Donald Trump said he could not guarantee that the tariffs he promised on key US foreign trade partners would not raise prices for American consumers, and again suggested jailing some political rivals and federal officials who have filed legal cases against him.
In a wide-ranging interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday, the president-elect touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion, health care, and U.S. intervention in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere.
Trump often mixes declarative statements with warnings, at one point warning that “things are changing.”
A look at some of the issues I addressed:
Trump wonders whether trade sanctions might lead to higher prices
Trump threatened to impose broad trade sanctions, but said he did not believe economists’ expectations that additional costs on those imported goods for American companies would lead to higher domestic prices for consumers. He stopped short of promising that American families would not pay more while shopping.
“I can’t guarantee anything. I can’t guarantee tomorrow,” Trump said, appearing to open the door to accepting the reality of how import duties typically work as goods reach the retail market.
This is a different approach from Trump’s typical rhetoric throughout the 2024 campaign, when he framed his election as a sure way to curb inflation.
In the interview, Trump defended tariffs in general, saying that tariffs “will make us rich.”
On his first day in office in January, he pledged to impose 25% tariffs on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada unless those countries stop illegal immigration and the flow of illicit drugs like fentanyl into the United States. He also threatened to impose tariffs on China to help force that country to crack down on fentanyl production.
Get breaking national news
For news affecting Canada and around the world, sign up to get breaking news alerts delivered to you right as they happen.
“All I want to do is have a level playing field, fast but fair,” Trump said.
Trump suggests retaliation against his opponents while claiming to have no interest in retaliation
He made conflicting statements about how he would handle the justice system after his election victory despite being convicted of 34 felonies in New York state court and indicted in other cases over his handling of national security secrets and his efforts to overturn his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe. Biden.
“Frankly, they should go to prison,” Trump said of the members of Congress who investigated the Capitol riot by his supporters who wanted him to remain in power.
The president-elect stressed his claim that he could use the judicial system against others, including special prosecutor Jack Smith, who led the case related to Trump’s role in the siege on January 6, 2021. Trump confirmed his plan to pardon supporters who were convicted. for their roles in the riot, saying he would take that action on his first day in office.
As for the idea of retaliation leading to potential prosecutions, Trump said: “I have the absolute right. I’m the chief law enforcement officer, you know that. I’m the boss. But I’m not interested in that.”
At the same time, Trump singled out lawmakers on a special House committee who investigated the insurrection, citing Rep. Bennie Thompson, Democrat of Missouri, and former Rep. Liz Cheney, Republican of Wyoming.
“Cheney was behind it… and so was Bennie Thompson and everyone on that committee,” Trump said.
Asked specifically if he would direct his administration to pursue cases, he said, “No,” and noted that he did not expect the FBI to quickly investigate his political enemies.
But at another point, Trump said he would leave the matter to Pam Bondi, his pick for attorney general. “I want her to do what she wants to do,” he said.
Such threats, regardless of Trump’s contradictions, have been taken so seriously by many senior Democrats that Biden is considering a preemptive blanket pardon to protect key members of his outgoing administration.
Trump appears to have backed away from his campaign rhetoric calling for an investigation into Biden, saying: “I’m not looking to go back to the past.”
Fast-track immigration action is coming
Trump has repeatedly mentioned his promises to close the US-Mexico border and deport millions of people who are in the US illegally through a mass deportation program.
“I think you should do it,” he said.
He suggested he would try to use executive action to end “birthright” citizenship under which people born in the United States are considered citizens — even though such protections are enshrined in the Constitution.
Asked specifically about the future of people who were brought to the country illegally as children and denied deportation in recent years, Trump said, “I want to work something out,” indicating he might seek a solution with Congress.
But Trump also said he “doesn’t want to break up families” with mixed legal status, “so the only way to not break up families is to keep them together and you have to bring them all back.”
& Edition 2024 The Canadian Press
