During a Wednesday interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, 2016 Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump said that he believes the verbal sparring he is currently engaged in with the rest of the Republican field is appropriate behavior for a presidential candidate but would change his tone if he is elected Commander-in-Chief.
TRUMP: What am I supposed to say? It’s ok to call me a jackass? I have to fight back. The country has to fight back. Everyone’s pushing our country around. You can’t allow that.
COOPER: Is it “presidential,” though?
TRUMP: I think it’s presidential to fight back… I think so… I think it’s fine… I was hit by somebody unfairly. I was called names by somebody, so… [shrugs shoulders] Somebody that’s hitting me, saying what a bad guy I am, is up in my office asking for money —
COOPER: Well, if you’re President of the United States, you’ll have half the country hitting you… Are you going to call them dumb or stupid.
TRUMP: No, I think it’s a little bit different right now. I’m trying to do something to make the country great again, but politicians will never make this country great again.
COOPER: As president, you would change your tone?
TRUMP: Yes, I think so.