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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees
Exclusive Interview With Hillary Clinton; Trump One-On-One; Author Of GQ Article On Trump's Wife Facing Threats; Trump On The Nuclear Question; Trump Stands By Call For Temporary Ban On Muslim; Trump's VP Vision. Aired 8-9p ET
Aired May 04, 2016 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:00:21] ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Good evening, thanks for joining us.
Tonight, two interviews with the two leading candidates for president, you will only see here on 360. There's much, of course, to discuss because the day that so many said could never happen, will never happen, that day, well, it has arrive.
Donald Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee for president of the United States. It is the fact that is the culmination of months of hammering and mud-slinging. Trump mocked his opponents' looks, their energy levels, the way they ate, their need to drink water, go to the restroom. He gave them nasty nicknames, made outrageous claims about them and their families, and one by one knocked Republican voters knocked those opponents right out of the race.
Now, in the last chaotic 24 hours, the final two bowed out. Today, Donald Trump is the only one left standing. One person who doesn't seem to be daunted, Hillary Clinton. As I said, you'll hear from both candidates tonight. We will start with Secretary Clinton who I sat down with a few hours ago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Secretary Clinton, thanks for joining us.
HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Good to talk to you.
COOPER: Just take us to last night, the moment Ted Cruz dropped out and you realized who the nominee for the Republican Party was going to be.
CLINTON: Well, it seemed pretty clear for some time how it was going to turn out, but I also know what it is like to keep fighting to the end because I did that in 2008 and something can always happen, but it didn't surprise me at all that it was over last night.
COOPER: Assuming you get the Democratic nomination, are you ready for Donald Trump? I mean, he's already got an unflattering nickname for you, he is unlike any other candidate probably, surely you ever run against, anybody has seen in a long time. CLINTON: You know, Anderson, I have seen the presidency up close from
two different perspectives and I think I know what it takes. And I don't think we can take a risk on a loose cannon like Donald Trump running the country. You know, Donald Trump has said that it is OK for other countries to get nuclear weapons, I think that's just downright dangerous. He has said wages are too high. I think we need to have a raise for the American people. Raise the minimum wage, get wages back going up. I think when he says women should be punished for having abortions, that is, you know, just beyond anything I can imagine. I think most women can imagine.
COOPER: He did walk that back.
CLINTON: Well, he is a loose cannon. I mean, he is somebody who has said so many things. And I am sure he will be scrambling and his advisers will be scrambling, but he has already said all of these things. He says climate change is a Chinese hoax and I think it is real. We have to pull the world together to deal with it. So you can go down a long list, some of which he has tried to bob and weave a little bit, but I think it is a risk. I think he is a loose cannon and loose cannons tend to misfire.
COOPER: If he is a loose cannon, though, he is certainly willing to say things during a race against opponents. I mean, we have seen this already, that a lot of candidates were not prepared for on the GOP side. Are you ready for that?
CLINTON: Well, I've sort of been in the arena for 25 years. And I think nearly everything that could be thrown at somebody in politics and public life has come my way.
COOPER: You think you know how to run against him.
CLINTON: Absolutely. But I am not running against him. I'm my running my own campaign. I'm running to become president, to really deal with the economy, get it working again, take on all the barriers that stand in the way of people getting ahead. I have a very clear mission in this campaign.
COOPER: But there are a lot of folks on the GOP side who said that they are going to be running on the issues as well and they weren't able to.
CLINTON: But you know - well, maybe they just didn't have the experience, maybe they just didn't want to take him on on issues because they actually agreed with him. Everybody in that Republican primary didn't want to raise the minimum wage, don't believe equal pay is a problem, don't want to talk about climate change. A lot of the same views, so they were really trapped. They couldn't run a campaign on the issues that matter to America and I can and I will.
COOPER: He talked about the economy last night and hitting an economic message that clearly he is going to echo going forward. He talked about your husband signing NAFTA when he called it perhaps in the history of the world single worst trade deal ever done. And according to latest CNN polling out just today by 50 percent to 45
margin, voters say Trump would do a better job handling the economy than you would. I mean, he has an economic populist message which is appealing to people.
CLINTON: Yes. We'll have to go back and talk about history. Twenty three million new jobs in the 1990s, incomes went up for everybody. He wants to argue against peace and prosperity, he can do his best to make his case. I am going to talk, though, about what we are going to do in the future. And I think that there are some lessons we can learn.
The economy does better when we have a Democrat in the White House. We saw the stark difference between my husband's presidency and George W. Bush who went back to trickledown economics which is also what Donald Trump is advocating. And then we saw Barack Obama have to rescue the economy from the failed economic policies of the Republicans. So I'm more than happy to take that issue on. And I think that there is not only a lot of evidence on our side and certainly history on our side over the last 25 years, but any specifics that he has put out, you know, he makes these grand statements, and grand accusations. At some point when you're running for president, you actually have to put a little meat on the bones. You got to tell people what it is you're going to do and how you are going to do it.
[20:05:51] COOPER: He does run a different kind of campaign than anyone else certainly on the GOP side. He makes himself more available to reporters. He calls in. I mean, is that something you are going to start doing more?
CLINTON: Well, look. He did it and it worked for him. And I think reporters now have a chance to ask some tougher questions. It is not enough to call in and give somebody a platform. It is now the time to make the tough decisions. And you got to ask him, OK, so what exactly would you replace x, y and z with? If you are going to be against trade agreements, how does that work?
You know, I am against bad trade agreements. I am for, you know, fair and free trade. I voted against some of the trade agreements that came before me when I was actually a senator. So let's get to the specifics. If you think wages are too high, how do you look Americans in the eye and say, hey, I know you haven't had a raise for 15 years but I don't think you deserve one.
If you are going to have a budget that slashes taxes on the wealthy and throws our economy and our federal budget into the worst downward spiral of depth, tell us how that's going to work. I think it is time to get serious. The man is the presumptive nominee. And you know, being a loose cannon doesn't in any way protect him I hope from being asked the difficult questions that should have been asked during the whole primary process.
COOPER: Wolf Blitzer asked him about how he is going to be running against you, whether he is going to start change his tone, be more presidential. I want to play that exchange with Wolf. DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Talk about will he be
presidential. We had 17 people, all smart. One by one, week after week. Boom, boom, boom. Gone, gone, gone. I don't maybe want to change so much. And I do want to use that same strategy for trade deals. And I want to use that same - but I feel I am a presidential person.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST, SITUATION ROOM: The same strategy that you used to get rid of the other Republican candidates you want to use now against Hillary Clinton?
TRUMP: I would say yes, I mean again, and again, a lot is going to depend on how they treat me. I mean, if they treat me in a certain level, I'm not looking to do more. You know, you've seen I am a counter puncher more than anything else. I don't really like hitting people first because I don't know how -- I always felt that I am better like certain Boxers, they are better counter punchers.
COOPER: He says he is a counter puncher. How scorched earth is this race going to be.
CLINTON: You know, he is the one who is making that decision, Anderson, not me. He is the one who is running the campaign, insulting people, demeaning women, degrading people with disabilities, talking about keeping Muslims out of the country. He is the one running that kind of negative, aggressive bullying campaign.
He can choose to run whatever campaign he wants to run. I'm going to keep staying on the campaign I am running. I have more than three million votes over senator Sanders and I have two million votes over Donald Trump. I am going to keep telling people what I will do as president and I'm going to keep being specific because I think people want to know what you're going to do and they can hold you accountable that way.
COOPER: Elizabeth Warren tweeted out last night to Donald Trump, has quote "built his campaign on racism, sexism, and xenophobia." Do you agree?
CLINTON: I think Elizabeth Warren is really smart.
COOPER: You agree with that?
CLINTON: I think that anybody who has listened to him and how he has talked certainly can draw that conclusion.
COOPER: Do you think he is a racist?
CLINTON: I am going to let people judge for themselves. But I have the highest regard for Senator Warren.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: More on my interview with Secretary Clinton ahead, including more about how she says she will handle Trump in a potential general election matchup. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: This is to me a classic case of a blustering, bullying guy who has knocked out of the way, all the Republicans because they were dumbfounded. They didn't know how to deal with him. And they couldn't take him on on the issues because they basically agreed with him and they didn't know how to counter punch.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:13:11] COOPER: Welcome back on 360. Tonight, you are hearing from both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in interview done after Trump became the first presumptive nominee.
Now, before the break, you heard Clinton tell me that she thinks Trump is a loose cannon. She said that repeatedly. He has already launched a few projectiles at her. She says she's ready.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Last night Trump touched on the poll situation in West Virginia saying he will get the miners back to work. Obviously, it was a reference to something you said back in March. You said we are going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business, a statement that you apologized for recently down in West Virginia saying it was totally out of context.
Trump is going to say that you'll say anything to any audience just to play game any audience that you are (INAUDIBLE).
CLINTON: Well, no. That's just a broad misrepresentation. I have been very clear. We have to make a transition to clean, renewable energy. I have also been very clear for this whole campaign that we can't do it in a way that totally leaves behind people who dug out the coal to turn on the lights and to power our factories.
One hundred thousand coal miners in this country lost their lives in the 20th century. So I want people to pay attention to what we as a nation need to do to support them, but the market is making this decision. The market has driven down the cost of coal. So you have companies going bankrupt. So what I'm offering is a $30 billion plan to really revitalize coal country and provide support for coal miners and their family. And I think that is the least they owe these great people.
COOPER: There are Democrats who are just worried about you against Trump, that you're not ready for whatever he may for a lack of the keys. I mean, he has brought up a lot of stuff about a lot people that nobody could have predicted. He was quoting from national enquirer just yesterday, you know, there is - he has made references to your marriage, to your husband.
