Read full 'Water Cooler' interview transcript with President Trump here:

Brody:

Mr. President, we've known each other over a decade. We've interviewed countless times. It's really is an honor to have you on the "Water Cooler" today. Thanks for being here.

Trump:

Well, thank you David, thank you.

Brody:

I want to start with something you told Sean Hannity last week. The headlines were about how you admitted defeat in the 2020 election when you said we didn't win. Is that an accurate headline? Did you admit defeat? I just want to understand that.

Trump: 

No, I never admitted defeat. We have a lot of things happening right now. I think that that was an election that was, I don't think, all you have to do is read the newspapers and see what's coming out now. No I never used the word concede I have not conceded.

Brody:

Right. So I want to ask you about Georgia and Arizona, the audit going on out there. What should happen in your mind if Arizona and Georgia come back with fully verified evidence of voter fraud? What do you think should happen?

Trump: 

Well, I think they will come back with that, and I think other states are also going to come back with that. And it's going to be determined. What's going to happen, that's not up to me. That's up to the public. That's up to a lot of people I guess. But if the election was determined to be a fraud, and it's looking more and more like that is the case, I mean, people are going to have to make a determination as to what's going to happen.

Brody:

Right. So I want to clarify something because I have to tell you, the last time I checked, I don't want to listen to the mainstream media, their headlines are ridiculous. There is talk out there by a certain segment of the MAGA faithful, they truly believe you're going to be somehow reinstated in August. There's actually a Morning Consult poll that say 30% of American, or excuse me, 30% of Republicans, actually think that as well. So can you set the record straight? Do you believe you could be potentially reinstated at that point? What's your view?

Trump: 

Well, just so you understand, there is a large, I've been seeing those same polls and that might pose their polls taken by, I guess media and others, and there is a tremendous percentage, much higher than that, that thinks the election was rigged and stolen.

I don't speak for other people, I can only tell you what I say. You know, frankly, this isn't unique because Hillary Clinton went around saying it, and Stacey Abrams is still saying about her race in Georgia. So this is nothing that's totally unique, but I will say that, in this case, they had no evidence. In this case there is massive evidence that's coming out of Georgia, I mean, just take a look at what's happening, read the papers now a lot of the mainstream media in fact almost all of it refuses to cover it.

Why I don't know. It's all Pulitzer Prize material, but they refuse to cover it. But you take a look at the numbers coming out of Arizona, now they're doing an audit right now, I have nothing to do with the audit. The audit is, is taking place, it's the state Senate. And I think they're great patriots, frankly, if you want to know the truth. But the state Senate of Arizona, they're doing an audit. I don't know when it's going to be released, the numbers, but I would imagine they'd be very revealing. And Georgia likewise and Pennsylvania is, from what I heard, starting an audit because they've found things that they are not happy with. Now these numbers, I think are going to prove to be massive.

Brody:

But what about the reinstatement part, is that bogus?

Trump: 

I'm not going to comment on that. I'm going to just see what happens. If the election was fraudulent, people are gonna have to make up their own minds. It's not going to be up to me. It's going to be up to the public. It's going to be up to, perhaps politicians, I don't think there's ever been a case like this where hundreds of thousands of votes will be found. So we'll have to see what happens.

Brody:

Okay, fair enough. In 2024, You're always being asked 2024 questions. I know you're getting tired of it. So there's been talk now about you becoming speaker of the House in 2022. Is that something that you would seriously even consider or can you say right here right now, that you don't have any interest in that?

Trump:

Well, I've heard the talk, and it's getting more and more. But it's not something that I would have considered, but it just certainly there's a lot of talk about it. I have a good relationship with [House GOP leader] Kevin [McCarthy], and hopefully we will do everything traditionally. But the election was a horrible, horrible thing for our country. The whole world is watching. And it's been horrible. You know we were always known for free and fair elections. Well, it turns out they weren't free and they weren't fair, and the world is watching. So I have seen talk about that but it's nothing that I've ever considered.

Brody:

Right, okay, fair enough. On 2024. By the way, here's my take, and I'm curious to get your take. Would it be accurate to say that if a super majority of the candidates that you're supporting right now, if they win in the midterms and Republicans take back the house in the Senate that would make it more likely that you would run at that point? Is that true? What do you think?

Trump: 

No, I don't think so, but I think that's what is going to happen. My endorsements have meant a lot. We're almost undefeated very close to undefeated, and hundreds and hundreds of endorsements, people win. We just had the Republican Party chair in North Carolina and in Georgia and other places, we just had congressional candidates, but I mean hundreds of endorsements, and our record is, I think unmatched anywhere at any time. So I'm working to gain the majority first, and I think it would be, I think it's very important that we do that, I don't know that would have any impact on my decision, however.

Brody:

What would have that impact on your decision? What's going through your mind on that? A lot of people want to know.

Trump:

Well, I think I'm just looking at what's going on. I'm very unhappy with what's going on. I look at the border where people are coming in by the millions. It's going to be by the millions very soon, it already is. And I look at other things, how our country is really. It's America last. I was America first. I look at it and I see what's happening. And I'm not happy about it, so we'll make that decision, and I think people will be very happy with the decision I make.

Brody:

I know there's a lot of people that have been talking about you running in 2024. And look, you know the deal. There's a lot of people talking about [GOP Gov.] Ron De Santis and the job he's doing in Florida. What are your thoughts about De Santis running in 2024? What do you think of that?

Trump:

I think Ron is very good. I endorsed him and when I endorsed him he went up like a rocket ship. He understands that. And he's doing a good job. We have a number of people that are doing a very good job. Ron's a friend of min. He's been great, and we have just endorsed as you know, the governor of Texas for that race, and we have a lot of other endorsements out there. We have some great people in the Republican Party.

