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(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump, in a NewsNation town hall Wednesday, said the country is in a transitional period amid economic uncertainty about his tariff policies.
Asked by Bill O’Reilly about the public’s sentiment toward his policies, Trump responded, “I’m an honest guy,” and blamed the Biden administration for handing over a weak economy.
Despite concerns that tariffs could hurt U.S. consumers and the economy, Trump insisted they’re necessary to rebalance trade.
“We’ve been ripped off by other countries,” he said, vowing to convince Americans that the tariffs are “a good thing.”
Live: CUOMO town hall breaks down Trump’s first 100 days
Trump joined NewsNation on Wednesday for a town hall discussing the first 100 days of his second term in office. Trump phoned into the town hall with a live studio audience hosted by Chris Cuomo and Bill O’Reilly alond with Stephen A. Smith.
His comments come as a NewsNation/Decision Desk HQ poll found that immigration remains Trump’s strongest issue, but the economy has American voters increasingly concerned.
Two main priorities for the president have been immigration and tariffs. The administration is facing multiple legal battles over deportation policies and has criticized judges who have ruled against certain policies.
The president is also facing an increased fear of recession after a first-quarter economic report showing a 0.3% drop in GDP and criticism that tariffs will lead to high prices and empty shelves.
Trump acknowledged the political risk of higher prices but told Chris Cuomo, “There’s a very good chance we’re gonna make a deal, but it has to be on our terms,” referencing ongoing talks with China, South Korea, Japan and India.
“If I didn’t take this hardline, India wasn’t interested in negotiating — now they’re calling us,” he said.
82% of voters concerned about recession under Trump: DDHQ poll
He emphasized his flexibility in negotiations, using auto tariffs as an example.
“You have to be able to dodge and move,” Trump said, claiming he reduced tariffs to give manufacturers more time to shift production to the U.S.
Trump signed an executive order allowing for the reimbursement of tariff costs on foreign-made auto parts.
Automakers and independent analyses have indicated that the tariffs could raise prices, reduce sales and make U.S. production less competitive worldwide. Trump portrayed the changes as a bridge toward automakers moving more production into the United States.
On entitlements, Trump insisted: “We’re doing absolutely nothing to hurt Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security.” However, he argued that illegal immigration burdens Medicaid, saying, “A lot of illegal immigrants are on Medicaid.”
Trump also revealed details of his private meeting with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy in Rome over the weekend.
“I told him it’s a very good thing if we can produce a deal and you sign it, because Russia is much stronger,” Trump said. He criticized Biden’s handling of Ukraine funding, claiming, “Europe loans the money and Biden handed them all the money with no strings — Europe gets their money back, we get nothing.”
On diversity, equity and inclusion programs, Trump said the U.S. is now “a country based solely on merit,” and reiterated his position on the recent Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action: “If you’ve worked really hard and get rejected … that’s not fair.”
He said that he’s received “a very, very high Black vote” and that many agree with his position on admissions at elite universities including Harvard.
