CNN
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President Donald Trump took part in a wide range of interviews with April 22nd time, touching on tariffs, peace efforts between Ukraine and Russia, and Iran’s nuclear deal, and hoped Canada would become a US province.
The sit-in said Trump didn’t want to sign a ban on members of Congress’ trading stock, use a “loophole” to run into a third term, and not asking El Salvador to return immigrants who were not mistakenly deported. He rejected the idea that he was expanding the power of the presidency, saying he was “intended to be used” in the second term.
“What I’m doing is exactly what I’ve campaigned,” he said.
The president also stroves several familiar themes, including the fact that there was “fraud” in the 2020 and 2024 elections and that tariffs are good for the country.
There are nine moments that stick out from the transcript of a Trump interview on Time.
In an interview, Trump said he had “200 deals” with businesses and the country after suspending new tariffs on the country. However, the White House has not announced any of them, and Trump declined to detail the specific deal.
Additionally, Trump said that if the US still has 50% tariffs abroad in the next year, he is still thinking about a “complete victory” as “the country will make property.”
When asked why he didn’t announce the agreed transaction, Trump said trade negotiations will close in the coming weeks. Trump began its 90-day hiatus on April 9th.
“We’ve finished over the next three or four weeks,” he said. “We’re done.”
Still, Trump leaves room for flexibility and says some negotiations may continue beyond that benchmark. “Some countries may return and ask for adjustments.
In an interview, Trump argued that talks were underway with China on tariffs, but Chinese officials have firmly stated their opposition.
Trump said that Chinese President Xi Jinping called him, “He’s called, and I don’t think that’s a sign of weakness on his behalf.” Trump did not provide details of the call.
However, when he was pressed by CNN on Friday morning, he declined to comment if Trump spoke to XI since tariffs were enacted in Beijing.
“I don’t want to comment on that, but I told him many times,” Trump said in response to CNN’s Alayna Treene as he left the South Lawn.
Trump told time he had not asked President El Salvador Naive Buquere to send back Kilmer Abrego Garcia, an undocumented immigrant who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador.
“I haven’t,” Trump said. “He said he wouldn’t.”
Trump generally postponed most of the time questions about Abrego Garcia’s status to Justice Department lawyers.
“At this point, they just don’t want to do that. They say we are fully abided by the Supreme Court,” he said.
Trump has shown he is serious about making Canada the 51st US state.
“I’m not really trolling,” Trump said.
“We care for their army. We care for every aspect of their lives and we don’t need to build cars for us. In fact, we don’t want them to build cars for us,” Trump said. “We don’t need their wood. We don’t need their energy. We don’t need anything from Canada. And I say the only way this really works is for Canada to become a nation.”
Trump added that he “doesn’t mind” if he includes territorial expansion in his legacy as president.
The president publicly cheated on running for president again in 2028 in violation of the 22nd amendment, which means that the president can only serve two terms. He instructed Time that there are “several loopholes discussed” to allow him to run again, but “doesn’t believe in using loopholes.”
“I have more people asking me to run again, but I haven’t even seen the possibility,” Trump added.
These statements were executed against comments made by Trump at the end of March, saying he was “not kidding” about the possibility of running in a third term. Trump stores run by the Trump organization also began selling “Trump 2028” hats earlier this week.
If Congressional Republicans pass a party line bill with massive Medicaid cuts, Trump vowed in an interview to reject it.
GOP Congress leaders say the planned cuts are due to Medicaid waste, fraud and abuse, but experts are questioning whether GOP leaders will actually cut to the $800 billion price tag that they aim for in a party-affiliated bill.
Trump reiterated his goal in an interview to reduce “waste, fraud and abuse,” but said he would reject the bill if it involves other cuts to the program.
As part of the peace proposal to end the Russian-Ukraine war, Trump said, “Crimea will remain in Russia.” It also contradicts the first Trump administration’s own statement that reaffirms its “policy refusal to recognize the Kremlin’s sovereignty claim over territory seized by force in violation of international law.”
“If Crimea remains in Russia, then it’s something that’s always mentioned, so we have to talk about Crimea. Crimea will stay in Russia. And Zelensky understands that, and everyone understands it’s been with them for a long time,” Trump said.
Publicly, Zelensky shows that recognizing the occupation of Crimea is a red line for him in negotiations. He told reporters earlier this week: “Ukraine will not legally recognize the occupation of Crimea. There is nothing to talk about. It is against our constitution.” President Putin invaded Crimea in February 2014.
Trump also said Ukrainian attempts to join NATO led to Russian invasions. The president said he does not believe Ukraine will “be able to participate in NATO.”
Trump said he was not worried that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would drag the US into a potential future war with Iran.
“If we don’t get a deal, I might be very happy to go. If we don’t do a deal, I’ll lead the pack,” Trump said.
Trump also denied reports from the New York Times that he shook Israel off from attacking Iran during nuclear talks.
“I didn’t stop them, but I didn’t feel comfortable for them because I think I could trade without attacks,” Trump told time.
Trump also said he believes Saudi Arabia will join the Abraham deal. This is an agreement from Trump’s first term of office, originally signed by Israel and the United Arab Emirates, aimed at promoting peace in the Middle East.
“What do I say to you: I think Saudi Arabia will enter into Abraham’s agreement,” he said. Trump will travel to Saudi Arabia next month on his second foreign trip.
“There were four countries there. Everything was set up. They’d packed in. Now we’re going to start again,” Trump said.