In an extended “60 Minutes” interview that touched nearly every corner of domestic and foreign policy, President Donald Trump defended his aggressive trade and foreign policy decisions, claimed credit for ending multiple global conflicts, and said he would resume U.S. nuclear weapons testing if other nations continued theirs.
Trump described tariffs as “national security and great wealth,” crediting them for what he called the strongest stock market and economy in U.S. history. He said his administration’s trade deal with China ended the “rare earth threat” and generated “billions of dollars” in tariff revenue. Trump also warned that if the Supreme Court limits presidential tariff authority, “our economy will go to hell.”
He tied the tariff strategy to a broader industrial revival, claiming $17 trillion in new domestic investment and a wave of semiconductor and auto plant construction. Trump asserted that companies were relocating to the U.S. “to avoid tariffs,” and said the nation was now leading the artificial intelligence race because of deregulation and energy self-sufficiency.
Pledges nuclear testing, says others already do it
The president said the United States would begin nuclear weapons testing, arguing that “Russia and China test, but don’t talk about it.” He called testing essential for deterrence and safety: “You make nuclear weapons, you have to test them.” When pressed, he insisted his modernization program had already produced “the best” arsenal in the world.
Trump asserted that his diplomacy ended “eight wars,” listing conflicts from the Middle East to South Asia, and said he used tariff threats to force peace in several regions. He repeated that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would not have happened under his watch, called it “Biden’s war,” and vowed to reach a settlement within months.
On China, Trump said relations were strong but warned Beijing not to act militarily against Taiwan. “He understands the consequences,” Trump said of Chinese President Xi Jinping, refusing to specify what U.S. action he would take.
He also confirmed the U.S. military buildup near Venezuela, saying the operation aimed to stop drug trafficking and punish countries that “emptied their prisons into our country.”
Trump blamed Democrats for the ongoing government shutdown, accusing them of blocking funding extensions to gain “leverage.” He said he would not concede “a trillion and a half dollars” for welfare or health care to undocumented immigrants and prisoners.
He also rejected criticism of aggressive immigration enforcement, saying federal raids had not gone “far enough.” Asked whether nonviolent workers faced deportation, he said all who entered illegally “have to go out,” but added that some could return “legally.”
Addressing recent attacks and assassination attempts, Trump said “the left” bore most responsibility and called for reduced rhetoric. He blamed “fake news” for inflaming division and said media distrust had reached “the teens.”
Throughout the interview, Trump depicted his presidency as restoring respect abroad and strength at home. “We’re not threatened right now,” he said. “We’re not going to be threatened as long as we have a strong, smart president.”
