they say tax reform is so much more impactful to moving the needle on economic growth. So why do you --

Donald Trump

00:02:13 - 00:02:29 (16 sec)

You're right. They're all right. But because I'm saving a tremendous amount, hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars we're saving on healthcare. So we're going to have a much better plan than Obamacare which is failing. Our tax reform is going to be tough but it won't be as tough as healthcare, healthcare is very, very difficult.

Maria Bartiromo

00:02:29 - 00:02:37 (8 sec)

Have you moved off of this soft deadline that your team put in place of August to get this done? Are you looking at the later in the year?

Donald Trump

00:02:37 - 00:02:50 (13 sec)

So I don't want to put deadlines. Healthcare is going to happen at some point. Now if it doesn't happen fast enough, I'll start the taxes but the tax reform and the tax cuts are better if I can do healthcare first.

Maria Bartiromo

00:02:50 - 00:02:53 (3 sec)

What about infrastructure? How do you see it? When do you see it?

Donald Trump

00:02:53 - 00:03:07 (14 sec)

A hundred percent very soon. I see it as part perhaps of the healthcare plan because phase two of the healthcare plan in order to get the votes, I need 60 percent for that and if I put that in, the democrats are actually going to love the infrastructure plan. [End Video Clip of Interview] [Note: Video breaks from Trump Interview at this point]

Maria Bartiromo

00:03:07 - 00:03:13 (6 sec)

I also asked the president about his accomplishments as we approached this 100 days in office. [Begin Video of Interview]

Donald Trump

00:03:13 - 00:03:26 (13 sec)

We've done an amazing job on regulations, we've freed it up. We've freed up this country so much, the minors, of energy, and the banking systems now coming to with Dodd-Frank which is a disaster.

Donald Trump

00:03:26 - 00:03:56 (30 sec)

We've freed up so much and we're getting great, great credit for it. We have done so much for so many people, I don't think that there is a presidential period of time in the first 100 days where anyone's done nearly what we've been able to do and on top of it, we just had during the first 100 days a Supreme Court Justice approved, not just nominated but approved through a very, very hostile environment. [End Video Clip of Interview] [Note: Video breaks from Trump Interview at this point]

Maria Bartiromo

00:03:56 - 00:04:07 (11 sec)

The president is also working to hire more staff for his own administration. He told me in an exclusive interview that opposition is slowing down that process, watch. [Begin Video of Interview]

Donald Trump

00:04:07 - 00:04:10 (3 sec)

I am waiting right now for so many people.

Maria Bartiromo

00:04:10 - 00:04:11 (1 sec)

You're understaffed.

Donald Trump

00:04:11 - 00:04:25 (14 sec)

Hundreds and hundreds of people and then they'll say, "Why isn't Trump doing this faster?" You can't do it faster because they're obstructing. They're obstructionists, so I have people, hundreds of people that were trying to get through.

Donald Trump

00:04:25 - 00:04:55 (30 sec)

I mean you see the backlog, can't get them through. And then the newspapers will say Trump doesn't get them through. Well it's nothing to do with me, statutorily you have to go through this process. So it's been a lousy process, it's taking a long time to get my cabinet done and as you know, it's not even done now. This is record stuff, we're talking about records in terms of time and it's very sad. Well you see even again with the Supreme Court judge that everybody agrees is outstanding and you see what that process.

Maria Bartiromo

00:04:55 - 00:04:57 (2 sec)

Absolutely. And the American people know it I think.

Donald Trump

00:04:57 - 00:05:11 (14 sec)

I think they know it. I think they get it. I wish it would be explained better the obstruction is nature though because a lot of times I'll say, "Why didn't so and so have people under him or her?" The reason is because we can't get them approved.

Maria Bartiromo

00:05:11 - 00:05:24 (13 sec)

Well people are still wondering though, they're scratching their heads why so many Obama Era staffers are still here. For example, was it a mistake not to ask Jim Comey to step down from the FBI at the outside of your presidency, is it too late now to ask him to step down?

Donald Trump

00:05:24 - 00:05:41 (17 sec)

No, it's not too late. But I have confidence at him, we'll see what happens. It's going to be interesting but we have to just -- look, I have so many people that want to come in to this administration, they're so excited about this administration and what's happening.

