Transcript - Interview: Sean Hannity Interviews Donald Trump at The White House - October 21, 2019 | Factba.se

Note

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

[This transcript was provided by Fox News Channel. It is a transcript of the interview conducted by Sean Hannity with Donald Trump on October 21, 2019 earlier in the day and broadcast at 9 p.m. on Hannity. It has been checked against the video. Other than four minor transcription errors, it appears as delivered, courtesy of Fox News. Transcript and video courtesy Fox News Channel. Source: https://foxnews.com/politics/trump-hannity-hillary-clinton-tulsi-gabbard-jill-stein]

Sean Hannity

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

Mr. President, thank you so much for taking the time.

Donald Trump

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

Sean Hannity

00:00:04 - 00:00:13 (9 sec)

Real busy day. I've interviewed you a lot over the years. I'm going to do something that I've never done. I want to read this transcript because everyone talks about whistleblowers, non-whistleblowers.

Donald Trump

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

Whenever you want to do that, it's fine.

Sean Hannity

00:00:15 - 00:00:20 (5 sec)

Well, OK, it says, I'd like you to do us a favor. Now you were first talking about congratulations...

Donald Trump

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

Sean Hannity

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

...relationship. I'd like you to do us a favor. Well, because our country has been through a lot. Ukraine knows a lot about it. I would like you to find out what happened with this whole situation, Ukraine. They [Inaudible]. And I guess you have one of your wealthy people, the server; they say Ukraine has it. A lot of things that went on, the whole situation.

Sean Hannity

00:00:42 - 00:00:51 (10 sec)

You say, I think that you're surrounding yourself with some of the same people. I would like to have the attorney general call you or your people, and I'd like to get to the bottom of it.

Donald Trump

00:00:51 - 00:01:17 (26 sec)

And by the way, so -- just so you understand it's perfect. And we're looking at the 2016 election, which was a disaster. We went through hell, my administration. People were destroyed, their lives were destroyed. Not one person colluded. They found no collusion, no nothing. And they went through hell. There was a server -- the DNC server -- that never went to the FBI.

Donald Trump

00:01:17 - 00:01:38 (21 sec)

The FBI didn't take it. It was taken by somebody that I guess -- it's CrowdStrike -- that's what I've heard. And referring to that, that's not for an election, that's going into the future, that's for a past election that was a catastrophe. And it was a very unfair situation. And after two and a half years or two years, they found no collusion, no nothing.

Sean Hannity

00:01:38 - 00:01:39 (1 sec)

Four investigations.

Donald Trump

00:01:39 - 00:01:40 (1 sec)

Oh, many of... [Crosstalk]

Sean Hannity

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

...have the FBI. You have the House Intel, bipartisan Senate, and then the Mueller Investigation.

Donald Trump

00:01:45 - 00:02:08 (23 sec)

That's right. That's right. Many, many investigations. That's all they did was investigations, and yet we've had one of the most successful administrations in history -- certainly in the last two and a half years. In the first two and a half years of the administration. So, when you look at what's going on and then you see all of this horrible stuff, and then you hear about Ukraine -- and you've been hearing about it. I heard Clinton was involved.

Donald Trump

00:02:08 - 00:02:32 (23 sec)

I heard they got somebody who wrote the fake dossier. Was it out of Ukraine? All of the things that happened -- and I assume that the attorney general -- I would like the attorney general to find out what's going on. Because you know what? We're investigating corruption. And I actually heard Gregg Jarrett and numerous people the other day say I have an obligation to do that.

Donald Trump

00:02:32 - 00:02:37 (6 sec)

That's not a question, can I do it or don't I do it. We have an obligation to investigate corruption... [Crosstalk]

Sean Hannity

00:02:37 - 00:02:38 (0 sec)

Basically [Inaudible]... [Crosstalk]

Donald Trump

00:02:38 - 00:03:00 (22 sec)

And that's what it was. In my opinion, that's what it was, this corruption. And if Ukraine would know something about the 2016 election, you'd have to give that information. I hope that they would give the information, and everybody agrees with me 100%. But when I look at experts that are on your show -- and other experts -- they're all saying you have an obligation to do that.

Donald Trump

00:03:00 - 00:03:11 (12 sec)

So I think that I have a friend who is a very good lawyer -- he read that conversation -- it's not a letter, it's a conversation -- taken down and transcribed, a perfect conversation... [Crosstalk]

Sean Hannity

00:03:11 - 00:03:13 (1 sec)

And you know, you know people are [Inaudible]... [Crosstalk]

Donald Trump

00:03:13 - 00:03:28 (15 sec)

[Inaudible] He actually said that, did you know this was going to be like a document that's going to be analyzed? I said, no, but you have to understand -- I assume there are many people, it's either being faked or it's being -- they either have stenographers or tape -- but I think they don't like to tape world leaders.

Donald Trump

00:03:28 - 00:03:59 (31 sec)

And I can understand that. So they have stenographers and people that take this down, transcribers, and it was a perfect transcription of a perfect conversation. The other thing is when I'm talking to somebody, world leaders or almost anybody, I assume that State Department -- I think Mike Pompeo was on, I think many people were on -- there were many, many people on. Do you think I'm going to say something wrong when I feel that there's 25 or 30 or two or 10 or something -- but there are a lot of people on these calls.

Donald Trump

00:03:59 - 00:04:19 (20 sec)

Some I think listen for educational reasons. Some listen because they're members of the State Department. There are many people listening to these calls. And to think they took that call – now, the big thing I did with that call, Sean, the biggest thing is immediately released it because the whistleblower came out and said horrible things about this call.

Donald Trump

00:04:19 - 00:04:37 (18 sec)

I think they said there were eight -- seven or eight -- quid pro quos. It was really a terrible call -- you know, all these terrible things about this call. I said, that wasn't a bad call at all. Now what else happened? The President of Ukraine came out and said that was a perfectly fine call. There was so pressure.

Donald Trump

00:04:37 - 00:04:56 (19 sec)

There was no anything. The -- one of his top people -- I guess, one of his heads of state came out and said this was a perfect call. There was no pressure. They didn't even know what we were talking about. To think that they're using that -- now they don't talk about that anymore, because that letter was so good.

