SAVANNAH GUTHRIE AT THE WHITE
HOUSE THIS MORNING.
SAVANNAH THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
IT'S 7 AFTER THE HOUR.
MEREDITH?
>> THE NEW NBC WALL STREET NEWS
POLL SHOWS A SURPRISING SURGE
FOR ONE REPUBLICAN CANNED DATED,
AND IT IS A NAME YOU WILL
RECOGNIZE.
DONALD TRUMP IS IN A TIE FOR
SECOND ALONG WITH MIKE HUCKABEE
AND MITT ROMNEY.
MITT ROMNEY LEADS.
ON MONDAY WE SAT DOWN WITH HIM
FOR AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW, AND
I BEGAN BY ASKING TRUMP ABOUT
HIS POTENTIAL RUN.
>> THIS IS VERY SERIOUS.
I ALWAYS TAKE THINGS SERIOUSLY
BUT I'VE NEVER TAKEN IT
SERIOUSLY LIKE THIS.
THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS TIME IN
MY LIFE.
I HATE WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THE
COUNTRY. I WISH I DIDN'T HAVE TO DO IT.
I WISH THIS COUNTRY WAS RUNNING
SO GREAT, AND I WISH OBAMA WAS
THE GREATEST PRESIDENT SINCE
ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND I WISH THIS
WAS THE GREATEST PLACE IN THE
WORLD. WHAT WE'RE DOING IS
UNBELIEVABLE. IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT'S GOING ON
WHERE OUR JOBS ARE DISAPPEARING
TO FOREIGN COUNTRIES WHERE THE
OIL -- YOU'RE GOING TO BE PAYING
7 OR $8 A GALLON FOR YOUR OIL
VERY SOON. >> DO YOU BLAME ALL OF THIS ON
BARACK OBAMA? >> I BLAME ALL OF IT.
IT'S BEEN A TERRIBLE PRESIDENCY.
LOOK AT LIBYA.
WE GO IN, WE DON'TMENT WANT TO
REMOVE GADHAFI, BUT WE WANT TO
FIGHT, WE WANT TO DO THIS.
NOW NOBODY KNOWS WHAT'S
HAPPENING. GADHAFI IS GOING TO BEAT THE
UNITED STATES? >> WOULD YOU SAY LET'S GET
AGGRESSIVE.
LET'S PUT BOOTS ON THE GROUND IF
WE HAVE TO. >> I'M ONLY INTERESTED IN LIBYA
IF WE KEEP THE OIL.
IF WE DON'T KEEP THE OIL I'M
NOT INTERESTED.
THEY MAKE THE REBELS SOME
ROMANTIC NOVEL.
I HEAR THE REBELS ARE AL-QAEDA.
I HEAR THEY'RE IRAN-BACKED AND
IRAN INFLUENCED.
WHERE ARE THEY GETTING THOSE
WEAPONS? FROM IRAN?
GADHAFI WENT AROUND SAYING HE
WON THE WAR AGAINST THIS
COUNTRY.
I'M ONLY INTERESTED IN LIBYA IF
WE GET THE OIL.
>> SO EVERYBODY WORNDS WHAT THENDERS
WHAT THE
OBAMA DOCTRINE IS. >> HE DOESN'T HAVE A DOCTRINE.
>> WHAT WOULD YOUR DOCTRINE BE?
>> WITH RESPECT TO WHAT?
>> FOREIGN AFFAIRS.
>> FOREIGN AFFAIRS IS WE TAKE
CARE OF OURSELVES FIRST.
WE DON'T BUILD SCHOOLS IN
AFGHANISTAN. WE GO TO AFGHANISTAN, WE BUILD A
ROAD WE BUILD A SCHOOL.
TWO DAYS LATER THEY BLOW UP THE
ROAD, THEY BLOW UP THE SCHOOL
WE START BUILDING THE ROAD AND
THE SCHOOL AGAIN.
