12 Takeaways From Donald Trump’s Interview With Harvey Levin
TMZ founder Harvey Levin wanted to show the world Donald Trump like he’s never been seen before in the Fox News special “OBJECTified: Donald Trump” Saturday.
Mission accomplished.
Two months before he became president-elect, Trump opened his Manhattan penthouse to Levin to share cherished childhood memories, the pain of losing a brother to alcoholism and the joy his sons and daughters bring him.
Here are just a few insights into the man who will be POTUS No. 45.
1. Memory Lane is only an off-ramp away in Queens, NY
“Sometimes on my way out to wherever I’m going, I’ll stop because it’s an exit — Utopia Pkwy. I get off the exit and I’ll stop and take a look at the house where I grew up.”
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2. He says false stories of his bad behavior began in childhood
One story is that on rainy days he’d take his dad’s limo to deliver newspapers. Another says he hit a music teacher because Trump thought the teacher didn’t know anything about music. “It gets a little exaggerated. That story is all over the place. I hate that story. But, no, that’s not something I would do,” the president-elect said.
3. His father sent him to military school for five years
New York Military Academy was home to a young Trump when he was a teenager, who found Drill Sgt. Theodore Dobias particularly rough. “I remember the first day I went out there, he said, ‘Stand up at attention’ to everybody. And I’m going, like, ‘Give me a break.'”
4. No drugs, no alcohol, no cigarettes
Those are the rules Trump has instilled in his five children. Plus, “It’s important to make children understand the value of the dollar, the value of work, the value of work, the value of money, the value of achievement.’
5. Saying “goodbye” to “The Apprentice” was not easy
“Turning down a continuation was a tough decision for me. I remember [show creator] Mark Burnett said, ‘They want to renew you.’ I said, ‘No. I don’t want to be renewed. We are going to run for president.'”
6. He almost had a career in professional baseball?
The show says the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox scouted Trump at one point.
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7. Sports is a “microcosm of life”
“You learn so much from sports because it’s just sort of a microcosm of life, except one thing — you have a winner and you have a loser and it takes place in a short period of time. With life it’s meandering.”
8. He says he is not a sore loser
“Well, I don’t like losing, but I don’t think I’m a sore loser. You know, it’s interesting — if somebody else plays great or does something great, I feel much better then if I lose it. I don’t want to lose it.”
9. His brother Freddy’s death from alcoholism had a lasting effect
“I’ve never had a drink because of my brother. If you don’t start, you’re never going to have a problem. If you do start, you may have a problem. And it’s a tough problem to stop.”
10. What he really wanted to do was produce films
“I wanted to make motion pictures. I absolutely did. I was going to apply to USC film school. I was absolutely going to do that. I loved that. I liked the glamour of movies.”
11. A big ego? Nah
Trump steaks, water, fragrance, vodka, home furnishings, men’s accessories, board games, buildings and more. The Trump name is on everything. “It’s not ego. I love doing it. I just have fun. We have a period of time on earth and we like to do a good job.”
12. He says he just wants to win
“I’m somebody that likes to help people. I like to see things done right. But above all, I want to make life good for a lot of people not just myself. I’ve won so much, I’ve won enough for myself. I want to win for the country now.”
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