North Korea's ambassador to Britain said on Tuesday that his country has no interest in presumptive US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's offer to open nuclear talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Ambassador Hyon Hak Bong said in London on Tuesday that Pyongyang views Trump's offer as an electoral ploy that is not serious.

Hyon said that "we see it as the dramatics of a popular actor," adding that US presidential candidates say a lot of things during a campaign but once they assume power they always adopt a hostile stance toward North Korea.

Trump said last week he is open to meeting with Kim Jong Un, which would represent a sharp alteration in US policy.

The Obama administration says it is willing to resume talks with North Korea but only if the North commits itself to the goal of abandoning its nuclear weapons program.

Hyon said North Korea needs its nuclear weapons for self-defence and to protect its sovereignty.

He said the "six-party talks" aimed at ending his country's nuclear weapons program through negotiations are "dead."

No sitting US president has met with the leader of North Korea.

North Korea's ambassador to Britain said on Tuesday that his country has no interest in presumptive US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's offer to open nuclear talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Ambassador Hyon Hak Bong said in London on Tuesday that Pyongyang views Trump's offer as an electoral ploy that is not serious.

Hyon said that "we see it as the dramatics of a popular actor," adding that US presidential candidates say a lot of things during a campaign but once they assume power they always adopt a hostile stance toward North Korea.

Trump said last week he is open to meeting with Kim Jong Un, which would represent a sharp alteration in US policy.

The Obama administration says it is willing to resume talks with North Korea but only if the North commits itself to the goal of abandoning its nuclear weapons program.

Hyon said North Korea needs its nuclear weapons for self-defence and to protect its sovereignty.

He said the "six-party talks" aimed at ending his country's nuclear weapons program through negotiations are "dead."

No sitting US president has met with the leader of North Korea.

London - 24 May 2016

1. Various set up of North Korea's Ambassador to Britain Hyon Hak Bong

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Ambassador Hyon Hak Bong, North Korea's Ambassador to Britain:

"We know that he (Trump) indicated his intention, but we take it not as a meaningful one. We don't take it as a meaningful one. We see it as nothing but dramatics of a popular actor to create a juncture favourable to his election campaign."

3. Cutaway

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Ambassador Hyon Hak Bong, North Korea's Ambassador to Britain:

"Historically US candidates say this or that, a lot of things during the campaign but after resuming Presidency they prolong the existing anti DPR Korea policy to stifle our socialist system and to make pressure or sanctions. So, you know, we know them, that is why I characterise the remarks as an actor’s play."

5. Cutaway

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Ambassador Hyon Hak Bong, North Korea's Ambassador to Britain:

"Let me say dead. Six-party talks are dead. Everybody knows that, particularly Korean experts recognise that. Continued pressure, military, particularly nuclear threat by the United States including their sanctions against the DPR Korea's sovereign right to defend itself makes the six-party talks dead."

7. Cutaway

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Ambassador Hyon Hak Bong, North Korea's Ambassador to Britain:

“US hostile policy has pushed the DPR Korea into having nuclear weapons. So if we want to cure somebody's illness, we should find out the root cause of the illness. It’s the same. If nuclear weapons, our nuclear program or nuclear issue could be resolved, the root cause should be resolved first, that is the hostile policy and nuclear threat by the United States.”

9. Various cutaways

STORYLINE:

On July 8th 2019 House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said President Donald Trump wants to add a citizenship question to next year's Census because he wants to "make America white again."

The California Democrat says the administration is battling in federal court to insert the question because it would have a chilling effect on who responds.

Census Bureau experts and critics of the question say it would discourage people in the U.S. illegally from responding, including large numbers of migrants from Central America.

Pelosi said at a San Francisco news conference that if people don't answer their census forms, the administration will win.

The Supreme Court has temporarily blocked the question's inclusion.

The Census is used to distribute congressional seats and government funds.

Undercounting migrants would shift federal representation and dollars away from areas where immigrants live.

Pelosi also spoke on the continued threat of foreign and domestic cyber attacks during the 2020 election.

The House passed a bill to increase election security funding the previous week but the Republican-led Senate is expected to kill it, saying additional money is not necessary to secure voting.

***

U.S. President Donald Trump is going after four freshman Democratic lawmakers one by one after previously tweeting that they should "go back" to their home countries if they have complaints about the U.S., even though they are all American citizens.

At a rally on July 17th in Greenville, North Carolina, Trump began by verbally attacking Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota as the crowd chanted, "Send her back!"

Omar came to the United States as a refugee from war-torn Somalia when she was a child.

Trump also mentioned Representatives Rashida Tlaib of Minnesota, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts.

Of Tlaib, he complained that she is "not somebody who loves our country" because she had referred to impeaching him using an expletive.

The president's rhetoric on Wednesday echoed similar language he employed to rile up his base in 2016.

***

Going after four Democratic congresswomen one by one, a combative US President Donald Trump turned his campaign rally on July 17th into an extended dissection of the liberal views of the women of colour, deriding them for what he painted as extreme positions and suggesting they just get out.

Trump's jabs were aimed at the self-described "squad" of four freshmen Democrats who have garnered attention since their arrival in January for their outspoken liberal views and distaste for Trump.

They are: Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan.

All were born in the US except for Omar, who came to the US as a child after fleeing Somalia with her family.

Taking the legislators on one at a time, Trump ticked through a laundry list of what he deemed offensive comments by each woman, mangling and misconstruing many facts along the way.

Omar came under the harshest criticism as Trump played to voters' grievances, drawing a chant from the crowd of "Send her back! Send her back!"

Trump set off a firestorm on Sunday when he tweeted that the four should "go back" to their home countries - though three were born in the United States.

Trump has accused them of "spewing some of the most vile, hateful and disgusting things ever said by a politician."

***

US President Donald Trump says he's "the least racist person there is," as he doubles down on his criticism of Representative Elijah Cummings and the Baltimore community he serves.

"I've done for African-Americans in two and a half years no president has been able to do anything like that," said Trump.

Baltimore was thrust to the forefront after Trump called the congressman's district a "disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess" where "no human being would want to live".

"Baltimore is an example of what corrupt government leads to," said Trump outside the White House Tuesday, before heading to historic Jamestown in Virginia.

"Over many years billions and billions of dollars have been given to Baltimore. It's been misspent. It's been missing, it's been stolen with. A lot of corrupt government. And as you know Cummings has been in charge."

Trump's visit to Jamestown to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the rise of American democracy is expected to be boycotted by African American legislators.

Black state lawmakers plan to stay away from Trump's speech, in part over what they call Trump's disparaging comments about minority leaders.

Trump said if that's the case, they're fighting against their people because African Americans "have never been so happy with what a president has done."

***

Senator Bernie Sanders described President Donald Trump as a racist, a xenophobe, a sexist and a religious bigot on August 5th during a campaign rally in Vista, California.

Sanders focused on immigration issues during the rally, saying that if he is elected president, he will end ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raids on communities.

He pledged to restore legal protection for the 1.8 million people in the DACA program who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children.

"America is not and must never be about putting children in cages, it must never be about grabbing children, little babies from the arms of their mothers, when people are traveling 1500 miles, a mom with her son or daughter, is traveling 1500 dangerous miles in order to avoid violence in Honduras and Guatemala," he told supporters.

***

Joe Biden on August 7th accused President Donald Trump of "fanning the flames of white supremacy" in his most aggressive attack yet on the character of the man he would like to defeat in 2020.

"Trump offers no moral leadership," Biden declared in Burlington, Iowa. The president "seems to have no interest in unifying the nation."

Biden's remarks, which have been echoed in some form by most of the Democratic presidential candidates, signaled how sharp and bitter the nation's cultural and political divides will be on the long road to Election Day.

They also marked a moment of unity for Biden and his presidential rivals, who have turned on each other in recent weeks. But on August 7th, they were nearly unanimous in their support of an aggressive plan to confront gun violence just days after another series of mass shootings elevated the issue to the forefront of the party's presidential primary.

***

President Donald Trump on September 10th forced out John Bolton, his hawkish national security adviser with whom he had significant disagreements on Iran, Afghanistan and a cascade of other global challenges.

The two men offered opposing accounts on Bolton's less than friendly departure.

Trump tweeted that he told Bolton on September 9th his services were no longer needed at the White House and Bolton submitted his resignation on the morning of September 10th. Bolton responded in a tweet of his own that he offered to resign on September 9th "and President Trump said, 'Let's talk about it tomorrow.'"

Trump said that he had "disagreed strongly" with many of Bolton's suggestions as national security adviser, "as did others in the administration."

One Republican familiar with the disagreements between Trump and Bolton said the adviser's opposition to a possible meeting between Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was a precipitating factor in the dismissal.

French President Emmanuel Macron has been trying to broker such a meeting, possibly on the sidelines of the upcoming U.N. General Assembly, in the hope of salvaging the international Iran nuclear deal that Trump withdrew from.

Since joining the administration in the spring of last year,

Bolton has espoused skepticism about the president's whirlwind rapprochement with North Korea and has advocated against Trump's decision last year to pull U.S. troops out of Syria.

He masterminded a quiet campaign inside the administration and with allies abroad to persuade Trump to keep U.S. forces in Syria to counter the remnants of the Islamic State and Iranian influence in the region.

Bolton was also opposed to Trump's now-scrapped notion to bring Taliban negotiators to Camp David last weekend to try to finalize a peace deal in Afghanistan.

***

President Donald Trump says former national security adviser John Bolton was not aligned with his administration's priorities.

Speaking to reporters September 11th in the Oval Office, Trump says Bolton wasn't getting along with other members of his administration. Trump is also critical of Bolton comparing the effort to denuclearize North Korea to the "Libya model," words which angered Kim Jong Un ahead of their sit-down last year.

Bolton left the administration September 10th after clashing with Trump on his efforts to hold negotiations with the Taliban and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

Trump says he asked Bolton to resign, but Bolton claims he did so on his own accord.

Trump also tells reporters he disagreed with his former aide on Venezuela policy.

02:56:24

00:00:00

Pelosi: Trump wants to make US 'white again'

4219570

ASSOCIATED PRESS

San Francisco - 8 July 2019

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House:

"But this is about keeping, you know his hat? Make America white again. They want to make sure that people, certain people, are counted. It's really disgraceful and it's not what our founders had in mind.

00:18:00

Trump intensifies attack on Democrats at NC rally

4220897

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Greenville - 17 July 2019

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

"Representative Rashida Tlaib agreed with Omar's characterisation of 9/11 and said that members of Congress who support Israel forgot what country they represent. And Tlaib also used the F word to describe the presidency and your president. That's not nice, even for me. She was describing the president of the United States and the presidency with the big fat vicious the way she said it, vicious F word. That's not somebody that loves our country."

01:02:12

Trump rally crowd roars 'send her back!'

4220923

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Greenville, North Carolina - 17 July 2019

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, US President:

"And obviously and importantly, (Ilhan) Omar has a history of launching vicious, anti-Semitic screeds." Shot pulls out as crowd chants "Send her back"

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, US President:

"Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez." Crowd boos loudly, many holding thumb down

01:30:11

Trump: 'I'm the least racist person there is'

4222828

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington DC - 30 July 2019

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, US President:

"I am the least racist person there is anywhere in the world.

01:34:05

Sanders: Trump 'racist, sexist, xenophobe, bigot'

4223827

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Vista, California - 5 August 2019

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Bernie Sanders, (I) Presidential candidate:

"And it is a very sad state of affairs and something that I honestly never believed in my lifetime that I would see, that we have a president of the Unites States who is a racist, who is a xenophobe, who is a sexist, who is a religious bigot and who is a pathological liar." (applause)

02:00:09

Biden: Trump 'has fanned flames of white supremacy’

4224134

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Burlington, Iowa - 7 August 2019

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Joe Biden, (D) Presidential Candidate:

"When he (Trump) said, after Charlottesville, there were, and I quote, 'very fine people on both sides,' I said then, it gave license and safe harbor to white supremacists and neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan. These words not only stunned America, but they stunned the world.

02:25:02

File footage of forced out security adviser Bolton

4229332

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Seoul, South Korea - 24 July 2019

8. John Bolton arriving to meet South Korean officials

ASSOCIATED PRESS

New York - 20 September 2017

9. Bolton speaking at Iranian regime protest

02:38:07

Trump on Bolton ouster, gun safety, Taliban, China

4229538

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Washington - 11 September 2019

10. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, U.S. President:

"So, John is somebody that I actually get along with very well. He made some very big mistakes when he talked about the Libyan model for Kim Jong Un. That was not a good statement to make. You just take a look at what happened with (Muammar) Gaddafi.

STORY

The Iran nuclear agreement cannot be destroyed by the incoming US administration, says a former International Atomic Energy Agency chief, despite president-elect Donald Trump's criticism of the deal during the presidential campaign.

Hans Blix believes Washington "can put obstacles in the way" but stressed, however, that the deal is backed by the entire UN Security Council, so ripping it up could prove very difficult.

Along the campaign trail, Trump issued a variety of statements about last year's pact, calling it "stupid," a "lopsided disgrace" and the "worst deal ever negotiated."

He also railed against its time-limited restrictions on Iran's enrichment of uranium and other nuclear activity, painting US and European concessions in often cartoonish hyperbole.

During the campaign, Trump also appeared to encourage the development of nuclear weapons by other allied states, however Blix believes this will change once he takes office.

"He will realise that if Japan were to move for nuclear weapons - and they could do so in a very short time if they wanted to - that the whole political situation and atmosphere in the Far East would be very, very different," he argued.

SHOWS

Stockholm - 10 November 2016

1. Various of former IAEA (the International Atomic Energy Agency) chief Hans Blix taking part in panel discussion in Sweden about small-arms control

2. Close-up on face of Blix

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Hans Blix, former IAEA chief:

"I think it would be very difficult for the US to extricate (itself) from that (Iran nuclear) agreement. And I think it was to the great credit of Obama and Hillary Clinton that they stood behind it. And I think it gives...if it were not for that agreement, there would be a greater risk that Iran might move towards nuclear weapons."

4. Cutaway

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Hans Blix, former IAEA chief:

"To tear it up (the nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers), I think would be very difficult. Because it is not just a bilateral agreement between the US and Iran. It's also Russia, it's China, it's UK and France, and it is the whole (UN) Security Council that stands behind it. And the UN Security Council have lifted the sanctions. The UN sanctions are no longer there, European sanctions are no longer there. Maybe the US under Trump would obstruct and that they would let their financial institutions to consider powers to prevent transactions in (US) dollars with Iran, so they can put obstacles in the way, but they cannot destroy the agreement."

6. Various cutaways

7. SOUNDBITE (English) Hans Blix, former IAEA chief:

"I think that he will recognise that the world is a lot more dangerous for the US and for everybody if there are more states that have nuclear weapons than less. Trump has made some statements that question this. He said well why shouldn't (the) Japanese have their weapons or South Koreans have their weapons. But I think that better advice and looking at the matter more closely, he will realise that if Japan were to move for nuclear weapons - and they could do so in a very short time if they wanted to - that the whole political situation and atmosphere in the Far East would be very, very different."

8. Cutaway

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Hans Blix, former IAEA chief:

"Now, one has to make some distinction between what politicians say in election campaigns and in other... And I think that he has been very careless in the election campaign. It could come out this way or it could come out that way. But once you are in an institution, there are many factors available to you. You have the big military establishment of the United States: they are not reckless. I may not always agree with them, certainly not, but they are not reckless."

10. Cutaway

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Hans Blix, former IAEA chief:

"We need a detente in the world in order to get back to climate. Whether that will happen under Trump, we don't know, he is a very touchy guy and maybe he is someone to fear that if you step on his toes he will touch the button (nuclear trigger). But he is also someone who thinks very freely, who is not wedded to old doctrines. And that could in some situations be an advantage. One has the impression that he is not keen on interventionism for instance. In that sense similar to Obama - Obama did not intervene in Libya, he did not intervene in Syria, he did not want to have a no-fly-zone in Syria, which Hillary (Clinton) wanted to have. So it's still open questions here."

12. Blix talking after interview

Donald Trump courted voters in Michigan on Sunday night, promising to bring back jobs to the state during a rally in the suburban area of Sterling.

"We are going to stop the jobs from going to Mexico and China and all over the world. We will make Michigan into the manufacturing hub of the world once again and no politician will do that. They don't have a clue," Trump told the crowd.

Trump had a marathon day on the campaign trail, with stops in five states, including Minnesota, Michigan and Pennsylvania — states that have long proven unfriendly territory for Republican presidential candidates.

But buoyed by a late surge of momentum, Trump's campaign believes its loyal, white working-class voters will deliver an upset on Tuesday.

US POOL

Sterling Heights - 6 November 2016

1. Donald Trump walking on stage

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, (R) presidential nominee:

"In two days we are going to win the great state of Michigan and we are going to win back the White House. We will stop the jobs from leaving your state. We are going to stop the jobs from going to Mexico and China and all over the world. We will make Michigan into the manufacturing hub of the world once again and no politician will do that. They don't have a clue."

AP TELEVISION - AP CLIENTS ONLY

Sterling Heights - 6 November 2016

3. Various of audience

US POOL

Sterling Heights - 6 November 2016

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, (R) presidential nominee:

"The unions love me and the non-unions love me too I will tell you. As well as the Democratic voters here and across our country. The economic policies of Bill and Hillary clinton have bled Michigan dry almost more than any other place. They rake in hundreds of millions of dollars from special interests who specialize in shipping your jobs to other countries. The Clintons gave us NAFTA, the worst trade deal ever signed by any country ever. China's entry into the World Trade Organization, the job killing deal with South Korea, another beauty that was a disaster, and Hillary now wants the Trans PAcific Partnership, she calls it the gold standard."

