In the category of “you can’t make this stuff up” Trump answered questions from the press standing along side convicted felon (manslaughter, supposedly for kicking a man to death over a debt of $600) and former boxing promoter Don King on Wednesday. See video and transcript below:
PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP: Hello, everybody. Everybody okay? You all know Don King? Who doesn't know Don King?
DON KING: Great to be an American. Now with our leader, we're going to make new days, make America great again.
REPORTER: Is your Israeli flag a message for the President?
DON KING: It's about peace, peace in the Middle East and Shimon Peres and so what we want - everyone to come together. He's the leader that can make it happen.
Uh, Don King maybe you might want to know that Shimon Peres hasn't been Prime Minister of Israel since 2014, and also he’s dead.
TRUMP: Are you guys okay? Everything fine?
REPORTER: Yes, sir.
TRUMP: Go ahead.
REPORTER: We wondered do you have any further comments about [Secretary of State John] Kerry's speech?
TRUMP: Yeah, it speaks for itself.
REPORTER: But he said that friends need to like set friends straight and that's one of the things --
TRUMP: We have different views and we have to have peace. We'll see what happens after January 20th, right? I think you're going to be very impressed.
REPORTER: Mr. President-elect -- the 5,000 jobs that you announced today were part of the 50,000 --
TRUMP: Sprint will give you -- I just spoke with the head person. He said because of me they're doing 5,000 jobs in this country. They just put a release out. Hope has it. You'll see it. That's that. And they're also doing -- asa is doing 3,000ons with, as you know, one web.
REPORTER: So those 5,000 jobs.
TRUMP: 5,000 to Sprint. no, no.
REPORTER: Are they not part of the 50,000?
TRUMP: I'll give you their statement.
REPORTER: Mr. President-elect, there's a lawsuit where journalists are trying to get the records that Congress saw for an alleged Russian intervention in the election. Do you think any records --
TRUMP: I think they should do the best they can, figure it all out.
REPORTER: Sir, do you think there should be a public option for veterans to get health care in the United States?
TRUMP: I had three of the greatest in the world today, Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, the three top people from the best in the world, and they were amazing and they have really good ideas. We have to get it...I've been saying we're going to take care of our vets and we're going to take care of our vets. I had the three greatest people in the world. if you look at those institutions, I think you'd all agree. They were all in a room together with myself and some others, and we're working on something to make it great for the veterans because the veterans have been treated very, very unfairly. I don't want to see veterans waiting in line for two weeks and in many cases they have a minor illness and it takes so long to see a doctor it turns the out to be a major illness and beyond that. If you look at my website, we'll see what happens. Pretty much called it. But they want to see fast service. the doctors were explaining to me today things that can be taken care of quickly when you wait too long, it's life threatening. That's what's been happening. People are dying. We'll fix it properly not like it's been done over the past.
REPORTER: How close are you able -- you said that you wanted to resolve the New York [Foundation case. The] AG's office says you cannot do that until they finish their investigation.
TRUMP: Well, I have a foundation that has given millions and millions of dollars to people over the years. and it's been very well thought of. We'll see what happens. but it's given millions and millions of dollars. Zero expense. Zero. Nobody has that that I know of. But zero expense. So that's working out very nicely.
REPORTER: How close are you to showing off the plans for your business? And are we going to hear from you?
TRUMP: That's very routine. honestly, It's a very routine thing. not a big deal. You people are making that a big deal, the business because, look, number one, when I won, they all knew I had a big business all over the place. In fact, I reported it with the, as you know, with the federal elections. It's a much bigger business than anybody thought. It's a great business, but I'm going to have nothing to do with it. I don't have to. because, as you know, I wouldn't have to do that by law. i want to tt because I want to focus on the country. when I ran, people know I have a very big business. they elected me I guess partially for that reason. so I guess that's going to work out very easily. It's actually a very simple situation. it's not a big deal and we'll be having a press conference sometime in early January.
REPORTER: A little bit more of your conversation with Obama today. Is the transition of power going as smoothly as you would have hoped?
TRUMP: Yeah, he called me. He called me. we had a very, very good talk about generally about things. He was in Hawaii. and it was a very, very nice call. And I actually thought we covered a lot of territory, a lot of good territory.
REPORTER: Are you satisfied with the transition thus far?
TRUMP: Well, our staffs are getting along very well. and I'm getting along very well with him. other than a couple of statements. And I responded to. and we talked about it and smiled about it. And nobody's ever going to know because we're never going to be going against each other in that way. So but he -- it was a great conversation.