Here's what Trump has learned in his first year as president, according to Trump
There's learning on the job, and then there's learning on the job. For Donald Trump, whose first formal foray into political life attained him the highest elected office in the world, adjusting to the presidency required him to ditch some of his oldest convictions, he told reporters Tuesday.
Responding to a question about what he'd learned in his first year in office, President Trump said, "I've really learned a lot." Specifically, he explained, the biggest difference between his previous life as a real estate mogul and his new job as America's preeminent elected official is that now, he has to care about people. "When you're a businessperson, you don't have to worry about your heart," Trump told the gathered news anchors, per CNN's Jake Tapper. "You really do what's best for you — you know, for almost purely monetary reasons."
After reminding the reporters that he built "a great company," Trump reflected on the fact that building a great country is fundamentally different. "What I'm doing now, a lot of it is heart, a lot of it is compassion, a lot of it is far beyond money," he said, citing immigration reform specifically. "If I was doing this purely from an economic standpoint ... [it would be] so simple. But I'm not."
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.
Trump eclipsed the one-year mark 10 days ago — coincidentally, on the day the government shut down over Trump's decision last year to end protections for young undocumented immigrants, which spurred Democrats to hold federal funding hostage. Read Trump's full answer on what he's learned here.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kimberly Alters is the news editor at TheWeek.com. She is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
-
5 capitulating cartoons about the Democrat's shutdown surrenderCartoons Artists take on Democrat's folding, flag-waving, and more
-
How are these Epstein files so damaging to Trump?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As Republicans and Democrats release dueling tranches of Epstein-related documents, the White House finds itself caught in a mess partially of its own making
-
Margaret Atwood’s memoir, intergenerational trauma and the fight to make spousal rape a crime: Welcome to November booksThe Week Recommends This month's new releases include ‘Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts’ by Margaret Atwood, ‘Cursed Daughters’ by Oyinkan Braithwaite and 'Without Consent' by Sarah Weinman
-
Trump DOJ sues to block California redistrictingSpeed Read California’s new congressional map was drawn by Democrats to flip Republican-held House seats
-
GOP retreats from shutdown deal payout provisionSpeed Read Senators are distancing themselves from a controversial provision in the new government funding package
-
Catholic bishops rebuke Trump on immigrationSpeed Read ‘We feel compelled’ to ‘raise our voices in defense of God-given human dignity,’ the bishops said
-
House releases Epstein emails referencing TrumpSpeed Read The emails suggest Trump knew more about Epstein’s sex trafficking of underage women than he has claimed
-
Newsom slams Trump’s climate denial at COP30speed read Trump, who has called climate change a ‘hoax,’ declined to send any officials to this week’s summit
-
UK, Colombia halt intel to US over boat attacksSpeed Read Both countries have suspended intelligence sharing with the US over the bombing of civilian boats suspected of drug smuggling
-
Trump pardons 2020 fake electors, other GOP alliesSpeed Read The president pardoned Rudy Giuliani and more who tried to overturn his 2020 election loss
-
Supreme Court to decide on mail-in ballot limitsSpeed Read The court will determine whether states can count mail-in ballots received after Election Day
