Transcript - Interview: Jesse Watters With Donald Trump on Fox News' Watters World - March 15, 2017 | Factba.se

Jessie Watters

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

President Trump, welcome back the Watters World. How does it feel?

Donald Trump

00:00:03 - 00:00:07 (4 sec)

It feels great, and it feels great to be with you, and you've been so nice, and thank you.

Jessie Watters

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

Well, flattery will get you everywhere. Now, the last time I spoke to you, I presented a signed photograph of myself at Trump Tower. Have you hung it on your wall yet?

Donald Trump

00:00:14 - 00:00:16 (2 sec)

Oh, absolutely, right on that wall.

Jessie Watters

00:00:16 - 00:00:18 (2 sec)

That's fake news. I don't believe it.

Donald Trump

00:00:18 - 00:00:19 (1 sec)

That was fake news.

Jessie Watters

00:00:19 - 00:00:25 (6 sec)

Obamacare repeal could be President Trump's first deal. Are you going to close it?

Donald Trump

00:00:25 - 00:00:51 (26 sec)

Well, I think it's going to be... never easy. You know, health care is a very complex subject. I've been saying that for a long time now, people are agreeing with me. They understand. And not complex for the ordinary reason, Jesse. It's complex because you take this group, and you have to make them happy, and they become unhappy. Now you make them happy, and they become... so it's back and forth. The answer is yes, we're going to get something done. I think it's going to be terrific, and it's going to be so much better than Obamacare, which really doesn't exist.

Jessie Watters

00:00:51 - 00:00:51 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:00:51 - 00:01:03 (12 sec)

Because if you allow it to exist for another year, it's going to implode. And you know, I've been saying for a long time, just walk away for one year they'll come back. The Democrats who, if you gave them a Democrat Bill to approve, they wouldn't approve it.

Jessie Watters

00:01:03 - 00:01:03 (0 sec)

Donald Trump

00:01:03 - 00:01:19 (16 sec)

They wouldn't give you one vote. It's really a bad situation out there, so and it's been that way for years, not just now, it's been that way for years. But if I put together a perfect Democrat Bill on health care, or anything else for them to sign, you wouldn't get one vote. It's a pretty bad deal.

Jessie Watters

00:01:19 - 00:01:26 (7 sec)

People like Senator Rand Paul, who you ridiculed during the debate, could mess this thing up.

Donald Trump

00:01:26 - 00:01:33 (7 sec)

[Begin Video Clip] Rand Paul shouldn't even be on this stage. He's number 11, he's got one percent in the polls, and how he got up here... there's far too many people anyway. [End Video Clip]

Donald Trump

00:01:33 - 00:01:38 (5 sec)

I like him, he's become a friend of mine, and it's hard to believe I ridiculed, because he's a good guy.

Jessie Watters

00:01:38 - 00:01:40 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:01:40 - 00:01:45 (5 sec)

And he means well, and I think, ultimately, we're going to all come together.

Jessie Watters

00:01:45 - 00:01:45 (1 sec)

It's gonna get done?

Donald Trump

00:01:45 - 00:01:54 (8 sec)

We want something done, and also we want to start on the taxes. We're going to cut everybody's taxes, including business taxes, the middle income taxes -- everything is going to be cut.

Jessie Watters

00:01:54 - 00:01:55 (1 sec)

Incomes taxes...

Donald Trump

00:01:55 - 00:01:56 (2 sec)

And I can't do that until we get this done.

Jessie Watters

00:01:56 - 00:02:00 (4 sec)

The income tax rate. What are we talking about? What would you like to see the top rate be?

Donald Trump

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

Well, we're going to get a big reduction. We're going to bring business down to 15 to 20 percent from 36 and 38, and even higher that, in certain instances. We're the highest taxed nation in the world. We're going to bring taxes way down. And for middle-income we're also getting rid of brackets. We're going from seven to three or four brackets, and that will be such a pleasure.

Jessie Watters

00:02:21 - 00:02:23 (2 sec)

What would you like to see the brackets look like?

