Transcript - Interview: Eric Bolling of Sinclair Broadcast Group Interviews Donald Trump - April 17, 2019 | Factba.se

Note

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

[This interview was recorded in the Rose Garden for America This Week on April 11, 2019 and broadcast on Sinclair stations on April 17, 2019.]

Eric Bolling

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

Mr. President, thank you very much for the wonderful location, number one, the interview, but certainly the location, I'm told this is the only time this shot has ever been used.

Donald Trump

00:00:10 - 00:00:15 (6 sec)

I think that might be true. It's the Rose Garden. Certainly with me, but that's because of you, I have respect.

Eric Bolling

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

Well thank you, sir. And the feeling's mutual. We start out with the immigration debate. We did a show and we started out with: crisis at the border. Now, on the right, you'll hear an exclamation point. On the left, you'll hear, question mark. Crisis, what crisis? Do we have a crisis or not?

Donald Trump

00:00:32 - 00:00:47 (15 sec)

Well, it's a tremendous crisis. People are pouring up, to a certain extent because of the economy. But they're coming up because the laws are bad. The Democrats won't change them in Congress. They want open borders. They want people to come through. And you don't want many of these people to come through.

Donald Trump

00:00:47 - 00:01:08 (21 sec)

And we're capturing many, many people, thousands and thousands a month and either bringing them back or doing something. You know we have laws, catch and release. You catch them, you take their name and different things and you release them. It's crazy. So we want to change the laws. But Border Patrol, what the job that they're doing is incredible.

Donald Trump

00:01:08 - 00:01:27 (18 sec)

The job that ICE does on the interior of the country is incredible. And we're doing a very tough job but it's very, very difficult when you have bad laws that could be easily changed. Eric, we could fix them in 15 minutes with the Democrats but they don't wanna fix them. They want open borders which frankly means crime.

Eric Bolling

00:01:27 - 00:01:42 (15 sec)

You know Jeh Johnson who was President Obama's Homeland Security secretary, said we do have a crisis at the border. Any time we have 4,000 caught, 100,000 in a month -- which happened last month -- you have a crisis. What do we do?

Donald Trump

00:01:42 - 00:02:07 (25 sec)

So, I watched him and I appreciated him and I think he's a good man and he meant it. And Mr. Morgan meant it also. He worked for President Obama, he said the same thing and even in stronger terms. And that's what we have. But I'm building the wall. The wall is a big chunk of what we're talking about because then we can focus it into small sections of openings and ports, ports of entry.

Donald Trump

00:02:07 - 00:02:28 (21 sec)

We're building a lot of wall right now. We're taking old stuff down that didn't work and we're using, we're building beautiful 30-foot barriers and bollards and in some cases concrete depending on what we need. And a lot of wall is being built but it's not easy. It would have been a lot easier if I could've had the support with the Democrats but we didn't get that support.

Donald Trump

00:02:28 - 00:02:29 (1 sec)

But I'm getting it built anyway.

Eric Bolling

00:02:29 - 00:02:37 (8 sec)

Alright. Let's talk about a couple of news items. We had three indictments. Let's start with the first one, Julian Assange, your thoughts.

Donald Trump

00:02:37 - 00:02:56 (19 sec)

Well, I know nothing about him. And I don't know what's gonna happen. I guess the concept is perhaps he's a reporter type and you know The New York Times is doing the same thing, maybe, and The Washington Post, maybe the same thing and lots of others. So I just don't know very much about him.

Eric Bolling

00:02:56 - 00:03:05 (9 sec)

Yeah, if we treat him as, WikiLeaks and Julian, Assange as a news service, wouldn't that be stifling the media if we end up indicting him, arresting him and putting him away?

Donald Trump

00:03:05 - 00:03:12 (7 sec)

Well, you know we have a great attorney general that's handling that. I'm not really familiar other than I understand there's a whole lot of action going on.

