CNN "Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees" - Special Interests, International Affairs, Personal Faith, Past Political Positions, Abortion, Sandra Bland

Interview

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COOPER: Let's talk polls, first of all, "Washington Post" poll on Monday, great news for you.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Yes.

COOPER: Huge lead in the Republican field.

Quinnipiac poll came out today, though, not-so-good news for you. In the general election voters, Colorado, Iowa, Virginia, you have the worst favorability ratings of anyone, Republican or Democrat, negative favorability ratings of almost 2-1. Hillary Clinton also did badly.

What do you make of it?

TRUMP: I -- I haven't seen it. I really don't know. I haven't seen it. I have only --.

COOPER: Do negative favorability ratings worry you?

TRUMP: I don't think so. I mean, I have turned a lot of them around. And, as you know, in North Carolina, it was negative. And now it's like tremendously positive. And when people hear what I say about the vets and how strong my commitment is to the vets, they have been treated so badly, and to the border, which is just horrible, I mean, every time people listen to me, all of a sudden, it becomes very favorable.

A good example would be North Carolina, where it's so positive. I haven't seen that. But I think, generally speaking, we are doing very well. And, certainly, we're doing well in the ABC/"Washington Post" poll and every other poll that I have seen in the last couple of weeks.

COOPER: So, you think you can turn around -- because a lot of people say, look, that -- those kind of unfavorability ratings; that does not bode well. You think you can turn that around?

TRUMP: I don't know. I mean, who knows? I'm doing this for the good of the country. Somebody has to do it. Politicians are never going to turn this country around. Our country is a mess. The politicians are going to destroy this country. They're weak and they're ineffective. And they're controlled by the lobbyists and the special interests. So, will I? I don't know. I have no idea.

COOPER: You talk lobbyists and the special interests, though. You and I talked last time. You have given a lot of money to politicians over the years.

TRUMP: Absolutely.

COOPER: You give to Democrats. You give to Republicans.

TRUMP: I was on the other side.

COOPER: Aren't you part of the problem?

TRUMP: I was -- absolutely, 100 percent.

COOPER: You are?

TRUMP: Absolutely. I was on the other side. They would do whatever I want, up until you decide to run.

COOPER: So, isn't that hypocritical, to say, oh, this is a problem, but I'm going to make the most of this problem?

TRUMP: No. It's called playing the game. I was a businessman. I made a fortune. I made a lot of money. I posted over $10 billion.

COOPER: So, in order to make money, it's OK to play the game?

TRUMP: Well, it's called your life. I mean, I'm a businessman. And I contribute to people, and they treat me nicely and everything else and --.

COOPER: So, how do you change that? How do you change that culture of money for access?

TRUMP: Well, I understand --.

TRUMP: Look, I just read an article where Bush is meeting with all these lobbyists in Washington, has a meeting with all these lobbyists. Every one of those lobbyists that gives money, they expect something for it. And that's a bad thing. That's a bad thing.

COOPER: Don't you have lobbyists, though?

TRUMP: Absolutely. I have had lobbyists, and I have had some very good ones. They could do anything. They can take a politician and have him jump off this ledge.

COOPER: Can you actually change that culture of corruption?

TRUMP: Well, you can, in the sense that the top person can't be bought. I'm worth far too much money. I don't need anybody's money. I'm not running with anybody's money. I'm spending my own money. But the lobbyists have -- they totally control these politicians.

Just take a look. In one of the articles very recently, I see Bush with the lobbyists. And he's sitting there with all of these people. They're totally telling him what to do, like a little puppet, and the same with Hillary, and the same with everybody else.

Now, when I am in business, I'm part of that game. When I'm in this, I now know. When somebody comes --.

COOPER: Can you jump back and forth, though?

TRUMP: Oh, absolutely. I am able to do that very easily.

COOPER: That's not hypocritical?

TRUMP: Not at all. Look, I'm going to do -- I have made a lot of money.

COOPER: I have heard.

