--- title: Donald Trump Press Conference: Read a Transcript description: President-elect Donald Trump held his first press conference since July. Here is a transcript of the event. canonical: https://time.com/4631551/donald-trump-press-conference-russia-ethics-transcript/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-01-11T17:16:46.000Z article:modified_time: 2024-01-24T12:13:33.000Z article:section: Politics og:title: Read a Transcript of Trump's Press Conference on Ethics og:description: His first since July. og:url: https://time.com/4631551/donald-trump-press-conference-russia-ethics-transcript/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt416e4c30be18c90f/6988b526bc6cfc13713dfc16/donald-trump3.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5191 og:image:height: 2920 og:image:alt: Donald Trump og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Read a Transcript of Trump's Press Conference on Ethics twitter:description: His first since July. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt416e4c30be18c90f/6988b526bc6cfc13713dfc16/donald-trump3.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 video:duration: 02:17 video:published: 2017-01-11 section: politics topics: Russian hacking allegations, fake news, Trump business interests, Supreme Court nomination, border wall funding, tax returns, press relations genre: news conference, press Q&A tones: defensive, combative, confident, dismissive emotions: anger (high), defensiveness (high), confidence (medium), frustration (medium) sentiment: negative audience: US voters, political news followers, journalists, policy observers people: Donald Trump, Don Trump, Eric Trump, Antonin Scalia organizations: Russia, Mexico content_suitability: politics [00:00-02:17]; hate [01:55-02:17] transcript_source: publisher captions transcript_reviewed: not applicable ---  # Read a Transcript of Donald Trump's Press Conference on Conflicts of Interest > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=e0438155-1831-463e-8996-154047ba7599&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Donald Trump's First News Conference Since Presidential Election [Watch (HLS stream): Donald Trump's First News Conference Since Presidential Election](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/SPuibc6H.m3u8) (2:17)  _Published 2017-01-11. President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday denied and denounced an unsubstantiated report that said Russia had compromising information about him, calling it an “absolute disgrace” during the first news conference he has hosted in about six months._ Description, summary, key points, chapters, key quotes, questions and transcript, where present, were produced automatically from the video or its captions and were not reviewed. ## Summary Donald Trump, as president-elect, responds to a report that Russia had compromising information about him, calling it fake news and denying any dealings, loans or deals with Russia. He also addresses hacking, Supreme Court nomination plans, Mexico paying for a border wall, and his tax returns, which he says are under audit. The news conference ends with a tense exchange with reporters, including the press being told to stop asking questions. ## Key points - Trump says he thinks Russia was behind the hacking, but adds that the US is also hacked by other countries and people. (00:00) - Trump says the information he read about himself is fake news, phony stuff that did not happen and was obtained by opponents. (00:11) - Trump states he has no dealings, deals, or loans with Russia, saying the company has stayed away from Russia. (00:23) - Trump says his sons Don and Eric will run the company in a professional manner and that he will make the decision on Supreme Court nominee. (00:45) - Trump says he will name a replacement for Justice Scalia within about two weeks of his inauguration and does not want to wait a year or more. (01:08) - Trump says Mexico will reimburse the US for the cost of the wall in some form, probably as a tax rather than a payment. (01:18) - Trump says he is not showing his tax returns because they are under audit and says only reporters care about them. (01:33) - Trump tells a reporter that his organization is terrible and calls the press fake news when a reporter presses for a question. (01:55) ## Chapters - [00:00 to 00:23] Response to Russia hacking claims. Trump addresses Russian hacking and denounces the reports about compromising information as fake news. - [00:23 to 00:45] Denial of Russian business ties. Trump denies having any dealings, deals, or loans with Russia and mentions his sons running the company. - [00:45 to 01:18] Supreme Court pick and border wall. Trump announces plans for a Supreme Court nomination and says Mexico will reimburse the wall's cost. - [01:18 to 01:41] Questions on tax returns. Trump declines to release tax returns, citing an audit, and brushes off questions about them. - [01:41 to 02:17] Tense exchange with