President-elect Donald Trump in a television interview that aired Sunday previewed a sweeping agenda for his first days in office, outlining how his administration will prioritize deporting migrants with criminal records, vowing to pursue pardons for January 6 defendants on his first day, and raising the possibility that former Rep. Liz Cheney and other political opponents could face jail time.
At the same time, Trump said he’s open to working with Democrats to preserve the legal status of “Dreamers” — an often-used term for immigrants who were brought to the US as children — even as he stood by campaign pledges of mass deportations and ending birthright citizenship.
“We have to do something about the Dreamers, because these are people that have been brought here at a very young age, and many of these are middle-aged people now. They don’t even speak the language of their country. And yes, we’re going to do something about that,” Trump said in a “Meet the Press” interview with NBC’s Kristen Welker that taped Friday, his first broadcast sit-down since he was elected.
“I will work with the Democrats on a plan, and if we can come up with a plan — but the Democrats have made it very, very difficult to do anything. Republicans are very open to the Dreamers,” he added.
Trump had previously expressed some support for protecting Dreamers during his first term, although his administration tried to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, the Obama-era program that protects them from deportation. That attempt was blocked by the Supreme Court in 2020.
Trump said his administration’s mass deportation efforts will target people with criminal histories, but indicated it could go beyond deporting criminals — without specifying who the “other people outside of criminals” would be. When asked whether he plans to deport every person who has entered the country illegally, he said, “I think you have to do it.”
“It’s a very tough thing to do,” he said, adding, “you know, you have rules, regulations, laws. They came in illegally.”
Asked about families with mixed immigration status — where parents are in the country illegally but their children are not — Trump said, “I don’t want to be breaking up families, so the only way you don’t break up the family is you keep them together, and you have to send them all back.”
Trump also doubled down on his campaign promise to end birthright citizenship, which is protected by the 14th Amendment, and suggested he may attempt to overturn the right through executive action.
“We’re gonna have to get it changed, or maybe I would go back to the people, but we have to end it. We’re the only country that has it,” he said, echoing a false statement he’s made in the past. “If we can, through executive action. I was going to do it through executive action, but then we had to fix Covid first, to be honest with you.”
As CNN has reported, about three dozen countries provide automatic citizenship to people born on their soil.
Investigations and pardons
Trump said he would not seek “retribution” against President Joe Biden and against his political enemies, but he repeatedly left room for his appointees to decide whether to go after specific people. He suggested members of Congress who led the investigations into his conduct during the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol should be put in jail and that he’ll look on his first day at issuing pardons to supporters involved in the riot.
“These people have been there, how long is it? Three or four years? You know, by the way, they’ve been in there for years, and they’re in a filthy, disgusting place that shouldn’t even be allowed to be open,” he said. Nearly 1,200 people either have pleaded guilty or were found guilty at trial for crimes connected to the January 6 attack, according to the Justice Department. More than 645 defendants were ordered to serve some jail time.
Trump said he would not direct his Justice Department to investigate members of Congress and Biden administration officials who led the investigations into his role in January 6, but continued to suggest his DOJ would be justified in deciding to launch investigations without his input.
When asked about the possibility of investigating special counsel Jack Smith, who brought the two since-dropped federal cases against him, Trump said he wants his pick for attorney general, Pam Bondi, to “do what she wants to do.”
“She’s very experienced. I want her to do what she wants to do. I’m not going to instruct her to do it,” he said.
Trump was more direct when speaking about the members of Congress who led the January 6 committee, telling Welker that the co-chairs of the committee — Republican Cheney, who has since left Congress, and Democrat Bennie Thompson — should “go to jail.”
“Cheney was behind it. So is Bennie Thompson and everybody on that committee,” he said. “For what they did, honestly, they should go to jail.”
Trump also suggested that committee members might do well to receive preemptive pardons from Biden to protect themselves from criminal prosecution. CNN reported last week that Biden White House aides, administration officials and prominent defense attorneys in Washington were discussing potential preemptive pardons or legal aid for people who might be targeted by Trump.
“Biden can give them a pardon if he wants to,” Trump said. “And maybe he should.”
In a statement later Sunday, Cheney said, “Donald Trump’s suggestion that members of Congress who later investigated his illegal and unconstitutional actions should be jailed is a continuation of his assault on the rule of law and the foundations of our republic.”
Republican former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, who served on the committee, told CNN’s Manu Raju on Sunday he’s “not worried” about the Trump administration investigating him or his fellow committee members.
