NBC News "Meet the Press" - Transcript: On Refugees and Planned Parenthood Video
Interview
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
I'm joined on the phone by the Republican presidential front runner right now, Donald Trump. Mr. Trump, welcome back to Meet the Press.
DONALD TRUMP:
Good morning.
CHUCK TODD:
Let me ask you about these claims this way. You demand and you've demanded of me pinpoint accuracy when I report on things about you, including, for instance, your net worth. Why shouldn't we demand the same pinpoint accuracy in the claims that you make? Isn't it hypocritical of you calling us out if we're not calling you out when you stray from the truth?
DONALD TRUMP:
Well, now people have got my net worth right. And they're saying what my real net worth is for a long time, you know. As a private company, they weren't doing that. But now they're doing it, largely I guess due to the big filing that I made with the federal government, with the F.C.C. As far as all of these claims, I believe that it's the Obamas' intention. They said 10,000 people, Syrians. We don't want them. Because we don't know who they are. And I love the idea of building a safe zone someplace in Syria.
But they said 10,000. And yet, the Democratic debate, they said 65,000, to the best of my recollection. Hillary said it, and so did Bernie Sanders. You're saying Bernie Sanders is so honest. I doubt that very much. But Bernie Sanders said it and Hillary said it. I think they were talking in the Democrat debate. I think they were talking about 65,000. I happened upon a certain amount of knowledge, I'm very friendly with a lot of people on both sides, that Obama's plan is 200,000 to 250,000.
So, he said 10,000. The debate said 65,000 already, before we even start. And I think what he really has in mind is 200,000 people and maybe even more than that coming into our country. And we can't have it. We don't know who these people are. They're undocumented totally. And by the way, even if it's 10,000, we can't have it. We can't have people coming in that we know nothing about. There is no paperwork, and for good reason. But there is no paperwork. And this is going to be, or has the potential to be, one big, fat Trojan horse. And we cannot have that, Chuck.
CHUCK TODD:
All right. Well, let's back up here a minute. Let's go to this Jersey City comment. You said you saw this. Nobody can find evidence of this. And, more importantly, the article that you tweeted out that's backed you up, that in itself, there were three or four different reports that month in New Jersey that said it was a myth that was spread, that it was a false rumor. F.B.I., you name it. Where did you see this?
DONALD TRUMP:
Chuck, I saw it on television. So did many other people. And many--
CHUCK TODD:
In Jersey City--
DONALD TRUMP:
--many people. I said hundreds. In the area. I--
CHUCK TODD:
--you saw during Jersey City? Okay.
DONALD TRUMP:
--heard Patterson. Excuse me. I've heard Jersey City. I've heard Patterson. It was 14 years ago. But I saw it on television. I saw clips. And so did many other people. And many people saw it in person. I've had hundreds of phone calls to the Trump Organization saying, "We saw it. It was dancing in the streets." Now, by the way The Washington Post I tried to pull back, but the Washington Post reported tailgate parties and reports of tailgate parties.
Tailgate parties means, like, for a football game where you have hundreds and hundreds, and maybe even thousands, of people having tailgate parties. I saw it at the time. I stick by it. Hundreds of people have confirmed it.
CHUCK TODD:
This didn't happen in New Jersey. There were plenty of reports. And you're feeding that stereotype.
DONALD TRUMP:
Chuck, it did happen in New Jersey. I have hundreds of people that agree with me.
CHUCK TODD:
But they want to agree with you that doesn't make it true.
DONALD TRUMP:
Chuck, you have a huge Muslim population over there. And that's fine. But you have a huge Muslim population, between Patterson and different places and Jersey City, an unbelievable large population. If they're going to be doing it at soccer games, if they're going to be doing it all around the world, it was being done.
When the Trade Center came down, it was done all around the world. And you know that because that has been reported very strongly. Why wouldn't it have taken place? I've had hundreds of people call in and tweet in on Twitter, saying that they saw it and I was 100% right.
Now, the Washington Post also wrote about tailgate parties. We're looking for other articles. And we're looking for other clips. And I wouldn't be surprised if we found them, Chuck. But for some reason, they're not that easy to come by. I saw it. So many people saw it, Chuck. And, so, why would I take it back? I'm not going to take it back.
CHUCK TODD:
Well just because somebody repeats something doesn't make it true. And I guess that's actually--
DONALD TRUMP:
Chuck, I've had hundreds. I don't mean I had two calls, Chuck. Even yesterday, I was in Sarasota, Florida. And people were saying they lived in Jersey, they--
CHUCK TODD:
People weren't saying. If I said people--
DONALD TRUMP:
--moved down to Florida because taxes are a lot lower in Florida. They told me there that they saw it.
