Transcript - Interview: Tucker Carlson of Fox News Interviews Donald Trump - March 15, 2017 | Factba.se

Tucker Carlson

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

Good evening. And welcome to Tucker Carlson Tonight.

Tucker Carlson

00:00:02 - 00:00:21 (19 sec)

We just sat down for an interview with President Donald Trump. We boarded Air Force One with the President at Andrews Air Force Base outside of D.C. And flew with him to Detroit where he held a meeting with auto industry executives. When he landed, the President spoke with us at Willow Run Airport. That's where the Ford Motor Company built a bomber that helps win World War II.

Tucker Carlson

00:00:21 - 00:00:29 (8 sec)

He had a lot to say about his tax returns. The wiretapped controversy which was interesting. ObamaCare and of course, the press. Watch. [Begin Video Clip]

Tucker Carlson

00:00:29 - 00:00:31 (2 sec)

Mr. President, thanks for joining us.

Donald Trump

00:00:31 - 00:00:31 (0 sec)

Tucker Carlson

00:00:31 - 00:00:48 (17 sec)

So, last night your tax return from 2005, the first two pages appeared and the reporter who got it, he said in his mailbox. He said that the front of it, stamp, client copy and he suggested that it did not come from the IRS but that it was leaked to him potentially by someone in the White House. What is it?

Donald Trump

00:00:48 - 00:01:16 (28 sec)

Well, certainly not from the White House. That I can tell you. I do not know where they got it. This guy has been following me for 25 years. You know, not much. And I don't know, I have no idea where they got it but it is illegal. And you are not supposed to have it. And it's not supposed to be leaked. And it is certainly not an embarrassing tax return at all. But it is an illegal thing. They have been doing it, they've done it before and I think it is a disgrace.

Tucker Carlson

00:01:16 - 00:01:38 (22 sec)

So, it showed that you paid about a little less than 25 percent federal taxes on your income that year which is more than a lot of people but it's still less than 40 percent. That wage earners. People do investments would be paying. Is it fair to have a tax system, and you're doing tax reform soon, where wage earners pay twice the tax that investors do?

Donald Trump

00:01:38 - 00:01:52 (14 sec)

Well, I actually paid less than that. And it is not fair because the income was actually $250 million for the year. And if you notice, there was about $100 million in tax deductions and depreciation in various other charges.

Tucker Carlson

00:01:52 - 00:01:52 (0 sec)

Donald Trump

00:01:52 - 00:02:20 (28 sec)

So, actually the income was at the 250 level and if you look at it, it's really a lower number and no I do not think it is fair. And I've been complaining about it for a long time. Because I do not care about me anymore. I care about the people out there. And you know, me, I am very satisfied. I am not going to go back into building major building somebody. I am not going to be doing what I am used to do. We used to have a good time doing it. This is what I'm doing now. And I am saving a lot of money on the airplanes, I save $725 million. Probably took me half an hour if you add it up all of the times.

Tucker Carlson

00:02:20 - 00:02:21 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:02:21 - 00:02:42 (21 sec)

And we have saved a tremendous amount of money in government already. And that's just the beginning. I will tell you. People are paying too high a tax. And one of the reasons I want to get the health care taken care of and it has to come statutorily and for other reasons, various complex reasons. Having to do with politics and also Congress. It has to come first. It really has to come first.

Donald Trump

00:02:42 - 00:03:09 (27 sec)

But one of the reasons I want to get it finished, ideally soon is because I want to start on the taxes. People are paying too high, companies are paying too high. It is affecting our jobs. It is affecting a lot of other things. Now, with that being said, the country is doing right now really well. The level of optimism is up highest it has been in 15 years. You see the kind of numbers coming out, it's amazing. The enthusiasm. I saw it this morning on "FOX & Friends," I watched, I liked that group of three people.

Donald Trump

00:03:09 - 00:03:26 (17 sec)

But they had a man who is saying Trump is the greatest president ever and they will never be one like him. Now, the thing is, I've only been here for like 50 days. But he was very enthusiastic. But he was talking. He is a manufacturer. And I have taken off regulations by the thousands.

Tucker Carlson

00:03:26 - 00:03:27 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:03:27 - 00:03:34 (7 sec)

And we are just starting. We are just starting. So, there is great optimism about the economy. But we have to get the taxes reduced.

Tucker Carlson

00:03:34 - 00:03:40 (6 sec)

But you want to start. And you can imagine a system where I think federal top is a little less than 40 percent.

