NBC's Chuck Todd asks Donald Trump to defend the fact that he retweeted a quote from Italian World War Two-era dictator Benito Mussolini.
"It is better to live one day as a lion than 100 years as a sheep," Mussolini, is known to have said.
"It's a very good quote," said Trump. "It's a very interesting quote, and I know it. I saw it... What difference does it make whether it's Mussolini or somebody else? It's certainly a very interesting quote."
Chuck Todd seems perplexed. "Do you want to be associated with a fascist?"
"No," Trump said. "I want to be associated with interesting quotes."
Related Story: How We Fooled Donald Trump Into Retweeting Benito Mussolini -- Alex Parrene, Gawker
CHUCK TODD, MEET THE PRESS: And as you know, right now on Twitter, there is a trending retweet of yours, you retweeted somebody from Il Duce 2016, it was a Mussolini quote, but you didn't know it was Mussolini when you retweeted it, it said, "It is better to live one day as a lion than 100 years as a sheep." That's a famous Mussolini quote, you retweeted it. Do you like the quote? Did you know it was Mussolini?
"@ilduce2016: “It is better to live one day as a lion than 100 years as a sheep.” – @realDonaldTrump #MakeAmericaGreatAgain"
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 28, 2016
DONALD TRUMP: Sure, it's okay to know it's Mussolini. Look, Mussolini was Mussolini.
It's okay to-- it's a very good quote, it's a very interesting quote, and I know it. I saw it. I saw what-- and I know who said it. But what difference does it make whether it's Mussolini or somebody else? It's certainly a very interesting quote. That's probably why I have--
CHUCK TODD: Well, Mussolini is a known fascist.
DONALD TRUMP: --between Facebook and Twitter, 14 million people when other people don't.
It's a very interesting quote, and people can talk about it.
CHUCK TODD: Do you want to be associated with a fascist?
DONALD TRUMP: No, I want to be associated with interesting quotes. And people, you know, I have almost 14 million people between Instagram and Facebook and Twitter and all of that. And we do interesting things. And I sent it out. And certainly, hey, it got your attention, didn't it?
CHUCK TODD: Well, and it is trending on Twitter right now. Mr. Trump, I have to leave it there. Stay safe on the trail. We'll see you Super Tuesday.
Gawker's fake Twitter account has attributed almost 2,000 quotes from Il Duce to Donald Trump:
“You must always be doing things and obviously succeeding.” – @realDonaldTrump #MakeAmericaGreatAgain
— ilduce2016 (@ilduce2016) February 28, 2016
Attn: @tedcruz and @marcorubio “The truth is that men are tired of liberty.” - @realDonaldTrump https://t.co/7N9rTE4gKv
— ilduce2016 (@ilduce2016) February 28, 2016
“Blood alone moves the wheels of history.” – @realDonaldTrump #MakeAmericaGreatAgain
— ilduce2016 (@ilduce2016) February 28, 2016
“There is too much foolishness, too much lost motion. I have stopped the talk and the nonsense. I am a man of action.” – @realDonaldTrump
— ilduce2016 (@ilduce2016) February 28, 2016
