Transcript - MSNBC: Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski Interview Donald Trump - August 4, 2015 | Factba.se

Joe Scarborough

00:00:00 - 00:00:26 (26 sec)

Donald Trump is with us. Donald, I know you don't like talking about yourself but we're talking about you for you. There have been a spate of new polls out this morning. I know you don't look at polls. But they all have you doubling the field. The state polls are even more impressive. New Hampshire, South Carolina, you're blowing the field away. What -- what's -- what do you do, Donald, going into the debate? Do you play it safe now that you're in first place by a comfortable margin?

Donald Trump

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

[On the Phone] Well, we're doing really well if Iowa, too. I don't know if you've seen that poll so I'm very happy about that.

Joe Scarborough

00:00:31 - 00:00:33 (2 sec)

No, tell us about the Iowa poll.

Mika Brzezinski

00:00:33 - 00:00:33 (0 sec)

Donald Trump

00:00:33 - 00:00:41 (8 sec)

A great poll. And it just -- I guess it just came out or it came out recently, but I was told we are doing very, very, well in Iowa.

Joe Scarborough

00:00:41 - 00:00:42 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

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

So, that's good.

Joe Scarborough

00:00:44 - 00:01:07 (23 sec)

What's happening, Donald? I mean, you're shocking everybody in the political class. Why are you doubling your closest competitors? And why in New Jersey to -- what was it, 39 percent denying or 43 percent denying people in New Hampshire think you can run the economy better than anybody else?

Donald Trump

00:01:07 - 00:01:40 (33 sec)

Well, I've had a great record of business. I mean, my business has been phenomenal and I built a great business. And the only reason I say that is because I think people concur with that. They see my projects all over the country, all over the world. They're great projects. The real number happens to be over $10 billion in net worth, by the way. When the Bloomberg guys and the Forbes -- Forbes is $4 or $5 billion, but they have no idea what I own. And it's irrelevant. I mean, you get to the - [Crosstalk]

Joe Scarborough

00:01:40 - 00:01:42 (2 sec)

Yeah, everybody knows it.

Donald Trump

00:01:42 - 00:01:58 (16 sec)

But you know, let me just tell you, I've had great success and they, you know, just -- and people see that, and I would put all of that energy and whatever that brain power is, whatever that type of brain, into making our country successful and our country grow again. [Crosstalk]

Joe Scarborough

00:01:58 - 00:02:24 (26 sec)

So Donald, why is it -- why do you think it's so hard for people to say, hey, we've been talking how Mika got pounded over the past couple months for saying that you were going to be a force in this race. Why is it so hard for people to admit that? Why has it been so hard for people to admit that you actually could be a relevant force in this race?

Donald Trump

00:02:24 - 00:02:30 (6 sec)

Well, you know, you sort of alluded to it. I've sort of had it all my life. I've had it in real estate.

Donald Trump

00:02:30 - 00:02:40 (10 sec)

I came in from Brooklyn. My father was a Brooklyn builder, and Brooklyn and Queens. And I said, Pop, I really want to go to Manhattan.

Donald Trump

00:02:40 - 00:02:44 (4 sec)

And you know, he said -- and I had a great father. He's a tough cookie but he was really good, taught me a lot.

Donald Trump

00:02:44 - 00:02:50 (6 sec)

I said I want to go into Manhattan. And he said, son, that's not our territory. We should stay here.

Donald Trump

00:02:50 - 00:03:15 (25 sec)

That's not -- you know nothing about that. But I want to build big building, Pop. And you know, it was sort of like the same thing.

Donald Trump

00:03:15 - 00:03:21 (6 sec)

And I went into Manhattan and I did phenomenally in Manhattan. And now we are all over the world.

Donald Trump

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

And it's always like -- it's always a little bit of a struggle to get people to understand it. And they don't necessarily love writing positive.

Donald Trump

00:03:31 - 00:03:57 (26 sec)

But in the end, you just have to keep chugging forward. You sort of know that very well, Joe, you and Mika. But you just keep chugging, chugging, chugging. And I think that people are tired, they're sick and tired of incompetent politicians. Nobody knows the politicians better than me. Don't forget, three months ago I was on the other side of the ledger, I was the fairhaired boy in the RNC. I was the fairhaired boy with the governor's thing.

