PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Here’s what I want, anything that gets you to the result. They cannot have a nuclear weapon. It’s not about the straits. You know, a lot of people covered it incorrectly. They’re never mentioned. They cannot have a nuclear weapon. They’d use it. And they’re not going to have a nuclear weapon.

CHUCK TODD:
Did you send a message —

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
And it’s not about the oil.

CHUCK TODD:
— last night? You know, Reuters is reporting that you sent a message to the Iranians saying, «I don’t want war. I want to talk.»

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Wrong. It’s wrong. I did not send that message. I did not send that message. I don’t know who —

CHUCK TODD:
Ok.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I don’t know who would have said that.

CHUCK TODD:
Send a message right now to the Ayatollah.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I mean it’s fake news.

CHUCK TODD:
Then send a message right now to the Ayatollah.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Wouldn’t be much different than that message.

CHUCK TODD:
Which is?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I’m not looking for war and if there is, it’ll be obliteration like you’ve never seen before. But I’m not looking to do that. But you can’t have a nuclear weapon. You want to talk? Good. Otherwise you can have a bad economy for the next —

CHUCK TODD:
No pre-conditions?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— three years. Not as far as I’m concerned. No pre-conditions.

CHUCK TODD:
And you’ll talk anywhere?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Here it is. Look, you can’t have nuclear weapons. And if you want to talk about it, good. Otherwise you can live in a shattered economy for a long time to come.