Trump unplugged: What he says behind closed doors

1. "I'm going to squash this guy like a bug."

—Trump in January 2023 to then-Sen. JD Vance of Ohio about Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was gearing up to run against Trump in the GOP presidential primary.

2. "If you need a bed to lay down in, there's one here on the plane. If you feel sick and you need to lay there, you can lay on it. Just don't tell Melania. She doesn't like other women on my bed."

—A joking Trump to Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) while aboard his personal jet in the summer of 2023. Luna was pregnant and not feeling well.

3. "Honey, I need to fix this."

—Trump to then-RNC chair Ronna McDaniel, backstage at the Republican Jewish Coalition conference in October 2023. Trump didn't think McDaniel's hair was ready for prime time. So he grabbed some hairspray and sprayed it on her.

4. "He's f--king fired. Get him fired now. Have someone walk him off the property."

—Trump to his aides in early 2024, after a mechanic accidentally deployed the emergency slides on his jet when it was parked, requiring it to be sent for repairs.

5. "Listen, everybody. There will be no retribution, there will be no revenge. Wink, wink."

—A sarcastic Trump to aides in March 2024, after then-President Biden said Trump would be focused on revenge if he got back into the White House.

6. "Go tell Lindsey we're not friends anymore."

—Trump to an aide in April 2024 after Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) criticized Trump's decision to oppose a Graham-backed plan to ban abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

7. "E. Jean Carroll says I f--ked her. Stormy Daniels says I f--ked her. But I never f--ked them. Everyone's f--king everybody, but I never f--ked any of these people."

—Trump to an aide about Carroll, a New York writer who had accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in the 1990s, and Daniels, a porn star who said she had sex with Trump in 2006. In May 2023, a jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll and fined him $5 million.

8. "Convict me and send me to Rikers already. At least they probably have the heat turned on."

—Trump complaining about the chilly New York courtroom where he was tried in 2024 on charges of falsifying business records in a case that stemmed from his $130,000 payment in alleged hush money to Daniels. Trump was convicted and got a no-penalty sentence.

9. "It was Jared's thing, and Jared's a Democrat."

—Trump to aides, referring to his son-in-law and former adviser, Jared Kushner, who championed a criminal justice reform bill.

10. "Youngkin's pretty good, isn't he?"

—Trump to then-Sen. and vice presidential prospect Marco Rubio of Florida, referring to another vice presidential contender, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

11. "Can you give me a copy of these? Because I want to make sure I can show reporters that my cognitive function is 100%. You can't say the same about Joe Biden."

—Trump to a hospital nurse, about the results of a CT scan after the attempt on his life on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa. The results showed the gunshot that clipped Trump's ear didn't impede his cognitive abilities.

12. "Wow. Steve is even more blind than I thought he was if he thinks Tom Cotton has charisma."

—Trump to an ally after casino mogul Steve Wynn urged him to consider Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) for the VP slot. Wynn suffers from retinitis pigmentosa, an incurable eye disease.

13. "He was like a beggar. I could have said: 'Drop to your f--ing knees, Ron.'"

—Trump to guests on his personal plane in June 2023, recalling DeSantis asking for his endorsement during the 2022 Florida governor's race.

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Editor's note: This story has been corrected to say Trump was found liable for sexually abusing (not assaulting) Carroll.