Donald Trump

00:03:57 - 00:04:28 (31 sec)

I gave $350,000 last year to the Republican governors. And you don't even get letters of thank you. You know, you give money, it's like fungible -- you give money, they don't even say thank you anymore. That's how crazy it is. But I think when I get up and speak, I get the biggest crowds. We get standing ovations. And all we do is talk about how great our country could be. And I mean it. Our country has such a potential. But if it continues to go this path, it's going to be almost impossible to bring it back. It's really far down the line.

Mika Brzezinski

00:04:28 - 00:04:50 (22 sec)

OK, so let's start there. Let's talk about your vision to make America great again. And give me one policy that would be a goal, a singular goal, to accomplish in a Trump presidency. Like, we were talking in the past hour about college debt. We have been talking about wages. What is your goal? What do you think you have to do while in office to make America great again? A policy.

Donald Trump

00:04:50 - 00:05:01 (11 sec)

Well, you could have a conversation for hours on that and we could -- we'd still have plenty left over. But one of the things we have to start, because it does have to do with the wealth of a country -- we are a debtor nation.

Donald Trump

00:05:01 - 00:05:07 (6 sec)

We owe $18 trillion, going up to $21, $22 trillion, very rapidly now. You watch what happens.

Donald Trump

00:05:07 - 00:05:20 (13 sec)

Because Obamacare is going to start kicking in. That's a disaster for the country in many ways, a disaster for the people and a disaster for the balance sheet, so to speak. But we have to negotiate great trade deals.

Donald Trump

00:05:20 - 00:05:26 (6 sec)

I would get the best guys -- Carl Icahn is a friend of mine. I'd say Carl, congratulations, handle China.

Donald Trump

00:05:26 - 00:05:32 (6 sec)

I'd get other guys like Carl. I'd say, good luck, here's Japan. Believe me, we will do so well.

Donald Trump

00:05:32 - 00:05:44 (12 sec)

We will make so much. I was in Los Angeles two weeks ago. I see ships coming if from Japan, millions and millions of cars coming in from Japan, all the time, constantly.

Donald Trump

00:05:44 - 00:05:49 (5 sec)

And we give them -- what do we give them? We give them beef. And they don't want it.

Donald Trump

00:05:49 - 00:06:17 (28 sec)

They fight. They picket when we send them our beef. They don't want it. And it's just so imbalanced and so unfair and it comes in tax free, no taxes, no nothing. Instead of building cars in this country -- and you have to negotiate. I mean, who is our chief negotiator with Japan? Caroline Kennedy. She was shocked that she got the job. She said, I can't believe they gave me the job, ambassador to Japan. And she is dealing with a killer Abe who really has done a great job.

Donald Trump

00:06:17 - 00:06:36 (19 sec)

By the way, devaluing the hell out of the yen, that of their currency. So I think, Mika, if you ask me, there are so many things, but we have to strengthen up the borders, we have to get rid of the executive orders where everybody can just come in and enjoy your life. You know, the nice thing about an executive order, the new president can come in and sign it away immediately.

Joe Scarborough

00:06:36 - 00:06:36 (0 sec)

Donald Trump

00:06:36 - 00:06:50 (14 sec)

You don't have to worry about Congress or anything else. But we have to have great trade deals. Mexico, as an example, is killing us on the border. And I have a great relationship with Mexico. They buy my apartments, I have thousands of people over the years -

Joe Scarborough

00:06:50 - 00:06:52 (2 sec)

Donald Trump

00:06:52 - 00:06:59 (7 sec)

'-- have worked for me. But we have to make great trade deals. Because we have to make our country rich again. We can't let all these other nations steal our jobs. They're stealing our manufacturing.

Joe Scarborough

00:06:59 - 00:07:03 (4 sec)

Donald, we've got a lot of people around the table who want to talk to you.

Donald Trump

00:07:03 - 00:07:03 (0 sec)

Joe Scarborough

00:07:03 - 00:07:04 (1 sec)

So let's go to Willie.

Willie Geist

00:07:04 - 00:07:06 (2 sec)

Donald, Willie Geist, good morning.

Donald Trump

00:07:06 - 00:07:06 (0 sec)

Willie Geist

00:07:06 - 00:07:06 (0 sec)

Good to talk to you.

