Washington – Brussels: Europe and the Arab World

US President Donald Trump appeared on the "60 Minutes" program Sunday night with host Norah O'Donnell, addressing a range of issues, including the economic burdens on Americans, foreign policy challenges, the government shutdown, and other topics. According to the Brussels-based news network Euronews, this rare television interview with Trump came a year after he filed a lawsuit against the same network over an interview with his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, which resulted in the network paying him $16 million to settle the case. It also came at a time when the network's parent company needed his administration's approval for a major merger deal, giving the event particular significance.

Some considered Trump's answers somewhat vague regarding Venezuela. When asked if the US would wage war there, he replied, "I doubt it. I don't think so." However, he later indicated that Maduro's rule was nearing its end, saying, "I can say yes (his days are numbered). I think so, yes." Tariffs

Trump claimed that his administration ended 60% of the world's wars through the threat of tariffs, and asserted that the tariff case to be heard by the Supreme Court next week is "one of the most important cases in the history of the country."

He added, "If we win, we will be the richest and safest country in the world by a considerable margin. If we lose, our country could deteriorate to a level approaching that of Third World countries."

Trump claimed that the tariffs "brought tremendous wealth and national security," noting that "the stock market has reached historic highs many times during my short term, with inflation virtually nonexistent, and unparalleled national security."

He warned that "if the president cannot use the power of tariffs swiftly and skillfully, we will be defenseless, and it could lead to the destruction of our nation," adding that "foreign countries that have taken advantage of us for years, those who hate our country, and the Democrats are following the case because our numbers are incomparably good." Nuclear Tests
Regarding the resumption of nuclear testing, which he ordered the Department of Defense to do last Thursday, the Republican leader accused Moscow and Beijing of conducting secret underground nuclear tests and hinted that his country might follow suit. He also described Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin as "very strong and formidable leaders."

He added that he "does not want his country to be the only one not conducting tests," noting that North Korea and Pakistan also test their nuclear arsenals.

China Denies Testing
China denied testing nuclear weapons. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said, "China has always adhered to the path of peaceful development, followed a policy of no first use of nuclear weapons, maintained a nuclear strategy based on self-defense, and complied with its commitment to suspend nuclear testing."

Threats to Nigeria
The US president reiterated his threats of military action against Nigeria over what he described as violations of the rights of Christians, saying, "It could happen. I mean, maybe other things too. I can imagine a lot of things. They are killing record numbers of Christians in Nigeria. We will not allow that to happen." The Nigerian presidential spokesperson responded to these statements by saying that the United States cannot unilaterally conduct any military operation inside Nigeria, that the threat is based on misleading reports, and that it appears to be part of Trump's "use of force to compel a dialogue."

Tomahawk Missiles
Regarding the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, Trump said he is still capable of ending the conflict, but confirmed that he is not currently considering supplying Kyiv with the long-range Tomahawk missiles that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had requested, while not ruling out changing his mind in the future.

Syria and the Abraham Accords in Saudi Arabia
On the Middle East, he expressed hope that the Abraham Accords would be expanded to include Saudi Arabia, and indicated that the Syrian interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, whom he had previously described as "handsome," might visit the White House soon. He added, "We lifted the sanctions on Syria to give it a chance, and I've heard that its president is doing a very good job." Interview Assessment

Some observers felt Trump appeared relatively relaxed during the interview, while others considered the questions challenging. O'Donnell prompted him to make some controversial statements, including that immigration raids "didn't go far enough," and that "liberal judges" appointed by Democratic Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden "obstructed" the work of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), according to an excerpt from the interview broadcast on the X platform.

At one point, O'Donnell cited documented cases of INS agents using tear gas and smashing car windows against suspected immigrants, including a mother, and asked him, "Do you approve of these tactics?" He replied, "Yes, because these people have to be removed."

She also pressed him further when she asked about Changpeng Zhao, the founder of Binance, whom he pardoned last month. Trump simply responded, "I don't know who he is." The latter had been accused of violating US anti-money laundering requirements related to Binance's operations, and sources told The Wall Street Journal that the pardon came after months of his efforts to support the Trump family's cryptocurrency project.

The interview also revealed Trump's difficulty answering questions about "people struggling with the high cost of living and living paycheck to paycheck," with the Republican leader offering no clear answers and suggesting that his predecessor, Joe Biden, should be blamed.

He also stated that "Democrats caused the government shutdown, while Republicans are voting to end it," and expressed his willingness to meet with Democratic leaders to discuss healthcare reform, but only after the government shutdown is resolved.