Donald Trump

00:05:41 - 00:06:05 (24 sec)

Bankers, law enforcement, everybody wants to come into this administration. Don't forget, when Jim Comey out, he saved Hillary Clinton, people don't realize that. He saved her life because I call it "Comey won" and I joke about it a little bit. When he was reading those charges, she was guilty on every charge and then he said, "She was essentially okay." Director Comey --

Maria Bartiromo

00:06:05 - 00:06:07 (2 sec)

Well that's why I'm asking, why is he still on the job?

Donald Trump

00:06:07 - 00:06:21 (14 sec)

No, I'm just saying -- well because I want to give everybody a good fair chance. Director Comey was very, very good to Hillary Clinton, that I can tell you. If he weren't, she would be right now going to trial.

Maria Bartiromo

00:06:21 - 00:06:24 (3 sec)

Are you going to push that? Are you going to put --

Donald Trump

00:06:24 - 00:06:26 (2 sec)

I don't want to talk about that. I want to talk about positive.

Maria Bartiromo

00:06:26 - 00:06:32 (6 sec)

In the last weeks of the Obama presidency, he changed all the rules in terms of the intelligence agencies, allowing them to share raw data.

Donald Trump

00:06:32 - 00:06:33 (1 sec)

Maria Bartiromo

00:06:33 - 00:06:34 (1 sec)

Why do you think he did this?

Donald Trump

00:06:34 - 00:06:50 (16 sec)

Well I'm going to let you figure that one out but it's so obvious. When you look at Susan Rice and what's going on and so many people are coming up to me and apologizing now. They say, "You know, you were right when you said that." Perhaps I didn't know how right I was because nobody knew the extent of it. What they did --

Maria Bartiromo

00:06:50 - 00:06:54 (4 sec)

When you sent that infamous tweet, was that what you were referring to, the Susan Rice?

Donald Trump

00:06:54 - 00:07:04 (10 sec)

Well sure. We're talking about surveillance, it was wiretapped. New York Times said the word wiretapped in the headline of the first edition then they took it out of there fast when they realized.

Donald Trump

00:07:04 - 00:07:27 (23 sec)

But I put wiretapped in quotes meaning -- because, look, wiretapping is an old fashion, I don't think there's too many wires anymore and you don't have a lot of wires. Look at this room, this room used to have a lot of wires, now it doesn't have so many wires. But we talked about surveillance or whatever and you look at the extent of the surveillance. Me and so many other people, it's terrible.

Maria Bartiromo

00:07:27 - 00:07:31 (4 sec)

She said she didn't do it for political reasons. Susan Rice told that herself.

Donald Trump

00:07:31 - 00:07:46 (15 sec)

Does anybody really believe that? Nobody believes that. Even the people that tried to protect her in the news media, it's such a big story and I'm sure it will continue forward but what they did is horrible. [End Video Clip of Interview] [Note: Video breaks from Trump Interview at this point]

Maria Bartiromo

00:07:46 - 00:07:59 (13 sec)

The president lays out his economic plan -- the commander-in-chief vowing to get tax reform done this year but not before tackling another top issue which continues to be negotiated -- the battle to replace Obamacare. [Begin Video of Interview]

Donald Trump

00:07:59 - 00:08:04 (5 sec)

It's been very much misreported that we failed with health care. We haven't failed. We're negotiating.

Donald Trump

00:08:04 - 00:08:20 (16 sec)

And we're continuing to negotiate. And we will save perhaps $900 billion. You know, if you look at -- if you look at the kind of numbers that we're talking about, that's all going back into the taxes. And we have to do health care first to pick up additional money so that we get great tax reform. [End Video Clip of Interview] [Note: Video breaks from Trump Interview at this point]

Donald Trump

00:08:20 - 00:08:36 (16 sec)

We're going to have tax reform at some point very soon. I think we're doing very well on health care. It's been very much misreported that we failed with health care. We haven't failed, we are negotiating. And we continue to negotiate and we will save perhaps $900 billion.

Donald Trump

00:08:36 - 00:08:47 (11 sec)

You know, if you look at the kind of numbers that we are talking about, that's all going back into the taxes. And we have to do health care first to pick up additional money so that we get great tax reform.

