PERSONAL ATTORNEY, AND SO MUCH
MORE.
>> OF "THE NEW YORK TIMES" A
SINK OF A TABLOID PUBLISHERS'
DEAL TO HUSH MONEY IS NOT
ENDANGERING TRUMP EVEN MORE.
I'M PARAPHRASING A LITTLE BIT.
AS YOU LOOK AT THIS, WHAT YOU
WANT THE NATION TO KNOW ABOUT --
>> President Trump: LET ME
JUST SAY, I DON'T THINK -- I
HAVE TO GO CHECK -- I DON'T
THINK THAT EVEN PAID ANY MONEY
TO THAT TABLOID.
OKAY?
I DON'T THINK WE MADE A PAYMENT
TO THAT TABLET.
I WAS ASKING THE QUESTION -- I
DON'T THINK WE MADE A PAYMENT.
THEN YOU HAVE THE OTHER
SITUATION, AND EVERY LAWYER --
LOOK, "TRUMP DIDN'T VIOLATE
CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAWS, AND
NEITHER DID THE PRESIDENT."
>> Harris: I INTERVIEWED HIM
ON MY PROGRAM THE OTHER DAY.
YES.
HE SAID THAT.
>> President Trump:
MICHAEL COHEN PLED GUILTY TO
SOMETHING THAT'S NOT EVEN A
CRIME.
WAIT A MINUTE.
NOBODY EXCEPT FOR ME WOULD BE
LOOKED AT LIKE THIS.
NOBODY.
WHAT ABOUT CONGRESS?
THE SLUSH FUND.
MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
PAID OUT EACH YEAR.
THEY HAVE A SLUSH FUND.
MILLIONS.
THEY DON'T TALK ABOUT CAMPAIGN
FINANCE ANYTHING.
HAVE YOU EVER HEARD ABOUT
CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAWS?
HAVE THEY LISTED THAT ON THE
CAMPAIGN FINANCE SHEETS?
NO.
>> Harris: I'M WAITING FOR
THEM TO DIG IN.
>> President Trump: NUMBER
ONE, THEY SAY IT'S NOT A
CAMPAIGN FINANCE VIOLATION.
IT'S NOT EVEN UNDER CAMPAIGN
FINANCE.
NUMBER TWO, IF IT WAS, IT'S NOT
EVEN A VIOLATION.
NUMBER THREE, IT'S A CIVIL
MATTER.
PRESIDENT OBAMA HAD A REALLY BIG
ONE, TEN TIMES MORE MONEY.
MUCH MORE MONEY, AND YOU KNOW
WHAT?
HE PAID A FINE.
I'M THE ONLY ONE THAT THIS
HAPPENS TWO.
>> Harris: ROBERT RAY, FORMER
SPECIAL COUNSEL FOR WHITEWATER,
WAS TELLING YOU ON THE PROGRAM
YESTERDAY WHAT YOU ARE SAYING --
THAT IF THIS HAPPENED, HE SAID
"HE COULDN'T SEE GROUNDS FOR
IMPEACHMENT OVER THAT.
HE COULDN'T SEE GROUNDS FOR
INDICTMENT OVER THAT."
THAT'S HIS OPINION, BUT IT'S A
FULLY HAVE INFORMED OPINION.
THAT THERE IS NOT FEDERAL LAW ON
THAT.
>> President Trump: THESE ARE
THE PEOPLE THAT RAN THE FEC.
THE FEDERAL ELECTIONS COMMISSIO
COMMISSION.
THESE PEOPLE, WRITING STORIES
THAT "TRUMP DID NOTHING WRONG."
I DID NOTHING WRONG.
>> Harris: MR. PRESIDENT,
LET'S GET INTO -- IF WE CAN --
MICHAEL COHEN.
HE WAS HER ATTORNEY.
THREE YEARS, HE WAS SENTENCED
YESTERDAY.
IT MAY SEEM LIKE HE GOT A BREAK
BECAUSE IT COULD HAVE BEEN TWICE
AS MUCH BUT IT'S STILL THREE
YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON.