IN THE MEANTIME WE CAN'T BUILD
SCHOOLS IN ALABAMA, IN NEW
ORLEANS, IN TEXAS, IN NEW
YORK -- IN MY PLACE WE'RE ALWAYS
FIGHTING TO GET SCHOOL MONEY --
WE'RE SPENDING TRILLIONS AND
TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS. MY THING AND MY DOCTRINE WOULD
BE BUILD, BUILD BUILD.
>> SOME POSITIVE NEWS FOR YOU,
THIS NEW POLL -- NBC NEWS WALL
STREET JOURNAL POLL SHOWS YOU
SURGING TO SECOND PLACE FOR
POTENTIAL CANDIDATES FOR 2012.
WHY DO YOU THINK YOU'RE
CONNECTING WITH VOTERS?
>> I THINK I CONNECT WITH PEOPLE
BECAUSE I HAPPEN TO BE SMART I
HAPPEN TO HAVE A LOT OF COMMON
SENSE I HAPPEN TO KNOW WHAT I'M
DOING, I BUILT A GREAT COMPANY,
AND BY THE WAY IF I RUN, I LOOK
SO FORWARD TO FILING A
DECLARATION
DECLARATION, BECAUSE IT'S A
GREAT COMPANY.
I BUILT A GREAT COMPANY. AND I'LL MAKE THAT DECISION
SOMETIME PRIOR TO JUNE.
>> WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
>> WELL, I HATE TO SAY IT I
HAVE THE NUMBER ONE SHOW IN NBC.
"THE APPRENTICE" IS DOING GREAT
"THE CELEBRITY APPRENTICE."
>> WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO
WITH IT? >> IT SOUNDS SO TRIVIAL, AND I
HATE TO BRING IT UP BUT YOU'RE
NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE A SHOW ON
AND BE A DECLARED CANDIDATE.
IT'S A GREAT SHOW, AND IT'S GOT
PHENOMENAL RATINGS, AND UNTIL
THAT SHOW IS OVER, I CAN'T
DECLARE, BECAUSE OTHERWISE NBC
WOULD HAVE TO TAKE THE SHOW OFF
THE AIR, AND I THINK THAT WOULD
BE VERY UNFAIR TO NBC.
>> RECENTLY YOU SPENT A LOT OF
TIME TALKING ABOUT PRESIDENT
OBAMA'S BIRTH CERTIFICATE OR
LACK THEREOFF..
YOU DON'T SEEM CONVINCED THAT HE
HAS ONE.
>> NO, I'M NOT CONVINCED HE HAS
ONE. I'VE HAD SMART PEOPLE SAY,
DONALD, STAY ON THE CHINA ISSUE
STAY ON THE OTHER ISSUES, GET
OFF THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE ISSUE.
>> WHY DON'T YOU?
>> BECAUSE THREE WEEKS AGO WHEN
I STARTED I THOUGHT HE WAS
PROBABLY BORN IN THIS COUNTRY
AND NOW I HAVE A MUCH BIGGER
DOUBT THAN I HAD BEFORE.
HIS GRANDMOTHER IN KENYA SAID HE
WAS BORN IN KENYA AND SHE WAS
THERE AND WITNESSED THE BIRTH,
OKAY? HE DOESN'T HAVE A BIRTH AS THE
RESULT OR HE HASN'T SHOWN IT.
HE HAS WHAT'S CALLED A
CERTIFICATE OF LIVE BIRTH.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT'S EASY TO
GET. WHEN YOU WANT A BIRTH
CERTIFICATE, IT VERY HARD TO
GET. >> BUT IN THE STATE OF HAWAII,
THEY SAID THEY HAVE SEEN THIS
DOCUMENT, IT'S EVIDENT HE WAS BORN IN THE UNITED STATES,
THAT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR THEM.
>> A BIRTH CERTIFICATE IS NOT
EVEN CLOSE.
A CERTIFICATE OF LIVE BIRTH IS
NOT EVEN SIGNED BY ANYBODY.
I READ IT VERY CAREFULLY.
