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Inside Politics

Trump Holds First Press Conference Since Election. Aired 12- 12:30p ET.

Aired January 11, 2017 - 12:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT-ELECT: So I wanna thank United Technologies. But we've been meeting with a lot of companies. But what really is happening, is the word is now out, that when you want to move your plant to Mexico or some other place, and you want to fire all of your workers from Michigan and Ohio and all these places that I won, for good reason, it's not going to happen that way anymore.

[12:00:14]

You want to move your plant and you think, as an example, you're going to build that plant in Mexico and you're going to make your air conditioners or your cars or whatever you're making, and you're going to sell it through what will be a very, very strong border -- not a weak border like it is -- we don't even have a border. It's an open sieve.

But you're going to sell through a very strong border -- not going to happen. You're going to pay a very large border tax. So if you want to move to another country and if you want to fire all of our great American workers that got you there in the first place, you can move from Michigan to Tennessee and to North Carolina and South Carolina. You can move from South Carolina back to Michigan.

You can do anywhere -- you've got a lot of states at play; a lot of competition. So it's not like, oh, gee, I'm taking the competition away. You've got a lot of places you can move. And I don't care, as along as it's within the United States, the borders of the United States.

There will be a major border tax on these companies that are leaving and getting away with murder. And if our politicians had what it takes, they would have done this years ago. And you'd have millions more workers right now in the United States that are -- 96 million really wanting a job and they can't get. You know that story. The real number -- that's the real number.

So, that's the way it is. OK. Go ahead.

QUESTION: President-elect, I have a question about the Supreme Court and border security. But I also wanted to ask you about something you said on Twitter this morning. Are we living in Nazi Germany? What were you driving at there? Do you have a problem with the intelligence community? And on the Supreme Court, what's your timeline? You said a while ago you were down to four. Have you conducted those interviews yet? What's your timeline for nominating?

And on the border fence, it now appears clear U.S. taxpayers will have to pay for it up front. What is your plan to...

TRUMP: That's not clear at all. OK.

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: ... to get Mexico to pay for it?

TRUMP: I've got it. Do you have any more?

(LAUGHTER)

On the fence -- it's not a fence. It's a wall. You just misreported it. We're going to build a wall. I could wait about a year-and-a-half until we finish our negotiations with Mexico, which will start immediately after we get to office, but I don't want to wait. Mike Pence is leading an effort to get final approvals through various agencies and through Congress for the wall to begin.

I don't feel like waiting a year or a year-and-a-half. We're going to start building. Mexico in some form, and there are many different forms, will reimburse us and they will reimburse us for the cost of the wall. That will happen, whether it's a tax or whether it's a payment -- probably less likely that it's a payment. But it will happen.

So, remember this, OK? I would say we are going to build a wall and people would go crazy. I would then say, who is going to pay for the wall? And people would all scream out -- 25,000, 30,000 people, because nobody has ever had crowds like Trump has had. You know that. You don't like to report that, but that's OK.

OK, now he agrees. Finally, he agrees.

But I say who is going to pay for the wall? And they will scream out, "Mexico."

Now, reports went out last week -- oh, Mexico is not going to pay for the wall because of a reimbursement. What's the difference? I want to get the wall started. I don't want to wait a year-and-a-half until I make my deal with Mexico. And we probably will have a deal sooner than that.

And by the way, Mexico has been so nice, so nice. I respect the government of Mexico. I respect the people of Mexico. I love the people of Mexico. I have many people from Mexico working for me. They're phenomenal people.

The government of Mexico is terrific. I don't blame them for what's happened. I don't blame them for taking advantage of the United States. I wish our politicians were so smart. Mexico has taken advantage of the United States. I don't blame the representatives and various presidents, et cetera, of Mexico. What I say is we shouldn't have allowed that to happen. It's not going to happen anymore.

So, in order to get the wall started, Mexico will pay for the wall, but it will be reimbursed. OK?

Supreme Court judge. So, as you know, I have a list of 20. I've gone through them. We've met with numerous candidates. They're outstanding in every case. They were largely recommended and highly recommended by Federalist Society. Jim DeMint was also very much involved, and his group, which is fantastic, and he's a fantastic guy.

TRUMP: So between Leo and Jim DeMint and some senators and some congresspeople, we have a great group of people.

