Trump says he's a 'very suspicious person,' but will keep an open mind dealing with world leaders


During his interview Wednesday with Reuters, President Trump revealed he is a "very suspicious person" who does not go around "trusting lots of people," but is willing to meet and work with Russian President Vladimir Putin because he's the head of the "second most powerful nuclear power on Earth."
Both presidents love their countries, he said, "but I do things the way I do things, and it's just worked out." Their meeting last Friday during the G-20 summit was "very productive," he said. "Including the fact that I think we have a good shot at piece by piece getting Syria to stop fighting. Ultimately Ukraine. And other things, including the destruction of terrorists as we know them." Trump said the cease-fire in Syria is "totally holding" because "Putin told them, as opposed to somebody that nobody ever heard of. Putin and I agreed to it, and we have a four-day cease-fire. That means many lives have already been saved because of four days."
Trump asserted he was "very tough with President Putin," and called their relationship "very important. It's going to be a relationship where lots of lives could be saved, like as an example with the cease-fire, which nobody else could have gotten but me." Trump took credit for oil prices going down and the United States military having more equipment, and said because of that, he can't be sure if Putin likes him. "It's really the one question I wish I would have asked Putin: 'Were you actually supporting me?'" he said. "I would bet that inwardly, Putin would have been against me."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Before the interview was over, Trump declared the mood in the White House is "fantastic," despite reports, featuring interviews with his inner circle, that state otherwise, and said he's done "more in five months than practically any president in history."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Gandhi arrests: Narendra Modi's 'vendetta' against India's opposition
The Explainer Another episode threatens to spark uproar in the Indian PM's long-running battle against the country's first family
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK
-
How the woke right gained power in the US
Under the radar The term has grown in prominence since Donald Trump returned to the White House
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK
-
Codeword: April 24, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
By The Week Staff
-
Musk vows DOGE pullback as Tesla profits plunge
Speed Read The Tesla SEO says he will soon step back from government matters to devote more time to the company
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
IMF sees slump from tariffs, Trump tries to calm markets
Speed Read The International Monetary Fund predicts the U.S. and global economies will slow significantly due to the president's trade war
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
DHS chief Kristi Noem's purse stolen from eatery
Speed Read Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's purse was stolen while she dined with family at a restaurant in Washington, D.C.
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump stands by Hegseth amid ouster reports
Speed Read The president dismissed reports that he was on the verge of firing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over a second national security breach
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Hegseth reportedly shared war plans in 2nd group text
Speed Read The defense secretary sent information about an attack in Yemen to a Signal group chat that included his wife and brother
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Judge threatens Trump team with criminal contempt
Speed Read James Boasberg attempts to hold the White House accountable for disregarding court orders over El Salvador deportation flights
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Biden slams Trump's Social Security cuts
Speed Read In his first major public address since leaving office, Biden criticized the Trump administration's 'damage' and 'destruction'
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
El Salvador refuses to return US deportee
Speed Read President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador said he would not send back the unlawfully deported Kilmar Ábrego García
By Peter Weber, The Week US