Time magazine's 30,000-word cover story: The Man Behind President Trump's Election as BTC President

Original author: Eric Cortellessa ‘TIME’

Original text compilation: Liam carbon chain value

This is the moment he has been dreaming of for four years. At 2:24 a.m. on November 6th, Donald Trump strode onto the stage of a banquet hall in Florida, surrounded by advisors, party leaders, family, and fren. The Associated Press had not yet called the election, but it was already clear that the voters had propelled him back to the center of power. Trump gazed at a group of supporters wearing red MAGA hats, basking in the near-certain victory. ‘We have achieved the most incredible political achievement,’ Trump said. ‘America has given us unprecedented powerful authorization.’

How 78-year-old Trump wins re-election will become history, and America’s choices can be traced back to some key decisions. For Trump’s senior aides, the theme of the campaign can be summed up in a simple slogan: ‘Maximize male role and control female role.’ This means emphasizing economic and immigration issues, which Trump has been doing relentlessly. This means shifting people’s attention from the chaos of his first term, the abortion ban he introduced, and the attack on American democracy four years ago. It means using the dissatisfaction of disappointed voters and the cultural divisions and tribal politics that Trump has long exploited in this campaign.

Most importantly, this result can be attributed to an extraordinary figure, whose return to the political arena of the White House is unprecedented in the 250-year history of the United States. When Trump left office in 2021, he incited a group of supporters to loot the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn his election failure, which was condemned by the public. Three years later, he orchestrated an unprecedented political comeback. Trump effortlessly defeated his Republican opponents, forcing President Joe Biden to drop out of the race and overwhelmingly defeating Vice President Kamala Harris, which was almost beyond everyone’s expectations. In the process, Trump escaped 34 felony convictions and a series of other criminal prosecutions.

His success has been astonishing. Trump won North Carolina, brought Georgia back into his camp, and broke the blue wall. His campaign exceeded expectations for support from male and female voters. Exit polls show that Trump won significant support from Latino male voters in key battleground states, with their support in Pennsylvania rising from 27% to 42%. Nationwide, Trump’s support among Latino males jumped from 36% to 54%. Trump also increased support among non-college-educated voters, won support from black voters in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and solidified support among white women nationwide, surprising Democrats who had anticipated a rebellion after the Access Hollywood tape. Among first-time voters, Trump’s support rose from 32% four years ago to 54%.

He has made many significant breakthroughs. When Trump launched his campaign after being condemned for the third consecutive time in the national election, Republican leaders tried to ignore him. His main opponents were too timid to confront him. Friendly judges and the dual factors of delayed law have postponed his most severe criminal trial until after the election. Until July, Trump’s opponent in the election was still an unpopular incumbent president, and many people believed that he was too old to continue in office. Biden performed poorly in the first and only debate, confirming these doubts. The Democratic Party hastily replaced the first president with Harris, losing a more experienced candidate who could have gained broader support. Voters are calm about Trump’s old age and increasingly incoherent campaign rhetoric. Most Americans view Trump’s legal troubles as part of a larger conspiracy to deprive him and them of power. After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the global situation became turbulent, leading to the downfall of current leaders around the world, and Trump also benefited from it.

The consequences could be historic. Trump has dominated American politics for nine years, and after a tumultuous four-year presidency and a violent rebellion, America has chosen to reappoint him. Trump has proposed an authoritarian agenda that subverts democratic norms in his campaign, and he is already preparing to implement this agenda: mass detention and deportation of immigrants; political retaliation through the judicial system; deploying the military against its own civilians. The extent to which he chooses to exercise the power entrusted to him by the public will determine the fate of this country.

For loyal supporters of ‘Make America Great Again,’ Trump’s victory is an exciting vision. For those who helped him reach the top but are not so enthusiastic, his remarks are mainly bluster aimed at reforming a government that is out of touch with the needs of the American economy and society. For most of the United States and the rest of the world, Trump’s second term seems to be a blow to democracy in the United States and other parts of the world. This divided situation will be the focus of public opinion in the United States for the next four years. The polarization of this country is more severe than at any time since the Civil War. But soon, at least one thing will bring us all together: by January 20, we will all be living in Trump’s America. Based on more than 20 interviews over the past eight months, this article tells the story of how Trump did this and gives us a glimpse of what Trump might be like.

As usual, Trump formulated his strategy based on intuition. In April 2023, just a few days after becoming the first former president to be charged with a crime and making history, he huddled with advisors at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. The topic of discussion was how he could control the political narrative. Trump had just finished a call with his fren and the CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Dana White. There was a fight in Miami that Saturday. ‘I think those guys will like me,’ Trump said.

On April 10, when Trump entered the arena, he was greeted with thunderous applause. There, he met the Nelk Boys, a group of influential hosts of right-wing podcasts. Trump had appeared on their show a year ago, but was removed by YouTube for spreading election lies. This chance encounter led to a second appearance. His closest confidant at the time did not realize it, but the interview on the male-centric podcast would become a turning point in his extraordinary political revival.

It’s easy for people to forget how uncertain Trump’s prospects were at the beginning of his campaign. He announced his third presidential campaign in November 2022, just days after the Republican Party suffered a devastating defeat in the midterm elections - the third consecutive national election where the former president was seen as a drag on the party. Trump’s carefully selected candidates embraced his lies about the 2020 election being stolen and lost crucial races nationwide. Elected Republicans saw this as a sign of America parting ways with Trump, and nearly everyone avoided his disgruntled opening speech at Mar-a-Lago. They simply wished for him to disappear.

However, the fact proves that launching the campaign early is a wise move. Trump used this to position the imminent criminal lawsuit as politically motivated. With each prosecution, his support among Republican voters continued to rise, and he received millions of dollars in cash. His main competitors spent more time attacking each other than defeating those who hindered their progress. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis can be said to be Trump’s strongest opponent, but he dropped out of the race after the Iowa caucuses. By March, Trump had garnered enough delegates to become the Republican nominee. This is the most fiercely contested presidential primary in modern American history.

Trump’s overwhelming victory in the primaries is the result of the carefully crafted strategies of his two campaign managers, Susie Wells and Chris Rasvita. Wells is a senior strategist in Florida who worked for DeSantis in the 2018 gubernatorial election, but they fell out after he took office. After the 2020 presidential election, Wells took over Trump’s primary political action committee, ‘Save America.’ According to sources close to him, although Trump is in exile, he is already planning his return to Washington. He suspects that the biggest obstacle in the 2024 primaries may be DeSantis. Who better than Wells to help him?

Wells recruited experienced Republican agent Lashavita. Together, they drafted a campaign strategy. They concluded that the supporters of the Make America Great Again movement were strong enough to ensure Trump’s victory in the Republican primaries, giving them time to implement a plan to defeat Biden in November. Trump’s team focused on building an operation to identify and drive out those who are not reliable Trump supporters.

Wells and Lasivita, political director James Blair, and Trump’s long-term pollster Tony Fabrizio believe that gender will be key. In 2020, Biden maintained a 13-point lead over Trump among female voters, the same lead as Hillary Clinton had in 2016, while narrowing the gap among male voters by 5 points. ‘Men caused us to lose the last election,’ a senior Trump campaign official said. ‘Our goal is to not let this happen again.’

A survey found that men, especially young men, have the greatest dislike for Biden, especially on economic issues. In a face-to-face confrontation, Trump’s lead among unreliable male voters under the age of 40 is most pronounced. Advisors focus on activating this group, believing that Biden is an old man who should not be president. These young people do not get news from mainstream media and are not very concerned about reproductive rights or democratic regression. When they do interact with politics, it is mainly through cutting-edge podcasts and social media. They appreciate Trump’s recklessness and breaking of conventions. Focusing a lot of energy on winning over voters who are not very interested in politics is a risk. But Lasivita often repeats a famous quote from Winston Churchill, which later became his campaign slogan: ‘Safety everywhere, inaction everywhere.’

While seeking male voters, Trump must also avoid losing the election by a larger margin among female voters than in 2016 and 2020 - no easy feat, as his appointed Supreme Court justices have helped overturn Roe v. Wade, paving the way for nationwide abortion bans. Whenever abortion is mentioned, Trump insists that the issue is now up to the states, and focuses as much as possible on the economy, immigration, and crime - the campaign team believes these issues have sparked anxiety among affluent suburban women, who were originally willing to support him.

When Trump was interviewed by Time magazine in April 2024, Biden’s poll numbers were declining, and the Trump camp believed they were on the path to a decisive victory. In the two interviews, Trump outlined his agenda for a second term, to reshape America and its role in the world. At the same time, a group of organizations allied with Trump, such as the Heritage Foundation’s 2025 Project and the American Revival Center, are laying the groundwork for implementing Trump’s strongman vision. Many of their ideas, from implementing strict abortion restrictions to rolling back environmental protections to placing the entire federal bureaucracy under presidential control, are not popular with the majority of voters. But Trump seems to believe that victory in the fall is inevitable.

The confidence of the campaign team only began to rise after Biden’s disastrous performance in the debate on June 27. On July 13, Trump narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. The bullet pierced his ear, but Trump stood up, waving his fist with blood on his face. This defiant scene excited his supporters. A few days later, Trump announced 39-year-old Ohio Senator J.D. Vance as his running mate at the Republican National Convention, seemingly indicating his confidence that even if the leader of the MAGA movement exits the political arena, the movement will continue for the long term.

The climax did not last long. Three days after the Republican National Convention, Biden announced that he would not seek re-election and supported Harris. Within a few days, the Vice President consolidated the support of the Democratic Party. Soon, her fundraising exceeded Trump by hundreds of millions of dollars and she held rallies that attracted attendance and enthusiasm unseen by the Republican Party since the Obama era. Trump’s victory no longer seemed certain.

In a series of meetings held at Palm Beach and Trump’s New Jersey golf club, Wales, Lascivita, and their staff held multiple meetings to address the threats posed by new opponents. The younger candidates make it more difficult for them to attract disillusioned voters with Biden. It will be even more challenging to control the loss of female voters when competing with women. The Democratic Party’s efforts to link Trump to extreme agendas such as the ‘2025 Plan’ are starting to pay off. According to Trump insiders, early internal polls indicate this challenge. Fabrizio’s survey shows a widespread desire for change, with the biggest risk they face being Harris becoming the candidate for change.

The Trump team has started running ads and having their agents on cable TV, blaming Biden’s election on Harris, speculating that she will inherit many of her boss’s weaknesses. They follow her role in government immigration affairs, where she is tasked with addressing the root causes of immigration from Central America, attributing the surge in border crossings to her. Meanwhile, Trump is starting to distance himself from the ‘2025 Plan’ while trying to portray Harris as more left-leaning than she actually is.

