In a lengthy one-hour interview on NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday, U.S. President Trump provided a light-hearted response to external concerns about his governance, including rising prices, economic recession risks, and the possibility of seeking an unconstitutional third term. He also defended cryptocurrency policies, arguing for their necessity.
Trump Calls for Reasonable Consumption
In the interview, Trump dismissed concerns about tariffs causing price increases for certain goods. When host Kristen Welker mentioned potential difficulties for small businesses dependent on imports, Trump responded that "many businesses are being helped," suggesting the overall benefits of tariffs outweigh the drawbacks. He even stated that American citizens should learn to reduce consumption of non-essential items like excessive dolls or pencils.
Regarding price increases for items like tires and baby strollers, Trump compared them to falling gasoline prices. He repeated his incorrect claim about gasoline prices dropping below $2 per gallon, emphasizing that gasoline prices are "thousands of times more important" than other goods.
Children don't need 30 dolls, two, three, or four are enough to save money. Americans don't need 250 pencils; five will do. We don't need to feed that beast (referring to China trade). He denied this suggests empty store shelves, only emphasizing the reduction of unnecessary consumption.
Transition Period Pains?
Facing current economic uncertainty, including Q1 2025 GDP contraction (0.3% annualized rate, the first negative growth since Q1 2022), Trump blamed the previous administration and described recent economic pain as a "transition period" towards a stronger future. He acknowledged potential price increases for some goods and possible short-term economic recession but insisted the U.S. would ultimately be "OK".
When asked if he was worried about continued economic contraction, Trump argued that tariffs would ultimately reduce U.S. trade deficits, generate government revenue, and improve the domestic economy. He seemed to be trying to prepare Americans to accept potential short-term constraints for larger economic goals.
Look, yes, everything will be fine. I said this is a transition period. I think we'll do extremely well in the future, no worries. Anything can happen. But I believe we'll have the best economy in our country's history.
Discussing Cryptocurrency
In the interview, Trump also addressed meme coin controversies, shifting to discussions about competition with China and Biden's perceived incompetence. He particularly emphasized that cryptocurrency is "very important", believing it has unique market characteristics. He argued that cryptocurrency exists because many people want it, and Biden's "violent governance" has led the SEC to continuously suppress it, contrary to people's expectations:
You know I want cryptocurrency, cryptocurrency is important. If we don't do this, China will go there (where new technologies are adopted). If you look at the market, when the market drops, it's stronger in many ways, and I want it because many people want it. Under Biden's violent governance, he led the SEC, and these angry citizens used millions of votes to express their opinion...
Third Term and Unconstitutional?
Beyond economic issues, Trump also responded to sensitive political questions. Regarding speculation about potentially breaking the 22nd Amendment to seek a third presidential term, Trump was ambiguous and refused to reveal clear intentions. In another part of the interview, when directly asked if the president is obligated to "uphold the Constitution", Trump's response was "I don't know", which drew widespread attention.
Regarding the future of his "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) movement, Trump refused to designate a single successor, only mentioning Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as potential candidates. He hinted that the vice president might have an advantage and predicted the movement would continue even after he leaves office.
Many people want me to do this (third term). As far as I know, the law doesn't allow it. I don't know if it's constitutional... but this is not something I intend to do.
Diplomacy, Budget, TikTok: Trump Outlines Policy Blueprint
In his last interview, Trump also touched on diplomatic, domestic budget, and social media regulation issues. He reiterated his "America First" principle, stating that his bottom line on the Iran nuclear issue is "completely dismantling" its nuclear program, but is willing to listen to opinions allowing Iran to develop civilian nuclear energy. He did not rule out the possibility of using force to incorporate Greenland into the U.S. territory, but appeared more reserved about annexing Canada, though he complained that Canada was not bearing sufficient defense costs. Regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict he once vowed to quickly resolve, Trump acknowledged that due to the "massive hatred" between the two sides, reaching a peace agreement might be "impossible," but also believed the chances of reaching an agreement were "very good".
On the domestic agenda, Trump is pushing Congress to pass a massive budget "reconciliation" bill aimed at extending his 2017 tax cut policy and reducing some domestic expenditures, which could increase annual deficit and national debt. He expressed belief that the Republican Party would support this "most impactful bill in our country's history" and set a July 4th deadline for passage. He promised not to cut benefits for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid recipients, claiming reductions to Medicaid would only target "fraud, waste, and abuse," although analyses generally suggest cutting Medicaid spending is inevitable to meet budget goals.
Additionally, despite facing legal pressure to have TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance sell the app, Trump stated he would not take away this popular application from Americans, and has approved an extension of the sale deadline, even indicating willingness to extend it again if necessary.
I am somewhat dissatisfied with Canada's (defense burden), but I do not see the possibility of using force... Both Ukraine and Russia have massive hatred, making a peace agreement perhaps impossible, but the chances of reaching any agreement are very good...
TikTok is special, it has a warm little corner in my heart, and I promise to protect it very strongly, absolutely not letting it be taken away from Americans.
