Former President Donald Trump said in a controversial interview with Bloomberg News in Chicago on Tuesday that the Republican Party is “the party of common sense.”
President Trump spoke with Bloomberg News Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait at the Economic Club of Chicago. In a heated interview that lasted nearly an hour, the two discussed President Trump's plans for the economy in a potential second term.
Mr. Micklethwait talked about the economic start, but then got into the presidential election landscape, asking the former president which states he thought were most important in deciding the election.
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign town hall at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center & Fairgrounds on Monday, October 14, 2024 in Oaks, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Trump says election issues are 'more important' than inflation and economy
“They say Pennsylvania. I think they're doing very well there. I think you're looking at Michigan, too, and I'm doing very well,” Trump said. “We're pretty high up there in Pennsylvania. We're pretty up there in Michigan. We're doing really well in Arizona. In fact, somebody said they're going to get out of Arizona, and they're going to get out of it.” , because it looks like we're pretty far ahead. ”
As of Tuesday afternoon, Trump had a slight lead in Pennsylvania, as well as Arizona and Michigan, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average.
President Trump also said the Republican Party is “the party of common sense.”
“Conservatives, forget about liberals. We're conservatives, for example, but we actually say, 'We need borders. We need fair elections. We don't want men to participate in women's sports. We are a party that says, 'We don't want this.' Transgender surgery will not be performed without parental consent,” Trump explained. “It's 99.9 percent common sense. It's really common sense. We really say we're the party of common sense, and we want to have great people in this country.”
President Trump continued, “I have a good heart. I have a heart that wants people to be taken care of. But I don't want to accept people into a place where millions of people have come here for the last three years. “At least 21 million people came,” he added. We don't know anything about them because they weren't investigated or checked for six months. ”
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump answers questions during a Detroit Economic Club meeting Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nickinson)
Mr. Micklethwait opened his interview Tuesday by arguing that Mr. Trump's economic plan would increase debt and inflation, and that the former president had been in office without causing inflation.
President Trump said, “Yes, we haven't had inflation for four years.”
Mr. Micklethwaite also attacked Mr. Trump over his plans for tariffs on foreign goods, but Mr. Trump fired back, explaining that foreign countries would pay “100% tariffs on everything sold to the United States.”
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Earlier this year, President Trump announced an elimination plan. China's Most Favored Nation Trade Status It will also impose a universal standard 10% tariff on imported goods. In private, President Trump has imposed tariffs of up to 60% on Chinese products. Economists have warned that higher tariffs would cause prices for everyday goods to rise as U.S. companies rely on cheaper raw materials from China.
Mr Micklethwait said President Trump's plan would have “serious effects across the economy”.
President Trump responded, “It's going to have a big effect, it's going to have a positive effect. It's going to have a positive effect.” “It must be tough to spend 25 years saying that tariffs are negative and then have someone explain to you that that's completely wrong.”
Mr Micklethwait hit back at Mr Trump, saying he could “plunge America into the biggest trade war”.
President Trump said, “No, there are no tariffs. All you have to do is build a factory in the United States and there are no tariffs.” “That's what I want.”
The former president's response drew applause from the audience.
“The higher the tariffs are, the more likely it is that companies will come to the United States and build factories in the United States and not have to pay tariffs,” Trump said.
On national security and foreign policy, President Trump has touted relationships with adversaries such as Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, which the United States has respected under the Trump administration. said that it has been done.
President Trump was asked whether he would send U.S. troops to protect Taiwan if China invaded. The Chinese military is currently rehearsing for a naval blockade of the island nation.
“The reason they're doing it now is because they're not going to do it later,” Trump said, to applause from the audience.
Trump was also asked if he had spoken to Putin since leaving office, and he replied, “I'm not going to comment on that.”
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“But I would say that if you do that, it's the smart thing to do,” Trump said. “If I'm friendly with people, if I can build relationships with people, it's not bad for the country, it's good.”
“President Trump was in his element as he spoke passionately about economic growth, prosperity and restoring opportunity for Americans,” the campaign said in an email to supporters after the interview. We held a masterclass outlining our plans to: It is about restoring the American people and businesses to the success they enjoyed during his first term. ”
The campaign added, “This could never happen to Kamala.”
The Trump campaign touted the former president's response and policies, adding, “President Trump has achieved record success before. And he will do it again.”