Donald Trump

00:04:56 - 00:05:01 (5 sec)

So they don't talk about it anymore, Sean. And the reason they don't talk about it, there's nothing to talk about.

Sean Hannity

00:05:01 - 00:05:19 (18 sec)

The reason -- the next thing you say, though, I think, makes your point. You say, as you saw yesterday, the whole nonsense ended with a very poor performance by a man named Robert Mueller. An incompetent performance, but they say a lot of it started with Ukraine. Whatever you can do is very important. Here's my question.

Donald Trump

00:05:19 - 00:05:45 (26 sec)

And it did. It ended with a very poor performance. And this is after more than two years of an investigation where they spent $45 million or something like that. They had 2,500 subpoenas, 500 witnesses, all because probably Hillary Clinton said -- just like she did with Tulsi Gabbard, just like she did with Jill Stein -- she said, Jill Stein is a Russian asset.

Donald Trump

00:05:45 - 00:06:02 (17 sec)

Now I don't know Jill Stein. I know her as an environmentalist. OK, and probably a good woman. The last thing she is, is a Russian asset. I don't know Tulsi Gabbard. But I know one thing. She's not an asset of Russia. These people are sick. There's something wrong with them.

Sean Hannity

00:06:02 - 00:06:13 (11 sec)

I want to show you this. I'll put it up on our screen for people at home. "Ukrainian efforts to sabotage Trump Backfire," this was January 11th, 2017.

Donald Trump

00:06:13 - 00:06:13 (0 sec)

Sean Hannity

00:06:13 - 00:06:15 (1 sec)

You weren't inaugurated yet.

Donald Trump

00:06:15 - 00:06:15 (1 sec)

Sean Hannity

00:06:15 - 00:06:38 (23 sec)

This article talks about how Ukraine worked with Hillary to influence the election. They give chapter and verse on how they did it. Now, don't you, as the president, do you feel that there was foreign interference in a election? We spent two and a half years hearing about Trump/Russia collusion. They ignore the dossier, and Ukraine admitting that they helped Hillary.

Donald Trump

00:06:38 - 00:07:01 (23 sec)

Well, the dossier was a disgrace. The dossier was totally fake, and now it's been proven to be fake. People know how that was done. I mean, you have track record -- now you know as well as -- everybody knows. I guess they're doing an investigation. But I think before you even do the investigation -- so they do a fake dossier on me. They tried to release it before the election to affect the election.

Donald Trump

00:07:01 - 00:07:20 (19 sec)

I don't know how they didn't -- I'd say it's probably the only thing I respect about the press is they refused to put it in before the election, because it could have had a little impact. Maybe it could have had more than a little impact. So they do a fake dossier. That was probably meant to get out. I mean, I think definitely meant to get out before the election, so that they could affect the election.

Donald Trump

00:07:20 - 00:07:37 (17 sec)

And look at the people that wrote it, and look at where they came from. And look at the wife of the man that we're -- I won't even mention names -- at the Department of Justice. And she's on the payroll of the company that Robert Mueller never heard of -- during his testimony.

Sean Hannity

00:07:37 - 00:07:38 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:07:38 - 00:07:47 (9 sec)

Think of it. Never heard of the company. They say, do you know Fusion GPS? They didn't know; I didn't know what was going on here. That's after spending $45 million... [Crosstalk]

Sean Hannity

00:07:47 - 00:07:52 (5 sec)

He didn't know that Hillary Clinton's attorney at the Clinton Foundation was on his team.

Donald Trump

00:07:52 - 00:08:05 (14 sec)

Look. The whole thing was a disgrace, and they destroyed a lot of people. They ruined their lives. And what went on was absolutely corrupt, and let's see what ultimately happens. Let's see what – because this should never happen to our country again. Let me tell you, Sean.

Sean Hannity

00:08:05 - 00:08:07 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:08:07 - 00:08:23 (16 sec)

This should never happen to our country again. And this should never happen to a president again. Look, "The Washington Post" -- which is a fake deal – "The Washington Post" puts out a story, I guess on Inauguration Day, a few hours after the Inauguration Day -- essentially saying, and now the impeachment begins.

Donald Trump

00:08:23 - 00:08:57 (33 sec)

So this was a whole thing. But one of the worst things -- even before Mueller was Strzok and Page, the two lovers -- where he said -- or she said, I guess, he said -- that she's going to win, 100 million to one. She's going to win. But if she doesn't, we go to the insurance policy. When he said insurance policy, that means that right now is the insurance policy, OK? I thought it was over after the first ridiculous thing with Mueller.

Donald Trump

00:08:57 - 00:09:14 (17 sec)

But you know what? It's a disgrace. When "The Washington Post" comes out and says now it begins -- now the impeachment. And you see every article it just that -- no matter what you do, no matter how good you're doing -- and nobody's done better. We have the best economy. We have the best unemployment numbers, the best employment numbers, the best -- we have the best of everything.

Donald Trump

00:09:14 - 00:09:29 (15 sec)

We've rebuilt the military. With all of the things we've done, regulations cut, the biggest tax cut in history. So many things -- our energy. We're energy-independent now. That's why you don't see our boats being blown up over in...

Sean Hannity

00:09:29 - 00:09:30 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:09:30 - 00:09:30 (1 sec)

...on the Gulf.

Sean Hannity

00:09:30 - 00:09:31 (0 sec)

Donald Trump

00:09:31 - 00:09:47 (16 sec)

So there's so many things, but they won't give you a decent article. No matter what you do, it doesn't matter. It's a fake. These are dishonest people. But when they say the impeachment now begins, Sean, this was day of the inauguration.

Sean Hannity

00:09:47 - 00:10:22 (35 sec)

Have you seen -- I put a montage together for television on this show -- two days after you were elected, that word started. We heard it all throughout 2017, all throughout 2018. Here we are here. Meanwhile, this collusion with a government -- the political article said, "a Ukrainian American operative was disclosing for the DNC, met with top officials in the Ukrainian embassy in Washington, in an effort to expose ties between Trump's top campaign aide, Manafort and Russia." This was before you -- that happened [Inaudible] interference... [Crosstalk]

Donald Trump

00:10:22 - 00:10:46 (23 sec)

Oh, sure -- happened. And if you look at the FBI, they were doing work on me from before the election ever took place. Very early on. Sean, long before the November 8th election, they were doing work on me. And now, with other senators or other people in high office, they would say, by the way, I think you have a Chinese spy working for you.