Donald Trump

00:08:47 - 00:09:00 (13 sec)

So we are going to have a phenomenal tax reform but I have to do health care first. I want to do it first to really do it right. Health care has been going along -- you know, it's in negotiations.

Donald Trump

00:09:00 - 00:09:16 (16 sec)

And it's just a negotiation and it's going to take a little while longer but as you probably hear in Congress, it's coming along. We have some great people at Congress. They want it to happen. We will have no Democrats, zero; that means we have to get close to 100 percent of the Republicans -- not an easy way to run a government.

Donald Trump

00:09:16 - 00:09:29 (13 sec)

You saw that with Justice Gorsuch which is -- we are very proud of but he had almost no Democrat support even though he was central casting like the perfect Supreme Court judge.

Donald Trump

00:09:29 - 00:09:40 (11 sec)

So we will see what happens. I think we are doing very well with health care which surprises us like breaking news but they all know it. They just don't tend to write it. And after that we're going to start on tax reform and infrastructure.

Maria Bartiromo

00:09:40 - 00:09:43 (3 sec)

But do you have to do health care before tax reform?

Donald Trump

00:09:43 - 00:09:43 (0 sec)

Maria Bartiromo

00:09:43 - 00:09:48 (5 sec)

When I speak with business managers they say tax reform is so much more impactful to moving the needle on economic growth.

Donald Trump

00:09:48 - 00:10:00 (12 sec)

They're all right but because I'm saving a tremendous amount, hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars we are saving on health care. So we are going to have a much better plan than Obamacare which is failing.

Donald Trump

00:10:00 - 00:10:11 (11 sec)

Even now as I came in here they're saying payments have to be made that weren't scheduled to be made on Obamacare. If you don't make them, it fails. I mean, you know, it's just a mess. Obamacare is a total mess.

Donald Trump

00:10:11 - 00:10:27 (16 sec)

So we are saving tremendous amounts of money on health care when we get this done, number one. And most importantly, actually we are going to have great health care and all of that saving goes into the tax. If you don't do that, you can't put any of the savings into the tax cuts and the tax reform.

Maria Bartiromo

00:10:27 - 00:10:40 (13 sec)

How do you know you're not going to have a similar battle on the tax reform because you have a border adjustment tax, the deductions? So who is to say that tax reform doesn't fail the way the bill -- the house bill?

Donald Trump

00:10:40 - 00:10:52 (12 sec)

I think tax reform will be easier but it's going to be tough. You have a lot of people out there that -- you know, they have their own agendas including a lot of supporters of different people that are in Congress. They have their own agendas, they want certain things.

Donald Trump

00:10:52 - 00:11:02 (10 sec)

Tax reform is going to be tough but it won't be as tough as health care, health care is very, very difficult. You look at that. Look at Hillary Clinton -- that failed. And you look at so many of the others.

Donald Trump

00:11:02 - 00:11:13 (11 sec)

And Obamacare failed. Obamacare was just, you know, they just in the end just gave up just to get the vote. You look at what they had to do in Nebraska where they essentially gave it away for Nebraska to get that final vote.

Maria Bartiromo

00:11:13 - 00:11:17 (4 sec)

And we know the premium is up 116 percent in Arizona and across the country.

Donald Trump

00:11:17 - 00:11:31 (14 sec)

Many, many of the -- and this is going to be a much worst year than last year for Obamacare. So Obamacare is a disaster. It's really gone, essentially it's gone. If Obamacare isn't bailed out almost on a monthly basis it fails, it immediately fails.

Donald Trump

00:11:31 - 00:11:42 (11 sec)

We have a great health care plan that I think will happen and if it happens then I go immediately to tax reform and that will happen, that will be easier than health care.

Maria Bartiromo

00:11:42 - 00:11:44 (2 sec)

How are you on the border adjustment tax? Have you decided?

Donald Trump

00:11:44 - 00:12:01 (17 sec)

I haven't really we wanted to talk about it. I have my own feelings. I don't like the word "adjustment" because our country gets taken advantage of, to use a nice term, by every other country in the world. So when I hear border adjustment, "adjustment" means we lose, we lose. So, I don't like to turn border adjustment.