Eric Bolling

00:03:12 - 00:03:22 (10 sec)

Alright, Greg Craig also got in a bit of trouble under the Obama administration. He apparently, he was meeting with the Ukrainians. What's going on with the Ukraine?

Donald Trump

00:03:22 - 00:03:38 (16 sec)

Well that's a big deal with Greg Craig who I don't know. But he was White House counsel to President Obama. That is a big deal. I was a little surprised. I heard about it a couple of months ago. You know, you see stories about it. But I believe he was indicted. That's a big deal.

Eric Bolling

00:03:38 - 00:03:47 (9 sec)

That is a big deal. I'm just a little curious because we know what happened with Manafort, we hear what is happening currently with Joe Biden and his son with Ukraine...

Donald Trump

00:03:47 - 00:03:49 (2 sec)

Yeah, that's also very big.

Eric Bolling

00:03:49 - 00:03:50 (1 sec)

...and now Greg Craig.

Donald Trump

00:03:50 - 00:04:10 (20 sec)

And Ukraine, Ukraine seems to be involved in a lot of things. And you know with the people with respect to Manafort and all of them -- nothing had to do with Russian collusion. Nothing, not one. So I always make that point because it has been -- I think a lot of people have been treated in such a way that you don't wanna be treated.

Eric Bolling

00:04:10 - 00:04:18 (8 sec)

Michael Avenatti indicted I think for 36 counts of various forms of wire fraud, bank fraud, money fraud.

Donald Trump

00:04:18 - 00:04:31 (13 sec)

Well, he's a bad guy. I know nothing about the indictment, but he is a very bad guy. He's a sort of a sick person, I think. And I wish him the best.

Eric Bolling

00:04:31 - 00:04:36 (5 sec)

Yeah, the thought that at one point he was thinking about running for president against you --

Donald Trump

00:04:36 - 00:04:59 (23 sec)

Well I don't think it would've lasted too long. And usually those things they meld themselves out. But what he, what he does is not very pretty. I've seen it and I've seen it and I beat him. I beat him in a big case. I actually beat him out in California in a very big case and but he's not a good guy, bad guy and, you know, lots of luck.

Eric Bolling

00:04:59 - 00:05:12 (13 sec)

So one of the things that was happening with him was the media was picking up, he was Michael Avenatti he was fighting against you and they seemed to love, the leftwing the mainstream media, seems to love anything that can take a shot at Mr. Trump.

Donald Trump

00:05:12 - 00:05:13 (1 sec)

Well, yeah, yeah.

Eric Bolling

00:05:13 - 00:05:25 (12 sec)

But here's what I wanna ask: We're now gonna be aired in 200 stations across the country, middle America's watching. What type of news diet are they being fed by the mainstream media, all of these people?

Donald Trump

00:05:25 - 00:05:48 (22 sec)

It's fake news, so much of it. It is truly dishonest news. It's corrupt news. And I can't be strong enough. I used to say fake but now I'm going well beyond the word fake. And if you were in my position where you know the truth, in other words, you know the truth. A lot of people, they watch and they really don't know exactly what's going -- so when they see it, they assume it's true.

Donald Trump

00:05:48 - 00:06:11 (23 sec)

But now the credibility of mainstream media, we call it mainstream...when you see how corrupt the mainstream media is to me, it's unbelievable. Even I didn't know how bad it was. I can have the greatest success you've ever seen and they'll make it, at best, like okay. But usually, they'll make it bad. It doesn't make any difference.

Donald Trump

00:06:11 - 00:06:23 (12 sec)

No matter what I do. If I do something great with North Korea, which I have -- I mean, you look at what's come from where we were. But if I do something incredible with the economy, they will make it as bad as they can possible.

Eric Bolling

00:06:23 - 00:06:24 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:06:24 - 00:06:30 (6 sec)

There's a hatred, there's a -- they call it Trump derangement syndrome. I don't know.

Eric Bolling

00:06:30 - 00:06:31 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:06:31 - 00:06:32 (1 sec)

I don't know if it's me.

