Transcript - Press Gaggle: Donald Trump Speaks to the Press Before Marine One Departure - October 4, 2019 | Factba.se

Donald Trump

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

So, the unemployment numbers just came out, and they're the best numbers we've had in over 50 years. The unemployment number is down to 3.5 percent. So that goes way, way back. We haven't had numbers like this in a long time. Wages are up by almost 3 percent. That's a fantastic increase for everybody out there working.

Donald Trump

00:00:24 - 00:00:45 (21 sec)

We're very happy about those numbers. The stock market is substantially up, as it was yesterday. And our country does well. Europe is not doing well. Asia is doing poorly, to put it mildly. And we continue to do very well; we're the miracle. But the unemployment numbers just came out: 3.5 percent unemployment.

Donald Trump

00:00:45 - 00:01:05 (20 sec)

And that is a tremendous number; the lowest in over 50 years. So, very happy. And, I think, really, very important -- again, I'll say: Wages are up. When I was running, wages were nowhere. They were going down. And people were having two and three jobs, and they were making less money than they made 20 years before.

Donald Trump

00:01:05 - 00:01:29 (23 sec)

Now wages are up. So we're very happy about that. One other thing, having to do with Poland. So, Poland is a country; great people. We have a lot of Polish Americans living in the United States. I've just signed -- I will soon be signing -- and sign certain preliminary applications. We will be giving a full visa waiver to Poland.

Donald Trump

00:01:29 - 00:01:55 (26 sec)

That means that people from Poland can easily travel there, and people from here can easily go back and forth. They can each -- people from the U.S., people from Poland, can very easily go back and forth between the United States and Poland. So, they've been trying to get this for many, many decades. And I got it for the Polish people, in honor of the Polish people in the United States and in Poland.

Donald Trump

00:01:55 - 00:01:58 (3 sec)

So, we're very happy with that. Yeah.

Question

00:01:58 - 00:02:02 (4 sec)

Did you see Adam Schiff got four Pinocchios by the Post, this morning, for lying?

Donald Trump

00:02:02 - 00:02:18 (16 sec)

Well, I heard Adam Schiff got four Pinocchios. That's good. He should have gotten them two and a half years ago. That's a very nice question. Let me shake your hand. Come here. That's a very nice question. That's almost a surprise. I figured that was a trick question, right?

Question

00:02:18 - 00:02:21 (3 sec)

Also, what does your letter to Pelosi say? And when will you send it?

Donald Trump

00:02:21 - 00:02:40 (19 sec)

Well, we'll be issuing a letter. As everybody knows, we've been treated very unfairly, very different from anybody else. If you go over not only history -- I mean, if you go over any aspect of life, you'll see how unfairly we've been treated. We've done a fantastic job. Everything, to me, is about corruption.

Donald Trump

00:02:40 - 00:03:05 (25 sec)

We want to find out what happened with 2016. And, as you know, there's a lot of work going on, on that. I don't care about Biden's campaign, but I do care about corruption. His campaign -- that's up to him. Politics -- that's up to them. I don't care about politics. Politics, as I think I've made clear -- and yesterday, somebody asked me a question, and I gave an answer -- but always in the form of corruption.

Donald Trump

00:03:05 - 00:03:41 (36 sec)

What I want to do -- and I think I have an obligation to do it, probably a duty to do it: corruption -- we are looking for corruption. When you look at what Biden and his son did, and when you look at other people -- what they've done. And I believe there was tremendous corruption with Biden, but I think there was beyond -- I mean, beyond corruption -- having to do with the 2016 campaign, and what these lowlifes did to so many people, to hurt so many people in the Trump campaign -- which was successful, despite all of the fighting us. I mean, despite all of the unfairness.

Donald Trump

00:03:41 - 00:03:47 (6 sec)

So, we are looking at corruption. We're not looking at politics. We're looking at corruption.

Question

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

Sir, what did you say to the Chinese about the Bidens, sir?

