Trump spoke with NBC News for more than an hour in an interview that covered a range of topics.
President-elect Donald Trump, welcome back to Meet the Press.
We are going to delve into your nominations, but since you bring him up, do you still have confidence in Pete Hegseth? All right, we’re going to delve into your Cabinet just a little bit later. But I want to delve into one of your signature promises on the campaign trail, which was to end inflation, to lower prices. You are now proposing tariffs against the United States’ three biggest trading partners. Economists of all stripes say that ultimately consumers pay the price of tariffs.
Sir, your previous tariffs during your first administration cost Americans some $80 billion, and now you have major companies from Walmart, Black & Decker, AutoZone, saying that any tariffs are going to force them to drive up prices for their consumers. How do you make sure that these CEOs, that these companies don’t, in fact, pass on the cost of tariffs to their consumers?
But how do you make sure that consumers don’t wind up paying more? Will you punish CEOs who try to pass the cost of tariffs on to their customers? This week you had that conversation? And you can see right here, I don’t know if you remember this, but during the debate in 2020, I asked you if you would raise the minimum wage. You said you would consider it. And so my question for you is now that you are going back to the White House, for these 19 states that voted for you, are you going to raise the federal minimum wage?
So I hear you saying similarly to what you said in 2020. Will you consider it? Is this something you’re going to look at? You don’t have plans to do that right now? – one of your big agenda items. You’ve talked about prioritizing people who have criminal history. The 13,000 figure I think goes back about 40 years.
But you’re saying something, sir, that’s significant. So — You know that local police say that is not the case in Colorado. But sir, you raised the point — You, you raised the point that the logistics are complicated. You said it yourself — Who are the others? What does that mean? What are you going to do?
Let me ask you about another group of people, the estimated 4 million families in America who have mixed immigration status. So I’m talking about parents who might be here illegally — Well, I mean there are two aspects to this. Your Border Czar Tom Homan said they can be deported together. Even kids who are here legally?
– confusing based on what you’re looking at? Well, let me ask you about another aspect of this that I think a lot of people are really curious about. And 3% of the people who are here illegally have criminal histories. But in your first administration, you had the zero-tolerance policy, where we did see family separations.
He didn’t have a zero-tolerance policy. I want to ask you about the zero-tolerance policy — I mean, he didn’t have a systemic, “We’re going to separate families.” Families were separated when the parents were a threat to the kids. Let me ask you about this — Yeah. Okay. But you’re not going to revive your zero-tolerance policy, which was put in place as a deterrent? Is there any universe where you would bring that back, sir?
So you’re not, at this point in time, planning to revive that zero-tolerance policy where kids are separated? Well, let me, before we get to — You promised to end birthright citizenship on day one. The 14th Amendment, though, says that, quote, “All persons born in the United States are citizens.”
Through an executive action? You’re going to — Well, what about the legal challenge, the inevitable legal challenges that will come? But you did try to overturn it, sir. Sir, you said during the campaign you had concepts of a plan. Do you have an actual plan at this point for health care? You did try to have your Justice Department effectively kill it, though, sir.
And what about their prices -- Just very quickly, when will we see your fully developed plan? When are you going to -- It has insured 20 million people. You tried to repeal and replace. You tried to kill it, sir. But, sir, I want to understand where it falls in your list of priorities. I mean, is this something we can expect to see you try to move on in --
Let’s talk about abortion, sir. You have taken responsibility for overturning Roe v. Wade. You’ve said that abortion is now a state issue. There are steps that you could take, though, as president to restrict abortion through executive action without Congress. More than half of abortions in this country are medication abortions.
Ok. Let’s talk about some of your picks to fill out your administration. You named Kash Patel to be the next FBI director. Well, do you think that’s right? Are you going to direct him to do it? Do you want to see that happen? -- the campaign -- and the entire Biden crime family.” Are you going to do that? Are you going to go after Joe Biden?
