2026 Pre-Super Bowl Interview with President Trump
The 2026 pre-Super Bowl interview with President Donald Trump was conducted by NBC News anchor Tom Llamas.
It was taped at the White House on Wednesday, February 4, 2026.
Transcript:
Okay, let’s drill down into the news today, that big change on immigration. Seven hundred officers leaving Minneapolis. Did that come from you?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Yes, it did. But it didn’t come from me because I just wanted to do it. We have— we are waiting for them to release prisoners, give us the murderers that they’re holding and all of the bad people, drug dealers, all of the bad people. We allowed in our country, I say, 25 million people with an open-border policy for four years under Biden, and that group the autopen group, I call them. We allowed to come into our country people the likes of which no country would accept. And we’re getting ‘em out.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
But we’ve gotten a lot of ‘em out. So crime now in Minnesota, crime now in Minneapolis is down. Crime in all cities is down.
TOM LLAMAS:
Speaking of —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
And you know why it’s down — It’s down because of us. It’s down in Chicago by 25% despite the fact that we are always dealing with these —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— people, and they happen to be Democrats —
TOM LLAMAS:
Right, speaking of —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— that don’t know anything about crime prevention.
TOM LLAMAS:
Mr. President, speaking of Minneapolis, what did you learn?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Uhhm, I learned that uhhhh maybe we could use a little bit of a softer touch. But you still have to be tough. These are crim— we’re dealing with really hard criminals. But uh look, I’ve called the people. I’ve called the governor. I’ve called the mayor. Spoke to ‘em. Had great conversations with them. And then I see them ranting and raving out there. Literally as though a call wasn’t made. We’ve done a great job everywhere. The only place there’s been a little inflammation has been — really it’s not in Minnesota ‘cause we’re — we’ve done well with crime —
TOM LLAMAS:
Well, Los Angeles, too, there’s been others —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
It’s been — well, I saved Los Angeles. The top law enforcement officer and — right at the beginning when we t — when they were having riots, before me and just — and it carried into me. If I didn’t go in there with the National Guard, with troops, you wouldn’t have a — the Olympics, which I got. I got the Olympics. You wouldn’t have the Olympics in Los Angeles. And he said, ‘Without the president sending in the troops we would’ve lost Los Angeles.’
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
And you know what? I saved Los Angeles. And we will do it again if we have to. And by the way, we’re gonna have a very safe Olympics —
TOM LLAMAS:
Right.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— and we’re gonna have a very safe World Cup.
TOM LLAMAS:
Speaking of — of Minneapolis, after the shooting of Renée Good you said ICE made some mistakes. What — what were the mistakes?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Well, look — I’m not happy with the two incidents. It’s not — you know, it’s — both of ‘em. Not one or the other. Uh — he was not an angel and she was not an angel. You know, you look at some tapes from back — but still, I’m not happy with what happened there. Nobody can be happy and ICE wasn’t happy either. But I’m gonna always be with our great people of law enforcement. ICE, police, we have to back them. If we don’t back them we don’t have a country. We don’t back them, you’re gonna end up — look, Washington, D.C., was a very unsafe place to be. You couldn’t walk to the White House. You couldn’t walk to a restaurant. Restaurants were closing. I inherited not only a mess with the country, I inherited a horrible, very dangerous capital. Do you know Washington, D.C., is now an extremely safe place. You see what happened. You’re here a lot.
TOM LLAMAS:
When — when you mentioned Renée Good—
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Well, let me ask you, Tom.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah, yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
You’re here a lot.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Would you have walked down the street a year and a half ago with your family? No. But today you can and nothing’s gonna happen.
TOM LLAMAS:
You mentioned Renée Good and — and not al — and Alex Pretti’s not being angels. Do you think any of that justified what happened to them, though?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
No. I don’t. I — it should’ve not happened. It was a very sad — to me it was a very sad incident, two incidents. And, you know, they mention the one now. They don’t mention the other. Well, I think they were both sad. And — you know who feels worse about it than anybody? The people of ICE. They’re strong, tough —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— people. And they have to be tough because we’re dealing with hardened criminals.
TOM LLAMAS:
Right.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
We’re dealing with people — you know, jails have been emptied into our country from all over the world. From Venezuela, where we had great success, you will admit.
TOM LLAMAS:
Mm hmm.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
But from Venezuela, from the Congo in Africa, from all over the world, jails — the jail population —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— was emptied into our country. If we don’t have strong people, you’re not getting ‘em out.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
And we’re getting ‘em out. Remember this, again. I say it again and again. We have record low crime in the United States. Nobody’s been able to say that for 125 years.
TOM LLAMAS:
So I wanna be clear ‘cause it sounds like there is a shift in immigration enforcement here, that there’s gonna be a shift after Minneapolis. What should Americans expect going forward?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Well, one thing I say to my people. You know, we do a good job, we don’t get credit for it. I say they have to ask, and they have to say please. When a city is going through —
TOM LLAMAS:
Who — who has to ask and who has to say please —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
The mayor or the governor. I don’t wanna go and force ourselves into a city, even if their numbers are terrible. Like, for instance, I got a call from Jeff Landry, governor of Louisiana. He said, “We have a big problem. Could you go in and help us with — with” — well, let’s see, certain sections, I mean, to be honest with you.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Certain sections of the state. Beyond their famous, beautiful city, certain sections of the state. We have done — not only in New Orleans. We’ve done a really great job in —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— Louisiana. But I was called. I wanna be called. Chicago, we could solve the Chicago crime —
TOM LLAMAS:
Well — well, on that question, where — which cities are you headed to next?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Uh we have five cities that we’re looking at very strongly. But we wanna be invited. We will sometimes call the governors and say —
TOM LLAMAS:
Are — are they cities like Chicago —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— “Are you going to” —
TOM LLAMAS:
— Philadelphia? Are these the cities —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
We would — we could straighten out the crime in Chicago. We’ve already brought it down 25% just by being there. We could have Chicago be a safe city just like D.C. is a safe city. Just like all of these places that we’ve gone to. And I look forward — you know, I didn’t campaign on that. I campaigned on law and order, but I didn’t think I’d be going into individual cities and making ‘em safe.
TOM LLAMAS:
Anything else you can tell us about the five cities — the five cities, anything else so Americans are ready —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Well, we’ll be announcing ‘em very quickly. But— we could do something. As an example, I was called by people. San Francisco said, “Please, we have a Democrat mayor. He’s trying very hard. Would you”— friends of mine that live there. It’s got crime problems. “Would you let him do the job and not come in? Let’s see how it works.” I said, “Look, I can do it much quicker, much faster.” Don’t forget, we remove criminals. We took over 2,000 hard-core criminals out of Washington, D.C.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
If we didn’t do that — 2% of the people create 90% of the crime. Think of that. 2%. So you have a criminal —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— because they c — it’s over and over again. Two percent create 90% of the crime. We took out 2,000 people, more than 2,000 people out of Washington, D.C., and we now have a —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— safe city.