TRUMP: And I don't need money. And I don't need money to run. I don't need $5,000 here, $10,000. These guys are desperate for money. I don't need it. I'm going to do what is right for the country.

COOPER: Who would run your business if you're president?

TRUMP: My children and executives. I have very good executives and great children. They're very good.

COOPER: Talking yesterday, Jeb Bush said, if we embrace this language of divisiveness and ugliness, we will never win.

TRUMP: Well, when you say divisive, OK.

COOPER: No, he says --

TRUMP: No, but you're quoting him.

COOPER: Yes.

TRUMP: But when you quote divisive.

COOPER: Right.

TRUMP: I mean, I get called all these horrible names by Lindsey Graham, who I don't even know. I didn't start it with Lindsey Graham. I couldn't care less about Lindsey Graham. He's registered at, I think, zero in the polls, by Rick Perry from Texas, who was up in my office a few years ago. I just posted a picture of him shaking my hand, looking for money and looking for support. And he was up -- you know, people will say, I called it hypocrite, but they are saying horrible things. Like, I don't even know these people and they are saying these things.

Now, am I supposed to, you know, just say, it's OK to for them to say -- one guy -- I guess it was Lindsey Graham -- called me a jackass? So, am I supposed to say, oh, it's OK if I'm called a -- I'm called a jackass. You have to fight back. The country has to fight back. Everyone is pushing our country around. We can't allow that, Anderson.

[20:05:14] COOPER: Is it presidential, though?

TRUMP: I think it's presidential.

COOPER: To give out somebody's phone -- to give out a personal phone number.

TRUMP: Well, that was a long story. I mean, you have to see the whole story the way it morphed. OK? That was a whole story, where he wanted to get on "FOX & Friends," and he called me up out of the blue. I never met the guy. Then he wanted to come in for campaign contributions. He gave me his -- first off -- and then he starts hitting me years later. And I happen to have this crazy phone number. And I held it up. I said, this guy was over here. And, actually, as you probably know, the room was packed. It was standing room only. In fact, they had theaters. There was overflow crowds. They had all sorts of closed-circuit television into other rooms. The place went wild. We all had a good time.

COOPER: But is that presidential?

TRUMP: I think so. I think it is fine.

COOPER: Is that something, as president -- when you're opposed by somebody in Congress, you would give out their personal phone number?

TRUMP: I was hit by somebody unfairly. I was called names by somebody. So, he was up -- somebody that is hitting you, saying what a bad guy I am, was up in my office asking for money and asking if I can get him on television.

COOPER: So, when -- if you're president of the United States, you are going to be hit by half the country.

TRUMP: That's true. That's true.

COOPER: Are you going to call them dumb and stupid?

TRUMP: No, I think it's a little bit different. Right now, I'm trying to do something to make the country great again. Politicians will never make this country great again. Now --

COOPER: As president, you would change your tone?

TRUMP: I think so. I would deal very differently.

COOPER: Do you have the temperament to be president? That's what -- I mean, that's the question that George -- that Jeb Bush was really raising about the divisiveness, about the language. I mean, the kind of -- like, you take -- you have a no-prisoners approach. Somebody attacks you...

TRUMP: No, I don't have that. I am very different than you would think. Right now, I am fighting because I am number one in the polls by far, and I'm being attacked on all sides. When you're attacked, you have to -- in my opinion --

COOPER: Attacked all the time.

TRUMP: Excuse me. In my opinion -- yes, but this isn't the same thing. In my opinion, when attacked, you have to, you know, defend, and attack back, OK? I'm being attacked by certain people. Actually, Bush, I think he is probably a nice guy. I don't think he has the temperament.

And by that, he is a nice guy, but he doesn't have the temperament. You know why? He is too low-key. He is too laid back. Can you imagine Bush negotiating with China? You want to talk about temperament, I will introduce you to the Chinese. They have temperament. But can you imagine Bush negotiating trade deals with China?

