Donald Trump Reveals His Next 5 Moves - Speaks On Tariffs, Obama & Iran | PBD Podcast | 489

Episode Overview

• Former President Donald Trump discusses his economic strategy, centered on using tariffs as a primary tool to protect American industry and negotiate with corporations like Apple.
• He outlines his "peace through strength" foreign policy, detailing his use of sanctions against Iran and making the claim he would end the Russia-Ukraine war before taking office.
• Trump reflects on his relationship with the media, taking credit for coining the term "fake news" and for the subsequent decline in public trust in mainstream news organizations.
• The conversation covers his efforts to appeal to minority voters, specifically through securing permanent funding for HBCUs and passing the First Step Act for criminal justice reform.

Key Concepts

• Tariffs as a Primary Economic Tool: Trump champions the use of tariffs to incentivize domestic manufacturing and protect American jobs, citing specific conversations with Apple's Tim Cook and threats made to halt Chinese auto plant construction in Mexico.
• "Fake News" and Media Relations: Trump claims he originated the term "fake news" and that his confrontational approach was a necessary and successful campaign to combat dishonest reporting, directly causing a decline in the media's public credibility.
• Foreign Policy Through Strength: Trump asserts that crippling economic sanctions on Iran were singularly focused on preventing them from obtaining a nuclear weapon. He believes this same approach would allow him to settle the Russia-Ukraine conflict as president-elect.
• National Security Threats: Trump distinguishes between what he perceives as the most significant dangers to the country, stating that the primary existential threat is "nuclear warming," not "global warming."
• Criminal Justice Reform: The conversation highlights the bipartisan passage of the First Step Act, which Trump credits as a major achievement that earned him praise from figures like CNN's Van Jones.
• Appealing to Minority Voters: Trump connects his policy actions, such as securing long-term funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), to his growing support within the Black community.

Quotes

• At 0:20 - "'The real threat isn't global warming. The real threat is nuclear warming.' - Trump, defining what he believes is the most significant danger to the world."
• At 28:29 - "You are fake news." - A clip from a 2017 press conference where Trump points at CNN correspondent Jim Acosta and refuses his question, marking a pivotal moment in his public battle with the media.
• At 34:44 - "I said, 'Tim, you have to build your plants in the United States. I want Apple to build their plants in the US.'" - Trump describes his direct conversation with Apple CEO Tim Cook, using the leverage of tariffs to push for domestic manufacturing.
• At 51:22 - "I think it's the most beautiful word in the dictionary, more beautiful than love, more beautiful than any word I know: tariff." - Trump expresses his admiration for tariffs as a powerful tool for economic negotiation and national wealth-building.
• At 1:02:22 - "I think the world's going to behave, and I think I will settle Russia, Ukraine while I'm president-elect... and it'll be settled. Before I even get to office, I'll have it settled." - Trump making a significant claim about his ability to end the war in Ukraine between the election and inauguration.

Takeaways

• Trump's economic vision relies heavily on the aggressive use of tariffs as a primary lever to reshape global trade and bring manufacturing back to the United States.
• He views his "peace through strength" doctrine and direct, personal negotiation style as the most effective means of conducting foreign policy and resolving international conflicts.
• Trump frames his adversarial relationship with the media not as a defense, but as a deliberate and successful offensive that fundamentally altered public perception of news institutions.
• Specific policy achievements like the First Step Act and HBCU funding are central to his narrative of why his support is growing among minority demographics.