I'm here with the president. Here you go.
Mr. President.
Hi, Gary. How are you?
I'm very well, sir. Thank you very much for sparing some time.
Good. You covered us very fairly. Appreciate it.
Well, I wanted to ask you briefly about that to start with. I know it's not a topic you like talking about very much, but I wanted to ask you, the moment you realized what had happened and then the moment you realized you had survived, what was your immediate thought, sir?
Well, it happened very quickly, and it was beyond quick actually. So, I'm not sure I had any conscious thought other than to say that I had to let the people know -- because I knew they must have thought that it was a disaster. And I could tell by the -- it was like dead silence and everything. We had 55,000 people, and it was dead silence.
And so, you know, I assumed that they expected the worst. And so, I had to let them know I was OK, which is what I did. That's why I tried to get up as quick as possible. And I didn't want to be taken out by a stretcher. They had a stretcher ready to go. I said no, thank you. I actually had a big argument with them.
They wanted me on a stretcher, and I said nope, I'm not doing that. So, we had to let them know we were OK, you know, for the country. It's my obligation, right?
Did it change you, what happened?
Well, I like to think about it as little as possible to be honest. I don't like to think about it had change me, you know, because I could have changed a lot of people, and I just don't -- do you understand what I'm saying, Gary?
Yes.
I don't want to think about it. It's like --
I get it.
The power of positive thinking or the power of positive non-thinking. But -- so, I don't -- I don't like dwelling on it because if I did it would be, you know, might be life changing. I don't want it to have to be that. It was a crazy moment, and it was something that has happened and ended. And, you know, I went on to win the presidency.
I don't know if that had anything to do with it to be honest, but -- but I went on to win the presidency. We're having a great presidency.
You've had an extraordinary year.
Yeah.
And you've been on a roll very much recently. One thing I was keen to ask you is, these world leaders, they do treat you differently to the way they treated you first time around.
Yeah.
Why do you think that is?
Well, I think they think it's maybe not all luck. You know, it's like they think there's a lot of talent involved. When you do it twice, it's a big difference. I also think that, you know, over the years, they've gotten to know me. This is not an easy crowd to break into you understand. These are smart people heading up very, very successful generally countries.
You know, they're all Germany and France and Spain and, you know, big countries. And, you know, I've gotten to know them over the years, and I think they've come to respect me and my decision making.
How do you feel, though, when they're kind of obviously -- sometimes they're very obvious in their flattery, sometimes over obvious in their flattery?
Yeah. Well, I think they're just trying to be nice.
You mentioned that Russia was one of the things that was still problematic. You've said you were four times close to a deal with Putin.
Yeah, I thought I had a deal four times.
Are you -- are you done with him? I mean, I know that sounds a simplistic thing --
No, I'm not done, but I'm disappointed in him. But I'm not done with him, but I'm disappointed in him.
How do you get him to --
I thought we had a deal done four times, and then you go home, and you see just attacked a nursing home or something in Kyiv. I said, what the hell was that all about? Numerous time I'd get home. I'd say, First Lady, I had the most wonderful talk with Vladimir. I think we're finished, and then I'll turn on the television or she'll say to me one time well that's strange because they just bombed a nursing home.
I said, what? So, uh, we don't like that.
How do you get him to stop the bloodshed? Because I know you've said repeatedly the bloodshed is the thing.
Well, we're working it -- we're working it, Gary. So far, uh, I've been very disappointed. We'll have a great conversation. I'll say that's good. I think we're close to getting it done, and then he'll knock down a building in Kyiv.
Do you trust him?
I trust almost nobody to be honest with you.
So ,how do you deal with someone you can't trust?
Well, it's not a question of that. It's like, uh, I'm disappointed that this hasn't been done. And, you know, I'm really protecting Russian soldiers and Ukrainian soldiers. I'm protecting Russian and Ukrainian soldiers and a lot of people from Ukraine. The deal made last week is amazing, the, you know, the 5 percent.
Nobody thought that was possible, and it amounts to over $1 trillion a year. So, they'll be able to buy all the equipment they want there.
On that deal -- which again, you're right. No one expected that, the 5 percent. You once said that NATO was -- was obsolete.
I think NATO is now becoming the opposite of that. I do think it was passed and it was very unfair because the United States paid for almost 100 percent of it. But now they're paying their own bills, and I think that's much better.
And what about the collective defense thing? Do you believe in that still?
I do. Yeah, I think collective defense is fine. You're against a large country, and they have a lot of smaller countries. But some of those countries are in a sense larger than Russia. You know, if you look at the -- the numbers, the economies are much larger than Russia.
[Edit or break in interview]
Can I ask you about Britain? Because you're going to -- you're having the state visit in September. I know you're looking forward to that.
I do. I do. I look forward to it.
What is Britain's role for you in the world?
Well, I think it's a great place. I have property there. You know, I own Turnberry.
I was there with you the day after the Brexit vote when you were on the course there.
I think that's right. Can you believe it? And people ask me whether or not Brexit was going to make it or not. And I called it right. Do you remember?
You did call it right. So you did. Yes.
Yes, I called it exactly right. Hey, let me ask you, if -- if they took that vote again today, would it be a similar vote?
Well, you know, it was pretty much a 50/50 vote in any case.
Almost stayed there, right?
Yeah. But it's, you know, it's one of those things that they're not going to revisit for a generation because you can't --
No, Well, that was the deal. They wouldn't redo it for 50 years or something like that.
Do you think Britain's made the most of Brexit, though, that it could?