Donald Trump

00:03:40 - 00:03:40 (0 sec)

Tucker Carlson

00:03:40 - 00:03:43 (3 sec)

Obviously taxes at the top. But you would like to see them --

Donald Trump

00:03:43 - 00:03:49 (6 sec)

Well, first of all, it is going to go way down for the minute less. It's going to go way down for business.

Tucker Carlson

00:03:49 - 00:03:49 (0 sec)

Donald Trump

00:03:49 - 00:04:18 (29 sec)

I'm going to try and get the 15 percent level if we can for the business. I think it will probably be a little bit higher than that but we're going to try and get the 15 percent level. There is tremendous waste in this country. There is tremendous, you know, the bidding procedures on the country, I'll give you an example, medicine. I met with a man that I really like. Elijah Cummings, congressman. And he was in my office. And so passionate about prescription drugs and drugs. The fact that they are so expensive in this country and so expensive for people.

Donald Trump

00:04:18 - 00:04:45 (27 sec)

And I'm going to work and put in this bill or shortly thereafter a new bill, bidding for drugs and prescription drugs. If you go to Europe, they buy them for a fraction, from the same company. They buy them for a fraction. Of what they pay in the United States. Because we have a middleman system. And we have a lot of bad systems but basically we do not have a good bidding system. And we are going to get drug prices so far lower than they are now. Your head will spin.

Tucker Carlson

00:04:45 - 00:05:02 (17 sec)

So, you said in a subsequent bill, let's talk about this bill. So, it's seven years since ObamaCare past. And Republicans have said the whole time, want to get rid of it and give us something better. Are you satisfied that the bill we are now looking at, that Paul Ryan is pushing, is the best Republicans could do after seven years to think about it?

Donald Trump

00:05:02 - 00:05:29 (27 sec)

I think we're going to have negotiation. But you have to understand, we only have 52. We only have two votes. We have two votes margin. And you're always, you know, to get 52 people is very hard. If we had 60 or 60 votes, we could do something differently but we will never going to get a Democrat vote. If I had the greatest bill in the history of the world, they would not vote for us because they hate the Republicans, they probably hate me but they hate the Republicans so badly that they cannot see straight.

Donald Trump

00:05:29 - 00:05:47 (18 sec)

So, they will always vote against us. It's really a shame because -- and that's one of the problems that we have when people coming to my office, about lowering drug prices, lowering other things. The Democrats will always going to vote against us. It's been simmering for years. The hatred has been there for years. Not just with me. I mean, the hatred has been there for years.

Donald Trump

00:05:47 - 00:06:06 (19 sec)

You know, when I was in Washington years ago, I would come in and Republicans would fight with the Democrats during the day and then you would see them after dinner at a restaurant and their families would be out. I mean, they get along. The hatred is so incredible. And honestly, it has been like that for a long time. It has been like that through the Obama years.

Tucker Carlson

00:06:06 - 00:06:07 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:06:07 - 00:06:30 (23 sec)

It's been like that to a large extent through the Bush years. But if we had 60 votes, perhaps we would do it a different way but the only way you're going to get it passed is with Republican votes because the Democrats -- no matter how bad ObamaCare is and it is the worst anybody has seen, it's a disaster. ObamaCare is a disaster. The premiums are going up. Numbers are as high as 116 percent.

Donald Trump

00:06:30 - 00:07:08 (38 sec)

And by the way, this year will be the worst year of all. And I said the other day -- they criticized me. I said, look, Obama is gone. Smart guy. He put things on. Seventeen is going to be the worst year because he is gone. He knew that was the year. I mean, you know, let him be out before it implode. ObamaCare is imploding. It is a disaster. And the Democrats know that. If we had the greatest health care bill ever in history, and we needed eight votes from the Democrats to get us up to the 60 number that you would need? They would not vote for it. It's a very selfish thing. They are doing a very, very bad disservice to the country.

Tucker Carlson

00:07:08 - 00:07:18 (10 sec)

This bill has as one of its centerpieces is tax cuts for investors, that would primarily benefit people making over $250,000 a year. Already done pretty well in the past 10 years as you know.

Donald Trump

00:07:18 - 00:07:18 (0 sec)

Tucker Carlson

00:07:18 - 00:07:29 (11 sec)

A Bloomberg analysis showed that counties that voted for you, middle class and working class counties would do far less well under this bill. The more affluent county.

Donald Trump

00:07:29 - 00:07:30 (1 sec)

Tucker Carlson

00:07:30 - 00:07:33 (3 sec)

It seems like, this isn't consistent with the message of the last election --

Donald Trump

00:07:33 - 00:07:45 (12 sec)

No. A lot of things are inconsistent. But these are going to be negotiated. We have to go to the Senate. We're going to see what happens in the Senate. Now, right now, we have five or six senators that look like maybe they're not -- I am talking about Republicans.

