WHEN: Today, Wednesday, November 17th at 1:25pm ET
WHERE: CNBC's "Power Lunch"
Following is an unofficial transcript of a CNBC interview with Donald Trump, Chairman Trump Organzation, today, Wednesday, November 17th on CNBC's "Power Lunch." All references must be sourced to CNBC.
TYLER MATHISEN: ALL RIGHT. MR. TRUMP IS ON THE PHONE. WELCOME BACK TO CNBC. HOW ARE YOU DOING?
DONALD TRUMP: I'M DOING VERY WELL.
MATHISEN: WE HAVE THE PREMIERE OF A PROGRAM TONIGHT, DONALD TRUMP CNBC TITANS, AND IT'S GOING TO TALK ABOUT YOUR LIFE. THERE'S A STORY ABOUT THE TRUMP SOHO. I KNOW YOU HAVE CHOSEN NOT TO ADDRESS THAT. I GATHER IT'S BECAUSE OF --
TRUMP: NO, I'LL ADDRESS THAT VERY GLADLY. I'M NOT THE DEVELOPER OF THE SITE. IT'S NAMED THE TRUMP SOHO, A BEAUTIFUL BUILDING IN DOWNTOWN MANHATTAN. WE RUN THE HOTEL. WE HAVE A MANAGEMENT CONTRACT TO RUN THE HOTEL, WE'RE NOT A DEVELOPER, NOR WERE WE THE SALES AGENT, BUT WE RUN THE HOTEL. THE HOTEL HAS BEEN DOING REALLY WELL. IT'S A HOT HOTEL IN DOWNTOWN MANHATTAN SO FROM OUR STANDPOINT WE'RE VERY, VERY PROUD OF IT.
MATHISEN: MORE AND MORE OF WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN DOING, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY MR. TRUMP IS THOSE KIND OF LICENSING DEALS WERE YOU EITHER BECOME THE NAME ON THE BUILDING OR THE HOTEL PROPERTY AND THE MANAGER OF IT AND THEN A LOT OF YOUR OTHER PROPERTIES AND BUSINESS INTERESTS SORT OF OPERATE THE SAME WAY, LIKE THIS TRUMP NETWORK, WHICH IS AN IDEA TO DO DIRECT SELLING, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY.
TRUMP: THAT IS CORRECT. WE ACTUALLY HAVE QUITE A BIT OF THE REAL ESTATE. WE OWN 100% OF IT OR LARGE CHUNKS OF IT IN NEW YORK I OWN LOTS OF PIECES OF BUILDINGS. 30% OF THE BANK OF AMERICA BUILDING, 1290 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS. WE OWN A LOT OF DIFFERENT BILLINGS.OTHER THAN BUILDINGS EVEN JUST WITH MY NAME ON IT, BUT THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE OWN. IN ADDITION TO THAT WE DO LICENSING DEALS OF DIFFERENT FORMS, AND WE'VE HAD GREAT SUCCESS WITH THE LICENSING DEALS ALSO, AND THERE ALSO IS TRUMP NETWORK, WHICH HAS TURNED OUT TO BE WONDERFUL.
MATHISEN: I'M NOT TOTALLY INCORRECT THAT RELATIVELY MORE OF YOUR, LET'S SAY INCOME STREAM IS TRACEABLE TO MANAGEMENT AND MARKETING TIE-INS THAN MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE CASE 20 YEARS AGO WHEN YOU WERE MORE PURELY IN REAL ESTATE AND DEVELOPMENT. IS THAT FAIR?
TRUMP: CERTAINLY BEFORE I HAD A REAL NAME I DIDN'T DO ANY OF THOSE DEALS BECAUSE PEOPLE WOULD SAY, "TRUMP WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?"
MATHISEN: YOU ALWAYS HAD A NAME COME ON.
