Donald John Trump

“ But the job that this country has done, the people of this country — it's incredible what they've — how they've endured, how they've suffered. That's why we are, in terms of deaths — it's a tremendous number. One is too many, right? I say it all the time. But in terms of death, Bret, we're at the lower level — the lowest level predicted, and we might not even hit that. ”

“ You know, we have tremendous stimulus — all the money we've been talking about so far tonight. I think next year is going to be a phenomenal economic year. We can never forget all the people that have died, the souls that have been lost in this horrible thing that shouldn't — shouldn't have happened. ”

“ For example, if someone comes from another state that doesn't have the same testing standards as another, and they both come to my establishment, how are we all going to feel safe?
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Look, it depends on where you're coming from. New York is a very much different place than Montana or many other states, really, where it's not, you know, really too — too bad. It's always bad. If they lose anybody, it's bad. And every state has lost significant numbers of people. ”

“ And the President was very clear: Keeping Americans at work, putting them back to work, protecting American business was our number one priority in an unprecedented way. We now have $3 trillion that we're putting into the economy. That's just beginning. So for those Americans who haven't received their money yet, they will over the next few weeks. ”

“ Now, I know a lot of people that had the flu; they were never in a coma.
This is a very advanced — this is a very horrible thing we're fighting. But with all of that said, we still — we've learned a lot about it. It affects older people. It infects — if you have any problem — heart, diabetes, even a little weak heart, a little diabetes, a little — this thing is vicious, and it can take you out, and it can take you out very strongly.
But children do very well. Young children do better than, you know, teens.
BRET BAIER: So you think you've learned from this, how you've dealt with it now? ”

“ But infrastructure is very important. It's also important to the Democrats, by the way. That's something we actually do get along. I want to see a payroll tax cut on both sides, a very strong one, because that's going to really put people to work.
But infrastructure is so important. Our country, our roads are — excuse me, they're going to hell. We can't get infrastructure approved. Now we have a time — we have a period of time when we can get infrastructure done by both parties, and we're looking at that.
In addition, as you know, they want bailouts for the states — the Democrats. ”

“ We can't be hostage, because that's what we are. We can't be hostage to other countries — China, in particular, but also to other countries. We can't ever let that happen again.
BRET BAIER: Mr. Vice President, there is that balance. You know, people are afraid to get on a plane, if they can eventually, and balancing that fear of getting people back to work or dealing with that fear.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, the President brought the airlines in very early on, and we want to commend all of our great airlines for continuing to operate where people needed to do essential travel. ”

“ VIEWER: Mr. President, if you're elected to a second term, what's your plan to be more fiscally responsible to either reduce or eliminate the deficit in response to increased federal spending for the coronavirus stimulus packages?
THE PRESIDENT: So we have billions of dollars coming in right now from other countries. We have money coming in. People are paying now for military protection. People are paying for other things.
As you know, I'm putting taxes on other countries where they've taken advantage of us — especially, by the way, China. China never gave 10 cents to our country. ”

“ People never looked at medicine, but it's always been about medicine because we have at least 94, 95 percent of our medicines are made —
BRET BAIER: Which makes it important to do the vaccine here.
THE PRESIDENT: Well, it's an incredible thing. They're American companies — well, I'd like to be able to do it here. I don't want to do it in China — that, I can tell you. But I think we're going to do it here. And if we do it someplace else — look, we have to get a vaccine. Whoever gets it, I'm going to — I'm going to be their best fan. And I want it — I need the vaccine. ”

“ Can you give me a date by which we will be self-sufficient in antibiotics in this country? And what kind of incentive would you give manufacturers of pharmaceuticals to make sure that we are not dependent on China anymore for this?
THE PRESIDENT: So the reason it took place is because other people that sat in this chair — maybe not right here, but this a beautiful place — because they were foolish. You could even say because they were stupid, because they allowed this to happen.
And it's not only China. You take a look at Ireland; they make our drugs. Everybody makes our drugs, except us. ”

“ BRET BAIER: Mr. President, the governors credit you for the ventilators across the board. You mentioned the Democrats and leaving the cupboards bare from the previous administration.
You're not surprised to hear that the former Vice President, Joe Biden, pushes back against that. He tweeted just the other day: "We left a playbook. He ignored it. We created an office to prepare for pandemics. He gutted it. We had CDC officials in China to detect and contain the outbreaks. He pulled them out. Trump can try and shift blame all he wants, but the fact is his actions left us unprepared." ”

“ THE PRESIDENT: Well, the companies really wanted it. And the employees have to want to work. Now, if they don't want to work, that's one thing, but they are working. And they need the money. And the companies are doing — they're great companies. ”

“ You look at the testing: We tested now six and a half million people. The next highest is — I think it's two and a half million people in either Germany or South Korea. And South Korea thinks we've done an incredible job. They're saying the job — he's a friend of mine, President Moon. He said the job you've done on testing, and the job we've done on ventilators, we have one of the — it's one of the greatest buildups we've ever had in this country since certainly the Second World War. ”

“ BRET BAIER: Mask or no mask, if you do it?
THE PRESIDENT: But you can't have a rally — I don't think we can have a rally with an empty stadium, with nobody in there. In other words, you know, you may be able to pull it off for baseball or football or boxing or basketball. You can't pull off a rally with 100 percent — it wouldn't work out too well. So, hopefully, we'll be able to do rallies in the last couple of months. I mean, I would hope that within maybe the last couple of months we'll be able to do rallies in various states. ”

“ But to your point, Bret, 95 percent reduction in the number of passengers. And it's one of the reasons why we're providing financial assistance to those airlines. And I'd just say to that hardworking American: that we're going to bring it back. And the best thing we can do for airlines, the best thing we can do for all American businesses is, as the President often says, is put the coronavirus in the past. And the good news is that we're doing that.
We — we're watching the trends literally every day, county by county, all across the country. ”

“ THE PRESIDENT: Yeah. No, he's not — well, there's not too many states that I know of that are going up. Almost everybody is headed in the right direction. I was with a man who got hit very, very hard in many ways over the last little while: Phil Murphy from New Jersey. People don't realize that's the single-most dense state. And who would think that? But New Jersey is very dense. It's the Manhattan overflow, the New York overflow.
And those numbers are now even coming — because there's a very — I mean, not his fault. He's doing a really good job as governor. ”

“ What do you say to the people scared to reopen or angry about lingering closures? [0:00:25] BRET BAIER: And a lot of great questions. I want to start with this, though, Mr. President: There is a real split in the country. There are folks out there becoming increasingly angry about the closures. There are many Americans also who are angry about the reopenings. They're fearful, as many of these states are on the rise in their numbers. There are 66,000 deaths. ”

“ We just want a level playing field." Because for 18 years — really, it's longer than that — they've been taken advantage of not only by China, by everybody, including Canada, including many, many countries that you wouldn't even think.
So the farmers now, with the new USMCA and all of the other things — and as far as Phil, I understand it. But we're giving billions and billions of that money to the farmers, and have a lot of money that goes back into the Treasury. And Steve is the proud recipient, from the standpoint of the Treasury.
Are you considering new tariffs to punish China? ”

“ How can we manage to keep working with very slim profit margins, to begin with, and absorb the shortage price increase at this point? And even when we do open our dining rooms, we will be having limited seating available.
THE PRESIDENT: Right. So the restaurant business is a tough business to start off with. Not an easy business. We're doing a number of things. Number one, the supply chain is going to be in great shape. I did the production — Defense Production Act. We did things. The problem with the supply chain is you have people that have gotten sick with the COVID-19. ”

“ BRET BAIER: Our next question for the President comes from Rob in Ohio.
What are you doing to address COVID-19's disproportionate impact on minorities? [0:09:40] VIEWER: Hello. i'm Rob from Columbus, Ohio. The coronavirus is disproportionately affecting communities of color. I wanted to know what your administration will do to address this.
THE PRESIDENT: So, we are working on that very hard. And you're right, 100 percent, that if you look at African American — by the way, Asian American also and Hispanic American –they're very much more affected. People are not 100 percent sure. ”