Tucker Carlson

00:07:45 - 00:07:46 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:07:46 - 00:08:13 (27 sec)

Because we're not going to get one Democrat to vote for. Again, if this bill were perfect, if it was the greatest thing for Democrats and Republicans, we will not get one Democrat vote. They're going to vote against it. Because of selfishness, because of stupidity, because it's politics. It's really bad for our country, what is going on. I mean, what's going on for years, but it is really bad for our country. We will take care of our people, I'm not signing it. Okay. Just so you understand, this is --

Tucker Carlson

00:08:13 - 00:08:25 (12 sec)

Paul Ryan. I mean, it doesn't seem like you agree on economics or foreign policy or social policy. Are you confident that you share enough in common that he can -- that he's on board with your interest?

Donald Trump

00:08:25 - 00:08:37 (12 sec)

I think he's on board with the American people. I do believe that strongly. I think he is on board with my presidency. I think he wants to make it very successful. I like him. We have had our run-ins --

Tucker Carlson

00:08:37 - 00:08:37 (0 sec)

Donald Trump

00:08:37 - 00:08:51 (14 sec)

-- as you probably have heard, initially. But I think he is very much what he wants to do the right thing. That I believe 100 percent. We will going to take care of the people and by the way, we're not going to take care of the people. I am not signing anything. I'm not going to be doing it. Just so you understand.

Tucker Carlson

00:08:51 - 00:08:51 (0 sec)

Donald Trump

00:08:51 - 00:09:11 (20 sec)

I am an in a little way, I'm an arbitrator. We have the conservatives, we have the moral liberal side of the Republican Party, we have the left, we have the right. Within the Republicans themselves, we have a lot of fighting going on. We have no Democrats. Again, no matter what we do, we will never get a Democrat. Maybe we'll get one along the way.

Tucker Carlson

00:09:11 - 00:09:12 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:09:12 - 00:09:34 (22 sec)

Now, if we could get -- and the one thing they don't have is phase three, because phase three makes a lot of things very good. But if we could get some Democrats vote, we could change the bill. We could have it different. We could have a repeal which really essentially we have anyway. But we could have a specific repeal. But we are not going to get any Democrats, no matter what we do. It doesn't matter what we do. We're not going to get.

Donald Trump

00:09:34 - 00:09:49 (15 sec)

So, phase three, we will going to get some Democrats, I believe. Because phase three, there will be incentives added. And there are so many good things. Including, that is why I am going to put the bidding for medicine. I am going to put that. I want them to put that in phase three. Phase three is a part of it, you have phase one which you know about.

Tucker Carlson

00:09:49 - 00:09:49 (0 sec)

Donald Trump

00:09:49 - 00:10:14 (25 sec)

Phase two which is really not a phase. That's where our secretary -- who is a terrific guy by the way, Tom Price is going to sign away. He's going to sign his heart away. And he is going to get rid of those horrible things that have been signed over the years. And then phase 3, a lot of the goodies are added in and we're going to add now in medicine. We think we're going to be able to do that. Or I am going to have a separate bill for the bidding of medicine. We will going to bring the cause of medicine way down. Prescription drugs and drugs.

Tucker Carlson

00:10:14 - 00:10:28 (14 sec)

So, on March 4th, 6:35 in the morning, you are down in Florida, and you tweet -- the former administration wiretapped me, surveiled me at Trump Tower during the last election. How did you find out? You said, I just found out.

Donald Trump

00:10:28 - 00:11:10 (42 sec)

Well, I had been reading about things. I read in, I think it was January 28th, a "New York Times" article where they were talking about wiretapping. There was an article, I think they used that exact term it. I read other things. I watched your friend Bret Baier, the day previous where he was talking about certain, very complex sets of things happening and wiretapping. I said, wait a minute, there's lot of wiretapping being talked about. I've been seeing a lot of things. Now, for the most part, I am not going to discuss it because we have it before the committee. And we will be submitting things before the committee very soon that has not been submitted as of yet. But it's potentially a very serious situation.

Tucker Carlson

00:11:10 - 00:11:25 (15 sec)

So, fifty one thousand people re-tweeted that. So, a lot of people thought that was plausible. They believe you, you are the President. You are in charge of the agencies. Every intelligence agency reports to you. Why not immediately go to them and gather evidence to support that?