Maria Bartiromo

00:12:01 - 00:12:04 (3 sec)

Any tax at the border?

Donald Trump

00:12:04 - 00:12:08 (4 sec)

Let's call it an import tax. Let's call it a reciprocal tax. You know, we have --

Maria Bartiromo

00:12:08 - 00:12:09 (1 sec)

So it's in there? You want it in --

Donald Trump

00:12:09 - 00:12:31 (22 sec)

We have countries, Maria, that charge us, our companies, 100 percent tax if they sell a motorcycle, or they sell -- they make it in America. They make it in the United States. They sell it to various countries. They sell very little because the tax is 100 percent in some countries. The tax is 50 percent, 30 percent, 40 percent.

Donald Trump

00:12:31 - 00:12:46 (15 sec)

But if they make a motorcycle and they sell it back into the United States, they have no tax. Now do you think that's fair? Do you think that's smart? So I love the idea of reciprocal, you can call it reciprocal or a matching tax or a mirror tax. There are numerous terms.

Donald Trump

00:12:46 - 00:12:58 (12 sec)

But the reciprocal tax is very important. And you know the funny thing is that nobody gets angry when you say reciprocal tax. When you say we're going to charge you a border tax, we would be a rich nation if we did it, by the way, but you know.

Maria Bartiromo

00:12:58 - 00:12:59 (1 sec)

It sounds even reciprocal.

Donald Trump

00:12:59 - 00:13:11 (12 sec)

But when you say reciprocal nobody fights you. When you say I'm going to charge 10 percent or 20 percent border tax everyone goes crazy because they like free trade. They don't say that the other countries are charging you much more than that.

Donald Trump

00:13:11 - 00:13:29 (18 sec)

But when you say a reciprocal tax -- and I'm not saying that's what I'm doing -- but there has to be a certain reciprocal nature to it. But when you say reciprocal tax, nobody can get angry. Even the other countries if like they are charging you 50 percent tax, ok whatever they're charging, we are charging.

Maria Bartiromo

00:13:29 - 00:13:30 (1 sec)

Like China and India.

Donald Trump

00:13:30 - 00:13:34 (4 sec)

They may not like it but they can't get angry because they can't win that battle.

Maria Bartiromo

00:13:34 - 00:13:42 (8 sec)

What if you have a debate, you can't get to an agreement on that, do you prefer just cutting taxes? If you had to do one, can you do just corporate tax cut?

Donald Trump

00:13:42 - 00:13:48 (6 sec)

Yes. Well, we can keep trade and we can keep certain things separate. We may put it in the tax bill or we may keep it separate. We have a lot of different things.

Donald Trump

00:13:48 - 00:14:14 (26 sec)

Don't forget, we are going to be bringing back as part of this -- I think the number is closer to $5 trillion. You know, you've been hearing you've been using -- you keep using $2.5 trillion, right. But the money, the corporate inversions, and the money over there is $2.5 trillion. So I think that money -- because we have been saying that number for what five years now, would you say. So I know it's much more. It's probably $5 trillion or $4 trillion -- that money is coming back.

Donald Trump

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

We're going to charge a very small tax on that money and the companies are going to bring that money back into the United States and do lots of good things with it.

Donald Trump

00:14:22 - 00:14:38 (16 sec)

Right now they can't bring it back. It's not only the high tax. It's also because the bureaucracy is so horrible. I have friends that want to bring money back even if they were willing to pay the tax which very few people are willing. The bureaucracy, the paperwork, the work to get it in, it's not worth it.

Maria Bartiromo

00:14:38 - 00:14:47 (9 sec)

-- which is why you're rolling back -- through your executive orders, you're rolling back regulations. So if you have to do one -- corporate tax or individual tax. What's more important if you had to do one this year?

Donald Trump

00:14:47 - 00:14:47 (0 sec)

Maria Bartiromo

00:14:47 - 00:14:48 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:14:48 - 00:15:01 (13 sec)

I almost think individual from my standpoint because, you know, the middle class has just been taken advantage of in this country for so many years. But in terms of jobs, I mean I think both, but I think probably corporate but they're going to both go hand in hand. It's not going to matter.

Maria Bartiromo

00:15:01 - 00:15:07 (6 sec)

Have you moved off of this soft deadline that your team put in place of August to get this done? Are you looking at later in the year?

