Transcript - Interview: Donald Trump Interviewed by Lauer and Guthrie on NBC's The Today Show - February 10, 2016 | Factba.se

Matt Lauer

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

Donald Trump joins us now fresh off that win in New Hampshire. Mr. Trump, good morning. Good to have you here.

Savannah Guthrie

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

Donald Trump

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

Matt Lauer

00:00:06 - 00:00:14 (8 sec)

Known you more than 30 years. You've always said you're a winner. Last night was the first time that voters went into the polls and officially made you a winner. How does it feel?

Donald Trump

00:00:14 - 00:00:38 (24 sec)

It feels great. The people are fantastic from New Hampshire. I mean, I've had a bonding relationship with them for a long time. I've been up there long before the political thing. And I said I was going to do well there and we did, I guess, even better than anticipated. But would have rallies where, you know, ten times the number of people would show up than -- than we expected. We got to see it from an early point. I think South Carolina, frankly, is going to be very similar to that.

Matt Lauer

00:00:38 - 00:00:44 (6 sec)

You doubled up on John Kasich. You've already said you are sure you can beat Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders. Are you the favorite to be the next president of the United States?

Donald Trump

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

That, I don't know. I don't want to talk about favorites. I think we're doing very well.

Donald Trump

00:00:49 - 00:00:56 (7 sec)

We have something very special. Two days ago, I was in South Carolina and we filled up the stadium. It was packed with people.

Donald Trump

00:00:56 - 00:01:21 (25 sec)

And just something going on, it's a movement. People want to see a smart country. They want to see us take the country back. They want great deals, not horrible deals. We lose money with trade. We can't win with the military. We can't beat ISIS. Think of General George Patton not being able to beat ISIS. It doesn't work that way and they want to see smart things happen for our country. You know, in a -- I said it last night. We don't win anymore. This country doesn't win anymore. We're going to start winning again.

Savannah Guthrie

00:01:21 - 00:01:28 (7 sec)

New Hampshire definitely shook up the rest of the race and kind of reordered things. Who do you see as your biggest competition now? Is it Kasich? Is it Cruz in South Carolina?

Donald Trump

00:01:28 - 00:01:48 (20 sec)

I -- I -- yeah. It's a great question, but I think all of them. I mean, they're all accomplished people. They're governors and senators. They're all very good people. Maybe, you know. But I think, probably, I wouldn't want to pick one because they're close enough, and we'll see what happens. But they're all accomplished people.

Matt Lauer

00:01:48 - 00:01:55 (7 sec)

It's serious now, Mr. Trump. I mean, now people are going to take a good, hard look at you and say, can he be the leader of the free world? Can he be our president?

Donald Trump

00:01:55 - 00:01:57 (2 sec)

They've been looking at me, Matt, for six months.

Matt Lauer

00:01:57 - 00:01:58 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:01:58 - 00:01:59 (1 sec)

This isn't just...

Matt Lauer

00:01:59 - 00:02:27 (28 sec)

Now this New Hampshire win, though says OK, this guy is on track. When it comes to parents in this country, they want their kids to be able to look up to the president. They want to be able to admire the president. You were on with us last week and we talked to you about being more subdued. You said, I'm trying to become more statesmanlike, more subdued. This week, you continued using some words, repeating a word that a supporter said to you at an event that I'm not going to repeat here. Is that statesmanlike?

Donald Trump

00:02:27 - 00:02:38 (11 sec)

Well, you know, we had a massive rally, 5,000 people in a snowstorm -- in a blizzard, and everybody was having a good time. And a woman, not a man, a woman shouted out this word, and then shouted it out again.

Savannah Guthrie

00:02:38 - 00:02:39 (1 sec)

But you didn't have to repeat it.

Donald Trump

00:02:39 - 00:02:41 (2 sec)

But we had a good time and it wasn't the worst thing in the world.

Savannah Guthrie

00:02:41 - 00:02:42 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:02:42 - 00:02:43 (1 sec)

You know, the problem with the country...

Savannah Guthrie

00:02:43 - 00:02:47 (4 sec)

But that's the point, though. If you're a presidential candidate that we have to bleep it, is that really what you want to show?

Donald Trump

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

If I got close, I wouldn't ever do it. But we were having a tremendous time. I got a standing ovation for doing that.

Donald Trump

00:02:54 - 00:03:00 (6 sec)

Everybody was up and down, standing, screaming. It was an amazing event and it's one of the reasons I won. You have to be yourself.

Donald Trump

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

Now, as I get -- look, I was a good student at the best school and all of that stuff. I know what to do and what not to do. But I will say this, as you get closer, you act a little bit differently. We were having a good time. Those people went out and voted for me and that's why we got, you know, the numbers we did. Look, this country, political correctness is killing us in so many different ways.

Savannah Guthrie

00:03:19 - 00:03:22 (3 sec)

Is it political correctness or is it just good manners, temperament, demeanor?

Donald Trump

00:03:22 - 00:03:34 (12 sec)

Well, I don't think so. No. I don't think -- it wasn't the worst thing in the world. We all had a good time. And remember this, it was a woman and it was a repeat. It wasn't me. In fact, I said you should never say that word. You should never say that word...

Matt Lauer

00:03:34 - 00:03:35 (1 sec)

And then sarcastically repeated the word.

Donald Trump

00:03:35 - 00:03:38 (3 sec)

Of course. And then, did I reprimand the woman? I said...

Matt Lauer

00:03:38 - 00:03:39 (1 sec)

You can't reprimand someone if you're going to be willing to say the word...

Donald Trump

00:03:39 - 00:03:41 (2 sec)

No, no, no. I said...

Matt Lauer

00:03:41 - 00:03:41 (0 sec)

Donald Trump

00:03:41 - 00:03:45 (4 sec)

I said you are hereby reprimanded. This way, I figured I'd save myself from the press.

Matt Lauer

00:03:45 - 00:03:47 (2 sec)

Real quickly, when are you going to release your tax returns?

Donald Trump

00:03:47 - 00:03:51 (4 sec)

Probably over the next few months. They're being worked on now.

Matt Lauer

00:03:51 - 00:03:52 (1 sec)

What's the hold up?

Donald Trump

00:03:52 - 00:04:01 (9 sec)

They're very -- well, they're very big tax returns. The biggest -- I guarantee you this, the biggest ever in the history of what we're doing. So it's very complicated stuff. But we'll be releasing that.

Savannah Guthrie

00:04:01 - 00:04:03 (2 sec)

Will people be surprised at the rate that you pay,?

Donald Trump

00:04:03 - 00:04:05 (2 sec)

I think they'll be surprised...

Savannah Guthrie

00:04:05 - 00:04:05 (0 sec)

Lower or higher than expected?

Donald Trump

00:04:05 - 00:04:19 (14 sec)

... at how little I pay. You know, they're going to be surprised at how little I pay. I fight like hell not to pay a lot of tax. And you know, what? Every politician probably does. I watched others where they say, I want to pay taxes. I fight like hell not to pay taxes. I hate the way the government spends my money.

Matt Lauer

00:04:19 - 00:04:21 (2 sec)

The big winner in New Hampshire, Donald Trump. Thank you for very much.

Savannah Guthrie

00:04:21 - 00:04:22 (1 sec)

Thank you for being here.

Donald Trump

00:04:22 - 00:04:23 (1 sec)

Thank you. Thank you very much.