If elected to a second term, former President Trump said he would secure the southern border, return the United States to energy independence, strengthen the economy, and expand and strengthen the military to alleviate the “chaos” the Biden administration has brought to the country. Ta.
Trump, the 2024 Republican front-runner, participates in a Fox News town hall in Des Moines, Iowa, on Wednesday night, days before the much-anticipated first-in-the-nation primary in the Hawkeye State on Jan. 15. did.
Trump has a wide lead in the Republican primary, with the latest Iowa polls showing his approval rating at more than 50%.
The town hall was co-hosted by Bret Baier, chief political anchor for Special Report, and Martha McCollum, editor and anchor of The Story.
Trump on stage at FOX News Town Hall in Iowa
Trump fielded questions from Iowa voters on a number of issues, but said President Biden had brought “chaos” to the country.
President Trump said, “The border is in chaos. The military is in chaos. People are waking up.” “We're in chaos right now. Look at the chaos that's being caused today with Hunter Biden going to Congress and just sitting there. Chaos is brewing.”
Trump said the country is in “even more” turmoil under Biden than it was during his presidency.
DES MOINES, IOWA – JANUARY 10: Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump participates in a FOX News Town Hall on January 10, 2024 in Des Moines, Iowa. President Trump also declined to participate in tonight's debate featuring Republican presidential candidates Nikki Haley, former ambassador to the United Nations, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. (Joe Radle/Getty Images)
“He can't put two sentences together and yet he represents us on nuclear weapons with Putin and Xi and all these very smart people. The media hates it when I say they're smart. But I'll tell you, they're very smart,' and they're very cunning,'' Trump said.
Looking back on his administration, President Trump said, “I think there was very little chaos.'' “I think most of the confusion was caused by the Democrats always going after me.”
Trump went on to point out the “phony Russia, Russia, Russia” investigation. His impeachment. more.
“They are the ones who caused the chaos. They are the ones who caused the chaos,” President Trump said. “There was no confusion.”
President Trump said that under his presidency, the United States received the “biggest tax cuts in history” and “the biggest regulatory cuts in history.”
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President Trump said, “There was no war for me. I'm the only president in 72 years. There was no war.”
But Trump said Biden and Democrats are playing on the “narrative” that Biden will bring about chaos “because there's nothing else.”
“You know, the new narrative that they have is that I'm going to be a dictator, because with a guy like Biden, there's nothing he can rely on. What he's revealed It all turned out badly,” Trump said.
President Trump said the border is in “horrible conditions” and “the worst border in history” under the Biden administration.
Former U.S. President and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks as hosts Bret Bayer and Martha McCallum look on at City Hall in Des Moines, Iowa, on January 10, 2024. (Kamil Krzazinski/AFP via Getty Images)
“I think this is the worst border in the history of the world,” President Trump said.
In fiscal year 2023 alone, border agents encountered nearly 2.5 million migrants at the southern border, including 600,000 fugitives and 249 on terrorist watch lists.
If elected, the Republican front-runner said his second term would begin by “immediately” ending “all open border policies” of the Biden administration.
In September, President Trump announced plans to launch the “largest domestic deportation operation in U.S. history” if elected to a second term.
Additionally, he plans to “invoke the Alien Enemies Act to remove all known or suspected gang members, drug traffickers, or cartel members from the United States,” which “This will put an end to the scourge of illegal foreign gang violence once and for all,” he said. . ”
Meanwhile, President Trump was asked to respond to Biden's claims and say political violence is “absolutely unacceptable.”
Former U.S. President and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks as hosts Bret Bayer and Martha McCallum look on at City Hall in Des Moines, Iowa, on January 10, 2024. (Kamil Krzazinski/AFP via Getty Images)
President Trump said, “Of course, that's true.” “And of course I had very little benefit from it. Look at the war again. I didn't start it. I'm not involved in the war. We thoroughly defeated ISIS. We won 100%. We brought our troops home. ”
He added: “Look at the violence we have been subjected to recently.”
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Trump went on to say that Biden's presidency has been “terrible.”
“There's a man who can't lead. There's a man who doesn't know how to get off the stage after giving a speech that lasts about two minutes,” President Trump said. “Right now I think it's Joe Biden who's making a fuss.”
Trump said Biden was using a “political ploy” by claiming he “wanted to be a dictator.”
But as for becoming a “dictator,” President Trump joked that he would be, but only for one day.
“I'm going to be a dictator for a day. There are two things we're going to do. We're going to make the border very tight. You can't come in unless you're in the country legally. The other thing is the border.” We’re going to train, baby, we’re going to train,” Trump said. “Then I'm not going to be a dictator. I'm not going to be a dictator.”
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However, President Trump said he has “got to know Washington better” and, regarding the possibility of a second term, said “everyone wants to come work for us” and added, “I'm not looking for retaliation.” I don't think I'll have time to do that.”
“There is no time to retaliate,” President Trump said. “We're going to make this country successful again. We're not going to waste our time retaliating.”
“And remember this, our ultimate retribution is success…There is no retribution. There is success.”
Turning to the economy, President Trump said, “Aside from the stock market going up, things are terrible.''
DES MOINES, IOWA – JANUARY 10: Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump participates in a FOX News Town Hall on January 10, 2024 in Des Moines, Iowa. President Trump also declined to participate in tonight's debate featuring Republican presidential candidates Nikki Haley, former ambassador to the United Nations, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. (Joe Radle/Getty Images)
“I think the stock market is going up because he's leading Biden in every poll. He's leading Biden in every poll in states that are usually not easy to lead,” Trump said. said. “But I can say that I'm in a situation where I believe the stock market is going up because I'm leading. If I wasn't leading, I think the stock market would have been down 25%. And, frankly, if I don't win, I think the stock market will crash.”
Host Bret Baier pointed out that President Trump said earlier this month that if there was a stock market crash, “I hope it happens within the next 12 months,” because I don't want to be Herbert Hoover. . I just don't want it to happen, Herbert Hoover.”
On Wednesday, President Trump made it clear that he believes “if I don't win, there will be a crash.”
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“And I say that, but I don't want to be Herbert Hoover. You know, Herbert Hoover was 1929. He was president. And it wasn't a good time. .I don't want to be Herbert Hoover, and I won,' not Herbert Hoover,'' President Trump said.
President Trump has been criticized by his Republican opponents as a “big government Republican” for increasing the nation's debt by $8 trillion during his time in office, but he has criticized his record, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. defended.
“Quite simply, we were beginning to pay down our debt,” Trump said. “When the coronavirus hit, we were going to pay off a lot of debt. If I hadn't injected money into this country, we would have been in a recession like we've never seen before. Let’s go.”
Trump continued, “We had to inject money. We gave money to companies that were going bankrupt and were going bankrupt at one point. But they needed money. “I helped. If I hadn't done that, this country would have been in a recession. That's what it was.” It's a very good investment. And now what they need to do is pay down their debt instead of accumulating debt at record levels and get into the energy business instead of the Green New fraud business. That they're in. ”
Meanwhile, President Trump said he has already decided on his vice presidential candidate.
“I can't really say, but I know who it's going to be,” Trump said.
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“I'm going to do the show again someday,” Trump said, prompting host Martha McCallum to “give me a hint.”
“What about the guys you've played against?” McCollum asked. “Could you please work with one of them to mend the fence?”
Trump responded, “Oh, of course. I will, I will.”