AP TELEVISION

Sterling Heights - 6 November 2016

5. Cut of audience

US POOL

Sterling Heights - 6 November 2016

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, (R) presidential nominee:

"You need a lot of energy to beat these folks, and you need a lot of you know what. It used to be that cars were made in Flint and you couldn't drink the water in Mexico. Now the cars are made in Mexico and you can't drink the water in Flint. We will turn it all around. A Trump administration will stop the jobs from leaving America and we will stop the jobs from leaving Michigan. We are going to be opening up new jobs, lots of jobs, and jobs are going to be coming back."

7. Trump walking off stage

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump courted voters in Michigan on Sunday night, promising to bring back jobs to the state during a rally in the suburban area of Sterling.

"We are going to stop the jobs from going to Mexico and China and all over the world. We will make Michigan into the manufacturing hub of the world once again and no politician will do that," Trump told the crowd.

Trump had a marathon day on the campaign trail, with stops in five states, including Minnesota, Michigan and Pennsylvania - states that have long proven unfriendly territory for Republican presidential candidates.

But buoyed by a late surge of momentum, Trump's campaign believes its loyal, white working-class voters will deliver an upset on Tuesday.

US POOL

Sterling Heights - 6 November 2016

1. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump arriving on stage

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, Republican presidential nominee:

"In two days we are going to win the great state of Michigan and we are going to win back the White House. We will stop the jobs from leaving your state. We are going to stop the jobs from going to Mexico and China and all over the world. We will make Michigan into the manufacturing hub of the world once again and no politician will do that. They don't have a clue."

AP TELEVISION

Sterling Heights - 6 November 2016

3. Various of audience

US POOL

Sterling Heights - 6 November 2016

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, Republican presidential nominee:

"And the unions love me and the non-unions love me too I will tell you. As well as the Democratic voters here and across our country. The economic policies of Bill and Hillary Clinton have bled Michigan dry, almost more than any other place. They rake in hundreds of millions of dollars from special interests who specialise in shipping your jobs to other countries. The Clintons gave us NAFTA (The North American Free Trade Agreement), think of it, the worst trade deal ever signed by any country ever. China's entry into the World Trade Organisation, the job killing deal with South Korea, another beauty that was a disaster, and Hillary now wants the Trans Pacific Partnership, she calls it the gold standard."

AP TELEVISION

Sterling Heights - 6 November 2016

5. Cutaway

US POOL

Sterling Heights - 6 November 2016

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, Republican presidential nominee:

"You need a lot of energy to beat these folks, and you need a lot of you know what. It used to be that cars were made in Flint and you couldn't drink the water in Mexico. Now the cars are made in Mexico and you can't drink the water in Flint. We will turn it all around. A Trump administration will stop the jobs from leaving America and we will stop the jobs from leaving Michigan. We are going to be opening up new jobs, lots of new jobs, and jobs are going to be coming back."

7. Trump walking off stage

Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump blasted the Obama administration on its relationship with Iran and its handling of the Islamic State group.

He made a campaign stop in Biloxi, Mississippi Saturday night, and mentioned Iranian protesters who damaged the Saudi Arabian embassy in Tehran earlier, in response to Saudi Arabia's execution of a prominent Shiite cleric.

But Trump pointed to oil as the reason for the inflicted damage.

"Now, what that is, is Iran wants to take over Saudi Arabia. They always have. They want the oil, OK? They've always wanted that."

Trump also blamed both Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama for the rise of the Islamic State group.

Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump blasted the Obama administration on its relationship with Iran and its handling of the Islamic State group.

He made a campaign stop in Biloxi, Mississippi Saturday night, and mentioned Iranian protesters who damaged the Saudi Arabian embassy in Tehran earlier, in response to Saudi Arabia's execution of a prominent Shiite cleric.

But Trump pointed to oil as the reason for the inflicted damage.

"Now, what that is, is Iran wants to take over Saudi Arabia. They always have. They want the oil, OK? They've always wanted that."

Trump also blamed both Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama for the rise of the Islamic State group.

POOL

Biloxi, Mississippi - 2 January 2016

1. Wide of Donald Trump walking to podium

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, Republican Presidential Candidate:

"Remember this, I'm pretty good at signals, and I see a lot of things happening. One thing I see out there just happened today in Tehran. They're burning down the Saudi Embassy, you see that? Now, what that is is Iran wants to take over Saudi Arabia. They always have. They want the oil, OK? They've always wanted that."

3. Wide cutaway

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, Republican Presidential Candidate:

"They (Iran) have a bunch of dishonest people. They've created ISIS. Hillary Clinton created ISIS with Obama. (cheering) Created with Obama."

5. Wide cutaway

6. Trump walking off stage

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus045231

Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump blasted the Obama administration on its relationship with Iran and its handling of the Islamic State group.

He made a campaign stop in Biloxi, Mississippi Saturday night, and mentioned Iranian protesters who damaged the Saudi Arabian embassy in Tehran earlier, in response to Saudi Arabia's execution of a prominent Shiite cleric.

But Trump pointed to oil as the reason for the inflicted damage.

"Now, what that is, is Iran wants to take over Saudi Arabia. They always have. They want the oil, OK? They've always wanted that."

Trump also blamed both Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama for the rise of the Islamic State group.

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus045231

Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump blasted the Obama administration on its relationship with Iran and its handling of the Islamic State group.

He made a campaign stop in Biloxi, Mississippi Saturday night, and mentioned Iranian protesters who damaged the Saudi Arabian embassy in Tehran earlier, in response to Saudi Arabia's execution of a prominent Shiite cleric.

But Trump pointed to oil as the reason for the inflicted damage.

"Now, what that is, is Iran wants to take over Saudi Arabia. They always have. They want the oil, OK? They've always wanted that."

Trump also blamed both Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama for the rise of the Islamic State group.

POOL

Biloxi, Mississippi - 2 January 2016

1. Wide of Donald Trump walking to podium

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, Republican Presidential Candidate:

"Remember this, I'm pretty good at signals, and I see a lot of things happening. One thing I see out there just happened today in Tehran. They're burning down the Saudi Embassy, you see that? Now, what that is is Iran wants to take over Saudi Arabia. They always have. They want the oil, OK? They've always wanted that."

3. Wide cutaway

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, Republican Presidential Candidate:

"They (Iran) have a bunch of dishonest people. They've created ISIS. Hillary Clinton created ISIS with Obama. (cheering) Created with Obama."

5. Wide cutaway

6. Trump walking off stage

In a rare policy speech, Republican front-runner Donald Trump vowed Wednesday to put American security "above all else" if elected president, warning allies they would be left to defend themselves if they don't "pay their fair share."

"'America first' will be the major and overriding theme of my administration," Trump said.

Fresh off a sweep of five Northeast primaries, Trump sought to expand on foreign policy views that have lacked detail and worried experts in both parties.

He panned President Barack Obama's handling of crises in the Middle East, saying the current administration was leaving a legacy of "weakness, confusion and disarray."

"We've made the Middle East more unstable and chaotic than ever before," Trump said. He singled out Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton's handling of the deadly attacks on a U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya.

Much of the speech was similar to his typical campaign remarks, but it was delivered it a much more sober, restrained manner.

Critics have said repeatedly that he has not shown an ability to act and sound "presidential."

Trump spoke to an invited audience of conservative-leaning national security experts, as well as some prominent foreign policy writers.

He read his speech off a teleprompter, a notable change for a candidate who has mocked his rivals for doing the same and typically speaks off the cuff.

He has declared: "If you're running for president you shouldn't be allowed to use a teleprompter."

In a rare policy speech, Republican front-runner Donald Trump vowed Wednesday to put American security "above all else" if elected president, warning allies they would be left to defend themselves if they don't "pay their fair share."

"'America first' will be the major and overriding theme of my administration," Trump said.

Fresh off a sweep of five Northeast primaries, Trump sought to expand on foreign policy views that have lacked detail and worried experts in both parties.

He panned President Barack Obama's handling of crises in the Middle East, saying the current administration was leaving a legacy of "weakness, confusion and disarray."

"We've made the Middle East more unstable and chaotic than ever before," Trump said. He singled out Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton's handling of the deadly attacks on a U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya.

Much of the speech was similar to his typical campaign remarks, but it was delivered it a much more sober, restrained manner.

Critics have said repeatedly that he has not shown an ability to act and sound "presidential."

Trump spoke to an invited audience of conservative-leaning national security experts, as well as some prominent foreign policy writers.

He read his speech off a teleprompter, a notable change for a candidate who has mocked his rivals for doing the same and typically speaks off the cuff.

He has declared: "If you're running for president you shouldn't be allowed to use a teleprompter."

AP TELEVISION

Washington - April 27, 2016

1. Donald Trump enters

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, (R) Presidential Candidate

"I'd like to talk today about how to develop a new foreign policy direction for our country. One that replaces randomness with purpose, ideology with strategy and chaos with peace. It's time to shake the rust off America's foreign policy. It's time to invite new voices and new visions into the fold -- something we have to do."

3. Wide of Trump at podium

POOL

Washington - April 27, 2016

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, (R) Presidential Candidate

"The direction I will outline today will also return us to a timeless principle. My foreign policy will always put the interests of the American people and American security above all else. Has to be first. has to be. That will be the foundation of every single decision that I will make. America first will be the major and overriding theme of my administration."

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK FRAMES++

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, (R) Presidential Candidate

"Unfortunately, after the cold war, our foreign policy veered badly off course. We failed to develop a new vision for a new time. In fact, as time went on, our foreign policy began to make less and less sense. Logic was replaced with foolishness and arrogance which led to one foreign policy disaster after another. They just kept coming and coming. We went from mistakes in Iraq to Egypt to Libya to President Obama's line in the sand in Syria. Each of these actions have helped to throw the region into chaos and to give ISIS the space it needs to grow and prosper. Very bad. It all began with the dangerous idea that we could make western democracies out of countries that had no experience or interest in becoming a western democracy. We tore up what institutions they had and then were surprised at what we unleashed. Civil war, religious fanaticism, thousands of Americans just killed -- lives, lives, lives wasted. Horribly wasted."

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK FRAMES++

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, (R) Presidential Candidate

"Secondly, our allies are not paying their fair share. I've been talking about this recently a lot. Our allies must contribute toward their financial, political and human costs. Have to do it. Of our tremendous security burden, but many of them are simply not doing so. They look at the United States as weak and forgiving and feel no obligation to honor their agreements with us. In NATO, for instance, only four of 28 other member countries besides America are spending the minimum required two percent of GDP on defense. "

In a rare policy speech, Republican front-runner Donald Trump vowed Wednesday to put American security "above all else" if elected president, warning allies they would be left to defend themselves if they don't "pay their fair share."

"'America first' will be the major and overriding theme of my administration," Trump said.

Fresh off a sweep of five Northeast primaries, Trump sought to expand on foreign policy views that have lacked detail and worried experts in both parties.

He panned President Barack Obama's handling of crises in the Middle East, saying the current administration was leaving a legacy of "weakness, confusion and disarray."

"We've made the Middle East more unstable and chaotic than ever before," Trump said. He singled out Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton's handling of the deadly attacks on a U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya.

Much of the speech was similar to his typical campaign remarks, but it was delivered it a much more sober, restrained manner.

Critics have said repeatedly that he has not shown an ability to act and sound "presidential."

Trump spoke to an invited audience of conservative-leaning national security experts, as well as some prominent foreign policy writers.

He read his speech off a teleprompter, a notable change for a candidate who has mocked his rivals for doing the same and typically speaks off the cuff.

He has declared: "If you're running for president you shouldn't be allowed to use a teleprompter."

In a rare policy speech, Republican front-runner Donald Trump vowed Wednesday to put American security "above all else" if elected president, warning allies they would be left to defend themselves if they don't "pay their fair share."

"'America first' will be the major and overriding theme of my administration," Trump said.

Fresh off a sweep of five Northeast primaries, Trump sought to expand on foreign policy views that have lacked detail and worried experts in both parties.

He panned President Barack Obama's handling of crises in the Middle East, saying the current administration was leaving a legacy of "weakness, confusion and disarray."

"We've made the Middle East more unstable and chaotic than ever before," Trump said. He singled out Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton's handling of the deadly attacks on a U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya.

Much of the speech was similar to his typical campaign remarks, but it was delivered it a much more sober, restrained manner.

Critics have said repeatedly that he has not shown an ability to act and sound "presidential."

Trump spoke to an invited audience of conservative-leaning national security experts, as well as some prominent foreign policy writers.

He read his speech off a teleprompter, a notable change for a candidate who has mocked his rivals for doing the same and typically speaks off the cuff.

He has declared: "If you're running for president you shouldn't be allowed to use a teleprompter."

AP TELEVISION

Washington - April 27, 2016

1. Donald Trump enters

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, (R) Presidential Candidate

"Id like to talk today about how to develop a new foreign policy for our country. One that replaces randomness with purpose, ideology with strategy and chaos with peace. it's time to shake the rust of America's foreign policy. It's time to invite new voices and new visions into the fold -- something we have to do."

3. Wide of Trump at podium

POOL

Washington - April 27, 2016

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, (R) Presidential Candidate

"The direction I will outline today will also return us to a timeless principle. Our foreign policy will always put the interests of the American people and American security above all else. Has to be first. has to be. That will be the foundation of every single decision that I will make. America first will be the major and overriding theme of my administration."

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK++

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, (R) Presidential Candidate

"Unfortunately, after the cold war, our foreign policy veered badly off course. We failed to develop a new vision for anew time. In fact, as time went on, our foreign policy began to make less and less sense. Logic was replaced with foolishness and arrogance which led to one foreign policy disaster after another. They just kept coming and coming. We went from mistakes in Iraq to Egypt to Libya to President Obama's line in the sand in Syria. Each of these actions have helped to throw the region into chaos and to give ISIS the space it needs to grow and prosper. Very bad. It all began with the dangerous idea that we could make western democracies out of countries that had no experience or interest in becoming a western democracy. We tore up what institutions they had and then were surprised at what we unleashed. Civil war, religious fanaticism, thousands of Americans just killed -- lives, lives, lives wasted. Horribly Wasted."

++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY BLACK++

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, (R) Presidential Candidate

"Secondly, our allies are not paying their fair share. I've been talking about this recently a lot. Our allies must contribute toward their financial, political and human costs. Have to do it. Of our tremendous security burden, but many of them are simply not doing so. They look at the United States as weak and forgiving and feel no obligation to honor their agreements with us. And NATO, for instance, only four of 28 other member countries besides America are spending the minimum required two percent of GDP on defense. "

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus054265

In a rare policy speech, Republican front-runner Donald Trump vowed Wednesday to put American security "above all else" if elected president, warning allies they would be left to defend themselves if they don't "pay their fair share."

"'America first' will be the major and overriding theme of my administration," Trump said.

Fresh off a sweep of five Northeast primaries, Trump sought to expand on foreign policy views that have lacked detail and worried experts in both parties.

He panned President Barack Obama's handling of crises in the Middle East, saying the current administration was leaving a legacy of "weakness, confusion and disarray."

"We've made the Middle East more unstable and chaotic than ever before," Trump said. He singled out Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton's handling of the deadly attacks on a U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya.

Much of the speech was similar to his typical campaign remarks, but it was delivered it a much more sober, restrained manner.

Critics have said repeatedly that he has not shown an ability to act and sound "presidential."

Trump spoke to an invited audience of conservative-leaning national security experts, as well as some prominent foreign policy writers.

He read his speech off a teleprompter, a notable change for a candidate who has mocked his rivals for doing the same and typically speaks off the cuff.

He has declared: "If you're running for president you shouldn't be allowed to use a teleprompter."

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus054265

In a rare policy speech, Republican front-runner Donald Trump vowed Wednesday to put American security "above all else" if elected president, warning allies they would be left to defend themselves if they don't "pay their fair share."

"'America first' will be the major and overriding theme of my administration," Trump said.

Fresh off a sweep of five Northeast primaries, Trump sought to expand on foreign policy views that have lacked detail and worried experts in both parties.

He panned President Barack Obama's handling of crises in the Middle East, saying the current administration was leaving a legacy of "weakness, confusion and disarray."

"We've made the Middle East more unstable and chaotic than ever before," Trump said. He singled out Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton's handling of the deadly attacks on a U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya.

Much of the speech was similar to his typical campaign remarks, but it was delivered it a much more sober, restrained manner.

Critics have said repeatedly that he has not shown an ability to act and sound "presidential."

Trump spoke to an invited audience of conservative-leaning national security experts, as well as some prominent foreign policy writers.

He read his speech off a teleprompter, a notable change for a candidate who has mocked his rivals for doing the same and typically speaks off the cuff.

He has declared: "If you're running for president you shouldn't be allowed to use a teleprompter."

AP TELEVISION

Washington - April 27, 2016

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, (R) Presidential Candidate

"Id like to talk today about how to develop a new foreign policy for our country. One that replaces randomness with purpose, ideology with strategy and chaos with peace."

POOL

Washington - April 27, 2016

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, (R) Presidential Candidate

"The direction I will outline today will also return us to a timeless principle. Our foreign policy will always put the interests of the American people and American security above all else. Has to be first. has to be. That will be the foundation of every single decision that I will make."

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, (R) Presidential Candidate

"Unfortunately, after the cold war, our foreign policy veered badly off course. We failed to develop a new vision for anew time. In fact, as time went on, our foreign policy began to make less and less sense. Logic was replaced with foolishness and arrogance which led to one foreign policy disaster after another. They just kept coming and coming. We went from mistakes in Iraq to Egypt to Libya to President Obama's line in the sand in Syria.

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, (R) Presidential Candidate

"It all began with the dangerous idea that we could make western democracies out of countries that had no experience or interest in becoming a western democracy. We tore up what institutions they had and then were surprised at what we unleashed. Civil war, religious fanaticism, thousands of Americans just killed -- lives, lives, lives wasted. Horribly Wasted."

FBI Director James Comey refused on Tuesday to say whether the FBI was investigating any possible ties between Russia and Donald Trump's presidential campaign, citing policy not to comment on what the FBI might or might not be doing.

Comey was testifying before the Senate intelligence committee about the government's report last week on Russian hacking.