[20:15:15] CLINTON: Well, he's not the first one, Anderson. I just can't say this often enough. If he wants to go back to the play book of the 1990s, if he wants to follow in the footsteps of those that tried to knock me down and take me out of the political arena, I am more than happy to have him to that.
COOPER: You're ready for that.
CLINTON: Please. I mean, look. This is to me a classic case of a blustering, bullying guy who has knocked out of the way all the Republicans because they were just dumbfounded. They didn't know how to deal with him, and they couldn't take him on on the issues because they basically agreed with him, and didn't know how to counter punch.
COOPER: Do you think they waited too long?
CLINTON: You have to ask them. I can't run their campaigns. They have to run their own. I can only tell you the campaign I am going to run. And the campaign I am going to run is about what we will do in the future. And I invite a lot of the Republicans and independents who I have been seeing on the campaign trail, who have been reaching out to me, I invite them to join with Democrats. Let's get on the American team. Let's get off the red or blue team. Let's get on the American team. We have some great opportunities ahead of us.
I happen to believe America's best years can still be ahead of us. I have that confidence. I am optimistic. But it doesn't happen just by wishing for it or being a demagogue about it. It happens by rolling up our sleeves and getting to work in order to seize it.
COOPER: When you were a senator, did Trump engage you on substance? Di he, you know, he said he says he gave money for access. Did he ever ask you for favors?
CLINTON: Not that I recall, no. I don't recall that. I mean, he has played all sides of the political arena. That is his choice and he can explain it however he chooses. I have been very consistent about where I stand going back to when I started working as a lawyer for the children's defense fund.
I am going to do everything I can to even the odds against people that feel the odds are stacked against them. I'm going to really give it my all, to give every person, particularly every child on this country the chance to live up to his or her God-given potential.
COOPER: Just finally, Senator Sanders is obviously taking issue with people calling you the presumptive nominee on the Democratic side. What do you say to his supporters? Should you be considered the presumptive nominee at this point?
CLINTON: Well, I am not calling myself that. I know there are still some contests ahead. And I respect senator Sanders in whatever choices he make. And I really -- I have a lot of empathy about this, Anderson. You know, I ran to the very end in 2008.
COOPER: You have been there. You know what it feels like.
CLINTON: And I won nine out of the last 12 contests. People forget that. I won Indiana. I won West Virginia. I won a lot of states. But I couldn't close the gap in pledge delegates. And the gap between me and senator Sanders is far wider than it was between me and senator Obama.
COOPER: So having been in his shoes, what do you say to him?
CLINTON: Well, I know what he said last week which I really welcomed. He said that he will do everything he can to prevent Donald Trump from being president of the United States. He will work seven days a week. I am going to really count on that because I want to unify the party. I am certainly going to be reaching out to his supporters who have far more in common with me and my supporters than they do with Donald Trump and his campaign.
COOPER: I know I said final, but one more question. Donald Trump has talked about what he would look for in a vice president, someone with congressional experience to reach out to congress. Obviously, I'm not asking you who you would pick, but what qualities would you look for? Is there something you would like to kind of -- a space you would like to fill in?
CLINTON: Well, I think the most important quality is that this person could become president on literally a moment's notice. There is no more important quality than that. And I intend to take that very seriously and find a person that I would have the confidence in to be a good partner with me, but most importantly to be a really good president for America.
COOPER: Secretary Clinton, thanks very much.
CLINTON: Thank you, Anderson.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Well, Hillary Clinton has already has given some indication for the jabs that are installed from Donald Trump. He has called her crooked, said that she is playing the woman card and wouldn't have five of the vote if she were man. And he called it disgusting that she took a bathroom break during a Democratic debate, just to name a few.
Now, if you learned anything about Trump and the nature of his attacks, this is just the beginning. Wolf Blitzer spoke with Donald Trump today after he became the presumptive nominee and moments after word came down that John Kasich was dropping out. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST, SITUATION ROOM: CNN has confirmed John Kasich, the Ohio governor is dropping out as well. You're the only one left now.
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: That's good. That's good. You're telling me the first time about John, and that's good. I think John is doing the right thing.
BLITZER: Ohio is an important state. No Republican has ever been elected president of the United States without winning Ohio.
[20:20:09] TRUMP: Well, I think John will be very -- I had a good relationship with John.
BLITZER: He has got a lot of government experience, in the Congress as a governor.
TRUMP: I think John would be very helpful with Ohio even as governor.
BLITZER: He says he doesn't want to be vice president.
TRUMP: Well, that could be. I mean, he said that. I'm very sad.
BLITZER: Is he someone you would be interested in vetting?
TRUMP: I would be interested in vetting John. I like John. I have a good relationship with John. I have gotten along with him well. But John would, whether he is vice president or not, I think he will be very, very helpful with Ohio.
BLITZER: Now be honest, did you ever think, almost a year ago, it was June in this building, you were going down that escalator, that you would be the presumptive Republican nominee?