Donald Trump

00:15:07 - 00:15:17 (10 sec)

Well, you know, I put a deadline on health care. And the fake news immediately went crazy because when I didn't make the deadline although --

Maria Bartiromo

00:15:17 - 00:15:18 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:15:18 - 00:15:35 (17 sec)

-- I was just -- don't forget I said withdraw. I didn't even say take a vote. I said withdraw. Well, that same thing is being negotiated and great points are being won and lost but great points are being won that are going to lower premiums and make our health care incredible.

Donald Trump

00:15:35 - 00:15:51 (16 sec)

But by putting a deadline, they say oh, Trump didn't make it. He didn't make it. Look, I don't want to put deadlines. Health care is going to happen at some point. Now, if it doesn't happen fast enough, I will start the taxes. But the tax reform and the tax cuts are better if I can do health care first.

Maria Bartiromo

00:15:51 - 00:15:54 (3 sec)

What about infrastructure? How do you see it? When do you see it?

Donald Trump

00:15:54 - 00:16:17 (23 sec)

100 percent -- very soon. I see it as part perhaps of the health care plan because phase two of the health care plan in order to get the votes I need 60 percent for that. And if I put that in the Democrats are actually going to love the infrastructure plans. So we are going to actually -- I believe despite their tremendous hostility for years, this isn't just for Trump, this is for years, it's been so hostile.

Donald Trump

00:16:17 - 00:16:25 (8 sec)

You know, Maria, when I used to come to Washington because I've been a very political person all of my life even though not on the side of the equation. But I've been very, very political.

Donald Trump

00:16:25 - 00:16:36 (11 sec)

I used to see Democrats and Republicans, they were best friends. And they'd fight a little bit during the day and then they'd have dinners with their families at night. You'd see them at restaurants. I used to joke with the business and you know, Republicans --

Maria Bartiromo

00:16:36 - 00:16:38 (2 sec)

They would have coffee together.

Donald Trump

00:16:38 - 00:16:51 (13 sec)

Yes, they'd be together. Have breakfast together. Then they go and fight and then they have lunch. Today you don't see that. The level of hatred is incredible. And I'm not just saying in the last 90 days. I'm saying this has been for the last few years. It's incredibly divisive.

Maria Bartiromo

00:16:51 - 00:16:54 (3 sec)

Has it gotten in the way of getting things done?

Donald Trump

00:16:54 - 00:17:17 (23 sec)

Well, as an example on health care I won't get one Democrat vote even though many of them think it's an incredible plan. Take a look at Justice Gorsuch. You can't get better, top of the line in every aspect, and he got three votes from the Democrats. He should have gotten all of them, he got three votes. And those three people, you know, are to be respected for doing it.

Donald Trump

00:17:17 - 00:17:30 (13 sec)

But there's a great level of hostility and they are putting their hatred way, way above -- way above the country and the benefit to the country that, you know, things that they do can have such benefit.

Donald Trump

00:17:30 - 00:17:51 (21 sec)

So I probably -- I always assume no Democrat votes. Now, the good thing is we have the House, we have the Senate and we have the White House. So we are all set. But within there you have certain factions. You have the conservative Republicans. You have the moderate Republicans. You know, you have to get them together. But we need close to 100 percent. That's a pretty hard thing to get but we get it. [Note: Video breaks from Trump Interview at this point]

Maria Bartiromo

00:17:51 - 00:18:05 (14 sec)

Welcome back. A new administration in the White House bringing new life to Wall Street. In his first exclusive business interview since the election, President Trump spoke to me about the positive changes to markets since the start of his term. Listen. [Begin Video of Interview]

Donald Trump

00:18:05 - 00:18:19 (14 sec)

When you look at all that we've done from the standpoint of business, look at -- look at the optimism, look at manufacturing, 93 percent -- the highest it's ever been, the optimism of manufacturers.

Maria Bartiromo

00:18:19 - 00:18:21 (2 sec)

Sentiment has changed.

