Mexico has been taking skillful advantage of the United States in trade deals and on the southern border "for a long time" – and made "a fortune" in the process, real estate billionaire and GOP presidential contender Donald Trump tells
Newsmax TV.
In an exclusive interview with "Newsmax Prime" host J.D. Hayworth, the business tycoon doubled down on his harsh criticism of trade deals with Mexico — and a vow to make Mexico pay in full for a wall to stem the flood of undocumented immigrants.
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He also stuck to his unvarnished views on immigration that, he charges, caused Mexico to pressure
Univision to break business ties with him for the airing of the Miss Universe Pageant.
NBC TV also announced Monday it would not air the pageant.
"Look at the pressure they put on Univision to try and not do business with me because I'm exposing Mexico for just making deals," he said.
"And honestly, I'm not blaming Mexico. Their negotiators are better than our negotiators, far better – it's not even that, it's like the New England Patriots playing your high school football team."
Trump railed that Mexico is "killing us in trade… just so you understand, don't feel sorry for Mexico – they're making a fortune off the United States."
"They have taken advantage of us for a long time," Trump adds. "Between trade and between the border, they will pay for that wall. … Remember what I said: They will pay for that wall."
Trump also promised that if elected, he would hasten the deportation of illegal immigrants, particularly "the bad ones," but softened his tone from his campaign announcement remarks, when he described Mexicans as bringing drugs and crime to the United States, declaring: "They're rapists."
"The bad people we should send back and we should send them back fast," he told Newsmax TV.
"We have plenty of bad ones, we have some great ones, we have some wonderful ones, but we have plenty of bad ones and the bad ones we should get out of here really fast and send them back where they came from," he declared.
Trump said he carefully came to his decision to run for president.
"It's at a point where I really felt I had no choice," he said. "I love what I do, I would just as soon continue. … We have to make our country great again. I know politicians, they're not going to do it. I can do it."
Trump also
reiterated his disappointment in Mitt Romney's 2012 run, saying "he should have won that election and he choked."