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As CBS’ Lesley Stahl summarized the interview, “what we discovered in Mr. Trump\u2019s first television interview as president-elect, was that some of his signature issues at the heart of his campaign were not meant to be taken literally, but as opening bids for negotiation.<\/p>\n
Before we get into the nuances of Trump’s interview whose full transcript is presented at the end of this post, for those pressed for time here are the key highlights from Trump’s interview:<\/p>\n
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- Trump says he will talk with FBI Director Comey before deciding whether to ask his resignation, says “I respect him a lot” <\/strong><\/li>\n
- Trump, on pledge to appoint special prosecutor to investigate Clintons, says “I don’t want to hurt them. They’re good people”<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Trump says he is “fine” with same-sex marriage; says He Does Not Intend To Overturn Supreme Court Ruling on Gay Marriage<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Trump confirms he will forego salary as president<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Trump tells protesters: “don’t be afraid”<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Trump condemns harassment of minorities<\/strong><\/li>\n
- Trump vows to name pro-life, pro-gun rights Supreme Court justices<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Among many things discussed, Trump told Stahl that Clinton\u2019s phone call conceding the election was \u201clovely\u201d and acknowledged that making the phone call was likely \u201ctougher for her than it would have been for me,\u201d according to previews of the interview released by CBS. Trump said \u201cshe couldn\u2019t have been nicer. She just said, \u2018Congratulations, Donald, well done,’\u201d Trump told Stahl. \u201cAnd I said, \u2018I want to thank you very much. You were a great competitor.\u2019 She is very strong and very smart.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump\u2019s tone in the interview contrasted his attacks on the campaign trail, in which he nicknamed Clinton \u201cCrooked Hillary\u201d and encouraged chants to \u201cLock her up!\u201d during his rallies.<\/p>\n
Trump also told Stahl that former president Bill Clinton called him the following day and \u201ccouldn\u2019t have been more gracious.\u201d \u201cHe said it was an amazing run \u2013 one of the most amazing he\u2019s ever seen,\u201d Trump\u00a0 said. \u201cHe was very, very, really, very nice.\u201d<\/p>\n
During the campaign, Trump had tried to use Bill Clinton\u2019s infidelities as a way to attack and embarrass Hillary Clinton. For the second presidential debate, Trump had sought to intimidate his competitor by inviting women who had accused the former president of sexual abuse to sit in the Trump family box. Debate officials quashed the idea.<\/p>\n
In the interview with Stahl, Trump did not rule out calling both of the Clintons for advice during his term. \u201cI mean, this is a very talented family,\u201d he said. \u201cCertainly, I would certainly think about that.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n
Ironically, Trump was also asked if he would appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Hillary’s private server as he suggested he would during the second debtate.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to think about it….I don’t want to hurt them,” he said in the \u201c60 Minutes\u201d interview. \u201cUm, I feel that I want to focus on jobs, I want to focus on healthcare, I want to focus on the border and immigration and doing a really great immigration bill. We want to have a great immigration bill. And I want to focus on — all of these other things that we\u2019ve been talking about.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump also reiterated on \u201c60 Minutes\u201d that he may keep portions of the Affordable Care Act, something he had mentioned he might do after meeting with President Barack Obama in the White House on Thursday.<\/p>\n
When Stahl asked whether people with pre-existing conditions would still be covered after Trump repealed and replaced Obamacare, Trump said they would \u201cbecause it happens to be one of the strongest assets.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAlso, with the children living with their parents for an extended period, we\u2019re going to\u2026 very much try and keep that,\u201d Trump added, referring to portions of the healthcare act that cover children under their parents\u2019 insurance through age 26. \u201cIt adds cost, but it\u2019s very much something we\u2019re going to try and keep.\u201d<\/p>\n
When Stahl questioned whether there would be a gap between the repeal of Obamacare and the implementation of a new plan that could leave millions of people uninsured, Trump interrupted her.<\/p>\n