[12:05:00]

I'll be making the decision on who we will put up for justice of the United States Supreme Court, a replacement for the great, great Justice Scalia. That will be probably within two weeks of the 20th. So within about two weeks, probably the second week. I consider the first day because we'll also be doing some -- some pretty good signings and I think what we'll do is we'll wait until Monday.

That will be our really first business day as opposed to doing it on Friday, because on Friday, people are going to have a very good time at the inauguration, and then Saturday, as you know, we're having a big church service and lots of good things are happening. So our first day -- and you'll all be invited to the signings, but we'll be doing some pretty good signings on Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday and Friday, and then also the next week. And you're all invited.

But on the Supreme Court, I'll be making that decision, and it will be a decision which I very strongly believe in. I think it's one of the reasons I got elected. I think the people of this country did not want to see what was happening with the Supreme Court, so I think it was a very, very big decision as to why I was elected.

QUESTION: The tweet that you had this morning about are we living in Nazi Germany, what were you driving at there? What are you trying to tell the American public?

TRUMP: I think it was disgraceful -- disgraceful that the intelligence agencies allowed any information that turned out to be so false and fake out. I think it's a disgrace, and I say that -- and I say that, and that's something that Nazi Germany would have done and did do. I think it's a disgrace that information that was false and fake and never happened got released to the public.

As far as Buzzfeed, which is a failing pile of garbage, writing it, I think they're going to suffer the consequences. They already are. And as far as CNN going out of their way to build it up -- and by the way, we just found out I was coming down. Michael Cohen -- I was being -- Michael Cohen is a very talented lawyer. He's a good lawyer in my firm. It was just reported that it wasn't this Michael Cohen they we're talking about. So all night long it's Michael Cohen.

I said, "I want to see your passport." He brings his passport to my office. I say, hey, wait a minute. He didn't leave the country. He wasn't out of the country. They had Michael Cohen of the Trump Organization was in Prague. It turned out to be a different Michael Cohen. It's a disgrace what took place. It's a disgrace and I think they ought to apologize to start with Michael Cohen.

QUESTION: Since you're attacking us, can you give us a question? Mr. President-elect --

TRUMP: Go ahead.

QUESTION: Mr. President-elect, since you are attacking our news organization...

TRUMP: Not you.

QUESTION: Can you give us a chance?

TRUMP: Your organization is terrible.

QUESTION: You are attacking our news organization, can you give us a chance to ask a question, sir? Sir, can you...

TRUMP: Quiet.

QUESTION: Mr. President-elect, can you say...

TRUMP: He's asking a question, don't be rude. Don't be rude.

QUESTION: Can you give us a question since you're attacking us? Can you give us a question?

TRUMP: Don't be rude. No, I'm not going to give you a question. I'm not going to give you a question.

QUESTION: Can you state...

TRUMP: You are fake news. Go ahead.

QUESTION: Sir, can you state categorically that nobody -- no, Mr. President-elect, that's not appropriate.

TRUMP: Go ahead.

(APPLAUSE)

QUESTION: Do you think President Obama went too far with the sanctions he put on Russia after the hacking?

TRUMP: I don't think he went too far. No.

QUESTION: Will you roll them back? What do you think of Lindsey Graham's plan to send you a bill for...

TRUMP: Plans to send me a bill for what?

QUESTION: Tougher sanctions.

TRUMP: I hadn't heard Lindsey Graham was going to do that. Lindsey Graham. I've been competing with him for a long time. He is going to crack that one percent barrier one day. I didn't realize Lindsey Graham still had it. That's all right. I think Lindsey Graham is a nice guy. I've heard that he is a nice guy and I've been hearing it.

Go ahead. Go ahead. You've been waiting.

QUESTION: As far as we understand, the intelligence community...

TRUMP: Stand up.

QUESTION: From BBC news. Ian Pannell from BBC news.

TRUMP: BBC news. That's another beauty.

QUESTION: Thank you. Thank you.

As far as we understand it, the intelligence community are still looking at these allegations, this false news, as you describe it. If they come back with any kind of conclusion that any of it stands up, that any of it is true, will you consider your position...

TRUMP: There's nothing they could come back with.

QUESTION: Can you...

TRUMP: Go ahead.

QUESTION: (inaudible) published fake news and all the problems that we've seen throughout the media over the course of the election, what reforms do you recommend for this industry here?

TRUMP: Well, I don't recommend reforms. I recommend people that are -- that have some moral compass.

