Welcome to ‘In Focus’ where we go 1 on 1 with the Republican field of presidential Candidates, I’m Tara Wall, your host.

He’s a real estate tycoon, author, and avid golfer who hails from New York and considered Ronald Reagan a friend. Here’s a look at why Donald Trump says he wants your nomination, and a few things you probably didn’t know.

Tara Wall: Joining us for this edition of In Focus is Chairman and President of the Trump Organization, Donald Trump. Mr. Trump thanks for joining us.

Donald Trump: Thank you.

Tara Wall: Alright, we’re going to get right into it. First of all, we know your slogan you talk about is Make America Great Again, that’s your ongoing slogan. How does that relate to how and why you want to be president.

Donald Trump: Well, I think it’s a very big part of it. I just want to see our country be great again. We’ve had such problems, we don’t make good deals anymore, we really have many politicians, in particular our leader, who, they just don’t have a clue. They don’t have a clue as to what they’re doing. Our trade deals are horrible, our military is being absolutely decimated by everybody, our enemies are grabbing our equipment and the best equipment. 2,300 humvees were dropped for our allies and a day later they’re taken by the enemy and they have them armor plated. It’s just a disgrace what’s happening to our country.



We have to take care of our vets, we have repeal Obamacare and we have to replace it with something much better. As you know, premiums are going through the roof, your deductibles it almost makes it not useable. So there are so many things we have to do to make America great again, and that’s why I’m doing this. I have a great company, I’ve built a great company and I love what I’m doing, but this is much more important to me.

Tara Wall: There are a number of issues that all of the candidates, including yourself, that list as somewhat priorities, the biggest issue though I think that stands out, you’ve made a little bit of news about it I think, is immigration reform. Tell us, is that, for you, the most significant issue for our country, if so, why, and if not, what is?

Donald Trump: Well I think there are a number of issues that I’d almost call ties. You take a look at security, our military is so important to me. Taking care of our vets is so important. Obamacare and its total repeal and replacement with something far better at a much more reasonable cost, by the way, is very important. Immigration seems to be something that is very much associated with me. When I announced that I was running for president I made a statement that was totally incorrectly covered by the press. Many of the press has actually apologized for what they did. For two weeks I took a lot of heat from false reporting and it turned out that I was right.



They now realized that illegal immigration that has been so rampant throughout our country is causing tremendous waves of crime, tremendous problems, including economic problems with loss of jobs etc., etc. for our people and people within the country. So I would say illegal immigration is a big big thing with me, I’m going to build the wall, we’re going to make sure it’s built properly.



People are not going over the Trump wall. That’s what I do, I build. It’s my biggest strength probably if you think about it. Which is a good strength because infrastructure, roads, highways, airports, all of that is very important too. But we’re going to build a wall, we’re going to have great people coming into this country but they are going to come in legally, not illegally, and we’re going to stop this horrible onslaught of illegal immigration.

Tara Wall: Most people know Mr. Trump the mogul, talk about Mr. Trump the Republican. How, or why, did you become a Republican.

Donald Trump: Well you know, it’s an interesting thing. I sort of followed the Ronald Reagan path. He was a Democrat for a period of time, he was actually a Democrat with a somewhat liberal bent and he became a great Republican and conservative. I wouldn’t say the most conservative in history but he was a pretty conservative guy. I knew him well. I worked with him, I helped him and I liked him he liked me and we had a very nice relationship.



Not very well, but we really had a nice relationship. I think I followed very much his path if you look at it. I’ve become more conservative as I’ve grown older, I realize it’s the wiser path to take. I became a Republican quite a while ago and it’s been something that I’m very proud of. I like the ideals, I stand by the ideals of Republican and conservative.



I will say I’m very disappointed with so many of the Republicans where they seem to get to Congress where they don’t go that extra step. We have to go the extra step to make our country great again. We have to reduce debt. We have to, as I have said a couple of time because it’s so important to me, repeal Obamacare and replace but repeal Obamacare. There are things we just have to do.



We have to create a country that is rich again. Somebody said to me ‘oh that doesn’t sound nice to say it has to be rich again.’ Well we can’t be great again if we’re not going to be rich again. All of these other countries with trade pacts and so many other things they’re just taking advantage of us. And that won’t happen with me. That’s my strength and every poll has shown that’s my strength.



On the economy I’m getting 60 and 70 percent numbers where as other people are getting two and three percent. Leadership, economy, even the military I outdistance everybody. So we’re going to make our military really strong, we’re going to take care of our vets, we’re going to create tremendous relationships and trade pacts with China and Japan and Mexico and all these other countries that are taking advantage of us. They will not be taking advantage of us anymore, and yet we’ll get along with them, better than we do now. So there are so many things to do and I look forward to getting started.

Tara Wall: Well you’ve also written a few books, you’re an author and I remember reading you talk about your father, you talk about Reagan from a political standpoint. So business-wise, professionally, who would you say over the course of your life essentially has been the biggest influence on you professionally?

Donald Trump: Well I think my greatest influence would be my father. My father was a builder in Brooklyn and Queens, he had built house, and he had built apartments. He was a great influence. He taught me negotiation, not they he actually sat down and said ‘this is the way you do it’ but I just listened to him for years weather he was negotiating with plumbers or with electricians or carpenters about doing a building or doing a house or doing whatever he was doing.



He was always a very good negotiator and I think just by osmosis I learned and that’s what we need in this country. We need people who are going to make great deals for us because we can’t do anymore bad deals. We don’t have it when we have $19 trillion now in debt. We can’t afford to make bad deals anymore. So we won’t be making bad deals. I have some of the greatest dealmakers in the world lined up to negotiate for us and for our country and that’s what we need instead of amateur hour.

Tara Wall: Finally, tell me something people probably don’t know about Donald Trump.

Donald Trump: Well, it is my hair. I think most people know that but that’s one of the things. I’ve got to say I had a great story a couple weeks ago they said ‘but it’s not his hair’ well it is my hair as you probably know and you probably see.



I think more importantly, I think that I really am a nice person. I want to be a nice person. I have great relationships with people, I want to help people, I want to help women on the women’s health issues more than I think any other Republican and more than anybody.



I want to help people. I want to make our country great again but I want to make it great and I want to have heart, not just go through different groups and different people I don’t want to do that. I think one of the things is I pride myself on being a nice person. People that know me I think understand that.

Tara Wall: Okay. Donald J. Trump thank you so much for joining us and we wish you lots of luck out there on the campaign trail.

Donald Trump: Thank you very much.

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