Trump: 'We don't have to be nice to Pres. Obama'

'The Donald' on being Florida's Statesman of the Year, why he believes Romney will 'put people back to work' and his advice for the campaign

This is a rush transcript from "On the Record," August 27, 2012. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's give a big round of applause to our 2012 statesman of the year award winner, Mr. Donald Trump!

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GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, FOX NEWS HOST: Donald Trump is honored by the Republican Party of Sarasota County, Florida. But did the stormy weather force Trump to change his convention plans? Griff Jenkins caught up with Trump in Sarasota.

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GRIFF JENKINS, FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT: First let's talk about the weather, hurricane, tropical storm Isaac. What political impact do you think that will have on this convention?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT AND CEO, TRUMP ORGANIZATION: I don't think it's going to have an impact. It does miss one day. I was a big part of Monday. I just got here and find out Monday was canceled. But I don't think it's going to have a huge impact. I think the message is going to get out. The message is going to be a message of jobs. It's about jobs.

Mitt Romney is and was a very, very successful person. He knows business. He knows jobs. He knows how to put people to work. You look at our unemployment, it's not 8.3 percent. It's probably 20 percent or 21 percent, the real number. And 8.3 percent is fiction, minimum 15 percent or 16 percent. Mitt Romney will put people back to work.

JENKINS: What's the takeaway Romney needs to leave here to the 30 million-plus maybe taking a first look at Romney?

TRUMP: I think we have to be not be so politically correct. We're a country in tremendous trouble. We have to say it like it is. We don't have to be nice to President Obama. We don't have to say he's a wonderful person, because he's probably not a wonderful person. And, frankly, they cannot be politically correct. They have to say it like it is. This country is in trouble. Our president has done a poor job. We have to put this country back to work.

We have to stop other countries from destroying us, whether it's China, OPEC nations, or any other -- virtually any other country we deal with. You look at the country of Colombia, relatively small trading partner. They use the word "partner." It's not a partner. We have a $4 billion deficit with Colombia. That's a small one. China's going to be probably close to $400 billion in deficits. We can't do it. We can't afford it. Then we go, how do we pay for the deficits? We borrow money from China.

So Mitt Romney gets it. He's a great businessman. He'll change things. He's also got heart. He's a wonderful person. His wife is a fantastic person. I think it's going to be an amazing combination.

JENKINS: You're talking about a shifting of the strategy, the Romney campaign. You mentioned he needs to tell it like it is. Is he being too soft? Does he need to have more Donald Trump approach to things?

TRUMP: He's a good person, a tough person when he has to be. I think he'll show that toughness. I think he has to show the toughness. He's a very smart guy. I just say that you have to say it like it is. The old expression from the great Howard Cosell, tell it like it is. The country is doing terribly. We're in deep, deep trouble. Four more years of Obama, we're not going to make it. And I'm not sure you can come back if it continues. Obamacare is a disaster. It's going to destroy -- it's going to add to -- we'll be up to $17 trillion in deficits very soon, $17 trillion. You never even heard -- the word "trillion." It wasn't in the vocabulary. Now it's commonplace.

So at $17 trillion, employment at 15 percent, 16 percent, 21 percent, any way you want to cut it. You look at inner city unemployment, and that is a number that's probably 40 percent to 50 percent. The country cannot continue to go on like this. So I think Mitt is going to get the message across. When he gets it across, people are going to just love the message.

JENKINS: In Paul Ryan's message, he's been very good at delivering the topic of Medicare, but he's selling Romney's vision of it, not the original Paul Ryan. Are they succeeding on Medicare in your opinion?

TRUMP: I think he is. He's saying he's going to save Medicare, because if you keep going the Obama route, Medicare is not going to exist any longer. And if you look at what Obamacare has done to Medicare, they've stolen $716 billion from Medicare. So they're destroying Medicare.

I think Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney will save Medicare. I know they will. And people are starting to understand it. They're going to be very happy with what's going on, but they're going to be very, very unhappy if Obama gets in. I think actually if Obama gets in, and if Obamacare isn't ended, I really think Medicare will be a thing of the past.

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