“Nope. We\u2019re going to do it simultaneously. It\u2019ll be just fine. It\u2019s what I do. I do a good job. You know, I mean, I know how to do this stuff,\u201d Trump said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to repeal and replace it. And we\u2019re not going to have, like, a two-day period and we\u2019re not going to have a two-year period where there\u2019s nothing. It will be repealed and replaced. I mean, you\u2019ll know. And it will be great healthcare for much less money.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump\u2019s campaign promises included fully repealing the Affordable Care Act, forcing Mexico to pay for a border wall and banning Muslims from entering the U.S., however in the last few days Trump appears to have taken a more moderate stance on these matters and now seems to be walking back his more extreme positions.<\/p>\n
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Trump was also asked for his take on the Supreme Court and Roe v Wade.<\/p>\n
On this important issues Trump said that he is “pro-life. The judges will be pro-life. They\u2019ll be pro-life, they\u2019ll be– in terms of the whole gun situation, we know the Second Amendment and everybody\u2019s talking about the Second Amendment and they\u2019re trying to dice it up and change it, they\u2019re going to be very pro-Second Amendment. But having to do with abortion if it ever were overturned, it would go back to the states. So it would go back to the states.” He added that perhaps women “will have to go to another state.”<\/p>\n
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On the topic of violence in the streets since his election victory, Donald Trump says he’s “saddened” to hear some of his supporters are inciting violence: “If it helps. I will say this…Stop it”<\/p>\n
Trump said had he heard about reports of racial slurs and personal threats against African Americans, Latinos and gays by some of his supporters.<\/p>\n
Donald Trump: I am very surprised to hear that– I hate to hear that, I mean I hate to hear that–<\/p>\n
Lesley Stahl: But you do hear it?<\/p>\n
Donald Trump: I don\u2019t hear it\u2014I saw, I saw one or two instances\u2026<\/p>\n
Lesley Stahl: On social media?<\/p>\n
Donald Trump: But I think it\u2019s a very small amount. Again, I think it\u2019s–<\/p>\n
Lesley Stahl: Do you want to say anything to those people?<\/p>\n
Donald Trump: I would say don\u2019t do it, that\u2019s terrible, \u2018cause I\u2019m gonna bring this country together.<\/p>\n
Lesley Stahl: They\u2019re harassing Latinos, Muslims–<\/p>\n
Donald Trump: I am so saddened to hear that. And I say, \u201cStop it.\u201d If it– if it helps. I will say this, and I will say right to the cameras: Stop it.<\/p>\n
Trump was also asked about his opinion on demonstrators:<\/p>\n
Lesley Stahl: [T]here are people, Americans, who are scared and some of them are demonstrating right now, demonstrating against you, against your rhetoric–<\/p>\n
Donald Trump: That\u2019s only because they don\u2019t know me. I really believe that\u2019s only because–<\/p>\n
Lesley Stahl: Well, they listened to you in the campaign and that\u2019s–<\/p>\n
Donald Trump: I just don\u2019t think they know me.<\/p>\n
Lesley Stahl: Well, what do you think they\u2019re demonstrating against?<\/p>\n
Donald Trump: Well, I think in some cases, you have professional protesters. And we had it– if you look at WikiLeaks, we had–<\/p>\n
Lesley Stahl: You think those people down there are\u2014<\/p>\n
Donald Trump: Well Lesley\u2014<\/p>\n
Lesley Stahl: are professional?<\/p>\n
Donald Trump: Oh, I think some of them will be professional, yeah–<\/p>\n
Lesley Stahl: OK, but what about \u2013 they\u2019re in every city. When they demonstrate against you and there are signs out there, I mean, don\u2019t you say to yourself, I guess you don\u2019t, you know, do I have to worry about this? Do I have to go out and assuage them? Do I have to tell them not to be afraid? They\u2019re afraid.<\/p>\n
Donald Trump: I would tell them don\u2019t be afraid, absolutely…. We are going to bring our country back. But certainly, don\u2019t be afraid. You know, we just had an election and sort of like you have to be given a little time. I mean, people are protesting. If Hillary had won and if my people went out and protested, everybody would say, \u201cOh, that\u2019s a terrible thing.\u201d And it would have been a much different attitude. There is a different attitude. You know, there is a double standard here.<\/p>\n
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And the full interview transcript is below:<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n
- Trump, on pledge to appoint special prosecutor to investigate Clintons, says “I don’t want to hurt them. They’re good people”<\/strong><\/li>\n