No. I think -- I think it's been on the sloppy side, but I think it's getting straightened out. I really like, uh, the prime minister a lot, even though he's a liberal. I think he's -- you know, he did a good trade deal with us, which a lot of companies -- a lot of countries haven't been able to do and -- but he did a good trade deal.
But I own a lot of great stuff. You know, I own the Aberdeen, I own in Ireland, I own Turnberry. The Ireland is a tremendous success Doonbeg big hotel right on the Ocean, golf resort. The hotel is one of the best hotels in Europe, and Turnberry is the best hotel -- rated the best hotel in Europe.
One of the things that previous presidents have done on state visits is to make a speech to parliament, and parliament isn't sitting in September. Would you like them to bring parliament back? They can recall parliament, so you could make a speech to parliament.
No, I think let them go and have a good time. I don't want them to be making a speech pretty negatively, Gary.
What do you want to achieve when you go then?
Well, we're going to see -- when I go the first time -- because I'm going early.
Yes.
And we're going to meet -- we're going to have a meeting with -- a state meeting with, uh, the prime minister, and that's going to be up in Aberdeen country.
Yes. This is later this month. Yeah.
Which is the oil capital of Europe. They should bring it back too. They have so much oil there. They should get rid of the windmills and bring back the oil because the windmills are really detrimental to the beauty of Scotland and every other place they go up.
So, you're going to meet the prime minister when you go in -- in July, but in September, what do you want to achieve with the state visit?
I think just we -- I want to have a good time and respect King Charles, because he's a great gentleman. You know, I know him from early in the first term.
Yes.
And I know him fairly well, and he's a great gentleman.
You know, he went to open the Canadian parliament, and a lot of people saw that as a sort of -- an endorsement of Canada's independence. How did you see that that act by him?
Well, I didn't view it as anything. I -- look, he's -- they're wrapped up with Canada. So, what's he going to do? You know, he has no choice. But, uh, you know, we're -- we're negotiating with Canada right now, and we'll see how that all works out. I think it's going to work out very well actually. But no, he would have to basically -- he was very respectful.
I thought he was very good, very respectful.
So, you didn't mind him going up there.
No, not at all.
And in terms of Britain's sort of role in the world, it sits between the US and Europe. Sometimes it tries to act that mediation role. Do you think it achieves that? Do you think there is this special relationship that British politicians often claim there is with -- with American --
I do. I think, you know, one of the problems with NATO -- now, this could change. We changed NATO a lot in the last -- a month ago. But one of the problems with NATO as I said, you know, we have to fight for them, but will they actually fight for us if we had a war? And I'm not sure I can say it. But I will say this.
I believe that the UK would fight with us. There's something about it. It's just been so many years, and I really think the relationship is just a really great one. I think that they would be with us. I'm not sure that a lot of the other countries would be, which is unfair because we pay far more than anybody else.
But no. I -- there's a special relationship we have. Well, look, that's why I made a deal with them, and I haven't made a deal -- I mean, I've made some other deals, but for the most part, in terms of your competitors and in terms of the European Union, I haven't made a deal. There's a special bond that I have with, uh -- and you have many different names you go by. England, if you want to cut off a couple of areas, uh, and you go UK and you have Britain and you have Great Britain.
You have more names than any other country in history, I think. But, uh, no. The UK is -- is very special, and it's been there for a long time. You know, they -- they -- they have been a really true ally.
Can I ask you a little bit about your domestic agenda? Um, you were -- you were very clear about your priorities during the campaign. I followed you around, and there's no one who could argue you didn't tell people what you wanted to do. Are you -- are you sensing or are you feeling any frustration about being able to achieve your goals in terms of immigration?
Clearly, you know, there are not people coming across the border, but in terms of deportations, the speed, the mechanisms, perhaps sweeping people up you wouldn't want to see deported, is the mechanism working for you?
No, I think we've done a great job. I mean, number one are the people pouring in, and as you know last month it was zero. Now, even I find it hard to believe it could be zero, but the people that do these reports are liberal, and they said it was zero. Zero people for the month, which is pretty amazing. But no, I think that, um, I've much more than fulfilled the promises that I've made.
I think I fulfilled more promises than I've made actually. I've done -- I've done actually more than the promises I've made.
How many deportations in in this second term of yours would mark success for you? What number would mark success?
Well, we have a lot of them. We have all of the countries that I stopped from going to war maybe first and foremost. We have the Big Beautiful Bill, the One Big Beautiful Bill which is the largest bill of its kind ever approved. We have the largest tax cuts in history, the largest regulation cuts in history.
I rebuilt the military. You know, we've done a lot more than I said I was going to be doing.
But in terms of deportations, deporting people who are in the country illegally, what would be a success number for you? Would it have to be in the millions to be a success?
Well, I want to get the criminals out immediately, and that's what we're doing. And we're winning a lot of court cases, which allow us to do that.
In terms of the numbers, you know, over the four years, would it have to be --
Well, I don't put a number on, but I want to get the criminals out quickly, and we're doing that as you know. We're bringing them to El Salvador, lots of other places.
But you've been frustrated by the courts, haven't you?
Well, I have, but I won. You know, I mean, we've won all these cases in appeal. We've had some judges that are radical left lunatics, and, uh, every case has been overturned.
And when people accuse you of defying the judiciary, what do you say?
I say no, I have too much respect for it to defy it. I have great respect for the judiciary, and you can see that. That's why I'm winning on appeal.
So, may I ask you, looking back, what would be the key for your legacy for you? What is -- what do you think would define your legacy from your --
Anything American. I think America is now a great country, and it was a dead country one year ago, and that's been told to me by many leaders of the countries, you know.
Thank you very much for your time, Mr. President.
Thank you, Gary. It's a great honor.