$500,000 IN RESTITUTION.
THIS IS SOMEONE WHO
SURREPTITIOUSLY RECORDED YOU --
>> President Trump: TERRIBLE.
>> Harris: HE IS NOW KNOWN AS
A CRIMINAL LIAR.
YET THIS IS SOMEBODY WHO WAS IN
YOUR INNER CIRCLE.
IT'S >> President Trump: IT
HAPPENS.
I HIRE USUALLY GOOD PEOPLE.
BUT IT JUST HAPPENS.
>> Harris: WHY DID YOU HIRE
MICHAEL COHEN?
THAT WAS HIS TITLE.
A FIXER.
>> President Trump: HE WAS
MORE PUBLIC RELATIONS THAN HE
DID LAW, BUT -- YOU SEE THEM ON
TELEVISION, HE WAS OKAY ON
TELEVISION.
YEARS AGO, MANY YEARS -- LIKE 12
OR 13 YEARS AGO -- HE DID ME A
FAVOR.
HE WAS ON A COMMITTEE AND HE WAS
SO RESPONSIVE AND SO GOOD, AND I
SAID "HE'S A NICE GUY."
>> Harris: WAIT A MINUTE, THAT
WAS THE FAVOR CUSTOMER PEOPLE
WERE ASKING BUT THE FIGURE WAS.
HE WAS ON A COMMITTEE WITH YOU?
>> President Trump: IT WAS A
CONDOMINIUM COMMITTEE MANY YEARS
AGO.
HE WAS A VERY BIG SUPPORTER OF
MINE ON THAT COMMITTEE.
I DID A GREAT JOB.
THE TRUMP WORLD TOWER, IT'S A
VERY TALL BUILDING RIGHT
OPPOSITE THE UNITED NATIONS.
WHEN YOU BUILD A BUILDING,
PEOPLE ALWAYS GET TOGETHER AT
THE END AND THEY MAKE A
SETTLEMENT WITH THE OWNER.
THEY SAY THAT THE CEILING
PAINTED WASN'T THE RIGHT COLOR
OR SOMETHING.
SOMETIMES SERIOUS STUFF, BUT IN
MY CASE, IT WAS A GREAT
BUILDING.
HE WAS ON THE COMMITTEE AND I
THOUGHT IT WAS GREAT GUY.
A NICE GUY, REALLY SUPPORTIVE.
I LIKED HIM.
HE WAS A LAWYER.
BECAUSE OF THAT, I DID IT.
YOU KNOW WHAT?
IN RETROSPECT, I MADE A MISTAKE.
BECAUSE WHAT HE DID WAS ALL
UNRELATED TO ME, EXCEPT FOR THE
TWO CAMPAIGN FINANCE CHARGES
THAT ARE NOT CRIMINAL AND
SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ON THERE.
THEY PUT THAT ON TO EMBARRASS
ME.
THEY PUT THOSE TWO CHARGES ON TO
EMBARRASS ME.
THEY AREN'T CRIMINAL CHARGES,
NUMBER ONE FOR IT HARRIS, THAT'S
ACCORDING TO THE --
>> Harris: I'VE INTERVIEWED
PEOPLE WHO HAVE TOLD ME THIS.
>> President Trump: WHAT
HAPPENED IS EITHER COHEN OR THE
PROSECUTORS, IN ORDER TO
EMBARRASS ME, SAID "LISTEN --
I'M MAKING THIS DEAL FOR REDUCED
THE TIME AND EVERY THING ELSE.
DO ME A FAVOR, PUT THESE TWO
CHARGES ON."
>> Harris: I WANT TO MOVE M
>> Harris: I WANT TO MOVE V
>> Harris: I WANT TO MOVE E
>> Harris: I WANT TO MOVE O
>> Harris: I WANT TO MOVE .
>> President Trump: THEY
WEREN'T FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA,
EITHER.
>> Harris: I HAVE ONE LAST
QUESTION.
MICHAEL COHEN SAID HE LIED IN
ORDER TO PROTECT YOU.
WHAT IS A RESPONSE TO THAT?
>> President Trump: LET ME
TELL YOU -- I NEVER ATTRACTED
HIM TO DO ANYTHING WRONG.
WHATEVER HE DID COME HE DID ON
HIS OWN PREHE'S A LAWYER.
A LAWYER WHO REPRESENTED A
CLIENT THAT IS SUPPOSED TO DO
THE RIGHT THING.
THAT'S WHAT YOU PAY THEM A LOT
OF MONEY, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
HE IS A LAWYER.
HE REPRESENTS A CLIENT.
I NEVER DIRECTED HIM TO DO
ANYTHING INCORRECT OR WRONG.
AND HE UNDERSTANDS THAT.
LOOK AT -- DID SOME BAD THINGS
UNRELATED TO ME.
I WASN'T HIS ONLY CLIENT, HE HAD
OTHER CLIENTS.
HE DID SOME BAD THINGS.
INCOME TAX EVASION, I HEARD
ABOUT TAXI CAB -- I HEARD ABOUT
A LOT OF THINGS.
I'M NOT READING ABOUT ANY OF
THAT STUFF BECAUSE WHAT HE DID
HIS HE MADE A DEAL TO EMBARRASS
ME.
IN ORDER TO EMBARRASS ME, THEY
CUT HIS TERM DOWN.
PRETTY TERRIBLE STUFF.
LET ME TELL YOU THE OTHER
THING -- HIS FATHER-IN-LAW IS A
VERY RICH GUY.
I HEAR.
HIS FATHER-IN-LAW, I THOUGHT IS
THE GUY THAT WAS THE PRIMARY
FOCUS.
WELL, WHAT DID HE DO?
DID HE MAKE A DEAL TO KEEP HIS
FATHER-IN-LAW OUT?
DID HE MAKE A DEAL TO KEEP HIS
WIFE -- MAYBE I'M WRONG, BUT
SUPPOSEDLY -- YOU CAN CHECK
IT -- DID HE MAKE A DEAL TO KEEP
HIS WIFE OUT OF TROUBLE?
HOW MANY PEOPLE WHEN THEY SAY
"LISTEN, IF YOU EMBARRASS THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES,
WE WILL GIVE YOU A DEAL.
YOUR FATHER-IN-LAW, YOUR WIFE,
WILL CUT YOUR JAIL."
THAT'S WHAT IT IS.
IT'S TERRIBLE SYSTEM.
IT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW WITH
GENERAL FLYNN.
THE FBI SAYS HE DIDN'T LIE.
>> Harris: I SAW YOUR TWEET ON
THAT.
>> President Trump: MUELLER
SAID HE DID LIE.
SO THEY TOOK A MAN WHO IS A
GENERAL AND A RESPECTED PERSON,
A NICE MAN -- AND I DON'T EVEN
KNOW WHAT HE SAID ABOUT ME,
BECAUSE MAYBE THEY SCARED HIM
ENOUGH THAT HE WILL MAKE UP A
STORY -- BUT I HAVE A FEELING
THAT MAY BE HE IS A TOUGHER KIND
OF GUY THEN COHEN.
BUT HE THEY TOOK A GENERAL TA
BUT HE THEY TOOK A GENERAL TT
THEY SAY DIDN'T LIE, AND THEY
CONVINCED THEM THAT HE DID LINE
MADE SOME KIND OF A DEAL.
NOW THEY ARE RECOMMENDING NO
TIME.
YOU KNOW WHY?
THEM THEY ARE EMBARRASSED THH
THEM THEY ARE EMBARRASSED THY
GOT CAUGHT.
>> Harris: LET'S MOVE ON.
YOU MENTIONED OHIO, SO I'M GOING
TO BRING UP JOHN KASICH AND
ARIZONA SENATOR JEFF FLAKE.
THEY SAY THEY MAY RUN AGAINST
YOU.
>> President Trump: I HOPE SO.
>> Harris: LOOK UP A NEW FOX
POLLING WHICH HAS YOUR APPROVAL
RATING AT 46%, WHICH IS JUST A
COUPLE TAKES OFF OF YOUR HIGHEST
POINT.
