Trump's first interview as the 47th President of the USA: What did he say, and did he mention Ukraine?

Donald Trump gave his first television interview as President of the United States, addressing a wide range of topics, primarily focusing on domestic policy. He reiterated his claim that there would have been no war in Ukraine if he had been president.

RBK-Ukraine highlights Trump's key statements from his Fox News interview.

In the interview, Trump emphasized past grievances and his plans to move America forward. Journalist Sean Hannity asked questions on various topics, including the federal government's role in disaster relief, the deployment of troops at the Mexican border, and the reason he pardoned the participants of the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.

"A lot of work" due to Biden's policies

Joe Biden left the presidency with a mere 36% approval rating. This fact and the Democrats' departure from power remain one of Trump's favorite targets.

When asked what it feels like to return to the Oval Office after four years, he stated that he has "a lot of work to do" and that many things should not have happened during Biden's administration.

"We wouldn't have inflation, we wouldn't have the disaster in Afghanistan, we wouldn't have October 7 in Israel, where so many people died, and we wouldn't have the war in Ukraine," Trump said.

He also claimed that the Democrats lost the election because they "let the country down and are only good at cheating."

A hint at possible prosecution of Biden

Upon leaving the White House in 2021, Trump had the opportunity to grant himself a preemptive pardon but declined, believing he had done nothing wrong despite public attempts to overturn his election defeat.

Now Trump suggests that former President Biden made a mistake by not taking that opportunity. "This guy went around giving pardons to everyone. And you know what's funny, or maybe sad, is that he didn't pardon himself... He has very bad advisors. Someone advised Joe Biden to pardon everyone except himself," he said.

Later, he remarked that he had a tough time because of Biden.

"I went through four years of hell created by this scoundrel. I spent millions on legal fees, and I won, but I did it the hard way. And it's very hard to say that they shouldn't have to go through all this," Trump stated.

When asked if he would like Congress to investigate Biden, he replied, "I think we'll let Congress decide." Additionally, in his opinion, the Attorney General could "pull off a big number" regarding his 2016 election rival Hillary Clinton, although Trump allegedly opposes this personally.

Why he pardoned Capitol riot participants

For the second day in a row, Trump faced questions regarding his pardons for those accused of rioting at the Capitol, who engaged in violence against police officers. In the interview, he referred to some of the incidents as "minor incidents."

"They were there (in jail, - ed.) for three and a half years... they were treated in a way that no one has ever been treated. So badly. They were treated like the worst criminals in history," he explained his decision to pardon over 1,500 individuals.

This number includes top leaders of the far-right groups Oath Keepers and Proud Boys.

"Some of these people had run-ins with the police, that's true. But these were very minor incidents. They were blown out of proportion by a few fake guys who are always on CNN," Trump added.

No concerns about China and TikTok

Trump dismissed concerns about China and TikTok, believing that the media platform does not pose as great a threat to U.S. national security as its opponents claim.

"You're dealing with a lot of young people. How important is it for China to... spy on young people, on kids watching crazy videos?" he asked.

Notably, on his first day in office, Trump took measures to save TikTok in the U.S., which was at risk of being banned. The president granted a 75-day extension and began working on a deal for its sale to an American company.

When asked about TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese parent company ByteDance and thus subject to China's data collection requirements, being a "spy app for Chinese communists," Trump replied that any gadget from China could be used to spy on Americans.

"You can say that about anything made in China. Look, most of our phones are made in China. We have so many things made in China. So why don't they mention that?" the president said.

Assassination attempt and promise regarding Kennedy's murder

The assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024, according to Trump, strengthened his faith in God. Previously, he spoke about the attempt in his inaugural speech, reflecting on how close he came to death.

"I don't think I've changed, but I think there's something to it. Because if you look at the statistics, I shouldn't be here (in the White House, - ed.)," he said in the interview.

Trump also reiterated his promise to release materials regarding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. According to him, part of the documents were released during his first term, but then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo dissuaded him from further disclosure.

"I did that with Kennedy, to a certain extent. But some government officials asked me not to do it, and you know, you have to respect them," he said, adding that he would immediately release the files after reviewing the information.

Did Trump mention the war in Ukraine?

In the Fox News interview, the new President of the United States mentioned the war in Ukraine only once. This occurred in a segment criticizing Biden's policies. He repeated the standard phrase that the war would not have started if he had been president.

Earlier, Trump noted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's willingness for peace but emphasized that "it takes two to tango," meaning Russia's willingness is necessary.

He stated that his administration was already negotiating with Ukrainian authorities. As for Putin, efforts were underway to arrange a phone call. Trump also described the introduction of even tougher sanctions as "quite likely" if Russia refuses negotiations.

It is possible that Donald Trump addressed foreign policy issues in the second part of the Fox News interview, which will be published today at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (January 24 at 4:00 AM Kyiv time).