Businessman and 2016 GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump confirmed Wednesday morning that he’ll be meeting later in the day with Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, one of the Republican candidates who has defended Mr. Trump in the wake of his recent comments about Mexico and illegal immigration.

“Ted Cruz called me, and I don’t know why I’m meeting [him], to be honest,” Mr. Trump said via phone on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” in response to a question from Bloomberg’s Mark Halperin. “But I do have respect for him. I respect the fact that, along with a couple others, he came out, and he came out very strongly and agreed with what I said on illegal immigration. And he came out very strongly and he came out early. And I respect that.”

“I like him,” he continued. “He called me, he wanted to meet, and we are going to meet. What it’s about, I have absolutely no idea, Mark, but I’m sure you’ll be the first to know it, figure it out.”

The Washington Post had reported Tuesday on the meeting.

Mr. Trump also said he’s submitting his financial disclosure forms Wednesday or Thursday and that “the numbers will be far in excess of what anybody thought.”

“The disclosure forms are going to be put out today sometime — today or tomorrow, but I think today which is by the way earlier than even the 30-day period … as you know, the 30-day period expires in two or three days,” he said. “You’re entitled to two 45-[day] extensions and I’m doing it earlier, and the numbers will be far in excess of what anybody thought.”

“I built a great company,” Mr. Trump said. “I’ve built a great, great company, and that’s the way it is.”

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