TRUMP: PART OF IT HAS BEEN THE GREAT SUCCESS OF "THE APPRENTICE." AND YOU KNOW, "THE APPRENTICE" HAS BEEN SUCH A GREAT SHOW.
MICHELLE CARUSO-CABRERA: SPEAKING OF "THE APPRENTICE" DONALD TRUMP. THIS IS MICHELLE CARUSO-CABRERA.
TRUMP: HI, HOW ARE YOU, MICHELLE?
CARUSO-CABRERA: GOOD. TAKE THIS AS A COMPLIMENT. YOU ARE A GREAT SELF-PROMOTER, AND I'M GOING TO TAKE A LESSON OUT OF YOUR PLAYBOOK. I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ON "THE APPRENTICE" BECAUSE I WAS ONE OF THE FOLKS THAT GAVE ADVICE TO THE INDIVIDUALS WHO GOT FIRED, BUT I GOT EDITED OUT.
TRUMP: THAT'S TERRIBLE. WHY DIDN'T YOU CALL ME? I WILL CALL NBC IMMEDIATELY MICHELLE. NBC IS FIRED.
CARUSO-CABRERA: AND THE REASON I WENT ON WAS TO SELF PROMOTE MY NEW BOOK. SO CAN YOU GET ME BACK IN? CAN YOU WORK ON THAT?
TRUMP: THAT'S TERRIBLE. NO, ARE YOU SURE THAT HAPPENED? WOW, I'M GOING TO CHECK THAT OUT.
SUE HERERA: BACK TO THE TRUMP NETWORK. DONALD, ITS SUE HERE NICE TO TALK TO YOU AGAIN ITS BEEN A LONG TIME. TELL US ABOUT YOUR HOPES WITH THIS. WHEN YOU LISTEN TO THE WEBSITE YOU'RE OBVIOUSLY TRYING TO HELP A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE PROBABLY OUT OF WORK, DOWN IN THE DUMPS, BECAUSE THEY HAVE REPEATEDLY TRIED TO FIND WORK. WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES WITH THIS PARTICULAR VENTURE?
TRUMP: WELL IT IS AND WE ARE TRYING TO HELP A LOT OF PEOPLE. PEOPLE THAT CAN KEEP THEIR JOBS. ASSUMING THEY HAVE GOOD JOBS, WHICH IN THIS ECONOMY NOT SO MANY PEOPLE DO HAVE SUCH GREAT JOBS, BUT IT'S REALLY A SOURCE OF ADDITIONAL INCOME FOR PEOPLE AND SELLING GREAT PRODUCTS. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAPPY. THE TRUMP NETWORK, I'M VERY PROUD OF THE JOB THEY HAVE DONE. IT'S NEW. IT'S ABOUT A YEARS OLD, IT'S GROWING BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS, AND IT'S REALLY BEEN -- IT'S NETWORK MARKETING.
HERERA: DO YOU WORRY THAT SOME PEOPLE SAY IT SOUNDS A LITTLE HUCKSTERISH? OR DO--
TRUMP: I THINK SOME OF THE BUSINESS CAN BE AND REALLY CAN BE THAT WAY. WE LOOK AT THE PRODUCT AND WE LOOK AT THE KIND OF SUCCESS. WE HAVE SOME WONDERFUL PEOPLE JOINING, AND A LOT OF BIG CELEBRITIES, SPORTS STARS ARE JOINING, AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE REALLY RUNNING IT SO FAR HAVE DONE A BEAUTIFUL JOB. NOW I SAY THE WORDS SO FAR BECAUSE IF I EVER FEEL DIFFERENTLY I'LL LET YOU BE THE FIRST TO KNOW ABOUT IT, BUT THEY HAVE REALLY DONE A GREAT JOB. IT'S BEEN GROWING UNBELIEVABLY EXPONENTIALLY IT'S BEEN REALLY WONDERFUL TO SEE, AND I THINK IT'S HELPING A LOT OF PEOPLE.