Privately, the campaign team felt that Trump’s view on abortion—leaving it up to the states to decide—was insufficient. Surveys showed that the right to abortion was the third or fourth most important issue for voters. After months of hesitation on federal restrictions, Trump’s top aide told him it was time to address the issue head-on. On October 1st, Trump posted on Truth Social that he would not support a nationwide ban.

There are also internal challenges. Trump has become increasingly impatient. He brought in allies from his previous campaign team, including Corey Lewandowski, one of his 2016 campaign managers. According to multiple campaign officials, Lewandowski is one of the most steadfast supporters of “letting Trump be Trump,” and he believes that Wales and Lasivita messed up. According to two sources familiar with the meeting, in August, Lewandowski had a meeting with Trump and suggested that the Republican candidate fire the entire campaign leadership. Trump made no commitments, but nodded and listened to his advice. Wales and Lasivita soon had a meeting with Trump and told him that Lewandowski was distracting and derailing the campaign. Wales told him that what they had been doing was effective and now was not the time to deviate from the course. Trump agreed. On the next trip, he had a meeting with everyone, including Lewandowski. In the final weeks of the campaign, Lewandowski was sidelined and no longer served as an advisor, appearing mostly on cable news.

Harris’s momentum seemed to continue into September. She won the only debate between the two candidates, prompting Trump to make a mistake. “We are very concerned internally that she is a stronger opponent than we realize, and the situation has changed,” a senior Trump official said. But a week later, when polls showed that the debate had hardly changed the election results and the candidates were tied in the polls, the campaign team breathed a sigh of relief. Trump returned to his mantra: accelerate efforts to win young male voters. Several sources told Time magazine that at the end of July, Wells commissioned 27-year-old Republican consultant Alex Bruewitz to provide Trump with a list of online podcast celebrities available for interview. The next morning, Bruewitz and another senior Trump advisor, Daniel Alvarez, found Trump on the golf course.

“I have a podcast list I want to recommend to you,” Bruce said. Trump interrupted him. “Have you talked to Barron about this?” he asked, referring to his 18-year-old son.

“No, sir,” Brucewitz replied.

“Call Barron, see what he thinks, and then tell me,” Trump said before hanging up the phone. Later that evening, Brucevitz contacted Barron and learned that he particularly liked Adin Ross, the instigator known for collaborating with celebrities to live stream video games such as NBA 2K and Grand Theft Auto. They both agreed that Trump should start from here. The podcast strategy is being implemented.

In August, Trump appeared on Rose’s podcast, which quickly became popular and received millions of views during the live broadcast. In the following weeks, Trump gave a series of flattering interviews to young podcast hosts such as Logan Paul, Theo Von, and Joe Rogan. The campaign team deliberately avoided interviews with most traditional media.

Trump has taken an unconventional approach to outsiders. Kennedy claimed that he offered healthcare policy control to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in exchange for his withdrawal from the election and support, thus defusing a potential third-party threat. The campaign team outsourced its labor-intensive field operations in key swing states to organizations such as Turning Point USA and America First Works. In the final weeks of the campaign, billionaire Elon Musk invested over $100 million into his own political action committee to help Trump’s efforts in swing states. Musk pledged to lead a new ‘Government Efficiency Commission’ that would oversee the numerous federal agencies regulating his companies, hiring staff and motivating them to engage with voters by offering compensation. He personally camped out in Pennsylvania, a battleground state considered crucial by both sides, and distributed $1 million in checks to registered voters who signed petitions. Musk also turned his social media platform X into a hotbed of conspiracy theories, describing the stakes of the election to his more than 200 million followers. In the last weeks of the election, he promoted far-right conspiracy theories, claiming that the Democratic Party was ‘importing’ undocumented immigrants to swing states in order to irreversibly tilt the electoral map in their favor. ‘If Trump doesn’t win,’ Musk said, ‘this is the last election.’

As usual, Trump’s self-destructive impulses have brought challenges. In the week leading up to Election Day, he fulfilled his lifelong dream of holding a rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. The warm-up speakers at the event delivered speeches full of hate, xenophobia, and racism. Trump’s campaign team brought in a group of crude boxers, including the insult comedian Tony Sinckliffe, who referred to Puerto Rico as a ‘floating garbage island’. According to two informed sources, the campaign team did not review his remarks and did not upload them to the teleprompter before his routine speech.

John Kelly, former chief of staff to Trump, recently publicly stated that Trump had praised Hitler’s generals. Mark Milley, Trump’s former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and retired general, called him a ‘thoroughly fascist individual’. Internal polls conducted by the Harris campaign team showed that the repulsive atmosphere at the rally inclined late-deciding voters to support her. Trump seems likely to collapse at the last minute.

Just past 9 pm on election night, Trump walked into the banquet hall of the Mar-a-Lago estate, filled with his wealthy donors, and cheers thundered through the crowd. Behind him were his family members, including his son Eric and daughter-in-law Lara, as well as his youngest son Barron. Over the next three and a half hours, he and Musk and White watched the election results with great excitement, even better than what his most optimistic supporters had predicted.

Trump’s transition team is filled with loyal followers, such as former Cabinet Secretary Linda McMahon and businessman Howard Lutnick, his sons Donald Jr. and Eric, and his running mate Pence. They all have the task of ensuring that only true believers can join his incoming government. It is expected that he will leverage the organizational network that has been preparing to implement his ideas. This includes his former Director of Management and Budget Office, and head of the American Revival Center, Russ Vought, who has been drafting executive order drafts that Trump can sign in the first few hours of his presidency.

The first and most aggressive agenda item is expected to be immigration and border issues. In an interview with Time magazine, Trump said he plans to use executive power to begin mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, ordering the National Guard, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and federal law enforcement agencies to conduct raids. According to campaign sources, Tom Homan, a former Trump official now affiliated with the 2025 Project, is expected to lead this effort.

At the same time, Trump’s senior advisers told Time magazine that there will be a large-scale purge of federal bureaucrats. They said the most satisfying part for Trump will be firing special prosecutor Jack Smith, who accused Trump of mishandling classified information and conspiring to overturn the 2020 election.

Trump’s most controversial move is almost certain to face significant legal and political battles. He pledged during the campaign to select an Attorney General to investigate and prosecute his political opponents and critics. Last summer, a Supreme Court ruling gave Trump the courage, granting the President of the United States the possibility of being exempt from certain criminal prosecutions for official acts. Based on Trump’s psychological tendencies, his vow for retaliation against his opponents, and the removal of many obstacles that hindered him during his first term, authoritarian scholars believe that a country is on the brink of crisis.

At the end of the day, elections are a judgment on the American people and the president they choose. Trump’s comeback is not accidental. By launching a social and political movement, Trump gained mandatory power over the Republican Party. He systematically destroyed many long-standing norms in the United States and welcomed a group of sycophants who would satisfy his most dictatorial impulses. He will enter a second term dedicated to creating a governance environment with almost no limits on his power. He makes no secret of this. This is what the American people have decided they want.

On April 12, former President Donald Trump conducted a wide-ranging interview with Time magazine at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida and followed up with a phone interview on April 27.

In the interview, Trump discussed his agenda for his second term, which includes deporting millions of people, reducing the number of US government employees, and intervening more directly in the Department of Justice’s prosecutions than his predecessor. He also discussed his views on other issues, including abortion, crime, trade, Ukraine, Israel, and the prospects of political violence in this election cycle.

The following is an interview record between Trump and Eric Cortellessa, a national political reporter for Time magazine. For clarity, Time made slight edits to the interview content.

Let’s start from day one: January 20, 2025. You said that you would take a series of positive actions on border and immigration issues—

Donald Trump: Yes.

You swear to -

Trump: There is also an energy issue.

Yes, yes. We will definitely talk about this. You pledge to launch the largest expulsion in American history. Your advisor said this includes—

Trump: Because we have no choice. I don’t think a country can afford such a situation. By the time Biden leaves office, there may be 15 million, even up to 20 million people. 20 million people, many of them from prisons, many from mental hospitals. I mean, look at what’s happening in Venezuela and other countries. They are becoming safer.

Okay, let’s talk about it - you mentioned a large-scale eviction operation. I’d like to know more about how you plan to do it.

TRUMP: If you look back at the '50s of the 20th century, Dwight Eisenhower wasn’t known for that, you wouldn’t think of him that way. Because you see, Eric, but Dwight Eisenhower took it very seriously that illegal immigrants do not enter our country. He deported a large number of illegal immigrants. He did it for a long time and was very skilled. He took them to the other side of the border, and a few days later they returned. And then he started to take them 3000 miles away -

Do you have any plans, sir?

Trump: We will mobilize the local law enforcement agencies. We will definitely start with the criminals who enter the country. The number of people entering the country has never been seen before. We have indeed encountered a new type of crime. This type of crime is called immigration crime. This type of crime, um, you can often see. In New York, they have physical conflicts with the police. And it gets worse. You can often see it. It can be seen in all cities, especially in cities governed by the Democratic Party, many of which are large cities, but the situation in Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles is worse than other places.

Does this involve the use of the US military?

Trump: Yes. When we talk about the military, we generally refer to the National Guard. I have used the National Guard in Minneapolis. If I didn’t use it, I think Minneapolis would not exist now because the situation was really bad. But I think this refers to the National Guard. But if I think things are out of control, I can use the military when necessary. We must ensure national security. We must maintain the rule of law in the country. National Guard can handle it in any way. You know, if Nancy Pelosi uses the National Guard, I am willing to meet any of their requirements, but I often–

Will you deploy the military both inland and on the border?

Trump: I think I don’t have to do this. I think the National Guard can do it. If they can’t, then I will use the military. You know, our situation is different. We have millions of people now, which we didn’t have two years ago.

Sir, the Militia Act stipulates that the US military cannot be used against civilians. Will you ignore this provision?

TRUMP: Well, these people are not civilians. They are not people who have entered our country legally. This is an invasion of our country. This kind of invasion is probably something that no country has ever seen. They poured in in millions. I believe we have 15 million people now. I think by the end of this thing, you’ll have 20 million people. That’s more than the population of almost every state.

So you can see yourself using the military to solve this problem?

Trump: I can see myself using the National Guard, if necessary, I must go further. We must make every effort to stop the problems we face. Again, our country is gathering a strong force, with 29,000 people pouring in from China in the past three weeks, most of whom are underage and male. Yes, you must take necessary measures to stop the crimes and stop what is happening at the border.

Does this include building new immigration detention centers?