You know, I've been hearing more and more about a thing called fake news and they're talking about people that go and say all sorts of things. But I will tell you, some of the media outlets that I deal with are fake news more so than anybody. I could name them, but I won't bother, but you have a few sitting right in front of us. They're very, very dishonest people, but I think it's just something we're going to have to live with.

TRUMP: I guess the advantage I have is that I can speak back.

[12:10:02]

When it happens to somebody that doesn't have this -- doesn't have that kind of a megaphone, they can't speak back. It's a very sad thing. I've seen people destroyed. I've seen people absolutely destroyed. And I think it's very unfair. So, all I can ask for is honest reporters. Yes?

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: I just wanted to follow up on the questions about the U.S. intelligence community. And be very clear about what you're saying. Do you trust your U.S. intelligence officials? And what do you say to foreign policy experts who say you're actually weakening national security by waging this war of words against that community?

TRUMP: Intelligence agencies are vital and very, very important. We are going to be putting in, as you know, Mr. Pompeo and others, you know the Senator Dan Coats. We're going to be putting in some outstanding people. Within 90 days, they're going to be coming back to me with a major report on hacking.

I want them to cover this situation. I also want them, however, to cover, maybe most importantly -- because we're hacked by everybody -- you know, the United States, our government out of a list of 17 in terms of industries is the worst, it's number 17, in terms of protection.

If you look at the retail industry, if you look at the banking industry, various industries, out of 17 industries -- they put this in the category of an industry -- the United States is last in terms of protecting, let's say, hacking defense. Like we had a great hacking defense at the Republican National Committee.

That's why we weren't hacked. By the way, we were told that they were trying to hack us, but they weren't able to hack. And I think I get some credit because I told Reince, and Reince did a phenomenal job, but I said I want strong hacking defense.

The Democratic National Committee didn't do that. Maybe that's why the country runs so badly that way. But I will tell you -- wait -- wait -- wait, let me finish. Within 90 days, we will be coming up with a major report on hacking defense, how do we stop this new phenomena -- fairly new phenomena because the United States is hacked by everybody.

That includes Russia and China and everybody -- everybody. OK.

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: Go ahead -- go ahead.

QUESTION: Mr. President-elect, you said, just now, that you believe Russia indeed was responsible for the hacking of the DNC and Jon Podesta's e-mails, et cetera.

TRUMP: All right, but you know what, it could have been others also.

QUESTION: But why did you spend weeks undermining U.S. intelligence community before simply getting the facts and then making a public statement?

TRUMP: Well, I think it's pretty sad when intelligence reports get leaked out to the press. I think it's pretty sad. First of all, it's illegal. You know, these are -- these are classified and certified meetings and reports.

I'll tell you what does happen. I have many meetings with intelligence. And every time I meet, people are reading about it. Somebody's leaking it out. So, there's -- maybe it's my office. Maybe in my office because I have a lot of people, a lot of great people. Maybe it's them. And what I did is I said I won't tell anybody. I'm going to have a meeting and I won't tell anybody about my meeting with intelligence.

And what happened is I had my meeting. Nobody knew, not even Rhona, my executive assistant for years, she didn't know -- I didn't tell her. Nobody knew. The meeting was had, the meeting was over, they left. And immediately the word got out that I had a meeting.

So, I don't want that -- I don't want that. It's very unfair to the country. It's very unfair to our country; what's happened. That report should have never -- first of all, it shouldn't have been printed because it's not worth the paper it's written on. And I thank the New York Times for saying that.

I thank a lot of different people for saying that. But, I will tell you, that should never, ever happen. OK.

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: Thank you, Mr. President-elect, can you stand here today, once and for all and say that no one connected to you or your campaign had any contact with Russia leading up to or during the presidential campaign. And if you do indeed believe that Russia was behind the hacking, what is your message to Vladimir Putin right now?

TRUMP: He shouldn't be doing it. He won't be doing it. Russia will have much greater respect for our country when I'm leading than when other people have led it. You will see that. Russia will respect our country more. He shouldn't have done it. I don't believe that he will be doing it more now.

We have to work something out, but it's not just Russia. Take a look at what's happened. You don't report it the same way; 22 million accounts were hacked in this country by China. And that's because we have no defense.

[12:15:00]

That's because we're run by people that don't know what they're doing.