The FBI director said he couldn't comment on whether there is an open investigation into the matter or not.

Oregon Democratic Senator Ron Wyden cited news reports and comments by the Russian foreign minister who said the Russians had contact with people associated with the president-elect's campaign.

Wyden asked Comey to tell the public about any such investigation before Trump's inauguration and said the American people had a right to know about whether there is an FBI investigation into the Trump campaign's ties with Russia.

There was no mention during the hearing about the summary of the dossier, which was attached to the classified hacking assessment.

In late October, Comey angered Democrats when he announced 11 days before the election that the FBI was looking at more emails as part of its investigation of Hillary Clinton.

An active FBI investigation of the next president for ties between his campaign and a nation accused of meddling in the presidential election could further stoke mistrust in the legitimacy of the democratic process.

The FBI was among three US intelligence agencies that collaborated on last week's report on Russia's election activity.

It tied Russian President Vladimir Putin to the hacking of email accounts of the Democratic National Committee and individual Democrats like Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta.

It said there was no evidence the Russians tampered with vote tallies; the agencies said they couldn't assess if Russia succeeded in influencing Americans to vote for Trump.

POOL

Washington, DC - 10 January 2017

1. FBI Director James Comey (left) and James Clapper, Director of National Intelligence (right), at Senate intelligence committee

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Senator Ron Wyden, Oregon Democratic Senator

"After the election, as you know, the foreign minister, the Russian foreign minister, was quoted in various news reports saying that the Russians had had contacts with people associated with the Trump campaign. Now, that may or may not be true. There is, however, extensive press reporting on the relationships between the Russians and the individuals associated with both the Trump campaign and the incoming administration. My question for you Director Comey is has the FBI investigated these reported relationships and if so what are the agency's findings. "

3. SOUNDBITE (English) James Comey, FBI Director

"Thank you, Senator. I would never comment on investigations - whether we have one or not - in an open forum like this so I really can't answer one way or another."

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Senator Ron Wyden, Oregon Democratic Senator

"Will you provide an unclassified response to the question I asked and release it to the American people prior to January 20 (date of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration)?"

5.SOUNDBITE (English) James Comey, FBI Director

"Sir, I'll answer any question you ask but the answer will likely be the same as I just gave you – I can't talk about it."

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Senator Ron Wyden, Oregon Democratic Senator

"I will tell you. I think the American people have a right to know this."

++ENDS ON SOUNDBITE++

Speaking at a rally in South Carolina on Tuesday, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump mocked Hillary Clinton for imitating a barking dog.

Clinton on Monday suggested a dog trained to bark when he heard a lie should follow Republican candidates throughout their campaigns.

During his rally in North Augusta, Trump also criticized how the current administration handled foreign policy and terrorism. "If our politicians went to the beach and did nothing we would be in better shape," he said.

Speaking at a rally in South Carolina on Tuesday, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump mocked Hillary Clinton for imitating a barking dog.

Clinton on Monday suggested a dog trained to bark when he heard a lie should follow Republican candidates throughout their campaigns.

During his rally in North Augusta, Trump also criticized how the current administration handled foreign policy and terrorism. "If our politicians went to the beach and did nothing we would be in better shape," he said.

POOL

North Augusta, South Carolina - 16 February 2016

WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEO - TRUMP PROTESTER MAKES OBSCENE GESTURE AT :55-:59

1. Trump walking to podium

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, (R) Presidential Candidate:

"If our politicians went to the beach and did nothing we would be in better shape. Saddam Hussein, no-good guy, and all of them, no-good, but they killed terrorists. Saddam Hussein killed terrorists. That's what he did. Now Iraq is a haven for terrorists. If you want to go to Harvard of terrorism, you go to Iraq okay?"

3. Wide of Trump

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, (R) Presidential Candidate:

"We have ISIS and we gotta do something about ISIS because these are people chopping off heads of Christians, they're chopping off heads of anybody frankly, and we gotta knock the hell out of them. We're gonna knock the hell out of them. We have to. We have to. We shouldn't have been there and Obama shouldn't have gotten us out the way we got out, OK?"

5. Protester being escorted out

+++VIDEO MAY BE OFFENSIVE TO SOME VIEWERS+++

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, (R) Presidential Candidate:

"We are going to be respected again. We're not respected. Our leaders are not respected. Obama is not respected. Hillary Clinton is a joke, if she gets it she's like a joke. I turned on last night I'm sure you saw it. I'm watching television and I see her barking like a dog. She's barking like a dog and everyone is saying, 'oh wasn't that wonderful? Isn't that cute? Isn't that great' If I ever did that I would be ridiculed all over the place. I won't do it. I'm not gonna imitate her but she's barking like a dog and they're saying wonderful. Trump does it, believe me you'd read about it, what's wrong with Trump so they'll be no barking."

7. Wide of Trump at rally

8. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, (R) Presidential Candidate:

"Radical Islamic terrorist, whether you like it or not, a huge problem for the world, not just for us and nobody wants to talk about it. I'm the only one that's willing to talk about it and you know what? Now, everyone else is talking about it too. And did I take heat, ugh. Did I take heat. I took a lot of heat but you know what? We have to do something and I said, we have to have a temporary moratorium. We have to find out what's going on here. We have people flying planes into the World Trade Center, we have people shooting for no reason, look we have to find out what's going on and we will. We've gotta find out."

9. Wide of Trump leaving stage

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus048621

Speaking at a rally in South Carolina on Tuesday, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump mocked Hillary Clinton for imitating a barking dog.

Clinton on Monday suggested a trained dog should follow Republican candidates throughout their campaigns, and then bark whenever it heard a lie.

During his rally in North Augusta, Trump also criticized how the current administration handled foreign policy and terrorism. "If our politicians went to the beach and did nothing we would be in better shape," he said.

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: apus048621

Speaking at a rally in South Carolina on Tuesday, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump mocked Hillary Clinton for imitating a barking dog.

Clinton on Monday suggested a trained dog should follow Republican candidates throughout their campaigns, and then bark whenever it heard a lie.

During his rally in North Augusta, Trump also criticized how the current administration handled foreign policy and terrorism. "If our politicians went to the beach and did nothing we would be in better shape," he said.

POOL

North Augusta, South Carolina - 16 February 2016

+++SOUNDBITES SEPARATED BY WHITE FLASHES+++

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, (R) Presidential Candidate:

"We are going to be respected again. We're not respected. Our leaders are not respected. Obama is not respected. Hillary Clinton is a joke, if she gets it she's like a joke. I turned on last night I'm sure you saw it. I'm watching television and I see her barking like a dog. She's barking like a dog and everyone is saying, 'oh wasn't that wonderful? Isn't that cute? Isn't that great' If I ever did that I would be ridiculed all over the place. I won't do it. I'm not gonna imitate her but she's barking like a dog and they're saying wonderful. Trump does it, believe me you'd read about it, what's wrong with Trump so they'll be no barking."

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, (R) Presidential Candidate:

"We have ISIS and we gotta do something about ISIS because these are people chopping off heads of Christians, they're chopping off heads of anybody frankly, and we gotta knock the hell out of them. We're gonna knock the hell out of them. We have to. We have to. We shouldn't have been there and Obama shouldn't have gotten us out the way we got out, OK?"

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, (R) Presidential Candidate:

"If our politicians went to the beach and did nothing we would be in better shape. Saddam Hussein, no-good guy, and all of them, no-good, but they killed terrorists. Saddam Hussein killed terrorists. That's what he did. Now Iraq is a haven for terrorists. If you want to go to Harvard of terrorism, you go to Iraq okay?"

STORY

On January 12th 2017 President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to run the CIA says Russian meddling in the president election was an aggressive action taken by senior Russian leaders. At his confirmation hearing on Thursday, congressman Mike Pompeo of Kansas says it's pretty clear Russia worked to hack information and to have an impact on American democracy. Trump has voiced scepticism that Russia was behind hacking of political sites. But he said Wednesday for the first time that he believes Russia was responsible for the hacking. Pompeo also said he expected to be able to present the incoming administration with intelligence that is sound and that the leadership would make decisions based on that intelligence. US President Donald Trump said in his speech on January 20th that he will govern the country by putting America first. Trump said as president that "from this day forward it's going to be only America first". He said that every decision he makes, on issues from trade to taxes to immigration and foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and families. "We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries" taking American jobs, Trump said. US President Donald Trump signed his first executive order on January 20th, ordering federal agencies to ease the burden of former President Barrack Obama's sweeping health care law. No details were given on what the order contained. Trump was joined in the Oval Office by Vice President Mike Pence, White House chief of staff Reince Priebus and other top advisers as he signed the executive order on the so-called "Obamacare" law that he opposed throughout his campaign. Trump also formally signed the commissions of incoming Defence Secretary James Mattis and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly. Pence later swore them in at a separate ceremony in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, where the vice president's suite of offices is located. On January 26th White House press secretary Sean Spicer said US President Donald Trump will seek a 20 percent tax on Mexican imports to pay for a proposed border wall. The wall is part of Trump's plan to halt illegal immigration to the U.S., and he has long insisted that Mexico will pay. Mexican President Pena Nieto insists his country will not. On the flight back to Washington, Spicer told reporters travelling with the president that Trump will seek to impose a 20 percent tax on Mexican imports to pay for the wall. Congressional approval would be needed for such a step. Trump's brief trip to Philadelphia to speak with Congressional Republicans at their policy retreat, marked his first flight on Air Force One, the familiar blue and white government plane that has long ferried presidents around the country and the world. Trump spoke to reporters on board the plane, describing Air Force One as a "beautiful, great plane." On January 27th President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May were seen holding hands for a brief period of time as they walked along the colonnade at the White House, before Trump tapped on May's hand and they let go. The two appeared to be in conversation following joint remarks made earlier at a news conference. May's meeting with the US president in Washington, D.C. is being hailed by the British government as a sign that the tarns-Atlantic "special relationship" is valued by the new US administration. On January 29th protests have erupted for the second day after US President Donald Trump issued an executive order to temporarily bar refugees and citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the US. Dozens of protesters gathered outside the White House, while a smaller group protested outside an airport in Morrisville, North Carolina, holding banners in support of refugees and immigrants and chanting anti-Trump slogans. Several thousand people gathered near Prime Minister Theresa May's London residence on January 30th to protest against a planned state visit by US President Donald Trump. Protesters held signs and placards, some branding May "shameless", and chanted "No state visit!" Many said they were protesting to express their anger over Trump's immigration ban. January 30th's protest near 10 Downing Street was the largest of a series of protests across the country, including in Oxford, Manchester, Newcastle, Cardiff and Glasgow. An online petition opposing Trump's state visit has more than 1.5 million signatures. Any petition with more than 100,000 signatures must be considered for a debate in Parliament, though not a binding vote. US President Donald Trump fired acting Attorney General Sally Yates on January 31st after she announced she would not defend his controversial immigration order. He is naming Dana Boente, US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, to serve in her place. The White House press office said in a statement that Yates "has betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States." The statement calls Yates an Obama administration appointee "who is weak on borders and very weak on illegal immigration." Trump's order from Friday temporarily suspends the US refugee programme and bars immigration from seven majority-Muslim countries - Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Trump has picked Senator Jeff Sessions to lead the Justice Department, but he has yet to be confirmed by the Senate. US Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly on January 31st defended President Donald Trump's executive order on immigration. Kelly said that the order is "not a travel ban. This is a temporary pause that allows us to better review the existing refugee and visa vetting system." Nordstrom says it will stop selling Ivanka Trump clothing and accessories, creating some questions about the future of the brand elsewhere. The Seattle-based department store chain said the decision was based on the sales performance of the first daughter's brand. Neiman Marcus may be the next one to pull back on the label, as the branded jewellery is nowhere to be seen on the up scale retailer's website as of 3rd February. "We've said all along we make buying decisions based on performance," said Nordstrom in a statement emailed to The Associated Press. "We've got thousands of brands” more than 2,000 offered on the site alone. Reviewing their merit and making edits is part of the regular rhythm of our business." Nordstrom said that each year the chain cuts about 10 percent and refreshes its assortment with about the same amount. "In this case, based on the brand's performance we've decided not to buy it for this season," Nordstrom added. Lord & Taylor only said it continues to carry the brand. Neiman Marcus, Macy's and Dillard's, which also carry the label, didn't immediately reply to AP's query. The move by Nordstrom Inc. comes amid a social media campaign called "Grab Your Wallet," urging a boycott of stores that stock Ivanka Trump or Donald Trump products. In a statement emailed to The Associated Press late Friday, Rosemary K. Young, senior director of marketing at Ivanka Trump, said that the brand continues to expand across all categories and distribution, resulting in "significant" revenue growth last year compared to the previous year. "We believe that the strength of a brand is measured not only by the profits it generates, but the integrity it maintains," said Young in the statement. "The women behind the brand represent a diverse group of professionals and we are proud to say that the Ivanka Trump brand continues to embody the principles upon which it was founded." An unnamed spokesperson for the brand contradicted Nordstrom's statement, saying that Nordstrom did order both shoes and clothing for spring and moved forward with the purchase of clothing. Wendy Liebmann, CEO of WSL Strategic Retail, says that retailers walk a tight rope when it comes to celebrity brands but given the politics surrounding the Ivanka Trump brand, that only adds extra controversy, particularly given such a politically divisive climate. Liebmann noted a decision of whether to pull a brand is politically loaded even if it's based on poor sales performance. "The brand is vulnerable," Liebmann said. "Retailers view their role as having the right products for the right consumer, not being pulled in a political situation." She noted that some shoppers may not want to wear the Ivanka Trump brand because they may want to avoid making a political statement. Ivanka Trump announced earlier this month that she would take a leave of absence from her clothing and accessories business as well as the Trump organization. US President Donald Trump's embattled national security adviser Michael Flynn resigned late on February 13th, following reports that he had misled Vice President Mike Pence and other officials about his contacts with Russia. His departure upends Trump's senior team after less than one month in office. In a resignation letter, Flynn said he gave Pence and others "incomplete information" about his calls with Russia's ambassador to the US. The vice president, apparently relying on information from Flynn, initially said the national security adviser hadn't discussed sanctions with the Russian envoy, though Flynn later conceded the issue may have come up. Trump named retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg as the acting national security adviser. Kellogg had previously been appointed the National Security Council chief of staff and advised Trump during the campaign. Trump is also considering former CIA Director David Petraeus and Vice Admiral Robert Harward, a US Navy SEAL, for the post, according to a senior administration official. The Trump team's account of Flynn's discussions with the Russian envoy changed repeatedly over several weeks, including the number of contacts, the dates of those contacts and ultimately, the content of the conversations. Late in January, the Justice Department warned the White House that Flynn could be in a compromised position as a result of the contradictions between the public depictions of the calls and what intelligence officials knew to be true based on recordings of the conversations, which were picked up as part of routine monitoring of foreign officials communications in the US. A US official told The Associated Press that Flynn was in frequent contact with Ambassador Sergey Kislyak on the day the Obama administration slapped sanctions on Russia for election-related hacking, as well as at other times during the transition. US President Donald Trump on February 16th said his ousted national security adviser was a "fine person" after offering his resignation amid reports of contact with Russian officials. Trump was recounting why he asked Michael Flynn for his resignation. The president said at a news conference that he was "not happy" with how information about Flynn's phone call to a Russian diplomat was relayed to Vice President Mike Pence. But Trump says what Flynn did "wasn't wrong" - and called attention to what he described as "classified information that was given illegally." Dakota Access pipeline protesters are ceremonially burning some of their living structures ahead of the closure of a long-standing camp in North Dakota. About 200 to 300 protesters remain at the camp near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation. The Army Corps of Engineers has ordered the camp closed at 2 p.m. February 22nd, citing the potential for spring flooding. Those left in camp milled about peacefully Wednesday, many in prayer. At least four wooden structures were being burned in what protesters say is part of the ceremony of leaving. Authorities in North Dakota are offering assistance and services to Dakota Access pipeline protesters as they close a long-standing encampment near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation. A White House spokeswoman said March 3rd that Vice President Mike Pence "did everything to the letter of the law" after public records revealed that he used a private email account to conduct public business as Indiana's governor. The Indianapolis Star reported that emails provided through a public records request show that Pence communicated with advisers through his personal AOL account on homeland security matters and security at the governor's residence during his four years as governor. The governor also faced email security issues. Pence's AOL account was subjected to a phishing scheme last spring, before he was chosen by Donald Trump to join the GOP presidential ticket. Pence's contacts were sent an email falsely claiming that the governor and his wife were stranded in the Philippines and needed money. As Trump's running mate, Pence frequently criticized rival Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server as President Barrack Obama's secretary of state, accusing her of purposely keeping her emails out of public reach and shielding her from scrutiny. Hours before it was to take effect, President Donald Trump's revised travel ban was put on hold March 15th by a federal judge in Hawaii who questioned whether the administration was motivated by national security concerns. U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson also said Hawaii would suffer financially if the executive order blocked the flow of students and tourists to the state, and he concluded that Hawaii was likely to succeed on a claim that the ban violates First Amendment protections against religious discrimination. A federal judge in Greenbelt, Maryland, has blocked US President Donald Trump's revised travel ban targeting six predominantly Muslim countries. Judge Theodore Chuang ruled on Thursday in a case brought near the nation's capital by the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) and other groups representing immigrants, refugees and their families. It was the latest ruling against Trump's revised travel ban. On March 15th, a federal judge in Hawaii blocked Trump's revised travel ban hours before it was to take effect, marking the second time courts have thwarted Trump's efforts to freeze immigration by refugees and citizens of some predominantly Muslim nations. Government lawyers argued that the ban was substantially revised from an earlier version signed in January that was later blocked by a federal judge in Washington state. They said the ban was ordered in the interest of national security to protect the US from "radical Islamic terrorism." During his campaign as a Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump called for a "total and complete shut-down of Muslims entering the United States." Trump's campaign said in a statement that such a ban should stand "until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on." It said the proposal comes in response to a level of hatred among "large segments of the Muslim population" toward US citizens. At an evening rally in South Carolina in December 2015, Trump supporters cheered and shouted in support as he read his statement. An earlier version of the executive order, issued in late January, was blocked by a judge in Seattle, sparking harsh criticism from the president of both the judge and his decision. Trump said at the time that the court fight over his refugee and immigration executive order could end up in the Supreme Court. Speaking to reporters on 7 February 2017, Trump said he was going to take his fight to uphold the directive "through the system." A federal appeals court refused to reinstate President Donald Trump's ban on travellers from seven predominantly Muslim nations, dealing another legal setback to the new administration's immigration policy. In a unanimous decision, the panel of three judges from the San Francisco-based 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals declined to block a lower-court ruling that suspended the ban and allowed previously barred travellers to enter the US. Moments after the ruling was released, Trump tweeted, "SEE YOU IN COURT," adding that "THE SECURITY OF OUR NATION IS AT STAKE!" Declaring "the start of a new era" in energy production, President Donald Trump signed an executive order March 28th that he said would revive the coal industry and create jobs. The move makes good on his campaign pledge to unravel former President Barrack Obama's plan to curb global warming. The order seeks to suspend, rescind or flag for review more than a half-dozen measures in an effort to boost domestic energy production in the form of fossil fuels. Environmental activists, including former Vice President Al Gore, denounced the plan. But Trump said the effort would allow workers to "succeed on a level playing field for the first time in a long time." "That is what this is all about: bringing back our jobs, bringing back our dreams and making America wealthy again," Trump said, during a ceremony at the Environmental Protection Agency headquarters, attended by a number of coal miners. In addition to pulling back from the Clean Power Plan, the administration will also lift a 14-month-old moratorium on new coal leases on federal lands.