Donald Trump

00:02:23 - 00:02:29 (6 sec)

Well I'd like to see zero. If you don't make much, like zero, and that's what's it's going to be it's going to be zero up to a level.

Jessie Watters

00:02:29 - 00:02:30 (0 sec)

Donald Trump

00:02:30 - 00:02:41 (12 sec)

And then it's going to be 12 1/2 percent, 15 percent, It's going to be 10 percent. We're working on the different numbers, but it's going to be much lower than it is right now. It'll be the biggest tax cut since Reagan, and probably bigger than Reagan.

Jessie Watters

00:02:41 - 00:02:43 (2 sec)

Very good, because I need the money.

Donald Trump

00:02:43 - 00:02:47 (5 sec)

But, before we do that we have to get... Good, but you're in that high bracket, I hope . I hope right now, you're in the high bracket.

Jessie Watters

00:02:47 - 00:02:54 (7 sec)

Yeah, well, we saw some of your returns. These people over at NBC News doing everything they can to take you down.

Rachel Maddow

00:02:54 - 00:03:03 (9 sec)

[Begin Video Clip] What I have here is a copy of Donald Trump's tax returns. We have his federal tax return for one year, for 2005. [End Video Clip]

Jessie Watters

00:03:03 - 00:03:10 (7 sec)

I thought you leaked those returns yourself. It made you look good. You made $135 million and paid a lot of dough to Uncle Sam.

Donald Trump

00:03:10 - 00:03:31 (21 sec)

You know, they're bad people. There's something wrong with them. They leaked them. It's illegal to do what they did. I think, you know, I always heard that a tax return was a very sacred kind of a thing. You don't leak them, you're not allowed to. It's criminally offensive, but they put them out and I think it was ter.. I mean, not that... they're good from that standpoint.

Jessie Watters

00:03:31 - 00:03:32 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:03:32 - 00:03:32 (1 sec)

My tax returns are good.

Jessie Watters

00:03:32 - 00:03:33 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:03:33 - 00:03:35 (2 sec)

All of my tax returns are good.

Jessie Watters

00:03:35 - 00:03:39 (3 sec)

Yeah, but are you going after these leakers hard?

Donald Trump

00:03:39 - 00:03:54 (16 sec)

But.. we're thinking about it. We're looking at it. But it's terrible what's going on in Washington. We have a certain establishments out there, that's leaking, and if it gets down to other things, even more important than that, but a tax returns a very important thing and you're not supposed to be leaking them and they do.

Jessie Watters

00:03:54 - 00:03:55 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:03:55 - 00:03:59 (4 sec)

Which is, they just don't respect the law and we have to change that.

Jessie Watters

00:03:59 - 00:04:12 (14 sec)

Right. The anti-Trump resistance is out there in the streets, some of it is in the federal government. How much do you think is that genuine anger, and how much do you think that someone, like President Obama pulling the strings from behind the scenes?

Donald Trump

00:04:12 - 00:04:18 (5 sec)

It might be everything you know, there's some anger, and there is great love on our side. I mean look at the crowds outside.

Jessie Watters

00:04:18 - 00:04:18 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:04:18 - 00:04:37 (18 sec)

We have... we have crowds. We have Senator Lamar Alexander, we have Senator Corker, we have the Governor of the state, Governor of Tennessee, great guy, and, and they say, they've never seen crowds like that ever. They've been here a long time, They've never seen anything like it, for the country stars, for anything, and that's love. We have great love, that's how we won.

Jessie Watters

00:04:37 - 00:04:44 (7 sec)

You have a lot of love on your side, and then there's also people burning things in the street. You think President Obama wants you to succeed?

Donald Trump

00:04:44 - 00:05:10 (26 sec)

Well, you know he's been very nice to me personally, but his people haven't been nice, and there's great animosity out there. There's great anger. Leaking is just one example of it, in some cases, a very serious example of it, but leaking and the the the level of anger is hard to believe. So, while he's nice personally, there doesn't seem to be a lot of nice things happening behind the scenes, and that's unfortunate.

