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President-elect Donald Trump waves to the crowd as he leaves the New York Times building in New York City following a meeting on November 22, 2016.AP Photo/Mark Lennihan
President-elect Donald Trump met with journalists from The New York Times — a paper he’s derided and often pitted as an arch nemesis — on Tuesday, November 22. After initially tweeting on Tuesday morning that he canceled the meeting because the newspaper changed the “terms and conditions” of the meeting and that it was “not nice,” the billionaire businessman turned politician, 70, reversed course.
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Here are the 10 most fascinating quotes from Trump’s sit-down with the news outlet as tweeted by New York Times staffers attending the meeting.
1. He definitely won’t be prosecuting Hillary Clinton over her private email server.
Although he threatened to investigate the former secretary of state over her emails and encouraged “lock her up” chants throughout his campaign, Trump said, “It’s just not something that I feel strongly about.”
“I don’t want to hurt the Clintons, I really don’t. She went through a lot and suffered greatly in many different ways."
2. He disavowed the alt-right — and condemned neo-Nazi supporters.
He formally condemned Richard Spencer’s National Policy Institute, which openly supports white nationalist policies. “It’s not a group I want to energize, and if they are energized, I want to look into it and find out why,” he said. “I don’t want to energize the group, and I disavow the group.” When asked about the Nazi conference in Washington, D.C., over the weekend, he said, “I disavow and condemn them.”
Asked point-blank about Nazi conference in DC over wknd: @realDonaldTrump tells @nytimes "of course" "I disavow and condemn them"
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3. He’s still not sure about climate change.
While the ex-Apprentice host once called climate change a “hoax” started by the Chinese, he now believes there is “some connectivity” between human activities and climate change, but he isn’t sure how much.
On climate change, Trump says he is also thinking about "how much it will cost our companies” & the effect on American competitiveness.
4. There’s no conflict of interest with the Trump Organization.
His children Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric Trump are taking over the family business, but he rebuffed concern that his company is a conflict of interest. “If it were up to some people, I would never, ever see my daughter Ivanka again,” he said.
Trump on his businesses/conflict q's: "The law's totally on my side, the president can't have a conflict of interest."
The soon-to-be commander in chief stood up for his pick for chief strategist, one of his most controversial (and there have been several) staff picks. Trump declared, “If I thought he was a racist or alt-right or any of the things, the terms we could use, I wouldn’t even think about hiring him.” Reince Priebus, who Trump chose to be his White House chief of staff, also chimed in supporting Bannon.
On Bannon:"If I thought he was a racist or alt-right or any of the things, the terms we could use, I wouldn't even think about hiring him."
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6. He reads The New York Times — really!
Despite previously branding the newspaper as the “failing" New York Times, Trump counts himself as an avid reader. “I do read it,” he said. “Unfortunately. I’d live about 20 years longer if I didn’t.”
Donald Trump on The New York Times: “I do read it. Unfortunately. I’d live about 20 years longer if I didn’t."
7. He wants Jared Kushner’s help as a Middle East peacemaker.
The business mogul suggested that his son-in-law could help make peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians, who have been in conflict for decades.
Trump: Jared Kushner could help make peace between the Israelis and Palestinians.
8. The Republican leaders in Congress now “love” him.
According to Trump, the House Speaker Paul Ryan and Majority Leader of the Senate Mitch McConnell are big fans, Despite very public and vehement feuding during election season, “Right now they’re in love with me,” he said. As for the Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Trump said, “I’ve liked Chuck Schumer for a long time.”
Trump on GOP leaders @McConnellPress & @SpeakerRyan: "Right now they’re in love with me. Four weeks ago, they weren’t in love with me"
9. He’s reconsidering his plan to “open up” libel laws.
Trump has said on several occasions that he wants to “open up” libel laws, so that he can sue news outlets that write purposely negative and false articles. He recalled that someone once told him, “You know, you might be sued a lot more,” and he replied, “You know, I hadn’t thought of that.”
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."