TRUMP: Well, I hoped. I mean, look.
BLITZER: Did you really hope?
TRUMP: Yes, I did. I mean, you have 17 people, very capable people. I heard a lot of pundits who are saying this was the single greatest group of talent ever assembled for either party in terms of a group. It is also the largest group. So I joined somewhat after I heard that statement. I am saying what am I doing, hearing these people --
BLITZER: Did you really think you could win?
TRUMP: I guess, otherwise I don't think I would have done it.
BLITZER: Some thought did you it for publicity, a win, for whatever.
TRUMP: No, I don't need publicity. I mean, I gave up a lot to do it. I was asked to do "the Apprentice" two more years. I said I am not going to do it. I gave up a tremendous amount, and you know, got a little bit controversial for a while. And I lost certain licenses which is, you know, not the biggest deal in my life, but is Macy's didn't want to renew me because they thought I was a little bit controversial, which is I think was a big mistake that they may not very loyal. But you know, it is pretty costly thing when I did not just the cost of the campaign which is frankly less. It is the cost of what I do. Now it has worked out well. I am just very happy with the way it all worked out.
BLITZER: Do you pinch yourself sometimes, say this is really happening?
TRUMP: I don't think I would have run if I thought I couldn't have won. So I'm not going jus to sit there and just said I'm going to win. But subconsciously must have thought that I was going to win and felt I was going to win.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: We will have much more of Wolf's interview with Donald Trump ahead, the real estate mogul now the presumptive Republican nominee. Still convinced the system is rigged. How did he square that claim now that he's the last one standing. We will hear that ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:26:16] COOPER: Indiana delivered a crushing win last night for Donald Trump and have brought stunning ends the reality show otherwise known as the Republican primary race. Shortly after polls closed, Ted Cruz bowed out, taking the Trump campaign and many others by surprise. Today, John Kasich dropped out as well. Mr. Trump is now the presumptive Republican nominee. It has been a dramatic 24 hours. Our Wolf Blitzer was the first journalist to interview Trump in the wake of it all. Here is more of that interview.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BLITZER: Now in recent weeks and months, you suggested the system is rigged. The Republican system is rigged.
TRUMP: Yes, 100 percent.
BLITZER: You still believe that.
TRUMP: Sure, 100 percent.
BLITZER: You got the nomination.
TRUMP: I don't mind. The only way I got it, I went for the knockout. You know, when I saw these folks going out and getting delegates and, you know, wining and dining people, bringing them to hotels and paying for hotel rooms, it is bad system. It is a crooked system. And by the way, Bernie Sanders' system is also rigged. That's why he wins and he doesn't get anything out of it.
BLITZER: But those are the rules. Those are the rules.
TRUMP: They're not the rules, it is a dishonest system. And who gives out superdelegates in terms of the Democrats? Who gives out superdelegates? The bosses give out superdelegates.
BLITZER: They're elected party officials.
TRUMP: Meaning the bosses. That system is rigged. And the Republican system is rigged but much more in a much more sophisticated way. I really think -- I'm very proud of the fact that after all these many, many decades of the delegate system that I've been able to point out some real weaknesses, and I think they'll be changed. I think for the Republicans they will be changed and maybe for the Democrats. BLITZER: Yesterday with the national enquirer story. I want you to
clarify. You don't really believe that Ted Cruz's father had anything to do with the assassination of President Kennedy.
TRUMP: No, I don't.
BLITZER: Because this is a story that was in national enquirer. Here's the question. You're the presumptive Republican nominee.
TRUMP: No, I wasn't, not then.
BLITZER: Last week you said you were, thought you were.
TRUMP: It was not announced until last night.
BLITZER: The higher standard than to get involved in this stuff?
TRUMP: Here is what happened. Ted Cruz's father, seems like a nice guy, don't know him, seems like a nice guy, he made horrible statements about me, you know, praying for bad things to happen to me, OK essentially. I said that's horrible and I was on a show. One of your competitors, and they showed me the clip, and I said wow, that's horrible. It is not just a one way street where I do something, it was a horrible statement. I was actually surprised by it. And during that and when I said how bad it was that a man would say something like that, I said why don't you read the various magazines because it is not only there, it is there with a picture of himself with Lee Harvey Oswald.
BLITZER: But the National Enquirer put it out.
TRUMP: I am just saying, it was all over the place. I said, well, why don't you talk about that? That was I am not saying he did it. But I am just saying it was all over the place.
BLITZER: Now they're saying you're the presumptive Republican nominee. You have to have a higher stance than to repeat conspiratorial things.
BLITZER: First of all, I wasn't at the time. I didn't know if I was going to win Indiana or not. It ended up being a landslide. It was a tremendous victory, much bigger than anybody anticipated, including myself. They are incredible people out there. This was in the morning.
BLITZER: People think the general election campaign has started today, you versus Hillary Clinton. This week she said this about you.