Donald Trump

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

Willie Geist

00:07:07 - 00:07:11 (4 sec)

One of the biggest issues in this campaign right now on the Republican side is Obamacare.

Donald Trump

00:07:11 - 00:07:11 (0 sec)

Willie Geist

00:07:11 - 00:07:35 (24 sec)

Again, last night at this New Hampshire forum, all the questions, many of them anyway, about repealing it and what you would do to replace it. You were asked the other day what you would do after you repealed Obamacare. You said you would replace it with something terrific. That's a good place to start, but could you be more specific about what you'd put in place? Just this year you were talking to David Letterman on his show, and you were touting the Scottish system, which is kind of a classic single payer. Are you for a single payer health care?

Donald Trump

00:07:35 - 00:07:43 (8 sec)

No, but it's certainly something that in certain countries works. It actually works incredibly well in Scotland. Some people thinks it works -- think it really works in Canada.

Donald Trump

00:07:43 - 00:07:50 (7 sec)

But not here; I don't think it would work as well here. What has to happen -- I like the concept of private enterprise coming in.

Donald Trump

00:07:50 - 00:07:57 (7 sec)

But you know, the insurance companies are making a fortune, Willie, on Obamacare. They're -- you look at their stocks, they're making an absolute fortune.

Donald Trump

00:07:57 - 00:08:02 (5 sec)

This was done almost you could say for the insurance companies. Everyone thought oh, maybe they'd be hurt.

Donald Trump

00:08:02 - 00:08:32 (30 sec)

They're doing great. You have to create competition. And you have to go back to a system of private. And the private has to -- you have to get rid of the artificial lines drawn around every state. When I negotiate for health care, I have one bidder. I never get bidders. I'd like to have a bidder from Iowa, I'd like to have a bidder from New Hampshire, I'd like to have a bidder from California. I'd like to have 100 bidders. The only thing the government should be involved in is making sure that those bidders are strong, where the companies don't go down financially.

Joe Scarborough

00:08:32 - 00:08:38 (6 sec)

But instead, there is only one person you are bidding against, so of course the health care costs, Mike Barnicle, are sky high.

Donald Trump

00:08:38 - 00:09:05 (27 sec)

Joe, I can't bid against anybody. There's like one group that comes in all the time. I say get me more, get me more. And they're not allowed. If I want to go to New Jersey, or if I'm in New Jersey and I want New York, I can't bid anybody. I get one or two people, one or two groups, and they're not even good groups. And they give lousy service, lousy treatment. And the reason that is is because they make a fortune. Because they have the politicians taken care of with their lobbyists and the special interests and the donors.

Joe Scarborough

00:09:05 - 00:09:06 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:09:06 - 00:09:07 (1 sec)

And one of the things they like --

Joe Scarborough

00:09:07 - 00:09:09 (2 sec)

So there's no competition.

Donald Trump

00:09:09 - 00:09:17 (8 sec)

There's no competition. Joe, one of the things people like about me, nobody is taking care of me. I don't need anybody to take care of me.

Donald Trump

00:09:17 - 00:09:38 (21 sec)

And I think that really a lot of people like that. One other thing on health care -- by the way, you get great plans, they'd be much more reasonable. They'd be rich as hell, they'd be beautiful, and people would be happy. But you got to take care of the people, and this is where I get myself into trouble with some Republicans. Because, believe it or not, I have a heart. We have to take care of the people that have no money, that can't afford to take care of themselves.

Joe Scarborough

00:09:38 - 00:09:39 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:09:39 - 00:09:51 (12 sec)

And I say for those people, maybe you're talking about 25 percent, 20-something percent. For those people, I'd work out deals with hospitals. Which, by the way, are not doing well. Hospitals are not doing well.

Joe Scarborough

00:09:51 - 00:09:56 (5 sec)

No. Hey, Donald, so let's keep this moving. This is fascinating. We go to Mike Barnicle now.

Mike Barnicle

00:09:56 - 00:09:59 (3 sec)

Well, he's correct on the insurance cartel, certainly.

Joe Scarborough

00:09:59 - 00:10:00 (1 sec)

Mike Barnicle

00:10:00 - 00:10:00 (0 sec)

Joe Scarborough

00:10:00 - 00:10:01 (1 sec)

And there's no competition.

Mike Barnicle

00:10:01 - 00:10:02 (1 sec)

He's absolutely correct.