Donald Trump

00:11:25 - 00:11:58 (33 sec)

Because I don't want to do anything that is going to violate any strength of an agency. You know, we have enough problems. And by the way, with the CIA, I just want people to know, the CIA was hacked and a lot of things were taken. That was during the Obama years. That was not during us. That was during the Obama situation. Mike Pompeo is there now doing a fantastic job. But we will be submitting certain things and I will be perhaps speaking about this next week but it is right now before the committee and I think I want to leave it there. I have a lot of confidence --

Tucker Carlson

00:11:58 - 00:12:02 (4 sec)

Why not wait to tweet about it until you can prove it? Don't you value your words when you can't provide evidence?

Donald Trump

00:12:02 - 00:12:13 (11 sec)

Well, because "The New York Times" wrote about it. You know? Not that I respect "The New York Times," I call it the failing "New York Times," but they did write on January 20th. They're using the word wiretapped. Other people have come out with --

Tucker Carlson

00:12:13 - 00:12:16 (3 sec)

Right. But you're the President, you have the ability to gather all the evidence you want.

Donald Trump

00:12:16 - 00:13:01 (45 sec)

I do. I do. But I think that frankly we have a lot right now. And I think if you watched the Bret Baier and what he was saying, and what he was talking about and how he mentioned the word wiretapped, you would feel very confident that you could mention the name. He mentioned it. And other people have mentioned it but if you take a look at some of the things written about wiretapping, and eavesdropping. And don't forget, when I say, wiretapped, those words were in quotes, that really covers because wiretapping is pretty old-fashioned stuff but that really covers surveillance and many other things. And nobody ever talks about the fact that was in quotes but that's a very important thing. Wiretaps covers a lot of different things. I think you will going to find some very interesting items coming to the forefront over the next two weeks. [End Video Clip]

Tucker Carlson

00:13:01 - 00:13:11 (10 sec)

And you may see some of those on Twitter, the President goes on to talk about tweeting. He's going to keep doing it even though it gets in his own way sometimes. And part two of the interview, the President will tell us why.

Tucker Carlson

00:13:11 - 00:13:19 (8 sec)

And then there is breaking news tonight. The President wrapping up a rally in Nashville, Tennessee, where he addressed the latest threat to his new travel ban, a judge has weighed in. We will go live to Nashville for the latest. Stay tuned.

Tucker Carlson

00:13:19 - 00:13:23 (4 sec)

Welcome back, we traveled to the city of Detroit today in Air Force One and interviewed the President there. Here's part two of that interview.

Tucker Carlson

00:13:23 - 00:13:28 (5 sec)

Do you talk to anyone before you tweet? And is there anyone in the White House who can say to you, Mr. President, please do not tweet that. Who you would listen to?

Donald Trump

00:13:28 - 00:13:48 (20 sec)

Well, let me say this about tweeting, I think that maybe I would not be here if it wasn't for twitter. Because I get such a fake press, such a dishonest press. I mean, if you look at and I'm not including FOX because I think FOX has been fair to me. But if you look at CNN and if you look at these other networks, NBC. I made a fortune for NBC with "The Apprentice." I had a top show where they were doing horribly.

Donald Trump

00:13:48 - 00:14:16 (28 sec)

And I had one of the most successful reality shows of all time. And I was on for 14 seasons. And you see what happens when I am not on. You saw what happened and the show was a disaster. I was on. I was very good to NBC and they are despicable, despicable in their coverage. CBS, ABC, you take a look at what is going on. I call it the fake press, the fake media. It is a disgrace what is happening. So, let me --

Tucker Carlson

00:14:16 - 00:14:26 (10 sec)

I mean, as you know, the response -- look, so you had this big speech on the Joint Session on Tuesday, you had great press all week, bipartisan and then you let off this tweet and immediately people say --

Donald Trump

00:14:26 - 00:14:32 (6 sec)

No, it wasn't that tweet. Excuse me. I had a very successful night. Joint Session.

Tucker Carlson

00:14:32 - 00:14:32 (0 sec)

Donald Trump

00:14:32 - 00:14:37 (5 sec)

Very successful. I got reviews even from people that I would never think I was going to get good reviews, I got great reviews.

Tucker Carlson

00:14:37 - 00:14:38 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:14:38 - 00:15:00 (22 sec)

And then all of a sudden they came up with a new dialogue in order to kill that. So, that speech was hot for about two or three hours after the speech was made. Because they came up with other things having to do with other people that they should not have been able to do and they should not have done but they did it. And you know exactly what I'm talking about. So, the news is not honest. Much of the news. It is not honest.

