Just moments into President Donald Trump's latest sit-down at Mar-a-Lago with NBC News' "Meet the Press," Trump was forced to rebuke bias by host Kristen Welker's line of questioning, even if the interview ultimately featured her changing her tone and even smiling and adopting Trump's messaging.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, this is such a dishonest interview already," Trump told Welker in a wide-ranging interview to mark his administration's 100-day milestone this past week, blasting her for cherry-picking data points to tarnish his work in contrast to massive Biden-era inflation — by suggesting that using tariffs to rework global trade is causing prices to rise.
"Prices are down on groceries. Prices are down on oil. Prices are down for oil and energy, prices are down at tremendous numbers for gasoline, and let me tell you, when you have the big thing what he did: He spent, like, a stupid person, which he was, but he spent like a very stupid person and that was bad for inflation, but what really killed us with inflation was the price of energy."
Trump has had a long history with Welker, having rebuked her presidential debate moderation and lines of questioning, but he agreed to a 100-day sit-down this week just months after having a March sit-down with the host he has often rebuked for being biased.
Trump pushed back on Welker's adoption of China's negative statement on Trump's use of tariffs to rebalance global trade, particularly as Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick told Newsmax that China benefits from a $1 trillion annual trade surplus with the U.S.
"First of all, you're giving me a [Chinese] statement that was said a week ago," Trump shot back at Welker, who appeared at times to soften her line of questioning and even acknowledging the power of Trump's "political movement" having "transformed" American politics. "You're not giving the statement that was said today. Do you know what they said today?"
Welker rattled a reading of a statement, but Trump noted she was cherry-picking.
"They made [over] time numerous statements," Trump said. "I can give you a statement for any occasion. They said today they want to talk.
"Look, China — I'm don't like this, I'm not happy about this — China is getting killed right now. They're getting absolutely destroyed. Their factories are closing, their unemployment is going through the roof. I'm not looking to do that to China.
"Now, at the same time, I'm not looking to have China make hundreds of billions of dollars and build more ships, army tanks and airplanes."
Trump navigated through the lengthy interview, rejecting leftist media narratives and Welker's adoption of those talking points in her questioning, including on the June 14 "birthday" parade, talk of trying to get around the Constitution's 22nd Amendment on running for president for a third time in 2028, more criticism on tariffs leading to a "recession," and small businesses hurt by Trump's levies.
"Why do you always mention a couple of little businesses?" Trump shot back on the tariff issue. "What about the car business? They'll make a fortune.
"Why aren't you mentioning the car business instead of someone making strollers?"
Liberal media cherry-picked Trump comments this past week about kids not needing "30 dolls from China."
"No, I think the tariffs will be great for us because it will make us rich," Trump told Welker, rejecting the narrative that tariffs will hinder Trump's campaign vow to repair record-high Biden-era inflation.
"I don't think a beautiful baby girl needs — that's 11 years old — needs to have 30 dolls. They can have three dolls or four dolls because what we were doing with China is unbelievable. We lost hundreds of billions with China."
Welker then asked if Trump was ready for Biden-era "empty store shelves."
"No, I'm not saying that," Trump said. "I'm saying they don't need to have 30 dolls. They can have three. They don't need 250 pencils; they can have five."
Trump stressed we do not need to "waste money on a trade deficit with China for things we don't need, for junk we don't need," which led him to rebuke the "dishonest interview" just a few minutes in.
Welker did appear to come around and adopt more of Trump's messaging in her line of questioning, including her admission: "Let's talk about deportation: Border crossings are at their lowest level ever recorded."
"Is that good?" Trump interjected with smug confidence, prompting a Welker smile.
"Is the border secure?" Welker added, lobbing a rare softball to contrast with the Biden-era narratives on the border.
"It's absolutely secure," Trump said. "Doesn't that just sound good?
"After being abused for years by an incompetent president that allowed people to pour through an open border, criminals and insane people from mental institutions and insane asylums: Isn't it a beautiful thing when you say it's the most secure its ever been in the history of the country? Isn't that a nice statement?"
In one of the more divisive exchanges, Trump reminded Welker he is not a lawyer and relies on his Justice Department and legal counsel to decide the legality of Trump administrative actions that activist lawyers, Democrats, and their Democrat-appointed judges oppose and obstruct.
"Are you defying the Supreme Court?" Welker asked on the issue of deporting criminal aliens like alleged MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
"No, I'm relying on the attorney general of the United States Pam Bondi, who is very capable, doing a great job, because I'm not involved in the legality or the illegality. I have lawyers to do that, and that's why I have a great DOJ. We have a great one. We had a very corrupt one before. Now we have a great one."
While the leftist media is claiming the Supreme Court ordered Abrego Garcia to be brought back to America after deportation to his home country of El Salvador, Trump noted the White House position is the Supreme Court agrees it cannot tell the president what to do on foreign policy and force it to bring back the alleged member of MS-13, which is a U.S. designated terrorist organization.
On the media calling for "due process" for illegal aliens, Trump said, "I don't know, I'm not a lawyer."
Welker conflated "due process" for illegals to not upholding the Constitution.
"I don't know: I have to respond by saying, again, I have brilliant lawyers that work for me, and they are going to obviously follow what the Supreme Court said," Trump said. "What you said is not what I heard what the Supreme Court said.
"They have a different interpretation."
Before the interview turned far less combative than usual Trump interviews with left-leaning media like NBC and Welker, Trump rebuked Welker's cherry-picking on adopting anti-Trump narratives from Wall Street in lieu of the pro-Trump statements from executives on the efforts to make for true free and fair trade by leveraging reciprocal tariffs to rework trade deals.
"Some people on Wall Street have expressed concerns that the possibility of a recession is increasing, and I want to know what you think about that: Are you comfortable with the country potentially dipping into a recession for a period of time if you are able to achieve your long-term goal?" Welker asked.
"You say some people on Wall Street," Trump said. "Well, I can tell you something else. Some people on Wall Street say that we're going to have to have the greatest economy in history. Why don't you talk about them?
"Because some people on Wall Street say this is the greatest thing that ever happened."
Welker tried to pin Trump down on admitting he would be "worried about recession."
"No," Trump said.
"Remember this: Look, yeah, everything's OK. What we are — I said this is a transition period. I think we're going to do fantastically."
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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