Brody:

You know, I don't want to listen to the New York Times, they always like to write about the relationship between you and Mike Pence. Can you explain that to us right now? There's a portion of the MAGA crowd, you know the deal. They're never gonna forgive the vice president for not kicking those certain disputed election results back to the state legislature. What's your take on Mike Pence, and what's the relationship like?

Trump:

Well, I've always liked Mike, and I'm very disappointed that he didn't send it back to the legislatures. When you have more votes than you have voters in some cases, and when you have the kind of things that were known in many cases, known then, but they're certainly getting better and better now. I was disappointed that he didn't send it back, I felt he had the right to send it back, and he should have sent it back. That's my opinion. I think if we did, I think those legislators, look at Pennsylvania now, look at Georgia and look at Arizona, and look at others. They're all now looking at what happened during that election. I think you would have found that you might very well have a different president right now had he sent them back.

Brody:

Interesting. You're gonna hold a rally in the Cleveland area this coming weekend. You're gonna support a candidate who is taking on someone, Congressman Anthony Gonzalez, who voted to impeach you. Is this like a revenge tour across the country for you? How do you see it?

Trump:

No, I just don't think Gonzales is good. I don't think he represents the people. I think he's not somebody that thinks the way I do and others do. And frankly, I think that the young man running against him, Max Miller, is excellent. I worked with him for a long time at the White House. He comes from the area, he was brought up in the area. He loves Ohio. He loves that particular spot, and he is going to do well. I mean, he's been doing very well, I can tell you that. No I'm not a fan of Gonzalez.

Brody:

Let me ask you about, you know, the Evangelicals. They support you so much, across this country. What's your message to them right now? They see a culture, slipping away to wokeness. This critical race theory, transgender terminology, now it's like 'birthing people.' What in the world? So what is it going to take to wake up the church here in America, Mr. president.

Trump:

Well the evangelicals have been better. Even now, after the election because they see what's happening. They're being affronted on every single thing that they stand for and represent. When Biden went in, he didn't say all of the things that were happening. You look at religion generally speaking, what's going on now with this administration, this was not what was discussed during debates and during anything else. I mean nobody ever thought this was possible.

Not only on religion, but on the border, on the Second Amendment, on everything else you can think of, but including God and including life and including many other topics. This is Bernie Sanders times 10. Nobody ever thought, what's happening to our country could be happening to our country. Evangelicals and Christians generally, you take a look at what's happening, Christians generally are feeling that way, or they are feeling that way very strongly.

Much more so now because now they're actually seeing things happen. And you know, I have a Supreme Court that gave a very good ruling the other day, as you know, but, but having to do with Christianity and having to do with religion, I mean it was a great ruling, but you know I was fortunate that we got three Supreme Court justices approved and almost 300 federal judges. You know, we've done a job. But nobody thought what was happening now, could be happening. Nobody thought it was possible.

Brody:

Yeah, I want to get to that Supreme Court, one of the Supreme Court's decisions in just a moment. I remember that you were right during the campaign. I remember during the campaign, you said Joe Biden was against God. And now we have the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops they're looking at the nine, at him as a Catholic, Communion, even Pelosi, what are your thoughts about that?

Trump:

Well, it's pretty unusual. You know, I'm not gonna argue with them, it's pretty unusual, his, his stance on everything. They would have been a lot better off had I won this election. That I can tell you because very few if anybody has ever done what I've done in terms of the subject that you're talking about and the subject that you represent so well.

Brody:

Yeah, Mr. Trump, let me ask you a little bit about those Supreme Court picks. Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh, they ruled with the liberals just recently in favor of saving Obamacare. What did you think of that? About what they did?

Trump:

I was disappointed, and that's the way it goes. Very disappointed, I fought very hard for them. But I was very disappointed with a number of their rulings.

Brody:

Does it make you second guess some of those picks? Or time will tell?

Trump:

Now, second guessing does no good, but I was disappointed with a number of rulings that they made.

Brody:

For sure. By the way later this month you're going to be going down to the border in Texas with Governor Greg Abbott. If you had a few minutes to speak with Kamala Harris about the immigration situation, what would you tell her? Because after all, Joe Biden put her in charge of the crisis. Which, by the way, they don't even call a crisis.

Trump:

I'd say go back to what we were doing at work. It’s not so easy to get back there, however. I had to go through court cases, litigation, we had to win a lot. And staying in Mexico was a very big deal. We got that, and we got all the other things that now. It's all been blown up, and you have millions of people coming into our country, just in case you're not aware of it. Millions of people and many of those people come out of prisons.

They allow them to come out of prisons and other places. What is happening on our border is beyond the crisis, and maybe they won't call it a crisis, but it's beyond the crisis.

Brody:

I've got to ask you here at the end. There's a lot of faithful, not just Trump supporters, but obviously faithful Americans who have lost hope in this country. What do you tell them? How do you have them keep the faith through these tough times?

Trump:

I tell them to stay tuned.

Brody:

Now what does that mean? I have to ask you a follow up on that, Mr. President. Stay tuned. That's all I get?

Trump:

That's what you get. That's what you get. And it's, we'll see what happens. Our country is in crisis. And what's happening with other countries is they're eating our lunch. They're destroying our country at the border and elsewhere. So stay tuned. Let's see what happens. Thank you David very much.

Brody:

Mr. President, really appreciate it. Donald Trump, the 45th president the United States, hitting on a whole range of issues. We will come back and discuss that with Nan Hayworth and Eric Rains and a whole lot more on the "Water Cooler," when we come back.