Tweet
Bullet points from this interview
1. Immigration: Trump said he is open to using the National Guard to deport undocumented migrants nationwide during a second term. "If they weren't able to, then I'd use [other parts of] the military."
- In response to a question over whether he would override the Posse Comitatus Act, which forbids the use of the military against civilians, Trump said of undocumented immigrants: "Well, these aren't civilians. These are people that aren't legally in our country."
- Reality check: "Any person in the U.S., regardless of their immigration status, may be entitled to many of the same constitutional rights as U.S. citizens, including the right to due process and equal protection," TIME writes in a fact check of the interview.
2. The 2024 election: "If we don't win, you know, it depends," Trump said of the possibility of violence following the presidential election.
- "It always depends on the fairness of the election."
3. Department of Justice: The former president said that he may fire U.S. Attorneys who buck his directives to prosecute someone.
- "It would depend on the situation," Trump said.
4. Abortion: Trump told TIME that it is up to the states if they decide to monitor women's pregnancies so they know if they receive an abortion.
- "I think they might do that," he said.
- Trump also said that it is up to the states if they decide to prosecute women for getting abortions.
- "The states are going to say. It's irrelevant whether I'm comfortable or not. It's totally irrelevant, because the states are going to make those decisions."
5. South Korea: Trump floated the retreat of U.S. forces from U.S. ally South Korea.
- "We have 40,000 troops that are in a precarious position," Trump told TIME, which noted that there are 28,500 U.S. troops.
- "Which doesn't make any sense. Why would we defend somebody? And we're talking about a very wealthy country."
6. Israel: Trump said that if Israel and Iran get into a war, the U.S. should get involved. "If they attack Israel, yes, we would be there."
- "There was a time when I thought two-state could work," Trump said of the possibility of Israel and a Palestinian state existing peacefully side by side. "Now I think two-state is going to be very, very tough."
7. The 2020 election: "I wouldn't feel good about it," Trump said of hiring anybody who believes that President Biden won the 2020 election.
8. Jan. 6: Trump would "absolutely" consider pardoning the Jan. 6 defendants, he told TIME.