TOM LLAMAS:
You — as I mentioned, you’ve had success on immigration. Illegal border crossings are at historic lows, right? But —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
You know, it’s so nice that you said that —
TOM LLAMAS:
But — but if you look at the —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
No, no. Tom —
TOM LLAMAS:
OK yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— what you just said.
TOM LLAMAS:
It’s true.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
No, but it’s so nice. I hope you air it. It’s so nice what you said, because that’s called good reporting. That’s called fair reporting.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Now give me the second part —
TOM LLAMAS:
But now lemme give you the second part of the question. But —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I don’t wanna hear the second part —
TOM LLAMAS:
But if you look at the polls, most Americans say they don’t like how you’ve handled immigration, right? Especially what’s happened in Minneapolis. How do you change their minds?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Well, I don’t believe the polls, for one thing. Because how can you not have — I — I saw a poll on the border where I’m at 55%, okay?
TOM LLAMAS:
The polls show that— that Americans aren’t against the deportations.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Well —
TOM LLAMAS:
It’s the handling of immigration —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
You know polls. It depends on the way you ask the question. I saw a poll on the border. I’m at 55%. Well, how could I only be at 55% when everybody agrees that the border is totally, beautifully closed and nobody’s coming in unless they come in legally, et cetera? It couldn’t be better. I should be at 100%. I don’t believe the polls. And some polls — I mean, I could show you polls where I’m polling at 69% popularity and some polls where I’m — I have one —
TOM LLAMAS:
We’ll ask the White House to share that with us —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— at 71 — but wait a minute. 71%. And then I have polls where I’m at 44% and 42%. The polls are almost dishonest — almost as dishonest as some of the reporters themselves.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah. Um, but —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I’m getting very good polls. I’m getting very good polls on crime prevention, on law and order —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— and on the border. I have to. And I’m getting — starting to get great polls on the economy, which I think is —
TOM LLAMAS:
The — the — the polls on the economy are — are — they’re — they’re not great.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
They should be great.
TOM LLAMAS:
They should be, so why aren’t they —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
People don’t know.
TOM LLAMAS:
— if — if — if you believe that?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I don’t know. I don’t know. I mean, look, I’ve got —
TOM LLAMAS:
Americans tell us. We hear this. I mean, we’re gonna get into the economy later, but, they tell us —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I know, but — but —
TOM LLAMAS:
— they don’t feel it. Yeah?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Just— just so you understand.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I have $18 trillion being invested into the country. Biden had less than a trillion for four years —
TOM LLAMAS:
But when can Americans expect to —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— and the whole country’s —
TOM LLAMAS:
— feel that? When does America feel it?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Do you know that if they won that election, and we won in a landslide, do you know if they won that election this country was— I think it was finished. I actually think it was finished. You would’ve had people — instead of 18 coming in —
TOM LLAMAS:
Mm hm.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— $18 trillion —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— you would’ve had $10 trillion leaving. I think —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— our country — I think we would’ve been Venezuela on steroids.
TOM LLAMAS:
I have a question about immigration, still, looking forward now. Your goal during the election was to deport everyone who came here illegally under President Biden. Is your mission now to deport everyone who came in illegally or just people who have come in illegally who have also committed additional crimes?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
We are totally focused on criminals, really bad criminals. Now, you could say people that came in illegally are criminals. But I’m talking about murderers from different countries. We have 11,888 murderers that Biden and his group let into our country. We’ve captured a lot of them. We’ve brought some of ‘em back. A lot of ‘em we don’t wanna bring back ‘cause we don’t trust the country that they’re not sent back again.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Despite how strong the borders are, they’ll figure a way to try and get in. And we don’t wanna — and we’ll — we’ll incarcerate ‘em. But 11,888 murderers.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
We are after those people. We’re after the drug dealers.
TOM LLAMAS:
Right.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
We’re after the — we are af — by the way, a big problem. They ent — they allowed to come into our country people from their mental institutions, people from insane asylums —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— that are mentally ill and very dangerous. We’re getting them out.
TOM LLAMAS:
Right. Joe — Joe Rogan was one of your biggest endorsers in 2024. He said he understand the Trump’s — the president’s sort of plan to deport people here who are here illegally. But he also understands why critics compare ICE officers to the gestapo asking people for their papers. What— what’s your response to him?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Well — look, first of all, he’s a great guy who had a tremendous success before the election. I think it was his biggest interview ever, and — over 300 million people. It was very good. She — she didn’t wanna do it, you know?
TOM LLAMAS:
Right.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
She decided not to do it because she’s not capable. But I spoke to him three days ago. We had a great conversation. And all I’m doing. I have to keep —
TOM LLAMAS:
Did he mention this to you?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— the country safe—
TOM LLAMAS:
Did you guys talk about this, the — the ICE enforcement —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
A little bit. Just had a good conversation. I think he’s a great guy, and I think he likes me too.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
And, you know, liking me isn’t important. What happens is that — I think we do a phenomenal job, but I don’t think we’re good at public relations.
TOM LLAMAS:
What — what does that mean? You’ve said that a couple times now. What — what do you mean by that?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
We don’t sell the great job that we’re doing. Look, we have the safest country —
TOM LLAMAS:
Is that your staff? Are those your staffers?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Excuse me. People from your persuasion, somewhat left, do a job. A job on numbers. It just came out that in 125 years we have the safest country. The best crime numbers in —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— since the year 1900.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah. That’s a stat, yeah. We know it’s true —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
That was way before my father was born.
TOM LLAMAS:
Right.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Think of that. And yet — then you talk about crime, or you talk about this, or you talk about that. And the poll numbers aren’t that good. People — we don’t do a good public relations job.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
That’s why I’m doing the interview with you today.
TOM LLAMAS:
We appreciate it —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I’m trying to help my people.
TOM LLAMAS:
Um —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
You know, PR, public relations.
TOM LLAMAS:
Speaking of your people, you — you’re never afraid to shake up your team. You — you’ve said that you’re — you’re okay with shaking up your team. Do you still believe in Kristi Noem —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I do.
TOM LLAMAS:
— to deliver on your vision of immigration?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Look, look she was in charge of the border. The border’s closed. I mean, everybody gives me A+ on the border. The border was a disaster. People were pouring into our country.
TOM LLAMAS:
But what about the enforcement —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
They don’t even try and come up now. You know the beautiful thing? The caravans. I think I came up with that name. Thousands of people, 25, 30,000 people in a group. You know who sent ‘em? Their countries. They sent the people that they didn’t want. Not only criminals, people that didn’t wanna work hard, et cetera. They know who it is. They sent ‘em into our country. We have nobody coming in anymore. We have very good — you just — you just asked me a — Kristi. We have the best crime numbers that we’ve had in 125 years. I think she’s doing a very good job. Again, public relations. She’s not getting credit for the job that she does.