COOPER: His brother George W. Bush in -- when he was running, said that he would be a uniter, not a divider. What would you be?

TRUMP: I think I would be a great uniter. We are not united now. We have a president that, whether people love him or hate him, the world is a mess. Hillary Clinton, by the way, was the worst secretary of state in the history of this country, in my opinion. But we have a president right now --. Excuse me, doesn't get along with Russia, doesn't get along with anybody. I mean, the only one he gets along with is Iran. And even that is sort of very suspect, because they want to blow everybody up.

COOPER: Back in 2007 or 2008, I saw a quote on Wolf Blitzer. You said to him that Hillary Clinton surrounds herself with smart people and she would probably be a good negotiator against Iran.

TRUMP: Well, maybe she could be, but I don't think so. I don't think so. I know her very well.

And, again, when I am in the private sector and I am a businessman, I like everybody, because I have to deal with these people. I am not going to go and attack people. I have to deal with these people.

COOPER: So, Donald Trump as president would be a different Donald Trump than we have seen on the campaign trail?

TRUMP: Well, take a look at the world today. Who do we get along with? We get along with almost nobody. Our allies are decimated. We did a stupid thing in Iraq by going in. And you know that, in 2004, I was totally against going in. If you look, July of 2004, Reuters, probably stuff before that, but July of 2004, Bush actually sent a group to talk to me, because I was getting a lot of publicity on the fact that we shouldn't be doing Iraq.

I am the most militaristic person, but you have to know when to use the military. I said you will decimate this country and you will create an imbalance in the Middle East like you have never seen before. That's what happened. And I said Iran will take over Iraq and the second largest oil reserves in the world.

COOPER: People --

TRUMP: And I also said, and other groups will take over, that will be worse than Saddam Hussein. You know what happened, Anderson? It's ISIS. They took over the oil.

COOPER: Have you ever publicly acknowledged making a mistake?

TRUMP: Well, look, everyone makes mistakes. Do I publicly acknowledge making mistakes?

COOPER: I mean, have you ever said, you know what, I made a mistake; sorry about that?

TRUMP: Yes. I mean, I don't think about it. I don't like to make too many mistakes.

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COOPER: I want to ask you about faith, because you talked about this on Saturday at this Faith and Values forum. And I think -- and a lot of people haven't heard you talk about it and were really interested.

TRUMP: Fine. Fine.

COOPER: In Iowa --

TRUMP: And, by the way, I was very well received. I had the biggest standing ovation, the biggest standing ovation. And it was really a great day. It was really a great day.

COOPER: And a lot of people didn't focus on it, because they got caught up in the whole McCain thing. You said at the faith forum, when asked if you have ever asked for forgiveness from God, you said I'm not sure I have. I just go on and try to do a better job from there. I don't think so. And that surprised some people of faith.

TRUMP: Well, I don't think so, you know. And then I said communion. I go to communion. And that's asking forgiveness, you know, in my opinion.

COOPER: For you, that's asking -- that's what communion is?

TRUMP: Well, it's a form of asking forgiveness, yes, communion. And I go to church a lot. And I'm Protestant. I'm Presbyterian.

COOPER: But you -- the idea of asking for forgiveness, that's not a central -- is that a central tenet for you? Is it -- or is that something that just --?

TRUMP: No, I like to work where I don't really have to ask for forgiveness. I like to do the right thing where I don't have to actually ask for forgiveness. Does that make sense to you, you know, where you don't make such bad things that you don't have to ask for forgiveness? I mean, I try and lead a life where I don't have to ask God for forgiveness.

But I am Protestant. I'm Presbyterian, which a lot of people are surprised to hear. I go to church. The great Norman Vincent Peale was my minister for years. "The Power of Positive Thinking" was fantastic. And --

[20:15:06] COOPER: So, forgiveness, that notion of forgiveness, that's not a central tenet for you?

TRUMP: Well, I try not to make mistakes where I have to ask for forgiveness, for one thing. So, when I'm asked a question like that, it's like, you know, I don't like to make a lot of mistakes.