Donald Trump

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

And when I have close to 100 million people watching me on Twitter, including Facebook, including all of the -- Instagram, including POTUS, including lots of things. But we have, you know, I guess pretty close to 100 million people. I have my own form of media. So, you know, if I tweet two or three or four or five times a day, and if most of them are good -- I really want them all to be good but if I make one mistake in a month, this one, I don't think is going to prove to be a mistake at all.

Tucker Carlson

00:15:33 - 00:15:35 (2 sec)

Do you think it's okay to make because the counter argument --

Donald Trump

00:15:35 - 00:15:36 (1 sec)

Tucker Carlson

00:15:36 - 00:15:46 (10 sec)

-- even from people who support you, who say, look, I support Donald Trump, I believe what he believes and I want him to succeed badly But if the President says something That cannot be proved or is demonstrably untrue That it devalues its own currency.

Donald Trump

00:15:46 - 00:16:11 (25 sec)

Well, let's see whether or not I prove it. Let's see whether or not I prove it. You look at some proof. I mean, let's see whether or not I prove it. I just don't choose to do it right now. I chose to do it before the committee and maybe I will do it before the committee. Maybe, I will do it before I see the result of the committee. But I think we have some very good stuff. And we are on the process of putting it together. And I think it is going to be very demonstrative. But just on Twitter, if I do not do that, I won't get my word out.

Donald Trump

00:16:11 - 00:16:41 (30 sec)

Because when I tell, when I say things, the press does not cover it accurately. They cover it very inaccurately. Much of the press. Some of the press -- by the way, some of the finest people I know are reporters. Reporters are wonderful. I'm talking about the fake media, the fake news. And there is a lot of fake news. So, if I am not going to -- if they are not going to do me the honor or the public the honor of spreading my word accurately as it was meant, and you know exactly what I'm talking about, because there is been nobody in history that got more dishonest media than I have gotten.

Donald Trump

00:16:41 - 00:17:16 (35 sec)

You look at some of the stories in "The New York Times." You look at some of the stories in "The Washington Post." Take a look at what is going on with CBS, and NBC in particular, and ABC, take a look at CNN, it's a complete hit job. No matter what you do, no matter how good, no matter how great it is, they do not report it in a positive fashion. So, when I can reach -- whether it's 90 million or 100 million or 80 million, however many people that may turn out to be when you add everything up and then of course it gets disseminated from there, when I can reach that many people - - twitter is a wonderful thing for me because I get the word out.

Tucker Carlson

00:17:16 - 00:17:19 (3 sec)

Does it ever go through any kind of mediator?

Donald Trump

00:17:19 - 00:17:20 (1 sec)

Sure it does. Sure.

Tucker Carlson

00:17:20 - 00:17:21 (1 sec)

You show your staffs and --

Donald Trump

00:17:21 - 00:17:47 (26 sec)

Sometimes I have something and I will say, what do you think about this? A lot of times my staff comes to me and they say, could you do a tweet of this and that because it's not being shown correctly. I mean, they will come to me a lot. And they will say, could you do, I probably wouldn't be -- I am not talking about twitter because it's only Twitter, Facebook and lots of other things. Okay? But I might not be here talking to you right now as president if I did not have an honest way of getting the word out.

Tucker Carlson

00:17:47 - 00:18:03 (16 sec)

Last question. European nationalism obviously is flowering and a lot of it is about immigration and culture. Do you think it's possible to move a large Muslim population into the West and successfully integrate them into Western culture? Have you seen that anywhere?

Donald Trump

00:18:03 - 00:18:17 (14 sec)

Well, it's not easy and it certainly has not been easy. You look at Germany. You know, I took a lot of heat over Sweden. And then the next day, they have this massive riot, now nobody talks about it. It certainly has not proven to be easy. At the same time -- [Crosstalk]

Donald Trump

00:18:17 - 00:18:54 (37 sec)

Well, they have been trying, and we will let you know. The assimilation has been very, very hard. It's been a very, very difficult process. I want this country to be safe. I want this country to be great. It's called make America great again. That's why I got elected. I want people that love our country and many Muslims do. Many many Muslims do. But it has been a hard process. If you look at Germany what's happened, if you look at Sweden what's happened, if you look at Brussels -- take a look at Brussels, I mean, look at what is going on. Take a look at so many other places. It has been a very hard process. We are going to try very, very hard to make it work.

Tucker Carlson

00:18:54 - 00:18:54 (0 sec)

Mr. President, thanks.

Donald Trump

00:18:54 - 00:18:56 (2 sec)

Thank you very much. [End Video Clip]