TOM LLAMAS:
Let’s move to the economy now.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
And excuse me —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
What is sad though. And — and it is — we had the two incidents, the two primary incidents —
TOM LLAMAS:
Right.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— in — Minnesota. So —
TOM LLAMAS:
And you shook up leadership there. You brought Tom Homan in.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Yeah, I did. And — and Tom is great. Tom is a superstar — but — you do thousands of arrests. You arrest thousands of rapists. You arrest thousands of the worst people. You arrest the drug dealers. I mean, we had drug kingpins. We had murderers. Thousands, no incident. We bring ‘em back to their country. Two people it’s bad. I hate it. I hate —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— even talking about it. Two people out of tens of thousands, okay?
TOM LLAMAS:
Mm hmm.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
And you get bad publicity. Nobody talks about all of the murderers that we’re taking out of our country. They don’t talk about —
TOM LLAMAS:
But it was two Americans who died, you know —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
They don’t talk about we have the smallest drugs — as an example, we’ve been very tough on the waters. And soon, you know, pretty much overall —
TOM LLAMAS:
The w— the — the waters?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
But if you look at— if you look at the waters where we knock out boats —
TOM LLAMAS:
Oh.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— each boat that we knock out we save 25,000 American lives. We’re doing a job like nobody’s ever seen before. I just got off the phone with President Xi and he is amazed at how well the United States —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— is doing.
TOM LLAMAS:
What—
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
He says — he said he’s never seen anything like it.
TOM LLAMAS:
You — you brought the conversation, Mr. President, so let me ask you. What — what did you talk about with the leader of China —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Well, we had a lot of topics. We talked about so much —
TOM LLAMAS:
What’s the most important topic? Is it — is it chips? Is it the wars — in Ukraine? What — what is going on —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I mean, I would say the economy, the relationship that we have with China. I’m gonna be going there in April then he’s coming here toward the end of the year.
TOM LLAMAS:
Coming to the White House?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
He’s coming to the White House, yeah — toward the end of the year. We have a very good relationship. And, you know, it’s important that I have a good relationship and for him, that he has a good relationship with me. We have to have a good — these are the two most powerful countries in the world and we have a very good relationship.
TOM LLAMAS:
You talk about tariffs —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
We spoke for an hour —
TOM LLAMAS:
Does — does — does he ask you about the tariffs? Does he say this is hurting us?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Well, they’re paying a lot of tariffs, as you know. China’s paying a lot of tariffs. In the past they didn’t. I’m the one that put tariffs on China. I put tariffs on a lotta — tariffs are, just so you understand, making our country rich. Our country has taken in hundreds of billions of dollars in tariffs, really trillions. Because —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— the — the threat of tariffs is getting all of these countries to lose to us.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
And by the way, they’ve been doing it to us for 40 years. And now — but I’m doing it very judicially, very fairly. But tariffs are bringing in tremendous amounts of money. I just gave $12 billion to our farmers because they were mistreated by certain countries.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Tariff money. We’re taking in hundreds of billions of dollars —
TOM LLAMAS:
No, and I wanna ask you about that. I wanna — I wanna get into that. Talking about the economy, you’ve brought a lot of prices down, as we said. Some are still stubborn.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Very few.
TOM LLAMAS:
But — but when — yeah, very few. I get it —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Tom, very few —
TOM LLAMAS:
I get— yeah, when you — when you talk to Americans, though, do you have to get them to understand that —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I do.
TOM LLAMAS:
— the prices are not gonna come back down to your first term because we had a pandemic and we had record inflation?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Yeah
TOM LLAMAS:
Are people’s expectations too high or is it just too expensive to live in America —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I — I just, again, don’t think we’re selling it properly. We’ve done a great job. Look —
TOM LLAMAS:
But — but it’s expensive out there.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
You saw gasoline this last week —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— at $1.99 a gallon. It used to be it was four and a half, $5 a gallon. $1.99 a gallon of gasoline. Um, I think we’ve really bring — I mean, we’re — I don’t expect them to be much higher. Now, —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— there’s a natural inflation.
TOM LLAMAS:
But they’re never gonna go down —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Remember this —
TOM LLAMAS:
— to that first term —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Tom. I inherited the worst inflation in the history of our country. It was through the roof. Now, you will say it wasn’t in history —
TOM LLAMAS:
Right.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— it was 48 years. You know there’s a theory. There was — I say it was the worst. But whether it’s 48 years —
TOM LLAMAS:
Right.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— or what, I inherited the worst inflation in the history of our country. And now we have almost no inflation. Think of it.
TOM LLAMAS:
Right.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
You know what it was for the last three months? 1.2%. You know what it was under Biden? You can’t count that high.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I inherited the worst inflation. I inherited the worst crime. I inherited high prices. So when I inherit —
TOM LLAMAS:
Inflation is down. 2.7 right now —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— all of those things —
TOM LLAMAS:
But it is down —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
No, no, no.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
For the last thr — don’t forget —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I inherited this mess.
TOM LLAMAS:
Right right.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
For the last three months it’s at 1.2%. You know that.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah. But the last — okay.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Last three months.
TOM LLAMAS:
You — you floated the idea of $2,000 rebate checks for Americans from tariff revenue. Who’s gonna get that and — and when is that gonna happen?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
We’d make it — I — I’m gonna — I’m looking at it very seriously. I’m the only one can do it because I’m takin’ in hundreds of billions of dollars of money from tariffs —
TOM LLAMAS:
But you can promise some Americans will get those checks?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Oh yeah, sure. I can — I can do that. I haven’t made the commitment yet, but I may make the commitment.
TOM LLAMAS:
So it’s not — it’s not a done deal —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Well, I just gave 1776, right —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— to the military, right? 17 hundred —
TOM LLAMAS:
Right.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: — and 76 dollars.
TOM LLAMAS:
But you said all Americans —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
You know, it was 1775. They presented it to me because that’s what we have in a budget that I created ‘cause I wanted to take care of our military. Nobody takes care of the military like I do.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
So $1,775. I said, “Wait a minute. If you add one dollar it’s $1,776.” You know that’s quite a famous date, right —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah, of course. Of course. Um —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Wait. So I gave 1776 to our military, and they are very thankful.
TOM LLAMAS:
Let’s get to the Fed.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
And now I may be doing that —
TOM LLAMAS: Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— with regard to the entire population.
TOM LLAMAS:
Okay. Let’s get to the Fed. Is there any doubt in your mind that interest rates are gonna be lowered?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Not much.
TOM LLAMAS:
Why? How can you say that?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I just think they’re going to be lowered. I mean they should be lower.
