Donald Trump on Thursday said he'll sever his connections to the Trump Organization if he's elected and allow his children and executives to run his companies without his involvement.
"I wouldn't discuss it," Trump, whose business enterprises have made him a billionaire, told Fox News' "Fox & Friends" program. "I guess you can say there's a conflict, because as the country gets stronger, that's good for all companies."
Trump said in comparison to being the president, his companies would come in second.
"I've spent my money to run — tens of millions of dollars I've spent," said Trump. "Unlike other people where they raise money, I raised money for the party and we have great small donors coming in and just really spending a lot of money on that.
"I think we took in $28 million in one month, $28 million at $61 a head. That's money I love so much because these are people investing, but they are investing in the campaign."
As for his business interests though, "I would absolutely sever [them]. I would have nothing to do with my company."
Further, he told the program if he was president and sanctions were enacted on a country that would end up hurting his companies, he'd "absolutely get out in some form. If it's ownership, I would have to sell. I will get out of those countries. I wouldn't be able to be involved and I don't think we have too many of those countries, frankly. Very interesting question. I would get out."
Trump on Thursday also spoke out about the news that Ford plans to move all of its small car production to Mexico.
"I've been calling this for six years, five years, talking about it," said the GOP nominee. "That's why I'm doing well in Michigan and Ohio. Hillary started talking about it two days ago and she knows nothing about it. This is why I'm leading so big in so many of the states, I think. States that make cars, they like Donald Trump."
He continued that he can't believe Ford's "brazenness."
"I think they maybe announced it because they think I'm going to win and I'm going to stop them," said Trump. "I have a way of stopping them very, very easily. The politicians have that way too. I don't even know if they know about it, number one.
"Basically, when they make this car and fire their employees in the United States and move to Mexico, when that car comes back across the border into our country that now comes in free, we're going to charge them a 35 percent tax.
"You know what's going to happen, they are never going to leave. They will never leave in a million years. If they want to leave, we'll make a lot of money."
Trump also downplayed an incident in Flint, Michigan from Wednesday, when he was speaking at a church and its pastor reprimanded him for speaking about politics.
"Something was up because I noticed she was so nervous when she introduced me, and she called NBC, ABC," said Trump. "When she got up to introduce me, she was so nervous, she was shaking. Wow, it was strange. She came up. She had that in mind. No question about it."
But, he insisted it doesn't bother him, as "everyone plays their games."
"I'll tell you what made me feel good, the audience was saying let him speak, let him speak. The audience was so great and these are mostly African-American people, phenomenal people and they want to see change," Trump said.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.