COOPER: So -- and I would never ask the detail, but the idea of repentance, is that something that is important to you?

TRUMP: I think repenting is terrific. I mean, it's great.

COOPER: But is that -- but do you feel the need to?

TRUMP: If I make a mistake --

COOPER: Is that part of forgiveness?

TRUMP: If I make a mistake, yes, I think it's great. But I try not to make mistakes. I mean, why do I have to repent? Why do I have to ask for forgiveness if you are not making mistakes? I work hard. I'm an honorable person. I have thousands of people that work for me. I have employed tens of thousands of people over the years.

COOPER: You give millions to charity.

TRUMP: I give millions. I built the Vietnam Memorial in Lower Manhattan with a small group of people.

COOPER: At the faith forum, you talked about communion, the Eucharist, Lord's Supper, different -- well, different things. You said that you drink my little wine and have my little cracker.

TRUMP: We were having fun. The room laughed.

COOPER: I'm just saying. But some people faith there that they --

TRUMP: They didn't say that at all. When I left, I saw people. I got the biggest ovation of the weekend. I saw people. And I saw how a couple of reporters made a big deal out of that. We were having fun. When I said, I drink the wine, I drink -- I eat the cracker, but we're talking about communion.

COOPER: OK.

TRUMP: And you know what? The whole room was laughing. And they're religious people and they're great people. They're great people. But the whole room was laughing.

COOPER: Erick Erickson of Red State said that, based on your comments about faith on Saturday, that it is quote "largely closed the book on evangelical support." Do you agree with that?

TRUMP: I don't think so, because I just saw polls in Iowa that I am doing really well. I mean, you know in terms of Iowa, where it's a very big group of people, I'm doing really well.

COOPER: Although the Quinnipiac poll in Iowa, among general voters -- .

TRUMP: I don't know. You keep bringing up negative. You only want to talk about negative.

(LAUGHTER)

TRUMP: Why don't you bring up the positive polls?

COOPER: I did.

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: Excuse me.

COOPER: I started off with the "Washington Post" poll.

TRUMP: You start off with the interview with the poll that I didn't have been they know existed.

COOPER: No, I started off with the "Washington Post" poll.

TRUMP: You start off the interview with a poll that I didn't even know existed.

COOPER: I started off with the "Washington Post" poll intentionally, because I knew you would accuse me of that.

All I know is, every poll, I am leading in. And you give me these two polls where it's different states. They're not even a national poll.

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: If you will check the record, I started off with the "Washington Post" poll where you were out of front.

TRUMP: I think it is very unfair. You're talking to me a poll I never even saw. It's not even a poll.

COOPER: No, it's today. It's a Quinnipiac poll.

TRUMP: It's not even a --

COOPER: OK.

TRUMP: It's on three different states. And you are hitting me with this.

COOPER: OK.

TRUMP: And I think it's a very -- frankly, I think it is a very fair question.

COOPER: OK.

TRUMP: I think it is an extremely -- you start off the interview with that. You don't say, I led in the FOX poll. I'm leading in the ABC/"Washington Post" poll.

COOPER: You're leading -- you're leading across the board.

TRUMP: Well, you didn't -- I am leading across the board.

COOPER: Right.

TRUMP: And then you hit me with this poll that I didn't even see before, where, oh, gee -- it's not even that kind of a poll.

All I know is, I have a very big group of support. And I think one of the reasons is that --

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: Among Republicans, you are way out in front.

TRUMP: Let me tell you, the people don't trust you and the people don't trust the media. And I understand why.

COOPER: Right, and politicians.

TRUMP: You know, I have always been covered fairly accurately, because it was usually a financial press. And, you know, numbers are numbers, OK? And my numbers happen to be great.

COOPER: Right.

TRUMP: So, I was always sort of treated, like, fair. With the media, it's, and not all cases, some -- some of the political media is great and really honest. Even if they don't won't to be, they're really honest. But I find that 60, 70 percent of the political media is really, really dishonest.