IT DOESN'T HAVE A SERIAL NUMBER
IT DOESN'T HAVE A SIGNATURE.
>> YOU BELIEVE HE'S LYING?
DO YOU BELIEVE HE'S LYING
DONALD?
JUST ANSWER.
>> MEREDITH, HE SPENT $2 MILLION
IN LEGAL FEES TRYING TO GET AWAY
FROM THIS ISSUE, AND IF HE
WEREN'T LYING, WHY WOULDN'T HE
JUST SOLVE IT?
I WISH HE WOULD BECAUSE IF HE
DOESN'T
DOESN'T, IT'S ONE OF THE
GREATEST SCAMS IN HISTORY
PERIOD.
YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO BE
PRESIDENT IF YOU'RE NOT BORN IN
THIS COUNTRY. THREE WEEKS AGO, I THOUGHT HE
WAS BORN IN THIS COUNTRY.
I HAVE SOME REAL DOUBTS.
I HAVE PEOPLE STUDYING IT, AND
THEY CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT THEY'RE
FINDING. >> YOU HAVE PEOPLE SEARCHING IN
HAWAII? >> ABSOLUTELY, AND THEYI CAN'T
BELIEVE WHAT THEY'RE FINDING.
I WOULD LIKE HIM TO SHOW HIS
BIRTH CERTIFICATE. TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I HOPE HE
CAN. IF HE CAN'T, AND HE WASN'T BORN
IN THIS COUNTRY -- WHICH IS A
REAL POSSIBILITY.
I'M SAYING IT'S A REAL
POSSIBILITY, MUCH GREATER THAN I
THOUGHT TWO OR THREE WEEKS AGO,
THEN HE HAS PULLED ONE OF THE
GREATEST CONS IN THE HISTORY OF
POLITICS. AND BEYOND POLITICS.
>> DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF A
TEA PARTIER?
>> I THINK SO.
I'M VERY PROUD OF SOME OF THE
IDEAS THEY PUT FORTH, AND THE
BIG IDEA IS THEY WANT TO STOP
THIS RIDICULOUS ABSOLUTELY
KILLER SPENDING GOING ON.
WHAT'S GOING ON IN THIS COUNTRY
THE WAY WE'RE SPENDING MONEY
LIKE DRUNKEN SAILORS, WE ARE
ABSOLUTELY JUST -- ULTIMATELY
BEER GOING TO DESTROY OUR OWN
FREEDOM.
>> BUT THEY WANT TO STOP IT EVEN
AT THE COST OF SHUTTING DOWN THE
GOVERNMENT. THAT'S A POSSIBILITY.
ARE YOU IN FAVOR OF THAT?
>> EXCUSE ME, IT'S NOT REALLY
SHUTTING DOWN THE GOVERNMENT
IT'S CUTTING COSTS. THE KIND OF MONEY YOU'RE TALKING
ABOUT IS PEANUTS.
AND I THINK THE TEA PARTY HAS
DONE AN AMAZING SERVICE TO THIS
COUNTRY BECAUSE PEOPLE NOW EVEN
VERY LIBERAL DEMOCRATS, ARE
STARTING TO THINK FOR THE FIRST
TIME, WELL, MAYBE WE CAN'T JUST
KEEP GIVING EVERYTHING AWAY.
SO I THINK THEY PERFORMED A
GREAT SERVICE. >> SO IF THERE WAS A PARTIAL
SHUTDOWN OF THE GOVERNMENT COME
FRIDAY THAT WOULD BE OKAY WITH
YOU?
>> I HEAR THE DEMOCRATS ARE
GOING TO BE BLAMED AND THE
REPUBLICANS ARE GOING TO BE
BLAMED. I ACTUALLY THINK THE PRESIDENT
WOULD BE BLAMED. IF THERE IS A SHUTDOWN, AND IT'S
NOT GOING TO BE A HORRIBLE
SHUTDOWN, BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW,
THINGS WILL KEEP GOING.
>> A PARTIAL SHUTDOWN, FINE.