We’ll get to some of that, sir -- -- do you want to see Jack Smith investigated? -- to prosecute Jack Smith? We’re going to talk about that -- -- if he is, in fact, confirmed? -- were abysmal -- Okay. Is this now the policy-- -- for the second Trump administration? -- who were involved in or writing Project 2025 --
But to people who see, “Oh, he’s bringing in all of these people from Project 2025, he must know what it is --“ You still don’t know what it is -- -- to your -- Okay. And you don’t want one now? You’re not going to pardon yourself now? What if President Biden offered you a pardon, would you accept it?
And there’s no — – pursued? Well — Yeah — Everyone on the committee you think — Are you going to direct your FBI director — When you say that, it carries weight though. You know, you’ve tapped these people to lead the Justice Department and FBI — And they deny doing that — You know they deny doing that. And officials say that the order never came in for the National Guard —
I think you’re going to want to answer this. No. I’m just saying they deny it. That’s all I’m saying. Let me ask you about January 6th in a different capacity, okay? I think you’re going to want to answer this question. You promised to pardon those who attacked the Capitol on January 6th. Are you still vowing to follow through with that promise?
But — Yeah. But let me — 900 pleaded guilty to other crimes. They’re also going to be eligible for a pardon from you? You’re not ruling it out? Everyone? Within your first 100 days, first day? You’re going to issue these pardons? Let’s talk about your Cabinet picks. I know we started off talking about Pete Hegseth, but I just want to return to that very quickly. Have you gotten assurances from Senators that he’s going to be confirmed?
– he can make it? You’ve talked about how devastating drinking can be. Let me ask you about former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. You picked her to be the director of National Intelligence. In 2017, she had two secret meetings with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. Do you have questions or concerns about those meetings?
– hard for her? – ability to handle that — Well, when you were president. They weren’t secret meetings. Let me ask you about RFK Jr. He has obviously talked about his skepticism of vaccines. He’s expressed opposition to childhood vaccines. Do you want to see childhood vaccines eliminated? Are you talking about autism?
Sir, going back 25 years, studies show that there is no link between vaccines and autism. And yet, it sounds like you are open to the possibility of him looking at — Well, they say because they’re better at identifying it. You know, childhood vaccines have — Well, again, scientists say that’s because they’ve gotten better at identifying it --
--in studies, sir. Last month, one of your allies said, quote, “He’s behaving as if he’s a co-president.” Will you favor Elon Musk over other leaders of -- 1.6 percent. – which proposes cuts to the federal government. Think a lot of people hear that and they get concerned about Medicare and Social Security and Medicaid --
You won’t touch Medicare -- Okay. Entitlements off the table? Okay. Let’s turn to foreign policy. Should Ukraine prepare for less aid from the United States after you’re sworn in -- You’ve said you can end the war in 24 -- You’re actively trying to? You haven’t talked to President Putin -- So you’ve spoken to President Putin since you’ve been elected?
– have talked about -- But you did go to -- It’s devastating. NATO. Do you commit that the United States will remain a member of NATO while you’re in office? But if not, you would consider the possibility of getting out? What exactly did you mean, and do you still think that the hostages are alive?
Are you going to pressure Prime Minister Netanyahu, with whom you have a very good relationship, to end the war in Gaza? If China invades Taiwan on your watch, are you committed to defending Taiwan? Can you just say if you’ll defend it -- Since you were elected? And you sent that message to him, “Don’t invade Taiwan --“
You are? Okay. This is your first interview since you won the election. Yes. And sir, I don’t have to tell you this, because you’ve talked about it. It comes at a time when the country is deeply divided, and now you’re going to be leading this country for the next four years. For the sake of unifying this country, will you concede the 2020 election and turn the page on that chapter?
But you’re going to be the president. Of the White House. So why didn’t they steal this election? Since they have more power now? To the people who say that you’re now directing your Justice Department to investigate 2020 and they want to move on -- Oh, you’re not? You’re not going to do that? – for the next four years? Why?
You said to them, “don’t come in?” They were your top advisors. Well, hopefully you thought it was a fair interview. We covered a lot of policy ground here. Let me ask — hopefully you think this interview was fair. We spent a lot of time talking about your policy and your second administration. I want to ask you, sir, one final question. What do you want to say to Americans who didn’t support you in this campaign?
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