CLINTON: The leading Republican contender is the man who led the insidious birther movement to discredit the president's citizenship. We cannot let Barack Obama's legacy fall
[20:30:02] into Donald Trump's hands.
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Do you know who started the birther movement? Do you know who started it? Do you know who questioned his birth certificate, one of the first? Hillary Clinton. She's the one that started it. She brought it up years before it was brought up by me and, you know, so she can talk.
Look, here's a person under investigation by the FBI. She's only going to get the nomination because it is a rigged deal, and frankly maybe she won't even be able to run. Now I think she probably will because I think the Democrats will work it so that nothing happens to her, even though everything happened to other people that did far less.
BLITZER: But James Comey, the FBI director is a serious guy, you have confidence in him.
TRUMP: Yes, he is.
BLITZER: If he thinks there are allegations that she may have violated or broken the law, he'll recommend that.
TRUMP: I hope so, I hope ...
BLITZER: You have confidence in him?
TRUMP: I do have confidence in him. I don't know him, I do have confidence in him.
BLITZER: Let me just clarify, the whole birther thing, where do you stand that now?
TRUMP: I don't talk about it anymore, because every time I talk about it becomes a story. So I don't want to waste my time talking about it anymore.
BLITZER: But she's going to raise this issue against you.
TRUMP: I don't care, it doesn't -- I'm going to raise it against her.
BLITZER: All right, let's talk a little bit about another story.
TRUMP: Go ahead.
BLITZER: That's come out, and I know you hated this article in GQ about your wife Melania. Julia Ioffe, wrote it -- she posted Melania was dishonest and inaccurate. A very tough this, but since then some of your supporters have viciously attacked this women Julia Ioffe, with anti-Semitic attacks, death threats. These people get so angry. What's your message to these people when something like that happens?
TRUMP: I haven't read the article, but I heard it was very inaccurate article, and I heard it was a nasty article. I'm married to whom who's a very fine woman. She's a very fine women, she doesn't need this, believe me. She was very, very successful, she did tremendously well as a top model, she made a lot of money, and, and she's a nice person. And I guess some of the article says that she would go in at night and she would stay, she wasn't a party person, she, you know, it's not her thing. But this was a very -- this a very high quality woman who loves people, and has a big heart. She doesn't need to have bad things said about her. And I heard the article was nasty.
Now, I haven't read it, but I heard the article was not what it should be. They shouldn't be doing that with wives. I mean, they shouldn't be doing that. Melania as top model, they sent pictures around to Utah and wasn't even, you know, and it wasn't even ...
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: These anti-Semitic things.
TRUMP: Well I don't know about that. I don't know anything about that. You mean fans of mine?
BLITZER: Supposed fans of yours posting this at very angry ...
TRUMP: You have to talk to them.
BLITZER: But your message to these fans is?
TRUMP: I don't have a message to the fans. A woman wrote an article that was inaccurate. Now I'm used to it. I get such bad articles, I get such the press is so dishonest, Wolf, I can't even tell you. It's so dishonest.
There is nothing more dishonest than the media. And I know it better than anybody and it's actually gotten to a point where it doesn't even bother me anymore, it has gotten so ridiculous. I mean I've had stories over the last couple of weeks that were so dishonest, knowingly dishonest, is not a question like a bad reporters.
BLITZER: But you mostly with the press that its help elevate.
TRUMP: It's probably overall helped me but I just still find them to be, I mean the lies and the deception, and the way they write, and I guess the do it for clicks, so they do it to get paid, I don't know why they do it. You would think a good, honest story would be better.
And, you know, so I do know that the story on Melania -- first of all nobody is going to read, not a lot of people would read it except you bring it up. But I'd like to see my family treated at least fairly and nicely, she didn't need a story like this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: In terms of dishonesty, let's just be clear on Donald Trump's birther claim, Hillary Clinton never said that Barack Obama was born outside the United States. It's a claim Donald Trump made in the past but it's not true. Secretary Clinton never asked to see his President Obama's birth certificate, long or short. The demand during the 2008 campaign originated from a fringe group of Clinton supporters and was later forwarded by some prominent ones. For accuracy sake we want to make it clear.
Just ahead, the nuclear question and the answer that doubles down on what he told me at the Wisconsin town hall.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: You're ready to let Japan and South Korea become nuclear powers?
TRUMP: I am prepared to -- if they're not going to take care of us properly, we cannot afford to be the military and police for the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[20:38:19] COOPER: And Donald Trump gave his first formal foreign policy speech one week ago after winning his swept five for primaries in the northeast. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, hinted she plans to make Mr. Trump's in experience in foreign policy part of her expected campaign again him, so doubt Mr. Trump will be asked to provide more specifics on his foreign policy in the months ahead. As where we pick up Wolf's interview with the presumptive nominee GOP nominee.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Let's talk about U.S.-Russian relations for a moment. In a past few weeks, on two occasions, Russian fighter jets, you know, barrel rolled U.S. military facility ...