Donald Trump

00:18:21 - 00:18:32 (11 sec)

We have never ever had the optimism that we have now over the last 90 days or since the Trump election. And you see the stock market. We picked up $3 trillion in value. [End Video Clip of Interview]

Maria Bartiromo

00:18:32 - 00:18:48 (16 sec)

Attorney General Jeff Sessions ushering in a new era of immigration enforcement on his visit to the southern border. Vowing to crackdown on cartels and gangs. This as President Trump brushes off concerns that he won't build the wall to secure the border in my exclusive sit-down interview. [Begin Video of Interview]

Donald Trump

00:18:48 - 00:19:02 (14 sec)

I'm going to build the wall 100 percent. In fact, we had hundreds of bidders. We have many, many designs. I've seen 10 of the top but I want to see more. We're looking at designs and we're going to be making a decision very shortly. [End Video Clip of Interview] [Note: Video breaks from Trump Interview at this point]

Maria Bartiromo

00:19:02 - 00:19:07 (5 sec)

Judge, when I spoke with President Trump, he said that that the border wall has many bidders. Watch this. [Begin Video of Interview]

Donald Trump

00:19:07 - 00:19:34 (27 sec)

Somebody said, Donald Trump is not going to build the wall. I'm going to build the wall 100 percent. In fact, we have hundreds of bidders. We have many, many designs. I've seen 10 of the top. But I want to see more. And what I'm doing is I said to our very great secretary, who were doing a great job, General Kelly. Because you see the numbers where they're down 68 percent. And nobody has ever seen numbers. It's like on a record. IN fact, people aren't even trying to get through anymore because they know they can.

Maria Bartiromo

00:19:34 - 00:19:35 (1 sec)

It's incredible.

Donald Trump

00:19:35 - 00:19:42 (7 sec)

It's incredible what's happened. But on the wall, we're looking at designs and we'll be making a decision very shortly. [End Video Clip of Interview] [Note: Video breaks from Trump Interview at this point] [Begin Video of Interview]

Donald Trump

00:19:42 - 00:20:14 (32 sec)

Just you understand, we're not going into Syria because, you know, there were questions, Nikki Haley is doing a great job, Rex is doing a fantastic job, our Secretary of State, General McMaster fantastic. But if you add it all up and if they every little word, they'll say, oh, they're different. Just so you understand, we are not going into Syria, but when I see people using horrible, horrible chemical weapons which they agreed not to use under the Obama Administration but they violated it.

Maria Bartiromo

00:20:14 - 00:20:15 (1 sec)

They said they got rid of them.

Donald Trump

00:20:15 - 00:20:27 (12 sec)

What I did should have been done by the Obama Administration a long time before I did it and you would have had much better -- I think Syria would be a lot better off right now than it has been.

Maria Bartiromo

00:20:27 - 00:20:28 (1 sec)

Obama pushed -- he resisted doing it.

Donald Trump

00:20:28 - 00:21:05 (37 sec)

What I look, he -- well, he didn't do it. I don't know what happened but he didn't do it. And in fact, they had a big attack right after he drew the red line and they say they had a very big attack and everybody waited what's going on and nothing happened. And even the Obama people admitted he was wrong for not doing it. I will tell you that when I looked at the pictures on any show or any newspaper but especially when you see them on television and you see these beautiful kids that are dead in their father's arms or you see kids gasping for life, you know, there -- it's over for them, they're hosing them down.

Donald Trump

00:21:05 - 00:21:43 (38 sec)

Hundreds of them. When you see that, I immediately called General Mattis, I said what can we do? And they came back with a number of alternatives and we hit them very hard. Now, are we going to get involved with Syria? No. But if I see them using gas and using things that -- I mean even some of the worse tyrants in the world didn't use the kind of gasses that they used and some of the gasses are unbelievably potent. So, when I saw that I said we have to do something.

Donald Trump

00:21:43 - 00:22:18 (35 sec)

You should have peace in Syria, it's enough. And frankly, you know we talked the chemicals because, you know, people just don't see this, the level of brutality, the level of viciousness but when they dropped barrel bombs and bombs of any kind right on top of the civilian population, that's the worst thing, I've never seen anything like it and frankly, Putin is backing a person that's truly an evil person and I think it is very bad for Russia, I think it's very bad for mankind. It's very bad for this world.

