Will Be The Greatest Jobs Producer God Ever Created, Says Donald Trump: Highlights

New York: Amid explosive allegations over Donald Trump's ties to Russia, the US President-elect held his first news conference in nearly six months. Reports in the US media said that American intelligence believes that Russia has personal and financial information on Donald Trump that is deeply compromising. Trump, who will be America's 45th President, has dismissed accusations of a cozy and compromising relationship with Russia. The 70-year-old billionaire, who has previously never been elected to office, has preferred to make off-the-cuff statements, punch out incendiary tweets, antagonise China and name call anyone who dares cross him from Oscar-winning legend Meryl Streep to an Indiana union leader. Donald Trump, who last gave a news conference on July 27, addressed the press conference at Trump Tower, the glass skyscraper that headquarters his Trump Organisation and where he lives in a penthouse on New York's Fifth Avenue.

Following are the live updates from Donald Trump's press conference:


On Freedom of Press

• Donald Trump begins his first news conference as President-elect.
• I must say that I want to thank a lot of news corporations today. We won the nomination because of news conferences.
• I have great respect for the news and great respect for freedom of the press.
• Some were so professional that I have upped my opinion by a notch for you. I think a lot of industries will be coming back.

On Jobs

• We need to create new bidding procedures for drug companies. There is very little bidding on drugs. We are going to save a lot of money in time.
• I am very much involved with Generals over the F-35 issue. We are very behind. We are also looking at the F-18 programme.
• We had so many incredible people coming here. They are going to do tremendous things. And we are very excited.
• I will be the greatest jobs producer that God ever created.
• I look forward to the inauguration. I think we're going to have massive crowds at inauguration.
• It was a beautiful scene on Nov 8 as the states started to pour in. Those states are going to see a lot of good days.
• We will focus on veterans. Our veterans have been treated very unfairly.

On Russia hacking and Intelligence briefings

• Intelligence agencies may have leaked dossier on his ties to Russia. It would be 'blot' on their record.
• Outside of the meeting, someone released it. It should never have been released.
• As far as hacking is concerned, I think it was Russia.
• The Democratic National Convention was open to be hacked. They could have had hacking defence which we had.
• President Vladimir Putin put out a statement today that this fake news was fake news - that it never happened.
• Hacking is bad and it shouldn't be done. But we learned that Hillary got the questions of the debate and she didn't report it. Nobody talked about it.

On Vladimir Putin

• If Putin likes Trump, I consider that as an asset. Russia can help us fight ISIS, which is tricky.
• This administration created ISIS, they left at the wrong time.
• Does anyone believe Clinton would've been tougher on Putin? Give me a break!
• When I leave our country, I am a very high profile person.
• I am surrounded by bodyguards. I tell them if I am leaving this country, be very careful as in your hotel room - wherever you go - there are going to be cameras in the strangest places. You cant see them and you have to be careful.

On deals with Russia

• I was in Russia few years ago for the Miss Universe pageant. I told everyone 'Be Careful'.
• I am also very much of a germaphobe, believe me.
• I have no dealings with Russia. I have no deals in Russia. No deals that could happen in Russia and have no loans in Russia.
• I have very low debt

On his government and business

• Over the weekend, I was offered 2billion to make a deal in Dubai with a developer - a friend of mine.
• I turned it down. Didn't have to turn it down.
• I have no conflict of interest provision for presidents.
• I could actually run my business and government at the same time. It doesn't look nice but I could if I wanted to.
• I am not going to release my tax returns.
• I don't think people cared at all. Maybe you care, but they don't.
• My two sons, Don and Eric, are going to be running the company. They are not going to discuss it with me.

On Rex Tillersen

• I think its brilliant what Rex Tillersen is doing and saying.
• I heard our Attorney General yesterday and I thought it was brilliant.
• We have one of the greatest cabinets ever put together.
• Rex Tillersen ran ExxonMobil efficiently. A friend of mine told me, "There is no one in the business like Rex Tillersen." I want people like that.
• Our trade deals are a disaster.
• We have so much trade imbalance with China and Japan.
• We need people who are successful and smart. I am very proud of my cabinet.

On ObamaCare

• Finally, ObamaCare! I thought it was never going to be asked!
• You will be proud of what we put forth with respect to healthcare.
• ObamaCare is a disaster. They can say whatever they want. It's imploding.
• 2017 is going to be catastrophic.
• We could sit back and criticise and they would come and beg us to do something about ObamaCare.
• We don't want to own it (ObamaCare).
• We are going to be submitting shortly after out Secretary (of health) is approved, a plan.
• We are going to 'Repeal and Replace'.
• We are going to have healthcare taken care of, in this country.
• ObamaCare is the Democrats problem. We will take it off the shelves for them.
• We could sit back and let them hang with it. We are doing the Democrats a great service.

On Jobs

• We did a good job with Carrier. We saved close to a 1000 jobs.
• We have been meeting with many companies.
• You want to move your plant to Mexico and shut down your plant in Michigan, it will not happen anymore.
• We will have a very large border tax.
• I don't care as long as plants are moving within the United States.

On building Mexico wall

• We are going to build a wall. We can wait for a year and a half but I don't want to wait. Mike Pence is leading.
• We are going to start building. Mexico will, in some form, reimburse us- whether it's a tax or payment. We WILL build a wall.
• I would ask people, "We will build a wall. Who is going to pay?" and people would scream out, "Mexico".
• Mexico has been nice. I respect the Mexican government.  I have many people from Mexico working for me and they are incredible.
• I don't blame Mexico for taking advantage of our border laws. But it is not going to happen anymore.
• I have a list of 20 (for Supreme Court judge). I have gone through them.
• Our first day, we will be doing a lot of signings.
• The people of our country wern't happy with what was happening in the Supreme Court.

On fake news

• I think it was disgraceful that fake intel agencies was released. I think that was something that would've happened in Nazi Germany.
• I don't recommend reforms, I recommend people that have some moral compass.
• Some of the media outlets I deal with are fake news. I could name them but I wouldn't bother. Some of us are sitting right here.
• I can speak back. I have seen people destroyed. All I can ask for are honest reporters.
• Intel agencies are vital and important. We will put in some outstanding people. Within 90 days, they will come to me with a major report on hacking.
• The US is the worst in terms of protection - out of 17 countries, the US is last in protecting hacking defence.
• We were told they were trying to hack us, but they couldn't hack us. I said I want a strong hacking defence. The Democrats didn't do that.
• The US is hacked by everybody.. including Russia and China.
• I said Russia could be behind the hacking. But it could be others also.

Russia-US ties

• Russia will have more respect for US under me.
• 22 million accounts were hacked by China as we have no defence.
• Russia will have far more respect for US when I will lead it. I wont give it a RESET button like Hillary.
• But Russia and other countries including China, which has taken advantage of us, Japan, Mexico.... All countries will respect us far more than they do under the current administration.
• I thank everybody. These papers are all just a piece of many companies that are put in a trust of my sons. After 8 years, I hope they do a good job. Else, I am gonna say, "YOU"RE FIRED"