TRUMP: Lack of respect.
BLITZER: Lack of respect.
TRUMP: Oh, for the United States ...
BLITZER: If you were president, what would you tell Putin?
TRUMP: I would call him and say don't do it again. I would say don't do it again. And I think I have a good relationship with him. So far we are off to a good start, he said Trump is a genius, OK. I will have a good -- I think I have a good relationship ...
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: Have you ever spoken with him?
TRUMP: I don't want to say. But I think I have a good relationship with him. Now I may not. And I'll know pretty quickly. But I would call him, I might say don't ever do it again, don't ever do that again.
BLITZER: But you have seen those pictures?
TRUMP: Yeah, I've seen it, I think it is highly disrespectful to our military, and to our country and to our president.
BLITZER: Let's talk about the U.S. relations with the Muslim world right now, in you foreign policy speech the other day, very details speech, you said you want to work and I'm quoting on, "Very closely with our allies in the Muslim world, all of which are at risk from radical Islamic violence."
TRUMP: 100 percent. They have to save themselves. And we can help them, but they have to save themselves.
BLITZER: So how?
TRUMP: They have to put boots on the ground and they have save themselves. Otherwise they're going to be, I won't even say, but bad things will happen.
BLITZER: So how do you work closely with our allies in the Muslim world if you still want this temporary ban on Muslims coming to the United States until the U.S. can figure out what's going on ...
TRUMP: We'll have any ...
BLITZER: ... on the war on terror.
[20:40:10] TRUMP: Whether or not we have a temporary ban, or whether we work over in the Middle East with our Muslim friends and friends. And I have Muslim friends.
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: By they way, I have just one left in my office, a successful person from the Middle East, has looked at me, he said Donald, what you're doing is so right, you're informing the world of a problem that we have to solve.
BLITZER: Do you breeze (ph) that the whole Muslim should be ban?
TRUMP: Many Muslims do, many Muslims do.
BLITZER: Because I have spoken with a lot of Muslim leaders, King Abdullah of Jordan, who's close friend of the United States as you well know and other moderate Muslim leaders in the Arab world elsewhere.
TRUMP: And a good person, and a good man.
BLITZER: He's a very good person, very good man. Queen Rania is a very lovely ...
TRUMP: With friends of my daughter Ivanka.
BLITZER: I'm sure they are. When they hear you talk like that, they get upset, they're Muslims?
TRUMP: I don't know. I mean look I don't know, we have a problem. And I tell you, we have a really big problem where we let in thousands and thousands of people supposedly from Syria, but we have no idea where they're coming from, we have no idea. The migration is a disaster. We're letting in thousands of people, we don't -- they don't have documentation. They don't have paperwork. Nobody knows who they are, where they come from, and they're coming into the country.
BLITZER: So you're speaking with this temporary ban?
TRUMP: Until we figure out what's going on, we have to be very tough, we have to be vigilant, yes.
BLITZER: What about, another sense of issue, Japan, and South Korea. You see just it may be it's time ...
TRUMP: It's not sensitive. Not a sensitive issue.
BLITZER: Let them develop their own nuclear arsenal and get the U.S. out of there.
TRUMP: To me it's not a sensitive issue.
BLITZER: Why isn't that a sensitive issue?
TRUMP: I have great relationships with South Korea, I have buildings in South Korea, I have great relationships with Japan and in Japan. But our government and lot of people don't know even know the scene when I make speeches, I say we protect Germany, we protect Japan, we protect South Korea.
You know, many, many people sophisticated people in the audience, I didn't even know that. They have to help us. We don't get reimbursed for what this massive amount of work and energy and weaponry, what it is costing. We can't continue to do it. This isn't 40 years ago. This isn't when we were much different as a country. They have to take care of us. Now I think they will.
If they don't, you have to be prepared to walk. You always have to be prepared to walk from a deal including the Iran deal which is a disaster. They should have walked.
BLITZER: But you're ready to let Japan and South Korea become nuclear powers?
TRUMP: I am prepared to -- if they're not going to take care of us properly, we cannot afford to be the military and the police for the world. We are right now the police for the entire world. We are policing the entire world.
You know, when people look at our military, and they say, oh wow, that's fantastic, they have many, many times, you know, we spend many times what any country spends on military. It's not really for us. We're defending other countries. So all I'm saying is this, they have to pay. And, you know, what I'm prepared to walk. And if they have to defend themselves against North Korea, we have a maniac over there, in my opinion if they don't take care of us properly, if they don't respect us enough to take care of this properly, then you know what has to happen, Wolf, very simple, they going to have to defend themselves.
BLITZER: Because the other day the U.S. military commander in South Korea General Vincent Brooks, he testified up on Capitol Hill, he said South Korea pays for 50 percent of personnel cost for U.S. troops.
TRUMP: How much percent?
BLITZER: 50 percent.
