Television Interviews

• 1981: Trump was interviewed by Rona Barrett for a television news special featuring six wealthy business figures. “Also at 10 o'clock tonight, NBC-TV will present ‘Rona Barrett Looks at Today's Super Rich,’ in which the small but formidable gossip reporter confronts six self-made millionaires. Perhaps significantly, three are in the real-estate business - Donald Trump and Harry Helmsley, both of New York, and Trammel Crow of Dallas. […] Cuddling up on various on-location couches with her subjects, Miss Barrett disarms with flattery and candor. ‘Thirty-four!’ she says to the boyish Mr. Trump. ‘Donald, it's so young!’ Is he competitive? Mr. Trump theorizes that ‘the world is made up of those either with killer instincts or without killer instincts.’” (New York Times, July 24, 1981)
• c. 1983: Donald Trump was the subject of a segment on Robin Leach's "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous. “A syndicated program called ‘The Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous’ is expected to take to the airwaves on the weekend of March 30. In the tradition of so-called ‘entertainment journalism,’ as perfected on the highly successful ‘Entertainment Tonight,’ the new program will be something akin to a series of gossip-column videos. The hourlong weekly show will look at the lives, homes, clothes and idiosyncrasies of people with money, fame or both, Robin Leach, the program's host and executive producer, said. Mr. Leach was formerly a reporter for ‘Entertainment Tonight,’ the highly successful half-hour program that reports on developments in the entertainment industry. […] The program, which first appeared in the form of two two-hour specials that were broadcast on independent stations, has interviewed famous people such as Morgan Fairchild, Michael Landon, Robert Wagner, Donald Trump and Gerald R. Ford.” (New York Times, January 30, 1984)
• 1985: Trump was interviewed on a cable news program called “Stroh’s Circle of Sports. “Recommended viewing: ‘Stroh's Circle of Sports,’ a two-hour show with actor Robert Conrad as host, will make its debut on the USA cable network Sunday at 6 p.m. Among those on Sunday's program are O.J. Simpson, Michael Jordan, Vin Scully, Olga Korbut, Arnold Palmer, Bobby Orr and Donald Trump.” (Los Angeles Times, June 14, 1985)
• 1986: Donald Trump was interviewed by Bryant Gumbel for a “Today Show” segment on the aging of Baby Boomers. “The Today Show concluded a week-long series Friday on the baby boomers who are turning 40 this year. Host Bryant Gumbel's guests were businessman Donald Trump, dancer Ben Vereen, actress Susan Saint James and former Mouseketeer ‘Cubby’ O'Brien. They shared a 1946 birth date and a misconception that age is merely a state of mind. Millionaire New York developer Trump said he is still considered a kid in business circles.” (Miami Herald, April 19, 1986)
• 1986: Trump was interviewed for a segment of”Newsmakers,” produced by New York’s local CBS affiliate. “I recently interviewed Trump on WCBS-TV's ‘Newsmakers.’ After complaining that the city didn't know how to build an ice rink and that it wasted millions of dollars on the effort, Trump worked over the business climate here. He also had a few choice words to say about one Edward Irving Koch. […] He did say, however, that the friendly folks across the Hudson really know what to do, and say. […] All this doesn't sit too well with Alair Townsend, the deputy mayor for economic development. She calls Trump's contentions ‘B.S.’ and cites incentive plans offered here. Her office believes in NY*MAGIC. That's the new campaign designed to help businesses stay in New York City.” (Crain’s New York Business, December 15, 1986)
• 1987: Donald Trump was interviewed by Barbara Walters for a segment aired on ABC’s newscast “20/20.” “On ABC's ‘20/20,’ Barbara Walters interviews real estate tycoon Donald Trump and his wife Ivana.” (Washington Post, December 6, 1987)
• 1988: Trump was interviewed by Frank Robertson for a local broadcast station named WSVN-Channel 7.“When WSVN-Channel 7's Frank Robertson interviewed millionaire Donald Trump Thursday for two Live at Five segments next week, the anchor asked Trump about his stormy relationship with New York City Mayor Ed Koch. Trump disclosed his New Year's resolution: no Ed Koch bashing. Robertson also said Trump denied he would run for president, but then expounded on our ‘less than satisfactory foreign trade policy.’” (Miami Herald, January 16, 1988)
• 1988: Donald Trump was interviewed on air by Chris Wallace and Larry King while attending the Republican National Convention in New Orleans. “Dan Quayle ran the triathlon yesterday: ABC, CBS and NBC. And CNN, for good measure. He submitted to ordeal by anchor. He underwent trial by booth. Interrogating Quayle, George Bush's choice for running mate, was the big preoccupation of the networks on the third night of the Republican National Convention in New Orleans. […] Having clearly run out of people to interview, some reporters stooped to Donald Trump, the pudgy and publicity-hungry millionaire. Chris Wallace on NBC, who has something of a fixation about conspicuous materialism, questioned Trump about the gold sinks in his yacht. Yeah -- what about those gold sinks, Trump? However, Larry King, ever-puckered celebrity-smoocher, made Wallace look great with his Trump interview on CNN earlier in the night. This was not a phone-in but a fawn-in: a marafawn. Trump ended it ickily by gushing, ‘And by the way, Ted Turner is great!’ Turner owns CNN.” (Washington Post, August 18, 1988)
• 1988:Trump was interviewed about professional boxing for a pilot segment of a televised news show produced by USA Today. “Six times a week, starting tonight, an anchor will welcome viewers to ‘The USA Today Communications Center’ -- which is to say, onto the set of ‘USA Today: The Television Show’ -- and amble, talking all the while, toward a waist-high, semicircular railing overlooking a bustling newsroom. […] The syndicated show, airing on 156 stations, is of course an offshoot of the six-year-old national newspaper (which Gannett employees now refer to by the retronym 'USA-Today-the-newspaper'), which in turn was designed to be something like a newspaper for television viewers. […] On the press promo tape, a 12-minute collection of scraps from rehearsal shows, a sports segment deals with Donald Trump's sponsorship of the Tyson-Spinks fight in June. As Pat Benatar's ‘Hit Me With Your Best Shot’ pounds in the background, we see thrilling shots of Trump disembarking from his helicopter, the Ivana, and admiring shots of Trump with Sean and Madonna, Warren and Jack. Trump is asked such bruising questions as, ‘Have you found boxing to be an odd assortment of characters?’ and ‘If you were a fighter -- your style -- who would you be?’ Trump has indeed found boxing to be an odd assortment of characters, and he would be Muhammad Ali.” (Washington Post, September 12, 1988)