TRUMP: We don’t need to do much. Because we’re going to take them out of the country. We will not leave them in the country. We’ll take them out. I’ve done this before.

Will you build new ones?

Trump: Obama did it in the form of a prison, you know, a prison. I was criticized for it for four months. Later, people realized that it was him, not me.

So, do you rule out the possibility of building new immigrant detention camps?

Trump: No, I will not rule out any possibility. But in fact, we are about to move them out, so we don’t need so many detention camps. We want to take them back where they came from.

The reason I ask this is because your close aide and advisor Stephen Miller has indicated that part of the work in carrying out this expulsion will include the construction of new immigrant detention camps.

Trump: We may do this to some extent, but we don’t have to do too much, because once we start acting, we will kick them out. Obviously, we will start with the criminals. We will use local police because they know their names, middle names, and third names. I mean, they know them very well.

How do you plan to involve state and local law enforcement agencies? What authority does the president have to do this?

Trump: Some people may not want to participate because they don’t want to share wealth. We have to do this. This issue is not sustainable for our country.

Does this mean you will provide funding incentives from the federal government to state and local police departments?

Trump: It’s very likely. I want to let the police off the hook because liberal groups or progressive groups (depending on what they want to be called, a bit liberal, a bit progressive) are very insistent, they want everyone to get involved, I don’t know. You know, sanctuary cities are failing everywhere. I really believe that those who support sanctuary cities also have a long-suppressed emotion and want to end sanctuary cities, because it simply doesn’t work for the country.

So, according to your own words, these are the new, bold, and proactive actions you are going to take.

Trump: I don’t think they are bold actions. I think they are common-sense actions. But I really believe, Eric, that these actions - they allow so many people to enter our country, which is incredible, especially considering that the majority of them are unchecked or unexamined. They just pour in. The number of them pouring in is unprecedented for any country. This is an invasion of our country.

Well, let me put it this way: they are new immigrants and will certainly be tested in court. If the court rules against you, do you promise to obey all court orders supported by the Supreme Court?

Trump: I will comply with court orders. I will act in a very legal way, just like I built the isolation wall. You know, I built a huge wall, which gave us a lot of data. I’m willing to do much more than I say. I have been willing in the past and present-they should finish that wall. I have done what I said and much more than I imagined. But when you do it, you will find that you need to build more walls in different places, and people once thought you couldn’t do it-you don’t need to do it.

However, to be honest, I didn’t believe it when I first heard that Biden wanted to open up the border. It just didn’t make sense. The first time I really saw this was when he didn’t want to install the wall that had already been built, and the hundreds of miles of extra work that could have been dismantled could have been completed in three weeks.

I want to talk to you about your plan to build a wall in a short period of time, but let’s go back to the previous topic. So, do you promise to abide by all orders of the Supreme Court? All orders supported by the Supreme Court?

Trump: Yes, of course I will comply. I respect the Supreme Court very much.

Let’s talk about the border wall again, because in your last term, you tried to negotiate with Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer on border funding and had the opportunity to get $25 billion. But the negotiations failed. In the end, only $1.4 billion was obtained -

Trump: But with this $250 billion, things become unacceptable.

Compilation of the protection of the ‘Dream Chaser’—

Trump: Well, there are many other things. There are many bad things. Of course, they gave you money to build a wall. You know, I basically took the money from the military. I think this is an invasion of our country, and I from-

So my question is, what do you plan to do in your second term? Will you use federal funds to continue building the border wall on the first day? Will you legislate? How do you plan to do it?

Trump: I think what we need to do is finish - when you talk about finishing the wall, the wall I built is much more than I thought, but as you build it, you find you need it. We built it and then found leaks in certain areas. It leaks just like politicians leak. We found the problem, built it, and built other things. It’s just a system, and we have a very good system. We could have added another 200 miles of wall and good territory. Because the wall really works, you know, the wall and the wheel. I’ll say, you know, a lot of things, see what you have here, your record player, other things will be outdated in about six months. You will have better things. But two things never go out of style, and that’s the wall and the wheel.

What did you mean when you said, ‘We hope to protect the police from prosecution,’ as you just said?

Trump: The police–their authority has been taken away. If something happens to them, even if they do a good job, their houses, pensions, I mean, everything will be confiscated, and they will eventually lose their families. They have been deprived of everything. They sue others. We must give the police the power and respect they deserve. Now, it is inevitable that some mistakes will be made, and there will inevitably be some bad people, which is very bad. But the current situation is worse. When a department store is being robbed, the police are standing outside, while 500 young people are walking out of the department store carrying air conditioners, TVs, and other things. The police want to take action. But they are told not to get involved. They say not to interfere. If you get involved, if you stop the crime, we will threaten your pension, your house, your family, your wife or husband. You should know that the police are often sued. We hope that if they do their duty, they will be exempt from prosecution.

Would you try to pass a law in Congress?

Trump: I’m sorry.

Will you push Congress to pass a bill to do this?

Trump: We have to wait and see.

Let’s turn to the economy, sir. You impose a 10% tariff on all imported goods and a tariff of over 60% on Chinese imported goods. Now I can ask you: Is this your plan?

Trump: There may be more. Maybe just part of it. But there are always people - look at them coming in, they are stealing our jobs, stealing our wealth, stealing our country.

However, you said more than that: are you saying a tariff of more than 10% on all imported goods?

Trump: More than 10%, yes. I call it ‘ring tariffs’. We have a ring-shaped country. In addition to what we said, there are reciprocal taxes. If we do this, the numbers are amazing. I don’t think this will have a big impact because they make a lot of money from us. I don’t think the cost will pump so much either. Many people say, ‘Oh, that will be a tax on us.’ I don’t believe it. I think this is taxing the country. I know. I made billions of dollars from China. No one did anything to China before. I also let people know about the threat from China. China makes five to six hundred billion dollars each year. Before me, no one mentioned China. The situation in Detroit is very sad because the mandatory requirement for electric cars is very absurd because they can’t run far. They cost too much, and they will be produced in China. They will all be produced in China.

Mr. President, most economists - I know not all of them, there is no consensus on this issue - but most economists say that tariffs will push up prices.

Trump: Yes.

Would you be willing to accept Inflation?

Trump: No, I’ve seen it. I’ve seen some - I don’t think this will lead to Inflation. I think it’s a win for our country. Because what will happen, other countries will do very well, and China is a standout. India is difficult to deal with. India - I get along very well with Modi, but it’s very difficult in terms of trade. Frankly, France is very difficult to deal with in terms of trade. Brazil is also very difficult to deal with in terms of trade. Their approach is to impose high import fees. They say, we don’t want you to ship cars to Brazil, nor do we want you to ship cars to China or India. But if you want to build a factory in our country and hire our workers, that’s fine. That’s basically what I’m doing. I’m doing it, and I’m pushing hard, but when we’re ready to really start, we encounter the new coronavirus. We have to solve this problem. In the end, the performance of the stock market we handed over is much better than when the new coronavirus first appeared. But if you look at our performance in the first few years, the numbers are amazing. There has never been an economic entity -

Mr. President, there is no doubt that the economic situation was indeed good during your first term. However, Moody’s did say that the trade war with China cost the U.S. economy $316 billion and resulted in the loss of 300,000 jobs. [Editor’s Note: The estimation of $316 billion was made by Bloomberg Economics, not Moody’s.]

Trump: Yes. Modi doesn’t know what they’re talking about. We have the strongest economy in history. Modi also acknowledges this. If we have such a good economy, how can we lose? Everyone acknowledges this. If we don’t do this, we won’t have a steel industry now. They dumped steel on this country. I imposed a 50% tariff on steel. Tariffs will go up. The people who love me the most are businesses, especially those in the steel industry. They love me because I saved their industry. When bosses and executives of steel companies see me, they cry. They say no one helped us before you came along. China dumps a lot of steel on my country. We saved the steel industry.

Do you think companies will pass on the cost of taxes to consumers?

Trump: No, I don’t think so. I think this will cost the country - I think their income will decrease. In fact, I think the taxed country’s revenue will decrease. I don’t believe -

Don’t you believe that companies will shift costs?

Trump: No, I think the situation is that you created it. The way to get out of the whole situation is that you eventually created it, not importing products from China, because of the additional costs, you end up producing products in the United States. Traditionally, that’s how it is. If you look at what happened. If you look at China, they don’t want our cars. They charge us huge fees. Look at India. India is a good example. I get along well with the representatives of the Indian people. Modi is a good guy, and he’s doing what he has to do. But we had some problems with Harley-Davidson, so I had people from Harley-Davidson come to the White House. I said, ‘How are you doing lately? Is business good? Is everything okay?’ I said, ‘Out of curiosity, how do you deal with India?’ ‘Not too good.’ Now you have to remember, this was five years ago, four years ago, they said, 'Not too good. We can’t do business with India because they charge us such high tariffs, over 100%. At such prices, you know, consumers will collapse and won’t be able to buy. They said, ‘But they’re willing to do anything for us to build a Harley-Davidson factory in India. They don’t want us to sell motorcycles to India, but they do want us to build a factory.’ I said, ‘Well, I’m not happy with that.’ But eventually, it happened. They built a factory in India. Now there are no tariffs, and we want to do the same thing. We want to build a factory here. Something is happening now that no one is talking about, maybe they don’t know, but I have a fren who builds car factories. That’s what he does. If you ask him to build a simple apartment somewhere, he doesn’t know how to do it. But he can build a factory, millions of square feet, the largest factory in the world. He’s incredible. I said to him, ‘I want to see your factory.’ He said to me, ‘Are you ready to go to Mexico? Are you ready to go to China?’ I said, ‘No, I want to see it here.’ He said, ‘We’re actually not building the big factory here, the big factory is being built in Mexico or China.’ China is now building factories in Mexico and producing cars for the United States. These factories are the largest in the world. If I were president, this wouldn’t happen because I would impose a 100% tariff on them. Because I won’t allow them to steal our other businesses. You know, Mexico has already taken away 31% of our car manufacturing and car business. And China’s share is even bigger than that. We only have a small share in this business, and then you have a poor fool, like this gentleman in the United Auto Workers Union, who agrees to let us produce pure electric cars, which is really sad because pure electric cars are not what consumers want.

Sir, I understand your position -

Trump: By the way, I have no objection to pure electric cars. I think they’re great. You can buy electric cars, I think it’s good. They don’t run far. They have problems. They don’t work in cold weather. They don’t work in hot weather. There are many problems. When I was in Iowa, there were electric cars everywhere. They were all over the streets. The temperature on the night of the Iowa caucuses was minus 40 degrees.

