mark: by mark halperin. john: and i'm john heilemann. and with all due respect, you are the only one who knows how to escalate the situation. ♪ mark: hello, hello from trump tower in new york city. we are the first reporters to get a tour of the trunk campaign headquarters in this very storied building. but first, our guest tonight joins us right now. he is the man of the hour and the man of the tower, donald trump. make you for joining us, mr. trump. john: there has been a tragic

shooting today -- shot on live tv. mr. trump: i haven't seen it yet. i have been in the office all day. but i have been hearing about it and it's just horrible. literally on live television -- what a shame. you about yourk presidential campaign and show you some vintage footage of about two years ago. i want to show you one of the questions we asked you. >> what are the odds that donald trump will be the next president of the united states? >> i am talking -- i don't do this. i would say anywhere from 10%-20%. --k: then you said 10%-20% what are the odds today? mr. trump: 21%? if i have a deal that is ready to be done, and by the way this year, if i have

a deal that is going to be done and it's ready to be signed, i say 50. give us a number again -- straight talk. mr. trump: let's say maybe 25%-30%. mark: still pretty low. -- everye president president has had to deal with raising the debt ceiling. should republicans later this year agree to raise the debt ceiling or is it too much of a danger? mr. trump: i would like to see them not have to do it. i think there is so much waste, scandalous waste in washington. they have people -- if they had people that knew how to make deals. we have trade deficits with all these countries -- we are rebuilding the world, china.

but short-term, maybe it is going to happen. i would not be an easy one to do it. mark: do you think it is worth playing a game of chicken with president obama? mr. trump: i would say it is worth the fight, because honestly, there is so much fact in washington that -- so much fat in washington that you wouldn't miss a thing. john: you agree with those republicans who say -- don't necessarily raise the debt ceiling, take the risk and make a compromise. mr. trump: i do. there is a lot of fat. attentionntly you got with comments about the hedge fund industry, that they get away with murder because they pay lower taxes. hillary clinton has proposed that we should get rid of that interest loophole and tax benefits same rate as ordinary income. to you agree with her? mr. trump: the answer is yes, the carried interest is a tremendous burden on the country. i have friends and enemies -- none of thems --

are going to support me and i don't want their support -- and hillary clinton has many hedge fund supporters -- in the end, i would say that the hedge fund people make a lot of money, they pay very little tax. i want the middle class to be thriving again. we are losing our middle-class. i would change it, i would simplify it. john: you want to tax carried interest as ordinary? mr. trump: i would take it out, and let people making hundreds of millions of dollars pay some tax, because right now they are paying very little tax. i want to lower taxes for the middle class. i want to lower taxes for people making a lot of money that need incentives. john: that would also affect people and limited real estate partnerships of which you are in a fair number. you like to raise taxes on yourself? mr. trump: that's right. i'm ok with it.

you've seen my statements -- i do very well and i don't mind paying tax. the middle class built this country, not the hedge fund guys. people and hedge funds who pay almost nothing and it is ridiculous. thing --re's another there has been a discussion this week, a story in "the new yorker" that talks about your appeal. extent ofabout the which people who are white supremacist groups support you. time, the former grand dragon of the ku klux klan came out and said he supported you. my first question is why do people like that like donald trump? and have you feel about that endorsement? mr. trump: i don't know the answer to the first, but i certainly wouldn't want his endorsement. i don't need anybody's endorsement. would refute him -- i don't

know anything about him. -- hedy told me yesterday endorsed me and i don't think it was an endorsement, he said i was the best of the candidates. mark: if you read the story, organized white supremacist groups talking about you, about why they like you so much -- would that trouble you at all? mr. trump: honestly i would have to read the story. a lot of people like me. in the polls -- it just came out in new hampshire where i am at 35% -- people like me across the board. the democrats like me, liberals like me, conservatives like me. mark: this is only a small subset, but hearing that doesn't make you worry that there is something in your message striking accord with the wrong people? mr. trump: i hope there is not but i haven't read the story. john: the next debate is coming up and one of the things he said was that you got the hardest questions.

i want to ask you a question asked of a different candidate. this was asked of governor kasich. if you had a son or daughter or grandchild who was gay or was he in, how would you explain to then your opposition? how would you speak to a child or grandchild who was gay? mr. trump: well, it's the way it is. i wednesday to them at all about it other than they are who they are. i want them to be happy and i will love them -- mark: your personal opposition to same-sex marriage -- they want to get married but you don't want to be legal. mr. trump: i thought governor was good -- you has gone to gay weddings, i have been to gay weddings, i have been against from the standpoint of the bible, from the standpoint of my teachings going to sunday school and church, and i have been opposed to it. we will just see how it all comes out. but if i was ever in that