TRUMP: Russia will have far greater respect for our country when I'm leading it and I believe and I hope -- maybe it won't happen, it's possible. But I won't be giving (ph) a little reset button like Hillary. Here, press this piece of plastic. A guy looked at her like what is she doing? There's no reset button. We're either going to get along or we're not. I hope we get along, but if we don't, that's possible too. But Russia and other countries -- and other countries, including China, which has taken total advantage of us economically, totally advantage of us in the South China Sea by building their massive fortress, total. Russia, China, Japan, Mexico, all countries will respect us far more, far more than they do under past administrations.

I want to thank everybody. So this is all -- just so you understand, these papers -- because I'm not sure that was explained properly. But these papers are all just a piece of the many, many companies that are being put into trust to be run by my two sons that I hope at the end of eight years, I'll come back and say, oh, you did a good job. Otherwise, if they do a bad job, I'll say, "You're fired."

Good-bye, everybody. Good-bye.

[12:16:27] WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: The president-elect of the United States at his first full scale news conference in, what, about six months, wrapping it up, going through a lot of news. You see the vice president-elect of the United States, Mike Pence, with him, other aides.

Jake Tapper, we're - we've got a great panel here to assess, but your immediate thought on what we just heard?

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Well, there are two categories of news. Let me take on the first one that has to do with us, CNN.

At the beginning of the press conference, Sean Spicer, who's going to be the White House press secretary, suggested that both BuzzFeed and CNN published this dossier full of uncorroborated rumors. That's not true. That's false. CNN never did that. We never provided even one detail from that dossier except this morning when I said that there was reason to believe that one detail that had been out there, because of BuzzFeed, was false, involving Trump's attorney Michael Cohen. So that conflation, whether it's because Sean Spicer misunderstood or some other reason, that's not true. CNN did not do that.

What we did was say in our reporting yesterday that broke the story that the intelligence chiefs - intelligence chiefs of the United States, when they briefed President Obama Thursday and President-elect Trump on Friday, provided in their briefing to these two leaders about Russian hacking into the U.S. 2016 election two page of - two pages of a synopsis, and the synopsis was in part based on information in that dossier that was uncorroborated and the intelligence chiefs had not yet run to ground, but they believed that the source of the dossier was credible and his sources were credible and they believed that, a, the president-elect and the president should know that the Russians were claiming they had compromising information on him and, two, that the Russians were claiming that there were contacts between the Trump camp or Trump orbit and the Russian government or the Russian orbit during the campaign. And that information was provided. No one has dispute that that two-page dossier was in the presentation and that - I'm sorry, that that two-page synopsis was in the presentation by the intelligence chiefs to President-elect Trump, to President Obama. We have been asking now for more than half a day for several, several hours before we went with this story for a comment from the Trump campaign. So that's one.

And when Mr. Trump went after our own Jim Acosta, saying he's fake news and he isn't going to call for him, what I suspect we are seeing here is an attempt to discredit legitimate, responsible attempts to report on this incoming administration with irresponsible journalism that hurts us all and the media going forward should keep that in mind. So that's one. Just to get that out of the way.

BLITZER: You're referring specifically to BuzzFeed.

TAPPER: I'm - yes, it's irresponsible to put uncorroborated information on the Internet. I can understand why President-elect Trump would be upset about that. I would be upset about it too. It's why we did not publish it and why we did not detail any specifics from it because it was uncorroborated and that's not what we do. We are in the business of sousing (ph) out what is true and what is - and what is false.

BLITZER: The other news that came out is that Donald Trump flatly said Russia was responsible for the cyber-attacks, for the hacking of the DNC and the - the Hillary Clinton campaign. I think we have that clip. Let me play it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT-ELECT: As far as hacking, I think it was Russia, but I think we also get hacked by other countries and other people. And I can say that, you know, when - when we lost 22 million names and everything else that was hacked recently, they didn't make a big deal out of that. That was something that was extraordinary. That was probably China. We had - we had much hacking going on and -

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[12:20:17] BLITZER: But at the beginning, when he said as far as hacking, I think it was Russia. That's the most definitive statement he's made on that issue so far.