TOM LLAMAS:
Is your new Fed pick on board with that?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
We’re way high, okay? We’re way high in interest. We have now with me and with all the money I’m — I — I’ve always been good at money. And with all the money coming into our country we’re a rich country again. We have debt, but we also have growth. And the growth will soon make the debt look very small. Because there’s — the greatest way — you have two ways. You can cut, cut, cut, and we do that anyway, and we did that. You know, we got rid of hundreds of thousands of federal workers.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
And those workers went out and got themselves jobs in the free enterprise system. And you know what? That’s called making America great again. We had 10 workers in the federal government for every single job. When the Democrats go in, they hire. I could right now give you the best employment numbers in history. You know what I do? Go out and hire 2 million people, put ‘em in the federal government.
TOM LLAMAS:
D — does your new Fed —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I do the opposite.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah, does your new Fed pick understand that you want him to lower interest rates?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Oh, I think he does. But I think he wants to anyway. I mean, if he came in and said, “I wanna raise ‘em”— we should have —
TOM LLAMAS:
If he said that he wouldn’t have gotten the job?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
He would not have gotten the job, no.
TOM LLAMAS:
Okay.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
No.
TOM LLAMAS:
Do you believe —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
If I thought he was a interest rate — now, there’ll be times if I see inflation on the horizon. But we don’t have that. We have low inf — remember, —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— 1.2% inflation in the last three months.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
We have low inflation and we have tremendous growth. You haven’t had these numbers like this.
TOM LLAMAS:
Right.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
We have — think of it, low inflation, great growth. We —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Now all I have to do is one thing, easy. Get down the interest rates.
TOM LLAMAS:
Do you think the Fed chair answers to you or is an independent body?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Well — I mean, in theory it’s an independent body. But I think, you know, I’m a smart guy. I know the economy better than almost everybody. You know, they did —
TOM LLAMAS:
So he answers to you?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— they did that prediction chart a year ago, and they had 71 great economists and me making the predictions. And, you know, only two people were right, me and one other guy who is a very smart professor from a certain school that I went to.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
A very good school.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
And— the two of us were right. Everybody else was wrong.
TOM LLAMAS:
There’s been bipartisan suggestions that the criminal investigation to the current Fed chair, Jerome Powell, is payback, right, for not lowering interest rates but also for when he was in that sort of news conference with you with the hard hats and he was shaking his head and showing you the papers and disagreeing with you in public. Is that why he’s under criminal investigation —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
He was — no, he was very respectful to me. He wasn’t dis — he was explaining to me.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I’m asking him, “Why are you spending almost $4 billion on a very small little complex of buildings?” It’s the highest price per square foot. They’re — he’s renovating buildings for $3-4 billion. And, you know, this Fed chair that I have is — I think he’s gonna be great. He might not have a home because this guy has spent so much money. And I looked. It’s a see-through. There’s nothing inside. They haven’t done — they are spending money. He’s in charge of the project.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
He’s the — this is the Federal Reserve building. I’m talking —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— about. It’s a very small little — it’s actually a couple of little —
TOM LLAMAS: Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— b — they’re spending more money than any building ever built in history per square foot.
TOM LLAMAS:
Some Republican senators say they’re not gonna approve him unless —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Oh, I know—
TOM LLAMAS:
— you drop that investigation.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
A lot of people say a lotta things.
TOM LLAMAS:
You don’t think that’s true? You think —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I don’t know.
TOM LLAMAS:
Would — is it worth it to drop the investigation to get your Fed chair through?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I think— the investigation is the investigation. It’s being — handled by — Pam and Jeanine and the people, they’ll make their own decision on it.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah. Let’s talk about AI. Have you ever used —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
But I do say this —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yes.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— about —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— you can’t let a man spend billions of dollars doing a b — I woulda done that job for $25 million and it would’ve been done much better.
TOM LLAMAS:
Alright.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
They’re spending billions of dollars on a renovation of —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— a little complex.
TOM LLAMAS:
Let’s talk about AI. Have you ever used ChatGPT —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Uh —
TOM LLAMAS:
— or Claude?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I haven’t really, but I know all about it. Let — let me just talk about AI.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
AI’s a big deal. AI is going to be maybe the biggest thing, bigger than the internet, bigger than anything else. We are leading China by a lot. We are leading everybody —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— by a lot. They’re all building their factories here. And you know what I did for the electric? Because they need twice the electric as we currently produce for the whole country which is crazy. Nobody can do that. But so what I did is I came up with a concept. Each building that is built is gonna generate their own electricity. They’re gonna build their own electric plant. We are building — numbers of AI. And by the way, also auto plants. Everything.
TOM LLAMAS:
Right.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
We’re building everything. But do you know —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I just left Michigan. I was with Ford. They were gonna close this building that was built in the early 1900s, one of the biggest factories. They were gonna close it.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
It was scheduled to close prior to my election.
TOM LLAMAS:
Right.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
After I won the election they said, “Let’s try keeping it open.” They just went to three shifts.
TOM LLAMAS:
Right.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
It’s 24 hours a day, and the head of Ford, Mr. Ford —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— said, “It’s the most incredible auto comeback I’ve ever seen.”
TOM LLAMAS:
Mr. President, let me ask you. You — there’s no doubt you are the president who’s ushering in the AI revolution. But this is happening on your watch. If AI affects humanity in a negative way is that on you? Because some of these CEOs of AI companies say, “We need guardrails.” This could get outta control. Does that worry you?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Uh — everything’s on me as president. Everything’s on me. I can say this. It’ll be the greatest jobs producer. It’ll be the greatest military producer. It’ll be the greatest medical producer. There’ll be tremendous good. And there’ll be probably some bad too.
TOM LLAMAS:
Well, it’s killing a lot of jobs. And what do you say to Americans —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
No no, it’s not killing —
TOM LLAMAS:
— who are gonna lose their jobs to AI —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
It— it’s going to make — it’s going to create a lot of jobs.
TOM LLAMAS:
Right now it’s taking jobs in a lot of ways. It’s —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Well, right now —
TOM LLAMAS:
— taking jobs — companies like Amazon. What would you say to those Americans —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
But it hasn’t — But it hasn’t really started. You know, these major plants haven’t even been built. What you’re gonna see —
TOM LLAMAS:
No, no, but Mr. President, it start — AI has already started to take jobs because the technology’s there—
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Okay, you ready? So —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— we have, it was just announced, more jobs right now occupied in the United States of America that at any time during its existence, 250 years — uh, there are more people working today than at any time in the history of our country. Pretty good stat.
TOM LLAMAS:
Um, you — you are —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
That kills that question.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah, we’ll look it up — you are, you are —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
That’s how good it is, that kills that question —
TOM LLAMAS:
Mr. President, there’s widespread concern that AI is gonna wipe out a lotta jobs, manufacturing jobs.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Look, look, they said the internet was gonna do — everything was gonna do. Robots are gonna kill jobs. Everything’s —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— gonna kill jobs. And you end up, if you’re smart, doing great.
