Donald Trump built his real estate empire with the help of hundreds of millions of dollars in tax breaks, but he does not like it when his competitors sidle up to the government subsidy trough. In a 2005 interview with NY1, Donald Trump blasted plans to use public money to attract tenants to new developments at the World Trade Center site, arguing it was unfair to developers like himself. Grace Rauh filed the following report.

Donald Trump likes to work the system. He's defended his embrace of hefty government tax breaks for his real estate developments and bragged about his mastery of the tax system in general.

"As a businessman and real estate developer, I have legally used the tax laws to my benefit," Trump said. "Honestly, I have brilliantly used those laws."

But back in 2005, Trump told NY1 that he did not think everyone deserved a helping hand. In fact, he argued that public subsidies designed to encourage businesses to move into the new buildings at the World Trade Center site were inappropriate.

"I think the government should stay out of real estate. They should not be giving subsidies," he said in June 2005. "It's not a fair thing to other developers in downtown or property owners in downtown Manhattan."

The subsidies have not always proven to be effective. Earlier this year, News Corporation and 21st Century Fox decided they would not relocate to 2 World Trade Center despite getting a break on their rent worth more than $150 million from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Magazine publisher Conde Nast became the anchor tenant at 1 World Trade Center after negotiating a deal that included tax incentives and rent rebates.

"I think that's very unfair to people like me that own buildings in Wall Street and other places in downtown Manhattan, and you get a subsidy if you move onto another site with brand new buildings on it," Trump said in June 2005.

A recent report in the New York Times noted that Trump himself took advantage of public support earmarked for Lower Manhattan businesses struggling to recover in the wake of the September 11th terrorist attacks.

"Mr. Trump lined up a $150,000 grant for one of his buildings near ground zero," the Times report reads, "even though he had acknowledged on the day of the attacks that his building was undamaged."

A spokeswoman for the Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment.