The Oprah show

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Oprah Winfrey asked the Donald Trump about his political aspirations on a 1988 episode of her show.

 

Trump had originally appeared to promote a new book and discuss his life as a businessman, but the conversation turned toward foreign policy and taking a tougher stance with America's allies.

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"I'd make our allies pay their fair share. We're a debtor nation; something's going to happen over the next number of years in this country, because you can't keep going on losing $200 billion."

 

"We let Japan come in and dump everything right into our markets... They come over here, they sell their cars, their VCRs. They knock the hell out of our companies."

 

"And, hey, I have tremendous respect for the Japanese people. I mean, you can respect somebody that's beating the hell out of you, but they are beating the hell out of this country."

 

"Kuwait, they live like kings… and yet, they're not paying. We make it possible for them to sell their oil. Why aren't they paying us 25 percent of what they're making? It's a joke."

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"Presidential talk?"

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Trump's policies prompted Oprah to ask if he would ever run for President of the United States:

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"Probably not," Trump responded. "But I do get tired of seeing the country get ripped off… I just don't think I have the inclination to do it."

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"If it got so bad, I would never want to rule it out totally, because I really am tired of seeing what's happening with this country."

 

"We're really making other people live like kings, and we're not."

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"I think I'd win. I'll tell you what: I wouldn't go in to lose."

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