TOM LLAMAS:
Okay. You are close with the Ellisons who are trying to stop a merger between Warner Bros., Discovery, and Netflix. This deal could change the make-up of the media as we know it. Are you personally gonna get involved in that deal?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I haven’t been involved. I must say, I guess I’m considered to be a very strong president. I’ve been called by both sides, it’s the two sides, but I’ve decided I shouldn’t be involved. The Justice Department will handle it.
TOM LLAMAS:
Okay. In what way? Just looking at it to see if it’s regu —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Well, they make a decision. I mean, there’s a theory that one of the companies is too big and it shouldn’t be allowed to do it, and the other company is saying something else about — you know, they’re not gonna —
TOM LLAMAS:
But you’re not gonna interfere even though you’re —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
They’re beating —
TOM LLAMAS:
— close with the Ellisons —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— the hell out of each other and there’ll be a winner.
TOM LLAMAS:
Okay, let’s talk about the midterms. You’ve recently suggested nationalizing elections. What what do you mean by that?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
When — and I didn’t say national — I said there are some areas in our country that are extremely corrupt. They have very corrupt elections. Take a look at Detroit. Take a look at Philadelphia. Take a look at Atlanta. There are some areas that are unbelievably corrupt. I could give you plenty —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— more too. I say that we cannot have corrupt elections. If we have to, if they don’t straighten it out— as an example, voter ID. Why don’t the Democrats want voter ID? You know who does want voter ID? Democrat voters want it but Democrat politicians don’t. Why don’t they want it? Because they want to cheat on elections. Can you imagine, if— if I were a politician and they asked me, “Do you want voter identification,” and I said, “No,” there’s no way you could win that debate.
TOM LLAMAS:
But even — yeah, yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
The Democrats don’t want voter ID. If they don’t want voter ID that means they want to cheat. We can’t allow cheating on elections. Now, if we need to put in federal controls as opposed to state controls —
TOM LLAMAS:
Mm hmm.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— remember this, they’re really an agent. They’re really —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— accumulating the votes for who wins an election. If they can’t do it honestly and it can’t be done properly and timely, then something else has to happen.
TOM LLAMAS:
Will you trust the results of the midterms if Republicans lose control of Congress?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Of — I will if the elections are honest. Look, I — I want — the last one that wants to complain. I just w — I just had a great election. They say one of the greatest elections, you will agree, ever. Won all seven swing states. Won 84% of the counties in America, that’s why —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— the map is all red. We just had a great election. I believe there was cheating. I think — I think there was cheating —
TOM LLAMAS:
Well, speaking of counties, what are you doing in Fulton County —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— but, it was too big to rig.
TOM LLAMAS:
Speaking o — of counties, what — what is happening in Fulton County —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I’m not doing anything but the FBI went in because it’s been under — under — I guess review for years, the cheating that took place in Fulton County —
TOM LLAMAS:
What are they looking for ‘cause —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— and in that particular state —
TOM LLAMAS:
— nobody knows what’s in the warrant. What are they looking for —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
They’ll find out. Look, w — why would anybody be upset that they went in and they — they got the ballots I guess, right?
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Again, they did this. That’s been under review and under investigation for four years. And now — they got a court order. You know they got a court order —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— signed by —
TOM LLAMAS:
But nobody knows what —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— a respected —
TOM LLAMAS:
— the evidence they’re looking for. Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— but liberal judge signed a court order allowing them to go and pick them up. Well, you’re gonna know what the ballots say because they’re right now inspecting the ballot. I’m not involved in it but they are inspecting and checking the ballots —
TOM LLAMAS:
Why is Tulsi Gabbard there?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I don’t know but, you know — a lot of the cheating comes from — it’s — it’s international cheating. You have people, they say, from China —
TOM LLAMAS:
You — so you put —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— trying to —
TOM LLAMAS:
— this on Truth Social —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Let me ask you, do you think tr — do you think China tries to influence our elections?
TOM LLAMAS:
We — we know that foreign governments try to influence a lot of things in this country —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
OK. Well, therefore, she’s — she’s foreign governments.
TOM LLAMAS:
But you — you’ve —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— she’s —
TOM LLAMAS:
— tweeted out some — some theories about Italians and satellites. I mean, do you believe that stuff?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
No, no. No. No. I — no, I didn’t ch — I sometimes will retweet —
TOM LLAMAS:
Re-truth, yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I’ll re-truth —
TOM LLAMAS:
Re-truth? Okay.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
But — but let me ask you this — if China or any of these countries are involved in our elections, that would bring her into it. And everybody knows that Russia, they talked about Russia, turned out to be a hoax. It was — Hunter Biden. It wasn’t Russia. Look, we have to have honest elections.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
There should be nothing wrong with the fact that they went in, got ballots from a while ago, and they’re gonna look at ‘em. And now they’re gonna find out the true winner —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— of that state.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
And you know what? If there was cheating, which there was, but if there was cheating, it should be found because we can’t let it happen again.
TOM LLAMAS:
Mr. President, I have a few more important questions for you. That’s okay with you. Yeah?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Sure.
TOM LLAMAS:
Okay.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I mean, they’ve all been important.
TOM LLAMAS:
(LAUGH) Let’s go to — there — there’s a new lawsuit by you and your family that you’re — you’re suing the IRS for $10.5 billion for leaking your tax documents.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Yeah.
TOM LLAMAS:
Is this a good use of taxpayer money?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
You can’t leak documents. And any money that I win, I’ll give it to charity, 100% to charities, charities that will be approved by government or whatever. I have another lawsuit with the United States. I sued because they broke into Mar-a-Lago.
TOM LLAMAS:
But that’s taxpayer money. It’s gonna —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
No, no.
TOM LLAMAS:
— get taken outta —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
No.
TOM LLAMAS:
— the system. I know it’s goin’ to charity —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
No, no.
TOM LLAMAS:
— you’re gonna say.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
If — and I’ve won that case. I mean, I virtually — they broke — the FBI illegally, Biden and his group. It wasn’t Biden.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
He didn’t know what he was doing. It was a group of very smart radical left people.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
They’re very smart. They just — they’ve lost their way.
TOM LLAMAS:
Right.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
And they broke into Mar-a-Lago. They broke into my home. They went through —
TOM LLAMAS:
Well, they had warrants. They didn’t break in.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— my wife’s —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— drawers.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: They went through — you know, it’s a double meaning. They went through Barron’s, my son’s —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— everything. They went through the whole house. Hundreds of people, they — they w — they went in with guns. They went in — guns —
TOM LLAMAS:
H — how would this work —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— woulda been a-blazing —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah. S — how would this work —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Wait, wait, wait, wait.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I brought a lawsuit. Essentially, the lawsuit’s been won. I guess I won a lotta money.
