FOX News " Hannity" - Transcipt : Trump's Border Security Policy

Interview

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SEAN HANNITY, HOST: Welcome to "Hannity." The mainstream media was buzzing today after it was revealed that 2016 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and the RNC chairman, Reince Priebus, spoke on the phone. Now, media outlets made it appear that Donald Trump was scolded by Priebus and told to, quote, "tone down" his rhetoric.

Joining us now to set the record straight, the man himself, 2016 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Is that true? Were you told to tone it down?

DONALD TRUMP, R-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Not at all. He is a really nice guy. He's working very hard. First of all, they said it was, like, a 45-minute or maybe an hour phone call, and the maximum that it could have been was 12 or 13 minutes.

He really called to congratulate me in being number one in a lot of polls. And I guess the new poll just came out right now from The Economist, where it's number one again. And you know, people are agreeing with what I say.

So he called, Sean, very simply to say, unbelievable, that he's never seen anything quite like it. And he just couldn't have been nicer. I just don't know how this story got out. Nobody called us for verification. And honestly, I can't blame him. Unless he gave out the story, which is possible -- probably he did.

But he's working hard. He's doing a good job. He had a big loss last time, and I think he wants to have a win this time. And I'm the one that will win. Nobody else is going to -- I just -- we want to make America great. Nobody is going to make America -- I know how to do it. And politicians do not know how to do it, Sean.

HANNITY: Let me -- let me ask you this. Can you balance the idea -- you have now captured the nation's attention. Can you balance Donald Trump remaining true to who you are and show America that you care about the people that are out of the labor force, 93 million of them, the 50 million in poverty, the 46 million Americans on food stamps? Can you be Trump and also show Americans that you can be presidential?

TRUMP: Well, I'm going certainly to try. You have to be tough. You have to be smart. China is just eating our lunch. What they're doing to us is incredible. They're taking our jobs. They're taking our money and then they're loaning the money back to us. And right now, we owe China $1.4 trillion.

Japan, the same thing. They sell their cars, and then they loan us money. We're paying them interest on the money. And they're doing all the business. I mean, we do very little, relatively speaking, with Japan. It's a one-way street.

It's a one-way street with Mexico. I get along great with Mexico, but it is a one-way street. They're taking our business. They're horrible on the border. What they're doing to us on the border is incredible. You understand that better than anyone.

So the answer is, we need somebody that can make deals, that can make great deals, bring jobs back to the United States and stop this nonsense where everything a one-way street out. We had, as you know, in the first quarter, a negative GNP. We had a Gross National Product where it was below zero! That's like -- that means we're becoming a smaller country. We have more people but a smaller country.

And we have a lot of people that just pour in that nobody even knows where they come from. So the answer is you need a certain mentality, and I would do a good job.

HANNITY: Let me ask you this because I assume that at some point, this issue is going to go away. And I'm going to talk more about immigration in a second. But I think Americans are going to want to see, what is Donald Trump's plan for getting Americans back to work, for debt, for deficit, saving Social Security and Medicare, your alternative to "Obama care," dealing with ISIS, Iran, Syria, Islamic terrorists, Putin, China.

So is there -- as you look down the road, you have a pivot point where you're going to now discuss specific plans if Trump were to become president at one point.

TRUMP: Many of those things can be discussed already. First of all, we have to repeal and replace "Obama care." It's a disaster. It's not working. Premiums are going up 30 percent, 40 percent, 50 percent. Deductibles are going through the roof. Nobody's even going to get to use it unless they're hit by a tractor. "Obama care" is a disaster, and also for the country because the country can't afford it. So it's very expensive, and it's no good.

Our military has to be strengthened. We have to be -- we need -- I mean, we've then been in trouble like this. The world hates us. Our military has to be strong, much stronger than it is right now.

And we have to take care of our vets. You know, our vets are the forgotten people. They're like third class citizens in this country. They do such a terrible job taking care of our vets. That won't happen with me.

And we have many other things. The jobs, you know, it's interesting. Everyone says in every poll that I've seen that I would absolutely be the best for the economy, by a tremendous amount of margin. But I actually think I'd be great for the military. We need strong military.

We have to bring jobs back to this country. Kids go to college. They borrow money to go to college. They do really well. They get good marks. They graduate. They can't get a job. And you know, the real job numbers - - I watch where they talk about 5.3 and 5.5...

HANNITY: They're phony.

TRUMP: ... and 5.6 percent unemployment.

HANNITY: It's twice that.

TRUMP: I'll tell you -- I've always been saying -- I have been saying 20 percent, 21. The other day, I heard somebody actually say 41 percent. Now, what they mean is all these people that gave up looking for jobs, Sean. And it's true.

HANNITY: We don't count them anymore.

TRUMP: They look for jobs...

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: ... now they're considered -- they don't count them.

HANNITY: Yes, only in Washington.