TAPPER: Absolutely. We have yet to hear him say something so clear cut that he thinks it was Russia that was involved in the hacks of John Podesta or if you want to call that a fishing expedition, whatever you want to call it, or in the hack of the Democratic National Committee. He did then go on to say a couple things that are true and don't change, fact number one, that Russia was behind the hacks, according to the intelligence community. One, that there are other countries, including China and others, that are also in the business of conducting cyber-attacks against the United States and this is a much bigger issue in terms of cyber security going forward than just Russia. And, two, that there were attempts to get into the RNC, and they were not able to get into the RNC, hackers, whether it was Russia or otherwise. And that the DNC hacking precautions, guards, were insufficient, and they did a bad job.

He then went on to quote or paraphrase some of the WikiLeaks that are the results of allegedly these Russian intelligence hacks, which does suggest that he likes leaks from some intelligence agencies but not necessarily from our own intelligence agencies. So that was the Russian hacking that was significant. Absolutely.

Of course, the - the main reason that there was this press conference called for several weeks ago was for President-elect Trump to explain to the American people how he was going to wall off his presidency from his global business empire, and I believe we have a fight from him.

BLITZER: We do have that clip. All right, let's play the clip. He explained in detail how he was going to make sure that the conflicts of interest between his big business and being president of the United States could be at least reduced.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT-ELECT: And what I'm going to be doing is my two sons, who are right here, Don and Eric, are going to be running the company. They are going to be running it in a very professional manner. They're not going to discuss it with me. Again, I don't have to do this. They're not going to discuss it with me. And with that, I'm going to bring up Sheri Dillon (ph). And she's going to go - these papers are just some of the many documents that I've signed turning over complete and total control to my sons.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TAPPER: Now, this is obviously important because there have been much - there's been much debate in Washington about whether or not handing your business over to your sons, especially a business that is so branded with your name, whether that is truly a wall off in any sort of concrete form.

I should point out that one thing that she did point out, and we'll get to our campaign expert on this, our finance expert, in a second, is he did say - or his attorney said that any foreign country that rents rooms, stays at his hotels, those profits will go to the U.S. Treasury, which was an interesting way to get around perhaps a clause of the Constitution.

BLITZER: Let's bring in Larry Noble, CNN contributor, former FEC general council, general counsel for the campaign legal center as well.

What was your reaction? Because we heard the lawyer for Morgan Lewis (ph), the private law firm who was retained to go ahead and explain and spell out how he was going to wall off his business from being president of the United States, did it make sense to you?

LARRY NOBLE, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: No, and I was very disappointed. And I think what it reflects is that they really don't get the conflict of interest problem. So he talks about taking himself out of the business operations, but he still has a tremendous financial interest in the businesses. So what he does as president is still going to affect his business. And he knows that. And also other people he's dealing with know that what they do with his businesses will affect him, will give him financial benefit. So he talked about not having any new foreign business deals, but he

has a number of foreign business deals already going on. And the perception there is going to be that if we give him - give him new business, that he will be able -

(INAUDIBLE)

BLITZER: Hold on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He said he canceled all this. He said that in the - in the statement, that all of those were canceled (INAUDIBLE).

TAPPER: The ones that - since the election, like the $2 billion with -

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right. The new - he said - he said all pending deals were canceled.

NOBLE: All pending deals, yes. I'm not sure - well, that - if that means -

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And he said he would do no further deals.

NOBLE: Right. If that means - if that means that he's cancelling all ongoing arrangements he has, including licensing of his name and - and all the -

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's his business.

NOBLE: OK. So he's not cancelling his contracts that he has now. His business that he has now. What he is doing presumably is cancelling new deals or deals that were in the works or just done. So he still has the problem that he owns a lot of businesses that people can benefit or hurt depending on what they want to do, and they know that that will financially help him.

[12:25:04] GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: So if he would have said, I am not going to benefit financially, I'm giving the business over to my children, they run it and they make the profits from it, Don and Eric, and I'm not going to take one penny from the Trump Organization going forward, would that - would that have satisfied the conflict rules?

NOBLE: No. And I have to - and I have to say, I know what Senator - he was saying. But -

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are no conflict (ph) rules.

BORGER: Well, I know. I know what you were going to say, but - OK.

NOBLE: But - so -

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But that's the law.

NOBLE: OK. But Section 208 -

BORGER: To (ph) the president. NOBLE: Does not apply to the president. That is true. As the Office of Government Ethics -

TAPPER: That's the conflict of interest.

NOBLE: That's the conflict of interest clause (ph).

BORGER: Yes. Yes.

NOBLE: As the Office of Government Ethics has pointed out, that in recent times all presidents have basically followed those rules. And he is not following those rules.