Donald Trump

00:10:46 - 00:11:04 (19 sec)

You know, who I'm talking about -- Dianne Feinstein had a chauffeur that for many, many years worked for her. And they went up to her and they said, listen, he may be a Chinese spy. And she fired him. Nobody told me anything about that. Nobody ever told me -- what they did is a disgrace. And I will admit it; this should never happen to another president.

Donald Trump

00:11:04 - 00:11:25 (20 sec)

Because what happened to people who worked for me -- who were good people -- what they had to do -- they went bust trying to pay for their legal fees. They came to Washington to do a fantastic job. I always say they were bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. They came to Washington. They wanted to do a great job on healthcare, on this, on that -- on all sorts of things.

Donald Trump

00:11:25 - 00:11:53 (29 sec)

And they left, and they were dark people. They left dark. And this was all a phony scam. And then you have Hillary Clinton saying two days ago, Tulsi Gabbard is a Russian asset. And that Jill Stein is a Russian agent. And I said, wait a minute. It took me two and a half years -- I wish you would have said that earlier, because people would have realized she's crazy.

Donald Trump

00:11:53 - 00:12:18 (25 sec)

She's crazy. But two and a half years, Sean, we went through this. And it started before the election. And President Obama in September was told about Russian influence, and he didn't want to do anything about it. He didn't want to do a thing about it. Because he assumed Hillary was going to win. So he didn't do a thing about it. Nobody brings that up. Nobody brings up his statement to the President of Russia at the time.

Donald Trump

00:12:18 - 00:12:43 (25 sec)

Nobody brings it up as he whispers across about, I'll see you after the election. It's a very double standard. It's a very sad thing. Now, you have a lot of people from Clinton and from Obama -- and you also have Never Trumpers from Bush – you know, I can understand that Bush isn't exactly loving me because we took on the Clinton family and we took on the Bush family and we beat them both.

Donald Trump

00:12:43 - 00:13:03 (20 sec)

You know, two -- I guess you'd call them dynasties, right, that's called a dynasty. But we beat them both. And I would say they don't exactly like me. But we're doing a great job. And with all of the things going on, and now to think it starts up again -- it was repeated two or three times. And now it's starts to begin.

Donald Trump

00:13:03 - 00:13:23 (19 sec)

And this time, over an absolutely perfect phone call with a very nice gentleman, and when I read it, I said, this is like a perfect conversation. I knew it beforehand, but I wanted to see, could I have possibly said something wrong. So now what happens is I immediately release it. I release the conversation.

Donald Trump

00:13:23 - 00:13:45 (23 sec)

OK. So now we have a conversation that's perfect. And it's transcribed. And it's done by totally professional people, stenographers or whatever you would call them. So we have an exact conversation. I release it. And now you don't hear from the whistleblower anymore, because the whistleblower was talking about this conversation -- in phony terms.

Donald Trump

00:13:45 - 00:13:50 (5 sec)

Just like Adam Schiff made up my conversation. He said seven or eight... [Crosstalk]

Sean Hannity

00:13:50 - 00:13:51 (1 sec)

I want to ask you about that.

Donald Trump

00:13:51 - 00:14:14 (23 sec)

...times -- think of this. Adam Schiff, Shifty Schiff -- he said seven or eight times, Sean -- it was terrible -- seven or eight times that I gave a quid pro quo. And I said, not only seven or eight times, but there were no times because it wasn't done. OK, it wasn't done. He's a corrupt politician. And think of what they're doing.

Donald Trump

00:14:14 - 00:14:35 (21 sec)

Based on a very minor conversation with the president of a country who just got elected -- nice guy -- it was really a congratulatory conversation -- the first page is you know, congratulations on your win et cetera, et cetera. Couldn't have been nicer. I tell you, Lindsay Graham said -- when he read it -- he said, I never knew that Trump was that nice a person.

Donald Trump

00:14:35 - 00:14:38 (3 sec)

This was such a nice conversation. There was no pressure on anyone... [Crosstalk]

Sean Hannity

00:14:38 - 00:14:39 (1 sec)

Thought he was a friend of yours... [Crosstalk]

Donald Trump

00:14:39 - 00:14:55 (16 sec)

No, no, he said, I've never seen -- I never knew that he was so nice, meaning me. I didn't view that as a compliment in this case. Right? But anyway. So look. It's a disgrace what's going on. In the meantime we're doing a great job running the country. That's what I'm focused on, running the country. It's a very unfair situation.

Sean Hannity

00:14:55 - 00:15:03 (8 sec)

Look at the double standard, though. You've got Hillary and the dossier. You've got Ukraine interfering on her behalf. Then you've got Schiff who's been telling us for three years... [Crosstalk]

Donald Trump

00:15:03 - 00:15:03 (1 sec)

Sean Hannity

00:15:03 - 00:15:09 (6 sec)

Then he's connected to the whistleblower, so he can't bring the whistleblower in. Then you've got... [Crosstalk]

Donald Trump

00:15:09 - 00:15:25 (16 sec)

They met with the whistleblower. Nobody knew that. We just found out. They knew. And where is the person that gave the whistleblower the information? Because is that person a spy? Or does that person even exist? I have a feeling that person doesn't exist. I think Schiff might have made it up.

Sean Hannity

00:15:25 - 00:15:28 (3 sec)

Well, apparently Schiff knows him and so does Joe Biden. But...

Donald Trump

00:15:28 - 00:15:46 (18 sec)

Well, now the funny thing is that they say -- they say that the whistleblower -- they don't need the whistleblower anymore. Why don't they need the whistleblower? You know why they don't need the whistleblower, because the whistleblower's account of my conversation was totally wrong. Now, they had no idea I was going to release the conversation.

Donald Trump

00:15:46 - 00:15:56 (10 sec)

And normally I wouldn't. I mean I'm talking to a foreign leader, I don't want to release a conversation, people aren't going to want to talk to me or any other president. But that's what happened, and it's a disgrace.