Eric Bolling

00:06:32 - 00:06:33 (1 sec)

...or is it conservatism?

Donald Trump

00:06:33 - 00:06:47 (14 sec)

I don't know. I think it's maybe both. They don't like me, I'm working very hard. I'm doing a good job. We have the best economy we've ever had. We have, as you know today, some of the best numbers that have ever been given on the economy.

Eric Bolling

00:06:47 - 00:06:55 (8 sec)

The number came out and the lowest number of jobless claims in 49 and a half years, almost 50 years.

Donald Trump

00:06:55 - 00:06:56 (0 sec)

Eric Bolling

00:06:56 - 00:07:07 (11 sec)

You know I had a debate with a guy the other day about whose economy is it. I said it's a Trump economy. He said, "No, no, no. This is just Trump finishing up Obama's economy." I beg to differ. I think your GDP is pushing 3 percent and...

Donald Trump

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

It is three. It is three.

Eric Bolling

00:07:08 - 00:07:11 (3 sec)

...and Obama had a point and a half, half the GDP of you.

Donald Trump

00:07:11 - 00:07:37 (26 sec)

So if they got in, you would be, cause that was really heading down fast, and as you know it was the worst recovery since the Great Depression. If they got in, instead of being up almost 50 percent, which it is, the stock market, instead of having the best unemployment numbers that we've just about ever had, almost ever had and with African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, we've had the best...

Eric Bolling

00:07:37 - 00:07:37 (0 sec)

Donald Trump

00:07:37 - 00:07:58 (21 sec)

Women is 65 years, best in 65 years. With the others, we have the best numbers in the history of our country. You would have had bad numbers had they gotten in. Too much regulation and they were gonna put on more. Taxes were too high, we cut taxes. So many different things and what we've done for the vets and choice and so many things.

Eric Bolling

00:07:58 - 00:08:16 (18 sec)

Can I tell you, one of the things I do, I've done business, I started in the business networks. One of the things that people ignore -- and one of the ways I always catch liberals who are attacking me about, it was Obama's economy, Trump's -- is for the first time in maybe 12 years, wages are growing substantially.

Donald Trump

00:08:16 - 00:08:18 (3 sec)

Right. Right, very. Over 3 percent.

Eric Bolling

00:08:18 - 00:08:36 (18 sec)

That's a function of a more favorable business environment. Companies feel better about the future so they'll pay people more to stay, whereas in the past they were eh, I'm not sure about the economy. So it's a confidence in the economy and it probably is immeasurable but that's part of the reason the numbers have been so good.

Donald Trump

00:08:36 - 00:09:00 (24 sec)

Well, if you look at manufacturing indexes, the most enthusiasm we've had in many years, I mean 94-95 percent. But it is incredible when you see, the economy would've been so bad if, had I not gotten elected. And it wasn't great under Obama, who was again, it was the worst recap that we've ever had. I believe it's like, either in the forties or maybe even since the end of the Great Depression.

Donald Trump

00:09:00 - 00:09:07 (7 sec)

It would've been very, very bad. You know a big factor, not only the tax cuts but a big factor was the regulation cuts.

Eric Bolling

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

Donald Trump

00:09:07 - 00:09:08 (1 sec)

We had the biggest...

Eric Bolling

00:09:08 - 00:09:11 (3 sec)

You came in on a Saturday and started rolling back regulation.

Donald Trump

00:09:11 - 00:09:12 (1 sec)

That's right. Right away.

Eric Bolling

00:09:12 - 00:09:12 (1 sec)

I'll never forget that.

Donald Trump

00:09:12 - 00:09:17 (4 sec)

I approved the pipelines, the big pipelines, 48,000 jobs. We've done a lot, a lot of work. [Break Between Part 1 and 2 of Interview]

Eric Bolling

00:09:17 - 00:09:30 (13 sec)

I got a couple things to get to quickly. This new, on the left, this new embrace of socialism. You know, AOC Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez comes out with a Green New Deal. We're gonna be extinct in 12 years unless we adopt this program.