I was with you at that time.

Trump: That’s right. I’ve never heard of such low temperatures.

I’d like to clarify what you just said: Are you considering imposing a 100% tariff on goods imported from China and Mexico?

Trump: I didn’t say that. They impose 100% tariffs on us. But their tariffs are much higher than that. India imposes higher tariffs on us. How much are the tariffs imposed by Brazil - Brazil is a very, very high tariff country. I asked people, who is the most difficult to deal with? I won’t tell you, because I don’t want to insult these countries, because I actually get along with them very well. But you will be surprised. The EU is very tough on us. They do not accept our foreign products. They do not accept our cars. We accept Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, and BMW. They do not accept our cars. If we want to sell Chevrolets, or even want to sell Cadillacs, a beautiful Cadillac Cadillac, if we want to sell our cars to Germany, for example, they will not accept.

We will return to the topic of Europe later.

Trump: I said to Angela Merkel, ‘Angela, how many Chevrolets are there in the center of Berlin?’ She said none. I said, 'You’re right. But we buy your cars, including relatively inexpensive ones like Volkswagen. ‘I said,’ Do you think this is fair? ‘She said,’ Maybe it’s not fair, but no one has ever brought it up until you appeared. ’

Sir, you have previously criticized the way Israel waged war against Hamas. In a recent interview, you said that Israel needs to “end the war” and “restore normalcy”.

Trump: Yes.

So as president, would you consider stopping military aid to Israel to force it to end the war?

Trump: Okay. Let me start from the inside. [Let the assistant turn down the air conditioning.] I don’t have to start from scratch. But as you know, Iran was already bankrupt at the time. Iran is -

No, I know, but can you——

Trump: No, but think about how great a job I’ve done. This wouldn’t have happened. You wouldn’t have - Hamas has no money. Do you know?

I understand, sir, I just want to know -

Trump: No, but I hope I can point out. During my tenure, there were reports that Iran had no money to give to anyone - very little terrorism. We didn’t. I had four years - we didn’t have terrorism. We didn’t have the World Trade Center destroyed. You know, Bush once said, ‘Well, we are a safe country.’ I said they destroyed the World Trade Center during your term. Do you remember that debate? That was a good example. But this is a fact, absolutely true. But we have not experienced terrorism - we have completely eliminated ISIS. Now they are starting to come back.

I want to know - you said you want to end the war in Israel. You said you need to “settle this.” What are you going to do? Will you consider stopping aid?

Trump: I think Israel has done very poorly in public relations. I don’t think the Israel Defense Fund or any other organization should be posting pictures of buildings collapsing every night, and there may still be people inside these buildings, and they do it every night.

So you do not rule out the possibility of suspending or limiting aid?

Trump: No, we must do this. Listen, no president has been like me with Israel. Look at everything I have done, first of all the Iran nuclear protocol. You know, Netanyahu begged Obama not to reach this protocol. I terminated this protocol. If they were smart and energetic, besides trying to win over Trump, they could have reached the protocol, because they were in a disadvantageous position at that time. They should have reached a protocol with Iran. They did not prosecute. They did not reach the protocol. But I did it with the Golan Heights.

You did it.

Trump: No one even thought of the Golan Heights. I gave them the Golan Heights. I made the embassy in Jerusalem. Jerusalem became the capital. I built the embassy.

Yes.

Trump: This embassy is very beautiful and cost less than anyone imagined. You’ve heard of it too. But no president has done what I did in Israel. Interestingly, the Israeli people appreciate it. My approval rating is as high as 98%, the highest.

Do you know whose support rate is not high in Israel now?

Trump: Let’s compare.

Yes. Do you think he should step down?

Trump: Well, I had an unpleasant experience with Bibi. It was related to Soleimani because, as you may already know, he withdrew before the attack. I said, ‘What’s going on?’ because it was supposed to be a joint operation, and all of a sudden, we were told that Israel wasn’t going to do it. I was very unhappy about it. I will never forget this incident. It taught me a lesson. I want to say that what happened on October 7th should never have happened.

It happened during his term.

Trump: No, it happened during his tenure. I think, despite all of this happening, it had a profound impact on him. Because people would say that shouldn’t have happened. They have the most advanced equipment. They could have prevented all of this. Many people know about this, thousands and thousands of people know, but Israel doesn’t know, I think he bears primary responsibility for this. Now there’s another hostage incident -

Has his era passed?

Trump: I happen to think that, in terms of hostages, knowing the enemy, knowing the hostages, I think very few hostages are left. You know, they talk about all of these hostages that were taken. I don’t believe that these people have the ability or the intent to take care of the hostages in negotiation. I don’t think – I think the number of hostages will be much lower than people think, and it’s a very sad thing.

Do you think your cooperation with Benny Gantz during your second term will be better than your cooperation with Benjamin Netanyahu?

Trump: I think Benny Gantz is good, but I don’t want to say it that way. I haven’t talked to him about it yet. But I know some very outstanding people in Israel who can do a good job.

What do you think -----

Trump: What I want to say is that it is only natural for Netanyahu to receive criticism for what happened on October 7th.

Do you think the result of the war between Israel and Hamas should be a two-state solution between the Israelis and Palestinians?

Trump: Most people believe that this will be a two-state solution. I am not sure if the two-state solution is still feasible. Everyone is talking about the two-state solution, even me. I say, ‘What do you like here? Do you like the two-state solution?’ Now people are back to - it depends on where you are. Now everything is changing every day. If Israel makes progress, they don’t want the two-state solution. They want everything. If Israel does not make progress, sometimes they will talk about the two-state solution. The two-state solution seems to be the most favored idea, policy, or concept.

Do you like it?

Trump: It depends on when. There was a time when I thought the two-state solution was viable. Now I think the two-state solution would be very, very difficult. I think it would be even more difficult to implement. I also think there are fewer people who like this idea. Four years ago, there were many people who liked this idea. Today, there are far fewer people who like this idea.

You say -

Trump; may have no other ideas. You know, some people say that this situation is the most difficult to solve, the most difficult to solve.

Yes, absolutely.

Trump: Because children are taught to hate Jews when they grow up, the depth of hatred is unimaginable. I have a fren, a very good fren, Sheldon Adelson, who thinks it’s impossible to reach a protocol because the level of hatred is too deep. I think the level of hatred on both sides is much greater, but the hatred towards Jews is very strong, and it has been so since kindergarten. He feels this - he is a great trader. He is a very wealthy person. He is wealthy because he has the ability to make deals. He loves Israel above all else. He loves Israel, and he wants to protect Israel. He feels that it is impossible to reach a protocol due to the depth of hatred.

Do you have this feeling now too?

Trump: I disagree. But so far, he hasn’t been wrong.

You have said that you are proud to be the first president in several generations not to have dragged the United States into war. You briefly touched on this issue at the press conference. But if Iran and Israel go to war, would you stand with Israel?

Trump: I am very loyal to Israel, more loyal than any other president. I have done more for Israel than any other president. Yes, I will protect Israel.

You stated this week that the issue of abortion should be decided by each state, and you also stated that you would not sign a federal ban. So, I want to confirm: Will you veto any bill that imposes federal restrictions on abortion?

Trump: You don’t need a federal ban. We just got rid of the federal ban. You know, if you go back to Roe v. Wade, the focus of Roe v. Wade is not so much abortion as it is returning it to the states. So, the states will negotiate deals. Florida will be different from Georgia, and Georgia will be different from elsewhere. But that’s the situation now. It’s very interesting. But remember, for 53 years, every legal scholar has pointed out from a legal perspective that the issue of abortion falls within the jurisdiction of state governments. Now, things are starting to move in that direction. People are starting to follow 15 weeks, 5 weeks, or 6 weeks, and starting to follow deadlines. They suddenly start defining abortion.

People want to know, if a bill is submitted to you, would you veto it? This is really important to many voters.

Trump: But you have to remember, this will never happen, because it simply won’t happen. You will never get 60 votes. Neither the Democratic Party nor the Republican Party can do it for many years to come. Currently, it’s basically 50-50. I think we have a chance to get a few seats, but a few seats mean we get 51 or 52 seats. We still have a long way to go. So this won’t happen because you won’t get those seats. Well. But having said that, it depends on the states, it depends on the power of the states. Each state will make its own decision.

What do you think -

Trump: Do you know? This relieves a huge amount of pressure for everyone. But we - this definition is unclear. To be honest, many Republicans, many Republicans, do not know how to talk about this issue. This issue has never affected me.

So, for clarity’s sake: if there were federal restrictions - federal abortion restrictions, you wouldn’t commit to vetoing that legislation?

Trump: I don’t have to promise to veto because it’s never going to happen - number one, it’s never going to happen. Number two, it’s about the states’ rights. You don’t want to go back to the federal government. It’s all about getting away from the federal government. Eric, this is solved because - this is solved, this issue has been greatly simplified over the last week. This was all about getting away from the federal government. The states are working on it. Look at Ohio. Ohio passed some surprising bills. Kansas, I mean, these are Trump states, conservative states, Ohio and Kansas and all of them, but they passed what they want to pass. It’s about states’ rights.

I understand, sir. Your allies in the Republican Study Committee (which constitutes about 80% of the Republican Party’s core group) have included the Conceived Life Act in their 2025 budget proposal. This bill will grant full legal rights to embryos. Is this also your position?

Trump: Say it again. What?

The ‘Conception of Life Act’ will give embryos full legal rights, including in their 2025 budget proposal. Is this your position?

Trump: I will leave everything to the states. The situations in each state will be different. Some will agree, and some will oppose. The situations in Texas and Ohio are different.

Will you veto the bill?

Trump: I don’t have to do anything about the veto power, because we have now restored the veto power in various states.

Okay.

Trump: They will make these decisions.

Do you think women should have access to the abortion pill mifepristone?

Trump: Well, I have a view on this, but I won’t explain. I’m not going to say it now. But I have a very strong opinion on this. I might release it next week.

Mr. President, this is a big issue as your ally is calling for the enforcement of the Kostock Act, which bans the mailing of drugs used for abortion. The Biden Justice Department has not enforced the act. Will your Justice Department enforce it?

Trump: I will make a statement on this in the next 14 days.

Do you know how to?

Trump: Yes, I have an important statement on this. I am very firm on this. In fact, I think this is a very important issue.

Understood. You believe that this issue should be left to the states to handle. You have made it clear. Would you feel comfortable if the states decided to punish women who have abortions after they are banned?

Trump: How many weeks are you referring to?