SHOWS

(HD version available in \\Source_Clips\Newsroom Failures)

Pompeo: Russia aimed to influence US election

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POOL

Washington DC - 12 January 2017

1. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sen. Marco Rubio, (R) Florida:

"In your personal opinion, is Vladimir Putin and the Russians looking at all this and saying 'we did a really good job of creating chaos, division, instability in the American political process?"

2. SOUNDBITE: (English) Rep. Mike Pompeo, CIA Director Nominee:

"I have no doubt that the discourse that's been taking place is something that Vladimir Puttin would look at and say, 'Wow, that was among the objectives that I have."

00:20:23

Trump to govern by putting America first

4076960

POOL

Washington, DC - 20 January 2017

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, US President: ++INCLUDES SHOTS OF CROWDS++

" From this day forward a new vision will govern our land. From this day forward, it's going to be only America First, America First." (++Crowds clapping)

00:39:22

Trump signs executive orders in Oval Office

4077026

POOL

Washington DC - 20 January 2017

4. US President Donald Trump signing commission allowing General James Mattis to be sworn in as Defence Secretary

00:46:24

Spicer: Trump Seeks 20% Tax on Mexican Imports

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POOL

On Board Air Force One - 26 January 2017

5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sean Spicer, White House Press Secretary:

"If you tax that $50 billion at 20 percent of imports - which is by the way a practice that 160 other countries do - right now our country's policy is to tax exports and let imports flow freely in, which is ridiculous."

01:02:06

Trump, May hold hands outside White House

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AP TELEVISION

Washington,D.C. - 27 January 2017

6. Tracking shot of British Prime Minister Theresa May and President Donald Trump walking outside White House, holding hands for a few seconds

01:10:09

US protests against Trump's immigration ban

4078426

AP TELEVISION

Washington DC/Morrisville - 29 January 2017

7. Protesters on ground gathering outside White House, holding banners and chanting slogans in support of refugees

01:21:12

UK protest against Trump's state visit

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AP TELEVISION

London - 30 January 2017

++NIGHT SHOTS++

8. Protesters standing in front of Downing Street with signs and posters

9. Close of sign that reads (English) "Shameless May, Fascist Tyrant"

10. Close of sign that reads (English) "No to racism, no to Trump"

01:46:12

Trump fires Attorney General Sally Yates

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POOL

FILE: Washington, DC - 28 June 2016

11. Various of Sally Yates, now former acting US Attorney General speaking at briefing while serving as Deputy Attorney General

01:54:19

US Homeland Security chief defends travel ban

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AP TELEVISION

Washington DC - 31 January 2017

12. SOUNDBITE (English): John Kelly, Secretary of Homeland Security:

" It is important to understand that there are terrorists and other bad actors who are seeking to infiltrate our homeland every single day."

02:02:13

Nordstrom will stop selling Ivanka Trump clothing and accessories

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AP Entertainment

New York, 29 June 2012

13. Medium of Ivanka Trump talking and showing her clothing line

AP Entertainment

New York, 14 April 2015

14. Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner arriving at the Vanity Fair Tribeca Film Festival party

02:17:16

US National Security Adviser Flynn resigns and Kellogg takes over as acting US National Security Adviser

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US POOL

Washington DC - Recent/File

Washington DC - 20 January 2017

15. Michael Flynn arrives at inauguration

New York - 7 October 2016

16. General Kellogg, sitting next to Trump, speaking

02:30:06

Trump: Russia links reports are "fake news"

4081499

AP TELEVISION

Washington DC - 16 February 2017

17. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, US President:

"I can tell you from speaking for myself, I own nothing in Russia, I have no loans in Russia, I don't have any deals in Russia. (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin called me up very nicely to congratulate me on the win of the election, he then called me up extremely nicely to congratulate me on the inauguration which was terrific, but so did many other leaders, almost all other leaders from almost all other countries, so that's the extent. Russia is fake news, this is fake news put out by the media."

03:03:24

Pipeline Protesters Set Fires to Close Camp

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Near Cannon Ball - 22 February 2017

++QUALITY AS INCOMING++

18. Wide pan of area with protesters and fire

03:16:18

Pence responds to use of private email account

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POOL

Janesville, Wisconsin - 3 March 2017

19. SOUNDBITE (English) Mike Pence, Vice President:

(Reporter question off camera: "Why did you decide to use your private email accounts to deal with some public business?")

"I did. We issued a statement on that. I am very confident that our email practices were in full compliance with all of Indiana's laws. And in my service as a vice president will continue, will continue that practice."

03:31:02

Federal judge in Hawaii puts travel ban on hold

4086131

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Honolulu - 15 March 2017

20. Wide of press conference beginning

21. SOUNDBITE (English) Doug Chin, Hawaii Attorney General

" It showed that they were trying even harder to mask what was a religious animus."

03:42:17

Trump suffers second travel ban defeat

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POOL

Mount Pleasant, South Carolina - 7 December 2015

22. Donald Trump walking to podium

23. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, Republican Presidential Candidate:

"Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what the hell is going on. We have no choice."

04:07:09

Trump signs roll-back on Obama era climate plans

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POOL

Washington DC - 28 March 2017

24. US President Donald Trump signing executive order

HD version available in \\Source_Clips\Newsroom Failures

Donald Trump held a rally on January 30, 2020 in Des Moines, Iowa. The rally was held during his impeachment trial in the Senate.

Available in HD -

https://ap.archive.sourceclips.prod.eu.s3.amazonaws.com/News%20Rushes/G13149.mxf

Donald Trump: (00:24)

I worked so hard for this state. I worked so hard. You just got two of the greatest trade deals, and add Japan to it, by the way. Let’s make it three, 40 billion from Japan, USMCA, all done. China, all done for the farmers. It’s done, that I can tell you. You’re going to have to get bigger tractors and a hell of a lot more land. You’ve got to produce a lot of product. I don’t know if you can, but, hello Des Moines. It’s great to be with you. I’m thrilled to be back in American heartland with thousands of loyal, hardworking American patriots. Great people. This November we’re going to defeat the radical socialist Democrats that are right down the street.

Donald Trump: (01:25)

I mean, I don’t even know. I just saw, New York Times, can you believe? Failing New York Times… When we leave in 10, 14, 18, 22 years from now, the New York Times will be out of business and so will a lot of others. But, did you see they did a New York Times poll, I think, and Sienna, Sienna, New York Times of Iowa, and they have me pitted against every one of the Socialists, and we’re winning by a lot. Everyone. We’re beating them all. We’re beating them all. We’re beating them all. We’re beating them like they haven’t been beaten before. You know all the noises about their crazy debates, nobody’s watching their debates, but it’s all about their debates. They don’t care about the farmer. Everything out here, they love Trump, and you should love Trump with what I’ve done.

Donald Trump: (02:26)

So, we’re going to win the great state of Iowa and it’s going to be a historic landslide. If we don’t win, your farms are going to hell. I can tell you right now. Sell, sell, they’ll be saying “Sell.” No, we love the farmers, and we love the ranchers, and we love the manufacturers, frankly. You got plenty of that too in this state. The great state, and you have a great governor, by the way. You have a great governor.

Donald Trump: (03:02)

But every day we’re achieving extraordinary victories for the citizens of the Hawkeye State. The Iowa unemployment rate has reached an all time low in history. That’s not bad. That’s not bad. Oh, let’s vote for Pocahontas. Let’s vote for Bernie. Let’s vote for sleepy Joe. He’s falling asleep. Joe, Joe, Joe. He always gets the name wrong. How many times has he missed it? He’s in Iowa. He says, “Great to be in the great state of Ohio.” They say, “Joe, you’re in Iowa.” You can’t do that. No matter how great you speak. If you’re Winston Churchill, if you make that mistake at the beginning of your speech, it’s over. You might as well just wrap it up. There’s the fake news. They would just absolutely destroy you. They would absolutely destroy you.

Donald Trump: (04:06)

You can’t do that. You can’t do that, Joe, sleepy Joe, but you have these guys. You have these people. How about Buttigieg? Buttigieg. They call him mayor Pete. You know why? Because nobody can pronounce his name. Nobody has any idea. Buttigieg. They say, “Say edge edge.” He presides over a city that’s failed. It’s doing so badly, in a state that’s having the greatest year they’ve ever had, and they have a great governor also, and they had a great governor. You just heard from him, right? The great state of Indiana, so I don’t see that one. Go down the line. We have some people. Let’s not talk about them. What happened to mini Mike? Where is he? He’s not running. He’s skipping four or five states. Mini Mike. I’ve had him up to here.

Donald Trump: (05:05)

More people are working right now in Iowa than ever before. Now think of it. Think of it. Yesterday we replaced a NAFTA disaster with the incredible brand new U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement. The USMCA, you know when you have a hard time with that one, memory is a great thing. I’ve always had a great memory for whatever reason, but memory is a great thing. Having a great memory, but sometimes you take little clues. USMCA. Thank you, darling. I love you, too. Where is that person up? Look at that. Wow. What a good, strong voice.

Donald Trump: (06:11)

But you know how you remember it? The song I just walked in on. They’re playing the song YMCA. So, when you’re having a hard time, gee, what’s U-S, just think of the song YMCA, and you’ll remember it, USMCA. It’s a massive win for Iowa farmers and workers of all kinds. It’s a massive win and it creates some fairness with Canada. It creates fairness with Mexico. Probably the biggest reason that I ran was the unfair trade that I’ve seen, and one after one, China, Mexico, Canada, Japan, South Korea, we’ve made all these deals, and we have plenty left over. Plenty left over. Europe, Europe, Europe is next. I wanted to finish China before we started on Europe. I like to do them one at a time, one at a time. I’m a very organized person.

Donald Trump: (07:15)

But weeks ago we also signed a terrific new trade agreement with China that will boost American agriculture by $50 billion every year, and many other businesses like manufacturing, banking, finance, overall $250 billion, and you know with the farmers, because I have a place in my heart for the farmers big. I went and I saw Ambassador Lighthizer’s in charge, he’s fantastic. I said, “What are you doing? We’re getting ready for the final deal. What are you doing?” He said, “I’m putting in $20 billion.” Because I asked Sonny Perdue. He’s great. You know who he is, right? Secretary of Agriculture. I said, “Sonny, what’s the biggest number that China’s ever done with the farmers?” He said, “Sir, $16 billion last year. $16 billion.” This was two years ago. I said, “So, $16 billion is the biggest,” because you know, they targeted you, and now we’re friends with China.

Donald Trump: (08:10)

In fact, maybe we’ve never had a better relationship and were working with them very closely on the Coronavirus. We’re working with them very, very closely. We only have five people. Hopefully everything’s going to be great. They have somewhat of a problem, but hopefully it’s all going to be great. But, we’re working with China just so you know, and other countries very, very closely, so it doesn’t get out of hand, but it’s something that we have to be very, very careful with, right? We have to be very careful.

Donald Trump: (08:42)

But I said to Sonny Perdue, Secretary of Agriculture, I said, “Sonny, what’s the number?” 16 and 12 the year before, and you were targeted. I don’t blame China. Look, they’re smart. They’re negotiators. They targeted Trump states. Where do they love Trump? They love him in Iowa. They love him in Nebraska. They love him in all these states. They love him in Wisconsin. They love him. We won Wisconsin. They like him and Wisconsin, and a lot of the farm states, and they targeted. The farmers came to see me and they said, “Sir, you have to do what’s right.” When the fake news would interview farmers, the farmers would say, “No, no, President Trump is doing the right thing. It should have been done years ago. Should’ve been done years and years ago.” But you couldn’t have made it because there was too much money, $16 billion. So, what I did is I put a 25% tariff on everything coming in from China, $250 billion, and then more tariffs on things beyond the $250 billion market. We took in billions, and billions, and billions of dollars. We still are, and then what happened? When I heard about the farmers and I saw the farmers, they were in the White House. They came to see me. I had 36 farmers and I said, “I’m going to give you.” They said, “Sir, we don’t want anything.” I said, “What do you mean you don’t want anything? I’ve never heard that before.” Everybody wants money. They want every. They said, “We just want a level playing field.” I never forgot it. They said, “We don’t want anything. We just want a level playing field, and we’ve been treated badly for years, for years.”

Donald Trump: (10:24)

I said, “Well, you haven’t been given a level playing field for many, many years, for decades. You haven’t been given a level playing field. We’re going to give you the levelest field that you ever had. But, but in the meantime, I’m going to give you $12 billion, out of these tens of billions that we’re collecting.” Don’t worry. We had plenty of left over, because we never got 25 cents from China. China took from us. We didn’t take from China, right? I said, “I’m going to give you $12 billion for the year before, and I’m going to give you $16 billion for this year.” That was last year for this year. So, they got, meaning you, a lot of you in this audience, got $12 billion, and you got 16, so you got $28 billion over that short period of time, and you were able to actually, in some cases, I guess thrive. I told Sonny, “I want to take care of the small farmer too, not just the big monsters. I want to take care of everyone, everyone.”

Donald Trump: (11:21)

But, I never forgot when CNN fake news and all these people, they go around interviewing the farmers. They could never find anyone saying bad about Trump. They’d go into diners. “What do you think about Trump? Isn’t it a terrible what he’s doing with the trade?” The farmer would say, “No, he’s doing what should have been done 20 years ago.” Now, you people are going to make so much money. You’re not going to do just, you know what? Just relax. Take it easy. Put it away. Enjoy your life. But you’re going to make a lot of money. You’re going to make a lot of money. Again, we have never had, because they respect us now, they didn’t respect us. We have never had a better relationship with China than we do right now. It’s a beautiful story. They respect us. The whole world respects us now. We’re respected again. America is respected again. Okay?

Donald Trump: (12:25)

We’re fighting for products made in America and grown right here in this great, great state of Iowa. To keep America safe, we have fully rebuilt the United States military. It’s now stronger, more powerful, more lethal than ever before. We have all brand new equipment and it was all built in the USA. Thanks to the courage of American heroes, the ISIS caliphate has been totally destroyed and its founder and leader, the animal known as al-Baghdadi is dead.

Donald Trump: (13:17)

Crazy Nancy Pelosi said, “Don’t call him an animal. He’s a human being.” No, he’s an animal. He’s an animal. Two weeks ago, at my direction, the United States military delivered another historic win for American justice. Our brave warriors launched a flawless precision strike that killed the world’s number one terrorist, Qasem Soleimani. Qasem Soleimani. He was the mastermind of the road side bomb. He loved roadside bombs. When you see your friends and great soldiers of our country and other countries, frankly, walking around, they don’t have legs, they don’t have arms in some cases. Some cases they don’t have both. You see them walking around, or riding around, or the most brave people, these people have the greatest attitude. I go to Walter Reed and I see him and the young man his legs were blown off. “How you doing?” “Sir, I want to get back. I want to get back, sir.” I’ll tell you, the spirit of these people, it may even top the farmers. It may even top the farmers, which is pretty good.

Donald Trump: (14:31)

But he was responsible, more than anybody else, 90% they say of these roadside bombs sent to fight us, he was responsible and he took a hard hit. He took a very hard hit. He was responsible for murdering and maiming thousands and thousands of Americans, and hundreds of thousands of other people. Not acceptable. Soleimani was actively planning new attacks, but we ended his bloody rampage forever.

Donald Trump: (15:12)

Yet, Washington Democrats, true, like crazy Bernie and Nancy Pelosi, opposed our decision to eliminate Soleimani, and to save American lives. That had a tremendous impact. While we’re proudly creating jobs and killing terrorists, Congressional Democrats are consumed with partisan rage, and obsessed with a deranged witch hunt hoax. You know, we’re having probably the best years that we’ve ever had in the history of our country, and I just got impeached. Can you believe these people? I got impeached. They impeached Trump. The best trade deals, the strongest military, I took care of the vets. We got choice. We got accountability for the vets, accountability. We got all these things and they impeach your President. No, that’s not going to work. Watch, just watch.

Donald Trump: (16:16)

They want to nullify your ballots, poison our democracy, and overthrow the entire system of government. That’s not happening, I can tell you that. Washington Democrats have spent the last three years trying to overturn the last election. Why am I not worried? I should worried. Remember Nixon, it was like a dark period, right? It’s a very dark period. It was like oh, you think about it. Right? With Clinton it was not good. They say that with Johnson, it was a long time ago, none of us remember, but they say it was a very dark period. This is a happy period for us. It’s a happy period. It’s a happy period because we call this impeachment light. This is light.

