Transcript - MSNBC: Donald Trump Interview on Morning Joe - March 8, 2016 | Factba.se

Mika Brzezinski

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

Right now, joining us by phone, we have Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Mika Brzezinski

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

Donald, good to have you on board.

Donald Trump

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

Mika Brzezinski

00:00:06 - 00:00:20 (14 sec)

Morning. So, I think I'll start off by asking you a question, I have asked you three times now, since we're a talking about foreign policy. I think it was 20 days ago now, our town hall where you said you would be announcing a foreign policy team.

Mika Brzezinski

00:00:20 - 00:00:33 (13 sec)

And you said then it would be a week. And then last time we talked last week you said it would be soon. You have mentioned one name, Jeff Sessions. Who are on your foreign policy team? Who are the giants who are going to join you? [Crosstalk]

Donald Trump

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

Well, I'm not doing it this morning, Mika. You know, you do always ask me that question. And I said I would have it in due time. And I have been meeting with some tremendous people and I haven't made exactly my decision yet, but you'll have it in due time.

Mika Brzezinski

00:00:45 - 00:00:47 (2 sec)

Is there a team?

Donald Trump

00:00:47 - 00:00:58 (11 sec)

Yes, there is a team. There's not a team. I'm going to be forming a team. I have met with far more than three people, and I will be forming a team at the appropriate time.

Mika Brzezinski

00:00:58 - 00:00:58 (0 sec)

Joe Scarborough

00:00:58 - 00:01:13 (15 sec)

All right. So, Donald, there has been a lot of -- there has been a lot of talk about your rallies, where you actually ask people to raise their hands if they're going to support you. They -- Mika, you look upset. Do you want to follow up again with this foreign policy team? Donald, she's giving me that look.

Mika Brzezinski

00:01:13 - 00:01:24 (11 sec)

What? It's just, I mean, at some point, there have to be people who will stand by your side and take on global strategy, and some ideas that you find important that they bring to the table. Who are these people?

Donald Trump

00:01:24 - 00:01:48 (24 sec)

Well, I think Senator Jeff Sessions as an example, who wasn't on board the last time I spoke to you, because he just endorsed me last week, but I think he is a prime example. He is highly respected as senator, and he is somebody I have a lot of respect for. And that would be one to start off it. In addition to that, I'm dealing with numerous other people and I will be making a decision over the fairly short period of time.

Joe Scarborough

00:01:48 - 00:01:59 (11 sec)

All right. So Donald, we -- we've been showing pictures -- we just did it one time. Showing pictures of people raising their hands when you asked them to pledge that they are going to vote for you.

Donald Trump

00:01:59 - 00:01:59 (0 sec)

Joe Scarborough

00:01:59 - 00:02:15 (16 sec)

In the media there have been some people that have -- taken still pictures to make it look like that -- it's Hitler salutes and in fact, we had one person on earlier today saying, Well

Joe Scarborough

00:02:15 - 00:02:31 (16 sec)

Talk about what you're doing when you're having people raising their hands, and are you in any -- in any way, making an attempt to emulate what Hitler or anybody else did with his salutes?

Donald Trump

00:02:31 - 00:02:46 (15 sec)

Boy, is that a stretch. Wow, that's amazing that would even be brought up. Of course not. Of course not. That's ridiculous. This is the first I've heard of it this morning. I was on the Today Show and they mentioned it and I said, what is going on here? I think it's ridiculous.

Joe Scarborough

00:02:46 - 00:02:47 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:02:47 - 00:02:59 (12 sec)

It's absolutely -- you know, I have these massive rallies. We have 25,000 people at some of them -- and more. And we're having actually a great time, considering the subject matter is not so good, meaning the country is not doing well.

Donald Trump

00:02:59 - 00:03:07 (8 sec)

And I say, and jokingly, raise your hand if you want to -- if you swear to endorse me and swear to go vote for me.

Joe Scarborough

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

Donald Trump

00:03:07 - 00:03:18 (11 sec)

And the entire place practically, laughing and having a good time, raises their hands. They're just -- they're raising their hand in the form of a vote, not in the form of a salute. That is crazy. That is crazy.

Joe Scarborough

00:03:18 - 00:03:20 (2 sec)

Right. Yeah. Yeah.

Donald Trump

00:03:20 - 00:03:21 (1 sec)

I can't believe that's even being posed.

Joe Scarborough

00:03:21 - 00:03:28 (7 sec)

Well -- all of us around the table, I think, actually agreed it was equally crazy but needed to ask it.

Joe Scarborough

00:03:28 - 00:03:54 (26 sec)

So, Florida. Right now you're getting absolutely hammered, about $10 million, $12 million in 30-second ads being spent against you. We see that you have an ad going up against Marco Rubio. Are you going to actually put any money behind that ad, or are you going to rely mainly, as you said yesterday, on Facebook and Twitter to respond to over $10 million in attack ads?