The Constitution’s Speech or Debate Clause protects lawmakers from certain law enforcement actions targeted at their legislative duties.
CNN has reached out to Thompson for comment.
Pressed whether he’d direct Bondi or Kash Patel, his pick to lead the FBI, to send them to jail, Trump said, “No, not at all,” before adding, “I think they’ll have to look at that.”
Asked whether he plans to follow up on his frequent campaign promise to investigate Biden — whom he repeatedly labeled as “corrupt” and a “criminal” on the campaign trail — Trump said he doesn’t want to “go back into the past.”
“I’m really looking to make our country successful. I’m not looking to go back into the past,” he said, adding, “Retribution will be through success.”
When asked about previously saying he would direct his Justice Department to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Biden, Trump said he would not do that but left the door open for top DOJ officials to make their own determinations.
“No, I’m not doing that unless I find something that I think is reasonable,” he said. “But that’s not going to be my decision. That’s going to be Pam Bondi’s decision, and, to a different extent, Kash Patel, assuming they’re both there, and I think they’re both going to get approved.” Trump has tapped Patel to lead the FBI, despite the current director, Trump appointee Christopher Wray, still having several years left in his 10-year term.
Throughout the interview, Trump at times struck a more temperate tone toward his political opponents and appeared to prioritize uniting the country over exacting vengeance. He said he plans to make unity a central theme of his inauguration address and expressed confidence that his administration will achieve a level of success that will bring the country together.
But Trump invoked similar calls for unity at various points throughout his campaign — including in the wake of the first assassination attempt against him — before often reverting to bitter, divisive rhetoric and personal attacks. During the NBC interview, Trump again refused to concede that he lost the 2020 presidential election.
‘Can’t guarantee’ tariffs won’t raise prices
In the interview, Trump further previewed his plan to levy additional tariffs on three of the nation’s largest trading partners — Mexico, Canada and China. He again argued the US is “subsidizing” those countries and said tariff hikes will create a more equitable economy for the US and its allies. But Trump said he “can’t guarantee” tariffs won’t lead to increased prices on goods for Americans, as economists have suggested.
“I can’t guarantee anything. I can’t guarantee tomorrow,” he said, before claiming that during his first presidency “we had no inflation” and that the tariffs he imposed “cost Americans nothing.” Both of these claims are false, as CNN has fact-checked.
Trump also said he does not intend to replace Jerome Powell, the chair of the Federal Reserve, when he takes office.
Responding to concerns that his initiative to reduce government spending, spearheaded by tech entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, could lead to cuts to entitlement programs, Trump promised not to make cuts to Social Security or raise the retirement age to begin receiving benefits. But he did say his administration would look to make the program “more efficient.”
Ramaswamy has previously said his and Musk’s initiative, the Department of Government Efficiency, would seek to eliminate “waste, fraud and abuse” in entitlement programs.
After tapping Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a leading vaccine skeptic who has promoted anti-vaccine conspiracy theories, as his pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, Trump said he’s open to Kennedy looking into eliminating childhood vaccines “if they’re dangerous for the children.” He then falsely suggested that vaccines have contributed to a rise in autism diagnoses, a claim that has been repeatedly debunked.
Trump continued to tout his isolationist foreign policy agenda, teasing possible movements away from US allies in Europe. He refused to commit to keeping the US in NATO for the duration of his term, saying if NATO allies did not increase their contributions to funding the organization’s defense expenditures, he would “absolutely” consider withdrawing. And when asked whether Ukraine should prepare to receive less US aid when he takes office, Trump said “possibly, probably, sure.”
Trump, who will be the oldest person sworn in as president, again committed to releasing his medical records, saying he has “no problem with it” and “I think anybody should.” He has previously released letters from his personal physicians outlining his health but has not released detailed accounts of his medical history.
CNN’s Rashard Rose and Jamie Gangel contributed reporting.
Donald Trump’s Message to Americans Who Didn’t Vote for Him
In a Sunday morning interview with NBC News’ Meet the Press, President-elect Donald Trump addressed Americans who didn’t vote for him in this year’s election.
In November, Trump reached the 270 electoral votes needed to win back the White House, a historic comeback for a former president who refused to concede his loss to President Joe Biden four years ago. His win over Vice President Kamala Harris—the first woman of color to top a major party’s ticket—is the second time he has defeated a female opponent in a presidential election, after defeating Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Harris’ ascent to the top of the Democratic ticket was unusual as she became the party’s nominee after Biden, 81, exited the race in late July amid concerns about his advanced age following a disastrous debate performance against Trump the month prior.
