REPORTER: HOW DO YOU THINK YOUR
LABOR SECRETARY DID?
>> I THINK HE WAS A GREAT LABOR
SECRETARY, NOT A GOOD LABOR
SECRETARY.
HE HAS DONE A FANTASTIC JOB.
HE IS A FRIEND OF EVERYBODY IN
THE ADMINISTRATION.
I GOT A CALL THIS MORNING EARLY
FROM ALEX.
I THINK HE DID A VERY GOOD JOB
YESTERDAY UNDER A LOT OF
PRESSURE, HE DID A FANTASTIC
JOB.
HE EXPLAINED IT.
HE MADE A DEAL THAT PEOPLE ARE
HAPPY WITH AND THEN 12 YEARS
LATER THEY'RE NOT HAPPY WITH IT.
YOU WILL HAVE TO FIGURE ALL OF
THAT OUT.
BUT THE FACT IS, HE HAS BEEN A
FANTASTIC SECRETARY OF LABOR.
ALEX CALLED ME THIS MORNING, HE
WANTED TO SEE ME.
I ACTUALLY SAID WELL, WE HAVE TO
PRESS RIGHT OUT HERE.
PERHAPS YOU WANT TO SAY IT TO
THE PRESS.
BUT I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW,
THIS WAS HIM, NOT ME.
BECAUSE I'M WITH HIM.
HE WAS A, HE IS A TREMENDOUS
TALENT.
HE IS A HISPANIC MAN.
HE WENT TO HARVARD.
A GREAT STUDENT.
AN IN SOME WAYS I JUST HATE WHAT
HE IS SAYING NOW BECAUSE WE'RE
GOING TO MISS HIM.
BUT PLEASE, ALEX.
>> THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT.
OVER THE LAST WEEK I'VE SEEN A
LOT OF COVERAGE OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND WHAT I
HAVE NOT SEEN IS INCREDIBLE JOB
CREATION THAT WE HAVE SEEN IN
THIS ECONOMY, MORE THAN FIVE
MILLION JOBS.
I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT WORK PLACE
INJURIES ARE DOWN, BUCKING A
THREE-YEAR TREND.
WORK PLACE FATALITIES ARE DOWN,
BUCKING A THREE-YEAR TREND.
THAT WE HAD THE SAFEST YEAR EVER
IN MINING, LOWEST EVER
FATALITIES EVER IN MINING.
I HAVE SEEN COVERAGE OF THIS
CASE THAT IS OVER 12 YEARS OLD,
THAT HAD INPUT AND VETTING AT
MULTIPLE LEVELS OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
AS I LOOK FORWARD I DO NOT THINK
IT IS RIGHT AND FAIR FOR THIS
ADMINISTRATION'S LABOR
DEPARTMENT TO HAVE EPSTEIN AS
THE FOCUS RATHER THAN THE
INCREDIBLE ECONOMY THAT WE HAVE
TODAY.
AND SO I CALLED THE PRESIDENT
THIS MORNING, I TOLD HIM THAT I
THOUGHT THE RIGHT THING WAS TO
STEP ASIDE.
YOU KNOW CABINET POSITIONS ARE
TEMPORARY TRUSTS.
IT WOULD BE SELFISH FOR ME TO
STAY IN THIS POSITION AND
CONTINUE TALKING ABOUT A CASE
THAT IS 12 YEARS OLD RATHER THAN
ABOUT THE AMAZING ECONOMY WE
HAVE RIGHT NOW.
AND SO I SUBMITTED MY
RESIGNATION TO THE PRESIDENT
EFFECTIVE SEVEN DAYS FROM TODAY,
EFFECTIVE ONE WEEK FROM TODAY
EARLIER THIS MORNING.
REPORTER: [INAUDIBLE]
>> THERE IS NO NEED AT ALL, AS
FAR AS I'M CONCERNED.
I WOULD, I WATCHED ALEX
YESTERDAY.
I THOUGHT ALEX DID A GREAT JOB.
YOU CAN ALWAYS SECOND-GUESS
PEOPLE, SHOULD HAVE BEEN
TOUGHER.