Donald Trump

00:09:30 - 00:09:51 (21 sec)

Yeah, they're so ridiculous. The whole thing is ridiculous. And, you know what's to me amazing is when I look at some of these professional senators, they've been in there for a long time and I know 'em and they're standing behind her and they're agreeing with what she said. And I really believe they maybe believe it. It's almost like they've been brainwashed.

Donald Trump

00:09:51 - 00:10:03 (11 sec)

These are professional -- these are longtime senators they've been brainwashed. But I would love to run -- I hope they keep going with it because that's a dream to be running against...

Eric Bolling

00:10:03 - 00:10:04 (1 sec)

That's a layup.

Donald Trump

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

...the Green New Deal.

Eric Bolling

00:10:05 - 00:10:12 (6 sec)

The Green New Deal. Yeah. Interesting. Twelve years and $93 trillion I think it would cost if we were to implement it.

Donald Trump

00:10:12 - 00:10:40 (28 sec)

I'll tell you this. People have their 401(k)s and they have all of the different investments and they have stock in companies and lots of other things and real estate and houses. If they won, their houses will be worthless. Their 401(k)s will go down 90 percent. They'll go down to nothing. And I think it's gonna be very hard for that whole philosophy to do it. We're not believers in that philosophy.

Donald Trump

00:10:40 - 00:10:56 (16 sec)

We're having the best year, I would say just about on the economy that we've ever had in the history of our country. We're having one of the best years, but maybe the best year. And I don't think people are gonna give that up. We're doing great. We're rockin' all over the world they're talking about it.

Eric Bolling

00:10:56 - 00:11:07 (11 sec)

Anti-Semitism a growing concern with the couple of new freshmen congresswoman Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar. Your thoughts on is there a growing tide of antisemitism in the country?

Donald Trump

00:11:07 - 00:11:39 (33 sec)

Well, I think what they say about Israel and about the Jewish people, I think it's terrible. It's hard to believe. Omar, you take a look at her back-tweets and her back-statements what she says about Israel, what she says about Jewish people. If anybody ever said that about somebody else it would be -- and by the way -- unthinkable to hear it because if you go back even five years it would be unthinkable to say it. I have a feeling that you're gonna see a lot of a lot of really upset people very soon.

Donald Trump

00:11:39 - 00:11:45 (5 sec)

I cannot believe they've, they've allowed the Democrats to go where they've gone. Because this is

Eric Bolling

00:11:45 - 00:11:46 (1 sec)

What do you mean upset people?

Donald Trump

00:11:46 - 00:12:07 (21 sec)

Oh, I think Jewish people are getting furious by what's happening, by what's being said. This would've been an impossibility to do politically five years ago. And now she's out there literally challenging Israel, challenging frankly, challenging Jewish people. It's amazing. And I think you have a lot of people that are getting it.

Eric Bolling

00:12:07 - 00:12:15 (8 sec)

One final thought, weigh in if you choose to. The first lady Melania Trump has just been phenomenal with the opioid crisis.

Donald Trump

00:12:15 - 00:12:16 (1 sec)

Eric Bolling

00:12:16 - 00:12:28 (12 sec)

She's volunteered her time to go across the country with us, with Sinclair. Fantastic, thank you. Give her our best and thank you for supporting the opioid issue. As you know, it's a deeply concerning issue for me.

Donald Trump

00:12:28 - 00:12:40 (12 sec)

Well, she loved doing -- I know that very much so with you. And I met your boy and was a phenomenal young man. She loved the interview she did with you two months ago and it's her honor.

Eric Bolling

00:12:40 - 00:12:42 (2 sec)

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President.

Donald Trump

00:12:42 - 00:12:43 (1 sec)

Thank you very much.

Eric Bolling

00:12:43 - 00:12:44 (2 sec)

Mr. President, thank you for your time. Really appreciate it.