Donald Trump: (17:25)

Crazy Schiff. Shifty Schiff. He’s a sick puppy. He’s a sick puppy. But, you know what? Today you saw it, I hit my highest poll numbers since I got elected because the American people, and frankly, people all over the world, know it’s a hoax. They understand it. They know it’s a hoax, and we have a great party, the Republican party. They know what’s going on. They know what’s going on and they’re going to treat us very fairly. But, the Democrats are trying to overturn the last election. We will make sure that they face another crushing defeat in 2020.

Donald Trump: (18:14)

November 3, November 3, mark it off. November 3, mark it off. Was that a great day? 2016 November. Remember? He’s not going to do well with this group. I did well. He’s not going to do well with that group. I won that group. He’s not going to do well here or there. Even the exit polls, they took it right up. You know what they didn’t know about the exit polls? When people are leaving, they’re always very accurate. People leave. “Who you voted for?” “I voted for Trump.” “Who you voted for?” “I voted for crooked Hillary. I don’t care that she’s a stone cold crook. I’m voting for her.” Who are you voting for? I’m voting for Trump, or Clinton, or Trump. They’re always very accurate, but this time something happened.

Speaker 1: (19:02)

Hillary for prison.

Donald Trump: (19:03)

Many people, many… I like that idea. I like it. I like it. Wouldn’t we like to run against her. who’s tougher? Her, crazy Bernie, Biden, Buttigieg? Who would be the closest? Buttigieg. I don’t know. Maybe we take another crack at crazy Hillary. Would that be okay? She was so easy. Remember that speech so innocently given talking about deplorables. Remember? Remember deplorables? But you know the only thing I didn’t understand, I said, “That’s terrible.” But she said another word that was worse. Irredeemables. I said, “Boy,” shows you how good I am at politics, I said, “She’s in trouble. She said our people are irredeemable.” To me that was worse. Well, it wasn’t that word that caught on. It was deplorable. The next day I’m speaking, and women are walking around, I’m deplorable. Everyone’s got deplorable. I say, “I think she made a bad speech last night.” But irredeemable, remember? She called them deplorable and irredeemable, and me being so brilliant, I said, “I think that irredeemables going to get her.” No, deplorable got her. A lot her like lack of ability.

Donald Trump: (20:35)

Together we are going to win back the House. We are going to hold the Senate, and we are going to keep that beautiful, gorgeous, incredible White House. People don’t realize this is a lot of work. I just left Michigan, and Michigan is booming now because of me, meaning, my people. I say to Prime Minister Abe, he’s a friend of mine, “Shinzo,” Japan, “You got to do something. You got these massive deficits for our country. You got to open up plants in Michigan fast, Shinzo. Fast. You’ve got to do it.” “Yes, I will do it.” He’ll do it, and he’s doing it. Countries are coming in from all over the world. They’re going to Michigan. They’re coming to Iowa. They’re buying your stuff again, like crazy, like crazy.

Donald Trump: (21:37)

They’re going to Ohio. They’re going to Pennsylvania. They’re going to South Carolina. They’re going to North Carolina. They’re going to Florida. They’re coming in like never before. They’re all coming back. I ran on the issue trade. I ran on a lot of different issues, but trade was one of them. That was so big. To me, it was so big. I used to say, how do we allow these companies to close, fire everybody, go to another country? Mexico, wherever it may be, make product, sell the product into our country, pay no tax. Who the hell would allow this to happen? Who would allow to happen?

Donald Trump: (22:16)

It’s like in South Korea. I went to him, I said, “Listen, your deal is no good. We have to make a new deal.” South Korea, we’re protecting them all, all these different things. I said, “Number one, you’ve got to pay us more.” They agreed to. They gave us $500 million a year more. They said, “But nobody has ever asked.” They gave us 500. That’s nothing compared to what they have to do. That’s okay. That’s okay. They’ll pay more. But you know, they made a trade deal with the United States. Hillary Clinton was in charge of the deal, right? She said it’s going to produce 250,000 jobs, and she was right. 250,000. You know who it was for? For South Korea, not for us, it was for South Korea. So, we renegotiated the deal, if I have your permission, we renegotiated the deal and now we have a good deal with South Korea, okay?

Donald Trump: (23:04)

This deal is going to produce, remember… This deal is going to produce 250,000 jobs for South Korea. She didn’t lie. Can’t say she lied. She lies about a lot of other things, but she didn’t lie. How is she taking her defeat? Okay? I think so. Remember the debate? Do you promise if you lose that you will support the winner and I sort of, I didn’t exactly say yes. I didn’t say yes, in all fairness, but I got sort of like six the 68% there. But she said, “See he won’t.” She’s the one that doesn’t do it. No, no, I feel badly because it’s too late for her to get in. I kept hoping, but I think, honestly I think that sleepy Joe, crazy Bernie, I don’t even want to put Buttigieg in, but I think they’d actually be tougher than her.

Donald Trump: (24:07)

During this campaign season, the good people of Iowa have had a front row seat to the lunacy and the madness of the totally sick left. This is a radical left people that we’re dealing with. Today’s Democrat party, I don’t say Democratic party, it sounds so much better in a speech, right? Democratic party, the Democrat, but that’s not their name. It’s called the Democrat party. You know some people aren’t allowed to say the Democrat party because it doesn’t sound good. I don’t even like it. I don’t like the way it sounds in this speech, but I’m going to say it because I’m not looking to have them look good.

Donald Trump: (24:42)

Today’s Democrat party is run by left wing extremists who want to massively raise your taxes, increase regulations, cancel your health plans, raid Medicare, shut down American energy, destroy your social security, they will destroy your social security, eliminate religious liberty, punish free speech, confiscate your guns, abolish your borders, and indoctrinate America’s children with hateful, left-wing ideology. Other than that, they’re okay. Other than that, they’re fine people. In short, this election is a choice between American freedom and Democratic socialism, and in some cases, in my opinion, it’s worse than Socialism. Socialism’s a kind word by comparison. The Democrats will lose because America will never be a socialist country. We can’t. They’re all watching tonight. They’re sitting in their hotel room, little hotels right down the street, and they’re looking at this crowd. The press never talks about my crowds. Did you see in New Jersey a couple of nights ago? We had signups for 175,000 people. We had an arena that held about 9,000 people. We could have sold it out 15 times. Okay? They don’t talk about that. You know what they talk about? They said Donald Trump who spoke before a nice crowd. If Bernie or sleepy Joe has, I mean Joe had a crowd that was so small the other day that they set up a round table. No, it’s true. No, they were in a gymnasium. There were in a gymnasium, and they set up a round table, and people that went there to hear his speech are now being asked, “What do you think of socialism?” They just said, “I just want to be here to watch his speech.” They set up a round-

Donald Trump: (27:03)

They just said, “I just want to be here to watch a speech.” They set up a round table because the crowd was so small, and then they’ll say, “It was a brilliant round table. It was wonderful.” They never mention crowds. They never mention crowds. They never mention anything. I’ll tell you, U.S.M.C.A, The biggest trade deal ever signed in the history of the world. Okay? It is, wait. It barely got any mention. We signed it. It barely got any mention. They talk about the impeachment hoax. They talk about all the other stuff, but the trade deal, that is going to change our country. It’s going to bring growth. Wait until you see, toward the end of next year, the growth will be astronomical because of the China Trade Deal, the U.S.M.C.A, Japan, South Korea, Europe, when that happens. It will happen because they have no choice. They have no choice.

Donald Trump: (27:55)

But in the papers, and on the fake news cable shows, and the regular, look, NBC is horrible, the NBC Nightly News, it’s terrible. The good news is people don’t watch it like they used to, because they don’t believe in it. They don’t believe in it. And as Sean Hannity would say, MSDNC, you know what MSDNC is, right, so bad. CNN, total fake stuff. Oops, their camera just went off. Look! The camera just went off! CNN!

Donald Trump: (28:23)

Their camera just went off. That always happens whenever I say CNN, their camera goes off.

Donald Trump: (28:46)

But Americans, across the political spectrum, were disgusted by the Washington Democrats, the partisan hoaxes, the witch hunts, the con jobs. It’s all a con job. And so, they don’t love our country, I swear they don’t. You look at Nancy Pelosi’s district in San Francisco. It was so beautiful, and now it’s a disgrace, being watched all over the world. Needles all over the place, everything else all over the place. I’m not going to get into it, washing down into the ocean, washing down onto their beaches, people living in tents if they’re lucky. I mean you never saw anything, living on their most important entryways into what was a great city, San Francisco. What’s happened? And all she does is work on the hoax and work on all of the stuff.

Donald Trump: (29:38)

Really, these people are very, very bad for our country. We have to take back the House of Representatives, we have to.

Donald Trump: (29:53)

Registered Democrats and Independents are leaving the Democrat party in droves, and we are welcoming these people, and these great voters, to the Republican Party with wide, open arms.

Donald Trump: (30:11)

And we are thrilled to be joined tonight by a lot of your great leaders, a lot of your really wonderful people. I’m not going to mention all the names, because all those cameras that are rolling, they don’t like it when I do it, but one they don’t mind is Governor Kim Reynolds. Come up, Kim, come up here! Also first gentleman, Kevin Reynolds, Kevin!

Donald Trump: (30:48)

Kim, come on, come on.

Kim Reynolds: (30:55)

Do we love him! Do we love him? Are we going to win Iowa for President Trump? Yes! Four more years!

Speaker 2: (31:16)

Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

Kim Reynolds: (31:16)

You’re doing great.

Speaker 2: (31:16)

Four more years! Four more years!

Donald Trump: (31:16)

You want to say something?

Speaker 2: (31:16)

Four more years!

Kim Reynolds: (31:16)

No. On February 3rd, we are going to caucus. On November 3rd, we are going to vote. And on November 4th, we are going to celebrate four more years of President Trump!

Donald Trump: (31:40)

Great, great job. Thank you.

Donald Trump: (31:42)

Oh, she was driving me a little bit batty. She would call me up, Kim, you would call. “What about ethanol?” I said Kim, “I mean, I’m doing a lot for that place.”

Donald Trump: (31:53)

“No, no. We want ethanol.” Then, “we want biofuel.” Then she is asking for things I never even heard of, but we got them all, whatever that hell she wanted, we got. Right? And by the way, Joni Ernst and the great Chuck Grassley are right now in Washington fighting for fairness, fighting the hoax, fighting for all of us. They called, they said, “Do you mind if we don’t go tonight? We have to stay.” I said, “I don’t want you to be there. I want you to be where you are” because they are fighting for us. They are great people. They are great people.

Donald Trump: (32:33)

And, they would call too. Chuck Grassley, Joni Ernst, they would call, “We got to help our farmers, sir.”

Donald Trump: (32:40)

“Yes. Okay, we are going to help the farmer.” They were great. Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg. Thank you, Adam. Thank you, Adam. Great job, Adam. Speaker of the Iowa House of Representatives, a man with really fantastic genes, got to have like the best genes in the world. Although you had an ex-governor here that had very good genes, too. We have his son in the audience, too, but this is Representatives Pat Grassley. Those genes, those two young men have the greatest genes anyone has ever had for politics. Thank you, fellas, thanks. I sent one of them, the father to China, and he’s now Ambassador to China. Do you think he is happy? Is he happy? I think so. I think he is happy. Great Governor, longest serving Governor in history, actually, 24 years. We have the Chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa, Jeff Kaufmann. Great job.

Donald Trump: (34:01)

And just quickly, we have the world’s tallest campaign manager, Brad Parscale. And Republican National Committee Co-Chair, who has done an incredible job, Tommy Hicks. And we have the great negotiator, the great man, Bob Lighthizer with us here, someplace. Where’s Bob? What a job he did negotiating for you.

Donald Trump: (34:27)

And we have somebody that you never heard of, somebody that’s a fantastic person, but you never heard of, somebody named Sarah Sanders. Have you ever heard of her? Come here, Sarah! Come on! That’s pretty good! And we have a great football player, from Iowa, Matt Whitaker is here, Matt. Say something.

Sarah Sanders: (35:16)

Thank you. How much do we love this president?

Speaker 2: (35:19)

[inaudible]

Sarah Sanders: (35:26)

And Mr. President, how much do we love the state of Iowa, so much. This is an incredibly special place, I actually met my husband here in Des Moines, so I love being back in Iowa. It is an amazing place. We’re sorry you have had so many crazy, liberal Democrats running around here the last year. But the good news is, it’s not going to matter, because at the end of the day, this guy will still be our president.

Sarah Sanders: (35:56)

Thank you very much. God bless you.

Donald Trump: (36:02)

Thank you, Sarah. Very popular. She is a terrific person, great person. Thanks to Republican leadership, American now has the hottest economy anywhere on the Planet Earth, not even close. Every Prime Minister, President, King, Queen, Dictator, whatever you want to call them, they all say, “How did you do it?” And, the truth is we have certain advantages, but we also have a people advantage. We have the greatest people in the world. I really mean that.

Donald Trump: (36:34)

Since the election, we have created seven million new jobs. The average unemployment rate, under my administration, listen to this, is lower than any previous administration in the history of our country. Can you believe that? The lowest unemployment rate. African American, Hispanic American, and Asian American unemployment rates have reached the lowest levels ever recorded, think of that.

Donald Trump: (37:11)

More than two million millennials, you know what millennials are, young, great people with a lot of future, they have gotten jobs, and their wages have grown by nearly 5% annually. That’s a record.

Donald Trump: (37:28)

Another record is that between the ages of 25 and 34, people are now working, and that’s a record, the number of people, 25 to 34.

Donald Trump: (37:41)

And under the so-called Trump Economy, the lowest paid earners are reaping the fastest gains of any group. And that’s a great thing. This is a blue collar boom, and that’s a good thing too. That’s a good thing.

Donald Trump: (37:59)

Earnings for the bottom 10% are rising faster than earnings for the top 10% for the first time ever, for the first time ever.

Donald Trump: (38:10)

And median household income is at an all time high, just for one second, president Bush, eight years, $450. President Barack Hussein Obama, eight years, eight years, $975. President Donald John Trump, two and a half years, not three, because the numbers were taken at two and a half, now it’s actually higher. Two and a half years, including the tax cuts which are massive, and including all of the regulatory cuts, and the other things you have gotten, $10,000. Think of it.

Donald Trump: (38:54)

You have eight years, 450. Eight years, 975. Two and a half years, think of it, $10,000. It’s one of the reasons the economy is doing so well. And let the people down the road tell you about that, okay? Let them tell you about that. And those tractors that I told you to buy, your tractors will be 60 years old if they have anything to do with it. They will be 60 years old. They will be old, tired, exhausted. Your land will be exhausted. You will be exhausted.

Donald Trump: (39:26)

We’ve ended the war on American energy. The United States is now the number one producer of oil and natural gas anywhere on earth, by far. We are also proudly promoting American ethanol, and I recently approved E15 to be used all year round! Biofuel also, but the Socialist Democrats want to shut down American energy. They support Representative Ocasio-Cortez.

Speaker 2: (40:07)

Boo.

Donald Trump: (40:07)

It’s a real beauty. That’s a real beauty. That’s a beauty. I can’t even believe it, but I don’t want to knock it, because the Green New Deal, which would crush our farms, destroy our wonderful cows. I love cows. They want to kill our cows. You know why, right? You know why?

Speaker 2: (40:26)

Why?

Donald Trump: (40:28)

Don’t say it. They want to kill our cows. That means you are next. And they want to wipe out, totally, Iowa ethanol. They want to wipe it out. But we will never let that side get in, and by the way, that’s the least of it. But I don’t want to attack the Green New Deal, because they might change it.

Donald Trump: (40:51)

I said to her the other day, they said, “What do you think of the Green New Deal?” I said, “Well, it should be studied carefully. We should look at it, look at it closely. I don’t want to talk about until about two months before the election. And then I will tell you how totally insane it is.”

Donald Trump: (41:10)

How about this crazy Senator? How about this crazy, crazy Senator from Hawaii? They said, “I’m totally in favor,” not the smartest. She said, “I’m totally in favor of the Green New Deal.” Well, that would mean there’s no more airplanes. “Oh!” They started screaming at her in Hawaii, they said, “How the hell are we going to get to Hawaii?” They said, “We’re going to build a railroad.” She said that would be “the world’s longest track.” It’s the world’s longest. She doesn’t know that they don’t want airplanes anymore, and yet they fly around in brand new Gulfstreams, in brand new planes all over the place. They’re flying from place to place. They’re talking about the carbon footprint. “We’re going to destroy the carbon footprint! What time is my plane taking off, please?”

Donald Trump: (42:04)

To lift up forgotten communities, the Republican tax cut launched Opportunity Zones, jobs, and investment, and now rushing into over 60 newly… and this is incredible, brand, newly designated Opportunity Zones right here in Iowa alone. Rich people are investing vast amounts of money. Tim Scott, Senator Tim Scott, South Carolina, came into my office. He said, “I have an idea that I have wanted to do for years, but we have never had a president that could pull it off.” I said, “What is it, Tim?” And he talked about Opportunity Zones, first time I heard it. And we did it, and there is nothing, nobody has ever seen anything like it. Money is being poured into these communities that would have never been there. What’s happening is incredible. Opportunity Zones. Remember it.

Donald Trump: (42:51)

For decades, politicians ran for office, promising to protect American farmers and workers. You’ve heard it all your lives, right? But then, they went to Washington. They looked at those beautiful marble columns, and that gorgeous ceiling painted, and all that gold, the way they used to build the buildings, they don’t build them that way anymore. We could, but they just don’t know how. By the way, we’re building the wall. You know the wall is over a hundred miles long. It’s over a hundred miles long already and moving fast.

Donald Trump: (43:25)

They went to Washington and they sold you out. That’s what happened. They sold your jobs out. They sold everything out. Globalist politicians allowed other countries to raid our factories, ravage our farms, rob our workers, and ransack our communities. But the era of economic surrender is over, because now we are finally putting America first, America first.

Speaker 2: (44:10)

U.S.A. U.S.A. U.S.A. U.S.A. U.S.A. U.S.A. U.S.A. U.S.A.

Donald Trump: (44:10)

Before I took office, Washington looked the other way, while China stole our secrets from American agriculture. Your business, what they do scientifically, nobody understands what they have done to a seed. It doesn’t sound complicated. It is genius, what they have been able to do, what you have been able to do. But those secrets were being stolen, stolen. And installed massive barriers to your exports. You couldn’t do anything with exports, so people, not only China, many, many other places were stealing your secrets.

Donald Trump: (44:42)

Our new agreement with China will protect our intellectual property and pry open vast new markets for American beef, pork, poultry, seafood, soybeans, rice, dairy, and much, much more.

Speaker 3: (44:54)

I love you Donald Trump!

Donald Trump: (45:03)

But you know it is true. China is so big. 1.5 billion people. We have 350. 1.5 billion people, think of that, and we are just touching it. This deal will be so big. If it all works out, and you have the best product, the best product in the world, if it all works out, it will just keep expanding. 250 billion will end up being much, much more than that.

Donald Trump: (45:35)

And, I’ve told this story before, when we were signing, we were almost finished and I said, “How much are the farmers getting?” Meaning how much are they going to purchase from the farmers. And Ambassador Lighthizer said, “We put 20 billion, sir. The highest ever was 16, so we made it 20.” I said “Make it 50.” They said, “What?” And then people, even farm people, said, “Sir, we can’t produce that much.” I said, “That’s a good problem, not a bad problem.” I said, “Make it 50,” so we now have, in the contract, from 40 to $50 billion worth of purchase.” Make it 50, make it 50! Right, Jared? I said, “Jared, you better make it 50.”

Donald Trump: (46:23)

I want those farmers to come back, say, “Sir, sir, we can’t do it. We can’t produce that much, sir, what are you doing to us?” I don’t think that would ever happen? Do you think that would ever, I said they will figure a way. He’s going “Absolutely not.” Nah, I said, “Don’t make it 20, make it 50.”

Donald Trump: (46:40)

The U.S.M.C.A. is another colossal victory for American agriculture like you have never had before. It’s time. We suffered for a year and a half, almost two years. Think of it, but not really because I was able to give you those, I won’t call them subsidies. I made that mistake once with the farmers. I said to this group of farmers that came in, “Subsidy.” I used the word subsidy. That was the worst word, “Sir, we don’t watch subsidy! Please don’t ever use that word.” I said, “I won’t, I promise.”

Speaker 3: (47:04)

Amen!

Donald Trump: (47:06)

But we helped. And it will increase total agriculture exports by more than $2 billion annually. Think of that, including the huge dairy in Iowa, dairy, pork and poultry alone, so two billion just in those small [inaudible 00:47:23]. Just in that small, little grouping where you were doing nothing. It’s called promises made, promises kept. Promises met.

Donald Trump: (47:42)

The last time I came, I never did this before, I never ran, so they all said, “You never ran before. You can’t do this if you never ran,” so whatever happened, it happened. One by one, they started dropping out, right? And then I was left with one, Hillary Clinton, and that worked out very nicely. “He cannot get to 270,” remember? 270, electoral college. “He cannot get to 270.”

Donald Trump: (48:10)

I went to Maine. It’s true, Maine, too. It’s got one point, right, one. I went there a lot, many times. Everyone said, well, they kept getting me, maybe if I have a great night, 269, but 269 loses. Right? But we got 306 to 223. 306, 223, so they were right, “You cannot get to 270, you can get to 306,” but not that there is…

Donald Trump: (48:44)

In the eight years before my election, net farm income plummeted by 20%, you know that. If you look at a chart, for 15 years actually, not eight, for 15 years, it’s like a roller coaster ride down for the farmer. Soybeans. Take a look at it all. It was just a one way street. Everybody was ripping off the American farmer. Now you’re going to see numbers that are going to be great. Look at even what’s happened recently. It’s incredible what’s going on and I love it, because you deserve it. You suffered a lot, with people that were stupid. They were stupid! Under three years of my administration, net farm income has already gone up nearly 50% and will now be rising even faster. What are you going to do? You are going to vote for Bernie? You are going to vote for Bernie?

Donald Trump: (49:37)

Here I am on the debate stage, “Well, net income has gone up for the farmers 50%.” Tell me, how the hell do I lose this debate? How do I lose? And based on the polls, I guess I’m not going to lose in this state. I don’t think I will lose in any other state either. Because this is really true all over the country. This is happening all over the country, not just Iowa.

Donald Trump: (50:02)

On no issue have Washington Democrats more thoroughly betrayed the American people than on immigration. Illegal immigration costs our nation hundreds of billions of dollars, drains public services, overcrowds our schools and hospitals, and threatens innocent American lives at a number that you wouldn’t even believe. But we have got it closed up, but we’re getting your people in. You have people that have worked for you for a long time, don’t you? I know who the people that you have, and they are hard workers. We have a lot of great people. You have a lot of great people out there. Right here in Des Moines, a twice deported, illegal alien was charged with shooting and killing a woman, her 11-year-old daughter, and her five-year-old son.

Donald Trump: (50:45)

In this region of the county alone, last year, ICE officers arrested nearly 4,000 illegal aliens charged or convicted of heinous crimes, including robbery, rape, and murder.

Donald Trump: (50:58)

Yet today’s Democrat Party glorifies illegal immigration. We have no idea, now we do now, but people would come in by the hundreds of thousands. We have no idea who they are. Many are fine people and all of that, but some are stone cold rapists, and murderers, and people that their countries don’t want, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and even Mexico. Right now we have a love affair with Mexico because the Democrats, the Democrats wouldn’t give us what we needed and I got Mexico, they’re great. They put up 27,000 soldiers on our Southern border and the numbers are plummeting, 87% down.

Donald Trump: (51:47)

The president of Mexico is doing a great job. And we ended Catch and Release. You think that was easy? Catch and Release, you know what Catch and Release is? You catch a criminal, you take the number, and you release him into the, they would never come back. We say, come back please in three years, this is a Democrat deal. Come back if you don’t mind, in three years. We release them into our country. We totally ended it through a very, very slick group of rules. Catch and Release. May we please have your address and your phone number? “Here it is!”

Donald Trump: (52:24)

“What have you done?”

Donald Trump: (52:26)

“I got out of jail.”

Donald Trump: (52:28)

“Oh, well, welcome to the United States. Please, we have a little information. Okay, and now we’re going to release you, and in three and a half years, we schedule a court appearance for you.” Do you believe, this is the only country in the world. They catch somebody on the border. You’re supposed to be Perry Mason. You take them to court. Other countries catch somebody at the border. They say, ” Sorry, you got to get out.” We say, “Oh, may we have your information? We’re taking you to court.” Man.

Donald Trump: (52:57)

Today’s Democrat Party glorifies illegal immigration, vilifies the heroes of law enforcement, and pledges to dissolve immigration control entirely. They want open borders. They want hundreds of thousands of people to flow into our country. And some of those people, some of those people are stone cold killers. Some of those people, in the caravans, right? I came up with that name but they won’t give me credit for that. They don’t give me credit for anything. They don’t give me credit for fake news. Wasn’t that my term? Now they say, I see CNN, they said, “Fake news has reported,” no, no, you are fake news, that fake news is you. You are fake news.

Donald Trump: (53:43)

They turned the term around. They are reporting that fake news is reporting their fake news. Left wing politicians even support deadly sanctuary cities that release criminal aliens directly into American communities. We don’t want them. In New York City, the Mayor’s Sanctuary Policy recently forced the release of a-

Donald Trump: (54:03)

… the mayor’s sanctuary policy recently forced the release of a criminal illegal alien charged with assault. After being set free the same criminal raped, brutalized and murdered a 92 year old woman. They wouldn’t give him to the ICE warriors. Their warriors. They’re tough and they love our country. They’re very tough and they love our country. They’re taking MS-13 gang members … They’re about as tough as you get, they’re taking them out of our country by the thousands. By the thousands. That’s a tough job but they love to do it. They love our country.

Donald Trump: (54:43)

Sanctuary city policies aren’t just wrong, they’re immoral, and they’re lethal, and they really are something that has to be stopped. They have to be stopped now. What’s happening is a disgrace.

Donald Trump: (54:57)

Thankfully here in Iowa your great Republican governor, sometimes referred to as Governor Reynolds, signed a state-wide ban on sanctuary cities. Thank you Kim. That is why we need to elect more Republicans nationwide, to end sanctuary cities in all 50 states. Thank you Kim Reynolds. You know I endorsed her, so I want to take full credit for the job she has done. I endorsed her very early, right? Very early I endorsed her. I know talent. She’s done a great job.

Donald Trump: (55:44)

Democrats stand for crime, corruption, and chaos. Republicans stand for law, order, and justice. It’s true. We are finding the illegal game members, drug dealers, predators, and we are throwing them the hell out of our country, ideally. We don’t want to put them in prison because you know what? We got to pay for them for the next 50 years, but sometimes we have to. If they’re too dangerous we have no choice.

Donald Trump: (56:15)

Thanks to our tireless efforts to secure the border we have reduced illegal border crossings seven straight months in a row, and they’re getting lower, and lower. Shockingly, as that wall gets longer, the crossings get less. Remember the Democrats? “You don’t need a wall. You don’t need a wall. You don’t need it.” Seven years they all voted for it, they just didn’t have the ability to build it. You know it’s not easy with land, and this, and that, and property, and rights. They couldn’t figure it out but I can figure it out. The problem was we couldn’t get the money, but we got all the money we need now. We have everything. We have everything. The last time, this last budget, they didn’t really fight us on the wall. You know why? Because they learned it’s a really bad issue for them. It’s a really bad issue. But I made one mistake with the wall. I should have said, “We will never ever build a wall.” They would have given me so much money to build a wall. That was my only … Because I used to go, “We will build the wall,” right? That was a mistake. I should have said, “We will never ever build it. Under no circumstances,” and they would have forced its building and I would have said, “Okay.”

Donald Trump: (57:39)

By the way, in all due respect, you know who’s going to pay for the wall, right? No, no, they play … The fake news plays. No, no, through remittance illegal aliens from Mexico are going to pay for the call. That’s what it is. Remittance. 100% because when I say something I mean it. I said I was going to build a wall.

Donald Trump: (58:03)

You think it’s easy when you have a party that controls the House, you got to end that. You got to end that. They said they picked up the House in ’18 but I didn’t run in ’18. You know the big difference when you run, ’16 I ran, ’18 I didn’t run. They did, they picked up some seats. I didn’t run, but I’m running this time and we’ve got to take back the House. Kevin McCarthy will be a great Speaker of the House. Kevin McCarthy will be a great Speaker, watch.

Donald Trump: (58:33)

But getting something built when you have a party that controls one of the three, getting it built is … Honestly I don’t want to brag, nobody else could have done it. Nobody else could have done it. It’s The Real Deal wall. It’s the wall that border security wanted. Remember I thought I could just build concrete slabs? They didn’t want that because you have to be able to see through. I said, “Oh come on.” This is the expensive version. This is the best version. This is steel, and concrete, and rebar in between. It’s really something.

Donald Trump: (59:08)

Did you see the other day where drug dealers got caught at the top? They couldn’t get over. We had to get the fire department to get them down. They couldn’t get over and they’re like mountain climbers. They got used to climbing. They got caught because you know that panel? That’s an anti-climb panel. It’s very hot and very tough. It’s a very hard panel to climb, the panel on top. Sometimes I’d say, “I’d rather do without that panel,” because I’m a very visual person. They said, “Sir that’s anti-climb panel.” I said, “Oh it is? Okay, let’s put it on. To hell with it.” It’s true. Anti-climb panel.

Donald Trump: (59:45)

The wall is the top of the line. That’s what they wanted. Mostly 30 feet tall. That’s very tall. That’s maximum. It’s really doing a big trick. A lot … Wherever we have it … 100 miles is all of a sudden a lot, but where you have that it’s incredible. 99.9%, especially when we’re watching it. We’re watching the sections.

Donald Trump: (01:00:05)

Illegal crossings now are down 75% since last spring. The powerful border wall was starting to set. I mean pretty soon we’ll be setting records in speed. It’s going up very rapidly. Very rapidly. You’re seeing it all over and it’s going to be really something. Look, it would be nice if we didn’t have to have it. It would be great, but we have to have it. They said, “Oh we could have drones.” Oh what are you going to do with drones flying around? When people are going through your border with nowhere … They’re going to have drones flying around. They know because they were all for it. They were all for it. Now all of a sudden they’re against, but they want drones. Well we’re going to have drones too but the drones are policing the wall.

Donald Trump: (01:00:49)

In terms of human trafficking, people don’t even talk about it. Because of the internet, sadly, the worst in the history of our world. All over the world. Trafficking in women and children all over the world. All over the world. The worst it’s ever been, but when we have this border it makes it very, very tough for them to come into the United States with women and with children stuffed in trunks in the back of a car.

Donald Trump: (01:01:20)

The Washington Democrats have never been more extreme. 132 congressional Democrats have signed up for Bernie Sanders’ government healthcare takeover bill. It’s a takeover of your healthcare that would strip all of those 180,000 million great Americans of your private coverage. You want that. You got great deals. You’re able to negotiate, you’re able to keep your doctor, keep your area, keep your hospitals, keep everything that you wanted. Now they want to take it away. Report to an operating room when you have a cold, okay? In your local hospital. I don’t think so. 180,000 million people, but I’m not going to knock it because I want Bernie to bring it right up to the end and we’ll debate it the day before the election. Okay? We are saving your healthcare while Socialist Democrats are trying to take away your healthcare.

Donald Trump: (01:02:14)

Sleepy Joe has no idea what he’s even … He doesn’t even know what he’s talking about. He’s so lost. Honestly, that poor guys is so lost. They talk healthcare, she said, “It’s over for him.” It was over for him, actually if you knew him, a long time ago. Now it’s really over.

Donald Trump: (01:02:31)

We are making healthcare better and cheaper. We got rid of the individual mandate, the most unpopular thing, which essentially killed Obamacare. We are protecting people with pre-existing conditions and we always will, the Republican party. We’re stopping surprise medical billing and making everything totally transparent. I signed it already. Everything now is going to transparencies, where hospitals, doctors, everybody has to tell you how much things are costing. Watch those prices come down. Right? Right?

Donald Trump: (01:03:17)

I have an expert on healthcare. He said transparency because it’s a big deal. It’s a big deal. Nobody else would have gotten it done, that I can tell you. Transparency is bigger than healthcare because you will see prices tumbling like you wouldn’t believe. People go in for a blood test, they get charged $2,700. Down the road they get the same test for $57. The same exact test. Maybe it’s better. Maybe it’s better. It’s crazy. When you have transparency it’s all going to come. You watch. You watch. But this person, a real expert, said, “This is bigger than healthcare,” and I got it done. Unfortunately it won’t really start kicking in until after the election because it takes a period of time. They have certain statutory requirements, et cetera.

Donald Trump: (01:04:02)

Well you better let me win. Can you imagine? Can you imagine? I did transparency, I took the guts, I did transparency and then I’m going to watch as somebody else says, “Didn’t he do a great job for transparency?” You better let me win because I want the credit for that one.

Donald Trump: (01:04:19)

We’re buying cheaper drugs from other countries and approving more generic drugs than ever, ever, ever before. We are defending your right to keep the doctor. We are defending your right to keep your plan. Remember Obama 28 times, “You can keep your doctor. You can keep your doctor”? 28. “You can also keep your plan. You can keep it. You can keep it.” 28 times he lied. We should impeach him. No, he got it on a lie. He got it on a lie, but we’ve run it much better. But essentially it’s totally different because of individual mandate. Because that really took the guts out of it and we’re running it much better.

Donald Trump: (01:05:04)

I had a choice, do we run it well or do we run it poorly? If we run it poorly everyone’s going to blame me. If we run it well everyone’s going to give him credit, especially the fakers back there right? But you know what? We got to run it well but we’re coming up with a healthcare that if we win the House we will have the best healthcare of any country in the world, by far.

Donald Trump: (01:05:29)

We’re fighting the lobbyists and we’re fighting the special interest, in case you didn’t notice. We are serving only you. Thanks to our bold reforms we’re now offering health plans that are 60% cheaper than Obamacare. We’re offering a lot of different things. We have just passed, recently, 10 months ago, Right to Try. I love Right to Try.

Donald Trump: (01:05:52)

You know what that is? That’s people are terminally ill and they can’t use medicine because … They’ve been trying to pass this, almost for 50 years. You can’t use the medicine. We have the greatest doctors, labs, hospitals in the world. They come up with a medicine but it has to go through the FDA procedure, right? You can’t do anything. You can’t use it. They won’t let you use it. Now I have you sign an agreement, you’re not going to sue the United States, you’re not going to this, your family, et cetera, et cetera. Very simple. And they can use it. You have no idea the results that are taking place. You have no idea. You have no idea the results. People’s lives are being …

Donald Trump: (01:06:35)

For me it was simple. I said, “Wait a minute, you’re worried about hurting somebody? These people are dying. They’re terminally ill. They’re admitting they’re terminally ill and you won’t let them use a drug that may work? Let the use the drug.” And we’re letting them use the drug and it’s working in a lot of cases.

Donald Trump: (01:06:57)

We have transformed veterans healthcare, including VA Choice. The best. You know I think I’m a totally brilliant human being. I think I’m the smartest person, so I came up with a plan. I’ll never forget, I was in New Hampshire, I came up with this idea because everybody kept coming up to me and saying, “Sir it’s really terrible what’s happening with healthcare. We’re waiting in line for two weeks, for four weeks, for seven weeks.” Honestly people were waiting in line, they weren’t very sick, they were terminally ill, truthfully, before they saw a doctor. By the time they got to the doctor. So I came up with this incredible plan. Only I could think of this. I said, “Here’s what you do … Here’s what you do, if somebody can’t get a doctor quickly,” because we have great doctors at the VA. They don’t get enough credit. “If you can’t get to a doctor quickly you go outside, you go locally, you get a doctor, we pay the bill, you get yourself all better.” Right?

