Former President Trump on Wednesday reflected on his first term in the White House, saying he knows who the “right” people would serve in his administration if he is re-elected.
“You have to have the right people. When I first got there, [in] “In 2016, I had a lot of good people on my side, a lot of good advice, but I didn't know much about Washington, and in some cases I ended up putting people in office that weren't the people I really wanted,” Trump said during Fox News town hall broadcasts on Wednesday and Thursday.
The former president said he only visited Washington, D.C., 17 times before taking office.
“But I got to know them, and I got to know them the hard way. I know the good ones, the bad ones, the weak ones, the smart ones, the stupid ones. I know them all now,” he said.
Trump was responding to a request from attendees of a Fox town hall meeting with Sean Hannity to talk about what he'd learned during his first term in the White House.
“A big part of running a government is having the right people, and if you put the right people, the right group of people at the head of these big agencies, you're going to be very successful,” he said. “And I know those people now, I know them better than anybody.”
Trump's first term was marked by a steep rise in turnover that experts at the time described as record-breaking.
Trump's critics argue that a second term for him could produce an administration filled with loyal supporters focused on carrying out his policies and catering to his every whim.
Trump's first administration was made up of more traditional Republicans who were seen as a bulwark against the then-president's impulses and controversial ideas.
The race between President Trump and Vice President Harris remains fierce, with VP Harris continuing to chip away at the large lead that President Trump had when President Biden was still campaigning.
According to Decision Desk HQ/The Hill polling index, Harris is leading Trump by 4 percentage points.