Donald Trump

00:03:51 - 00:04:14 (23 sec)

I don't know. Somebody said that a long time ago. Was that in 2017? I don't know. You'd have to tell me when. All I can tell you is this: When I speak to foreign leaders, I speak in an appropriate way. If you notice, they don't mention the call that I had with the President of Ukraine. They don't mention that because it was so good.

Donald Trump

00:04:14 - 00:04:33 (19 sec)

The only time they mentioned it was when Adam Schiff made it up. You talk about Pinocchios -- that should get 10 Pinocchios. He made up -- he made up a story. It was a phony story. Adam Schiff. So, they don't talk about that anymore. You know, when this came out, it was "quid pro quo." Well, there was none.

Donald Trump

00:04:33 - 00:04:53 (20 sec)

Also, yesterday, the Ambassador -- who I heard was tremendous and a tremendous person -- he was 100 percent for what we're saying. A hundred percent. And, if you look, he also said there was no quid pro quo. That's the whole ballgame. But now the Democrats don't bring that up anymore because they lost.

Donald Trump

00:04:53 - 00:05:17 (23 sec)

Look, they never thought I was going to release the phone call between the Ukrainian President and myself. When I released that call, they were -- they were jumping around like you wouldn't believe. They didn't know how to respond. And then they found out -- and then they found out that the call itself was so bad for them.

Donald Trump

00:05:17 - 00:05:39 (23 sec)

It was a perfect call. There was nothing -- we hand that call out. We've handed the call out to people, and they'd say, "Wow, this is incredible." We're very proud of that call. When I speak to a foreign leader, I speak in an appropriate manner. Now, we're also doing trade deals with China and we're doing deals with a lot of people for the country, so I'm not looking to insult people.

Donald Trump

00:05:39 - 00:05:42 (3 sec)

I can tell you that. But we can probably find that out.

Question

00:05:42 - 00:05:45 (3 sec)

Would you be more willing to do a trade deal with the Chinese if they investigate Biden?

Donald Trump

00:05:45 - 00:06:07 (22 sec)

No, it has nothing to do with it. No. No. I want to do a trade deal with China, but only if it's good for our country. And it could happen. Because you know they're very much -- they're very much coming over next week, as I understand it. So I'd like to do a great deal with China, but only if it's a great trade deal for this country.

Donald Trump

00:06:07 - 00:06:08 (1 sec)

One thing has nothing to do with the other.

Question

00:06:08 - 00:06:13 (4 sec)

Do you want the House to proceed with an impeachment inquiry at this point? An official impeachment inquiry.

Donald Trump

00:06:13 - 00:06:28 (15 sec)

Well, I wouldn't mind because we have no rights. They way they're doing it, they've taken away our rights. So, if they proceed -- and, you know, they'll just get their people. They're all in line. Because even though many of them don't want to vote, they have no choice. They have to follow their leadership.

Donald Trump

00:06:28 - 00:06:51 (23 sec)

And then we'll get it to the Senate, and we're going to win. The Republicans have been very unified. This is the greatest witch hunt in the history of our country. So we beat the one that started immediately. We went through two years of Mueller, and that came out like a 10. It came out perfect. And a few days go by and they start this nonsense.

Donald Trump

00:06:51 - 00:07:17 (26 sec)

And this is just as ridiculous. So the Democrats, unfortunately, they have the votes. They can vote very easily, even though most of them, many of them, don't believe they should do it. And I do believe -- I do believe that because of what they're doing with Pelosi and their real leaders, AOC plus 3 -- that's their real leaders -- I really believe that they're going to pay a tremendous price at the polls.

Donald Trump

00:07:17 - 00:07:45 (28 sec)

And we saw the first glimpse of it two weeks ago, in a great state, North Carolina. We saw a great, great glimpse of what's going to happen. Because, in North Carolina, we had two races. One gentleman, Dan Bishop, was down by 17 points with three weeks to go, and he won easily. And the other man, as you know, Greg Murphy, was up by a very little bit and he won by a massive amount -- I don't know, someplace in the twenties.

