Trump: “Our Relationship With China Was Good Until They Did This”

QUESTION: This past week you had an extraordinary slew of events from adversaries North Korea, Russia, China, and Iran all and pushing back on U.S. policy or toying with U.S. military forces. What is your message to some of these countries who may be trying to take advantage?

TRUMP: I don’t see it. No, I don’t see it. We had a very good relationship with Russia. We worked on the oil deal together. I was with by telephone the king of Saudi Arabia and the President of Russia Vladimir Putin. We worked out a deal on oil that was a very important deal to them and to us and to Saudi Arabia. It was in a deadlock and you know it, you covered it very well. Actually the Wall Street Journal covered that very well. I worked with Putin and with the king on that and President Putin was a total gentleman and it was very important to get that done and the king was great and we actually had to bring in Mexico because Mexico was a lone holdout that they showed great flexibility. You know the story. No, I think we are doing fine. Yeah, sure, it’s North Korea has seen their testing short range missiles been doing it a long time. I received a nice note from him recently, it was a nice note. I think we are doing fine. Look, if I wasn’t elected you would right now be at war with North Korea, okay?

I will tell you for your people that don’t understand the world and they don’t understand how life works. Look, If I wasn’t elected you would right now, maybe the war would be over, hopefully with a victory, but if you remember when I first came and we didn’t have ammunition. Not a good way to fight a war. President Obama left us no ammunition, okay? And he left us virtually no medical and ventilators he left us–the cupboard was dry, right? The cupboard was dry. No, I think right now you would be at war essentially in some form it would be over, it would be raging with North Korea if I weren’t president. We are doing just fine with North Korea, just fine. You will see how it all ends up.

You know in the meantime they said Trump has given up and they say oh really what’s he given up? And they said I don’t know then they say he met–I met, I met. No, I have a good relationship with Kim Jong-un. That’s not a bad thing to have a good relationship. Obama wanted a relationship. He wouldn’t meet with Obama, wouldn’t meet with him. Okay I have a good relationship with him. We met at the line, I stepped over the line the first time anything like that has ever–it’s all good. It’s just–it’s good but when they say, the stupid people-I call them stupid people or the haters-they say Trump has given up so much. Really? I’ve actually increased the sanctions. China has been very good on the border. In fact, right now, the border is stone cold closed between China and North Korea. Our relationship with China was good until they did this. Once we found out about this, once we found out–look, we just made a trade deal where China is going to have to buy $250 billion a year in our product. 50 billion from the farmers, 40 to 50 billion from the farmers.

The relationship was good when we were signing that, but then, all of a sudden, you hear about this. So it’s a big–it’s a big difference. You know, the question was asked would you be angry at China. Well, the answer very well might be a very resounding yes, but it depends. Was it a mistake that got out of control or was it done deliberately? Okay, it’s a big difference between those two.

In either event, they should have let us go in. You know, we asked to go in very early and they didn’t want us in. I think they were embarrassed. I think they knew it was something bad and I think they were embarrassed. But you know, no, I think we’re doing very well.