Jessie Watters

00:05:10 - 00:05:15 (5 sec)

The media, pretty vicious. Not just to you, but to your family. How do you process that?

Donald Trump

00:05:15 - 00:05:25 (10 sec)

You just have to go on. You know, we've done a great job in terms of manufacturing, in terms of the market, in terms of business optimism. I don't know if you saw, optimism is up, the highest and 15 years...

Jessie Watters

00:05:25 - 00:05:25 (0 sec)

Donald Trump

00:05:25 - 00:05:36 (10 sec)

.. and much more than that, it'll turn out to be. Things are just going really well for the country. You look at the border, down now: 61 percent since the inauguration.

Jessie Watters

00:05:36 - 00:05:36 (0 sec)

Donald Trump

00:05:36 - 00:06:23 (47 sec)

Stock markets up 15 percent, almost 16 percent, since the inauguration. Over $3 trillion of value has been created. Many jobs have been created. I mean we're really... look. I inherited a mess, okay? The Middle East was a mess. People wanting to get jobs is a mess, despite the numbers. You know, you hear numbers, but you have millions of people out there that want to get jobs, they can't get jobs, because we don't have good jobs. But they're coming back. Ford is coming back. General Motors is coming back. Fiat Chrysler is coming back. We just had a big meeting in Detroit with the car manufacturers and it was unbelievable. What's going to be happening. So, ultimately, that's the thing that talks, and, as you probably saw the polls that came out today, I'm at my all-time high for this. So we'll just keep going.

Jessie Watters

00:06:23 - 00:06:26 (3 sec)

You're still paying attention to the polls, aren't you.

Donald Trump

00:06:26 - 00:06:31 (5 sec)

I do. I pay... the only ones, I guess I shouldn't have paid attention to was the exit polls during Election Day...

Jessie Watters

00:06:31 - 00:06:31 (0 sec)

Donald Trump

00:06:31 - 00:06:36 (4 sec)

...Because they was saying, boy, I think I'm doing better than that, and it turned out that we did.

Jessie Watters

00:06:36 - 00:06:38 (2 sec)

Very good. Let's do a Watters World Quiz.

Donald Trump

00:06:38 - 00:06:38 (0 sec)

Jessie Watters

00:06:38 - 00:06:39 (1 sec)

Don't be nervous.

Donald Trump

00:06:39 - 00:06:40 (1 sec)

Okay, I won't, I promise.

Jessie Watters

00:06:40 - 00:06:51 (11 sec)

Chuck Schumer, the president of CNN, and Alec Baldwin. If you had to fire one person, right now, who would you fire?

Donald Trump

00:06:51 - 00:07:00 (9 sec)

Well, I think the Alec Baldwin situation is not good. Chuck, I'm very disappointed, because he's a guy that should make deals for the people...

Jessie Watters

00:07:00 - 00:07:01 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:07:01 - 00:07:24 (23 sec)

...as a Democrat or a Republican. I thought he'd be a dealmaker, and instead he's just an obstructionist, so I'm disappointed in him. And Jeff Zucker, I mean I got him the job. I recommended him... and I didn't recommend him, I got him the job, and CNN is just, you know, fake news. Who would I say... I just.. I don't want to say, but I will say I'm disappointed in all three. I think the portrayal of me is ridiculous.

Alec Baldwin

00:07:24 - 00:07:29 (5 sec)

[Begin Video Clip] Hi Steve, you look rested. [End Video Clip]

Jessie Watters

00:07:29 - 00:07:35 (6 sec)

Next question. What is going to be done first: building the wall or defeating ISIS?

Donald Trump

00:07:35 - 00:07:53 (17 sec)

Well, you see we're doing very well in the Middle East over the last four weeks. That's another thing. I mean, we're not playing games anymore, and relating the generals and the captains and the majors and the people on the ground that graduated from West Point and Annapolis, and they've graduated from the Air Force Academy, and they're out there doing their thing.

Donald Trump

00:07:53 - 00:08:06 (13 sec)

But I think the wall is going to start very soon. We had almost 200 bidders to build a wall. We have great pricing coming in. We have some great designs coming, and I think the walls going to start very soon.