TRUMP: 50, why not 100 percent?
BLITZER: He also says that it's it would be more expensive to keep U.S troops here in the U.S than to keep alone bases in South Korea.
TRUMP: OK, well, I mean maybe we don't need them. OK, maybe we don't need them. Look, we are policing all of these countries, they're not paying us, we're policing Saudi Arabia, we are protecting Saudi Arabia. So did I have many friends in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia would not be there, Wolf, it wouldn't be there maybe for a month if we took our military out.
The only reason they're sort of protected and they're totally protected, is because we're protecting them. Saudi Arabia was making a billion dollars a day when the oil prices was high, now they're still making a fortune. Why aren't they paying us?
BLITZER: So, basically when I hear you saying, if the U.S. and then they'll keep troops in Japan and there's thousands of them, tens of thousands in Korea, 28,000 ...
TRUMP: We've got to reimbursed.
BLITZER: ... in Korea or Germany for that matter.
TRUMP: Yeah.
BLITZER: You want host countries to pick up all expense.
TRUMP: Of course they should pick up all the expense. Why are we paying for this, I mean we are paying to protect them. And I think it's wonderful, I think it's good. I'd rather do it rather than have them harmed, I would rather do it, and, you know, it was covered actually accurately in the New York Times. Very accurately.
And they covered it because they talked cost. A lot of people like to say, oh Trump wants Japan to arm. I don't want them to arm. I want them to reimburse us for at least the cost. Now you could say it's worth more than that. But at least reimburse us for the cost. When you say we pay 50 percent, look if we say we pay 50 percent, that means we pay less OK, but we're losing tremendous amount of money and we have a military that's not in good shape anymore, you know that, everybody knows that. And we have to do something about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[20:45:08] COOPER: Up next, as soon as Senator Cruz and Governor Kasich exited the race, the question on everyone's mind, who will Donald Trump name as his running mate, Wolf ask him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BLITZER: Do you think some of your former Republican presidential rivals will be on that bigamous?
TRUMP: That could be, it could be, I mean I have lot of respect ...
BLITZER: Do the people that said nasty things about you?
TRUMP: Well, you know, I feel differently about that. When somebody says nasty. I don't -- I never like them quite the same.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: The Republican primary race effectively ended last night in Indiana. Donald Trump now the presumptive nominee looking ahead to the general election, where he is expecting to run against Hillary Clinton who seems clinch the Democratic nomination, the path all but impossible for Bernie Sanders at this point.
As you know, Mr. Trump has not held elected office, he's a businessman that claims his business acumen will serve him well in the foreign policy arena. Not everyone is convince, about here's more of Wolf interview with Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: The former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who's a Republican, he said, you -- your lack of understanding of the complexities of the international affairs is worry, so many added this, you don't understand the difference between a business negotiation and a negotiation with sovereign powers.
[20:50:03] TRUMP: Well I don't think Gates understands, and he was also very disloyal to numerous people that he worked for, you know, I don't like people that go out and write books and criticize everything, so I don't think he understands and I don't think he understands the word loyalty. And frankly I really believe I understand it much better than he does. And our country right now is a debtor nation. We cannot go around subsidizing Japan which is a behemoth economically with the cars and everything.
Germany, South Korea, you can't order a television set unless you go through South Korea. You can order, I mean the ships are made now and said, it's a economic behemoth. We cannot continue to subsidize all these countries when we're a debtor nation. We're debtor nation.
Now, I will have great relationships, far better than we have right now. Look at the relationship we have with China. They're ripping off the United States, they're taking its money, they're ruing our jobs, they're ruining so much, and yet they build a military fortress, a massive military fortress in the middle of the South China Seas. They're not supposed to be doing that. They have no respect for our country.
BLITZER: Are you saying that will change if your president? TRUMP: They respect our country and they like our country better than they do now.
BLITZER: Let's talk about some for domestic policy issues.
TRUMP: Yes.
BLITZER: American workers. You say they deserve to earn more money, right?
TRUMP: Yeah, yeah, I want them to earn more money.
BLITZER: So Bernie Sanders says he wants $15 an hour minimum wage. And he is really going after you lately for saying you're happy with $7.25, the current federal minimum wage. You can't live on $7.25 an hour.
TRUMP: No. And I'm actually looking at that, because I'm very different from most Republicans. I mean you have to have something that you can live on. But what I'm really looking to do is get people great jobs so they make much more money than that, so they make much money than more money than the $15. Now if you start playing around too much with a lower level -- the lower level number, you're not going to be competitive.
BLITZER: That Hillary Clinton says, she's ready to go to $12 ...
TRUMP: Is she going?
BLITZER: ... Bernie Sanders only $15.
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: She's doing that because she's ...
BLITZER: If you were president, what would you recommend?
TRUMP: No, I'm looking at it, but I don't like ...
BLITZER: But they're open to raising the minimum wage.