Yes. Assuming the time of abortion ban is 15 weeks–

Trump: I’ll say it again, this will be - I don’t have to feel comfortable or uncomfortable. The states will make the decision. The states must feel comfortable or uncomfortable, not me.

Do you think states should monitor women’s pregnancies to know if they have aborted after the ban?

Trump: I think they might do that. Similarly, you have to communicate with the states. The Roe v. Wade case is about returning the right to abortion to the states. It is both a legal decision and a moral decision in some people’s minds. But mainly, it is a legal decision. Every legal scholar, Democrat, Republican, and others want to return this issue to the states. It should be noted that the Roe v. Wade case has always been considered a very bad law. Very bad. From a legal perspective, it is a very bad issue. People are surprised that it has lasted this long. What I can do is select some very excellent people, frankly, they are very brave, the judges are ultimately Republicans.

Each state will decide whether they are satisfied——

Trump: Yes, all states -

Sue women who have abortions after the ban. But are you satisfied with this?

Trump: It’s up to each state. Whether I’m satisfied or not doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter at all because each state will make their own decisions. By the way, the situation in Texas will be different from Ohio. The situation in Ohio will also be different from Michigan. I see what’s happening.

President Trump, we are in Florida. You are a resident of Florida.

Trump: Yes.

How do you plan to vote in the abortion referendum in this state in November, which seeks to overturn DeSantis’s six-week ban?

Trump: Well, I’ve said I think six weeks is too harsh.

You did say that.

Trump: I did say that before.

Yes.

Trump: I think when I made this statement, it was quite controversial, but as time goes on, the controversy diminishes. I think Ron was very seriously hurt by doing this, because people - even conservative women in Florida - think -

Well, this referendum will change everything. Will you vote to support it in November?

Trump: Well, this will have other implications. I won’t tell you how I will vote. I will only tell you that the state government will make the decision.

Okay, sir. Violent crime is decreasing nationwide. It has decreased by 6% ——

Trump: I don’t believe.

Don’t you believe?

Trump: Yes, this is fake data.

Is that what you think?

Trump: Well, this was announced last night. The FBI provided false numbers.

I didn’t see it, but the FBI said it dropped by 13% in 2023. [Editor’s note: This statistic specifically refers to homicide cases.

Trump: I don’t believe it. This is a lie. This is fake news.

Sir, this data is collected by police departments from all states and localities. Most of them support you. Could they be wrong?

Trump: Yes. Last night. Well, maybe, maybe not. The FBI tampered with the data, and others tampered with the data. It’s impossible for the crime rate to have dropped last year. Impossible, because there’s immigrant crime. Did they include immigrant crime? Or do they consider it a different form of crime?

So are these local police stations wrong?

Trump: I don’t think this is from the local police department. What I see is the FBI providing false numbers.

Okay. So, if elected, would you instruct your attorney general to prosecute your state officials, such as Alvin Bragg and Fani Willis?

Trump: Well, we will examine many things like they do. What they are doing is terrible. No, I don’t want to do that. Looking at Clinton, I am not happy. I think this is a terrible thing. But unfortunately, what they have done is only to lift the lid. They… they have done to me is unbelievable. Unfounded.

You mentioned that Alvin Bragg should be prosecuted. Will you direct the Attorney General to prosecute him?

Trump: When did I say Alvin Bragg should be prosecuted?

It was at a gathering.

Trump: I don’t remember saying that.

I can bring it up.

Trump: No.

So, to be clear: You will not instruct the Attorney General to prosecute Alvin Bragg?

Trump: We will achieve huge returns through success. We will lead our country to success again. Our returns will be realized through the success of the country.

Would you fire an American prosecutor who didn’t sue you to sue him or her?

Trump: To be honest, it depends on the situation.

So, what do you think?

Trump: It depends on the situation. Yes.

Okay, sir, you said you would appoint a truly special prosecutor to investigate Biden and his family—

Trump: It depends on the ruling of the Supreme Court. The President should have immunity, including Biden. If they rule that he has no immunity, then Biden may be sued for 20 different acts because he created these acts. You not only have to look at his criminal acts of receiving a large amount of money and becoming a Manchurian candidate. You also have to look at what happened in Afghanistan. Look at what happened around the world. Look at his allowing Russia to take action against Ukraine. This would never happen to me and it never did. And I know Putin very well.

President Trump, isn’t it customary for political opponents in the Banana Republic to attack each other?

Trump: That’s the way it is now. Yes.

Okay–

Trump: No, no, no, no. Eric, that’s the way it is now. I have to - in fact, we’re doing this today because Monday is a bit difficult, because I have to go to criminal court on Monday.

That’s right.

Trump: About a non-criminal case. This is not even a criminal case. As I said, if you go to Andy McCarthy, or Jonathan Turley, two real experts, or go to any law scholar who has written books, they will say that this is not even a criminal case. I have a judge whose contradictions are greater than any judge anyone has ever seen. He is a small man who hates Trump. Look at what happened there. You just asked me a question, you know, and they did this to me!

Okay, sir, one thing clear -

Trump: Wait, I haven’t had a chance to do that to them yet. I tend not to do so. I don’t want to do that to them. But it largely depends on the Supreme Court. We are going to the Supreme Court in two weeks. They will make a ruling on presidential immunity. If they say the president has no immunity, then I believe Biden will be prosecuted for all the crimes he has committed, because he has committed many crimes. If they indicate that the president has immunity, and I happen to think that the president must have immunity, otherwise it’s just a ceremonial position. But Biden has done a lot of terrible things. I’m not even talking about obvious crimes. I’m referring to the border issue, allowing death and destruction at the border-

Mr. ——

Trump: Allow all these things to happen. If the president does not have the power of exemption. So when you ask me this question, it depends on the Supreme Court’s decision.

Regarding this issue, your lawyer John Shaw recently argued in court that if you, as the president, order the Navy Seals to assassinate political opponents, you should not be prosecuted. Do you agree with your lawyer’s viewpoint?

Trump: Well, my understanding is different. I think this is a political opponent from another country. I think my understanding is different, I’m not sure. John Shaw also said, first you have to go through impeachment, then make a decision based on impeachment. But Mr. President, if you don’t have immunity from prosecution, quite a strong immunity from prosecution. Now, if you do something very bad and stupid, that’s another situation. This may be one of them.

Understood. So, going back to what you just said, I want to officially state that there is no evidence indicating that President Biden instructed to prosecute you. But even if we-

Trump: Oh, of course.

Well, even if we stipulate——

Trump: I always hate it when reporters say this. They clearly know it’s wrong. They’re just trying to protect themselves. But the fact is not so. His Attorney General, one of the few top officials, was assigned to the Justice Department. Mr. Fani, Wade, Mr. Fani’s lover, spent a lot of time in Washington dealing with my case at the Justice Department. The Justice Department handled my case with Letitia James. The Justice Department worked with the crazy Jack Smith. He’s crazy and very interested in my case. No, no, this is all Biden’s fault—01928374656574839201

But the problem is—

Trump: By the way, let me dig deeper.

Okay.

Trump: In the case with a woman, I never - until she called, I didn’t know who she was. ‘Do you know her?’ I said, ‘This is her imagination.’

Are you talking about E. Jean Carroll?

Trump: And then I was sued. Before this, I didn’t know who this woman was, and I had no relationship with her. This was done by a political lawyer in front of a judge who, in my opinion, had a conflict of interest for many reasons. He did not allow us to present evidence. He was too bad, too evil. But I have encountered three judges like this in New York, three of them. This is what I have encountered. This is a very unfair situation. They are targeting me, which is called election interference. But what they have done goes beyond election interference, they have never seen anything like it, I am a little surprised, you say Biden doesn’t know anything. Biden knows everything. Just like he knows nothing about Tucker and his business.

Even if we stipulate this, can two errors constitute correctness?

Trump: No, I don’t want to, I don’t want to do anything with… related. I don’t want to hurt Biden. I don’t want to hurt him. I respect this position too much. But he is willing to hurt a very popular former president who got 75 million votes. I have more votes than any incumbent president in history. I currently have about eight cases inspired by them, including my civil case.

Medical insurance -

Jason Miller: Eric, the president will have dinner in 15 minutes. So how many minutes does he have left?

Trump: Are you staying? Do you want to have dinner with everyone?

Yes, yes. We only have 15 minutes left?

Trump: Yes, his dinner time is 7:15.

Since that’s the case, let’s quickly ask some questions.

Trump: Okay. Do you think you can accept Biden’s interview?

You know, he didn’t agree. So I am very grateful for the opportunity you gave me.

Trump: He will never agree, because he is wrong. He is incredibly wrong.

Let’s take a moment to talk about January 6th. You refer to the individuals charged as ‘hostages’ and ‘political prisoners’ due to their actions on January 6th. Over 800 of them have been sentenced through our judicial system, with the majority pleading guilty. Some of them have been convicted by juries. You have mentioned that you will pardon them. Do you question the verdicts of over 800 cases by the judicial system?

Trump: This is a two-tier system. Because when I see Portland, Minneapolis, they occupy the police station and everything else, and rush to the federal building, when I see other violent incidents, people are killed, they have nothing. They have nothing. I think this is a double standard. I think this is a very, very sad thing. Whether you like it or not, except for Ashley, no one else died.

Would you consider pardoning all of them?

Trump: I will consider it, yes.

Do you know how to?

Trump: Yes, of course.

Okay, then.

Trump: If someone is an evil person, I will look at them differently. But many of these people were brought in, many were brought in. You can see from the video tape that the police brought them in. They walked with the police.

I would like to ask you one more question. Some former allies and staff do not support your participation in this election and point out that you are trying to overturn the 2020 election. What would you like to say to those who like your policies but believe that people who attack the cornerstone of democracy (peaceful transfer of power) cannot be entrusted with the task of defending democracy?

Trump: In fact, I did just the opposite. I was the one trying to stop it. I offered 10,000 soldiers, which Nancy Pelosi rejected. The mayor of Washington also rejected it, she rejected it in writing.

However, what do you say to those voters?

Trump: I proposed it. First, I gave a peaceful and patriotic speech, but no one reported it. No one talked about peace and patriotism. No one talked about it. You know, the committee has never used these words. They refuse to allow the use of these words. Second, I have about five tweets saying things like ‘go back home.’ I was disqualified because of these tweets.

No–

Trump: No, I was disqualified because of those tweets. The reason I was disqualified was not because I said anything bad, but because I said something good. Because when you read my tweets, listen to my speeches, and hear my statements in the Oval Office in the Rose Garden, you will know that I am a very innocent person during this very dramatic and terrible period. Nancy Pelosi is responsible for this because she refused to accept the 10,000 soldiers or National Guard members that I offered. She refused to accept them. The mayor of Washington, D.C. also refused to accept them. They are responsible for the capital.