MATHISEN: MR. TRUMP, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF WHAT THE FED HAS BEEN DOING LATELY?
TRUMP: I HATE TO SEE THE DOLLAR CHEAPENED TO A POINT WHERE IT'S JUST SO SAD WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON WITH THE DOLLAR. NOW THE CHINESE HAVE MANIPULATED THEIR CURRENCY. I CAN TELL YOU AS A BIG BUYER OF PRODUCTS, AND UNFORTUNATELY I HAVE TO BUY CHINESE PRODUCTS SOMETIMES, BECAUSE THEIR CURRENCY MAKES IT VERY, VERY DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE WHO MANUFACTURE IN THIS COUNTRY TO COMPETE. WHEN I SEE WHAT THEY HAVE DONE TO THE CURRENCY, UNFORTUNATELY WE'RE TRYING TO DO THE SAME THING, AND I DON'T THINK WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT THING BY DOING IT. WE'RE CHEAPENING OR DOLLAR. FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOTS OF DOLLARS, I'M A BUYER OF THINGS. I'VE BEEN BUYING LOTS OF REAL ESTATE. FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE LOTS OF DOLLARS, YOU HATE TO SEE THE DOLLAR BE CHEAPENED THE WAY IT'S HAPPENING.
HERERA: DO YOU THINK WE'RE IN A TRADE WAR?
TRUMP: THERE ARE BETTER WAYS TO COMPETE WITH CHINA THAN REDUCING REALLY HURTING OUR DOLLAR.
HERERA: DO YOU THINK WE'RE ON THE VERGE OF A TRADE WAR? A LOT OF PEOPLE BELIEVE WE'RE IN A CURRENCY WAR RIGHT NOW AND THAT MIGHT LEAD TO A TRADE WAR, AND IF SO WHAT WOULD BE THE IMPACT ON YOUR BUSINESSES?
TRUMP: I HOPE WE'RE IN A TRADE WAR WITH CHINA. BECAUSE WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE? FRANKLY WE HAVE SUCH A DEFICIT WITH CHINA, THEY'RE TAKING IN SO MUCH MORE MONEY THAN US. WE'RE REBUILDING CHINESE CITIES. I'VE BEEN TO CHINA NUMEROUS TIMES. AND AREAS WHERE THEY HAD NO CITY, NOW THEY HAVE CITIES THAT ARE BIGGER THAN OUR BIGGEST CITIES, AND WE'RE REBUILDING. CHINA IS MAKING OUR PRODUCTS. WE USED TO MAKE OUR PRODUCTS IN ALABAMA AND NORTH CAROLINA, THE FURNITURE. NOW IT'S ALL BEING MADE IN CHINA. WHEN I GET BIDS ON FURNITURE, ALL OF THE BIDS COME IN FROM CHINA. AND I THINK IT'S RIDICULOUS. YOU LOOK AT MEXICO, THEY TAKE-- THERE WAS A RECENT STORY ON 60 MINUTES-- NEWTON, IOWA, WHERE YOU HAVE MAYTAG, THEY MOVED THEIR PLANT TO MEXICO. THIS THRIVING COMMUNITY IS NO LONGER A THRIVING COMMUNITY. SO THIS COUNTRY HAS TO GET SMART AND SMART FAST OR WE WON'T BE THE GREAT COUNTRY WE HAVE BEEN OVER THE LAST 100 YEARS.
CARUSO-CABRERA: THERE ARE SOME WHO ARGUE THAT THE PRESIDENT IS NOT SUPPORTIVE OF BUSINESS THAT HE'S ANTI-BUSINESS, DO YOU THINK PRESIDENT OBAMA IS ANTI-BUSINESS?