TRUMP: I'm open to doing something with it, because I don't like that, but what I really like is bring our jobs back so they making much more than the $15.
BLITZER: Because if you want some of those Bernie Sanders supporters out there, I know you want them.
TRUMP: I think I'll get them.
BLITZER: In a general election. Let's say I guess Hillary, your going to have to do something about issues like that.
TRUMP: Well, I told you how I feel. I'm going to bring jobs back to this country. Nobody can do it like I can do it. I understand what's going wrong. Hillary doesn't have a clue, Bernie Sanders is a socialist or more than that, he could be beyond a socialist, and I'm looking, but it doesn't matter ...
BLITZER: But you want his supporters?
TRUMP: Yeah, I'm going to get -- I think I'll get a lot of his supporters. Do you know, in the last election that I won in a landslide in New York, the Democrats went in, they all wanted to vote for Trump. The people at the polling booth they said, this is the most incredible thing we've seen, now you couldn't do it because it was a closed system. But Democrats went in and they said to the people that run the polling booth, it was all over television, local television, they said they wanted to vote for Trump. They didn't want to vote for Hillary, they wanted to vote for Trump. When the election comes, they're going to be voting for me.
BLITZER: Give me qualifications you're looking for, for a vice presidential running mate.
TRUMP: Well you always have to say the same boring answer that probably everybody is given you from day one, they have to be a great president potentially have to be a great president. So that's always the number one thing.
BLITZER: But that is the most important fact. You need somebody potentially now, God forbidden for president ...
TRUMP: Well if they're for that reason primarily.
BLITZER: Right.
TRUMP: But I would want somebody that would help me from a legislative standpoint getting things passed through Senate, through Congress, and to me that's why I think probably in terms of vice president, I'm going to go the political route, I don't need the business route. I've got that covered.
BLITZER: But somebody has been a governor or senator?
TRUMP: Somebody that -- well somebody maybe that's been even a senator. I mean I like that, because they deal with -- look, we want to get legislation passed, we are a total gridlock in Washington. We can't even take the trillions of dollars that we have overseas back for our companies.
BLITZER: I know you're not going to give me a name, because you have ...
TRUMP: I can't give you a name.
BLITZER: ... you're going to start vetting people pretty soon, right?
TRUMP: I'm starting to think about it very soon, we'll be vetting people.
BLITZER: You think some of your former Republican presidential rivals will be on that list?
TRUMP: That could be, it could be. I mean ...
BLITZER: Even people that said nasty things about you?
TRUMP: Well, you know, I feel differently about that when somebody says nasty, I don't -- I never like them quite the same. But I will tell you, you look at somebody, you know, I'm going to set up a committee. And I may put Ben Carson on the committee, and may put Chris Christie on the committee. They came out early. They were very strong. They're very good people, very good people.
BLITZER: These are people who would vet?
TRUMP: For vetting, yeah, we're going to set up a -- we're going to set up a committee in terms of vice president, we're set up a committee in terms of other positions also.
BLITZER: Hillary Clinton says she's released all her tax returns, you haven't. Are you going to do that?
TRUMP: I will. I really look forward to doing it, but I'm under audit, when you are under audit you just don't do it, any order ...
BLITZER: Under order from who?
TRUMP: From the government.
(CROSSTALK)
BLITZER: But what about the tax returns have already been audited?
TRUMP: We go -- I go back a long time, because they're called linking returns. If they link. So when I'm under order, I don't want to do it. Now I hope to be able to do it.
[20:55:02] BLITZER: So once the audit ends ...
TRUMP: By the way, and I tell you what's very unfair ...
BLITZER: Yeah.
TRUMP: I have been audited every year for many years, beyond Obama.
BLITZER: Well you make a lot of money.
TRUMP: I do make a lot of money, but I'm audited every year. I have friends that make a lot money that never been audited. I say to friends of mine, how often do you audited? Very wealthy people.
BLITZER: So you think this is political, that there's aiming at you?
TRUMP: I would say, yeah. I mean I would say yeah.
BLITZER: High arrest is doing this?
TRUMP: I am -- I don't know, I can't tell you, but I am audited every single year. I have friends that are very wealthy people. When I talk about audit, they don't even know what I'm talking about.
So again, I mean if I'm almost used to it, almost like a normal thing. But so many people never get audited, and I'm audited every year. So while I'm under audit, I'm not going to releasing my tax returns. No lawyer would let you do that. I mean it is routine ordered stuff, but no lawyer would let you do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: Oh, there's more of the Trump interview ahead. In the next hour of "360", including some insight and his strategy for general election, and what he thinks of his top Democratic rival?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BLITZER: Do you think the general election campaign has already started you versus Hillary Clinton, that for all practical purposes Bernie Sanders is out?
TRUMP: Well, I think what has happened, and there's been a little flip. And I'm not even surprised by it. I thought that I'd be going longer and she'd be going shorter. She can't put it away, just like a football team they can't get the ball over the line. I put it away.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