THEY DO IT WITH ME ALL THE TIME.
I MAKE A GREAT DEAL WITH
ANYBODY.
THEN THEY SAY LIKE THE
DEMOCRATS, OH, IT COULD HAVE
BEEN BETTER.
I GOT $1.2 BILLION SETTLEMENT
FINE FROM A COMPANY, FROM ZTE.
AND THE NEXT DAY, EVERYBODY
COULDN'T BELIEVE IT.
THE NEXT DAY THE DEMOCRATS SAID,
OH, YOU SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN MORE.
YOU CAN ALWAYS BE
SECOND-GUESSED.
THAT IS WHAT PEOPLE DO.
I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU, THIS IS
A PERSON THAT I HAVE GOTTEN TO
KNOW, THAT HASN'T BEEN AN OUNCE
OF CONTROVERSY AT THE DEPARTMENT
OF LABOR UNTIL THIS CAME UP.
AND HE IS DOING THIS NOT FOR HIM
SEVEN, HE IS DOING THIS FOR THE
ADMINISTRATION.
ALEX, I THINK YOU AGREE.
I SAID YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO
THIS.
HE DOESN'T HAVE TO DO THIS.
[REPORTERS SHOUTING QUESTIONS]
WE HAVE, AS EVERYBODY KNOWS, WE
HAVE PAT PISELLA, HE IS A
DEPUTY.
HE WILL BE ACTING FOR A PERIOD
OF TIME.
I THINK YOU KNOW PAT.
HE IS A GOOD MAN, HIGHLY
RECOMMENDED BY ALEX.
BUT PAT IS GOING TO BE ACTING.
WE'VE ALREADY INFORMED HIM.
[REPORTERS SHOUTING QUESTIONS]
REPORTER: WHY DID YOU HAVE A
FALLING OUT WITH JEFFREY EPSTEIN
AND DID YOU BAN HIM FROMAGE
MAWING?
>> YES I HAD A FALLING OUT.
I BANNED HIM A LONG TIME AGO.
THE REASON DOESN'T MAKE ANY
DIFFERENCE.
I HAVEN'T SPOKEN TO HIM IN 15
YEARS OR MORE.
I WASN'T A BIG FAN OF JEFFREY
EPSTEIN.
NOW IF YOU LOOK, THE REMNANTS
HURT THIS MAN.
I HATE TO SEE IT HAPPEN.
I WILL SAY THIS, AND I SAY IT
AGAIN AND SAY IT LOUD AND CLEAR,
ALEX ACOSTA WAS A GREAT
SECRETARY OF LABOR.
WHAT HE HAS DONE WITH PLANS, YOU
SEE THE PLANS, COMING ONE AFTER
ANOTHER, YOU'RE JUST ABOUT DONE
WITH 401(k) AND --
>> THAT'S CORRECT.
>> THINGS NOBODY WOULD EVEN
THINK OF.
SO IT IS VERY SAD BUT AT SAME
TIME HE WANTS FOCUS TO BE ON
ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
NOT ON WHAT YOU'RE TALKING
ABOUT.
[REPORTERS SHOUTING QUESTIONS]
PORT PORT [INAUDIBLE]
>> ALEX BELIEVED THAT.
I'M WILLING TO LIVE WITH
ANYTHING, JOHN.
I THINK YOU KNOW ME.
I LIVED THROUGH THINGS THAT YOU
WOULDN'T BELIEVE.
ALEX FELT AT THAT WAY AND HE
ALSO FELT WE'RE SO GOOD, WE'RE
DOING SO WELL, THE ECONOMY, THE
STOCK MARKET JUST HIT THE
HIGHEST POINT YESTERDAY IN THE
HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY.
OUR UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS ARE THE
BEST THEY HAVE EVER BEEN.
IF YOU LOOK AT SPECIFICALLY
CERTAIN GROUPS,
AFRICAN-AMERICAN, ASIAN,
HISPANIC, THE BEST UNEMPLOYMENT
NUMBERS IN THE HISTORY OF OUR
COUNTRY, YOU KNOW THERE ARE SOME
GOOD THINGS.