Donald Trump

00:03:54 - 00:04:05 (11 sec)

Well, a little bit on Facebook and Twitter, but also we've put up some ads and they're good ads. And spending a couple of million dollars, maybe a few million dollars, I don't know what the final determination is, but they're up.

Donald Trump

00:04:05 - 00:04:30 (25 sec)

We already have ads that are up. And I -- you know, we'll find out if they're effective. But certainly, the establishment is just hammering me with ads. Everybody. Because, you know, I had the big tournament at Doral this week where Adam Scott won. And you know, I am watching the tournament. And I see, during the ad portion I see ads against me, and I am the one having the tournament. I own Doral. So, it's sort of a weird feeling.

Joe Scarborough

00:04:30 - 00:04:30 (0 sec)

Donald Trump

00:04:30 - 00:04:32 (2 sec)

But no, they're spending a lot of money on that.

Joe Scarborough

00:04:32 - 00:04:32 (0 sec)

Donald Trump

00:04:32 - 00:04:45 (13 sec)

The good news is I'm up against a senator who frankly is very unpopular in Florida. He doesn't vote, he doesn't go and vote. And I think if he actually ran for an office there, he wouldn't be elected as dog catcher, honestly.

Joe Scarborough

00:04:45 - 00:04:56 (11 sec)

Donald, does it make it less likely that you can make peace with the establishment after this is all over, because they are spending so much money in attack ads specifically directed at you?

Donald Trump

00:04:56 - 00:05:04 (8 sec)

Well, you know, I have always gotten along with along with people, I think you understand that. I have always gotten along; I've had great relationships with people over the years.

Donald Trump

00:05:04 - 00:05:11 (7 sec)

And I -- you know, I've had feuds and I've had fights with people and I have been able to get along. We'll have to see. I think we can.

Donald Trump

00:05:11 - 00:05:44 (33 sec)

The bottom line is, you know, the biggest story in politics is how many people are showing up to these primaries. I mean, you know, there are 50, 60, 70 percent, millions of additional people over four years ago. Four years ago, they were dying, the Republicans, and now it's been energized. And you know, instead of being given credit, they take ads against me. And I will tell you, if I am out -- if for some reason I'm out, you will lose millions and millions of potential voters out of the Republican Party and I don't think there's any track -- any way that the Republicans can win.

Donald Trump

00:05:44 - 00:05:50 (6 sec)

Frankly, if you take all of these new energized people -- people come up to me, Mr. Trump

Donald Trump

00:05:50 - 00:06:21 (31 sec)

You know, it's the biggest story in politics what's happening with the Republicans and I've done a great job and I'm not being given credit, instead they take ads against me. And you know, the funny thing is if they're successful and if I don't win, all these people are going away, Joe, these millions and millions of people. They're not going to vote for Rubio, they're not going to vote for Ted Cruz.

Joe Scarborough

00:06:21 - 00:06:30 (9 sec)

Well, you -- if -- if they -- if they take this from you at a convention, will you run as an independent?

Donald Trump

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

I don't know, Joe. I don't even want to think about it now. I mean, to be honest, I'm the front runner by quite a bit. CNN had me at 49 the other day, 49 to 15, I think 15 and 15 for the two of these guys. I hear Rubio is getting out. There was big stories all over the place that Rubio is getting out. I don't know if he's getting out. He probably should. He hasn't won hardly anything. He probably should get out and he's not popular. I mean, he's not popular in his own state. He's taken -- he's really defrauded his own people because he said he was going to be a senator and he doesn't go and vote.

Mika Brzezinski

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

Really quickly, Mark Halperin.

Donald Trump

00:07:01 - 00:07:03 (2 sec)

So you know, we'll see what happens.

Mika Brzezinski

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

Mark Halperin

00:07:03 - 00:07:10 (7 sec)

Mr. Trump, in 2014, what was your effective tax rate and how much did you give to charity?

Donald Trump

00:07:10 - 00:07:50 (40 sec)

Well, I gave a lot of money to charity. I could release a list. I don't talk about my tax rate because I'm under audit but when the audit's finished, I'll give you my tax returns. I have also filed full financials with the Federal Elections Commissions and it's almost 100 pages, so you have my full financials talking about all of the things you have to talk about, including worth and all of those things, cash flows, worth, very little debt, tremendous cash flow, great company, some of the greatest assets in the world, which frankly you can't learn about from a tax return. You can't learn -- honestly, you can't learn very much from a tax return, almost -- frankly, almost nothing. But I filed my financial statements with the Federal Elections Commission.

Mika Brzezinski

00:07:50 - 00:08:01 (11 sec)

All right. Donald Trump, thank you. I should mention you are set to join us live again tomorrow, so we look forward to that. Good to have you on this morning. Appreciate it. Also...

Donald Trump

00:08:01 - 00:08:02 (1 sec)

OK. Thank you very much.

Mika Brzezinski

00:08:02 - 00:08:04 (2 sec)

Thanks, Donald.