But Trump, 78, is now the oldest person elected president. Notably, he improved on his 2020 performance with most demographics to win back several key battlegrounds that he lost to Biden four years ago, including Pennsylvania and Georgia.
On Sunday, Trump appeared on Meet the Press and sat down with host Kristen Welker for his first major interview since winning the election.
When asked by Welker about what he wanted to tell the Americans who didn’t vote for him, the president-elected said, “I’m going to treat you every bit as well as I have treated the greatest MAGA [Make America Great Again] supporters.”
He continued: “These people are so dedicated to making America great again. It’s very simple. And I’m going to treat them just the same as I treat MAGA. We’ll treat everybody good. We want success for our country, we want safety for our country…I want to treat everybody the same. I want to treat them well. But we have to get the criminals out of our country. We have to bring down crime. People have to be able to walk across the street and buy a loaf a bread without being shot. And that’s going to happen. But what I say to them is, I love you, and we’re going to all work together. And we’re going to bring it together. And you know what’s going to bring it together? Success.”
Newsweek has reached out to Trump’s team via email for comment on Sunday morning.
Trump also told Welker his inaugural address next month would focus on a message of unity.
“It’s going to be a message of unity, and I think success brings unity. And I’ve experienced that. I’ve experienced it in my first term, as I’ve said. We’re going to be talking about unity, and we’re going to be talking about success. Making our country safe. Keeping people that shouldn’t be in our country out, we have to do that. I know it doesn’t sound nice, but we have to do that. Basically, it’s going to be about bringing our country together,” he said.
However, this comes after concerns still remain over Trump’s upcoming presidency with issues such as abortion and immigration at the forefront.
According to a CNN exit poll, a majority of women had voted for Harris with 53 percent compared to 45 percent of women for Trump as the country remains divided on women’s reproductive health.
During his campaign, Trump has said abortion was a state issue and that he would not sign a national abortion ban if it came across his desk. However, since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, concerns remain as conservatives have sought to restrict abortion access in many states.
Online misogyny has surged in the wake of Trump’s victory, with mentions of the phrase “your body, my choice” increasing by 5,150 percent from November 5 to 9. In response to the election results, some women are speaking publicly about their concerns over what will happen to abortions rights and women’s health under Trump’s second administration.
In addition, a number of women have joined the 4B movement, abstaining from romantic and sexual relationships with men and are shaving their heads.
Meanwhile, divided concerns remain as the incoming administration prepares to take office and promises mass deportations for illegal immigrants. In response, California lawmakers are taking proactive steps to defend the state’s values and protect its immigrant community.
In a move aimed at ensuring the state is ready for any potential challenges from the federal government, the California legislature has kicked off a special session to provide additional resources for legal action if needed.
“We need to be prepared, and while we hope to collaborate and avoid litigation, we have a responsibility to California residents and taxpayers to make sure we’re not caught flat-footed,” Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, who represents the San Fernando Valley and chairs the Assembly Budget Committee, previously told Newsweek.
5 takeaways from Trump’s ‘Meet the Press’ interview
President-elect Trump’s first sit-down interview since winning a second White House term aired Sunday, giving the public a view into his mindset as he prepares to return to office.
Trump spoke with “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker, and the two discussed Trump’s plans for his first day in office, some of his controversial Cabinet choices, and whether he would like the Justice Department to go after his critics and rivals.
Here are five takeaways from the interview.
Questions about retribution
One of the biggest questions facing Trump is whether he will use the Justice Department to go after critics and political rivals, something he has previously spoken about as he faced criminal charges of his own.
In his interview with NBC, Trump indicated he would not explicitly order his appointees to go after his rivals, even as he continued to attack special counsel Jack Smith and again suggested lawmakers who investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, like former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), should be in jail.
Welker asked Trump about Kash Patel, his choice to lead the FBI, who has spoken about the need to target the “deep state.”
“If they think that somebody was dishonest or crooked or a corrupt politician, I think he probably has an obligation to do it,” Trump said.
“Are you going to direct him to do it?” Welker asked.
“No. Not at all. Not at all,” Trump responded.
He similarly said he would leave it up to his nominee for attorney general, Pam Bondi, to determine whether to prosecute figures like special counsel Jack Smith, who led the investigations into Trump in recent years.
“I will say this, no, I’m not doing that unless I find something that I think is reasonable, but that’s not going to be my decision,” Trump said. “That’s going to be Pam Bondi’s decision, and, to a different extent, Kash Patel, assuming they’re both there, and I think they’re both going to get approved.”