TOM LLAMAS:
H — h — how would this work —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
No, but listen.
TOM LLAMAS:
— though? Scott Bessent’s the head of the IRS.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I know. What I will do —
TOM LLAMAS:
Pam Bondi’s the head of the d — Justice Department. They’re gonna defend the IRS against you.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I know, that’s intere —
TOM LLAMAS:
You’re their boss.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Well, there’s never been anything like it. In all fairness
TOM LLAMAS:
But — so are you gonna —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
No, d — don’t forget —
TOM LLAMAS:
— are you gonna tell ‘em to pay you —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— don’t forget, I sued as a private citizen, because I sued between terms.
TOM LLAMAS:
But are you gonna tell ‘em to —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I won three times.
TOM LLAMAS:
— pay you?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I won three times, but I didn’t assume — unfortunately for this country, I didn’t assume office the second time. But here’s the story, I sued because they broke into Mar-a-Lago. That was before I became president. Now it goes along and it turned out that the suit is a very strong suit.
TOM LLAMAS:
You’re gonna tell ‘em to pay you though?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I —
TOM LLAMAS:
‘Cause, you’re the boss.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Well, I w — what I would do, tell ‘em to pay me, but I’ll give 100% of the money to charity. I don’t want any of that money.
TOM LLAMAS:
You take it out of the system. Um, a couple more questions here —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
No, no, I’m putting it back into the system.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
If I give money to American Cancer Society, I w — I will give 100% of the money away to ch — I don’t want any of it.
TOM LLAMAS:
$30 trillion debt and we’re gonna take 10 billion out of the system?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Well, I mean, you give it away anyway. They give away a lotta money.
TOM LLAMAS:
Your endorsements —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I’ll tell you what.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Speaking about that, Minnesota and these other states, we have massive investigations going into fraud.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Do you know, if we captured 50% of the fraud of this country —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— right now, we would have better than a balanced budget. And you gotta mention that.
TOM LLAMAS:
OK.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Minnesota —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— $19 billion in fraud that we know about.
TOM LLAMAS:
Your endorsement is the most important thing in the Republican primary, will you —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
No, no, in any primary.
TOM LLAMAS:
Will you endorse in the 2028 presidential primary?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I — I hadn’t even thought of it. But probably, yeah. I mean — I’d be inclined to. I — I have great people. We have a great bench. We have a lotta people. But — yeah, I think so.
TOM LLAMAS:
You’ve suggested that JD Vance, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio would be a tough ticket to beat. Who should be at the top of that ticket?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Well, I don’t wanna get into this. We have three years to go. I don’t wanna, you know, I have two people that are doing a great job. I don’t wanna have an argument with or a f — I— I don’t wanna use the word fight, it wouldn’t be a fight. But look, JD is fantastic and Marco is fantastic.
TOM LLAMAS:
How are they different —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
They’re both doing a great job —
TOM LLAMAS:
— how are they different?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— and I do think this. It’s a great question. I think that’s your most interesting question.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Um, I would say one is slightly more diplomatic than the other. I think they’re both of very high intelligence. I mean, you — they — they will do shows. They will do Joe Rogan, as opposed to the opponent not doing it because they couldn’t handle it. They will be able to do whatever they have to do. Um, I think there’s— a difference in style. You know, you can see the style yourself. But they’re both very capable. I do think this, the combination of JD and Marco would be very hard to be beaten, I think. But you never know in politics, right? They say in the age of Trump you never know.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah. On January 21, 2029, do you see any scenario where you are still president?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I — I don’t know. It would be interesting. But wouldn’t it be terrible if I agreed with, you know, if I gave you the answer that you’re looking for? It would make life so much less exciting, right? It would be so much less exciting. But I only do this for one reason: make America great again. And that’s what we’re doing. We’re making America great again, greater than ever before. Our country is greater than ever before. We’re a rich nation. We’re taking in hundreds of billions of dollars in tariffs from nations that took advantage of us. They thought we were stupid. They thought we were fools. They laughed at us. You know, people were laughing at us one and a half years ago. They laughed at this country. They’re not laughing anymore, they respect us. And I get along with them. They respect us.
TOM LLAMAS:
Mr. President, I have pages and pages of questions, but they’re telling me my time is up. I thank you for your time.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
We’ll do it again. Thank you.
TOM LLAMAS:
Mr. President, thank you.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Yeah.
(break to change locations in Oval Office)
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
So this room had almost no pictures up.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
And these pictures all came from the vaults.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
And — they’re magnificent. I mean, I think they’re magnificent. And all, you know, first-run, top-of-the-line stuff.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
But mostly of presidents. We have a couple with — Ben Franklin, but I think he qualifies, right?
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Ben Franklin’s pretty good.
TOM LLAMAS:
Is there any one you ever kind of hone in on when you’re thinking deeply about anything, about any issues, or one you look at?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Maybe all of ‘em. They’re so different. George Washington, and you have — Jefferson, and I took Ronald Reagan —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— in the place of honor also.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Did a great job. But — Honest Abe Lincoln.
TOM LLAMAS:
Who do you have up here? I mean, these are big ones here —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
That’s — Ulysses S. Grant, George Washington —
TOM LLAMAS:
George Washington.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Here we have the famous — come on over here.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Here we have Declaration of Independence. That’s one of the three. This was in the vaults for many years —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— and I said, “It’s time to take it out of the vaults.”
TOM LLAMAS:
Do you think at— at one point people will talk about you when they talk about presidents like Washington and Lincoln? Is that something you think is gonna happen —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
All I know is this, it’s such an honor but — (LAUGH) all I know walking down and everyone’s screaming, “GOAT, GOAT.” I said, “What are they talking about?” I hope they’re right, not for me, but for the country. Because if I do —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— a great job that means the country’s doing well.
TOM LLAMAS:
You’re building the new ballroom. We hear about this new arch you’re building, the Garden of Heroes as well. You’re — you’re building a lotta things that are gonna cement your legacy. Are you also doing this so the country never forgets you?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
No. I think we need glamour brought back to our country. We need — prestige. We need beauty brought — I mean, in addition to everything else we need strength, we need all of those things. Like, I’m doing an arc, a triumphal — they call it a triumphal arc. Fifty-seven cities have arcs.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
We’re the only major, important city, Washington, D.C., should have maybe the first arc.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
We’re doing one that will be more magnificent and larger than the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. I would say the Paris — Paris arc is probably the most —
TOM LLAMAS:
Stunning.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
It’s incredible. We’re gonna do one that’s gonna top it.
