President Trump's interview Thursday with The New York Times only lasted 30 minutes, but it was enough time for Trump to declare he knows more about "the big bills" than "any president that's ever been in office," share he believes Special Counsel Robert Mueller's inquiry into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election "makes the country look very bad," and say 16 separate times "no collusion" between Russia and his campaign has been discovered so far.
The Russia probe puts "the country in a very bad position," Trump told the Times during an interview in West Palm Beach with no lawyers or aides present, and "the sooner it's worked out, the better it is for the country." He also declared he has the "absolute right to do what I want to do with the Justice Department. But for purposes of hopefully thinking I'm going to be treated fairly, I've stayed uninvolved with this particular matter." Regarding his indicted former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, Trump tried to distance himself, saying Manafort "only worked for me for a few months. Paul worked for Ronald Reagan. His firm worked for John McCain, worked for Bob Dole, worked for many Republicans for far longer than he worked for me."
He appeared to take offense at reports that he doesn't understand the new tax legislation, telling the Times, "I know the details of taxes better than anybody. Better than the greatest C.P.A. I know the details of health care better than most, better than most." Not only that, but he knows more about "the big bills" than "any president that's ever been in office."
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.
For more on Trump's thoughts on bipartisanship and why he thinks media outlets "basically have to let me win" in 2020, visit The New York Times.
-
Critics’ choice: Watering holes for gourmandsFeature An endless selection of Mexican spirits, a Dublin-inspired bar, and an upscale Baltimore pub
-
Argentinian beef is at the center of American farmers’ woesThe Explainer ‘It feels like a slap in the face to rural America,’ said one farmer
-
‘Businesses that lose money and are uncompetitive won’t survive’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Senate votes to kill Trump’s Brazil tariffSpeed Read Five Senate Republicans joined the Democrats in rebuking Trump’s import tax
-
Border Patrol gets scrutiny in court, gains power in ICESpeed Read Half of the new ICE directors are reportedly from DHS’s more aggressive Customs and Border Protection branch
-
Shutdown stalemate nears key pain pointsSpeed Read A federal employee union called for the Democrats to to stand down four weeks into the government standoff
-
Trump vows new tariffs on Canada over Reagan adspeed read The ad that offended the president has Ronald Reagan explaining why import taxes hurt the economy
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations
