LISTEN: Donald Trump joins Dori Monson ahead of Washington visit Your browser does not support the audio element.

On the eve of Donald Trump’s Tuesday campaign rally at the Xfinity Arena in Everett, the Republican presidential candidate spoke with KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson on a variety of topics, including why Boeing might leave Washington.



Dori: He was on the show in the studio with me about 15 years ago and now I welcome him as the Republican nominee for president of the United States. Mr. Trump, thanks for your time.

Trump: That’s right, I remember. It was about 15 years ago. That’s a long time, but I still remember.

Dori: We spent a lot of time talking about our kids and about family and I saw a different side of you that I think a lot of potential voters have not seen yet.

Trump: Well, family is so important to me and it should be important to everybody, but nothing like family. With all the success and everything else, nothing like family, Dori.

Dori: We’ll get back to that in a minute, let’s talk about some of the issues here. You’re coming to the Seattle area Tuesday night, Everett to be exact. Why are you spending time and energy here in Washington state when it is one of the bluest-of-blue states and appears to be unflippable?

Trump: Well, it’s true, but we seem to have a great receptivity there. We’ve gotten very good numbers from other states where we’re sort of in the same position. And we are doing … I guess I’m a little bit different kind of candidate, frankly. I am in Los Angeles and different parts of California, I said, ‘Let’s go up.’ Our senator over there, as you know, we’ve had tremendous support from some of the people in Washington state and I said I would do it and I hear they’re going to have a very big turnout. So I said on the way back I will be doing it, I’ll stay there. I love the state, I have so many friends there and I said, let’s do it. Who knows if it’s the right thing or the wrong thing, but as far as I’m concerned, it’s the right thing to do because I have always loved the state.

Dori: You talk about things that should be keenly interesting to voters here because immigration is such a major issue. I know you’re giving a major speech on that later this week. Washington is a border state. Our border is with Canada. Eventually, would we need a wall between the US and Canada?

Trump: Well, I think it’s unlikely, to be honest with you. A lot of good things are gonna happen with Washington state if the politicians are careful. But you’d better be careful because you know what’s going on with Boeing and Boeing is building massive facilities in China and then they’ll drop their currency and they’ll start devaluations as they always do and they’ll start taking your business away and you won’t have much of Boeing. … If I’m president, that won’t happen but, believe me, they’re looking to get your businesses out of there and you know how bad the trade deals have been for Washington state, because they’re very unfair deals. Now you live with them but we should do more than live with them, but the deals have been very, very unfair, the trade deals that have been made.

Dori: You’ve talked a lot about the trade deals. What could you do specifically to keep Boeing from outsourcing?

Trump: Well, look, basically you have to create something where other countries — and mostly it’s countries — but other countries are not devaluing their currency. You look at what’s going on with China, you look what’s going on with other countries that are competitors of ours, and competitors, in a sense, of Boeing, and they make it impossible for your companies and your local companies to compete. And before you know it, they won’t even be making the planes in Seattle, they won’t even be making the planes in the state of Washington. You watch. Hopefully, I get in so you won’t have that problem, but if I don’t get in, I guarantee you someday you’ll be calling, you’ll be saying, ‘I remember when this guy, Trump, was saying this is exactly what was going to happen.’ And you’ll see. Look at what’s going on with China, look at the facilities they’re building over there, so you better be very careful because they’re looking to take your business.

Dori: Another issue that you talk about that’s critically important to our region is sanctuary citizens. Seattle is a sanctuary city, Washington is a de facto sanctuary state. We see the real-life repercussions. There was an English illegal here a few year ago. He got pulled over by the police in a traffic stop, they didn’t ascertain his immigration status. A couple weeks later, he walked on the campus of the University of Washington, shot and murdered an ex-girlfriend. When you see that this guy had actually been pulled over by the police and they couldn’t determine his status, we start to see the real-life consequences of what you’re talking about there.

Trump: That’s one of thousands of instances. It’s all over the country, and sanctuary cities are out. Basically, they’re just a way of protecting people coming in and in many cases and you have people that are being protected that shouldn’t be allowed in our country, that are at the highest level of criminal element — they’re killers — and sanctuary cities are out. And not only that, our police force, when they hear about sanctuary cities or when they hear they’re illegal immigrants, they don’t even fight the same way because they feel there is nothing they can do. There’s just nothing they can do. It’s just so unfair to the families of those that… I mean you have people who are being killed by such large numbers and we can’t allow it to happen. And sanctuary cities are over.

Dori: Is this a state’s rights issue or is this something that you think the federal government can mandate. How do you do that?

Trump: The federal government is going to have to get involved and they’re going to have to get involved very sharply because the crime is incredible that’s coming out over our borders and the federal government is going to have to get involved.

Dori: Other issues in the news today. The Obama administration today said they are ahead of schedule and have now admitted 10,000 Syrian refugees. A lot of governors have said no. The governor of our state, Jay Inslee, said we will welcome as many Syrian refugees as possible. Can they be properly vetted and does this present a security risk to states like ours?

Trump: The answer is very simple: No, it cannot and they cannot be properly vetted and it’s shocking that your governor is enthusiastically accepting these people. All you have to do is look at Germany and look at different countries in Europe, and look all over, and look at the disaster that’s taking place. Take a look at Germany, take a look at Paris and take a look at Nice and so many other places. Look at Belgium. … Many governors refuse and they fight very hard, they fight as hard as you can fight not to allow this to happen. And you’re right, Obama wants it to happen and Hillary Clinton wants it to happen and Trump will not allow it to happen for a minute.

Dori: A couple other quick things in the news today. Huma Abedin announced she is splitting from Anthony Weiner. I know you released a statement about this earlier today. Huma Abedin‘s relationship, does it reflect on your opponent, Hillary Clinton?

Trump: Terribly. I said a long time ago that she’s married to a guy who is a disaster. I’ve known him for a long time. Here’s a guy who, what he’s done over the internet is disgusting and he’s a pervert and just a very sick guy and she is married to him. And, you know, by the way, take a look at where she worked, by the way, and take a look at where her mother worked and works. You take a look at the whole event. But in the case of Anthony Wiener, she’s married to a guy who is uncontrolled and uncontrollable. He’s a sick person and she has access to classified information. Huma Abedin has access to classified information. How Hillary got away with that one, nobody will ever know. But to think that it’s very likely that much of this information, Anthony Wiener would know about and I think that’s something that was terrible. At the same time, knowing Wiener, I think Huma Abedin did a very, very smart thing when she finally decided to leave him. Very smart. She had no choice.

Dori: I’m amazed because everybody talks about the gender gap in this campaign and yet you have Hillary Clinton and Abedin who surround themselves with men who degrade them. I say this as a husband and father of three daughters: I don’t understand people surrounding themselves with people who degrade them like that.

Trump: Well, he’s a sick person, he’s a sick person. It just happened and it’s actually sad in many ways. He’s a very sick guy and, if you look back, you’ll see that I said, at the beginning, the worst thing she can do is marry this guy. Because he’s a politician, I’ve known him for quite a while and I understood that he had difficulties. And certainly when it came out, I don’t know if these people get cured, it doesn’t seem like it, but for him to have – in this position that he’s in – to have done it again, and this time with a … little baby at his side, is hard to comprehend. Hard to comprehend.

Dori: Are you following 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick refusing to stand for the anthem? He had bad things to say about both you and Hillary.

Trump: I have followed it and I think it’s personally not a good thing, I think it’s a terrible thing. And maybe he should find a country that works better for him, let him try. It won’t happen.

Dori: Last thing, we started off talking about family. I was in Cleveland and came away from that convention saying that I thought one of your greatest strengths was your kids, who I thought hit home runs. Dad-to-dad — and for every parent who’s listening — your kids weren’t on rich kids of Instagram, and they aren’t covered with tattoos and they got good educations. What would you say is the quality as a father and with their moms that produced what seems to be a pretty good group of kids?

Trump: Well, they’re very good kids and they work very hard, and I love what they do, but they are smart and they went to good schools and good colleges and they did well as students. But I’ve always told them, ‘No drugs, no alcohol, no cigarettes.’ I’d always tell them that, from the time they were very young. No drugs, no alcohol, no cigarettes. If you can keep them away from the drugs and the alcohol, you’re giving them a tremendous boost in life because so many young kids, smart kids, good kids (are) there but they’re hooked. And if you can keep them away from the drugs and alcohol, they will have a tremendous advantage in life.

Dori: I appreciate you taking the time. I hope you have a fantastic time in Everett. I think you’ll have a good turnout.

Trump: We’re going to have a lot of fun and again, so many people that are coming that know me and I hear we’re going to have a fantastic group of people so I look forward and I hope to see you there.