>> IF THERE IS A SHUTDOWN I
THINK IT WOULD BE A TREMENDOUSLY
NEGATIVE MARK ON THE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES.
HE'S THE ONE THAT HAS TO GET
PEOPLE TOGETHER. I'VE DONE HUNDREDS OF DEALS AND
TRANSACTIONS.
HE'S NEVER DONE DEALS BEFORE.
HOW DO YOU EXPECT A MAN WHO IS
NOT A DEAL MAN, NEVER DID A
DEAL -- OTHER THAN BECOMING
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES -- HOW IS HE GOING TO
CORRAL ALL THESE PEOPLE?
>> HOW WOULD YOU DO IT?
>> I WOULD GET ALL THE PEOPLE
TOGETHER AND --
>> THEY ALREADY HAVE ALL THE
PEOPLE TOGETHER.
>> BUT THEY DON'T HAVE A LEADER.
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES NEEDS TO GET THIS DONE.
AND I THINK HE PROBABLY WILL.
I DON'T SAY HE BUT I THINK HE
AND THE GROUP PROBABLY WILL GET IT DONE, BUT IT'S PRETTY SAD
BECAUSE THE WHOLE WORLD IS
LOOKING AT US AND LAUGHING AT
US.
>> YOU'VE CRITICIZED OBAMA QUITE
A BIT IN THIS INTERVIEW AND IN
THE PAST.
WHAT DO YOU THINK HE HAS DONE
WELL?
>> GET ELECTED.
I THINK
I THINK OBAMA CARE IS A
TOTAL DISASTER.
I THINK THE THING THAT HE DID
BEST, BEST OF ALL IS GET
ELECTED.
HE GOT ELECTED. HE RAN AN UNBELIEVABLE CAMPAIGN.
I WANT HIM TO DO WELL.
IF I HAD MY CHOICE OF HAVING
OBAMA DO GREAT AS A PRESIDENT
AND DO A REALLY GREAT JOB FOR
THIS COUNTRY AND NOT RUNNING AS
OPPOSED TO RUNNING, I'D PREFER
THAT HE DID A GREAT JOB.
I LOVE THIS COUNTRY.
BUT THIS COUNTRY IS GOING TO
HELL. I WOULD RUN A GREAT, GREAT
COUNTRY. THIS COUNTRY WILL BE GREAT
AGAIN. IT IS NOT GREAT RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE HUGE DEFICITS HUGE
UNEMPLOYMENT, HUGE PROBLEM, AND
WE'RE NOT RESPECTED.
WE'RE NOT RESPECTED IN THE
WORLD. THE WORLD LAUGHS AT US.
THEY WON'T BE LAUGHING IF I'M
PRESIDENT.
>> HE'S CERTAINLY NOT A
SHRINKING VIOLET.
>> HOW MUCH TAPE DID YOU HAVE
BECAUSE THERE'S MORE.
BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE.
AND THAT'S COMING UP LATER,
RIGHT?
>> THERE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE,
YEAH. HE'S -- YOU KNOW I THINK HE IS
SERIOUS. NOW, HE'S GOT A COUPLE OF MONTHS
TO THINK ABOUT THIS PONDER THIS
A LITTLE MORE BUT I THINK HE'S
TAKING IT VERY SERIOUSLY.
>> AND HE'S SERIOUS ABOUT HAVING
PEOPLE DOWN IN HAWAII RIGHT NOW.
>> THAT'S WHAT HE CLAIMS.
HE CLAIMS THERE ARE PEOPLE THERE
THAT ARE INVESTIGATING IT, AND
IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE
WHAT THEY COME UP WITH.
I USED THE WORD DETECTIVE.
HE DIDN'T DISCOUNT THE WORD SO I
WOULD ASSUME THAT'S WHO THEY
ARE.
WHAT WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE IS
DONALD COME BACK AND SHOW THE
EVIDENCE.
>> EXACTLY RIGHT. I WONDER IF HE'S GOING TO
DECLARE FOR PRESIDENT.
>> HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO