Lets begin with mr. Trumps first appearance on this show back in august of 1998. The topic is bill clinton days after he confessed to his relationship with former white house intern monica lewinsky. Lets watch. Lets talk about the other 52yearold, bill clinton. Whats he need to do . Well, i dont know. Its so embarrassing, and you really have to say where does it stop . I really like this guy, but you have to say why do they keep revealing the details . He had sex, but now they talk about the kind, where, on the desk, off the desk. Its out of control. I havent heard those parts but do you think he could have gotten away with a complete mea culpa in january. He could have said im going to throw all my money on the table and the American People will buy this . I would have done Something Different than what they did. Paula jones is a loser, but she may be responsible for bringing down a president indirectly, and that statement was a bad statement to have been made, and its proven to be false. Which statement was that . The paula jones in the deposition, which really started this. When he denied it, if youre in a hole stop digging . You walk away and say im not going to deal. Im going to drop this line . I think the speech after was a disaster. It wasnt the right tone. Im not sure he should have done it. Im not sure he shouldnt have just taken the fifth amendment and said i dont get along with this man star. Hes a republican and after me. And taken the fifth amendment. Its a terrible thing for a president to take the fifth amendment, but he probably should have done it. I dont think he could have done any worse than whats happened. Its an embarrassment to him. I see him walking around, its a terrible embarrassment. Is he going up or down . I think the best he can do is tread water for two years. I think he can tread and maybe keep the office and just tread and get out as opposed to nixon who got out in a harsh manner. It may be worse than that. But i believe the best he can do is tread water. Did you ever have a flicker when you were waking unwhen you said donald trump, youve won every battle you ever fought, why dont you run for governor or president . People want me to all the time. What about you . I dont like it. Can you imagine how controversial id be . You think of him with the women . How about me with the women . My next was a Hardball College Tour at his all ma matter at the university of pennsylvania. Even back then he was considering a trump for president in the 2000 election. Trump was between marriages at the time of our interview. While he was dating the future first lady, there were questions about how hed handle the Office Without a first lady. Lets watch. You have another special guest id like to introduce at this time. I do. I see her. My super model. Where is my supermodel . Melania. This is melania. Stand up. And one thing its safe to say about you, donald, you know the difference between sla vok ya and slovenia. I do. This is a technical thing, but its kind of fun. The president of the United States gets an allowance to live off of. They live off us. They have an allowance for parties and whatever, and whenever they pass out the wine glasses and food. The first lady gets to control all that. She has a thing called the east wing. How are you going to handle that . Well, you know, i got myself into a lot of trouble that i said i could be married within 24 hours if need be [ laughter ] thats what happens when you go to wharton, folks. Its one of those. But i could handle it. I could handle it very easily. Im not sure that today being married, and i really could be married, and its one of those things, but i just got out of a marriage. Youll handle the social arrangements if you get elected president . Ill really handle it myself or youll see what happens. Lots of changes could be made. I believe in all seriousness, i believe strongly in the institution of marriage. To me marriage is an incredible institution when you get it right. My parents, my father just died, as you probably know, a few months ago. They were married 63 years. They had the most incredible marriage. I think the one thing that my father couldnt believe and didnt understand is how could you get divorced . Divorce wasnt a word in his vocabula vocabulary, but it happens. I believe in the institution of marriage. Theres nothing better. If youre president of the United States i got a question about that later. If youre president of the United States, you expect it will be a First Lady Joining you at some point . I do. Melania, could you answer one big question. The only person i can imagine putting Jackie Kennedy to shame, melania, would you like to be first lady . Yes, it would be honor to be a first lady, yes. [ applause ] thank you. In that same 1999 interview, trump said his top concern is commander in chief would be nuclear proliferation. And in particular, preventing a conflict in north korea. Now 18 years later trump finds himself grappling with these very issues as president. Lets watch. If you get to be president , define the anywhere vidnirvana, age of trump . Well, i think the nirvana would be cleaning the world from nuclear missiles. These young folks in this room, these people are going to have themselves a bigger problem than me or you or anybody else. Frankly, you have north korea thats just loading up with nuclear warheads. You have other countries, china. You have russia, has them and they dont even know who is controlling them. I think its singly the Biggest Issue out there, and somebody has to talk about it. I brought it up. People dont like mentioning it. But that really has to be done. Let me ask you about things that loom ahead. Youre president of the United States. You get a call from the cia chief who says i have to come over. He shows you paper that shows the North Koreans are ready to move. Theyre going to use their tunnels and perhaps the threat of nuclear and their army mastered the border. Theyre ready to move. How would you deal about a situation like that . Id have to see where they are and how the south is reacting, because obviously the south is going to have something to say about it. I will tell you that and i alluded to it at the beginning. North korea, in my opinion, is probably our single biggest problem right now. Would you send a threat of saying if you move, we move, youre gone. I wont signal anything, but to be honest, something to going to have to be done with knot korea. Theyre out of control and unstable. Something is going to have to be done. Trump joined me next in april of 2001 to discuss george w. Bushs first 100 days in office. He gave the new president high marks and contrasted bushs style with bill clinton. Mr. President trump, it seems to me have a president different than other guys in office. Hes not a political junkie. He doesnt talk about politics like a senator. Hes inarticulate. Hes an mba guy. Hes a Harvard Business guy. Do you have a sense hes running this more like a business, the white house now . Well, i think its running it very well. I think hes stepped up and is doing a good job. Hes had turmoil that werent anticipated but shes stepped up to the plate and is becoming president ial. And hes doing a good job. If you had to do a scouting report on a chief executive, how would you compare him and the president we had for eight years . Youre talking about opposites. Bill clinton was comfortable, very everything, but a lot of people were extremely upset with him and especially the why he got out. I like him very much, but i know of mark ridge. To give him a pardon was just something that was inexcusable. I think that were dealing with very opposites, and i think thats thats what the electorate wanted. Thats what they got. Do you ever sense Hillary Clinton has moved into her own politically, not her marriage, but as a person, and shes now dropped the booster rocket completely. Bill is not part of the scene. Well, i think she is very much. I think she very much loves him. Shes had to go just on a personal basis, which is probably more interesting to most of the people. Im sure to all your viewers. She is totally in love with this man, but shes had a tough time of it. Theres no question about it. Do you think that pardon for mark ridge which you think wasnt a good idea, do you think that hurt her in new york in. I think it hurt her. I think it really hurt him. People that were really backing him and willing to give him the benefit of the doubt said at the end, weve had it. And it was sad. I like him so much. I think hes terrific in so many ways, but it was just a culmination of so many different things, and i have friends that no matter what he did, it was okay. When he did that, they just gave up. And it was a very sad thing. That same year 2001, trump joined me again by phone six days aftthe attacks of 9 11. Heres what he said about rebuilding downtown new york and how new yorkers pulled together amid the devastation. We have on the front right now new York Real Estate developer donald trump. Mr. Trump, let me ask you the question, Rudy Giuliani said the best thing america can do for new york is go to new york and spend money. I think thats true. A lot of people are out there today. A lot of people are proud to be new yorkers, and very proud to be in this country. Generally speaking. I mean, its been amazing. Theres been an amazing show of confidence and faith, despite what happened with the rm 700 point market down. Im usually shocked negati negatively, but the way everybody seemed to pull together, it wasnt like whos the cop, the farmer, the rich real estate developer, the stockbroker . Everybody seemed to be on the same level. Tell me about your thinking. Its a truly great city. People here know it. It really is a truly great city. I think theyve really proved it this week. Our firemen and policemen, these people are so brave. Its unbelievable what theyve done and what theyre doing. I watched a dig out the construction workers, ive never seen anything like it. Its a tragic event, but its somehow pulled the country and new york even closer together. Do you think new york needs to replace, you need to replace the world trade towers . The big question is the tenants. How many tenants and how many feet are you going to build . Symbolically its important. Im not sure it has to take shape in the same form. The World Trade Center was never considered an architectural masterpiece until about six days ago. I think we can do better, but i think its important to rebuild in some form and maybe a much better form, a stronger form than even the World Trade Center sthchlt. Coming up, i questioned him through the years about running for president. He teased the notion many times but his answers to me on the subject could also be surprising. And thats ahead, and this is a special edition of hardball. 20 years of trump. Riasis. Be the you who shows up in that dress. Who hugs a friend. Who is done with treatments that dont give you clearer skin. Be the you who controls your psoriasis with stelara® just 4 doses a year after 2 starter doses. Stelara® may lower your ability to fight infections and may increase your risk of infections and cancer. Some serious infections require hospitalization. Before treatment, get tested for tuberculosis. 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New, more Reliable Equipment for your home. And a new culture built around customer service. It all adds up to our most Reliable Network ever. One that keeps you connected to what matters most. Welcome back to hardball. 20 years of trump. While we continue our look back on the many interviews ive done with donald trump to see what we can glean watching the evolution of the man who became our 45th president. The attacks of donald trump figured in the president ial campaign which brought him criticism for his attacks on muslims but back then the real estate billionaire took a measured tone and praised on mayor bloomberg someone who was later his critic. Listen to this exchange six months after the attack. Let me ask you about missouri nooi. Youre a figure a major personality in new york in the celebrity tulture of new york. Youre part of the big apple. How is that mood of the city changed . Is it less frivolous . Is it more sober . Whats the answer . Whats different about new york . Theres a sadness, but at the same time, ive never seen the spirit that we have in new york today. I think Michael Bloomberg is doing an amazing job as mayor. Hes doing a really great job. Ive known michael for a long time. Hes going to go down as a great mayor. Theres a sadness, but theres a spirit, and i say new york will come back stronger and bigger and better than it ever was before. 2016 wasnt the first time donald trump dived into politics. In fact, he spoke of running as far back as 1988. In 2000 he launched an Exploratory Committee as a reform party committee. In 2003 i asked him if he was still interested in politics. You talked about possibly running in 2004 after pulling out last time. Are you possibly interested . I think youre a republican. Thats my guess. You wouldnt challenge the president this time, would you . No. I never wanted to run. I looked at it because we had polls you did and other people did that showed i would have done well. I love real estate. You said you heard im going to run in 2004. I hadnt heard that. We dug up an old quote of yours. Lets go over that tape. Theres an old quote that said youd take a look at it in 2004. I continue to be interested in the political process and cannot rule out a possible candidacy in 2004. That was you in february of 2000. That was a long time ago. I never did run, and i probably never will run. Take a listen to his answer from the same interview on who he would vote for in hypothetical matchups between the clintons and potential opponents in. What about bill dont against Mike Bloomberg in a mayor race . Mike is working hard. Hes doing a good job. Bill just joined my golf club, so i like him. I like him beyond golf clubs, but hes not running. Rudy versus hillary . Thats going to be a very interesting one. Youre talking about the president ial. It will be interesting and that could happen. I dont predict a winner but that could happen. You dont have a favorite in that race . Would you vote for hillary or rudy . Dont ask me that question. A major point of contention throughout the 2016 campaign was Donald Trumps position on the iraq war. Candidate trump repeatedly said hed been opposed to the war before the march 2003 invasion and often took credit for his vision claiming he knew it would destabilize the region. But back in november of 2003, his position wasnt quite what he said it was. Lets watch this exchange. This was an elective where the president thought we had to do it. He made a judgment call and took us into iraq. Do you think hell consider that judgment as the costs rise . I dont think hes going to. Hes committed to that whole situation. I dont think he will really reconsider. I i dont think he probably can at this point. Other people will. Youll find out at the polls whether or not that other people are right. You see more and more doves if you call them doves. The question is whether or not we should have been in iraq in the first place. I dont think this president can do anything about that. Hes really on a course that has to stay. Much more to come from my interviews over the years with donald trump. Including what trump thinks makes a good leader and why we elect the president s we do and the newsmaking interview we had at the height of last years primary campaign. This is a special edition of hardball, 20 years of trump. Oh, millies. Trick or treat were so glad to have you here. What if we treated great female scientists like they were stars . Yasss queen what if millie dresselhaus, the first woman to win the National Medal of science in engineering, were as famous as any celebrity . [millie dresselhaus was seen having lunch today. ] [. Rumors of the new discovery. ] what if we lived in a world like that . crowd applauding we know a place thats already working on it. Looking for a hotel that fits. Your budget . Tripadvisor now searches over 200 sites to find you the hotel you want at the lowest price. 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