Sean Hannity

00:15:56 - 00:16:18 (22 sec)

So -- but I want to go to the double standard again; whether it's the dossier, whether it's Ukraine helping and interfering on our elections, whether -- there is no quid pro quo. Then you can add Hunter Biden and Joe Biden on tape bragging about using tax payer dollars to demand the firing of the Ukrainian prosecutor.

Sean Hannity

00:16:18 - 00:16:26 (8 sec)

Hunter Biden admits no experience Ukraine, China. No experience in oil, gas, energy, or private equity. Millions of dollars... [Crosstalk]

Donald Trump

00:16:26 - 00:16:29 (4 sec)

Thrown out of the Navy. OK. Hunter Biden was thrown out of the Navy.

Sean Hannity

00:16:29 - 00:16:31 (2 sec)

Why was he given that money? Would anyone else get that money?

Donald Trump

00:16:31 - 00:16:43 (12 sec)

It's a pay-off in my opinion. It's a pay-off. Why else would it be? Look, Hunter Biden with no experience -- now I hear the number is $168,000 a month, and I heard they got a $3 million payment... [Crosstalk]

Sean Hannity

00:16:43 - 00:16:44 (1 sec)

Split between him and another guy.

Donald Trump

00:16:44 - 00:17:03 (19 sec)

They get a $3 million payment in all of this. OK. And that's corruption. That's something that has to be investigated. That's when you have to look. But I watched this crazy Anderson Cooper, the other day during the debate, apologize for having to ask the question to them. Apologize. If that were me...

Sean Hannity

00:17:03 - 00:17:05 (1 sec)

He declared his innocence.

Donald Trump

00:17:05 - 00:17:27 (22 sec)

Or if that were my sons that took $168,000 from this very questionable company, an energy company, and they knew nothing about energy at all -- he knew nothing about energy. And he has a bad record -- bad track record, including getting thrown out of the Navy. And even the way he got in the Navy is interesting, in his position.

Donald Trump

00:17:27 - 00:17:36 (9 sec)

If that were Don Jr., if that were Eric Trump, who are very outstanding young men, it would be the biggest story of the century.

Sean Hannity

00:17:36 - 00:17:40 (4 sec)

And what does it say about the media? I agree with you.

Donald Trump

00:17:40 - 00:17:58 (18 sec)

The media -- the media is corrupt. Not all medias. Look, I know some -- some great people including you, but I know some great journalists -- look, they gave Pulitzer Prizes to people that got it wrong. OK. All these people for doing it from "The New York Times," which is a fake newspaper -- we don't even want it in the White House anymore.

Donald Trump

00:17:58 - 00:18:15 (17 sec)

We're going to probably terminate that and "The Washington Post." They're fake. But you take a look at "The New York Times" and you take a look at the kind of reporting they do, it was all -- it turned out to be all wrong. And then after the election, "The New York Times" apologized for their coverage, because they were covering me in such a way.

Donald Trump

00:18:15 - 00:18:38 (24 sec)

So when I won they actually apologized to their subscribers, because they were losing thousands and thousands of subscribers. "The New York Times" wrote an apology. Nothing else. You know, they're saying well, it wasn't really an apology. It was. Because they covered me so badly. And then what I said -- sort of interesting -- I think, I hope -- I said, you know, the good news is now I'll be covered fairly again.

Donald Trump

00:18:38 - 00:18:45 (7 sec)

And you know what happened, I got covered worse. I got covered worse. But that's OK. You know -- you know who was covered worse than me, they say? [Crosstalk]

Sean Hannity

00:18:45 - 00:18:46 (0 sec)

Donald Trump

00:18:46 - 00:18:56 (10 sec)

Abraham Lincoln. I've heard the one person -- it used to be five or six, now it's down to one -- Honest Abe Lincoln. They say he got the worst press of anybody. I say I dispute it.

Sean Hannity

00:18:56 - 00:19:15 (19 sec)

Let me ask you, so have the Democrats already jumped out of a plane? Can't go back. Do you see a scenario where they will impeach you, there'll be a trial in the Senate, and then the people get to speak -- would that be the ultimate revenge, which is your reelection if the people speak?

Donald Trump

00:19:15 - 00:19:32 (18 sec)

So everybody tells me it's going to be great for us as a Republican Party, if they actually impeach me, because the 40 seats -- and there were many more than the 32 -- it's 40, 45 seats, where I won or did really well or very close, that those people are going to get hammered -- meaning running in Congress.

Donald Trump

00:19:32 - 00:19:51 (19 sec)

So, I don't know if that's true or not. I do say this -- and I can see it, because I've been -- I mean, look at our fundraiser. The money's never come in like this. Look at -- my poll numbers have been, like, the highest. I was in Dallas the other night, we set a record in a stadium -- I don't know, it's got to be an arena that's got to be 20 years old...

Sean Hannity

00:19:51 - 00:19:52 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:19:52 - 00:20:14 (22 sec)

...we have a record. We had thousands of people outside watching on big screens. They've never seen anything like that. And it's that way at every place. I mean, that was Dallas, which we love, that was great, they did a great job, great place. But it's that way every place. Look at in Louisiana. In Louisiana the other night, the governor was at 66, he couldn't get 50 percent.

Donald Trump

00:20:14 - 00:20:33 (19 sec)

And now you're going to have a runoff with a really great Republican candidate. Look at North Carolina. Great state. Great people. Two races that were going to be lost, I went in, made a speech, let everybody know I really respect these two guys and they're going to be great, they both won. They both won by good margins.

Donald Trump

00:20:33 - 00:20:40 (7 sec)

They both won. So I think the public is seeing it, actually.

Note

00:20:40 - 00:20:40 (0 sec)

[Commercial break]

Sean Hannity

00:20:40 - 00:20:59 (19 sec)

Let me ask you, 2020's here. All right? You don't -- you've said publicly you don't think you'll make the. Drudge says Elizabeth Warren is first to lose, you have Bernie, Mayor Pete, Kamala Harris, whatever. Then you look at their positions. Top marginal taxpayers 70 percent...

Donald Trump

00:20:59 - 00:21:00 (1 sec)

Sean Hannity

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

...90 percent corporate tax rate. The New Green Deal, $96 trillion in 10 years, Medicare for All, no private option. You come to a running against one of those, who do you think it is? [Crosstalk]

Donald Trump

00:21:10 - 00:21:17 (7 sec)

But I don't want to talk about it, because you know, the last time I took on Elizabeth Warren, I thought she was gone. Embers, you know, burning embers down...

