--- title: Donald Trump Press Conference: Read a Full Transcript description: President Trump discussed his relations with Russia, the first weeks of his Administration, his thoughts on the media and other topics. canonical: https://time.com/4674061/donald-trump-press-conference-russia-transcript/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-02-16T21:07:30.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-07T07:17:26.302Z article:section: Politics og:title: Read a Transcript of Trump's Combative Press Conference og:description: The full text. og:url: https://time.com/4674061/donald-trump-press-conference-russia-transcript/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4a40382e63642517/6988baae0a4a22b4da9ccf59/donald-trump-press-conference.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4588 og:image:height: 2581 og:image:alt: US-POLITICS-TRUMP og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Read a Transcript of Trump's Combative Press Conference twitter:description: The full text. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4a40382e63642517/6988baae0a4a22b4da9ccf59/donald-trump-press-conference.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Read a Transcript of President Trump's Combative Press Conference > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=700b1315-89dd-4cbd-a769-83a084f5561b&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Watch Trump's Trumpiest Comments From That Press Conference [Watch (HLS stream): Watch Trump's Trumpiest Comments From That Press Conference](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/pq1mKHYq.m3u8) (1:40)  _Published 2017-02-16. President Trump held a loose, combative press conference that touched on his views on Russia, the first weeks of his Administration and his views on the media._ by [Ryan Teague Beckwith](https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/) ## Ryan Teague Beckwith Feb 16, 2017 9:07 PM UTC by [Ryan Teague Beckwith](https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/) ## Ryan Teague Beckwith Feb 16, 2017 9:07 PM UTC President Trump discussed his relations with Russia, the first weeks of his Administration, [his thoughts on the media](http://time.com/4673707/donald-trump-press-conference-news-media/) and a number of other topics in a wide-ranging press conference Thursday. Ostensibly billed as a chance to introduce his nominee for Labor Secretary, Trump mostly [talked about other subjects](http://time.com/4673624/donald-trump-press-conference-combative/) before taking questions from a number of reporters. Here’s a complete transcript of his remarks. --- > “” --- **Read More:** [_President Trump Said His Win Was the ‘Biggest Since Reagan.’ It Wasn’t_](http://time.com/4673993/donald-trump-campaign-electoral-college-win/) --- > “” --- **Read More:** [_The Facts Behind President Trump’s Statistic on Judges Who Ruled Against Him_](http://time.com/4673903/donald-trump-ninth-circuit-statistic-fact-check/) --- > “” --- **Read More:** [_President Trump Asked a Black Reporter to Set Up a Meeting With Black Lawmakers_](http://time.com/4673970/donald-trump-april-ryan-black-lawmakers/) --- > “” --- ## Transcript As you know, our administration inherited many problems across government and across the economy. To be honest, I inherited a mess, it's a mess. At home and abroad, a mess. I turned on the TV, opened the newspapers. And I see stories of chaos. Chaos, yet it is the exact opposite this administration is running like a fine- tuned machine. We; re becoming a drug infested nation. Drugs are becoming cheaper that candy bars. We're not gonna let it happen any longer. Are you going to include the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus? Well I would. I tell you what, do you want to set up the meeting? Do you want to set up the meeting Are they friend of yours? No, no, no, I'm just a reporter. No, set up the meeting. Number one, I am the least anti- Semitic person that you've ever seen in your entire life Number two, racism, the least racist person. You mentioned the vessel, the spy vessel, off the coast of the United States. Not good. I was given that information. I don't know. I was just given. I own nothing in Russia. I have no loans in Russia. I don't have any deals in Russia. The whole Russian thing, that's a ruse. It's a ruse. Hillary Clinton did a reset, remember? With the stupid plastic button that made us look like a bunch of jerks. I watch CNN, it's so much anger and hatred and just the hatred. The leaks are absolutely real. 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