TRUMP: They don't count them. It's a disgrace.

HANNITY: So let me...

TRUMP: So we have to...

HANNITY: Go ahead.

TRUMP: Sean, we have to bring back jobs.

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: ... bring back jobs.

HANNITY: Let me take it back to immigration for a second. I want to go through -- you put out a long statement the other day, and you broke down what it was that you said that has created such controversy. Let's play it, and then I want you to break it down for us.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best. They're not sending you. They're not sending you. They're sending people that have lots of problems. And they're bringing those problems with us (sic). They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people. But I speak to border guards and they tell us what we're getting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: I'm going to put up in a second the crime statistics. If you had a do-over, would you have said there are a lot of good people that come here because they want hope and opportunity because we're a great country, but with them come -- in other words, would you reverse it?

TRUMP: Sean, what I said was when Mexico -- when -- I'm talking about the country of Mexico. They are sending us their criminals. We're not talking about the good -- the good people come, and they're great people. They're better than good people. I love the Mexican people. They have tremendous spirit. They have tremendous vibrance and life. I love them. I have so many friends.

I respect the country of Mexico. The problem is, the country of Mexico, the leadership is much smarter than our leadership. They are killing us in terms of jobs and economic development. And they're killing us at the border.

When I say that Mexico is -- I'm talking about the country of Mexico, the government of Mexico. They're sending us criminals. In other words, instead of putting them in their jails, they're sending them to us. They're sending drug dealers and people that have lots of other problems, and they're sending them over here because they say, Why should we do this? Why should we take care of the prisoners? We'll send them over. And that's what I meant.

When people figure it out, everybody says, Oh, that's -- and it's so obvious. I mean, can it be any more obvious? Now, one word you could have added, and I guess it was "government," but what I'm saying when Mexico, when the country of Mexico sends, they say, Why should we take care of these prisoners? We'll send them to the United States, where the United States has very stupid leaders and stupid leadership and they have bad negotiators. They'll take care.

So what do we do? We take them and we put them in prisons...

HANNITY: Well, let me...

TRUMP: ... and we sometimes have to put them in hospitals.

HANNITY: Let me...

TRUMP: And we take care of them. And one other thing.

HANNITY: Go ahead.

TRUMP: The man that killed that magnificently beautiful and wonderful young woman in San Francisco was pushed out of Mexico five times -- five times. He should have been in a jail in Mexico.

HANNITY: Let me...

TRUMP: And what we do is, we have our prisons loaded up and it's ridiculous.

HANNITY: You know that I've been down to the border...

TRUMP: Go ahead.

HANNITY: ... almost a dozen times now, horseback, helicopter, boat...

TRUMP: Right.

HANNITY: ... all-terrain vehicle. I've been there when people are arrested. I saw the biggest drug warehouse, drugs destined to be in the veins of American children, floor to ceiling, nothing but drugs, the worst smell you've ever smelled in your life.

Let me put up numbers. Illegal immigrants right now, according to the Pew Research Center, represent 3.5 of the population. Now, according to the U.S. Sentencing Commission, illegal immigrants represent 13.6 percent of federal prisoners. That does not include, by the way, those laws -- those that broke laws coming into the country.

Now, you've heard all the stories. In 2013, we had 36,007 criminals, illegal immigrants who were released by ICE. These are convicted criminals. Of those released back into our population, Mr. Trump, 193 homicide convictions, 426 sexual assault convictions, 303 kidnapping convictions.

If you look at the total cost, immigration, estimated cost to the American taxpayer, according to the Federation for American Immigration Reform, it's $113 billion. That same group looks at $14 billion in medical costs every year. They also look at the cost per year in terms of children, and it's $39 billion.

And you know, we're talking about the health care system, the criminal justice system, our educational system. When you look at those statistics -- I don't know anybody else in the media that has told that story. Does that reinforce what you're saying? Is that a message you think Americans already know? What's your reaction to those numbers?

TRUMP: Well, I think it reinforces, but it's almost like people don't want to hear about it. I mean, I watch Hillary Clinton. She would be so weak on immigration. I watch Jeb Bush. He's a joke on immigration. He said they come -- it's an act of love. I don't know if you remember his famous "act of love." But they come. It's an act of love.

This has nothing to do with love. This is serious stuff. You have some very serious situations coming over here. And they're being pushed by -- they are taking people that should be in Mexican prisons, Mexican jails, and they're pushing them over to the United States. And these are dangerous people.

And you saw that in San Francisco and you saw that with the great father who has this wonderful son who's going to be a college football player, tremendous potential, a wonderful kid. And he was shot by one of these people walking down a street with his father. And I mean, this was one of the sad stories. There's so many -- there's hundreds of these stories. And people don't want to talk about it. So you have...

HANNITY: I had three parents on last night.

TRUMP: ... a Jeb Bush that talks about act of love...

HANNITY: Three parents on last night.

