After canceling then un-canceling an interview with the New York Times on Tuesday, President-elect Donald Trump arrived at the meeting and answered questions on the alt-right movement, climate change, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and more.
Trump began by complaining about the paper's coverage of him.
“I have great respect for the New York Times. I have tremendous respect,” says Trump. “I think I've been treated very rough."
Trump is speaking in measured, quiet tones. “I will say the Times is about the roughest of all,” he says of NYT’s coverage of his campaign.
Trump frequently attacks the Times' coverage of him on Twitter, calling the paper "fools" and saying it was "failing."
In the meeting he said he had "great respect" for the Times, and that he would like to improve his relationship with the paper as it would make his "job easier."
He also called the Times "a great great American jewel — world jewel."
Trump called his campaign experience "brutal," said he was not "a fan of the electoral college" — Hillary Clinton won the popular vote — and said the "African-American community liked" him during his campaign.
"I'd rather do the popular vote," Trump says. "I think we'd do as well or better." Says he was "never a fan of the electoral college."
"The African-American community liked me. They liked what I was saying," Trump says.
Trump also addressed the alt-right movement, disavowing its support and saying he felt he did nothing to energize them.
Dean Baquet asks if Trump feels like he did things to energize the alt-right movement. “I don’t think so, Dean,” Trump replies.
Trump: "It’s not a group I want to energize, and if they are energized, I want to look into it and find out why.” (2/2)
The president-elect was also asked about video footage from a white nationalist conference over the weekend where attendees could be seen giving the Nazi salute.
Asked point-blank about Nazi conference in DC over wknd: @realDonaldTrump tells @nytimes "of course" "I disavow and condemn them"
Trump said he does not favor investigating or pushing to prosecute Clinton — a frequent promise on the campaign trail and a rallying cry he encouraged among his supporters. He said he believes it would be "divisive for the country."
"I think it would be very very divisive for the country," Trump says about prosecuting the Clintons.
He added that he doesn't want to "hurt the Clintons," saying that Hillary Clinton has "suffered greatly" already.
Trump later said that, despite tolerating chants of "lock her up" at his rallies and campaign events, prosecuting Clinton is "not something that I feel very strongly about."
He also said that he doesn't think his supporters will be disappointed about him not following through on his desire to "jail" Clinton, as he said during the second presidential debate.
“I don’t want to hurt the Clintons, I really don’t. She went through a lot and suffered greatly in many different ways."
2/2 "I think I will explain it that we in many ways will save our country."
Trump also addressed climate change.
He said that he is "looking at" withdrawing from the Paris Agreement — which regulates greenhouse gas emissions and the carbon footprints of major industrial countries — and that he has an "open mind to it."
Trump is considering the impact human activity has on climate change, saying he thinks there is "some connectivity," and how much regulating it will "cost our companies."
On climate change, Trump says he is also thinking about "how much it will cost our companies” & the effect on American competitiveness.
Here's what Trump said about running his business while running the country.
Trump touched on the conflicts in Israel, Palestine, and Syria. He said he thinks his son-in-law, and publisher of the New York Observer, Jared Kushner, who has little political experience, could help solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Trump: Jared Kushner could help make peace between the Israelis and Palestinians.
“I would love to be the one who made peace with Israel and the Palestinians, that would be such a great achievement."
On the issue of Syria's ongoing civil war, Trump said, "We have to solve that problem" and "end that craziness."
"Syria, we have to solve that problem," Trump says. Adds he has a "different view than everybody else."
Trump on Syria: "We have to end that craziness that's going on in Syria."
At the end of the meeting Trump said that in regard to his stance on the First Amendment, the journalists in the room will be "very happy."
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."
He exited the building to boos and some cheers from onlookers, many of whom came in off the street.
Trump leaves the Times