Joe Scarborough

00:10:02 - 00:10:04 (2 sec)

Everybody is making so much money.

Donald Trump

00:10:04 - 00:10:05 (1 sec)

The insurance companies are -- [Crosstalk]

Joe Scarborough

00:10:05 - 00:10:08 (3 sec)

And that's why health care is so expensive.

Mike Barnicle

00:10:08 - 00:10:09 (1 sec)

He's absolutely correct.

Donald Trump

00:10:09 - 00:10:17 (8 sec)

Hey, Mike -- Mike, the insurance companies are making a fortune because they have special interest, where Obama does whatever they want them to do. That's what happened with Obamacare.

Mike Barnicle

00:10:17 - 00:10:39 (22 sec)

Mr. Trump, when the news stories and the newspapers and the TV networks aren't talk accounts about Donald Trump, a lot of the time and space is filled with stories about gun massacre after gun massacre in this country. What would you do about the gun shows, where it's easier, when you go to a gun show, it's easier to get a handgun than it is a library card?

Donald Trump

00:10:39 - 00:10:45 (6 sec)

Well, I must tell you, Mike, I'm a Second Amendment person. I'm big on the Second Amendment person.

Donald Trump

00:10:45 - 00:11:11 (26 sec)

And you have some very sick people that shouldn't have guns and we're all into that and everybody agrees with that. You have some real whack jobs, and it would be nice if communities would report these people. You know, so often, when you have a shooting, they go back to the community, and the community, half of the people say, oh yeah, we always knew he'd be trouble. We always knew he was a sick puppy, et cetera, et cetera. But I'm very big into the Second Amendment and I believe in the Second Amendment. And I think you need it for protection and everything else.

Joe Scarborough

00:11:11 - 00:11:11 (0 sec)

Mark Halperin

00:11:11 - 00:11:13 (2 sec)

Mr. Trump, good morning.

Donald Trump

00:11:13 - 00:11:13 (0 sec)

Mark Halperin

00:11:13 - 00:11:30 (17 sec)

We were talking earlier today about whether you can build an organization. You're the candidate, not the campaign manager. You've got message, obviously. So did Barack Obama. But he built a big organization. What are your plans and commitment to your supporters to do -- build a field operation, to do grassroots organizing, in places like Iowa and New Hampshire?

Donald Trump

00:11:30 - 00:11:39 (9 sec)

Well, you know, what people don't understand is that I have a big organization. There are those that say I have the biggest organization in -- as an example, in Iowa.

Donald Trump

00:11:39 - 00:11:46 (7 sec)

I have Chuck Laudner, who is fantastic. And he's got I think 12 or 14 people with him. I've got in New Hampshire a great organization.

Donald Trump

00:11:46 - 00:11:53 (7 sec)

And it's a -- and those two states I just have such a great relationship with the people there. I go there, the crowds we get are unbelievable.

Donald Trump

00:11:53 - 00:11:59 (6 sec)

And it's been so much fun. But we have a big organization in New Hampshire. We have a big organization in South Carolina.

Donald Trump

00:11:59 - 00:12:31 (32 sec)

And by the way, a South Carolina poll just came out. And I think I was at like 34 or 35 percent and other people were like at 9. But in South Carolina, we have a very big organization. We have terrific people. Real, proven winners. And I have a big organization and a lot of people don't write that. I think you started to see it, Mark, in all fairness, but I have -- I think I might have more people than almost anybody, almost any organization. And by the way, that's funded with my money, not with a lobbyist's money.

Joe Scarborough

00:12:31 - 00:12:59 (28 sec)

I think it's fascinating, you talk about the outsiders. Outsiders -- it's very interesting that somebody that's been as successful as Donald Trump is still viewed as an outsider. He's viewed as an outsider in Washington and I love the story they began with, Willie, talking about he's a Brooklyn guy and a Queens guy, who told his dad he wanted to go into Manhattan and build big buildings. And there's a pushback; there is a Manhattan pushback. There's just -- it's always -- but you know what? That happens all the time.

Donald Trump

00:12:59 - 00:13:07 (8 sec)

Joe, Willie's father, the great William Geist, wrote that story, the cover of The New York Times Sunday magazine.

Willie Geist

00:13:07 - 00:13:09 (2 sec)

It's true, that is a true story.