Donald Trump: (01:07:50)

So I went back. I went back and I told my people, “Do you have any idea how smart I am? Listen to this plan I have.” They said, “Actually sir we’ve known about that plan for 52 years we just couldn’t get it approved.” So I said, “Oh that’s too bad, I thought it was brilliant,” but what I am good at is getting things approved and I got it approved. People are using it and it’s great.

Donald Trump: (01:08:19)

I know the people of Iowa don’t care about this but we are making substantial investments in rural healthcare. We are combating the opioid epidemic. Drug overdose deaths have declined for the first time in nearly 31 years. That’s a great thing. Our great first lady is helping us with that. That is such a big thing for Melania. Big, big thing. She is really involved.

Donald Trump: (01:08:51)

We will never let the Democrats give away your healthcare to illegal immigrants, especially when we say, “Come in. Come in, we’ll give you healthcare.” It’s one thing they come in and it’s a rough situation because we all have hearts but when people are saying, like in California this wacky governor he says, “Come in, we’re going to give you healthcare. We’re going to give you free education. We’re going to give you everything. We’re going to give you a beautiful Rolls-Royce.” See to show you how fake they are one of the newscasters said, “Donald Trump said that the governor of California promised a Rolls-Royce to illegal immigrants. He didn’t promise them. This was a lie and a misrepresentation by President Trump.” They can’t take a little humor. They can’t take it. These people are sick. They’re sick. No. They’re sick people.

Donald Trump: (01:09:51)

Them and Shifty Schiff is a very sick person. He lies awake at night shifting and turning, Shifty. Shifting and turning in his bed, sweating like a dog. “How am I going to get him? He didn’t do anything wrong, how am I going to get him?” Oh what a sick guy he is.

Donald Trump: (01:10:09)

Virtually every top Democrat also now supports late-term abortion. Ripping babies straight from the mother’s womb. Right up until the moment of birth. That is why I have asked Congress to prohibit extreme late-term abortion because Republicans believe that every child is a sacred gift from God. Democrats are now the party of high taxes, high crime, open borders, late-term abortion, Socialism, and blatant corruption. No matter how you cut it, that’s what it is. The Republican party is the party of the American worker, the American family, the American dream, and the late great Abraham Lincoln. You know that, right? Abraham Lincoln. Honest Abe.

Donald Trump: (01:11:17)

Remember I always said, “I can be more presidential than any other past president, other than perhaps Abraham Lincoln when he’s wearing the hat,” right? Because it’s easy to be presidential but only have about three people in front of me. Be a, “Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Is everything okay in Iowa? Oh I see, the world is ripping you off. Well there’s not a thing I can do about that. Thank you. Good night everybody. Good night.” No, we got to do it the right way. Republicans …

Donald Trump: (01:11:52)

And by the way, can I be honest? Doing this takes far more talent than doing that. Doing that is very easy. This is not easy. Especially when you just left Michigan, and you just left other places, and you got maniacs doing a number on you all the time for three years. You got the maniacs for three years. I think before I came down the escalator with our future first lady I think really they were doing it then. They started even before I came down on the escalator. These people are maniacs, so you have all that. So you’re fighting that and you’re doing farm bills.

Donald Trump: (01:12:28)

We got your farm bill approved by the way. We got your farm bill approved. I don’t even mention that because that’s massive by any other standard, but it’s peanuts compared to the USMCA and the China deal, right? So I don’t even mention it.

Donald Trump: (01:12:41)

Anyway, Republicans are fighting for citizens from every background and from every race, religion, color, and creed. It’s true. Our numbers with African American workers, people, are through the roof. Are through the roof because … Remember I used to say, “What do you have to lose?” I’d read the down the worst on crime, the worst on education. They got this, they got that, they got 10 different things, all horrible. One day I’m in front of this tremendous group of people and I’m reading this list, African American, they have the highest crime rate, they have the highest this, they have the worst education, they have the worst schools, they have the worst … I said, “Stay with me,” because they were with the Democrats for a hundred years, more. I said, “Stay with me. What the hell do you have to lose?”

Donald Trump: (01:13:33)

You know what? You know what? Remember that? Now they have the best employment and unemployment numbers, they have the best poverty numbers, they have numbers that nobody would believe. They’re doing so great. It’s so great to see it. It’s incredible. Youth unemployment, African American youth. It’s been great.

Donald Trump: (01:13:58)

We’re asking all Americans to join our incredible movement. We are a big tent and a big party with big, bold, beautiful ideas for the future. We’re what the country was based on originally. It was called greatness. It was called greatness.

Donald Trump: (01:14:21)

During National School Choice Week, School Choice everybody, we continue our fight to rescue children trapped in failing government schools. Iowa became one of the first states to pass School Choice. That was over 10 years ago. Now Governor Reynolds, Senator Ernst, Senator Grassley, and more than 100 members of Congress are supporting our plan to give School Choice to every child in America who needs it. It’s a great plan.

Donald Trump: (01:14:52)

To give former prisoners a second chance at life we passed criminal justice reform. Think of that. Think of that. We had a lot of great Conservatives who wanted it, we had Liberals who wanted it. They couldn’t get it passed. President Obama couldn’t even come close. He didn’t try too hard. He talked like, “Oh I’ll try.”

Donald Trump: (01:15:15)

To uphold the rule of law we have confirmed 191 federal judges, a record, who will interpret The Constitution as one. And two great Supreme Court justices, by the way. As part as … Right? Two great ones.

Donald Trump: (01:15:39)

As part of my commitment to rebuild our military we secured an $8.5 million facility to support our Iowa Guardsmen at Camp Dodge, right here in Des Moines, Iowa. Right here, Camp Dodge. Camp Dodge everybody. We take care of Camp Dodge.

Donald Trump: (01:16:01)

I recognized Israel’s true capital and opened the American Embassy in Jerusalem. We recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Yesterday we just released a historic new plan for peace. We’re going to see if we can get that done. It’s one of the toughest deals of all. One of the toughest deals but we have a shot at it.

Donald Trump: (01:16:29)

For years you watched as your politicians apologized for our country. They apologized. They would say, “I’m sorry.” Now you have a president who is standing up for America and we are standing up for the great people of Iowa. We are standing up for Iowa.

Donald Trump: (01:16:50)

At stake in our present battle is the survival, frankly, of our nation. Look, I can make this speech really short. All I have to do is say, “Hello Iowa, you have no choice. You have to vote for me. Otherwise everything that you’ve built in your entire life will be gone. Goodbye Iowa, have a good time.” Instead I work my ass off up here, okay? Yeah. True. Do you think this is easy? It’s a little hot in this room. This room wasn’t designed for this many people.

Donald Trump: (01:17:33)

If you want your children to inherit the blessings that generations of Americans have fought and died for then we must devote everything we have toward victory in November of 2020. We have to.

Donald Trump: (01:17:51)

By the way, for those beautiful farmers that want to leave your small farms or businesses to your children … Because of our great tax bill, the biggest tax cut in the history of our country, the biggest that you benefit by. Because of that there is no death tax or inheritance tax, as they call it. So I always say, “If you love your children that’s a great thing. If you don’t love your children don’t leave it to them and that particular tax won’t matter,” but if you love … Is there anybody here that does not love your children? Is there anybody here who loves your children? Well it’s Iowa. It’s Iowa. You love your children. You know you have no tax to pay, you leave your …

Donald Trump: (01:18:43)

In the old days, meaning before Trump, what would happen? You’d leave your farm, they’d assess your farm for a massive amount that kids would go out to a bank, they’d borrow money up to their eyeballs and they’d end up losing the farm. Now you can leave your farm … And they did that to pay the tax. Now you can leave your farm, you don’t pay inheritance tax or [inaudible 01:19:03]. No, it’s great. So when you’re looking down at your children you’re saying, “Oh did you get lucky? Did you get lucky? Look at them, they’re enjoying life.”

Donald Trump: (01:19:19)

But only this way can we save the America we love and drain the Washington swamp once and for all. That swamp is bad. That swamp is bad. I had no idea it was going to be this sick and this degenerated. It’s a degenerate swamp. I had no idea. When I came out, I said, “We’re going to drain this swamp.” I had no idea that the swamp was that evil, but we’re winning. We’re winning because we’re in The White House. We’re winning.

Donald Trump: (01:19:49)

With your help we will lift millions more of our citizens from welfare to work, dependents to independents, and poverty to prosperity. That’s what’s happening all over our country. Together we will elect a Republican Congress to create a fair, safe, sane, and lawful system of immigration. It’s already happening. We will continue to enact new trade deals that result in more products made, raised, farmed, and grown right here in the USA. We will achieve new breakthroughs in science and medicine. Finding new cures for childhood cancer and ending the AIDS epidemic in America in less than 10 years. We’ve already started.

Donald Trump: (00:00)

Should have been started in the last administration. Incredible. Should have been started earlier, but we started. In less than 10 years, the AIDS epidemic will be eradicated, will be gone. Who would have thought that was possible? When they came in and told me that a couple of years ago, I said, “Really? Nobody knows that.” Incredible the strides that we’ve made.

Donald Trump: (00:26)

We will defend privacy, free speech, religious liberty and the right to keep and bear arms. In the state of Virginia they want to take your guns away, you believe it? Virginia, I love Virginia. Of all states, they want to take your guns away. The Democrats. Not going to happen.

Donald Trump: (01:00)

Above all, we will never stop fighting for the sacred values that bind us together as one America. We are one great America. We support, protect, and defend the constitution of the United States. We stand with the incredible heroes of law enforcement. We believe in the dignity of work and the sanctity of life. We believe that family and faith, not government bureaucracy, are the true American way, not government bureaucracy. We believe that children should be taught to love our country, honor our history, and to always respect our great American flag. And we live by the words of our national motto, in God we trust. We live by those words, in God we trust.

Donald Trump: (02:05)

From Cambridge, good old Cambridge. Who’s from Cambridge here please? Cambridge. What the hell do I mention it for when there’s two people here? Can I say it anyway? I’ll say it anyway. Good place Cambridge. Good, he said it’s amazing. Well, from Cambridge to Council Bluffs, from Cedar Rapids where I made my last speech prior to the election. What a place, 32,000 people. I said, “I’m going to win tomorrow.” To Rock Rapids, from Melbourne to Moorhead, and from Davenport to right here in Des Moines, Iowa. We stand on the shoulders of true red blooded American heroes.

Donald Trump: (02:54)

This great state was founded by tough, tough, tough frontier men. These are tough people. Let’s see how big and how tough. They’re tough. Anybody like to join ICE? You want to join ICE? He says, “No thank you.” And strong pioneer women who defied the dangers to carve out a life and a beautiful home with great families and great neighbors. They tamed the wilderness, braved the elements, tilled the soil, planted the fields and help make this the greatest nation ever to exist on the face of the earth and we are making it greater and greater every single day.

Donald Trump: (03:54)

Proud citizens like you helped to build this country and together we are taking back our country. We are returning power to you, the American people, where it has always belonged. It’s coming back to you, you see that. With your help, your devotion and your drive we are going to keep on working and we are going to keep on fighting and we are going to keep on winning, winning, winning. We are one movement, one people, one family and one glorious nation under God. America is thriving like never before and ladies and gentlemen, and especially the great ladies and gentlemen of Iowa, the best is yet to come. True, true. Because together we will make America wealthy again. We will make America strong again. We will make America proud again. We will make America safe again and we will make America great again. Thank you, Iowa. Thank you. Thank you.

"On October 1st 2016 Donald Trump again questioned the integrity of the nation's voting system.

The US Republican presidential nominee warned his supporters to keep a close eye on polling places after they vote next month - especially in ""certain areas.""

Trump made the comments on during a rally in Manheim, Pennsylvania.

He said, ""We can't lose an election because of, you know what I'm talking about,"" before adding: ""A lot of bad things happen. I don't want to lose for that reason.""

Trump has repeatedly suggested that only election fraud could stop him from becoming president.

There has never been evidence of widespread voting fraud in the United States.

***

The Republican presidential candidate said that in private business, he ""brilliantly used those laws"" to ""pay as little tax as legally possible"" during turbulent economic times.

But added that he now intends to use his tax law expertise to ""fix"" the complexity of those laws.

He spoke in the wake of a New York Times report that said he reported losing more than 900 million US dollars, which legally could have helped him avoid paying taxes for nearly two decades.

He did not say the article was correct, and did not dispute it.

***

US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump blurted out lewd and sexually charged comments about women as he waited to make a cameo appearance on a soap opera in 2005.

The Republican presidential nominee issued a rare apology on Friday.

Trump bragged about kissing, groping and trying to have sex with women on audio and video recordings obtained by The Washington Post and NBC News.

In a conversation with Billy Bush, then a host of the television show ""Access Hollywood, the celebrity businessman boasted: ""When you're a star, they let you do it.""

The remarks were caught by a live microphone that Trump didn't appear to know was recording their conversation.

In a statement released by his campaign, Trump said: ""This was locker room banter, a private conversation that took place many years ago. Bill Clinton has said far worse to me on the golf course - not even close. I apologise if anyone was offended.""

***

About half a dozen people gathered at a downtown square and displayed the pinata, which was holding a banner reading ""Let's build bridges, not walls. Let's stop Donald Trump.""

The group of protesters, smaller than the number of reporters covering the event, later hung the pinata and hit it several times with a stick before burning it.

In Mexico, pinatas represent evil and to overcome it, one must break the pinata, which rewards you with candy stuffed inside at the end.

***

About 200 women, dressed in black, sat on the sidewalk outside Trump Tower during a protest in New York City on October 18th.

Organisers say the sit-in, which emphasised the concerns of women and immigrants, was one of many protests being held nationwide against Republican US presidential nominee Donald Trump.

The demonstration lasted about a half-hour.

Police stood by but did not intervene.

Trump both owns and lives in Trump Tower - and also coordinates his presidential campaign from there.

He was scheduled for appearances in Colorado on October 18th.

***

US presidential hopeful Donald Trump on October 20th mocked his much-derided comment at the presidential debate that he might not accept the results of the election.

Trump kicked off a rally in Delaware, Ohio, by saying that he ""would like to promise and pledge to all of my voters and supports and to all of the people of the United States that I will totally accept the results of this great and historic presidential election.""

But he added: ""If I win.""

Trump is continuing to raise concerns about the integrity of the election, despite a lack of evidence of widespread voter fraud in the country.

***

Democratic US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has rebuked Donald Trump for refusing to say he'll respect the outcome of the upcoming election, saying that her Republican rival is now attacking ""democracy itself.""

Speaking in Florida on October 25th, Clinton said she has ""serious doubts"" about whether Trump understands the meaning of the president's oath of office to ""preserve, protect and defend the constitution.""

The former Secretary of State said that Trump is ""attacking everything that has set our country apart for 240 years.""

She pointed to his refusal at the final presidential debate to commit to conceding the race if he loses.

During the rally, the crowd broke into a spontaneous singing of ""Happy Birthday"" ahead of Clinton's 69th birthday on October 26th.

***

President Barack Obama is unloading on Donald Trump in battleground North Carolina and is suggesting to voters there that ""the republic is at risk"" if the GOP nominee makes it to the White House.

Obama told the Chapel Hill crowd Hillary Clinton is a ""steady ... tough"" and well-prepared for the job. He said Trump doesn't have the character for the job.

The president said Trump has many supporters who see him as ""their voice."" But he argued that Trump has never cared about working people. Obama also cited Trump's litany of boorish comments about women, his mockery of Republican Sen. John McCain's status as a war hero and his spat with the family of a Muslim soldier killed in Iraq.

***

US Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton arrived at a Chappaqua, New York polling station to cast her ballot on November 8th.

Clinton arrived with her husband, former US President Bill Clinton to the polling station where voters snapped photos and cheered as Clinton cast her paper ballot.

***

President Barack Obama has met with President-elect Donald Trump at the White House on November 10th.

Obama said that they had an ""excellent"" and ""wide-ranging"" conversation.

Obama met with Trump in the Oval Office for more than an hour to discuss the transition of power.

Obama said he was encouraged by Trump's wanting to work with his team on issues facing the country. He said it's important for all ""to now come together.""

Later, Trump will go to Capitol Hill to talk with congressional leaders about the Republicans' legislative agenda for 2017.

***

Stephen Bannon, a leading force of the far-right, a media mogul and professional provocateur, a man who made a career out of roiling the establishment from the outside, just landed squarely on the inside.

Donald Trump's pick for chief strategist and senior counselor signals the president-elect has no intention of abandoning his brash, outsider instincts as he puts together his new government.

Trump didn't give Bannon the top White House job - that went to Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus.

Still, Trump made clear on Sunday that a man many credit with righting the businessman's campaign - and one others accuse of amplifying a bigoted fringe - would have a plum position in the West Wing.

Bannon joined Trump's election team as chief executive late in the campaign, following the departure of Trump's second campaign team in August.

He quickly became a member of Trump's inner circle, frequently traveling with the candidate and working to re-shape his message to emphasize Trump's populist and outsider appeal.

Bannon came from Breitbart News, an unabashedly pro-Trump outlet that had declared war on GOP leaders, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, with whom Trump will have to work to pass his agenda if Ryan retains his role.

***

President-elect Donald Trump is offering the post of attorney general to Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, one of the Trump's closest and most consistent allies.

That's according to a senior Trump official, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the conversation.

The official on November 18th wouldn't say whether Sessions had accepted the job, which left open the possibility that the arrangement was not finalised.

Sessions was the first senator to endorse Trump and was a close adviser throughout the campaign.

Trump released a statement November 17th after a meeting with the senator saying he was ""unbelievably impressed"" with Sessions.

