CBS "Face the Nation" - Transcript: Foreign Affairs and Trade

Interview

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BRENNAN: "CBS THIS MORNING" co-host Norah O'Donnell is heading up the network's coverage of the Helsinki summit. She will have a preview.

We will speak with two leading Republicans who have been investigating the Russian meddling, Senator John Cornyn of Texas and South Carolina Congressman Trey Gowdy.

New York Congressman Joe Crowley lost his primary in a stunning upset to a political novice last month. He will join us to talk about the future of the Democratic Party.

Plus, we will have analysis on Russia and all the political news in Washington just ahead on FACE THE NATION.

Good morning. And welcome to FACE THE NATION.

President Trump is still in Europe. And he's heading next to Helsinki, Finland, for tomorrow's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Yesterday, he spent some time with "CBS EVENING NEWS" Jeff Glor at the president's golf resort in Turnberry, Scotland.

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JEFF GLOR, CBS NEWS ANCHOR: I saw the conversation you had with Jens Stoltenberg, which was a very direct conversation.

As you approach the meetings with Vladimir Putin coming up, do you expect a similar tone?

TRUMP: I don't expect anything. I, frankly, don't expect -- I go in with very low expectations.

I think that getting along with Russia is a good thing, but it's possible we won't. I think we're greatly hampered by this whole witch-hunt that's going on in the United States, the Russian witch-hunt, the rigged situation.

I watched some of the testimony, even though I'm in Europe, of Strzok, and I thought it was a disgrace to our country. I thought it was an absolute disgrace, where he wants to do things against me before I was even -- I guess before I was even the candidate.

It was a disgrace. And then he lied about it and, you know, talking about shutting it down, and we, we. And he says, oh, I meant the American people all of a sudden. He came up with excuses, I guess, give to a lawyer. But everybody laughed at it.

He was a disgrace to our county. He was a disgrace to the FBI. So, when I look at things like that -- and he led that investigation or whatever you call it.

I would say that, yes, I think it hurts our relationship with Russia. I actually think it hurts our relationship with a lot of countries. I think it's a disgrace, what's going on.

And then you look how partisan it is, you look at what's going on where -- and they know. They know that. There's no way he can get away from those horrible texts that he wrote. So, the other side knows, but it's a very partisan thing.

GLOR: The Russians who were indicted, would you ask Putin to send them here?

TRUMP: Well, I might. I hadn't thought of that, but, certainly, I will be asking about it.

But, again, this was during the Obama administration. They were doing whatever it was during the Obama administration.

And I heard that they were trying or people were trying to hack into the RNC, too, the Republican National Committee, but we had much better defenses. I have been told that by a number of people. We had much better defenses, so they couldn't.

I think the DNC should be ashamed of themselves for allowing themselves to be hacked. They had bad defenses. And they were able to be hacked. But I heard they were trying to hack the Republicans, too, but -- and this may be wrong -- but they had much stronger defenses.

GLOR: Who is your biggest competitor, your biggest foe globally right now?

TRUMP: Well, I think we have a lot of foes. I think the European Union is a foe, what they do to us in trade.

Now, you wouldn't think of the European Union, but they're a foe. Russia is a foe in certain respects. China is a foe economically, certainly. They're a foe. But that doesn't mean they're bad. It doesn't mean anything.

It means that they're competitors. They want to do well, and we want to do well. And we're starting to do well. You see what's going on. We have the best employment numbers probably that we have ever had. Black unemployment is the lowest level in history, Hispanic unemployment the lowest level in history, Jeff, women unemployment lowest in 66 years.

Our numbers are great. Our GDP numbers are far greater than what they thought.

GLOR: A lot of people might be surprised to hear you list the E.U. as a foe before China and Russia.

TRUMP: No, I look at them all.

Look, E.U. is very difficult, I want to tell you. Maybe the thing that's most difficult -- don't forget, both of my parents were born in E.U. sectors, OK? I mean, my mother was Scotland. My father was Germany.

And, you know, I love those countries. I respect the leaders of those countries.

But, in a trade sense, they have really taken advantage of us, and many of those countries are in NATO. And they weren't paying their bills. And, you know I, as an example, have a big problem with Germany, because Germany made a pipeline deal with Russia, where they're going to be paying Russia billions and billions of dollars a year for energy.

And I say that's not good. That's not fair. You're supposed to be fighting for someone, and then that someone gives billions of dollars to the one that you're guarding against?

I think it's ridiculous. So, I let that be also known this time.

And I'll tell you what. There is a lot of anger at the fact that Germany is paying Russia billions of dollars. There's a lot of anger. I also think it's a very bad thing for Germany, because it's like, what are they, waving a white flag?

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BRENNAN: We will have more of Jeff's interview with President Trump in Scotland airing tomorrow on "CBS THIS MORNING" and later on "THE CBS EVENING NEWS," as well as our digital network, CBSN.

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