CHUCK TODD:
Mr. Trump. If I said, "Well, people have said Mr. Trump's net worth is $10 billion," you would say that was crazy. You wouldn't make a business deal--
DONALD TRUMP:
But that's a very different. It's much different.
CHUCK TODD:
--based on re-tweets and based on hearsay. You're running for president of the United States. Your words matter. Truthfulness matters. Fact-based stuff matters.
DONALD TRUMP:
Take it easy, Chuck. Just play cool. This is people in this country that love our country that saw this, by the hundreds they're calling, and they're tweeting. And there's a lot of people. In Sarasota, people were telling me yesterday they used to live in New Jersey. They remember it vividly. They thought it was disgusting.
So, these are people that saw it, too. The Washington Post reported it. Many, many people have seen it. I have a very good memory, I'll tell you. I saw it somewhere on television many years ago. And I never forgot it. And it was on television, too.
CHUCK TODD:
Let me ask you about your reaction to what happened in Colorado.
DONALD TRUMP:
Okay. I think it's terrible. I mean, terrible. It's more of the same. And I think it's a terrible thing. And he's a maniac! He's a maniac.
CHUCK TODD:
Now, a spokesperson for Planned Parenthood is concerned that the heated rhetoric around the Planned Parenthood debate could've had an adverse effect, basically, on this mentally disturbed individual. Do you think the rhetoric got out of hand on Planned Parenthood?
DONALD TRUMP:
No. I think he's a sick person. And I think he was probably a person ready to go. We don't even know the purpose. I mean, he hasn't come out, to the best of my knowledge, with a statement as to why it happened to be at that location.
CHUCK TODD:
Well, we have reporting.
DONALD TRUMP:
Nobody knows. He lived in a different area.
CHUCK TODD:
We have reporting that he was talking about baby parts and things like that from law enforcement officials during his interview.
DONALD TRUMP:
Well, I will tell you there is a tremendous group of people that think it's terrible, all of the videos that they've seen with some of these people from Planned Parenthood talking about it like you're selling parts to a car. I mean, there are a lot of people that are very unhappy about that.
Now, I know some of the tapes were perhaps not pertinent. I know that a couple of people that were running for office or are running for office on the Republican side were commenting on tapes that weren't appropriate. But there were many tapes that are appropriate in terms of commenting on. And there are people that are extremely upset about it. It looks like you're talking about parts to some machine or something. And they're not happy about it.
CHUCK TODD:
Does that mean you're not surprised that someone might take an extreme reaction to it?
DONALD TRUMP:
Well, this was an extremist. And this was a man who obviously they said prior to this was mentally disturbed. So, he's a mentally disturbed person. There's no question about that.
CHUCK TODD:
But it does sound like you understand why people might react this way.
DONALD TRUMP:
Well, there's tremendous dislike. I can say that. Because I go to rallies. And I have by far, and you will admit that I think, the biggest crowds, nobody even close. And that includes Bernie Sanders, by the way, whose crowds are going down, down, down like a rock ever since he gave Hillary a free pass on the email?. But I see a lot of anxiety and I see a lot of dislike for Planned Parenthood. There's no question about that.
CHUCK TODD:
Is there a way you could lose this nomination and feel as if you were treated fairly by the Republican Party?
DONALD TRUMP:
Yes, there is. And there's also a way I could lose the nomination and feel that I was treated unfairly by the Republican Party.
CHUCK TODD:
And right now, you feel the Republican Party is doing what?
DONALD TRUMP:
Right now, I have no opinion. I just know that I'm winning by a lot. I really have no opinion.
CHUCK TODD:
You haven't decided whether it's fair or not?
DONALD TRUMP:
But I'm winning by a lot. Yes, I have no opinion right now. I can say that many, many people think that I'm not being treated fairly, where these guys that are down at 1% and 2% want to take negative ads. I can say also FOX just came out with a poll where I'm easily beating Hillary Clinton, I'm beating her by a lot. And that just came out. So, you know, that's a good sign.
CHUCK TODD:
Alright.
DONALD TRUMP:
The mainstream media and, you know, Republicans, I have no real feeling as to whether or not I'm being treated fairly. But I promise you I will let you know at some point. I hope I'm being treated fairly. Because Chuck, that was my deal. My deal. I signed a pledge. My deal was that I would be treated fairly. And I hope that's going to be the case.
CHUCK TODD:
All right. Well, we are long overdue for a face to face. I think we're putting it in the works, hopefully before Christmas. Mr. Trump, thanks for coming on.
DONALD TRUMP:
I look forward to it. Thank you very much, Chuck.
CHUCK TODD:
You bet.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source