Donald Trump

00:22:18 - 00:22:51 (33 sec)

But when you drop gas or bombs or barrel bombs, have these massive barrels with dynamite and they drop them right in the middle of a group of people, I mean, in all fairness you see the same kids no arms, no legs, no face. This is an animal. And I really think that there's going to be a lot of pressure on Russia to make sure that peace happens because frankly if Russia didn't go and back this animal, you wouldn't have a problem right now. He was going to be overthrown.

Donald Trump

00:22:51 - 00:23:07 (16 sec)

I thought he was gone. He had another week. I mean, he was finished, he had nothing. Nothing. And then Russia came in and saved him and then Obama made one of the worst deals in history with the Iran deal, so you really have Iran and you have Russia and you have Assad.

Maria Bartiromo

00:23:07 - 00:23:14 (7 sec)

You redirected Navy ships to go toward the Korean Peninsula. What are you doing right now in terms of North Korea?

Donald Trump

00:23:14 - 00:23:17 (3 sec)

You never know, do you? You never know.

Maria Bartiromo

00:23:17 - 00:23:18 (1 sec)

That's all you're going to say?

Donald Trump

00:23:18 - 00:23:33 (15 sec)

You know, I don't talk about the military. I'm not like Obama where they talk about in four months we're waiting, we're going to hit Mosul, and in the meantime, they get ready and like you never, so look, they're still fighting. Mosul is supposed to last for week, and now, they have been fighting it for many months and so many more people died.

Donald Trump

00:23:33 - 00:24:02 (29 sec)

I don't want to talk about it. We are sending an armada. Very powerful. We have submarines, very powerful, far more powerful than the aircraft carrier that I can tell you. And we have the best military people on earth and I will say this. He is doing the wrong thing, he's making a big mistake.

Maria Bartiromo

00:24:02 - 00:24:04 (2 sec)

Do you think he is mentally fit?

Donald Trump

00:24:04 - 00:24:36 (32 sec)

I don't know. I don't know him, but he is doing the wrong thing, I have very, very good meeting with President Xi of China. Really liked him, we had a great chemistry I think, I mean, at least I had great -- maybe he didn't like me but I think he liked me. We were going to have a 10 or 15-minute sit-down that lasted for three hours. Then, the next day, it was another schedule because everything is very orderly, with the Chinese, frankly, and we had meetings scheduled -- well, the 15 minutes on the first day lasted for three hours.

Donald Trump

00:24:36 - 00:24:51 (15 sec)

The 15 minutes on the second day lasted for two hours, just one-on-one, the two of us with interpreters. And -- I mean, we understand each other, I think he is, you know, a person that I got along with really well, we had good chemistry.

Maria Bartiromo

00:24:51 - 00:24:55 (4 sec)

Did he give you any suggestion that he would help with North Korea?

Donald Trump

00:24:55 - 00:24:56 (1 sec)

Maria Bartiromo

00:24:56 - 00:24:57 (1 sec)

Did you get into trade and currency?

Donald Trump

00:24:57 - 00:25:23 (26 sec)

First thing I brought up was North Korea, I said, you got to help with North Korea because we can't allow it and it's no good for you. And you have a tremendous power because of trade. Now he then explains thousands of years of history with Korea. Not that easy in other words, not as simple as people would think. They've tremendous conflict with Korea over the years. Now, his father was in China four times, he was never in China.

Donald Trump

00:25:23 - 00:25:51 (28 sec)

So I said, look, you have a tremendous power because of trading through the border. They don't get food, they don't get, you know, they can't sell their coal, in fact, I hear today two massive coal ships from North Korea, we sent back to North Korea heading to China. They were sent back which is a very good sign. But I think China can help us, I hope China can help us, we talked about trade, and I can tell you China will do much better on trade if they help us with North Korea.

Maria Bartiromo

00:25:51 - 00:25:53 (2 sec)

And you think he knows that?

Donald Trump

00:25:53 - 00:25:55 (2 sec)

I think he knows that I told him that, yes.

Maria Bartiromo

00:25:55 - 00:26:07 (12 sec)

When you were with the president of China, you're launching these military strikes, was that planned? How did that come about that it's happening right then because right there you're saying, a reminder, here is who superpower in the world is.