Sean Hannity

00:21:17 - 00:21:18 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:21:18 - 00:21:43 (25 sec)

...and -- Pocahontas. There's only one, and it's not her. So what happened, Sean -- and she rose from the ashes, and I give her credit for that, but I don't like talking about it. As far as I'm concerned, the Green New Deal, it's fine. All of it's fine. Paying 96 percent in taxes is all fine, because I want them to keep talking about it. And when it's time to run, I'll run.

Donald Trump

00:21:43 - 00:21:49 (7 sec)

But I don't want to talk them out of it, Sean. It's too early to talk about. You know, we have -- can you believe we're getting down to 12 months. Can you believe it?

Sean Hannity

00:21:49 - 00:21:50 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:21:50 - 00:22:12 (21 sec)

When I first went right in that corner of that beautiful building, and I was in the first -- the first night with the first lady and I'm standing in an area where Abe Lincoln was, all of them were -- And that's the way it was. And I'm standing there, and I say wow, four years, that's a long time. And here we are, we're almost coming up. But we have tremendous support.

Donald Trump

00:22:12 - 00:22:31 (19 sec)

We've cut taxes, we've cut regulations. We have great stock markets. You know, we have over 100 days, and that's in a fairly short period of time, where the stock -- much more than 100 days where the stock market hit an all time high. And it's about to hit it again. We're doing great. And we're beating everybody.

Donald Trump

00:22:31 - 00:22:46 (16 sec)

All over the world -- countries aren't doing well. China's not doing well. China's having the worst year they've had in 57 years. And we just made a deal for our farmers where $40 billion to $50 billion worth of agricultural product's going to be bought by China. And they're going to start now before we even sign the agreement.

Donald Trump

00:22:46 - 00:23:05 (19 sec)

They've already started. But we've done things that nobody else has done. And to go through this, on a perfect conversation you're going to be impeached. To me, impeach is a very ugly word. It really means a high crime and misdemeanor. That letter is a perfect conversation with a man -- congratulations on your win.

Donald Trump

00:23:05 - 00:23:15 (10 sec)

And to impeach over a letter like that -- but they don't mention the letter anymore, and they don't mention whistleblowers, and they don't mention any of these people anymore.

Sean Hannity

00:23:15 - 00:23:33 (18 sec)

The secrecy though. I want you to react, [Inaudible] 1998 did impeachment. They were due processed, the president's attorneys. Kevin McCarthy spelled it out. Pat Cipollone, your White House counsel wrote a pretty strong letter...

Donald Trump

00:23:33 - 00:23:33 (0 sec)

Sean Hannity

00:23:33 - 00:23:41 (7 sec)

...how this inquiry is unconstitutional without any due process. And it's about undoing 2016 and influencing 2020.

Donald Trump

00:23:41 - 00:23:55 (15 sec)

So what they're doing now is something that's never been done before. They don't want the facts to come out. And by the way, from everything -- I don't know most of these people, and if I do -- I do -- I met them quickly or I know them very little. But ambassadors and some others, I don't even know -- most of them I never even heard of their names.

Donald Trump

00:23:55 - 00:24:10 (15 sec)

OK. And they're bringing them in, and they're actually turning out to be better witnesses by far for us. But no lawyers -- we have no lawyers – Republican -- because it's the minority. We have no lawyers, we can't question, we can't do a thing. We can't -- they can't even go into the room... [Crosstalk]

Sean Hannity

00:24:10 - 00:24:14 (4 sec)

You don't think Republicans have been tough enough though. You said that today.

Donald Trump

00:24:14 - 00:24:31 (17 sec)

I think the Republicans should get tougher. Look, I think that the Democrats are not good politicians. I think they have lousy policy. They have policy of open borders and sanctuary cities and crime. And you know, it brings all of this crime, and it brings drugs and it brings -- I think they're lousy politicians.

Donald Trump

00:24:31 - 00:24:52 (21 sec)

They have horrible policy. But you don't have the Mitt Romneys of the world. You don't have people that will go against the party. You have better -- they stick together. I respect that. The other thing is they're vicious. They're much more vicious. We would never do a thing like this. They could have impeached Obama for the IRS scandal.

Donald Trump

00:24:52 - 00:24:58 (6 sec)

They could impeach him for the guns for whatever -- where guns went all over the place and people got killed with guns.

Sean Hannity

00:24:58 - 00:24:59 (1 sec)

Fast and furious.

Donald Trump

00:24:59 - 00:25:16 (17 sec)

Fast and furious. They could have killed -- they could have -- they could have impeached him for many different things. They didn't impeach him. They never even thought of impeaching him. Here -- here, think of this. I've gone through the impeachment now since the beginning on Russia, on Mueller, on all this stuff.

Donald Trump

00:25:16 - 00:25:39 (23 sec)

OK. And then they come up with this crazy concept of a perfect conversation. I'm serious, a -- a very good lawyer said, you must have known this was going to become a public document because you spoke so nicely. This is not -- we're talking about impeachment. To me, the word impeachment is a dirty, disgusting word.

Donald Trump

00:25:39 - 00:25:50 (10 sec)

I didn't do a reason to be impeached. The only reason they're impeaching is because they look at the polls and they see Moody's just came out and said under all three scenarios, Trump wins easily.

Sean Hannity

00:25:50 - 00:25:52 (2 sec)

351 electoral votes.

Donald Trump

00:25:52 - 00:26:17 (25 sec)

Yes. They see what's going on. They see the level of popularity when they look at Minnesota. Minneapolis was incredible. When they look at Dallas. When they look at Louisiana. When they look at North Carolina, the two seats we just picked up. They see what's going on. That's what they're doing. Congressman Al Green, a Democrat, said we have to impeach him because he's going to win.

Donald Trump

00:26:17 - 00:26:22 (5 sec)

This is what I'm up against. Who would do this? Who would play a dirty game like this?

Sean Hannity

00:26:22 - 00:26:29 (7 sec)

Well, obviously, you know, you talk about it hurting the country. He said, we better impeach him, because he's -- we're not going to be able to beat him. That was the phrase.