Donald Trump

00:13:09 - 00:13:14 (5 sec)

OK, and he actually wrote that story, many years ago, I don't know what that was.

Willie Geist

00:13:14 - 00:13:15 (1 sec)

'84, Donald, 1984.

Mika Brzezinski

00:13:15 - 00:13:19 (4 sec)

Wait a minute, Donald, if you're going to bring up stuff from the past, did Larry King really have bad breath?

Donald Trump

00:13:19 - 00:13:34 (15 sec)

No, actually, that was funny. He said you're able -- it was -- he had to watch it because I get a lot of heat for that and I would never do that to a person. Larry said you are able to put people off guard and to make people really uncomfortable if you want.

Donald Trump

00:13:34 - 00:13:54 (20 sec)

How do you do that? What do you do? I said, Larry, your breath is terrible. And he goes, what, what? And it was really in response to -- if you would go about three minutes earlier, he was talking how I, I don't know if it's true or not, but he said you have an ability to really make people feel uncomfortable and then go for the kill. And he gets -- and he said, how do you do that? And I said, Larry, your breath is terrible. And he didn't know I was responding to his question. [Laughter]

Mark Halperin

00:13:54 - 00:13:56 (2 sec)

Oh, did you say that to Scott Walker? [Crosstalk]

Donald Trump

00:13:56 - 00:14:00 (4 sec)

And you know what? They never played the first part, they only play the Larry

Mika Brzezinski

00:14:00 - 00:14:01 (1 sec)

So he did not have bad breath, actually.

Donald Trump

00:14:01 - 00:14:05 (4 sec)

So it's one of those -- he didn't have bad breath actually.

Mika Brzezinski

00:14:05 - 00:14:08 (3 sec)

OK, I'm glad. I'm going to take notes.

Willie Geist

00:14:08 - 00:14:10 (2 sec)

He was a spokesman for the Garlique. [Crosstalk]

Mika Brzezinski

00:14:10 - 00:14:13 (3 sec)

You got him a career in Garlique.

Joe Scarborough

00:14:13 - 00:14:14 (1 sec)

Willie Geist

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

Hey, Donald, let me ask you. These polls that we've seen over the last couple of days have been astounding. You're doubling the field in many of them. There was one in our NBC poll, one bit of discouraging news for you. As you know one of the big reasons Mitt Romney lost the four years ago was he got creamed among Latinos, won 23 percent of the vote. Our NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll shows you have a 75 percent unfavorable rating among Latino voters, only 13 percent favorable. How can you win a nomination with those numbers?

Donald Trump

00:14:42 - 00:14:55 (13 sec)

I'm going to win the Latinos. You know, I have thousands that work for me right now. I have -- and by the way, there was a poll out recently, a Latino poll, where I was at 35 percent and I was leading in the Latinos.

Donald Trump

00:14:55 - 00:15:04 (9 sec)

I will find it for you. There is another one in Nevada where -- at 35 percent, I'm way ahead in Nevada of everybody else. I'm in the mid-30s.

Donald Trump

00:15:04 - 00:15:39 (35 sec)

And with Hispanics I was even higher than I was in the regular numbers, and I won the Hispanics by a lot. So I think I'm going to do it. I think what's going to happen -- hey, look, I'm talking illegal immigration. A lot of Hispanics that are legally in this country, they agree with me. I'm getting letters and calls all the time. I think I'm going to win -- this will surprise you. I think I'm going to win the Hispanics and I think I am going to win the African-American vote.

Joe Scarborough

00:15:39 - 00:15:40 (1 sec)

Mika Brzezinski

00:15:40 - 00:15:42 (2 sec)

Donald Trump

00:15:42 - 00:16:00 (18 sec)

Because I create jobs and they want jobs. They don't want jobs from China, taking away from China. And all of these countries that are taking our jobs, they are ripping our country to the shreds. And with me, that will not happen.

Mika Brzezinski

00:16:00 - 00:16:05 (5 sec)

Donald Trump, always good to have you on this show. Thank you very much.

Joe Scarborough

00:16:05 - 00:16:11 (6 sec)

Good luck out there. Good luck on Friday.

Donald Trump

00:16:11 - 00:16:13 (2 sec)

Thank you very much.

Mika Brzezinski

00:16:13 - 00:16:15 (2 sec)

Going to be fun to watch.