“If it weren’t for me, I think he would have taken the whole country,” Trump said, adding that he believed Putin now “wants to stop the war” and “would like to make a deal.”
On whether he trusts Putin, Trump replied flatly: “I don’t trust a lot of people.”
Tariff tussle
Moran pressed Trump on his China tariffs, warning they risked higher prices on electronics, clothing and building materials.
The president cited misleading statistics—claiming, contrary to data, that egg prices had fallen by 87% and that gasoline in some states was under $2 a gallon.
He again criticized Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for pausing rate cuts, asserting he understands interest rates better than the central banker and warning that without his victory, “America would have become a third-world country.”
Trump defended the duties as a necessary check on inflation, insisting “China probably will eat those tariffs” and predicting “everybody’s gonna be just fine.”
‘Authoritarian’ concerns
Asked about fears he’s amassing power, Trump said, “I’m making America great again,” and denied using presidential powers for personal vendettas, blaming “crooked people” for having persecuted him first.
The full-hour interview aired on ABC Tuesday night.
(jh)
Source: ABC News, PAP, The Hill, New York Post, CNBC