position i would just have to explain it. john: you mentioned the bible and he talked about how it was your favorite book. some people are surprised. i am wondering what one or two of your most favorite bible verses are? mr. trump: i would want to get into it because it's very personal. no, i -- john: one that you think about or cite? even to cite averse? mark: old testament guy? mr. trump: probably equal -- i think it -- the whole bible is incredible. my second favorite book of all time. i think the bible is something very special. mark: have you ever read the koran? what is your view of that as a piece of important world history? mr. trump: well, it is certainly a piece of world history, and lots of things are happening, but it is not something that i

have a lot of interest in. i would like to find out what's happening and why there is such hatred. you look at what's going on in the world, and it's wonderful to say, hey, let's look at norway, at sweden, but you look at what's happening with the koran, it is a pretty scary thing. john: scott walker said there are a handful of moderate muslims now attracted to the war on jihadist ideology. do you agree? mr. trump: i'm sure he knew exactly what he meant -- define it? mark: i'm not sure what he meant, either. there are a handful of moderate muslims -- do you agree? mr. trump: i think you have more than a handful of moderate muslims but you certainly have a problem with muslims. i think you probably spoke -- he says he misspoke. i think he misspoke. did he corrected statement? mark: you later tried to. mr. trump: there are certain problems.

mark: do you believe that lee harvey oswald -- mr. trump: i believe he acted alone, yes. mark: no conspiracy theory? mr. trump: no. in my opinion, he acted alone. mark: my second historical question -- between clarence thomas and anita hill, who do you believe? really have a lot of respect -- i like clarence thomas a lot, and i will go with him. his decisions, in terms of conservative decisions, he is probably about the best there is on the supreme court. mark: he said -- just respects clarence thomas, i don't know anita harris. i have met clarence thomas on a number of occasions that i thought he was terrific. he is a terrific person, so what do i know? it's a question that

divided the company for a period of time. mr. trump: i think his decisions have been terrific decisions. john: a couple more historical things -- you were a democrat, and now you are a republican -- do you recall who supported in 1992? mr. trump: i liked -- i actually liked ross perot a lot. i thought he was great. i think he went a little bit off the deep end unfortunately, but i thought he was great -- had he not existed, you aren't talking about -- i don't know. i think i probably voted for bush. i respected perot. i think he really had something. i think he probably would've had a number substantially better. john: so you don't remember which of those three? mr. trump: i do remember.

i don't like to talk about it. i voted for bush. mark: 2004 versus the other bush -- who did you support? mr. trump: bush. mark: why? mr. trump: i was hoping he would do a good job. choose bushd you over gore? mr. trump: i became more and more conservative. who wasn't? but bush was someone i was very disappointed in. in 2003 i said iraq is a mistake. i would have a very, very powerful, strong military. nobody would mess with us. but to do in iraq was a terrible mistake in my opinion. the way we got i was another mistake also. we should have kept the oil. but i was very disappointed with him. john: mr. trump, you will stay

right here. we have two more questions -- there is more where that came from. we will be back after this word from our sponsors. ♪

mark: we are back with donald trump in trump tower -- thanks for hosting us. earlier today, jeb bush, someone ,ou have been talking about yo , talked about you and immigration. mr. bush: do it as a conservative, for crying out loud. i don't think we should spend hundreds of billions of dollars

with an impractical solution. this guy is not a front runner. he should be held to account, just like me. he should be asked as he was yesterday -- how will you pay for it? explain how you will stop all the remittances without violating civil liberties. go through these questions and this guy doesn't have a plan. one thing you have been saying is that he is low-energy -- and he seemed low-energy? mr. trump: no, he seemed a little more dynamic but you can't force that, and it was a little bit forced. how will you pay for it? we are spending $130 billion right now on illegal immigration. we are spending a fortune on not only the crime and the problems, but a minimum of $130 billion. mark: one thing that happens in campaigns is candidates try to get under each other's skin. does something like back in under your skin? mr. trump: no, not at all. it is one of the things. i an not a politician, haven't been a politician.

he is a person -- and i guess he is trying very hard. he is a low-energy person by nature, and it's ok, there's nothing wrong with that. i know some wonderful low-energy people, the nicest people i know. but that doesn't mean they will be good at negotiating with china, bringing back jobs and money. japan, everybody else. you look at the iran deal -- will he make a better deal than barack obama? i doubt it. mark: is even most likely republican nominee besides you? mr. trump: i don't know -- he is way down in the polls and i am surprised. i have been hitting him because he seems like an establishment guy. the last thing we need is another bush. i was not happy with the last one. read my lips, i wasn't happy with that. it was a big problem. that was his father, a lovely man, but the last thing we need is another bush. i would say that maybe -- if you want to ask me that question two

or three weeks ago i would have said maybe he would be the most likely one, but i'm not sure. aere are a group of them, group that seems to be forming. so far they are way behind. john: jeb bush recommended you read his book. mr. trump: i do think so. i have other things to do that are much more important. john: he got tangled in this question about anchor babies -- what do you think he got wrong? mr. trump: i read the new york times editorial today. he took hispanics and suddenly changed hispanics and mexicans with asians, and now the asian community is furious and they are really angry. i have seen protests by what he said. he thought he would get out of that by talking about asians and that was terrible. john: that is not a phrase you have any hesitance using. mr. trump:no. no. sayingally signed a memo -- do not use anchor baby.