Donald Trump

00:07:45 - 00:08:09 (24 sec)

Twenty percent or something. Maybe higher. So I think you got your first glimpse of what's going to happen. And the big key is that I have to campaign there. But if you look at what happened in North Carolina -- two races -- we won both of them, and we won them easily. And one was almost tied and the other one was a big, big lead, and that one turned and the tie became a landslide.

Question

00:08:09 - 00:08:20 (10 sec)

Mr. President, did Mitch McConnell make you any promises about a vote on impeachment in the Senate?

Donald Trump

00:08:20 - 00:08:41 (22 sec)

Well, I don't know about Mitch. I have a lot of respect for Mitch McConnell. I know that; I saw his statements. And he thinks that this is ridiculous. He thinks it's unfair. I saw his statement yesterday that he put out where he read my phone conversation and he thought it was a wonderful conversation. And it was.

Donald Trump

00:08:41 - 00:08:58 (17 sec)

But, see, the Democrats don't talk about that anymore. They try and go to other things. These people are looking for anything they can get because they know they're going to lose the election. And we're in election season now. For them to be doing this now, it's never been done.

Question

00:08:58 - 00:09:02 (4 sec)

The U.S. is speaking to North Korea in Sweden. What do you expect?

Donald Trump

00:09:02 - 00:09:02 (1 sec)

Question

00:09:02 - 00:09:06 (4 sec)

The U.S. is speaking to North Korea in Sweden right now. What do you expect?

Donald Trump

00:09:06 - 00:09:27 (20 sec)

So we're dealing with North Korea. They want to meet, and we'll be meeting with them. It's probably being set up as we speak, but we'll let you know. But North Korea would like to do something. Iran would like to do something. We have a lot of countries in a very good position right now, despite the witch hunt, which hurts our country and it hurts America.

Donald Trump

00:09:27 - 00:09:32 (5 sec)

But Iran wants to do something. North Korea wants to do something. And China would like to do something.

Question

00:09:32 - 00:09:34 (2 sec)

Is the Justice Department investigating Joe Biden?

Donald Trump

00:09:34 - 00:09:44 (10 sec)

I don't know that. That, you'd have to ask. Is the Justice Department investigating Joe Biden?

Question

00:09:44 - 00:09:45 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:09:45 - 00:10:07 (22 sec)

Well, that, you'd have you to ask Attorney General Barr. But I can tell you, just as an observer, what I saw Biden do with his son -- he is pillaging these countries, and he's hurting us. How would you like to have, as an example, Joe Biden negotiating the China deal if he took it over from me after the election?

Donald Trump

00:10:07 - 00:10:08 (1 sec)

He would give them --

Question

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

Mr. President --

Donald Trump

00:10:09 - 00:10:30 (21 sec)

Wait. He would give them everything. He would give them everything. How would you like to have that? Joe Biden would just roll out the red carpet. He would give them everything. So, again, this doesn't pertain to anything but corruption. And that has to do with me. I don't care about politics. I don't care about anything.

Donald Trump

00:10:30 - 00:10:51 (21 sec)

But I do care about corruption. And to have somebody take out a billion and a half dollars out of China, who's totally unfit. He's unfit. To have him get a billion and a half dollars, to have him -- and now I'm hearing the number of $50,000 a month. Now I'm hearing the number of $50,000 a month is very low.

Donald Trump

00:10:51 - 00:11:13 (22 sec)

It's a much higher number that Biden's son was getting per month. The fact is it's much higher. And for him to -- and for him, as a total -- for him, as a totally unqualified person, to be getting hundreds of thousands a month is very, very [Inaudible]. So, again, is the Justice Department investigating that?

Donald Trump

00:11:13 - 00:11:14 (1 sec)

I just don't know.

Question

00:11:14 - 00:11:22 (8 sec)

Mr. President, do you think the Democrats have the votes? Do you think the Democrats have the votes to impeach you? Do you think you will be impeached?

