THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Now, if you want to drive them crazy, go, “Twelve more years. Sixteen more years.” (Laughter.) “Sixteen more years.” No, it will drive them crazy.

Look at all the fake news back there. (Laughter.)

To expand equal opportunity, I’m also proud to report that my administration has achieved record and permanent funding — this is so important — every year — historically black colleges and universities.

For three years, though, they’d come and see me, “We need money.” And after two years, I’d say, “How come they come back all the time? That’s not nice. That’s not respectful of them.” No, really, I really mean it. You understand, right? It’s not respectful. They come back every year. They give them one year — the Democrats. They give them a one year and then you’re supposed to come back, hat in hand.

And what I did — I won’t get any credit for it; they’ll take the credit. But, you know, it’s one of those things. That happens all the time. Criminal justice reform.

…

I think we’re getting — look, hey, we are in the Oval Office; I guess something happened, right? (Laughter.)

But it is true with criminal justice reform. They couldn’t get it. Nobody could get it. And a group of people, including Van Jones and others, came to the Oval Office. They came with Jared Kushner — smart kid, smart guy. And they came to the Oval Office and they said, “We can’t get it. We need help.” I said, “Who do you need help with?” “Some very tough senators like Thom.” (Laughter.)

No, they need help with some very tough people that are senators. They needed to get over the line. They needed numerous senators — Republican senators — that weren’t so inclined. We had some that absolutely, right from the beginning — Ted Cruz, right from the beginning. Mike Lee — very conservative — right from the beginning. But they needed hope. There was no way they could — it was dead.

So they came to see me — a group of people headed by Van Jones — and they asked me for help. And I called like six people. And I got them — I explained it quickly and I got them to support it. And it got passed. And you had another side — (applause) — and you had another side that — that, you know, didn’t necessarily like it. But people are starting to like it now a lot, because it’s fair. It’s just fair.

And some states have done it. Texas has done it and Kentucky has done it — states that are known as being pretty tough on law and order.

So I got it done and about a week later I saw Van Jones making a speech. And he was thanking everybody. I call my wife; I say, “Darling, come. I’m so proud of this. Come in, I’m sure he’s going to say nice things.” (Laughter.) He never mentioned my name. (Laughter.) “I want to thank the Reverend Al Sharpton.” Al Sharpton? I didn’t even know he was involved. (Laughter.) “I want to thank…” — people that I never even heard of. He was thanking people — he never mentioned my name.

So I had somebody call him and say, just — “You don’t have to do that, but — if it’s so tough. Not fair. But, you know, you should do it.” He apologized. He said he made a mistake. But it could have never gotten done without me.

And sometimes, you know, in life — and you have to do this — if you’re not going to get credit, you might as well take it yourself, because you’re the only one that’s going to do it. (Laughter.) It’s true. It’s true. (Applause.) Right? Might as well. You might as well take it yourself — (laughter) — because they’re not going to give it to you. (Laughter.)

— Remarks by President Trump at the North Carolina Opportunity Now Summit
Charlotte, NC | whitehouse.gov | February 7, 2020