TRUMP: I HOPE NOT, BUT CERTAINLY THAT SEEMS TO BE THE FEELING RIGHT NOW. I CAN SAY IT'S ALMOST ANTI-U.S. WHEN OPEC CAN GET AWAY WITH WHAT THEY'RE GETTING AWAY WITH WITH OIL PRICES, THEY'RE FIXING THE PRICE OF OIL. IF YOU AND I DID IN A TOGETHER, THEY WOULD PUT NEW JAIL. THEY FIX THE PRICE. THEY SIT AROUND AND TABLE AND SAY THIS IS -- THERE'S SO MUCH OIL ALL OVER THE SEAS, YOU HAVE TANKERS LOADED UP WITH OIL AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT, YET IT'S $83, $84 A BARREL. THAT'S RIDICULOUS. THAT'S THE LIFEBLOOD OF THE COUNTRY. YOU CAN'T HAVE $84 -- PEOPLE CAN TALK ALL THEY WANT ABOUT JOBS AND EVERYTHING ELSE, BUT EVERY TIME THIS COUNTRY STARTS TO GET STRONGER, THEY RAISE THE PRICE OF OIL AND THEY SAP THE BLOOD RIGHT OUT OF YOU. SO, I MEAN, THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS, SO A LARGE PART THESE PEOPLE WOULDN'T EVEN BE THERE IF IT WEREN'T FOR US. WE PROTECTED THEM FOR YEARS FROM LOTS OF OUTSIDE SOURCES, AND THIS IS WHAT WE GET PAID BACK WITH.
HERERA: ARE YOU GOING TO RUN FOR POLITICAL OFFICE MR. TRUMP? A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK YOU SHOULD RUN FOR POLITICAL OFFICE.
TRUMP: WELL A LOT OF PEOPLE DO, I GUESS A LOT OF POLLS COME OUT AND THEY THINK I DO. BECAUSE FRANKLY, BECAUSE I SPEAK WHAT PEOPLE REALLY KNOW SHOULD HAPPEN. WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT TRADE WARS LIKE IT'S A HORRIBLE THING. CHINA IS TAKING SUCH ADVANTAGE. I HAVE FRIENDS I DO A LOT OF BUSINESS WITH CHINA, THEY CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT THEY WERE GETTING AWAY WITH. I DON'T BLAME THEM. IF THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH IT, THEY SHOULD GET AWAY WITH IT, BUT THEY CAN'T BELIEVE, WHAT THEY ARE GETTING AWAY WITH. SO I SAY THINGS LIKE THAT, A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T SAY IT, AND A LOT OF TIMES THEY DO POLLS--
HERERA: SO IS THAT A YES?
TRUMP: AND I WOULD RATHER NOT DO IT, BUT I AM THINKING ABOUT IT, FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE.
CARUSO-CABRERA: REALLY? RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT FULL ON OR LIKE SENATOR? WHAT?
TRUMP: THERE'S ONLY ONE. YOU HAVE FOR GO FOR PRESIDENT.
CARUSO-CABRERA: HAVE YOU SEEN THIS BIOGRAPHY TONIGHT?
TRUMP: I HAVE NOT SEEN IT YET. I LOOK FORWARD TO IT. IT'S A GREAT HONOR.
HERERA: YOU'RE ON THE RECORD AS SAYING YOU'RE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING RUNNING FOR THE PRESIDENCY OF THE UNITED STATES?
TRUMP: I'M CERTAINLY THINKING ABOUT IT. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I AM THINKING ABOUT IT.
HERERA: AND YOU SAID IT HERE ON "POWER LUNCH."
TRUMP: THAT'S TRUE.
HERERA: THANK YOU MR. TRUMP, PLEASURE.
TRUMP: NO BETTER PLACE TO SAY IT. HAVE A GOOD TIME. IT'S A GREAT SHOW. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
CARUSO-CABRERA: YOU HEARD IT HERE. TUNE IN TONIGHT FOR THE PREMIERE OF "CNBC TITANS - DONALD TRUMP" GO INSIDE THE LIFE OF THIS BOLD BUSINESSMAN AND THE DEAL THAT SAVED HIS REAL ESTATE CAREER.
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