Politics & Government
Donald Trump Meets The New York Times: 8 Biggest Takeaways
The president-elect on climate change, conflicts of interest, the Clintons and more.
After deciding to meet with The New York Times, then canceling, then re-deciding to have the meeting, President-elect Donald Trump held court with a room full of reporters from the paper Tuesday afternoon at The Times' Midtown Manhattan office.
The wavering on the meeting reportedly was about access and how much of the meeting would be on the record or off. Trump eventually agreed to meet off the record with the paper's publisher, Arthur Sulzberger Jr., before facing editorial staff on the record.
It was the closest thing Trump has had to a press conference since July and, other than shouted questions from the street, the first time Trump has taken questions from a group of reporters since winning the presidency.
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Reporters were free to share information in real time as Trump was talking, and they did just that on social media. Here were the eight biggest things Trump said, as told by the tweets of Times staffers in the room.
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On The New York Times' coverage of him
“I have great respect for the New York Times. I have tremendous respect,” says Trump. “I think I've been treated very rough."
— Mike Grynbaum (@grynbaum) November 22, 2016
Trump is speaking in measured, quiet tones. “I will say the Times is about the roughest of all,” he says of NYT’s coverage of his campaign.
— Mike Grynbaum (@grynbaum) November 22, 2016
On the Electoral College
"I'd rather do the popular vote," Trump says. "I think we'd do as well or better." Says he was "never a fan of the electoral college."
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) November 22, 2016
Adds: "Until now." Also says Electoral College "gets you out to" see states you wouldn't otherwise.
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) November 22, 2016
On the "alt-right"
Trump: “I don’t want to energize the group, and I disavow the group.” (1/2)
— Mike Grynbaum (@grynbaum) November 22, 2016
Trump: "It’s not a group I want to energize, and if they are energized, I want to look into it and find out why.” (2/2)
— Mike Grynbaum (@grynbaum) November 22, 2016
On not wanting to prosecute the Clintons
Trump is pressed if he has definitively ruled out prosecuting Hillary Clinton. “It’s just not something that I feel very strongly about."
— Mike Grynbaum (@grynbaum) November 22, 2016
“I don’t want to hurt the Clintons, I really don’t. She went through a lot and suffered greatly in many different ways."
— Mike Grynbaum (@grynbaum) November 22, 2016
On climate change
Tom Friedman asks if Trump will withdraw from climate change accords. Trump: “I’m looking at it very closely. I have an open mind to it."
— Mike Grynbaum (@grynbaum) November 22, 2016
Does Trump think human activity is linked to climate change? “I think there is some connectivity. Some, something. It depends on how much."
— Mike Grynbaum (@grynbaum) November 22, 2016
On conflicts of interest with his business
Trump on his businesses/conflict q's: "The law's totally on my side, the president can't have a conflict of interest."
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) November 22, 2016
Conflicts of interest? Trump says: “If it were up to some people, I would never, ever see my daughter Ivanka again."
— Mike Grynbaum (@grynbaum) November 22, 2016
Trump acknowledges the DC hotel he owns is "probably a more valuable asset than it was before." Says the brand is "hotter."
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) November 22, 2016
On getting to know President Obama
"I had a great meeting with President Obama," Trump says, says he never met him before. "I really liked him a lot."
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) November 22, 2016
"He said very nice things after the meeting and I saidvery nice things about him," Trump says of Obama.Says he didn't know if he'd like him.
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) November 22, 2016
On the First Amendment
Trump gets asked about his commitment to first amendment, says, "I think you'll be happy."
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) November 22, 2016
Open up the libel laws? Trump says someone told him, “You know, YOU might be sued a lot more.’ I said, You know, I hadn’t thought of that."
— Mike Grynbaum (@grynbaum) November 22, 2016
Image via Gage Skidmore, Flickr, used under Creative Commons
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