CANTON, Ohio — Donald Trump said in an interview here that he remains unwilling to say that President Obama is born in the United States, that he is more bullish than ever on his chances to win and that he is not exploring the launch of a new media company in case he loses the race.

Trump also made a far-from-subtle push – in the interview and in a letter from his doctor released Thursday – to be seen as vigorous and healthy as his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, returned to the campaign trail after being treated for mild pneumonia.

In the interview, conducted Wednesday aboard his private plane as it idled on the tarmac here, Trump suggested he is not eager to change his pitch or his positions even as he works to reach out to minorities, many of whom are offended by his long-refuted suggestion that Obama is not a U.S. citizen. Trump refused to say whether he believes Obama was born in Hawaii.

“I’ll answer that question at the right time,” Trump said. “I just don’t want to answer it yet.”

He added: “I don’t talk about it anymore. The reason I don’t is because then everyone is going to be talking about it as opposed to jobs, the military, the vets, security.”

In the interview, Trump defended his wife’s immigration history; attacked CNN host Anderson Cooper; and said he had been “respectful” since Clinton fell ill but “that doesn’t mean that I’m going to stay there.”

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Sitting in his plush, cream-and-gold cabin as his top aides looked on, Trump said a possible turning point in the race came last week when Clinton said that “half” of his supporters belonged in a “basket of deplorables” – a remark she has since said she regrets.

“It’s the single biggest mistake in this political cycle, a massive comment, bigger than 47 percent,” Trump said, a reference to Mitt Romney’s 2012 statement about voters who receive government benefits or pay little in taxes. “When I first heard it, I couldn’t believe that she said it.”

When told again that the birther issue could still hang over his efforts to attract black voters, the Republican presidential nominee glared and said, “I think it hangs over the reporters.”

There have been rumors for months that Trump has been considering founding a media company with Roger Ailes, former Fox News chairman, should he lose the presidency. But Trump said, ” I have no interest in a media company.”

Trump said Ailes has told him “some interesting things about past debates” during conversations they’ve had at Trump’s golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.

“You have to prep. You have to have knowledge,” he said. “But when people say you have to be nice or not nice, well, I won’t really know until it begins. Because if she treats me with respect, I’ll treat her respect. If she doesn’t, I’ll reciprocate.”

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Trump said he was unconcerned that moderators may decide to fact-check.

“I don’t get enough credit for having my facts right,” Trump said. “They’ll say I’m wrong even when I’m right.”

Trump took an unprompted shot at Cooper. “CNN is the Clinton News Network and Anderson Cooper, I don’t think he can be fair,” Trump said.

On Wednesday, Trump’s wife, Melania, released a letter from her attorney, who attested with “100% certainty” that she had immigrated legally from Slovenia.

Briefly discussing foreign affairs, Trump bristled at the idea that he had “embraced” Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“I simply said that Putin is a stronger leader than Obama,” he said.

Trump on Thursday released a letter from his doctor, Harold Bornstein, that summarized the candidate’s latest physical and discussed it on “The Dr. Oz Show.” It said he takes statin to lower his cholesterol and has a body mass index in the overweight range but is in “excellent” condition.


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