“ The USA needs you. Please let go of those behaviors that are turning people away from you. Please hold on to your wonderful attributes that make you our great leader and let go of other characteristics that do not serve you. ”

“ But Phil is obviously bringing in supplies from China that he's getting — he's paying tariffs on. Would you encourage him to try to find —
THE PRESIDENT: Well, he is.
MARTHA MACCALLUM: — other countries to buy those things from?
THE PRESIDENT: He is. But you know what they're also getting? They're getting big payments. The farmers are getting big payments. And, by the way, they are the most incredible people. They don't even want the payments. You know what they say to me? Some — something that almost no other group — and I can say practically no other group. They want a level playing field. ”

“ BRET BAIER: — the FDA has approved this, remdesivir.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes.
BRET BAIER: And he's asking how do you get it. Are you going to use the Defense Production Act to get it produced?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, he got it. I'll tell you, Danny got it, fortunately. And Danny is — Danny gave it credit for saving his life.
We are putting the full power and might behind this drug. With that being said, it's a very hard drug. There are others that are much easier to make. It takes a little period of time to make it. The company is a great company. Done incredible work over the years. ”

“ What advice do you have for frustrated and scared Americans? Is more help coming? [0:02:15] VIEWER: Mr. President, my name is Shana Cruz and I'm a single mother from Alabama. I lived paycheck to paycheck before the virus, but then I lost my job in March. I haven't received a stimulus payment or anything from unemployment. I'm behind on every bill, about to be evicted from my home, and I've had to rely on donations in order to feed my children. I feel frustrated and I feel scared not knowing where to turn or what to do. ”

“ We're giving them money to save the airlines. I'm not looking to make them rich. They're rich enough. So, I said, "We're going to get the best people. Pay them some costs, but pay them very little." I hope you kept doing that, Steve. Right?
SECRETARY MNUCHIN: I did, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT: I hope. I'm going to check you. Anyway.
But we have the smartest people. We saved the airlines. We saved the airlines with 50 — 25 and 25 billion dollars. So, it's $50 billion, which is a very small price to pay. They were having the best — the best year ever. ”

“ THE PRESIDENT: Yes, please.
BRET BAIER: A lot of questions tonight, not only from teachers but also the other side: from students talking about COVID-19. Real quick, put them together here. Rebecca Johnson.
VIEWER: Hi, I'm Rebecca and I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I'm going to be a freshman in high school next year, and I worry that coronavirus is going to come back. How will I feel safe going back to school if a second wave hits?
THE PRESIDENT: So when you go back — and you have one problem that is a bigger problem, and that's teachers over 60 or 65 years old — the teachers. ”

“ But some of those meat processing areas are hotspots right now.
THE PRESIDENT: They're hotspots. And they're moving them, and they did put up plastic, but now they're going to move them, in some cases, further away. And certain plants don't have any problem at all. You know, you have plants with no problem at all. Then you have some where it was a hotspot. Those people are tending to get better very quickly. I think, you know, Danny is an example. ”

“ So the President has been very clear, in an unprecedented way, for us to support the economy. And in the next round, we will go back and work with Congress, just as we have before, to make sure we protect American business and American workers and to stimulate the economy going forward. ”

“ We have tens of billions of dollars pouring in. President Obama and Joe Biden didn't do anything. China just had a field day with our country. And then you look at his son walking out with a billion and a half dollars. ”

“ It's not a big business, but for them it's a big — it's a big thing. And they probably do a fantastic job. I can see they have such great spirit.
What we do is we loan the money to small businesses, but not necessarily business — and, you know, it's an unusual circumstance where they're each their own employee. I think what I'm going to do is I'm going to take a look at that. Maybe there is something we can do.
How do you stimulate demand? [0:01:55] BRET BAIER: Because all of the stimulus in the world really can't solve the problem of demand in the country, right?
THE PRESIDENT: No. ”