The Alabama Republican previously struggled with a Senate confirmation hearing when he was nominated for a federal judgeship in 1986. He was dogged by racist comments he was accused of making while serving as U.S. attorney in Alabama.

He later withdrew from consideration for the post.

President-elect Donald Trump has picked Mike Pompeo - a Kansas congressman - to be CIA director.

That's according to a Trump transition official.

Pompeo is a conservative Republican and a fierce critic of President Barack Obama's nuclear deal with Iran.

Trump is beginning to fill out his governing team, and the transition official says Trump will make the Pompeo announcement on Friday morning, along with his nomination of Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions to be attorney general and his selection of retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn to be national security adviser.

The official wasn't authorised to disclose the decisions ahead of Trump's announcement and insisted on anonymity.

***

President-elect Donald Trump agreed November 18th to pay 25 million US dollars to settle lawsuits against his now-defunct Trump University for real estate investors, averting a trial in a potentially embarrassing case that he had vowed during the campaign to keep fighting.

The settlement came 10 days before jury selection was scheduled to begin in one of the three cases.

The complaints accused Trump University, which wasn't an accredited school, of defrauding students who paid up to 35,000 US dollars a year to enroll in programs that promised to share Trump's real estate secrets.

If the proposed settlement is approved by a federal judge, about 6,000 students covered in two-class action lawsuits in San Diego would share 21 million US dollars, and Trump will pay 4 million US dollars to settle a complaint filed by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman in 2013.

Under the terms, Trump admitted no wrongdoing.

The settlement lifts what would probably be a major obstacle for Trump as he works to fill key executive branch positions and get acquainted with foreign leaders.

The San Diego trial, on a case filed in 2010, was expected to last several weeks, guaranteeing daily news coverage of a controversy that dogged him during the campaign.

***

President-elect Donald Trump is holding another round of meetings at his New Jersey golf club with people who could fill out his cabinet.

The meetings come as Trump told reporters outside the clubhouse on November 20th that he was getting very close on new appointments.

Among those who met with Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence on Sunday were Hollywood talent agent Ari Emmanuel.

His brother, Rahm Emanuel, was President Barack Obama's chief of staff and now the mayor of Chicago.

No details were given on what their meeting was about.

Peter Kirsanow, who is an attorney and member of the US Civil Rights Commission, also met with Trump and Pence.

Kirsanow also served on the National Labor Relations Board during the George W. Bush administration.

Also on Sunday former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani arrived through a side door at the clubhouse.

When reporters asked Trump what he planned on discussing with Giuliani, Trump smiled and replied, ""Wouldn't you like to know.""

Trump also met with billionaire investor Wilbur Ross as the president-elect searches for a secretary of commerce.

Asked Sunday if he's considering Ross for the post, the president-elect replied: ""That's what we're looking for.""

When asked by reporters what he thought comments made by the cast of ""Hamilton,"" Trump said they were ""very inappropriate.""

He's demanded an apology for a message an actor delivered from the stage to Trump's running mate about the need for diversity in America.

Pence who attended the Broadway play said he was not offended by the message.

***

US President Barack Obama said December 16th based on intelligence assessments, Russia was responsible for hacking into the Democratic National Committee email server, interferring in the presidential election with the goal of supporting Republican candidate Donald Trump.

Speaking at his end of year news conference, Obama defended his administration's handling of the situation and said it is very important for everyone to ""distinguish between the politics of the election"" and the intergrity of the process.

***

US President Barack Obama has imposed sanctions on Russian officials and intelligence services in retaliation for Russia's hacking of American political sites and email accounts ahead of the November US presidential election.

The State Department also has kicked out 35 Russian diplomats from its embassy in Washington and consulate in San Francisco, giving them and their families 72 hours to leave the US the diplomats were declared persona non grata for acting in a ""manner inconsistent with their diplomatic status.""

Obama said Russians will no longer have access to two Russian government-owned compounds in the United States, in Maryland and in New York.

In a bid to expose Moscow's cyber aggression, the US released a detailed report about Russia's hacking infrastructure that it said was designed to help computer specialists identify compromised systems and prevent more hacking.

Russian officials have denied the Obama administration's accusation that the Russian government was trying to influence the US presidential election.

US intelligence agencies concluded that Russia's goal was to help Donald Trump win - an assessment Trump has dismissed as ridiculous.

04:52:11

"

"00:00:00

Trump Questions Integrity of Voting System

4058333

POOL

Manheim, Pennsylvania - 1 October 2016

1. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, US Republican presidential candidate:

""And you've got to watch your polling booths, because I hear too many stories about Pennsylvania - certain areas. I hear too many bad stories, and we can't lose an election because of you know what I'm talking about. So go and vote and then go check out areas, because a lot of bad things happen, and we don't want to lose for that reason. We don't want to lose, but we especially...we don't want to lose for that reason. So go over and watch - and watch carefully.""

00:15:03

Trump: I have used tax laws ""brilliantly""

4058634

POOL

Pueblo - 3 October 2016

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, US presidential nominee:

""Honestly I have brilliantly, I have brilliantly used those laws. I have often said on the campaign trail that I have a fiduciary responsibility to pay no more tax than as legally required like anybody.""

00:30:07

Audio of Trump's remarks about women

4059483

AP TELEVISION

New York - 7 October 2016

3. Screen shot of tweet from Hillary Clinton: ""This is horrific. We cannot allow this man to become president.""

4. Screen shot of Donald Trump statement from campaign website: ""This was locker room banter, a private conversation that took place many years ago. Bill Clinton has said far worse to me on the golf course - not even close. I apologise if anyone was offended.""

00:38:22

Protesters burn Donald Trump pinata in Mexico

4060282

AP TELEVISION

Mexico City - 12 October 2016

5. Various of pinata resembling US presidential candidate Donald Trump holding a banner reading (in Spanish) ""Let's build bridges, not walls. Let's stop Donald Trump.""

6. Protester hitting pinata with a stick while others chant (Spanish) ""Hard!""

7. Another protester hitting pinata with stick while shouting

8. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Maria del Carmen Cruz, protester:

""I feel relief. I feel satisfaction of having hit him, even if it was his pinata. He deserves more, he deserves to go to hell.""

9. Smoke billowing from pinata

01:05:14

Anti-Trump Women Protest Outside Trump Tower

4061220

AP TELEVISION

New York - 18 Ocotober 2016

++EDITOR'S NOTE - MILD EXPLETIVES PRESENT ON BANNERS IN THE BACKGROUND OF SHOTS++

10. Various of demonstrators chanting outside Trump Tower, owned by Republican US presidential candidate Donald Trump

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Noushin Ahdoot, student demonstrator:

""Donald Trump has legitimised ignorance,.""

12. Demonstrator holding sign reading (English) ""Keep your lawas off my body.""

01:20:03

Trump: Will honour election result - if he wins

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POOL

Delaware - 20 October 2016

13. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, US Republican presidential candidate:

"" I will totally accept the results of this great and historic presidential election... if I win.""

01:38:02

Clinton: Trump is Attacking Democracy Itself

4062463

US POOL

Coconut Creek, Florida - 25 October 2016

14. Hillary Clinton walking into rally

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Hillary Clinton, Democratic US presidential nominee:

""Donald Trump is attacking everything that has set our country apart for 240 years. Now, after spending his entire campaign attacking one group of Americans after another - immigrants, African Americans, Latinos, women, POWs, Muslims, people with disabilities - now his final target is democracy itself.""

02:08:01

Obama: Trump Would Put 'Republic at Risk'

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POOL

Raleigh, North Carolina - November 2, 2016

16. President Barack Obama enters

17. SOUNDBITE (English) President Barack Obama

"" I ran against Mitt Romney -- I thought I'd be a better president, but I never thought that the republic was at risk if they were elected.""

18. SOUNDBITE (English) President Barack Obama

"" This guy is temperamentally-unfit to be commander in chief and is not equipped to be president

02:36:12

Hillary Clinton Casts Ballot on Election Day

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AP TELEVISION

Chappaqua - 8 November 2016

19. Various of Hillary Clinton voting

02:41:17

Obama meets Trump at the White House

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AP TELEVISION

Washington DC - 10 November 2016

20. US President-elect Donald Trump meeting with President Barack Obama

UPSOUND (English) Barack Obama, US President: ""Well I just had the opportunity to have an excellent conversation with president-elect Trump. It was wide-ranging, we talked about some of the organisational issues in setting up the White House. We talked about foreign policy we talked about domestic policy

03:01:08

FILE Trump picks Bannon as chief strategist

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POOL

FILE: New York - 20 August 2016

21. Various of Donald Trump's campaign chief executive (at the time) Stephen Bannon who was named by President-elect Donald Trump his chief strategist and senior counselor

03:11:16

Trump Picks Sessions for AG; Pompeo for CIA

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AP TELEVISION, US POOL

AP TELEVISION

New York - 17 November 2016

22. Jeff Sessions and Kellyanne Conway at Trump Tower

US POOL

Madison, Alabama - 28 February 2016

23. Sessions and Trump at rally

AP TELEVISION

Washington - 28 June 2016

24. Rep. Mike Pompeo at news conference

03:30:05

Trump agrees to $25M Trump U settlement

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AP TELEVISION

San Diego - 18 November 2016

25. SOUNDBITE (English) Daniel Petrocelli, Trump's Lead Attorney:

""A very important part of our willingness to compromise this case was the acknowledgement that there was no fault or liability on the part of President-elect Trump or Trump University""

03:42:09

Trump, Pence meet with possible cabinet picks

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US POOL

Bedminster - 20 November 2016

US POOL

Bedminster, New Jersey - 20 November 2016

26. Trump and Pence greet Ross on doorstep UPSOUND (English) Reporter: ""Is Mr. Ross a candidate for Commerce Secretary, sir?"" Donald Trump, President-elect: ""Commerce Secretary. That's what we're looking for."" Reporter: ""Mr. Trump are you still upset about Hamilton?"" Trump: ""They were very inappropriate.""

03:59:02

Obama: Russia responsible for DNC hacking

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AP TELEVISION

Washington DC - 16 December 2016

27. Wide shot from behind Obama speaking at news conference

28. SOUNDBITE (English) Barack Obama, US President:

""There hasn't been a lot of squabbling. What we've simply said is the facts, which are that based on uniform intelligence assessments, the Russians were responsible for hacking the DNC

And my hope is that the president-elect is going to similarly be concerned with making sure that we don't have potential foreign influence in our election process. I don't think any American wants that.

04:33:11

Obama retaliates after Russian election hacking

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AP TELEVISION

Washington - 29 December 2016

29. Wide of Russian Embassy

30. Close up of Russian flag

31. Close up of Russian Embassy sign

04:44:08

35 Russian diplomats told to leave US

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AP TELEVISION

San Francisco - 29 December 2016

32. Wide exterior view of Russian consulate

33. Mid of plaque on consulate wall and military hat on fence"

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that if the FBI had informants in his 2016 presidential campaign it "would be a disgrace to this country."

Trump and closely aligned Republicans in Congress have flipped the tables on the politically damaging Russia probe by calling for a new investigation, this time into whether the FBI spied on his presidential campaign in its own bid to sway the 2016 election.

Trump also said "there is no deal" with China on the trade dispute between the two countries, but he added negotiations continue and he wants it to be "a great deal for the United States" and also for China.

The United States and China are working toward an agreement that would ease U.S. sanctions that were imposed on ZTE Corp. and let the Chinese telecommunications giant stay in business.

President Donald Trump says the deal might require ZTE to revamp its board and pay a fine of $1 billion or more.

The ban was a virtual death sentence for ZTE, which relies on U.S. parts.

Washington - 22 May 2018

1. US President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Oval Office

2. SOUNDBITE (English) President Donald Trump:

"Just a very routine meeting. As you know the Congress would like to see documents opened up. A lot of people are saying they had spies in my campaign. If they had spies in my campaign that would be a disgrace to this country. That would be one of the biggest insults that anyone's ever seen. That would be very illegal. Aside from everything else who would make probably every political event ever look like small potatoes. So we want to make sure that there weren't. I hope there weren't, Frankly but some man got paid based on what I read in the newspapers and on what you reported, some person got paid a lot of money. That's not a normal situation, the kind of money you're talking about. So hopefully that would be and I think the Department of Justice wants to get down to it and I can tell you Congress does. So, hopefully they'll all be able to get together. General Kelly's going to be setting up a meeting between Congress and the various representatives and they will be able to open up documents, take a look and find out what happened. But if they had spies in my campaign, during my campaign for political purposes that would be unprecedented in the history of our country. (Reporter) Can you give us an update on trade talks with China? (Trump) No. No. No. President Xi and I have a great relationship, as President Moon can attest. But there is no deal. We will see what happens. We are discussing deals. We're discussing various deals. We can do at 301. We can do where we don't need China where we can just say look this is what we want. This is what we think is fair. That's always a possibility of a negotiated deal doesn't work out."

3. Mid of Trump and Moon

4. SOUNDBITE (English) President Donald Trump:

"But I want this to be a great deal for the United States and I want it to be a very good deal for China too if that's possible. It may not be possible. As far as ZTE is concerned, the president asked me to look into it and I am doing that. And don't forget, for the ones that say oh gee maybe Trump is getting a little bit easy. ZTE. We closed it. It wasn't another administration. It was this administration that closed the phone company for those that don't know. A very large phone company. But it's also a phone company that buys a large portion of its parts that make up these phones, that are sold all over the world from American companies. So when you do that you're really hurting American companies also. So I'm looking at it, but we were the ones that closed it it wasn't done by previous administrations it was done by us. So we'll see what happens. But as a favor to the president, I am absolutely taking a look at it. A lot of the stories on trade were incorrectly written and I'm not saying that's the reporter's fault. I'm saying that I'm not talking about the trade deal. I don't like to talk about deals until they're done. So we'll see what happens. But that deal, I will say that deal could be much different from the deal that finally emerges and it may be a much better deal for the United States."

5. Mid of Trump and Moon

6. SOUNDBITE (English) President Donald Trump:

"No, not really. I think that they're a start, but we need something. Look. China has been, I really it a dereliction of duties, that if you look at it it's called. In the military that say it's a dereliction of duty what happened to our country, that our representatives allowed other countries, I'm not just talking about China. China is the big one. To take advantage of us on trade the way we've been taken advantage of. So China as an example has has made a fortune. I mean a transfer of wealth like nobody's ever seen in history. They're the big ones."

7. Wide of Trump and Moon

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that if the FBI had informants in his 2016 presidential campaign it "would be a disgrace to this country."

Trump and closely aligned Republicans in Congress have flipped the tables on the politically damaging Russia probe by calling for a new investigation, this time into whether the FBI spied on his presidential campaign in its own bid to sway the 2016 election.

Trump also said "there is no deal" with China on the trade dispute between the two countries, but he added negotiations continue and he wants it to be "a great deal for the United States" and also for China.

The United States and China are working toward an agreement that would ease U.S. sanctions that were imposed on ZTE Corp. and let the Chinese telecommunications giant stay in business.

President Donald Trump says the deal might require ZTE to revamp its board and pay a fine of $1 billion or more.

The ban was a virtual death sentence for ZTE, which relies on U.S. parts.

Washington - 22 May 2018

1. US President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Oval Office

2. SOUNDBITE (English) President Donald Trump:

"Just a very routine meeting. As you know the Congress would like to see documents opened up. A lot of people are saying they had spies in my campaign. If they had spies in my campaign that would be a disgrace to this country. That would be one of the biggest insults that anyone's ever seen. That would be very illegal. Aside from everything else who would make probably every political event ever look like small potatoes. So we want to make sure that there weren't. I hope there weren't, Frankly but some man got paid based on what I read in the newspapers and on what you reported, some person got paid a lot of money. That's not a normal situation, the kind of money you're talking about. So hopefully that would be and I think the Department of Justice wants to get down to it and I can tell you Congress does. So, hopefully they'll all be able to get together. General Kelly's going to be setting up a meeting between Congress and the various representatives and they will be able to open up documents, take a look and find out what happened. But if they had spies in my campaign, during my campaign for political purposes that would be unprecedented in the history of our country. (Reporter) Can you give us an update on trade talks with China? (Trump) No. No. No. President Xi and I have a great relationship, as President Moon can attest. But there is no deal. We will see what happens. We are discussing deals. We're discussing various deals. We can do at 301. We can do where we don't need China where we can just say look this is what we want. This is what we think is fair. That's always a possibility of a negotiated deal doesn't work out."

3. Mid of Trump and Moon

4. SOUNDBITE (English) President Donald Trump:

"But I want this to be a great deal for the United States and I want it to be a very good deal for China too if that's possible. It may not be possible. As far as ZTE is concerned, the president asked me to look into it and I am doing that. And don't forget, for the ones that say oh gee maybe Trump is getting a little bit easy. ZTE. We closed it. It wasn't another administration. It was this administration that closed the phone company for those that don't know. A very large phone company. But it's also a phone company that buys a large portion of its parts that make up these phones, that are sold all over the world from American companies. So when you do that you're really hurting American companies also. So I'm looking at it, but we were the ones that closed it it wasn't done by previous administrations it was done by us. So we'll see what happens. But as a favor to the president, I am absolutely taking a look at it. A lot of the stories on trade were incorrectly written and I'm not saying that's the reporter's fault. I'm saying that I'm not talking about the trade deal. I don't like to talk about deals until they're done. So we'll see what happens. But that deal, I will say that deal could be much different from the deal that finally emerges and it may be a much better deal for the United States."

5. Mid of Trump and Moon

6. SOUNDBITE (English) President Donald Trump:

"No, not really. I think that they're a start, but we need something. Look. China has been, I really it a dereliction of duties, that if you look at it it's called. In the military that say it's a dereliction of duty what happened to our country, that our representatives allowed other countries, I'm not just talking about China. China is the big one. To take advantage of us on trade the way we've been taken advantage of. So China as an example has has made a fortune. I mean a transfer of wealth like nobody's ever seen in history. They're the big ones."

7. Wide of Trump and Moon