Donald Trump's campaign slogan should be "Sorry, Not Sorry." Amid ongoing controversy surrounding his remarks on immigration last month, the Republican presidential hopeful refused to back down in an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper on Wednesday, July 8.
Asked about a recent report from the Washington Post that claimed there are illegal immigrants working on a construction site for one of Trump's hotels, the real-estate mogul, 69, was defensive and at times combative, even suggesting that Cooper's line of questioning was "pretty pathetic."
Trump admitted that he couldn't "guarantee" there were no illegal immigrants under his employ, but said that he and his contractor did the best they could to clear everyone. "We have gone out of our way to make sure that everybody in that building is legal, and we do have some that became legal…But we have done that to the absolute letter of the law," he insisted.
Regarding the Washington Post's report, he added, "I wish they would give us some names. We would get them out immediately."
Cooper continued to press him for answers, at one point bringing up a Daily Beast story about a 1999 court case involving Polish immigrants who claimed they were underpaid for their work two decades earlier. "Anderson, when you have to go back 35 years to tell me about something, I think that's pretty pathetic, to be honest with you," Trump shot back.
On the subject of Mexico — which started the whole controversy in June, when the Apprentice host suggested that people immigrating from the country were "bringing drugs" and "bringing crime" — Trump doubled down, telling Cooper he would "build a better wall" to keep them out.
"They are ripping us left and right," he said. "By the way, I love the Mexican people. Many Mexican people work for me. Many Mexican people I do business with. They purchase things from me like apartments, etc., etc. I have great relationships with Mexico and with the Mexican people. I love the Mexican people. I love their spirit. But let me just tell you. Mexico is making an absolute fortune."
He continued: "The trade deals with the United States are phenomenal for them and horrible for us. They're taking our jobs. They're building factories. They're building things that we're not even thinking about…Mexico is making a fortune off the United States. They will pay for that wall, believe me."
Trump also took aim at some of his fellow presidential candidates, most notably Hillary Clinton, who is campaigning for the Democratic nomination.
"She's got a lot to hide," he said, citing Clinton's email controversy. "Look, she was the worst Secretary of State in the history of the United States."
Cooper pointed out that Trump used to give money to the former First Lady, to which he replied, "I was a businessman — I guess I still am — but I was…with everybody. Everybody loved me. When I called them, they always treated me well. And that's part of the game."
It's also part of the problem, though, according to Trump. "That's part of what's wrong with this country. Because as a businessman, I could've gotten anything from anybody," he told Cooper. "People love me. And you know what? I've been very successful. Everybody loves me."
