Mitch Perry
Donald Trump never runs for president, but always pretends so every four years. With the Republican Party of New Hampshire holding a major conference of possible and actual presidential candidates for 2016, Trump spent time pretending once again on Saturday.
After a speech and fielding questions, Trump answered questions from the media who surrounded him in the press room. Florida Politics asked whether he supports raising the minimum wage.
“I would certainly look at it but I would say this,” Trump said. “The minimum wage to me would be very unimportant because I believe I would make this country so financially strong that the minimum wage would not come into play very much. People are going to have a lot better job than minimum wage jobs.”
Here’s an excerpt from other questions he took from reporters:
On being a viable candidate: “I think we would have a very good chance if I decide to run. We have a great chance of winning in New Hampshire … The fact is, we have a great response up here, because people know that China, that Iran, that Iraq, that everybody is ripping off our country. And we can’t afford to have that anymore.”
On Hillary Clinton: “I think she’s going to have a hard time, and she’s going to have to answer your questions, and Kasie (Hunt‘s) questions and she’s going to have to stop and talk to people sometime. Because, you can’t just sit down with three people that have been vetted and say, ‘Oh, gee, it was a wonderful day’ and look nice in a brand-new suit that looks like it was from central casting. You just can’t do that. Eventually she’s going to have to answer questions, she’s going to have to answer how she did at Secretary of State. Okay, and the world blew up … right now she’s talking to reporters, but eventually she’s going to have to report to reports.”
How do you convince people that you’re really serious about running this time? “I do great in the polls when people think I’m running. I guess the easy way to solve that is to announce that I’m running … as it was just brought up outside, I was leading last time and since then I’ve had tremendous success, far greater than it was four years ago. I’ve put in statements that were phenomenal, everyone was shocked to see how good a company it was, it’s much better now. It’s a world class company … a lot of people, say, ‘oh well, he’s just having a good time.’ This is not a good time for me. I’m not having a good time. I want to see our country be great again. Our country is in trouble.”
His time frame on announcing a candidacy? “June or July of this year.”
On cutting Social Security benefits like Chris Christie proposed? “I disagree with him. I would bring so much money into this country. I would bring jobs back from China, from Vietnam, from Mexico, from all of these places that are taking our jobs. They’re just taking them like we’re babies. I would bring all the jobs back. And believe me, you wouldn’t have to cut Social Security and you wouldn’t have to cut Medicare and Medicaid … I would not cut Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, and I’m the only Republican who will say that, because I’m the only Republican who brings money back. They’re all talking about cutting. I’m talking about bringing money back from other countries who have ripped us off so badly.”
On Carly Fiorina being president: “Look, you have a woman who got fired from her job. And I mean fired viciously. She got fired viciously. She then went out and lost in a landslide when she ran in California for the Senate (to Barbara Boxer in 2010). And I mean, she lost in a landslide. She got clobbered. And now she’s running for president. Now, I’m all for it. I think she’s a very nice woman. But she got fired. And, she lost in a landslide. Does that qualify you to run for president?”
On a woman being president: “I’m all for it. I think a woman president is great. I’ve been a very, very big believer from the very early stage in women. Because I had a woman in charge of Trump Tower in construction, which was unheard of, etc. So, I’m a believer, but it’s got to be the right woman.”
On campaigning in New Hampshire: “I did a speech today I got the biggest standing ovation (not true). People want to see their country be great again.”