TOM LLAMAS:
Is it true it’s gonna be 250 feet to mark —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
It’ll be about that —
TOM LLAMAS:
— the anniversary?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— yeah. It’ll be a little bit taller than the one in Paris. It’ll be l — a little bit larger than the one in Paris.
TOM LLAMAS:
You’re doing a lot of things for the — the 250 anniversary.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Yeah.
TOM LLAMAS:
What do you want Americans to feel this July 4th?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Strength, victory, security, you have a secure country. We’ve done so much militarily. We have a great military. I mean, you saw Venezuela, that was — the — the people — the general that was in charge — he lived. He said he’s never seen anything like it when we came. They were all ready.
TOM LLAMAS:
You talked about the weapon, the discombobulator. What — what — what is that —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Yeah, the discombobulator. Well, I’m not allowed to talk about it. But let —
TOM LLAMAS:
But what — what does it do —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— let me just tell you — you know what it does? None of their equipment works. That’s what it does. Everything was dis —
TOM LLAMAS:
What — how does it —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
It was my name, I’m very proud of the name. Everything was discombobulated. It was — you know, practically a shot wasn’t f — you know, they were ready.
TOM LLAMAS:
Right.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
And when we came —
TOM LLAMAS:
I mean, what —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— they couldn’t do any of that —
TOM LLAMAS:
— you saw this in the video, you could tell.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Tom, it discombobulated everything.
TOM LLAMAS:
Nothing worked, even — including humans.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Well, let’s put it this way —
TOM LLAMAS:
It knocks the humans out.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— we lost no equipment in a very strong — and they’re good fighters —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— great fighters — in a very — bad environment. It was a military base.
TOM LLAMAS:
Mm hmm.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
The biggest in South America. In a very — because the house was in a base in South Am — in a very, very tough environment we lost no men and we lost no equipment.
TOM LLAMAS:
The discombobulator just knocked everything —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Well, it did something.
TOM LLAMAS:
It did something. Did Delcy Rodriguez work with you guys before that raid?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I can’t — I can’t talk about that. I mean, I don’t talk about —
TOM LLAMAS:
Do you trust her?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Well, so far she’s done a great job. I mean, so far she and all of the people that are working with her — remember in Iraq they got rid of everybody, they had no generals, they had no people, they had nobody to run the government? Turned out to be a mess. And that’s where ISIS came from. You know, that’s where ISIS came from, it came from the military and all the people. They formed ISIS. It was handled very badly. But this is handled very well.
TOM LLAMAS:
Do you think the Cuban government will still be there, the — the current leadership will still be there by the end of your term —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Well, the Cuban— now you’re asking a different question. Cuba’s in big trouble. Humanitarian aid is gonna have to be sent there. They’re in big trouble —
TOM LLAMAS:
It’s a disaster.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
They got their money from Venezuela, they got their oil from Venezuela, they turned the oil into money, et cetera, et cetera. And there’s none of that happening anymore. They’re in big trouble. We are —
TOM LLAMAS:
Do you think that government is still there, though?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
We — well —
TOM LLAMAS:
Do you think that government lasts?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Uh — I don’t wanna say that. But we are talking to Cuba.
TOM LLAMAS:
You’re talking to Cuba?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
You know what? Look, we have tens of thousands of people that were forced out there here. They voted for me, 94% — Cuban population, previous Cuban population, now they’re Cuban Americans. Maybe they go back, maybe they wanna go back, they h — they’re gonna have that choice. But for years they’ve been talking about this happening. Now it’s happening. We are talking to Cuba. We wanna open it up to those people that wanna visit. Even — you know, I think most people, when they’re here, they wanna stay here. I hope that’s true. I hope we’re not gonna lose ‘em. But they’re gonna have options. And they’re gonna be able to go back, Tom, and see their loved ones, see their family, their friends.
TOM LLAMAS:
Should the Supreme Leader in Iran be worried right now?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I would say he should be very worried, yeah. He should be. As you know, they’re negotiating with us.
TOM LLAMAS:
I know they are, but the protesters have said, you know, w — where are the Americans? You promised them we — we would have their back. Do we still have their back —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Well, we’ve had their back. And — look, that country’s a mess right now because of us. We went in, we wiped out their nuclear — if I didn’t take out —
TOM LLAMAS:
So the question, if we want them out —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
We want peace in the Middle East
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah yeah yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
If I didn’t take out their nuclear, think of it, if we didn’t take out that nuclear, we wouldn’t have peace in the Middle East, because the Arab countries could’ve never done that. They were very, very afraid of Iran.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah yeah yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
They’re not afraid of Iran anymore. We wiped out, those beautiful B-2 bombers, one’s right over there, those — beautiful little model, those beautiful B-2 bombers —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— went in and they hit their target, every single bomb, and obliterated it. And because of that, they were gonna have a nuclear r — weapon within one month.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Within one month they were gonna have a nuclear weapon.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
That was a big threat. They — they’re not gonna have it anymore. Now —
TOM LLAMAS:
But — but if we obliterated it —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— Iran is tough.
TOM LLAMAS:
— wait, if we obliterated it —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Iran is —
TOM LLAMAS:
— what’s the deal about? I mean, if there’s no more — are they — are they trying to restart the nuclear program —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Well, I heard that they are. And if they do, and I let ‘em know, if they do we’re gonna send ‘em right back and do their job again.
TOM LLAMAS:
So your understanding is they tried to restart it and that’s why you’re threatening force.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
They tried to go back to the site. They weren’t even able to get near it, there was total obliteration. But — they were thinking about starting a new site in a different part of the country. We found out about it. I said, “You do that, we’re gonna do —
TOM LLAMAS:
Game over.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— very bad things to you”—
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah. Mr. President, the ballroom over here, I want you to show it to me —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Yeah.
TOM LLAMAS:
— because the thing you said that stood out to me, it’s gonna be massive. But — is it — it’s got a drone-proof ceiling and it’s got bulletproof windows? What does that mean —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
It’s got bulletproof windows, because, well, we’re in a different time. You know, if somebody’s up making a speech, we’re gonna have the inauguration there. We’re gonna probably have —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I would say definitely it’s gonna be — large enough. But — we have drone-proof ceilings.
TOM LLAMAS:
What, what does mean? What is that —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
That means if a drone hits the ceiling it bounces off. It doesn’t blow up the building.
TOM LLAMAS:
It’s a fortress essentially —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
It’s protection.
TOM LLAMAS:
It’s gonna be a fortress.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Well, it’s gonna be very heavy steel.
TOM LLAMAS:
Okay.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Very simple. It’s heavy steel.
TOM LLAMAS:
Because of that, do you —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
And, by the way —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— the ballroom is so bea — it’ll be the most beautiful ballroom of its kind —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— and it’s very much in keeping with the White House.
TOM LLAMAS:
You survived that assassination attempt that we all covered. It was terrible. Two of them.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Yeah.