Trump did suggest he would not specifically go after President Biden, telling Welker he was “not looking to go back into the past. I’m looking to make our country successful.”
Outlining immigration crackdown
Trump made clear during his interview with “Meet the Press” that his vow to deport millions of individuals in the country illegally and, more broadly, reshape the immigration system was not idle talk on the campaign trail.
“You have no choice. First of all, they’re costing us a fortune. But we’re starting with the criminals and we’ve got to do it. And then we’re starting with others, and we’re going to see how it goes,” Trump said.
The president-elect echoed comments from his appointed border czar, Tom Homan, saying families with mixed immigration status could be deported together to avoid being separated.
Trump said he still intends to end birthright citizenship, something he previously listed as a task for his first day in office. But doing so would almost certainly face legal challenges, as the 14th Amendment says “all persons born in the United States are citizens.”
“Well, we’re going to have to get it changed,” Trump said on NBC. “We’ll maybe have to go back to the people. But we have to end it. We’re the only country that has it, you know.”
Trump did signal an openness to finding a way for Dreamers, undocumented individuals brought to the U.S. at a young age, to stay in the United States.
“The Dreamers are going to come later, and we have to do something about the Dreamers because these are people that have been brought here at a very young age. And many of these are middle-aged people now,” Trump said. “They don’t even speak the language of their country. And yes, we’re going to do something about the Dreamers.”
A glimpse at Day 1 and beyond
Trump’s interview was his first major sit-down since winning the election, and it offered insight into what the president-elect intends to prioritize upon taking office.
Trump told Welker he would likely act on his first day to pardon individuals involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, storming of the Capitol, including those who have pleaded guilty.
He repeated his mantra that he would “drill, baby, drill,” a nod to his plans to roll back regulations and increase drilling for oil.
And he doubled down on his pledge to carry out mass deportations upon taking office, despite the financial and logistical hurdles.
Trump also gave some insights into other policy views likely to shape his second term. He told Welker he would not raise the age requirement for Social Security or Medicare, that he was inclined to leave current conditions around access to abortion pills as they are, and that he agreed the federal minimum wage was a “low number.”
He also left open the possibility of replacing ObamaCare “if we find something better,” and suggested the U.S. could look to leave the NATO alliance if other members do not increase their contributions to defense spending.
No guarantees on tariff consequences
Tariffs are a cornerstone of Trump’s proposed economic agenda, and he would not guarantee that they would not increase consumer costs.
“Can you guarantee American families won’t pay more?” Welker asked.
“I can’t guarantee anything. I can’t guarantee tomorrow. But I can say that if you look at my — just pre-COVID, we had the greatest economy in the history of our country,” Trump responded.
For months, the president-elect has pledged to impose blanket tariffs on all imports, a plan economists have warned could spike the cost of goods in the United States and cause companies to pass along increased costs to consumers. But Trump has shrugged off those concerns, claiming the tariffs will cause more companies to do business inside the U.S.
Trump, in recent weeks, threatened tariffs against Canada and Mexico, two of the United States’s biggest trading partners, unless they did more to crack down on the flow of migrants and illegal drugs across the border.
“Tariffs are a — properly used, are a very powerful tool, not only economically, but also for getting other things outside of economics,” Trump said.
Standing by controversial picks
Trump has already seen one Cabinet nominee withdraw from consideration in Matt Gaetz, his first choice to serve as attorney general, but he offered praise for others likely to face intense scrutiny from the Senate.
The interview took place as Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick to lead the Pentagon, is facing a steep climb to get confirmed amid allegations of sexual misconduct and excessive drinking at his previous jobs.
“He’s a very smart guy. I’ve known him through Fox, but I’ve known him for a long time,” Trump said of Hegseth. “And he’s basically a military guy. I mean I — any time I talk to him, all he wants to talk about is the military. He’s a military guy.”
Trump was asked about Patel, his choice to lead the FBI, and his past criticism of Democrats and journalists whom he considered parts of the “deep state.” The president-elect said he felt confident Patel would get confirmed.
Trump offered his support for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., his choice to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Kennedy is likely to be grilled over his antivaccine rhetoric and other controversial views on raw milk and fluoride.
Trump, in the interview, said Kennedy would look into any connection between vaccines and autism, even though there is no evidence of a link between the two.
“He’s not going to upset any system,” Trump said of Kennedy. “He’s not looking to reinvent the wheel totally. But when you look at the numbers, we really don’t have a very healthy country.”
