US President Donald Trump speaks at a national event at the White House, May 1, 2025. (Photo: THX/TTXVN)
In an exclusive interview marking 100 days in office, US President Donald Trump vigorously defended his controversial economic policies, squared off against the justice system, and revealed bold visions for expanding US influence and even territory.
Speaking to NBC News' Kristen Welker on "Meet the Press" at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, Trump made a series of remarkable statements about tariffs, immigration, foreign affairs and even his political future.
The Trump Economy and the Cost of Tariffs
Faced with questions about the state of the economy, where positive jobs figures were accompanied by a drop in GDP in the first quarter, Mr Trump was quick to assign blame.
“I think the good parts are the Trump economy and the bad parts are the Biden economy,” he declared, blaming his predecessor for inflation and overspending.
But the focus of the economic discussion was on tariffs, particularly with China. Mr Trump dismissed concerns about rising prices for consumers with a telling metaphor: “I don’t think a beautiful 11-year-old girl should have 30 dolls.
“They can have three or four dolls,” he said when asked if he acknowledged that tariffs would increase prices. “Maybe they’ll cost a few dollars more, but you don’t have to have 35 dolls, you can have two, three, four. We don’t need to feed the monster.”
He insisted that tariffs would make the United States “rich” and were necessary to combat the multibillion-dollar trade deficit with China. “We’ve lost trillions of dollars to China,” he said.
“That means we won’t lose a trillion dollars when we go through detoxification because we’re not doing business with them right now.”
He insisted China “wanted to make a deal very badly” but ruled out lowering tariffs to bring them to the negotiating table, saying China’s economy was “collapsing.”
Asked about the possibility of a short-term economic downturn to achieve long-term goals, Mr. Trump appeared to accept: "Yeah. Everything is fine. What we have, I said, this is a transition period."
He also did not rule out the possibility that the tariffs could be permanent, arguing that would encourage companies to build factories in the US.
Conflict with the courts over immigration and the constitution
On the border, Mr. Trump declared it “the most secure border we’ve ever had” but acknowledged that a national emergency remains in effect. He identified “the biggest emergency right now” not as the border but as “the courts not letting us get people out.”
President Trump was referring to the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whom the Supreme Court directed his administration to facilitate his return to the United States after being deported due to an “administrative error.”
Despite previously saying he could bring Garcia back but would not, in the interview, Mr Trump said: "I'm relying on the US Attorney General, Pam Bondi... They ( the Justice Department ) don't look at the decision the way you say."
Asked whether people, including non-citizens, deserve due process under the Fifth Amendment, Mr. Trump replied: “I don’t know. I’m not a lawyer.”
Pressed on whether he would need to uphold the US Constitution as President, he declared: “I don’t know.” He argued that taking people to court would take “200 years.”
Foreign policy ambitions: From Ukraine to Greenland
In the foreign policy arena, President Trump has devoted considerable attention to the war in Ukraine. He reiterated his commitment to ending the conflict, calling it “Biden’s war” and asserting that it “would never happen if I were President.”
He expressed hope for a peace deal, revealing that he was “closer to one side and maybe not as close to the other,” but declined to specify which side.
Mr. Trump also emphasized the humanitarian and economic aspects of the war. He gave an alarming figure, estimating that “on average, 5,000 soldiers are dying every week,” including Russian and Ukrainian soldiers, and declared: “If I could save 5,000 lives, I would love to do it.”
At the same time, he mentioned a recent mineral deal with Ukraine, saying “we were able to get rare earths,” and contrasted this with the $350 billion in aid he accused his predecessor Joe Biden of lending to Ukraine without “knowing where the money was,” implying that his deal was a way for the US to “get paid back.”
Asked about the red line or when he would abandon efforts to reconcile, Mr. Trump admitted: “There will be times when I say, ‘Okay, go ahead. Be stupid.’” However, he added that “sometimes I get close to that point and then positive things happen.”
He stressed the “terrible hatred” between the sides but still believed “we have a very good chance of getting it done.” He declined to say whether he would cut military and intelligence aid to Ukraine if he pulled out of the talks, saying: “It’s too early to say that.”
In addition to Ukraine, Mr. Trump reiterated his controversial ambitions for other countries. He continued to talk about making Canada the 51st state, calling Prime Minister Trudeau “Governor” and arguing that the United States does not need Canadian products.
While he said he “doesn’t think we’ll get to that point” when asked about using military force against Canada, his stance on Greenland was markedly different. “Something could happen to Greenland… We need that for our national and international security,” he said.
Asked if he would rule out using military force to take Greenland, he replied: "I don't rule it out... We need Greenland very much."
Political future and other plans
On his political future, Mr Trump acknowledged the existence of “Trump 2028” hats and his strong support for a third term, but said: “To the best of my knowledge, you’re not allowed to do that… This is not something I’m looking to do.”
He expressed his desire to have “four great years” and hand over power to a great Republican, mentioning JD Vance and Marco Rubio as potential candidates.
The interview also discussed other plans, including building a “world-class ballroom” at the White House that he said he would pay for himself, holding a major military parade next month, and potentially extending the deadline for TikTok, an app he said he had “a little bit of sympathy for” because he believed it would help him appeal to young voters.
According to VNA
Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/donald-trump-reveals-his-revelation-after-100-days-of-injury-247664.htm
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