President Donald Trump discussed geopolitics, trade policy and tariffs, taxes, and the prospects of another term in office during an interview with Time magazine at the White House on April 22.
Future of Crimea
With ongoing negotiations between the United States, Russia, and Ukraine for a cease-fire in the war between the latter two, control of Crimea—the Ukrainian southern peninsula—should remain in Russian hands despite the recent rumblings of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to Trump.“Crimea will stay with Russia,” he said. “And Zelenskyy understands that, and everybody understands that it’s been with them for a long time. It’s been with them long before Trump came along.”
The president said the region is of strategic importance to Russia because it houses submarines in the area.
Trump said that Ukraine’s wish to join NATO is far-fetched and likely contributed to the likelihood of conflict in the region.
Tariff Deals in the Works
After months of trade policy adjustments that saw tariffs imposed and temporarily rescinded, Trump said he’s making progress negotiating with businesses and foreign nations, with 200 deals in the works.
“I’ve met with a lot of countries,” he said. “I’ve talked on the telephone.”
Other deals could include those with industries and businesses, according to statements made during the interview.
Trump likened his role as negotiator to that of a business owner.
“If people want to—well, we all want to make deals,” Trump said. “But I am this giant store. It’s a giant, beautiful store, and everybody wants to go shopping there.
“And on behalf of the American people, I own the store, and I set prices, and I'll say, if you want to shop here, this is what you have to pay.”
He dismissed allegations that he paused reciprocal tariffs due to stock market volatility and intense pressure on U.S. bond markets.
“No, it wasn’t for that reason. I’m doing that until we come up with the numbers that I want to come up with,” Trump said.
China Conundrum
Chinese leader Xi Jinping recently phoned the White House to initiate trade negotiations, following months of back-and-forth tariff rate escalations between the two nations that now include 145 percent tariffs on some goods coming from China, according to the president.“He’s called,” Trump said. “And I don’t think that’s a sign of weakness on his behalf.”
Saying that he has no need to call Xi, the president suggested he holds the leverage in the negotiations.
Iran Negotiations
Following two rounds of discussions between the United States and Iran, with a third meeting planned, Trump said he is open to meeting with the Iranian president or supreme leader.He has repeatedly said that successful negotiations are ideal, while also underscoring that Iran must not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.
Regarding Israeli plans to attack Iran’s nuclear sites, Trump said he advised patience, suggesting that time is needed to craft a mutually beneficial deal.
“I didn’t stop them. But I didn’t make it comfortable for them, because I think we can make a deal without the attack. I hope we can,” Trump said.
“Ultimately, I was going to leave that choice to them, but I said I would much prefer a deal than bombs being dropped.”
Utilizing a carrot-and-stick approach to diplomacy, the president warned that if talks fail to manifest in an agreement, he is willing to use force.
DOGE Cuts
Trump’s newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has cut $160 billion worth of federal spending in fewer than 100 days, according to the agency.When questioned about the perceived risk of consolidating personal information from various federal agencies into a single database, he dismissed the inquiry.
“It’s a crazy question. We just want to find fraud, abuse,” Trump said. “We want to find who’s on the rolls that shouldn’t be, who’s getting paid every month by the government that shouldn’t be paid.”
He rejected claims that cuts could jeopardize national security or impact some agencies’ ability to conduct research.
“Our country is going to be strong again because of what we’re doing,” he said.
Tax Increase?
Regarding navigating the country’s $36 trillion deficit, Trump expressed mixed feelings about potentially raising taxes on the highest income earners by 1 percent.“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,” he said.
“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.”
Third Term Possibilities
Looking forward to the 2028 presidential election, Trump did not rule out another run for the White House.“I have more people begging me to run again, but I haven’t looked at even the possibility,” he said.
“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.”
