CNBC News Releases

CNBC Excerpts: Mark Cuban and Kevin O’Leary Discuss President Trump on CNBC’s “Fast Money Halftime Report” Today

WHEN: Today, Friday, February 17th

WHERE: CNBC's "Fast Money Halftime Report"

Following are excerpts from the unofficial transcript of a CNBC interview with Mark Cuban and Kevin O'Leary on CNBC's "Fast Money Halftime Report" (M-F, 12PM-1PM ET) today, Friday, February 17th. Following is a link to the video on CNBC.com: http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000594280.

All references must be sourced to CNBC.

O'LEARY AND CUBAN ON TRUMP'S STYLE

O'LEARY: TRUMP HAS A STYLE. HE MAKES STATEMENTS. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, MY ASSUMPTION IS FOR THE GOOD OF ALL OF NORTH AMERICA, INCLUDING MEXICO, HE'S GOING TO BE PRAGMATIC.

CUBAN: THANK YOU, PETER THIEL.

O'LEARY: HE COULDN'T HAVE GOT TO THE – WELL LOOK, THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE BASICALLY SAYING HE'S NOT. YOU'RE SAYING HE'S NOT PRAGMATIC, THESE DECISIONS AS LEADER AND ON EVERYTHING HE'S DOING ARE NOT GOING TO BE PRAGMATIC AND THERE'S A RISK OF DESTROYING NORTH AMERICA. THAT'S WHAT I HEAR IN WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. I DON'T AGREE WITH YOU. I'M OKAY TO PUSH BACK, TOO. WE ALL ENJOY THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND I'M SAYING TO YOU HE'S NOT THAT – HE'S NOT GOING TO TRASH HIS OWN COUNTRY AND THE TRADE HE DOES WITH CANADA AND MEXICO BECAUSE HE'S PRAGMATIC. YOU DON'T LIKE HIS STYLE. THAT'S WHAT I THINK.

CUBAN: REMEMBER DURING THE CAMPAIGN, PETER THIEL CAME OUT AND GAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE COMFORT, HE SAID, TAKE HIM SERIOUSLY BUT DON'T TAKE HIM LITERALLY. NOW JANUARY 21ST, DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT TRUMP IS TRYING TO BE VERY CLEAR THAT HE IS GOING TO UPHOLD ALL HIS CAMPAIGN PROMISES. THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE TAKEN HIM LITERALLY AND HE WILL RESPOND LITERALLY IN THE ACTIONS AND ORDERS AND LAWS THAT HE TRIES TO PASS.

O'LEARY: BUT HE IS AT THE – LOOK, I MAKE THE ASSUMPTION, MARK, AND MAYBE YOU SHOULD BE THINKING THIS WAY, TOO, THAT ONE DAY I WILL BE NEGOTIATING WITH THIS GUY FOR THE BENEFIT OF BOTH YOU AND ME.

CUBAN: GOD HELP US ALL.

CUBAN ON TRUMP BEING RESPONSIBLE

LOOK AT ALL THE LEAKS, AS SOMEBODY WHO MANAGES A LOT OF PEOPLE, AS SOMEONE WHO INVESTS IN A LOT OF COMPANIES, I ALWAYS TRY TO SAY LOOK, WILLING TO DO ANY JOB I ASK YOU TO DO. IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG, IT'S MY RESPONSIBILITY. IF THERE'S AN ERROR, IT ULTIMATELY ENDS WITH ME. THE BUCK STOPS HERE. THE BUCK DOESN'T STOP THERE, THERE AND THERE. AND THE FACT THAT WE WON'T ADMIT ERRORS, THE FACT THAT HE WON'T TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ERRORS, THE FACT THAT HE LIKES TO TALK ABOUT FAKE NEWS RATHER THAN FACT THAT LEADS TO PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR HIM SAYING, WELL IF HE WON'T TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, IF HE WON'T ADMIT MISTAKES, SOMEBODY IS GOING TO TAKE THE BLAME FOR THOSE MISTAKES. AND THAT SOMEBODY MIGHT JUST BE ME.

O'LEARY ON TRUMP'S GROWTH

I PERSONALLY FEEL THAT YOU ARE NOT GIVING THIS PRESIDENT A FAIR CHANCE TO GET IN ORDER. YOU MAY NOT LIKE HIS STYLE, BUT THE FACT IS HE HAS MADE TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF POTENTIAL GROWTH IN THIS MARKET

O'LEARY ON CUBAN DISRESPECTING TRUMP

MARK, THERE'S MANY PEOPLE THAT FEEL THAT YOU ARE DISRESPECTING THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. I'M JUST TELLING YOU WHAT THEY'RE TELL ME.

O'LEARY ON CUBAN BEING TOO CRITICAL OF TRUMP

O'LEARY: ARE YOU BEING TOO CRITICAL FOR THE FIRST 100 DAYS?

CUBAN: NO.

O'LEARY: DID YOU GIVE OBAMA A BIGGER PASS?

CUBAN: NO.

O'LEARY: DID YOU GIVE CLINTON A BIGGER PASS?

CUBAN: DID YOU WATCH THE PRESS CONFERENCE YESTERDAY? DID YOU WATCH THAT?

O'LEARY: I WATCHED THE PRESS – THAT IS A STYLE UNIQUE TO ANY PRESIDENT. ARE YOU TOO CRITICAL ON STYLE OVER SUBSTANCE?

O'LEARY ON WANTING TRUMP TO BE SUCCESSFUL

I WANT PRESIDENT TRUMP TO BE PHENOMENALLY SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE IT'S VERY GOOD FOR NORTH AMERICA.

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