So - so let's talk - let's -

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But it's not the law.

NOBLE: Let's - and there are other laws. But - well, this is not necessarily -

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And - and no president has - no presidential candidate or president had anything like what Donald Trump is dealing with.

NOBLE: That - that's true. And that's the problem.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We could argue about we need new laws.

NOBLE: That's the problem, that the - the - that his - his holdings are so extensive that it puts him in a position and it puts the United States in a position where so many issues can be called into question. So many deals can be called into question.

You know, one of the things I find so disturbing about this is that - is that I suspect in the future we're going to see foreign countries or others alleging that they did something to get something out of the United States or alleging that he made a decision because of his foreign interest. Even if it's not true. That's been raised.

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: But what about - what about the idea that their -

NOBLE: But the children -

BASH: That they're going to - that he's going to donate the money that he gets in these businesses from foreign governments and foreign entities -

TAPPER: From hotels.

BORGER: From the hotels.

TAPPER: Hotel stays.

BASH: From the hotels. The hotels, thank you -

NOBLE: Yes.

BASH: To the U.S. Treasury?

NOBLES: You know, it's something, I don't know if he gets a tax break for that, but it's - but it's something.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, you don't.

NOBLES: OK. So it - but it is something. But, again, it still doesn't correct the many problems.

I want to address the one about his children. Giving the - turning the running of the businesses over to the children doesn't help. First of all, he still has the financial benefit of it. And second of all, it's a tradition in a lot of other countries, a lot of nonfunctioning democracies, that when you want to help the leader, what you do is you help their family. You financially help their family. And there is no real division between the family and Donald Trump.

BASH: Even though they said specifically that there will be an ethics advisor who will make sure that he doesn't speak to his sons about the business. You don't buy it?

NOBLES: Right. Well, I -

BASH: (INAUDIBLE) because they area - they - I mean they are saying that they're putting those steps in place to try to avoid what you just described.

NOBLES: Right. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say that is possible that he will not - that he will not talk to his sons about the business. But everybody is still aware that those decisions that help the business help his bottom line. He will leave the presidency at some point. He still controls these businesses. He will still have a financial interest. When he makes a decision on taxes, when he makes a decision on labor issues, he knows that that is going to affect his business.

BORGER: So - so the only way you -

TAPPER: Larry, let me - let me ask you, Larry, because one of the things that his attorney said was - and I'm paraphrasing here - was something along the lines of, this is - has been Mr. Trump's life's work, his business empire. He should not have to give it up.

BASH: A fire sale.

TAPPER: He should not because of his presidency. Presumably you would disagree with the principle. But assuming that he is not going to sell off his entire company, OK, that he just - he just won't do it, what would you want him to do? What is - what is, if not the best thing you want them to do, what is the second or third best thing you would want him to do from your point of view?

NOBLE: I really think there's no way around getting him out of the financial interests that he has. Use - use of a real blind trust. He says this is not a real blind trust. This wouldn't - this wouldn't be totally satisfactory, but putting everything in a real blind trust, putting his investments in a real blind trust would be better than what he is doing now, but he's not even doing that. This is not a blind trust.

So, you know, and - but I do want to address the issue about this sacrifices that he has to make. You know, he decided to run for president and one of the things he held out, that he was a business person and he was a successful business person. But when people go to work for the government, there are sacrifices they make. I worked for the government for 23 years. I knew that I couldn't do certain investments. There are things I could not do. People make those sacrifices. A lot of good people don't come into the government because they're not willing to make those sacrifices. It is - it's a question of his - the complicated - complications from his business, his own personal interests, versus the American public.

BORGER: Is there - is there a question about the ethics advisor, which is - this person apparently would work for the Trump Organization and not the - at the White House. Do you need someone at the White House specifically now to make sure that there is this wall? That the - you know, there's no communication? Or is an ethics officer who works for the Trump Organization enough as far as you're concerned?

NOBLE: I don't think it's enough. As he said, I think towards the end, I'm not sure what he was referring to, "you're fired." I mean he can fire the person at any point. He's known to require confidentiality agreements. I don't know how that will work in this situation. So, no, I'm not - I'm not really satisfied with the idea that somebody who works for him is going to make these decisions.

[12:30:05] BLITZER: All right, we're going to continue this, but I want to go to Jim Acosta, our White House correspondent, who's inside Trump Tower. He was at the news conference.