he said don't use anchor baby, don't use the phrase. then he uses it. he uses that because i'm using it and i think he has to want to epub with it. -- to keep up with it. mark: with you consider have as a running mate? mr. trump: i do want to talk about running mates right now. i am looking good and i want to keep looking good. mark: let's talk about the supreme court -- that is a big responsibility of the supreme court. is there someone you have in mind, a current or past justice who would be a model? mr. trump: you know, justice roberts -- coming out with that horrible decision on obamacare, which was a disaster. he should have ended obamacare. gait, but he is not at all -- i would say very smart, great levels of intelligence, great temperament. temperament is very important.

believe it or not, i have a good temperament. or you wouldn't be in places like this. mark: you talked about carl icahn. is there someone out there today who says isn't on the court but who you would consider? mr. trump: i don't want to mention names -- i think it is inappropriate at this stage, so early. i have a sister who was on the court of appeals and she is fantastic. i think she would be phenomenal -- one of the best -- but we will have to rule that out. but she is very smart and very good person. by the way, you mentioned carl icahn -- i just spoke to him, and he said such a big problem -- corporate immersion. $2.5 trillion that can come in and what's happening is companies are leaving this country. that used to be you leave new york for florida, new jersey for texas, it used to be state to state -- now it is country to

country. we have countries with thousands of thousands of jobs, leaving this country. mark: what is the trump proposal? mr. trump: let them running in,on -- let the money come tax it at a lower rate. this is money that could be spent in this country. part of the problem with politics is that democrats and republicans, two years i have been hearing about this, they always agree and they still haven't gotten it done. companies are leading this country to go outside and get their money. they are taking the money and we are losing thousands and thousands of jobs, and it is getting worse. there are so many big companies looking to go outside and get the money. john: you expressed a lot of concern about the chinese currency devaluation. if the currency is the value, th -- is devalued, the price of goods goes down. mr. trump: we are making our own profit. john: are you against lower

profit? mark: what i am against -- mr. trump: what i am against is -- japan is doing the big devaluation now. it is impossible for companies to compete. china,look at in north they sell cars, millions and millions of cars to this country. you look at the imbalance between what we give them and what they give us, tax-free here, very hard to get in. when we sell them beef, they don't even want it. mark: you announced for president just over two months ago -- is it seem longer? mr. trump: it seems longer but it has gone faster. mark: what has been a single highlight and low light? i. trump: the low light -- was attacked for the words illegal immigration and it has turned out to also be the highlight. now people are saying -- you know, he was right. you had that horrible story with kate, so many people were so

badly hurt -- what's happened is incredible. i think it may have been the word "rapist." mr. trump: that is true, too. just the other day in california -- a 66-year-old -- raped her, killed her, sodomized her, tortured her. you have that, too. we can be babies and say it doesn't exist -- tremendous crime coming in. i think i have done a great service. mark: thank you for hosting us today. we will be right back after this. ♪

mark: well, that was really something. minutes, a lot of time,

a lot of questions and answers. we will chew over them to the extent we can. ♪

john: as we mentioned earlier, today we took an exclusive tour of trump's campaign headquarters in trump tower with some of the senior staff. watch that on bloombergpolitics.com. let's talk about this interview -- highlights, lights, go. mark: is it interesting things about tax policy, interesting things about jeb bush, interesting things about oswald acting alone, and some of the things he said about david duke were kind of interesting as well. john: he is just below the son relentless on -- an jeb bush. hammered him on the anchor baby thing. mark: tomorrow on the program,

more of our first exclusive behind the scenes look at the headquarters here, in some ways like typical headquarters come in some ways not. until tomorrow, thanks for watching. hear from trump tower, sayo nara. england, moved to england at the age of 23. ever since her arrival she has been wowing the art world with her ever so slightly outside looking in skewed perspective of life in india. her paintings, photographs, sculptures, and installations challenge social to abuse. >> the studio for me is like a bit of a kitchen. the way i approach my work is very fluid. i start some projects because i want to play with materials. a lot of times my work is ideas-based. it is imperative to how i begin the project.

it is one of like a lot of experimentation. >> what would you say your work is about? >> lots of things. ideas," powered by hyundai motor. alix: we are moments away from the closing bell. i am alix steel. joe: i'm joe weisenthal. alix: that is some serious cheering. u.s. stocks seeing the best gain in days after the worst rout in years. joe: the big search -- stocks soar after global market turmoil. we will ask what is next. alix: plus, the china factor. we take