Speaking of this, looking forward to the future -

Trump: Another very terrible thing they did was that the media refused to talk about it. They destroyed all the evidence.

Are you worried about political violence during the November election?

Trump: No, I don’t think there will be political violence.

Don’t you expect anything?

Trump: I think we will achieve a major victory. I don’t think violence will occur.

Mr. President, you have talked a lot about the plan to eliminate Deep State. What does this mean exactly?

Trump: This means we want to get rid of bad people and those who perform poorly in the government. We treat these people as we treat employees in a company. You know, when you buy a company, you go in and see how the job is, how the performance is. They have performance standards. Yes, we want to get rid of those who perform poorly. There are many such people.

How do you plan to do it? Your team is preparing to empower you through Appendix F, allowing you to dismiss civil servants.

Trump: We are considering many different things. The civil service system has its advantages and disadvantages. Some protected people should not actually be protected. There are also some people who work outstandingly, and you almost want to protect them. I know many civil servants, they are all outstanding talents.

Would you hire someone who believes Joe Biden won the 2020 election?

Trump: I have no doubt that what we said is true. The news media, the fake news media, don’t want to talk about this. You know, I sued the Pulitzer Foundation because of their eyewash about Russia, Russia, Russia, which they talked about for two and a half years, but it turned out to be a complete eyewash. And then some writers won the Nobel Prize—01928374656574839201

The Republican National Committee is conducting a litmus test on its employees, asking them whether they believe the election was stolen. Would you do this? [Editor’s note: According to reports, the Republican National Committee is asking job applicants this question, but it denies that it is an employment litmus test.]

Trump: I won’t be happy about this because I don’t think anyone would believe the election was stolen. The facts are clear. There is a wide range of election fraud, and the state legislatures haven’t passed legislation. They have to go through the legislatures. Take a closer look, it’s a wide range of different things. I can give you report after report about election fraud in state after state, if you’re really willing to listen, you’ll say I’m right.

I want to talk to you immediately about your policy towards Russia and Ukraine, President Trump, Evan E. Gershkovich has been detained in Russia for a year. Why haven’t you demanded his release yet?

Trump: I think it’s because I have a lot of things to do. I have hundreds of things to do. And I may have said a lot of good things about him. Maybe it didn’t get reported. But I think he’s a very brave young man.

Would you do it now?

Trump: Are you talking about The Wall Street Journal?

Yes.

Trump: Oh, I will definitely make a phone call. If you want, I can call now and ask to mention this in your report.

Great.

Trump: But I do have a lot, a lot of things to do. The difference between me and Biden is: I will let him go. He will be released. Putin will release him.

We can talk -

Trump: I think Biden’s relationship with Putin is very bad. Putin should not enter Ukraine. For the past four years, he has maintained a good relationship with me. I get along well with Putin, but the reporters should be released, and he will be released too. I don’t know if he will be released during Biden’s presidency.

But as the president, will you make efforts to have him released?

Trump: Yes, I will have him released.

You mentioned Russia -

Trump: I’m surprised Biden would do this. I’m not surprised by any of Biden’s actions. But I think this is a bad precedent. I’m surprised he hasn’t been released yet, but if he hasn’t been released when we take office, I will have him released.

Sir, you said that for NATO countries that do not invest enough in defense, you would let Russia “do whatever they want.” If Putin attacks the NATO countries that you think do not invest enough in defense, will the United States assist that country?

Trump: Yes, my words were meaningful because I want them to pay a price. I want them to pay money. This was proposed as a negotiation condition. I said, listen, if you don’t pay, then you’re on your own. I’m serious. Someone asked me, what if we don’t pay? This question was asked before this event. You know, after I said these words, do you know that billions of dollars were invested in NATO? Do you know that?

I know, sir. Secretary-General Stoltenberg appreciates this. He said you threatened to withdraw from NATO,

Trump: That’s right.

This resulted in the Allies investing an additional $100 billion in defense.

Trump: It was the same then and three years ago. You know, NATO - they have very little money left. They are cash-strapped, on the brink of bankruptcy, and we spend almost 100% of the money on NATO. We are protecting Europe. And they haven’t even paid.

The problem is, you will–

Trump: Only 8 countries are paying. The rest are in arrears. I told them, if you don’t pay, then enjoy yourselves, but we won’t protect you. I said it a few weeks ago, two months ago. I said, if you don’t pay. Listen, that’s the negotiator’s way of negotiating. I negotiate because I want them to pay. I want Europe to pay. I hope Europe doesn’t have any bad things happen, I love Europe, I love the people of Europe, I have a good relationship with Europe. But they have taken advantage of us, whether in NATO or in the Ukraine issue. Our investment in Ukraine is tens of billions of dollars more than theirs. It shouldn’t be like this. It should be the other way around. Because they are more affected. There is an ocean between us. They don’t have it. I say this for negotiation, and I’m doing well, because there have been tens of billions of dollars coming in recently.

In a 2016 interview, you said, “To reform, you must be willing to let go.”

Trump: I said, for example, this issue was raised when we had a very secret meeting, but the media knew about it. At that time, 28 countries participated. A gentleman stood up, and he happened to be the head of a very important country. He said, “You mean” - because I said to him, “You don’t pay the bill, but we pay for you. This is unfair. You hurt us in trade. What’s more, we are still protecting you. Most of our money is spent on NATO and the United States.” I said this is unfair. The man stood up and said, “Are you saying if we don’t pay the bill, if we don’t pay the bill, Russia will attack us, and you won’t protect us?” I said, that’s exactly what I mean.

After saying this, tens of billions of dollars poured in. It’s like magic. Obama never said that. Obama goes to give a speech, then leaves. Bush goes to give a speech, then leaves. I checked the data and said, wait a minute, the US is paying the bill for NATO. We pay almost 100% of the expenses for NATO.

But the problem is, sir -

Trump: We have not been treated fairly because we have been treated poorly by most countries in trade.

So, it seems like you want to renegotiate the terms of the treaty. You want -

Trump: No, I just want them to pay. I don’t need to renegotiate. Just like Biden. Biden has the power to close the border immediately. He doesn’t need anything from Congress. NATO is the same. I don’t need to renegotiate the terms of the treaty. All I need to do is make them pay. They don’t pay.

Do you want to maintain America’s 80-year leadership in defending the West, especially in Europe, or do you want to change the post-war world structure that has kept us out of a world war for the past 80 years?

Trump: I want them to pay. It’s simple. NATO is great. You see, my problem with NATO is that I don’t think they’ll come to our defense if we get into trouble.

Don’t you think so?

Trump: No, I don’t believe it. I understand them. Even if they pay, it’s a one-way street. I hope they pay. But I believe that if we are attacked, NATO will not act. Many countries in NATO will not act.

Will you continue to provide military and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine?

Trump: I will do my best to help Ukraine, but Europe must also get involved and fulfill its responsibilities. They have not fulfilled their responsibilities. Europe has not paid the costs it should bear.

Orban said that he has met you here and said that you are not willing to spend a penny. Is what he said true?

Trump: No, I have said that I will not give a penny unless Europe starts treating us equally. They have to come. Europe has to pay. We have borne more than European countries. This is very unfair to us. I have said that if Europe does not pay, then who is more affected than us. If Europe does not pay, why should we pay?

So you may not assist Ukraine?

Trump: Listen, we’ve been hurt in trade. We’ve been hurt in trade. The European Union has been very brutal to us in trade. We’ve talked, they don’t want our cars, they don’t want our agricultural products, they don’t want anything from us. It’s like a one-way street. NATO is the same. They’ve been very bad to us. They don’t pay their bills. Now, I’m here and they’re starting to pay their bills. I tell you, Secretary Stoltenberg said, I hope he says it again now, but he definitely said it loud and clear, he’s never seen anything like the power of Trump. Because every president comes, makes a speech, and leaves. Trump comes and brings us hundreds of billions of dollars. I’ve gotten 100s of billions dollars from those countries that owe us money. He’s my most loyal fan. I hope he still is, but I don’t know if he is or not, you know, maybe he is, maybe he isn’t. But even this recent one, right, because you asked me a question. This question has two parts. One is four years ago, and one is now. I’ve done a tremendous job of raising money for NATO because nobody, NATO has no money. NATO can’t even sue for what they’re doing now. They have no money. All they do is build stupid office buildings. They built a $3 billion office building.

Taiwan -

Miller: Eric, Eric, I have to end it because his dinner is coming.

Can we have a quick Q&A, because -

Miller: Eric, I’m three minutes away from dinner starting.

Okay, you said–

Trump: By the way, do you understand what I just said?

Understood, understood.

Trump: He spent $3 billion to hire the same architect -

Time is limited, let’s go straight to the quick Q&A session.

Trump: Do you understand?

I understand, Mr. President. You say you only want to be a dictator for a day. What do you mean?

Trump: That was sarcasm with Sean Hannity. He said, ‘Do you want to be a dictator?’ I said, ‘Just for one day. I want to close the border, I want to dig, baby, dig.’ Then I said, ‘After that, I don’t want to be a dictator anymore.’ That’s it. That’s a joke. Everyone knows it.

Do you know why? - Okay, you said you were joking, but do you know why?

Trump: No, no, wait. If you read it, that’s a joke. I want to be president for a day. Do you know why? Because we have an incompetent fool who allows people to enter our country. We have an incompetent fool who has pushed energy prices so high in such a short time. By the way, you know, he has adopted many of my policies now. But the day after the election, if they win, there will be no more oil.

Do you understand why so many Americans see this kind of language, you know, one day dictator, suspend the constitution -

Trump: I think a lot of people like it.

But do you know why they think this goes against our most cherished democratic principles?

Trump: No, I think the media thinks so. Not because they don’t understand, they understand just like you and anyone else. That remark is made in jest, irony, and sarcasm.

Only four words—

Trump: Just like ‘Russia, if you’re listening’. Do you still remember ‘Russia, if you’re listening’?

Yes

Trump: The meaning of this sentence is exactly the same. ‘Russia, if you are listening.’ Everyone knows that this sentence is ironic. But they cut off the laughter. You know, they immediately cut off the laughter. As soon as it was said, it was immediately cut off. But this sentence is ironic, it’s a joke, it’s a joke. It’s the same thing. I said: ‘I want to be a dictator for a day, I want to close the border. I want to dig, baby, dig.’ And then I said: ‘After that, I don’t want to be a dictator anymore.’ Now-

You did say.

Trump: Yes. But no one reported it.

