This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," April 19, 2011. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "GOOD MORNING AMERICA")
DONALD TRUMP, ENTREPRENEUR: I have a great company. I've done a great job. If I run you will see because I will do a full disclosure of finances.
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, HOST: Including your tax returns?
TRUMP: We'll look at that. Maybe I'm going to do the tax returns when Obama does his birth certificate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN HANNITY, HOST: All right, Donald Trump is not the only one weighing in on President Obama's birth certificate and that debate. My next guest says that he could put the whole issue behind and once and for all if he does one simple thing, release the birth certificate.
Joining me now Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann.
How are you? Welcome to New York.
REP. MICHELE BACHMANN, R-MINN.: I'm doing great.
HANNITY: Good to see you.
At one point, we are saying this isn't a big issue.
BACHMANN: It isn't.
HANNITY: But you want him to show it? Should he show it?
BACHMANN: No, I was asked a question in an interview and what I said is look, this is the easiest problem to solve. All the president has to do is show it.
All the Republicans are being asked to attest to the authenticity. All I'm saying is there is only one person who can attest to the authenticity and that is the clerk of court in the county where he was born.
So everybody should run there, ask the clerk of court, solve this thing and forget about it.
HANNITY: Apparently they can't legally give the birth certificate. The person himself would have to ask for it. Do you think he should go the next time he's in Hawaii, get the certificate, show it to everybody and move on?
BACHMANN: Yes. I just think let's solve this and get it over with. I mean, we have so many other bigger fish to fry. Why are we focusing on this?
HANNITY: You don't even think it should be discussed?
BACHMANN: Well, no. I mean, people are curious about it. I think that, you know, that he should just solve it and let's be done with it.
HANNITY: You are in the process of making a decision. You are thinking about running for president. Where are you in that process?
BACHMANN: Well, we are visiting all the primary states right now. It has been fabulous. We started out the week in Iowa. I was in Washington and then we went to South Carolina for three days and I just came back from New Hampshire.
People are fed up with President Obama and they want a change. We have had a wonderful reception wherever we've gone and I'm really encouraged.
HANNITY: All right, does that make you more likely because the crowds are big. You raised more money I think last year than any other member of Congress.
BACHMANN: I did than any other member of Congress and in the history of Congress. We raised more money than anyone in the history of Congress in the House of Representatives.
And last quarter I raised more money than any of the other candidates even Mitt Romney, thinking about running for president.
HANNITY: What is getting in the way? What is preventing you from making that decision? What is your timeframe?
BACHMANN: You've often heard candidates say they have to know that they have the fire in the belly and they have to be convinced that this is the right thing. That's what my husband and I are doing right now.
And part of it, you know, we're Christians and we pray about these things. So we're trying to know that we know that we know that this is exactly what we should be doing right now. I think that it is reasonable to say we have to make a decision by June because Iowa straw poll is August.
So we are already laying ground work. We're putting a team together in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. So we are doing the deal, but to actually make the decision we have to know that all of our pieces are together. Then we have to decide no later than sometime in June. We may decide before, entirely possible.
HANNITY: You saw what the S&P said downgrading and saying there's a better than 33 percent chance that America is not going to be able to deal with its debt properly. You saw the White House's reaction. They went on the attack against the S&P, which I thought was interesting, but we are now about to have a debate over the debt ceiling. You were at odds with the leadership over the 2011 budget.
Do you have confidence they are going to fight hard and hold out for major concessions in this battle over the debt ceiling?
BACHMANN: Well, of course, that's our hope that they do that. That's what the expectation is of the people. Again, I think at least 2/3 of the American people are just saying no, don't raise the debt ceiling at all.
I think what we have to take off the table is the fact that we are not going to see the full faith and credit of the United States harmed in any way.
I think we should pass Tom McClintock's bill from California that says we pay all our bills first, we're going to pay our interest first before anything else. And what it means, Sean, is we pay our bills and then the money leftover we prioritize our spending.
HANNITY: Do you think -- is there consensus within the Republican caucus, the leadership, are they giving you any indication this is a fight worth having?
Barack Obama didn't vote to raise the debt ceiling as a senator in 2006. He said we have to be more responsible for our kids and grandkids. One of the few times I agreed with Obama, he was senator then. But is that your position or do you think you're going to find yourself at odds again with the Republican Party?
BACHMANN: It is possible I might be at odds with the Republican Party again. I know very clearly what people are telling me in my district in Minnesota and from around the country.
They are saying we tired of giving the government more authority to borrow money. Forty one cents of every dollar we is borrowed. I couldn't live like that for two months in my own finances. The government can't --
HANNITY: What would it take for to you support raising the debt ceiling?
BACHMANN: The only way that I could do that is that if we see a defunding of Obamacare, complete defunding and of course, I'd like to see spending caps as well.
We can't do what we are doing and Standard & Poor's told us that. That's the canary in the mine. Now we know that we are in trouble if we don't change course.
HANNITY: So would a balanced budget amendment, defunding Obama care, caps on spending, those would be things that if they passed that then you would agree?
BACHMANN: I would give it strong consideration. What I've said so far is raising the debt ceiling alone, I can't do it. I cannot do it. I think what we need to do is be very honest.
And again, let people know what it means if we don't raise the debt ceiling. We have to take that issue off the table about maintaining the full faith and credit of the American people. But then we have to show them what the spending choices would be too.
HANNITY: All right, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, good to see you. Thanks for being here. Appreciate it.
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