What We Learned From Trump’s Secret-Filled Time Interview

According to the president, he’s already fulfilled his campaign promise to bring down grocery prices:

… You promised that you would immediately bring down prices and usher in a golden age of America. The prices of gas and eggs have gone down, but the cost of other things remain —

The prices of groceries have gone down. The only price that hasn’t gone down is the price of energy. The cost of energy, I’m sorry, well, energy has gone down, excuse me. Let me change that — is the interest rates. And interest rates have essentially stayed the same. But almost every other thing …

According to actual facts compiled in a separate Time piece, that is not true:

Total food prices increased 3% in March, year over year, according to the federal Consumer Price Index. Grocery prices, specifically, rose 2.4% during that period and rose 0.5% since February. Eggs, meat, fish, and poultry saw the sharpest price increases over the last year, jumping 7.9%.

Since pausing most of his tariffs two weeks ago, Trump has made trade deals with all 195 countries in the world, plus five bonus trade deals:

Your trade adviser, Peter Navarro, says 90 deals in 90 days is possible. We’re now 13 days into the point from when you lifted the reciprocal, the discounted reciprocal tariffs. There’s zero deals so far. Why is that? 

No, there’s many deals. 

When are they going to be announced? 

You have to understand, I’m dealing with all the companies, very friendly countries. We’re meeting with China. We’re doing fine with everybody. But ultimately, I’ve made all the deals.

Not one has been announced yet. When are you going to announce them?

I’ve made 200 deals. 

You’ve made 200 deals?

100%.

Time asked Trump which specific countries he’s struck trade deals with, and he gave a long, rambling answer about how tariffs work that didn’t answer the question. Nor did he explain why he isn’t just announcing these deals now. But they’re definitely finished — or will be finished in, like, a month? It’s unclear.

I’m just curious, why don’t you announce these deals that you’ve solidified? 

I would say, over the next three to four weeks, and we’re finished, by the way.

You’re finished? 

We’ll be finished.

Oh, you will be finished in three to four weeks. 

I’ll be finished.

What’s on it? Unfortunately, that is also a secret:

Well let’s talk about the tariffs. You want companies to build and make goods here in America. 

Not in all cases. There are some products I really don’t want to make here.

Like T-shirts?

I can’t — I can give you a list because I actually have a list, but if you want, I could give it to you. 

Trump said that Chinese president Xi Jinping has called him to negotiate:

Will you call President Xi if he doesn’t call you? 

No.

You won’t? 

Nope.

Has he called you yet? 

Yep.

When did he call you? 

He’s called. And I don’t think that’s a sign of weakness on his behalf. 

China has denied this, so either Trump is lying or this is yet another fun secret with massive economic implications.

The president insisted, “I’m not defying the Supreme Court. I never defy the Supreme Court. I wouldn’t do that. I’m a big believer in the Supreme Court, and have a lot of respect for the Justices.” But he also explained that he’s taken no action on the Supreme Court 9-0 order to facilitate Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s return from an El Salvador prison because that’s “something entirely different,” whatever that means:

Are you still committed to complying with all Supreme Court orders? 

Sure, I believe in the court system. 

The Supreme Court ruled 9-0 that you have to bring back Kilmar Abrego Garcia. You haven’t done so. Aren’t you disobeying the Supreme Court?

Well, that’s not what my people told me — they didn’t say it was, they said it was — the nine to nothing was something entirely different. 

Let me quote from the ruling. “The order properly requires the government to facilitate Aboriginal Garcia’s release from custody in El Salvador.” Are you facilitating a release?

I leave that to my lawyers. I give them no instructions. They feel that the order said something very much different from what you’re saying. But I leave that to my lawyers. If they want — and that would be the Attorney General of the United States and the people that represent the country. I don’t make that decision. 

Have you asked President Bukele to return him? 

I haven’t, uh, he said he wouldn’t. 

Did you ask him? 

But I haven’t asked him positively, but he said he wouldn’t.

But if you haven’t asked him, then how are you facilitating his release? 

Well, because I haven’t been asked to ask him by my attorneys. Nobody asked me to ask him that question, except you.

Look, Trump isn’t selfish: He’d absolutely love to pay more in taxes (though his company was found guilty of criminal tax fraud a few years ago). But he has to put his political well-being first. Surely the American people will understand!

Some Republicans are considering raising taxes on millionaires in the package you’re planning to pass that would extend your 2017 tax cuts. Do you support that idea?

Well, I’ll tell ya, I certainly don’t mind having a tax increase, and the only reason I wouldn’t support it is because I saw Bush where they said, where he said “Read my lips” and he lost an election. He would have lost it anyway, but he lost an election. He got beat up pretty good. I would be honored to pay more, but I don’t want to be in a position where we lose an election because I was generous, but me, as a rich person, would not mind paying and you know, we’re talking about very little. We’re talking about one point. It doesn’t make that much difference, and yet, I could just see somebody trying to bring that up as a subject, and, you know, say, “Oh, he raised taxes.” Well, I wouldn’t be, really, you know, in the true sense, I wouldn’t. I’d be raising them on wealthy to take care of middle class. And that’s — I love, that. I actually love the concept, but I don’t want it to be used against me politically, because I’ve seen people lose elections for less, especially with the fake news. 

So when Trump says he’s doesn’t “want to be in a position where we lose an election because I was generous,” does he mean the GOP or him personally? It’s unclear! Trump initially claimed he hasn’t “looked at even the possibility” of an unconstitutional run for a third term, though his official store is selling “Trump 2028” hats:

When we spoke to you a year ago, we asked whether you would challenge the 22nd Amendment, which limits presidents to two terms. You said, and I quote, “I’m going to serve one term. I’m going to do a great job, and I’m going to leave.” What changed?

Well, I’m serving two terms now.

You meant one in addition to the one you already served.

You mean one more. I have more people begging me to run again, but I haven’t looked at even the possibility. But the only thing that’s changed is they think I’m doing a great job, and they like the way I’m running the country. They have a border, which you didn’t ask about, that’s virtually totally closed. The best border we’ve ever had.

When pressed, Trump claimed there are “loopholes” that would allow him to run again. But he doesn’t “believe in using loopholes.” So he’s ruling out a 2028 run? Well, he’d “rather not discuss that now.” Hey, did you know he aced that dementia screening?

You recently said you were “not joking” about seeking a third term and that there were methods to do it. What methods? 

I’d rather not discuss that now, but as you know, there are some loopholes that have been discussed that are well known. But I don’t believe in loopholes. I don’t believe in using loopholes. 

You wouldn’t run as vice president to J.D. Vance? 

I don’t know anything about, what, look, all I can say is this, I am being inundated with requests. I’m doing a good job. Great physical exam, and unlike every other president, I took the cognitive test and I aced it 100% and I bet you guys couldn’t get 100% on that exam. It’s a tough exam. You know, when you get into the mid questions, it gets to be pretty tricky and pretty tough, and the last questions are very tough, and I aced it. And I guarantee, I’d give you, I’d make a big, beautiful bet that you guys couldn’t ace it. But anyway. But look, it’s good to have you, it’s a very nasty interview. They don’t ask any of the good things. 

It turns out Trump just likes to kid around about a war that’s killed tens of thousands of people:

You said you would end the war in Ukraine on Day One.

Well, I said that figuratively, and I said that as an exaggeration, because to make a point, and you know, it gets, of course, by the fake news [unintelligible]. Obviously, people know that when I said that, it was said in jest, but it was also said that it will be ended.

Do you remember the time Trump said of the Civil Rights Act, “How has it worked out? If you take a look at what Lyndon Johnson did? How has it worked out?” He doesn’t:

You once said you weren’t sure how the Civil Rights Act quote “worked out.” Would America be better without it? 

I never heard of that. Nobody’s ever asked me that before. 

You said it in a 2020 interview. 

I don’t remember having said that.

… Which is probably for the best.

Trump showed off those impressive cognitive skills once again when he attacked Joe Biden for refusing to talk to Time, then instantly remembered that he read his predecessor’s interview and “he didn’t do well at all”:

You were harshly critical of what you called the weaponization of the Justice System under Biden. You recently signed memos —

Well, sure, but you wouldn’t be — if this were Biden, well, first of all, he wouldn’t do an interview because he was grossly incompetent.

We spoke to him last year, Mr. President. 

Huh?

We spoke to him a year ago. 

How did he do?

You can read the interview yourself. 

Not too good. I did read the interview. He didn’t do well. He didn’t do well at all. He didn’t do well at anything. And he cut that interview off to being a matter of minutes, and you weren’t asking him questions like you’re asking me. 

Well, we appreciate that you are able and willing to answer these questions. It says something about you, Mr. President. 

I am indeed. I’ve been answering them for years and I’ve been getting elected by bigger and bigger numbers all the time, but you didn’t ask questions like this to Biden, because if you did, he would have crawled under this beautiful desk.