Okay, we have the opportunity to have a good talk and understand the whole truth. That’s what I want to do.

Trump: But you should understand what I mean.

I understand what you mean.

Trump: I hope you report this. Because this sentence was indeed said.

I give you the opportunity to respond.

Trump: Very good. This sentence is also said with a smile, Eric. I’m laughing. Sean Hannity asked me this question.

However, this will scare people, sir. It will frighten people.

Trump: I don’t understand why it’s like this. Everyone, anyone who sees it will say I was laughing at the time. He was laughing at the time. The whole room was laughing. You know, that’s a city hall?

I see.

Trump: The people in the city hall were laughing so hard. That was just a joke.

Of the 44 people who served in your cabinet last time, only 4 supported you in this election. [Editor’s note: During the interview, about six members of the Trump cabinet supported him.] You know, some people have come out and said they will not support you in this election.

Trump: I don’t know. Like who? I have received support from many people. I have received support from Mnuchin!

Your former chief of staff, former defense minister -

Trump: Well, I don’t know. You see, what I mean is -

But the question is, why the voters -

Trump: Well, wait a minute. Just this week, Mnuchin supported me. Pompeo supported me too. Who are these people? I mean, some people don’t support me because I don’t think they’re that great. You see, when people feel that you don’t like them and that you won’t bring them back, they won’t support you. I won’t bring back a lot of people like that. I have some great people and some bad people. When they feel unwelcome and won’t come back, they don’t want to support.

Okay, sir, what I want to ask is, why should voters trust you?

Trump: I have a lot of people supporting me.

You have received a lot -

Miller: I will send him the complete list.

You have received a lot of support. I don’t question that. But the question I must ask is -

Trump: No, I’m serious. There are many people in the cabinet who support me. Now, I have to tell you, I didn’t ask many people to support me.

They come to you voluntarily. I know, sir.

Trump: If I call the 95% of people I’ve talked to, as long as I make one phone call, they will support me within two minutes.

What I want to ask is: since in your first term, many of the people who followed you closely thought you shouldn’t run for re-election, why should voters trust you?

Trump: Well, they don’t like me because I don’t like them. I fired some of them. Bill Barr, I fired Bill Barr. I don’t want him. And the others, I think they did a terrible job. He’s about to be impeached, impeached by the Democrats, he’s completely collapsing. Bolton is a fool. He’s a stupid fool. But actually, he played a good role because he’s a lunatic. Every time he walked into a room, people felt like you were going to war. He’s one of the people who convinced Bush to enter the Middle East, blow it up, and eventually destroy the whole world. But nothing happened. What did we get out of it? We blew up the Middle East. No one got anything out of it. That’s Bolton’s people. You can ignore them. You can name everyone you’re talking about. I’ll tell you why I don’t want their support. Now I have great people, you know, I rebuilt the military.

Miller: The president’s dinner is going to be late.

No cabinet member of Biden has come out against him.

Trump: Because Biden and I are completely different. He retained bad people. For example, in the Afghan issue, he retained Milley. Milley should be fired immediately. According to his remarks on China, Milley should be fired. If he really said these things, it would be a very serious matter. You know, his remarks on China, if he really said them, I think he did say them, because there are recordings. This is indeed a serious issue. But he should be fired for this. Other people should also be fired. Many people should be fired. I did fire some people, and fired many people. Now, I let them resign, because, you know, I have a heart. I don’t want anyone to feel embarrassed. But almost all of these people were fired by me.

You can take a look at the people in the army. I said, ‘General, give me a letter.’ Each of them handed me a letter. So, they handed me a letter. I think I won’t do this anymore. I think, from now on, I will dismiss them. Do you know why? Because they said they resigned on their own. They didn’t resign. I said, ‘Give me a letter.’ That’s the gentleman’s way. ‘General, give me the letter.’ I took care of ISIS. Some say it takes five years, but I solved it in a short time. Our army is very strong, if you look at our army, I have the support of the army, ordinary people, and real generals, not the generals on TV. But you can ask, I have the support of 90% to 95% of the people. Every one of them will support me.

You will -

Miller: Eric, Eric, I have to attend the President’s banquet. Sorry

The Heritage Foundation’s Project 25 and American Conservative magazine are both strong supporters of yours, proposing to repeal Amendment 22, which limits the president to two consecutive terms. They say that if you are re-elected, you will serve two non-consecutive terms, and if the people support you, there is no reason why you can’t — [Editor’s note: The proposal comes from The American Conservative, not Project 25.] ]

Trump: I didn’t know they did that.

So, are you sure you will retire after your second term ends, or will you consider challenging the 22nd Amendment?

Trump: Well, I will, and I have no choice, but I will.

Would you consider it?

Trump: I think, I will, you know, I will do it. Listen, this is two terms. I participated in two elections. I performed much better in the second election than the first. I received millions of votes. I have been treated very unfairly. They cheated using the COVID-19 pandemic and did many other things. But I have been treated very unfairly. However, no, I plan to serve only one term, and I will do a great job. We will have a very successful country again—

But would you consider it?

Trump: And then I left.

You said you would consider.

Trump: What are you considering?

Challenge Amendment 22.

Trump: I know nothing about it. I mean, you’re telling me now that someone wants to terminate. I won’t agree. I won’t agree to the challenge. I don’t agree. I absolutely won’t agree. I plan to serve a full four years and accomplish something. I want to get our country back on track. Our country is going downhill. We are heading towards decline. Our country is in turmoil.

Miller: Eric, it’s getting late - the president is ready for dinner. Sorry.

Is there anything else we haven’t discussed before them?

Trump: No.

Did I miss anything?

Trump: No, I think the interview was very successful.

Thank you very much——

Trump: If it is written objectively and fairly, then it is a successful interview.

I still have a lot of questions for you.

Trump: I think these issues are very interesting.

I just want to ask some good, Depth questions. I have a lot of topics I want to talk about.

Trump: I only ask for one thing: fair treatment.

I know, sir.

Trump: Let me just tell you, everybody wants to work for me. Everybody. And now I have a choice of anybody. Everybody wants to work for me, including vice presidents. And they’re asking me, ‘Should I go for that job?’ I have unbelievable people, unbelievable talent. And, you know, it’s funny. I’ve hired people, nobody, virtually nobody, from Washington. Everybody’s coming in. You know why? Because there’s nobody in Washington that knows what’s going on. And I know them all. I read The Wall Street Journal today, and they didn’t write about all of the people that want to come work for me in the administration. They write about two. But there are many more than that. It’s a Fantastic Cabinet.

People close to you told me that you are now more suspicious of everything -

Trump: Suspect what?

Suspect someone betrayed you in Washington?

Trump: I haven’t become more skeptical. I know the way of nature- that’s how nature works. I run a tough company, and some people can’t accept it. You know, working for Biden is very easy. He never fires anyone. He should fire everyone involved with Afghanistan. He should fire everyone involved with border affairs. I would fire everyone, and that would be big news.

Miller: Eric, he was 10 minutes late for dinner.

Okay, okay. I don’t want to be rude.

Trump: No, I think it’s very interesting.

Thank you, sir.

Trump: Thank you very much.

Trump’s Follow-up Interview by Phone

After two weeks of interviewing at Mar-a-Lago, Time magazine conducted a 20-minute telephone interview with Trump on April 27. The following is an edited transcript of the conversation.

Last time we talked, you said you would announce the policy on the abortion drug mifepristone within the next two weeks. You haven’t announced it yet. Do you want to announce it now?

Trump: No, I haven’t yet. I will announce it in the next week or two. But frankly, I don’t think it will be surprising. But I will announce it in the next week or two. We support helping women, Eric. I support helping women. You may have seen that the effects of test-tube babies are very good. And, you know, I have formulated a policy, which the Republicans immediately adopted.

Indeed, that’s true.

Trump: This is a great policy for women. You know, this is about helping women, not hurting women. So, I think that the technology of test tube babies has now become part of our work. This is important. I think this should be at the same time as our interview. But as for the final result, you have also seen that Alabama and other states have now passed legislation approving this technology.

Yes, yes. And of course, Arizona has also passed relevant laws.

Trump: Yes.

Mr. President, Iran recently launched a large-scale attack on Israel from within its borders for the first time.

Trump: Yes.

If Israel and Iran go to war, should the United States support Israel’s military strike against Iran?

Trump: Yes, if a similar situation occurs. Many people say it was a ceremonial attack because it allowed everyone to know what happened. If that’s the case, it would be a good thing rather than a bad thing. But many people say that attack, you know, I mean, everyone knows. I heard about it before the attack happened, and so did others. So the answer is yes. If they attack Israel, yes, we will go.

Understood. Well, as you know, there are currently campus protest activities against Israel, against Israel’s war in Gaza, and against the US position in the area nationwide.

Trump: Yes.

Your former Secretary of Defense said that during the Black Lives Matter movement, you suggested shooting protesters in the leg –

Trump: Yes, which Secretary of Defense?

It’s Esper.

Trump: Well, he is the worst Secretary of Defense I have. He is a weak and incompetent person. He was recommended by some moderate Republicans whom I don’t really respect. But you know, I haven’t been in office for long, so I have to rely on others. No, he is a very incompetent Secretary of Defense. No, but I want to ask, are you talking about the situation in college or something else?

I just want to ask, as the president, would you use the US military against protesters?

Trump: If the police cannot stop it, I will definitely use the National Guard. I will definitely use the National Guard. I mean, if you look at the Washington Monument incident, I passed a law. I quoted an old law and made it effective. If you desecrate the monument, you will be sentenced to at least 10 years in prison without parole, and it will take effect immediately. I don’t need to use too many resources. This is related to the monument. It is a period of monuments, and people like to destroy monuments.

I signed a law stipulating that anyone who defiles historical sites will be sentenced to ten years in prison, not less than ten years. You know, it’s very effective. I don’t know, I think you also saw that everything stopped after that.

I remember that time, sir. So you would rule out using the military against the protesters?

Trump: I will deploy the National Guard. I don’t think you need to use more force.

You often talk about ‘awokenism’ on college campuses. Polls show that most supporters believe that anti-white racism is now more severe than anti-black racism. Do you agree?

Trump: Oh, I think there’s a lot to say about this issue. If you look at the Biden administration, they’re against anyone who holds a particular view. They’re against Catholics, against many different people. They don’t even know what they’re against, but they’re against a lot of things. But I do think there is a sentiment of anti-white in this country, and that’s not acceptable.

As the president, how would you solve this problem?