Donald Trump

00:11:22 - 00:11:37 (15 sec)

Well, I think they follow the leader. One thing with the Democrats -- I give them credit for it -- a lot of them don't want it; you know that, you interview them. A lot of them are in there -- they call them "Trump districts" -- where I won and then they won after when I wasn't running. But I'm going to win them big.

Donald Trump

00:11:37 - 00:11:57 (20 sec)

If you look at what's happened with my polls, they're through the roof. You know why? Because of this phony witch hunt. If you look at what happened with the fundraising, we've set a record -- the Republicans -- because people are sick and tired of it. I got a call the other night from pastors -- the biggest pastors, evangelical Christians.

Donald Trump

00:11:57 - 00:12:15 (18 sec)

They said, "We have never seen our religious or any religious so electrified." They are -- they say they've never seen anything like it. Churches are joining. Hundreds of thousands of people. And, you know, that's to a large extent because of you and your partner, the Democrats.

Question

00:12:15 - 00:12:19 (4 sec)

But do you think it will pass the House, sir? Do you think it will pass the House and die in the Senate?

Donald Trump

00:12:19 - 00:12:40 (21 sec)

Well, I think this. I think this: We have great -- we have a great relationship in the Senate. I have a 95 percent approval rating in the Republican Party. I believe the Senate -- and I haven't spoken to that many senators -- but I believe the senators look at this as a hoax. It's a witch hunt. It's a disgrace.

Donald Trump

00:12:40 - 00:12:58 (19 sec)

Should have never happened. Just like Russia collusion delusion should have never happened. That was a witch hunt. And just like that, should have never happened. So I think in the Senate, I think they feel that the Republican Party has been treated very, very badly. Now, in the House, they have the majority.

Donald Trump

00:12:58 - 00:13:16 (18 sec)

They all vote with AOC and plus three. Nancy Pelosi is petrified of them. I mean, she's afraid she's going to lose her position. Nancy Pelosi will lose her speakership right after the election when the Republicans take over the House.

Question

00:13:16 - 00:13:23 (6 sec)

Sir, can we talk about the text messages that included holding off a visit to the White House?

Donald Trump

00:13:23 - 00:13:32 (9 sec)

The one text message that I saw was just about the last text message. Because I don't know -- I don't even know most of these ambassadors. I didn't even know their names. But the text message --

Question

00:13:32 - 00:13:34 (3 sec)

But what it included, sir, was a visit to the White House.

Donald Trump

00:13:34 - 00:13:56 (22 sec)

-- the text message that I saw from Ambassador Sondland -- who's highly respected -- was: There's "no quid pro quo." He said that. He said, by the way -- it almost sounded like in general -- he said, by the way, there's "no quid pro quo." And there isn't. Now, for Biden there would be. But listen to this: There is no pro quo.

Donald Trump

00:13:56 - 00:14:02 (6 sec)

And that was the text message that I saw. And that nullified everything.

Question

00:14:02 - 00:14:12 (9 sec)

Have you asked foreign leaders for any corruption investigations that don't involve your political opponents? That is, are there other cases where you've asked for corruption investigations?

Donald Trump

00:14:12 - 00:14:29 (17 sec)

You know, we would have to look. But I tell you, what I asked for and what I always will ask for is anything having to do with corruption with respect to our country. If a foreign country can help us with respect to corruption and corruption probes, and that -- I don't care if it's Biden or anybody else.

Donald Trump

00:14:29 - 00:14:53 (24 sec)

But if they can help us -- if Biden is corrupt, if his son is corrupt. When his son takes out billions of dollars -- billions -- and he has no experience; he just got fired from the Navy -- when they do that, that's no good. So the only -- just to finish your question -- anything having to do with corruption, I actually feel I have an obligation to do that.

Question

00:14:53 - 00:14:55 (2 sec)

Including with Mr. Putin, sir?

Question

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

Is someone advising you that it is okay to solicit the help of other governments to investigate a potential political opponent?

Donald Trump

00:15:03 - 00:15:05 (3 sec)

No, I don't say anything is okay. I'll tell you what's okay.

Question

00:15:05 - 00:15:06 (1 sec)

Is someone advising you that?