>> President Trump: IT'S
HIGHER THAN OBAMA.
>> Harris: WHAT IS YOUR
REACTION TODAY TO GETTING THAT
NUMBER?
IT'S STILL BELOW 50, BUT 46%
APPROVAL.
>> President Trump: I THINK
IT'S AMAZING SINCE I ONLY GET
BAD NEWS, BAD STORIES.
YOU LOOK AT THE PAPER, IT'S ALL
NONSENSE.
IT'S CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS --
IF IT WERE EVEN A CAMPAIGN
CONTRIBUTION, IT'S TOTALLY
LEGAL.
IF YOU LOOK AT STORIES, ONE
AFTER ANOTHER, THEY ARE ALL
LEGAL.
THE GREAT LAWYERS THAT DO THAT
STUFF, SAYING THERE'S NOTHING
ILLEGAL.
WAIT A MINUTE -- I GET SUCH BAD
NEWS.
SO WHEN YOU TELL ME I'M AT 48%,
LESS TIME HE SAID IT WAS AT 50%.
AT RASMUSSEN.
WHEN I AM A 50%, HOW CAN I
POSSIBLY BE AT 50% QUEST AND ARC
WHEN I OPEN UP CHINA LIKE I'M
DOING IT RIGHT NOW, NOBODY
REPORTS.
>> Harris: BUT WE ARE TALKING
ABOUT IT.
>> President Trump: BUT THAT'S
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW -- I'M HERE
AND WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IT.
>> Harris: [LAUGHS]
>> President Trump: IT'S ON
THE FRONT PAGE OF
"THE WALL STREET JOURNAL."
NOBODY HAS SEEN ANYTHING LIKE
THAT.
IT WON'T BE ON NBC, CBS, CNN
WON'T EVEN COVER IT.
THAT'S A TOTAL FAKE NEWS.
>> Harris: WHAT DO YOU SAY TO
THESE MEN WHO THINK THEY HAVE A
SHOT IN 2020, AND YOU ARE
SITTING AT 46% AND IT REALLY
HASN'T MOVED ALL THAT MUCH?
LET'S BE HONEST, THERE HAVE BEEN
SOME OF THE TRAILS ALONG THE
WAY.
WEATHERING THAT WITH THE TYPE OF
APPROVAL RATING.
WHAT YOU SAY TO THAT?
>> President Trump: I THINK I
HAVE THE GREATEST FACE IN
HISTORY POLITICS BUT I PEOPLE
THAT LOVE ME, FRANKLY.
THAT INCLUDES A LOT OF WOMEN.
I GOT A TRIM AT HIS PERCENTAGE
OF WOMEN LAST TIME.
REMEMBER --
>> Harris: I INTERVIEWED SOME
OF THE WOMEN FOR TERM, YES.
>> President Trump: THEY ARE
THE GREATEST.
I HAVE COMMANDED DUMB ACTOR MADE
US WOMEN SUPPORT.
I WAS WORRIED IT WOULDN'T GET
ONE WOMAN
IN THE UNITED STATES TO RUN, AND
I GOT TREMENDOUS -- I MEAN,
HILARY WISHED SHE HAD MY NUMBER
NUMBERS.
SHE GOT TROUNCED WITH WOMEN.
I WILL TELL YOU SOMETHING -- THE
NEWS AND THE POLLS ARE REALLY
FAKE.
BUT I HAVE THE GREATEST BASE IN
HISTORY, BECAUSE THE 46 AND
48% -- THOSE PEOPLE NEVER
WAVERED.
IN FACT, IT WAS YOUR PULLBACK.
FOX NEWS HAS ALWAYS GIVEN ME A
BAD POEM THAT, THEY TREAT ME
FAIRER THAN MOST.
I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT IS.
BUT THE POLL HAS ALREADY BEEN
LOUSY.
>> Harris: BUT THERE IS
POSITIVE NEWS IN THAT.
>> President Trump: THE