Donald Trump

00:26:07 - 00:26:15 (8 sec)

You have no idea how many people want to hear the answer to this. I have had -- I have watched speculation for three days now on what at a that was like --

Maria Bartiromo

00:26:15 - 00:26:16 (1 sec)

When did he tell you?

Donald Trump

00:26:16 - 00:26:17 (1 sec)

Maria Bartiromo

00:26:17 - 00:26:17 (0 sec)

Before dessert or --

Donald Trump

00:26:17 - 00:26:45 (28 sec)

I will tell you. Only because you treated me so good for so long I have to tell you, right? I was sitting at the table, we had finished dinner, we're now having dessert and we had the most beautiful piece of chocolate cake that you've ever seen and President Xi was enjoying it, and I was given the message from the generals that the ships are locked and loaded, what do you do? And we made a determination to do it.

Donald Trump

00:26:45 - 00:27:03 (18 sec)

So the missiles were on the way and I said, Mr. President, let me explain something to you. This is your dessert. We just fired 59 missiles all of which hit, by the way, unbelievable from, you know, hundreds of miles away, all of which had --

Maria Bartiromo

00:27:03 - 00:27:04 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:27:04 - 00:27:34 (30 sec)

So incredible, it's brilliant, it's genius. Our technology, our equipment is better than anybody by a factor of five. I mean, what we have in terms of technology, nobody can even come close to competing. Now we're going to start getting it because, you know, the military has been cut back and depleted so badly by the past administration and by the war in Iraq which was another disaster. So what happens is I said, we just launched 59 missiles heading to Iraq.

Maria Bartiromo

00:27:34 - 00:27:36 (2 sec)

Headed to Syria.

Donald Trump

00:27:36 - 00:27:52 (16 sec)

Yes. Yes, heading toward Syria. And I want you to know that. Because I didn't want him to go home, we're almost finished, it was a full day in Palm Beach. We're almost finished and what does he do? Finishes dessert and go home and then they say, you know, the guy you just had dinner with just attacked --

Maria Bartiromo

00:27:52 - 00:27:53 (1 sec)

How did he react?

Donald Trump

00:27:53 - 00:28:21 (28 sec)

So he paused for 10 seconds. And then he asked the interpreter to please say it again, I didn't think that was a good sign. And he said to me, anybody that uses gasses, you could almost say or anything else but anybody that was so brutal and uses gasses to do that to young children and babies, it's OK.

Maria Bartiromo

00:28:21 - 00:28:22 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:28:22 - 00:28:40 (18 sec)

He was OK with it. He was OK. But we got along, there was a great feeling I think between both of us. Now, we have two very different countries, two very different peoples, but I think he understood the message and I understood what he was saying to me. [End Video Clip of Interview] [Note: Video breaks from Trump Interview at this point] [Begin Video of Interview]

Maria Bartiromo

00:28:40 - 00:28:45 (5 sec)

The Syria strike, has it damaged our relationship with Russia?

Donald Trump

00:28:45 - 00:28:57 (12 sec)

That I don't know. I can't tell you. But I can tell you that I think aligning yourself with Assad is a big mistake because he's a butcher and I think it's very bad for Russia and I think they ought to get peace fast. [End Video Clip of Interview]

Donald Trump

00:28:57 - 00:29:19 (22 sec)

[Begin Clip Video of Interview] We have thousands of jobs all across the country. Look at what is going on in Michigan with the expansion of the plants by Ford, by General Motors. Yesterday, Toyota announced that they're going to spend 1.3 to 1.9 billion dollars in Kentucky and different things. I mean, the car industry is not going to leave us anymore, believe me. The car industry is staying in our country. They weren't leaving.

Donald Trump

00:29:19 - 00:29:40 (21 sec)

If I didn't win this election, you would have lost your car industry to Mexico and to other countries. They are not leaving anymore, believe me. There is retribution at their lead. There was no retribution, they lead it. Sold that cars in that fired all our people. Now, there's retribution and they understand that. Now at the same time, I am going to treat them great, but we want them to expand their plants and build new plants, and that is what they are doing. [End Video Clip of Interview]

Maria Bartiromo

00:29:40 - 00:29:47 (7 sec)

That was from my exclusive interview with President Trump yesterday talking about his impact on the auto industry.