Donald Trump

00:26:29 - 00:26:51 (21 sec)

Nobody believed this statement. But by the way, there's more than just him that made that statement. And you know, when you do a poll, well, every Democrat's going to say hey, we want to win. Impeach him. Go ahead. It would be a terrible thing for the country if they did it, because then if you have a Democrat president -- and someday you'll have this combination, I guess.

Donald Trump

00:26:51 - 00:26:57 (6 sec)

If you have a Democrat, hopefully it's going to be in a long time -- but that's OK. You have a Democrat president, you have a Republican House... [Crosstalk]

Donald Trump

00:26:57 - 00:26:58 (1 sec)

Now wait a minute.

Sean Hannity

00:26:58 - 00:26:59 (2 sec)

That makes them mad -- that makes their heads explode.

Donald Trump

00:26:59 - 00:27:18 (19 sec)

Don't tell them we're running for 16 years. But listen, Sean, if you have a Democrat as president and you have a Republican House and you have a speaker that's tough and crazy, like Pelosi – she's crazy -- and if you have somebody like that, what happens is very simple. They're going to say let's impeach the president.

Donald Trump

00:27:18 - 00:27:35 (17 sec)

Let's check his phone calls. Oh, gee, there was a comma put in the wrong location, let's impeach him, supposed to be for high crimes and misdemeanors. I can't even believe that this wouldn't be a law suit. How can you take a president -- now, again, they don't like to talk about the phone call because it was perfect.

Donald Trump

00:27:35 - 00:27:43 (8 sec)

They don't like to talk about the -- Adam Schiff said he doesn't want the whistleblower anymore. You know why? Because he might have given the whistleblower the things to say.

Sean Hannity

00:27:43 - 00:27:57 (14 sec)

He'd have to answer questions about Schiff and about his relationship with Biden. Let me -- let me ask you more about 2020. Record low unemployment since 1969. When you ran, you said what have you got to lose, when you would speak to minorities.

Donald Trump

00:27:57 - 00:27:58 (1 sec)

Sean Hannity

00:27:58 - 00:28:00 (2 sec)

Well now you have record low unemployment...

Donald Trump

00:28:00 - 00:28:00 (1 sec)

Sean Hannity

00:28:00 - 00:28:15 (14 sec)

...Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, African Americans, women in the workplace, youth unemployment. OK, what is your message to minorities in 2020? Your base looks strong. You can see it at the rallies. What do you say to the people that maybe didn't vote for you last time?

Donald Trump

00:28:15 - 00:28:32 (17 sec)

African American, Hispanic, Asian American have all set record the lowest unemployment in the history of our country. Not just like for 50 years. We have 51 years for the country, and we're going to end up topping that number pretty soon. That'll be historic too very soon. If we keep going the way we're doing.

Donald Trump

00:28:32 - 00:28:56 (24 sec)

I think we will. You know, because the household income is so incredible, the median household income. But if you look, African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, in the history of our country they have the best unemployment numbers and they have the best employment numbers. Today, it was announced that we have the most people working in the history of our country, almost 160 million people.

Donald Trump

00:28:56 - 00:29:08 (12 sec)

How do you beat me in a debate on those numbers? OK. They're the best numbers. Poverty numbers are the best right now for almost all of those groups. Poverty numbers meaning, in a positive sense...

Sean Hannity

00:29:08 - 00:29:09 (1 sec)

People out of poverty.

Donald Trump

00:29:09 - 00:29:10 (1 sec)

...but the poverty numbers -- right...

Sean Hannity

00:29:10 - 00:29:11 (1 sec)

People off of food stamps.

Donald Trump

00:29:11 - 00:29:31 (20 sec)

...are the best numbers in the history of our country. There's another number that just came out -- and it came out I guess with the Moody's report, saying that I would win easily. The Moody's report was very interesting. Median household income under eight years of Obama was up $975. That's eight years.

Donald Trump

00:29:31 - 00:30:03 (32 sec)

Under eight years of President Bush -- we had President Obama, $975. President Bush, $400. Eight years, eight years, $400, $975. Me, two and a half years, it's up $7,000. $5,000 plus $2,000 for the tax cut that everybody got. So you add the $2,000 to the $5,000. So you've got one up $1,000 or $975. The other one's up -- that's over eight years, each one.

Donald Trump

00:30:03 - 00:30:25 (22 sec)

I'm only here two and a half years. And I beat them by many times in two and a half years. What's that percentage like proportionately? So it's up $5,000 plus $2,000 -- so it's up $7,000, median household income. That's a record. There's never been anything like that. And then I say, oh, let's impeach the president.

Donald Trump

00:30:25 - 00:30:32 (7 sec)

Give me a break, Sean. I don't think the people will stand for it. I really don't. I don't think the people will stand for it. As to whether or not it helps, it might, because... [Crosstalk]

Sean Hannity

00:30:32 - 00:30:34 (3 sec)

Don't they have the last word, though? In a year, you're running. People will vote...

Donald Trump

00:30:34 - 00:30:39 (4 sec)

Well, it is -- but no, it's supposed to be high crimes and misdemeanors. A perfect conversation... [Crosstalk]

Sean Hannity

00:30:39 - 00:30:45 (7 sec)

Well what would you want Mitch McConnell? Mitch McConnell said oh, I have to do this six weeks [Inaudible] trial for what? For that transcript?

Donald Trump

00:30:45 - 00:31:05 (20 sec)

I -- I can't imagine that -- I can't imagine that they do it. I can't imagine. I can see it being very, very bad for 40 or 45 people that are Democrats in a district that I -- when I ran I won. Very substantially in many cases. I won by a lot. And I don't think those people want to see this. You know, it's one thing if you commit a real crime.

Donald Trump

00:31:05 - 00:31:27 (22 sec)

This was a conversation. It wasn't even a big deal. Hey, how you doing, blah, blah, blah. This is a conversation. It was so perfect. But people say, it's like a perfect conversation. Speak to Lindsey Graham. Speak to all these people that have read it. Impeachment is high crimes and misdemeanors. I -- I think it's a travesty for our country.

