Donald Trump in Meet the Press interviews during 2019
On Budget & Economy:
Economy was ready to collapse in 2016; now it's the best
Obama had somebody that kept the [Federal Reserve interest] rates very low. I had somebody that raised the rates very rapidly. Too much. He made a mistake. That's been proven.
And yet my economy is phenomenal. We have now the best economy, maybe in the history of our country. When I took over, this country, the economy was ready to collapse.
Source: Meet the Press 2019 interview series
Jun 23, 2019
On Foreign Policy:
Not looking for war, but Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon
Q: Do you want to do a separate deal with Iran? Or do you want to get everybody involved in the same deal? TRUMP: It doesn't matter to me. Here's what I want, anything that gets you to the result. They cannot have a nuclear weapon.
It's not about the straits. You know, a lot of people covered it incorrectly. They're never mentioned. They cannot have a nuclear weapon. They'd use it. And they're not going to have a nuclear weapon.
And it's not about the oil. I'm not looking for war and if there is, it'll be obliteration like you've never seen before. But I'm not looking to do that.
But you can't have a nuclear weapon. You want to talk? Good. Otherwise you can have a bad economy for the next three years.
Source: Meet the Press 2019 interview series
Jun 23, 2019
On Government Reform:
Electoral College brings you to many states
The Electoral College is tougher for a Republican to win than the popular vote. At least me. I feel that I go to three places. I went to 19 or 21 states.
I went to Maine four times because I wanted to get one. And I did get it. And that's the beauty of the Electoral College. The Electoral College brings you to many of the states in this country.
Source: NBC News Meet the Press 2019 interview
Jun 23, 2019
On Health Care:
Decided not to kill ObamaCare, but still it's not good
I could have managed ObamaCare so it would have failed or I could have managed it the way we did so it's as good as it can be. Not great, but it's as good -- It's too expensive and the premiums are too high. I had a decision to make.
I could have politically killed ObamaCare. I decided not to do it. But still it's not good. We're going to come up with great health care if we win the House, the Senate and the presidency.
Source: Meet the Press 2019 interview series
Jun 23, 2019
On Immigration:
Democrats refuse to change asylum laws & loopholes
If the Democrats would change the asylum laws and the loopholes, which they refuse to do because they think it's good politics, everything would be solved immediately. But they refuse to do it. They refuse to do it.
If they change those, I say, I used to say 45 minutes. It's 15 minutes. If they changed asylum and if they changed loopholes everything on the border would be perfect.
Source: Meet the Press 2019 interview series
Jun 23, 2019
On Immigration:
Didn't start family separation but ended it
On family separation at the border: This has been happening long before I got there. What we've done is ended separation. Under President Obama you had separation. I was the one that ended it. We're doing a fantastic job under the circumstances.
The Democrats are holding up the humanitarian aid. If the Democrats would change the asylum laws and the loopholes, which they refuse to do because they think it's good politics, everything would be solved immediately. But they refuse to do it.
Source: NBC News Meet the Press 2019 interview
Jun 23, 2019
On War & Peace:
Willing talk to Iran but they can't have nuclear weapons
Here's what I want, anything that gets you to the result. They cannot have a nuclear weapon. It's not about the straits. You know, a lot of people covered it incorrectly. They're never mentioned. They cannot have a nuclear weapon. They'd use it.
And they're not going to have a nuclear weapon. And it's not about the oil.
Source: NBC News Meet the Press 2019 interview
Jun 23, 2019
Page last updated: Jan 12, 2020