Trump: Frankly, I think this is not difficult. But I think the current law is very unfair. Education is also being treated unfairly and suppressed. But I don’t think this is a big problem at all. But if you look at it now, there is definitely bias against white people, and that’s a problem.

I want to hear your views on China issues. Do you think the U.S. should defend Taiwan if China invades?

Trump: I have been asked this question many times, and I always refuse to answer because I do not want to reveal my bottom line to excellent journalists like you. But the answer is no. China is very clear about my answer. But they must understand that this kind of thing will not happen easily. What I want to say is, although I want to make a public statement, I have never made a public statement because I do not want to weaken my negotiating power by revealing such information to any journalist.

I understand your situation -

Trump: If you really come out and make some kind of statement, your situation will become very bad.

I understand, sir. Taiwan, China, has stated that U.S. assistance to Ukraine is crucial in preventing China from reclaiming Taiwan. Do you agree with this statement?

Trump: Well, I think they have the same idea. Should we help them like we helped Ukraine? So they hope to think so, they think if you don’t help Ukraine, you probably won’t help them either. So I think from their policy perspective, this is difficult. This is the policy of the United States. It is to help countries in distress.

You said that if Israel goes to war with Iran, you would support Israel. Do you think the United States can maintain its military presence in the Middle East while containing the expansionist ambitions of Russia and China, or do we need to withdraw our troops to fulfill our obligations overseas?

Trump: I think we have a lot of choices. I think we should not be present in many places, and may not be present in some places where we should be. In terms of the military, we have many options. We can manage our expectations and the military can quickly deploy to certain places.

Will you withdraw troops from Korea?

Trump: I hope South Korea can treat us well. As we all know, I made them - I negotiated with them, because they hardly paid any fees for our 40,000 troops stationed there. We have 40,000 troops, and the situation is somewhat dangerous, to put it mildly, because there is someone I have a good relationship with living next door, but he has his own views on things.

We have 40,000 troops and the situation is precarious. I told South Korea that it’s time for them to pay. They have become very wealthy. We basically provide most of the troops for them for free. They agreed to pay billions of dollars. Now, maybe because I’m not there, they only paid a small amount of money. I don’t know if you know, they renegotiated the deal I made. They only paid a small amount of money. But they paid billions of dollars for us to have troops stationed there. As far as I know, they renegotiated with the Biden administration and dropped this number to the previous level, almost zero.

Understood. President Trump, you have always -

Trump: This simply doesn’t make sense, Eric. Why should we defend others? And we’re talking about a very wealthy country. But they are a very wealthy country, why don’t they want to pay? In fact, they have a pleasant deal. It wasn’t easy at first, but in the end, it became a pleasant deal. They agreed to pay the United States billions of dollars for the cost of our military being stationed there. Billions of dollars, many billions of dollars.

President Trump, you are the leader of the most powerful democratic country in the world, and you have dealt with leaders of authoritarian countries. Why is democracy better than authoritarianism?

Trump: Well, it’s because of the word freedom. You have freedom. You have all the advantages without any disadvantages. If you have true democracy, you have freedom. I think that when we see the weaponization of the Department of Justice and the FBI, our democracy is becoming less and less democratic. Look at what happened with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Look at everything that’s happening, and we’ll find that our democracy is diminishing. However, if the democratic system is running properly, and when I return to the White House, it will definitely run properly. It will be a very perfect democratic system, not like what we have now. I think our current situation is that presidential candidates have to spend eight hours a day in court instead of campaigning meaninglessly. It’s more than zero. It’s more than nonsense. And all of this is planned and driven by the Biden administration. I don’t think this is democracy anymore. I think this is something that only third world countries would do.

I want you to respond to something else you said that has caused controversy. You wrote on Truth Social that you may have to terminate a portion of the Constitution. What do you mean?

Trump: I have never said that. I have never said that. When I talk about certain things, nothing is more important than our Constitution. But Democrats have violated our Constitution through improper elections and many other things. They have used the FBI and the Department of Justice to unfairly and unconstitutionally pursue people, thus violating the Constitution. A judge has issued a gag order against me, and I am the leading candidate, leading Biden. I am the Republican candidate, leading Biden by a large margin. Eric, I don’t know if you have seen the recent polls. If you are willing, we can send them to you. Jason, please send them to Eric, thank you.

Jason Miller: Okay, sir.

Trump: But we’re basically leading in all swing states and overall, you know, I’m filing lawsuits. Lawsuits incited by Biden, the judge issued a gag order against me, not allowing me to answer many very important questions. This is a violation of the Constitution. I will put an end to these unconstitutional acts. That’s what I’m saying. They violated the Constitution. They seriously deviated from our Constitution. I’m referring to fascist elements and some people within our government, because I think they are enemies within. I think, in many cases, enemies within are more dangerous to our country than external enemies, including China, Russia, and other countries, frankly, who the enemy is depends on who the president is.

President Trump -

Trump: Because if you have the right president, you can handle them very cleverly and everyone will be very satisfied. But if you don’t have the right president, I agree they will become powerful enemies. However, if the president knows what he is doing, the threat from internal enemies to this country is greater than that from external enemies. Because if the president is excellent, reliable, and the right candidate, then you don’t have to worry about China, Russia, or other countries, but you still face problems from the domestic pathological population.

Mr. President, in our last conversation, you said you were not worried about political violence related to the November election. You said, ‘I think we will win, and there will be no violence.’ What if you don’t win, sir?

Trump: Well, I think we will win. We are far ahead. I don’t think they can act like last time, the last election was too scary. Absolutely terrible. They have done too much, too many things against the rules. Everyone knows this. We can list a long string, but I don’t think we will do that. I think we will win. If we don’t win, then it depends on the situation. It always depends on the fairness of the election. I don’t believe they can act like last time. I don’t think they will succeed. If that’s the case, we will win in a record-breaking way.

One last question, Mr. President, as I know your time is limited, thank you for your generosity. We have just marked the fourth anniversary of the rampant COVID-19 pandemic. One of your historic achievements is the “Operation Warp Speed.” If another pandemic occurs, would you take the same action to quickly produce and distribute vaccines for Americans to get vaccinated as soon as possible?

Trump: I did a great job. I appreciate the way you asked the question. I have a very important Democratic fren who may vote for me, but I can’t be 100% sure because he is a serious Democrat and he asked me this question. He said ‘lightning-fast action’ is one of the greatest achievements in government history. What you have done is incredible, the speed, you know, the whole process originally took five to twelve years. Not only that: ventilators, treatments, regenerators, and other things. Regenerators are incredible. But treatments - everything. Overall - ‘lightning-fast action,’ you don’t talk about it. Democrats talk about it as if it were the greatest achievement. So I don’t talk about it. I let others talk about it.

You know, you have strong two views on vaccines. It’s very interesting. Democrats love vaccines. Democrats. The only reason I don’t take credit for this. Republicans often don’t do this, although I can tell you that many of them have been vaccinated. This is very interesting. Some people talk the most. I say, ‘Well, you haven’t been vaccinated, right?’ In fact, he has, but you know, etc.

But Democrats see this as an incredible achievement and hope to be honored for it, while Republicans do not. I will not bring this up. All I did was the right thing. In fact, we received many honors for the ‘lightning action’. Its power and speed are incredible. Remember, as I said, no one knows what this is. You know, we spent two and a half years, nearly three years, and no one thought of it. Everyone thought the flu pandemic was an ancient problem. It’s no longer a modern problem, right? You know, you wouldn’t think of this issue, would you? Have you heard of the European flu pandemic in 1917? You wouldn’t think that would happen. You learn if possible. But no one foresaw this situation, we took over, I never blamed the past management because similarly, no one foresaw this situation. But at that time, our reserves were very scarce.

We have no protective clothing, no masks. No goggles, no medicine. No ventilators. We have nothing. The reserves are completely depleted. I injected vitality into this country, which is unprecedented. Many people praised me for this. Unfortunately, most of the people who praised me are Democrats.

So, sir, if the same situation happens again in the next four years, will you still do the same thing to get the vaccine into the hands of the American people as soon as possible?

Trump: Well, the situation has changed. I mean, you know, when it first appeared, we didn’t know what it was. It was something that nobody had ever heard of. They didn’t call it COVID-19 at that time. They gave it all sorts of names. Somehow, they settled on COVID-19 in the end. It’s the China virus, and various other names.

But when it appeared, no one knew what was going on. They only knew there was dust from China. And something bad happened near Wuhan, China. You know, I predicted it. I think you should know, I said very firmly that it came from Wuhan. It came from the Wuhan lab. I’ve been saying it from day one. Because what I saw made me believe, firmly believe. But I was right when I said it. Now many people say Trump was right. Many people say, ‘Oh, it came from a cave, or from another country.’ China is trying to make people believe it came from Italy and France, you know, first Italy, then France. I said, ‘No, it came from China, from the Wuhan lab.’ That’s the truth. I said this a long time ago and haven’t said anything else since. But ‘Operation Warp Speed’ has won me a lot of praise. Most of it comes from Democrats. I think a large part of the Republicans also agree with this action. But many people are unwilling to admit it and unwilling to discuss it.

So, just to follow up: the Biden administration established the Office of Pandemic Prevention and Response, a permanent agency within the executive branch responsible for preparing for future pandemics. In 2018, you disbanded a similar agency established by Obama. Will you also disband Biden’s office?

Trump: Well, he wants to spend money on things that could be 100 years, 50 years, or 25 years. This is just one way of spending money. Yes, I might do that because I think we have learned a lot and we can mobilize, you know, we can mobilize. When you encounter something, most of what you do and most of the equipment you buy is outdated. As for drugs, you know, these drugs vary greatly depending on different strains, different types of influenza or viruses. You know, things change so much. So, yes, I think I will. That doesn’t mean we won’t follow the epidemic all the time. But it’s hard to predict what will happen in the future because these epidemics have many variants. I mean, if you look closely, you’ll find these variants are incredible. But we’re doing well in treatment. And these therapies are for this epidemic, not for other diseases. So, no, I think this is just another - from a political perspective, it sounds good, but I think it’s a very expensive solution and it won’t work. When you see it happen, you have to act quickly.

Mr. President, thank you for generously taking the time to meet with me at both the Ma’alaga Estate and today. I am delighted to have the opportunity to ask you these questions.

Trump: Thank you, Eric. It’s an honor to know you. Feel free to give me a call anytime, okay?

Okay, I got it, sir. Thank you.

Trump: Okay. Thank you very much.

Correction, April 30: The original version of this record incorrectly attributed the proposal to repeal the 22nd Amendment. The proposal was put forth by The American Conservative magazine, not the ‘Project 25’ of the traditional foundation.