Trump speaks exclusively to NBC News
Over a series of phone calls with “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker on Saturday and Sunday, President Donald Trump told NBC News he “couldn’t care less” if foreign automakers raise prices because of tariffs, said he has no plans to fire top officials over the Signal chat incident and said he was “very angry” and “pissed off” at Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He also discussed his commitment to annexing Greenland, reiterating that a military option wasn’t off the table, and said he hasn’t ruled out seeking a third term.
Here are more highlights from the conversations:
- On tariffs’ impact on car prices: Asked whether he was concerned about prices going up, Trump said, “No, I couldn’t care less, because if the prices on foreign cars go up, they’re going to buy American cars.” He also said the tariffs would be permanent: “The world has been ripping off the United States for the last 40 years and more. And all we’re doing is being fair, and frankly, I’m being very generous.” Read the full story here
- On being ‘pissed off’ at Putin: Trump said he was “very angry” at Putin’s comments criticizing the credibility of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s leadership, adding that the remarks were “not going in the right location.” He said that if he believes Russia is at fault for a ceasefire’s not being reached with Ukraine, he might impose secondary tariffs on Russian oil. Read the full story here
- On a potential third term: Trump said he hasn’t ruled out seeking a third term, which the Constitution prohibits under the 22nd Amendment, saying there were methods to do so and clarifying that he was “not joking.” He also added that “it is far too early to think about it.” Read the full story here
Meet the Press
Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., told “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker on Sunday that the Democratic Party’s brand is “problematic” and that the party “is associated with the educated elites” and “not anymore with working people in this country.”
Bennet called on his party to center working-class and middle-class people again, saying it has “lost touch with working people in our country at a time when 50 years of trickle-down economics has meant that most Americans feel like no matter how hard they work, their kids are not going to live a life better than the life they led.”
Also on “Meet the Press” this week was Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, who disputed the idea he had never met national security adviser Michael Waltz before he was added to a Signal chat with top government officials. Meanwhile, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., defended the messages administration brass sent.
Politics in brief
- Vance angers GOP: Vice President JD Vance’s last-minute concerns about Trump’s decision to strike the Houthis in Yemen angered some senior Republican lawmakers.
- First Amendment fight: Conservative religious activists want to dismantle the longtime understanding of the separation of church and state — and the Supreme Court may be on board.
- A Trump bump? The second Trump administration may have ruffled the feathers of America’s allies, but there is also evidence it has boosted world leaders scrambling to deal with the White House’s norm-busting approach, through either confrontation or diplomacy.
- Musk sparks protests: Protesters gathered around the country Saturday for “Tesla Takedown” demonstrations that targeted CEO Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency.
- More federal layoffs: All but a small group of U.S. Institute of Peace employees received formal termination notices Friday evening, effective immediately, people familiar with the situation told NBC News.
March Madness gets down to business
No. 1 seeds Florida and Duke reached the men’s Final Four with victories Saturday, albeit by taking different routes. The Gators made a furious comeback to defeat No. 3 seed Texas Tech 84-79, while the Blue Devils cruised to an 85-65 victory over No. 3 seed Alabama.
On Sunday, No. 1 seed Houston got off to a flying start against No. 2 seed Tennessee and never looked back in a 69-50 victory.
In the women’s bracket, Paige Bueckers had a career-high 40 points, rescuing UConn from its first-half doldrums and single-handedly turning a tight game against Oklahoma into an 82-59 rout. No. 1 seed South Carolina beat No. 2 seed Duke to reach its fifth straight Final Four.
In case you missed it
- The death toll from the Myanmar earthquake rose to more than 1,600 as the disaster threatened to spill into a humanitarian crisis, with hospitals overwhelmed and aid struggling to reach those in need.
- Hamas agreed to a ceasefire proposal it received from mediators, the group’s leader in Gaza said Saturday, but Israel has submitted a counterproposal to mediators.
- The chair of the charity co-founded by Prince Harry has accused him of “harassment and bullying at scale.”
- California authorities arrested three people last week after a teenage boy with autism was found naked with his hands bound at a grocery store.
- An American woman held by the Taliban in Afghanistan was freed Saturday.
- A single dose of an experimental drug dramatically reduced levels of a deadly form of cholesterol, often thought to be untreatable, for up to one year.
- Richard Chamberlain, the actor known for his roles in miniseries such as “The Thorn Birds” and “Shōgun,” died following complications from a stroke, his representative said. He was 90.
- As bird flu cases in pet cats mount, public health experts warn about raw meat and raw milk.