Jessie Watters

00:08:06 - 00:08:08 (2 sec)

Are you going to pick the design for the wall?

Donald Trump

00:08:08 - 00:08:15 (7 sec)

I'll be very much involved, General Kelly's done a fantastic job. When it comes to design, I'm very good at that stuff, and building on time on budget? That's what I do.

Jessie Watters

00:08:15 - 00:08:18 (3 sec)

Ok, let me know when they break around, I might be down there with a shovel.

Donald Trump

00:08:18 - 00:08:19 (1 sec)

Good, maybe I'll be down there with you.

Jessie Watters

00:08:19 - 00:08:30 (10 sec)

Ok, the lightning round. This is the last part. I'm going to name a name, and then you give one or two words to describe that person, ok? Kellyanne Conway.

Donald Trump

00:08:30 - 00:08:33 (3 sec)

Very nice woman.

Jessie Watters

00:08:33 - 00:08:34 (1 sec)

Hillary Clinton.

Donald Trump

00:08:34 - 00:08:37 (3 sec)

Jessie Watters

00:08:37 - 00:08:39 (2 sec)

Donald Trump

00:08:39 - 00:08:47 (8 sec)

Backed me all the way, but when I wouldn't return his phone calls, he went the other way, picked the wrong horse.

Jessie Watters

00:08:47 - 00:08:50 (2 sec)

Yes, he did. Vladimir Putin.

Donald Trump

00:08:50 - 00:09:02 (12 sec)

Don't know him, but certainly he is a tough cookie, and I don't know how he's doing for Russia. We're going to find out one day, I guess.

Jessie Watters

00:09:02 - 00:09:03 (1 sec)

Elizabeth Warren.

Donald Trump

00:09:03 - 00:09:10 (7 sec)

I think she'd lose so badly. I think she hurt, honestly, I think she hurt Hillary Clinton very badly.

Jessie Watters

00:09:10 - 00:09:11 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:09:11 - 00:09:23 (12 sec)

I watched those speeches, the anger, the hatred in her heart, and I said, you know, she's really bad for Hillary. I watched that last couple of weeks where she was getting up with that craziness and that anger.

Elizabeth Warren

00:09:23 - 00:09:32 (10 sec)

[Begin Video Clip] I got news for you, Donald Trump. Women have had it with guys like you, and nasty women have really had it with guys like you. [End Video Clip].

Donald Trump

00:09:32 - 00:09:39 (6 sec)

Pocahontas would not be proud of her, as her representative, believe me.

Jessie Watters

00:09:39 - 00:09:41 (2 sec)

I think she's probably going to run against you, Elizabeth Warren.

Donald Trump

00:09:41 - 00:09:45 (4 sec)

I hope so. What do I have... that would be a dream come true.

Jessie Watters

00:09:45 - 00:09:48 (3 sec)

Donald Trump

00:09:48 - 00:10:10 (22 sec)

Well, look. I think it was terrible, because, not because of me, I think it's terrible to do that to any president, any person, I think it was pretty low life. His career is failing, and getting a lot of publicity on it, but I think, I think it was a terrible thing to do, personally.

Jessie Watters

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

Jessie Watters

00:10:11 - 00:10:17 (6 sec)

Great guy. Nobody would know that. Nobody would understand it, and don't kid yourself, he's a talented guy.

Jessie Watters

00:10:17 - 00:10:20 (3 sec)

I believe that. Last one: Jesse Watters.

Donald Trump

00:10:20 - 00:10:36 (16 sec)

Tremendous future, tremendous potential. Should be making good money. Your agents should be very happy, and I enjoy your show, and honestly you've been so nice to me that this is why I turned out of the biggest shows on television, and I here am: Watters World.

Jessie Watters

00:10:36 - 00:10:37 (1 sec)

Thank you very much Mr. President.

Donald Trump

00:10:37 - 00:10:38 (1 sec)

Thank you. Thank you, Jesse. Great job.

Jessie Watters

00:10:38 - 00:10:39 (1 sec)