Donald Trump

00:15:06 - 00:15:28 (22 sec)

Here's what's okay: If we feel there's corruption, like I feel there was in the 2016 campaign -- there was tremendous corruption against me -- if we feel there's corruption, we have a right to go to a foreign country. And just so you know -- just so you know, I was investigated. I was investigated.

Donald Trump

00:15:28 - 00:15:53 (25 sec)

Okay? Me. Me. In my campaign -- I ran, I won. I was invest- -- you won't say that, will you? I was investigated. I was investigated. And they think it could have been by UK. They think it could have been by Australia. They think it could have been by Italy. So when you get down to it, I was investigated by the Obama administration.

Donald Trump

00:15:53 - 00:16:06 (13 sec)

By the Obama administration I was investigated. So when these people talk -- But as far as I'm concerned, what I want to look at and what we want to investigate: anything having to do with corruption.

Question

00:16:06 - 00:16:10 (4 sec)

In your view, Mr. President, do you view China as an ally, a partner, or an adversary?

Donald Trump

00:16:10 - 00:16:45 (35 sec)

I view China as somebody we're trying to make a deal with; we have a very good chance of making a deal with. We've had good moments with China. We've had bad moments with China. Right now, we're in a very important stage in terms of possibly making a deal. If we make it, it will be the biggest trade deal ever made -- if we make it. But I view China as somebody that we deal with on the world stage.

Donald Trump

00:16:45 - 00:17:06 (21 sec)

I would like to get along with China if we can. And if we can, that's great. If we can't, that's okay, too. But what we're doing is we're negotiating a very tough deal. If the deal is not going to be 100 percent for us, then we're not going to make it. And I will -- and I will say this. I will say this.

Donald Trump

00:17:06 - 00:17:28 (22 sec)

I will say this: China very much wants to make this deal. China is getting killed. The tariffs are killing China. What's happened is they have now 3 million loss of jobs, their chains are broken up. If you look at their supply chain, which is a disaster -- companies are going to other countries, including us. China, right now, is a total disaster.

Question

00:17:28 - 00:17:40 (12 sec)

Mr. President, does a trade with China have anything to do with an investigation into Joe Biden? And will you ask Xi to investigate?

Donald Trump

00:17:40 - 00:18:07 (28 sec)

No, no, no. Let me tell you: I'm only interested in corruption. I don't care about politics. I don't care about Biden's politics. I never thought Biden was going to win, to be honest. I picked somebody else a long time ago. And we'll see what happens. But I never thought Biden was going to win. But I don't care.

Donald Trump

00:18:07 - 00:18:35 (27 sec)

I mean, frankly, if he won, I'd be very happy. I think he'd be an easy opponent. But I never thought Biden was going to win. I don't care about politics, but I do care about corruption. And this whole thing is about corruption. This whole thing -- this whole thing is about corruption. This is about corruption, and this is not about politics.

Donald Trump

00:18:35 - 00:18:51 (17 sec)

This is about corruption. And if you look and you read our Constitution and many other things, we -- I have an obligation to look at corruption. I have an actual obligation and a duty.

Question

00:18:51 - 00:18:54 (3 sec)

Are you going to comply with the House subpoenas?

Donald Trump

00:18:54 - 00:18:55 (1 sec)

Question

00:18:55 - 00:18:57 (2 sec)

Are you going to cooperate with the House in this investigation?

Donald Trump

00:18:57 - 00:19:19 (22 sec)

I don't know. That's up to the lawyers. I know the lawyers think they've never seen anything so unfair. They've never seen anything so unjust. I've been President now for almost three years, and I've been going through this for almost three years. It's almost become, like, a part of my day. But in the meantime, we have the best economy we've ever had.

Donald Trump

00:19:19 - 00:19:41 (22 sec)

We have the best job numbers we've had in 51 years. The best unemployment numbers that we've had in a half a century. The best numbers that we've ever had -- African American, Hispanic American, Asian American, women -- everything. We have the best numbers that we've had in many, many, many decades. And you know what?