And, you know, I tell the story, the American dream -- I talk about the American dream in speeches. The American dream is dead, but I'm going to make it bigger and better and stronger than ever before. The American dream is dead, but I'm going to make it bigger and better, stronger than ever, right? And I go, boom, and I do it with great bravado, and the audience goes crazy. I come home, and my wife is saying, oh, darling, that was so bad. I said, what was bad? What you said today? I said, what did I say? The American dream is dead, cut, on one of the major networks.

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COOPER: When you are on the debate stage, one of the things I think they will hit you with, your opponents will hit you with, not the media -- your opponents. They will say you have flip-flopped. You are a decisive guy in business, but you have been independent, you've been unaffiliated, you've been a Democrat, you've been a Republican. Back and forth. What's up with that? Are you a flip-flopper?

TRUMP: You know who else flip-flopped? A man named, my favorite, Ronald Reagan. He was a Democrat. He became a Republican.

COOPER: You were also unaffiliated. You were independent.

TRUMP: By the way, I was, and I also live in New York.

COOPER: You were pro-choice, now you are not.

TRUMP: Excuse me. Well, if you look at that clip, I hate the concept of abortion, and I did -- but also, it was never, I am a businessman. They are talking to me as a businessman about things like abortion. Nobody ever even asked me questions like that.

But if you look at that clip and let it run, I talk about how I hate the concept. I went on forever about it. But nobody would ask me questions. You know, sort of like a question you don't ask a guy. I build buildings, they are not asking me about am I pro-choice, am I pro-life, what am I? But, yes, I don't use the word flip. I have evolved on a lot of different things.

COOPER: The difference I have found between you and just about every other political candidate I have ever talked to is you don't come with a huge retinue, which surprises a lot of people. You talk extemporaneously. Your critics say you don't know the issues enough.

TRUMP: I know the issues better than anybody knows the issues.

COOPER: You talk extemporaneously. Politicians are very controlled. And I think that's a huge part of your appeal, and I think that's why people enjoy their personal interaction with you. Even right now, we have gone way over the time you said you wanted. Nobody has given me a signal saying wrap it up, he has got to go. So I think that's all to your credit and deserves to be pointed out.

TRUMP: Look, you ask me a question. I give you an answer. It's very simple. I'm a very smart person. You know, I went to the best school. I am a very smart person. All right? Let me just say, so you ask me a question, I give you an answer. I don't need pollsters like Bush and all these other people. They don't answer a question. Hillary, she can't give you an answer without going back and checking it out. I am much richer than almost anybody. I can have thousands of pollsters. I don't have any. I' don't want to waste the money.

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COOPER: Sandra Bland is a woman, an African-American woman, who was pulled over in Texas.

TRUMP: I saw that.

COOPER: I will not ask you specifics, I can't -- you can't be expected to look at everything. But pulled over for allegedly changing signals (sic). Dashcam video has now been released. A lot of African-Americans, a lot of people are very upset about that. To African-Americans in this country, there is a lot of people who believe they're treated differently by police, do you believe that? There is a problem with that?

TRUMP: I hope not. But I will tell you, I saw that clip on your show, by the way. I thought it was terrible. I thought he was so aggressive. It was a traffic signal, as I understand it. And who gets out of a car for a traffic signal? I haven't been pulled over in a while, actually. But seriously. He just looked very aggressive. I didn't like his demeanor. I thought it was terrible, to be honest with you. I am a huge fan of the police. I think the police have to be given back power. But this guy was overly aggressive. Terribly aggressive.

COOPER: Do you think that happens to African-Americans more than it does to you or I?

TRUMP: I hope it doesn't, but it might. I have a great relationship with African-Americans, as you possibly have heard. I just have great respect for them. And they like me. I like them. The answer is, it possibly does, it shouldn't. And it is very sad. If the case is -- I will say, though, in this case, I watched that so closely. I watched it a few times. He was terrible.

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