TRUMP: That's terrible.

HANNITY: All of them lost their children. We have more parents on coming up right after you.

All right, let me put on the screen a statement that was put out by the Clinton campaign today. We have 300 sanctuary cities. "Hillary Clinton believes that sanctuary cities can help further public safety, and she has defended those policies going back years. And as she has made clear, the particular individual should not have been on the streets. She believes that we need a system were people like this don't fall through the cracks, and this is why she continues to fight for comprehensive immigration reform."

Now, we decided to go back. She says she's supported this all along. And she has flipped and flopped a lot on this. I want to get your reaction to this statement -- these statements by her.

HILLARY CLINTON, D-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If local law enforcement begins to act like Immigration Enforcement officers, what that means is that you will have people not reporting crime.

Local law enforcement has a different job than federal immigration enforcement.

BILL O'REILLY, "O'REILLY FACTOR" HOST: Are you going to crack down on the sanctuary cities?

CLINTON: No, I'm not, and I'll tell you why.

O'REILLY: Whoa!

CLINTON: I'm not. I'm not. We do not want to have what some people are advocating, which is that, literally, you have deputized law enforcement officials going door to door, businesses, homes...

Any city should listen to the Department of Homeland Security. The city made a mistake not to deport someone that the federal government strongly felt should be deported.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANNITY: We have 300 of these sanctuary cities. She's flipped and flopped and flailed. But here's the question -- 300 cities that by their very nature will not give up to federal officials those people that have broken American law and not respected American sovereignty. What's your answer to Hillary Clinton?

TRUMP: It's inconceivable. And what happens is they have pollsters - - she has pollsters working for her that say, You have to do this in order to beat Bernie Sanders. Who would have thought this was going to happen with Bernie Sanders? You looked at him, you say, How does this guy end up like he's ending up?

And frankly, we have -- absolutely, they took polls, and for some reason, with a certain group of the population, they want to do this and they believe in the sanctuaries and -- it's incredible that somebody can think that way. And it's so bad for our society.

And all you have to do is look at San Francisco and look at that beautiful young woman who was killed in her father's arms. And you say, if they didn't have this, it wouldn't happen.

And beyond that, Sean, he should have never been in the country anyway. Mexico -- in my opinion, The government of Mexico forced him out because they don't want take care of him...

HANNITY: But we're allowing it.

TRUMP: ... for 50 years in a jail!

HANNITY: But America is allowing it because we have (INAUDIBLE)

TRUMP: We're allowing it -- we're allowing it -- we're allowing it because we have stupid leaders. We have a stupid group of people at the top, and they allow...

HANNITY: OK...

TRUMP: ... things like this to happen. That girl should be alive.

HANNITY: Absolutely.

TRUMP: The young man -- the man's son should be alive right now, shouldn't be you know where. It's so sad what's happening to our country...

HANNITY: We've got two parents...

TRUMP: ... in so many ways.

HANNITY: When we come back, we have two parents that lost their kids by illegal immigrants. Let me ask you one last question. A lot has been made about your campaign. You're right, you showed up number one in the poll by The Economist today. My question to you is, if Donald Trump doesn't win the Republican nomination, will you support the eventual nominee, or would you run third party?

TRUMP: I have to see who wins. I mean, look, I'm not a politician. You know, every politician, immediately, you're supposed to say, Oh, absolutely, absolutely. I have to see who wins. And frankly, I think we're going to win. I really think our message is much better.

I will make unbelievable trade deals. I'll bring jobs back to our country. I'll bring security back to our country. I really think we're going to win. I watch everybody. I don't see their message. And you can say what you want. I know you like him, and I like him, too, Rick Perry. He did a lousy job on the border when he was governor of Texas. What a horrible job he did. Worse than him, though, is Jeb Bush. Jeb Bush is a disaster in so many different ways.

I have to see, Sean, who wins.

HANNITY: OK.

TRUMP: I'm not a politician. I don't have to say...

HANNITY: You're not thinking about an independent run...

TRUMP: I have to see who wins.

HANNITY: You're thinking about winning this Republican primary. That's what you're thinking about today.

TRUMP: I want to win the Republican -- I want to win because that's our best chance of defeating the Democrats. With that said, everybody wants me to do that. I have had so many people wanting me to do that. Our best chance of defeating the Democrats and getting this country going again is if I win the Republican nomination.

HANNITY: OK.

TRUMP: I will beat Hillary Clinton. And One other thing. I will win the Latino vote. I will win the Hispanics because I'm going to put them to work. I am going to put people back to work. I'm going to win that vote. I have thousands of people working for me, right now, Hispanics working for me. I will win that vote because I'm going to get jobs for people. Hillary's not going to get jobs. And by the way, Jeb Bush is not going to get jobs.

HANNITY: All right, Donald Trump, thanks so much for being with us.

And coming up, today...

TRUMP: Thank you very much.

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