During a town hall event on Thursday’s NBC Today, the hosts urged Donald Trump to move left on a series of issues and the Republican frontrunner happily obliged, adopting liberal positions on transgender bathrooms, abortion, and taxes.
Correspondent Willie Geist noted that “we're getting thousands of questions on Twitter” and plucked out one “from Jessica Hershey, Toms River, New Jersey” that read: “Mr. Trump, please be specific, tell us your views on LGBT, how you plan to be inclusive as President. Speak about North Carolina bathroom law in particular.”
Trump acknowledged that he “had a feeling that question was going to come up” and proceeded toe the liberal line of political correctness: “Well, look, North Carolina did something that was very strong and they're paying a big price and there's a lot of problems....People go, they use the bathroom that they feel is appropriate. There has been so little trouble.”
He fretted over the economic impact of the new law: “And the problem with what happened in North Carolina is the strife and the economic – I mean, the economic punishment that they're taking.”
Co-host Matt Lauer followed up: “So if Caitlyn Jenner were to walk into Trump Tower and wanted to use the bathroom, you would be fine with her using any bathroom she chooses?” Trump replied: “That is correct.”
Fellow co-host Savannah Guthrie turned to the subject of abortion: “The Republican platform, every four years, has a provision that states that the right of the unborn child shall not be infringed. And it makes no exceptions for rape, for incest, for the life of the mother. Would you want to change the Republican platform to include the exceptions that you have?”
Trump agreed without hesitation: “Yes, I would. Yes, I would. Absolutely. For the three exceptions. I would.”
Guthrie pushed further: “Would you have an exception for the health of the mother?” Trump resisted: “I would leave it to the life of the mother, but I would absolutely have the three exceptions.”
Later in the discussion, Guthrie asked if Trump would support a tax hike: “Do you believe in raising taxes on the wealthy?” Again he sounded like a Democrat: “I do. I do, including myself. I do.”
Here is a transcript of the three April 21 exchanges:
8:17 AM ET
(...)
MATT LAUER: Willie, you have a Twitter question?
WILLIE GEIST: Yeah, we're getting thousands of questions on Twitter, Mr. Trump. I picked one here, this is from Jessica Hershey, Toms River, New Jersey. I’ll just read it as a quote, on a hot-button issue here. “Mr. Trump, please be specific, tell us your views on LGBT, how you plan to be inclusive as President. Speak about North Carolina bathroom law in particular.”
DONALD TRUMP: Oh, I had a feeling that question was going to come up, I will tell you. Well, look, North Carolina did something that was very strong and they're paying a big price and there's a lot of problems. And I heard – one of the best answers I heard was from a commentator yesterday saying leave it the way it is right now. There have been very few problems. Leave it the way it is. North Carolina, what they're going through with all the business that's leaving and all of the strife – and that’s on both sides. You leave it the way it is. There have been very few complaints the way it is. People go, they use the bathroom that they feel is appropriate. There has been so little trouble. And the problem with what happened in North Carolina is the strife and the economic – I mean, the economic punishment that they're taking. So I would say that’s probably the best way.
LAUER: Do you have any transgender people working in your organization?
TRUMP: I don't know.
LAUER: No?
TRUMP: I really don't know. I probably do. I really don’t know.
LAUER: So if Caitlyn Jenner were to walk into Trump Tower and wanted to use the bathroom, you would be fine with her using any bathroom she chooses?
TRUMP: That is correct.
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Different issue, also a social issue –
TRUMP: You know, there's a big move to create new bathrooms. Problem with that is – for transgender – that would be – first of all, I think that would be discriminatory in a certain way. It would be unbelievably expensive for businesses and for the country. Leave it the way it is.
GUTHRIE: Let's talk about abortion, another potent social issue. The Republican platform, every four years, has a provision that states that the right of the unborn child shall not be infringed. And it makes no exceptions for rape, for incest, for the life of the mother. Would you want to change the Republican platform to include the exceptions that you have?
TRUMP: Yes, I would. Yes, I would. Absolutely. For the three exceptions. I would.
GUTHRIE: Would you have an exception for the health of the mother?
TRUMP: I would leave it to the life of the mother, but I would absolutely have the three exceptions.
(...)
GUTHRIE: Do you believe in raising taxes on the wealthy?
TRUMP: I do. I do, including myself. I do.
(...)