Donald Trump

00:19:41 - 00:19:55 (14 sec)

People understand that. People are working. They're making money. The -- if you look at one very important number that was just announced: wages up 3 percent. That's unheard of. That's unheard of. So, it's a great thing.

Question

00:19:55 - 00:20:00 (5 sec)

What about other Democrats? What about other Democrats?

Donald Trump

00:20:00 - 00:20:04 (5 sec)

I didn't hear you. Go.

Question

00:20:04 - 00:20:11 (7 sec)

Mr. President, when did you first get the idea to investigate the Bidens' activity in Ukraine? Who advised you to look into that?

Donald Trump

00:20:11 - 00:20:40 (28 sec)

We're investigating corruption. We're not investigating campaigns. I don't care about his campaign. As I said, I didn't think -- I didn't think and I don't think Biden is going to win. All right? I don't think. And maybe to answer your question, when you say, "Who is going to win?" -- I'd rather not make a prediction, but I do have a feeling about it. I didn't think -- because I've watched Biden over the years, and Biden is not the brightest person.

Donald Trump

00:20:40 - 00:21:02 (22 sec)

I never thought he was going to win. I never felt he was going to win. If you look at his other two campaigns, he was a one-percenter. He got very few votes. He got taken off of the garbage heap by Obama. Obama took him off the garbage heap. So it's one of those things. But I never thought that Biden -- I didn't think Biden was going to win.

Donald Trump

00:21:02 - 00:21:18 (16 sec)

I guess that everybody has a shot. But I don't think he would be, frankly, my toughest opponent. And just to finish off -- just to finish off, I don't think that he will win. I didn't think he was going to win, and I don't think he's going to win.

Question

00:21:18 - 00:21:28 (9 sec)

Joe Biden's poll numbers are dropping pretty badly. Elizabeth Warren's are rising. Bernie is sick. What do you think about facing Elizabeth Warren?

Donald Trump

00:21:28 - 00:21:45 (17 sec)

That's fine. I mean, it's fine. She's a socialist and maybe worse than that. But we'll see. I heard -- I haven't seen his poll numbers. I haven't seen Biden's poll numbers. Look, Joe Biden was never going to make it. All right? He was never going to make it. He tried it twice. He's at 1 percent. There's a reason.

Donald Trump

00:21:45 - 00:22:00 (15 sec)

When I announced, I went to number one, day one, and I stayed there the entire primary season. I never was off center-stage. I was never given credit for that, but that's okay. Except by Steve. The only one that gave me credit was Steve.

Question

00:22:00 - 00:22:02 (2 sec)

Did you try to talk to Rouhani at the UN?

Donald Trump

00:22:02 - 00:22:04 (2 sec)

Question

00:22:04 - 00:22:08 (3 sec)

Did you try to talk to Iran's President?

Donald Trump

00:22:08 - 00:22:30 (22 sec)

No, they were trying to set up a meeting but he wanted sanctions lifted. And I said, "You must be kidding." We had no interest. Rouhani wanted a meeting at the UN. We did talk. I didn't speak to him personally, but our sides talked. He wanted sanctions lifted or partially lifted, and I said no.

Question

00:22:30 - 00:22:34 (4 sec)

[Inaudible] socialism in Venezuela for political campaign.

Donald Trump

00:22:34 - 00:22:57 (23 sec)

We're watching Venezuela very, very closely. The people are suffering, and we are watching it very closely. We're also giving big aid to Venezuela. Now, one thing. I'm now going to Walter Reed Hospital. We're going to be giving out five Purple Hearts to unbelievably brave young people. And I'm going to meet you -- some of you are going over.

Donald Trump

00:22:57 - 00:23:20 (23 sec)

I don't know. I think some of you are going over. So we could talk further over there. Although, when we're there, I would like you to respect the process. We're giving out Purple Hearts to very brave people, wounded warriors, people that have been -- I mean, they're just incredible people. And I'm going to be back here in probably two hours.

Donald Trump

00:23:20 - 00:23:23 (4 sec)

Thank you. Good job.