Donald Trump

00:31:27 - 00:31:48 (21 sec)

They're doing such a bad thing to our country. And that's because the Democrats are vicious and they stick together. For instance, when you do a censure vote on Adam Schiff, what did he do? He made up my conversation, totally -- like fiction. It was -- it was fraudulent. He made it sound -- he took that conversation he made it sound -- now he didn't know about that conversation.

Donald Trump

00:31:48 - 00:31:59 (11 sec)

So he went up -- and he made up a phony conversation, read it to Congress, read it the American people. And I released that, and that was the real conversation. So he then said, I don't know...

Sean Hannity

00:31:59 - 00:32:01 (2 sec)

It was already out.

Donald Trump

00:32:01 - 00:32:02 (1 sec)

...it was parody.

Sean Hannity

00:32:02 - 00:32:02 (0 sec)

Donald Trump

00:32:02 - 00:32:25 (23 sec)

Yes – it was parody. So this is a corrupt politician. He should be impeached. And Nancy Pelosi should be impeached. They should not allow this, with that it's possibly going to help, you know, from the standpoint of winning the election. I don't know. They say it's going to help a lot with respect to winning the House back, but it's not the right thing.

Note

00:32:25 - 00:32:25 (0 sec)

[Commercial break]

Sean Hannity

00:32:25 - 00:32:36 (12 sec)

Let me ask you about Syria, and let me ask you about Iran. Iran shot a drone out the air. They have taken tankers hostage. You mentioned energy independence, Straits of Hormuz...

Donald Trump

00:32:36 - 00:32:38 (1 sec)

Well, they haven't taken our tankers number one.

Sean Hannity

00:32:38 - 00:32:42 (4 sec)

No, not ours. But -- but the Straits of Hormuz, are less geopolitically important to us.

Donald Trump

00:32:42 - 00:32:43 (1 sec)

We have very few ships because...

Sean Hannity

00:32:43 - 00:32:44 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:32:44 - 00:32:46 (2 sec)

...since I came in we're now energy independent.

Sean Hannity

00:32:46 - 00:32:47 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:32:47 - 00:32:52 (5 sec)

So, we have very few ships. In fact, that comment was made the other day they don't see too many American ships anymore.

Sean Hannity

00:32:52 - 00:32:58 (6 sec)

So when you've had Syria -- you've gotten criticism. Well this weekend it seems like you and Lindsey had an impasse.

Donald Trump

00:32:58 - 00:33:01 (3 sec)

No. We -- well -- we -- we, look we have the same name... [Crosstalk]

Sean Hannity

00:33:01 - 00:33:02 (1 sec)

No, it seems like you actually made progress.

Donald Trump

00:33:02 - 00:33:23 (21 sec)

We want to bring soldiers back home. They were supposed to be there for 30 days. They're there for 10 years. We were in Afghanistan there for 20 years. We're reducing those numbers very substantially in Afghanistan. But they're supposed to be Syria for 30 days. Now one thing about Syria, when I took over ISIS was all over the place.

Donald Trump

00:33:23 - 00:33:40 (17 sec)

You know that better than anybody, two and a half years ago. I went in and when I started I got rid of that whole thing. All those prisoners, all that -- those are my -- they were captured under Trump. We killed many, many ISIS fighters. It -- it's, you know, you hate to talk about...

Sean Hannity

00:33:40 - 00:33:41 (1 sec)

The caliphate was a [Inaudible].

Donald Trump

00:33:41 - 00:34:03 (22 sec)

We took 100 percent of the caliphate, 100 percent. Everybody says it. Everybody -- so it's not like oh gee, Obama did it. I did it. But you know what? It's now time to bring our soldiers home. And it's very interesting, that little fight for two day, vicious stuff. I don't know that Turkey would have done what they did, like a ceasefire.

Donald Trump

00:34:03 - 00:34:19 (16 sec)

And I don't know that the Kurds would have moved out. But they went through two days and I say -- and some people thought it was a great analogy, some people don't, but it's like two kids in a playground, they fight -- you let them fight for a minute and then you pull apart. It was much easier to make a deal.

Sean Hannity

00:34:19 - 00:34:28 (9 sec)

You're willing to -- because you did, well two things. Number one, you removed the rules of engagement that President Obama had. Two, you... [Crosstalk]

Sean Hannity

00:34:28 - 00:34:36 (8 sec)

You bombed them. You pushed them out. And if need be, my guess is – and I'm asking about the Trump doctrine in a sense. You'd go back...

Donald Trump

00:34:36 - 00:34:37 (1 sec)

Sean Hannity

00:34:37 - 00:34:43 (5 sec)

...overwhelming force. No rules of engagement, which to me is like putting handcuffs on our military.

Donald Trump

00:34:43 - 00:35:15 (32 sec)

Sean, I go to Dover Air Force Base and I see young men and women coming back in coffins. I go to our great Walter Reed Hospital where I think you have the best doctors, like in the world, these incredible military doctors, what they can do for these young people. And I see people – young, beautiful people that -- such incredible -- I was there last Friday and I gave out purple hearts.

Donald Trump

00:35:15 - 00:35:34 (20 sec)

So beautiful people, but often times they're missing legs and they're missing arms -- they're missing both. And I see the parents and I see the heartbreak, the devastation of a heartbreak. I sign letters right here in this office -- the Oval Office. I sign letters to parents. [Crosstalk]

Sean Hannity

00:35:34 - 00:35:36 (2 sec)

No two letters are the same.

Donald Trump

00:35:36 - 00:35:52 (16 sec)

No two letters are ever the same. I say you've got to make them different. You know they compare them. You know what's interesting, even though they may not be in same part in the same country, when they die at a certain time, the parents get together to celebrate their sons or daughters who were killed.

Donald Trump

00:35:52 - 00:35:59 (6 sec)

It's an amazing -- I don't want them to read like a form letter. We make every letter different, very important to me. It's something...

Sean Hannity

00:35:59 - 00:36:10 (11 sec)

Let me ask you this then. We start wars. We politicize wars, then we get nervous politically. And then, it seems that we put handcuffs on our military.