TOM LLAMAS:
Do you worry about your safety? I mean —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Yes.
TOM LLAMAS:
— you think about the ball — you do?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I worry about it but — but you have to put it out of your mind otherwise you wouldn’t be able to do your job.
TOM LLAMAS:
You didn’t think about it as much before, now you talk about it a lot?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Maybe, could be. I mean, you look, statistically I’m in a very dangerous job.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I mean, if you take a look at the walls, if you take a look, you know, statistically this is a much more dangerous job than being a race car driver or riding those broncos —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— you know, those bulls are tough, right? But— I wouldn’t want to do that. But statistically being president is the most dangerous job there is.
TOM LLAMAS:
We first met 10 years ago when you were running the first time. How do you feel now as you approach 80?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I feel great. I mean, physically and mentally I feel like I did 50 years ago. It’s crazy. Now, there’ll be a time when I won’t be able to give you that answer. But that time hasn’t come —
TOM LLAMAS:
If, if —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— you know? I — I do, I think it’s very important. I’ve done more physicals, I take physicals just to give the report out.
TOM LLAMAS: Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I take cognitive physicals. So —
TOM LLAMAS: Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— I do a cognitive mind test, okay? And a lot of people wouldn’t be able to do very well. Not easy. You know. You get to those last questions. I’ve aced — I’ve done three of ‘em. No other president has agreed to do them. I do ‘em because I have no problem with it because I’m 100%. Now, there will be a time —
TOM LLAMAS:
Still taking the aspirin? Still taking the aspirin —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I do, I take aspirin. And — I don’t want to change, you know? I don’t want to —
TOM LLAMAS:
So you go against your doctor’s orders? You do what —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I do —
TOM LLAMAS:
— you kind of feel?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
You know, I’ve been taking aspirin for 30 years and I don’t — I don’t want to change it. So, you know, they say take the smaller one. I say, well, th — I want that blood to be nice and thin running through my heart.
TOM LLAMAS:
If at any point your age impacts your job —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Yeah.
TOM LLAMAS:
— who’s gonna tell you that or you think you’ll know yourself —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I think I’ll know myself, yeah. I think I’ll know myself. I wouldn’t do an interview with you, as an example.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Did Biden do an interview before Super Bowl? I’m not sure. Maybe he did —
TOM LLAMAS:
Last one he —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— maybe he didn’t —
TOM LLAMAS:
— he didn’t.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I mean, he wasn’t capable of doing an interview. And that was things — look, you know, I know people that are 95 years old that are sharp as a tack. And Biden was a bad thing for old people. He’s the worst thing that ever happened to old people because he obviously didn’t have it. And one of the things that’s so depressing about the press is the press refused to report the obvious. And he did have very smart people around him but they had a radical left culture, and — they were very bad for this country. This country would not have survived two more years if one of them got elected.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah. We didn’t get a chance to speak about the DOJ. I appreciate all your time and of your staff’s time. They’ve been —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
We’ll do another one —
TOM LLAMAS:
— very, very kind.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Yeah
TOM LLAMAS:
Should anybody else expect the DOJ to kind of come after them like you’ve come over — after some of your political enemies —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Well — well, you — you remember this, Tom.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I was impeached twice. Two fake impeachments, won both of ‘em easily. Republicans stood by me 100%. But I won both of them.
TOM LLAMAS:
Mm hmm.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I was indicted 87 different times. And then you ask me that question.
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
So I think I’m extremely moderate, especially for what they did to me. They wanted to take me down. I had — I said to somebody, “Do me a favor. Add up the counts. If I lost — you know, I won. But if I lost these cases, add up the counts and tell me how long would I have to serve in prison.” You know what they came up with? Two hundred and eighty-seven years. I said, “I better win.”
TOM LLAMAS:
In your mind that calculation means it’s okay for the DOJ to go after your —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
No, it isn’t —
TOM LLAMAS:
— political enemies —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
No, it isn’t. And I — I could be involved. You know, I’m the chief law enforcement officer —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— of the United States. I could be involved but I’m not. I don’t choose to. But when they say to me, “Oh, you’re going after people,” I got indicted all of those times. It’s 287 years in jail they were willing to put — you know, they asked me a question yesterday at the press conference about Clinton because of the testimony —
TOM LLAMAS:
The Epstein —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— the Epstein thing, which turned out that I have nothing to do — and they did — about Epstein. And they said, “Do you think it’s terrible what” — you know, with the subpoenas and everything and they’re disobeying the subpoenas. And I actually said it’s a shame. You have an ex-president and you have, you know, the president’s wife and secretary of state. And I said it’s a shame. It is a shame —
TOM LLAMAS:
NBC News broke the story today, I don’t know if you saw it, that the Democrats are already saying if you bring President Bill Clinton and he has to testify, we’re bringing President Trump. What do you say to that—
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Well, I think they might say that, you know? But they’ve already brought me. See, I’ve been brought. They had me indicted— many, many times. Many, many times. They didn’t do that to Clinton —
TOM LLAMAS:
Do you think if the Democrats win in the midterms at least one house of Congress, they’re gonna try to impeach you?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Well, you know, I’ve done a great job as president. They say I’ve had the best first year of any president in history and I think I have. If you look, I settled eight wars. Biggest tax cuts ever. Right now we have more under construction with the factories, the car pla — you know, they’re all moving back into the country. They were stolen from us over a 40-year period. They’re all coming back from Germany, from Canada, from Mexico, from — Japan. I think I had the greatest first year that we’ve had —
TOM LLAMAS:
But you think they may come after you again?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Well, they’ll find something. Like, I did an interview with you and because I did the interview — let’s — impeach him or something.
TOM LLAMAS:
Anything out there that Americans are gonna be surprised about —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
They shouldn’t do —
TOM LLAMAS:
— that you’re — yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I’ll tell you — they shouldn’t do it. And that’s one of the things — I didn’t do it for that reason but it bothers me that somebody’s going after Bill Clinton. See, I liked Bill Clinton. I still like Bill Clinton —
TOM LLAMAS:
What do you like about him?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
I liked — well, I liked his behavior toward me. I thought he got me, he understood me. You know, he was the one that said very famously that you don’t want to run against Trump when there were 18 people. It was 18 people —
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
— including me, total. And he kept telling them, “You don’t want to run against Trump. Run against anyone. Don’t run against Trump.” And Hillary sort of laughed at him. He said, “Hillary, you know it and I know it. Don’t run against Trump.”
TOM LLAMAS:
Yeah.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
And — they ran against Trump. It didn’t work out too well, did it? Thank you very much.
TOM LLAMAS:
Thank you, Mr. President —
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Thank you —
TOM LLAMAS:
We thank you for your time, thank you.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Thank you—
TOM LLAMAS:
Appreciate it.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP:
Have a good time.