reporters. Trump clashes with reporters, calling the press fake news and refusing to take a question from one. ## Key quotes - [00:07] Donald Trump: "Hacking's bad, and it shouldn't be done." - [00:16] Donald Trump: "It's all fake news, it's phony stuff. It didn't happen, and it was gotten by opponents of ours." - [00:28] Donald Trump: "I have no dealings with Russia. I have no deals in Russia." - [00:39] Donald Trump: "Does anyone really believe that story?" - [01:08] Donald Trump: "I don't feel like waiting a year or a year and a half." - [01:46] Donald Trump: "You know the only one who cares about my tax returns are the reporters okay." - [02:15] Donald Trump: "You are fake news." ## Questions this video answers - Does Trump believe Russia was responsible for hacking? [00:00] - Does Trump have any dealings, deals, or loans with Russia? [00:23] - Who will run Trump's company while he is president? [00:45] - When will Trump name a Supreme Court nominee to replace Justice Scalia? [01:08] - Will Mexico pay for the border wall? [01:18] - Why does Trump not release his tax returns? [01:33] ## Content suitability - politics [00:00-02:17]: Entire video is a political news conference on the incoming administration. - hate [01:55-02:17]: Heated exchange in which the press is insulted and called fake news. by [Ryan Teague Beckwith](https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/) ## Ryan Teague Beckwith Updated: Jan 24, 2024 12:13 PM UTCPublished: Jan 11, 2017 5:16 PM UTC President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday denied and denounced an unsubstantiated report that said Russia had compromising information about him, calling it an “absolute disgrace” during the first news conference he has hosted in about six months. by [Ryan Teague Beckwith](https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/) ## Ryan Teague Beckwith Updated: Jan 24, 2024 12:13 PM UTCPublished: Jan 11, 2017 5:16 PM UTC President-elect Donald Trump held his first press conference since July, addressing [plans for his upcoming Administration](http://time.com/4631607/donald-trump-supreme-court-justice-nominate-two-weeks/), [reports about ties to Russia](http://time.com/4631556/donald-trump-russia-fake-news-crap-sick-people/) and his plans for [addressing conflicts of interest with his business](http://time.com/4631597/donald-trump-business-separation/). Along with Trump, Vice President-elect Mike Pence, press secretary Sean Spicer and Morgan Lewis attorney Sheri Dillon spoke at the event. Below is a complete transcript of the event. --- > “” --- ## Transcript [00:00] As far as hacking, I think it was Russia. But I think we [00:03] also get hacked by other countries, and other people. [00:07] Hacking's bad, and it shouldn't be done. But look [00:11] at the things that were hacked, look at what was [00:13] learned from that hacking. I saw the information, I read [00:16] the information outside of that meeting. It's all fake [00:19] news, it's phony stuff. It didn't happen, and [00:23] it was gotten by opponents of ours. I have no dealings [00:28] with Russia. I have no deals in Russia. I [00:32] have no deals that could have been in Russia because [00:35] we've stayed away. And I have no loans [00:39] with Russia. Does anyone really believe that story? I'm [00:43] also very much of a germaphobe, by the way. My two [00:45] sons who are right here, Don and [00:50] Eric, are going to be running the company. They [00:54] are going to be running it in a very professional [00:57] manner. They're not gonna discuss it with me. I'll be [01:00] making the decision on who we will put up for [01:05] Justice of the United States Supreme Court. A [01:08] replacement for the great great Justice Scalia. That [01:12] will be probably within two weeks of the 20th. I [01:16] don't feel like waiting a year or a year and a half. [01:18] We're gonna start building. Mexico in some form, and [01:22] there are many different forms, will reimburse us. And [01:25] they will reimburse us for the cost of the wall. That will [01:29] happen. Whether it's a tax, or whether it's a payment, [01:33] probably less likely that it's a payment. Well I'm not [01:36] really seeing the tax returns, cuz as you know they're [01:38] under audit. [ INAUDIBLE ] G I have never heard that. [01:41] Ooh the G I have never heard that. I have never heard [01:44] that. You know the only one who cares about my tax [01:46] returns are the reporters okay. They are the only ones. [01:49] No I dont think so. I won. I mean I became president. [01:55] Go ahead. No not you. Not you your organisation is [01:58] terrible. Your organization's terrible, let's go. Sir, sir. [02:01] Go ahead. Quiet, quiet. Go ahead, she's asking [02:06] a question, don't be rude. Can you give us a question? [02:10] Don't be rude. Can you give us a question? Don't be [02:11] rude, no I'm not going to give you a question. You are [02:15] fake news. 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