Donald Trump

00:36:10 - 00:36:11 (1 sec)

Sean Hannity

00:36:11 - 00:36:30 (19 sec)

Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, everything gets politicized. Is the next step, maybe the Trump doctrine even, that the next generation of weaponry, offensive and defensive weapons, will we fight them from Tampa. Are you – would you... [Crosstalk]

Donald Trump

00:36:30 - 00:36:51 (22 sec)

We're making the most sophisticated weapons ever made. We're making the greatest missiles, the greatest rockets, the greatest everything ever made. Our nuclear is now up to snuff at a level that it's never been. We're actually ordering new nuclear, we're building right now new nuclear -- not that I want to, but as you know, Russia was not playing fair with us with the treaty.

Donald Trump

00:36:51 - 00:37:10 (19 sec)

And we therefore terminated it. I believe that we're going to get together with Russia and with China, and we're going to workout our nuclear pact so that we don't all continue with this craziness. Right now we have the most powerful nuclear force in the world. Russia is second and China is third. It's very costly and very dangerous.

Donald Trump

00:37:10 - 00:37:36 (26 sec)

It's very, very dangerous. And we are discussing with Russia, and we're discussing with China. During the recent trade deal with China, I said, we should all get together and work out something -- a cap, have a cap. We don't need 10,000 weapons, have a cap. And I will say China and Russia are talking about it. Our experience, I'm very excited about it.

Sean Hannity

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

We'd have to have [Inaudible] verify though.

Donald Trump

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

Sure 100 percent. We need all of that. Well look, I'm the one that terminated the agreement. They didn't terminate -- I terminated it because we found them -- they were making -- they were doing things that they weren't supposed to be doing in the agreement. So we had an agreement, a non-nuclear agreement, and we had all sorts of limits.

Donald Trump

00:37:54 - 00:38:08 (14 sec)

And we were the only one that was paying attention to it. That's not fair. But now they know we're a different country. And I think Russia would like to make a deal, and I think China would like to make a deal. And I think that's a big -- that would be a terrific thing. I'd love to be a part of that.

Sean Hannity

00:38:08 - 00:38:10 (2 sec)

I was surprised you didn't hit Iran.

Donald Trump

00:38:10 - 00:38:31 (21 sec)

We have a lot of good will built up. They took down a drone, there was nobody in it. They took down a second drone, there was nobody in it. There's a lot of good will. They hit Saudi Arabia. We sent troops over to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia's paying for it. You know that's never happened before. We said, look you've got to pay and they're paying it. They have nothing but money, nothing but cash.

Donald Trump

00:38:31 - 00:38:50 (20 sec)

They're paying. But we sent some troops over there, we're going to give them good protection, and we built a lot of good capital up. You know everyone thought that when I got elected -- Hillary Clinton used to say, oh, you'll have World War III. Well, I'm very tempered actually. A lot of people would have hit, but I built up a lot of capital.

Sean Hannity

00:38:50 - 00:38:52 (1 sec)

By not hitting.

Donald Trump

00:38:52 - 00:38:54 (2 sec)

By not hitting. You understand that.

Sean Hannity

00:38:54 - 00:38:57 (3 sec)

We saw what you did with the caliphate so you're willing to throw...

Donald Trump

00:38:57 - 00:39:16 (19 sec)

I wiped out the caliphate. And you also saw when I hit 58 rockets, missiles right into the middle. Tomahawk, right into the middle of -- of Syria and knocked out a whole base and did -- which is something, by the way, President Obama, he drew the red line in the sand and then he didn't violate that red line.

Donald Trump

00:39:16 - 00:39:21 (5 sec)

And let me just tell you, when he didn't do it, that's when everyone else came in including Russia.

Sean Hannity

00:39:21 - 00:39:24 (3 sec)

Last question. I know the whole issue... [Crosstalk]

Donald Trump

00:39:24 - 00:39:25 (1 sec)

...that was a big moment.

Sean Hannity

00:39:25 - 00:39:25 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:39:25 - 00:39:44 (19 sec)

He said red line in the sand and then nothing happened. What they did was they had chemicals and they destroyed 500 babies and children and everything. And he didn't do anything about it. That was a very bad moment for our country, but I did something. Because when I came in, I hit them very hard.

Note

00:39:44 - 00:39:44 (0 sec)

[Commercial break]

Sean Hannity

00:39:44 - 00:40:03 (20 sec)

I've known you for a long time. You've already given the answer earlier today on Doral, it won't go down there. You might move it to Camp David, I guess so you're looking at other locations. I've known you for a long time. You thrive on a battle. You thrive on fighting. You've said to me privately and publicly, you want your promises fulfilled.

Sean Hannity

00:40:03 - 00:40:18 (15 sec)

I guess that's what reelection is going to be about. All this impeach, impeach going on. Do you care? Would you care at all what they do as long as you win in November? Does it matter to you? Except for what you said earlier about it hurts the country.

Donald Trump

00:40:18 - 00:40:34 (16 sec)

I want -- I want to care -- look, we've done a great job. The economy's the best it's ever been, ever been. And you look again. China's gone way down. If Hillary Clinton had gotten elected, right now China would have had the number one economy in the world, and right now they're not even close. They're way behind.

Donald Trump

00:40:34 - 00:40:55 (21 sec)

We've picked up trillions of dollars in worth and value, and China's gone way, way down by trillions and trillions of dollars. When the Head of China spoke to me recently -- and even the Vice Premier just left -- just left this office right here last week. He said, congratulations Mr. President on the incredible job.

Donald Trump

00:40:55 - 00:41:13 (18 sec)

He said we would never have expected this to happen. Don't forget China's paying us tens of billions of dollars in tariffs, and it's had a huge impact on China. And it hasn't cost us anything because they devalued their currency or they've poured money in. It hasn't cost us -- they've eaten that. They've eaten it totally.

Donald Trump

00:41:13 - 00:41:31 (18 sec)

But he said congratulations on the job you've done with the economy. Had Hillary Clinton got in, right now we would be the number two economy in the world. We are so far in front of China that if we have smart people sitting right in that chair, right next to us, it will never happen.

Sean Hannity

00:41:31 - 00:41:38 (7 sec)

I think you must negotiate everything, because I've known you for a long time. Mr. President, I won't take anymore of your time. Thank you so much for doing this. Appreciate it.

Donald Trump

00:41:38 - 00:41:39 (1 sec)

Thank you. Thank you very much.

Sean Hannity

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