Takeaways From President Trump's 60 Minutes Interview
President Donald Trump spoke on climate change, his immigration policy and much more during an extensive 60 minutes interview.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. The FBI, on the sidelines during the fierce debate over whether Brett Kavanaugh should be on the Supreme Court, will now play a central role in shaping the outcome of his nomination in a short probe Trump called a “blessing in disguise.” Photographer: Chris Kleponis/Pool via Bloomberg
As we experience more extreme weather than we’ve ever had before—including the terrifying and deadly Hurricane Michael sweeping away communities in Florida—more and more scientists continue to warn us about the irreversible impact and deadly consequences of climate change.
Still, President Donald Trump continues to deny that humans are having a direct impact.
In an extensive interview with 60 minutes that covered a plethora of topics, Trump acknowledged that “something” (i.e., climate change) is happening, but that, “It’ll change back again.”
As if we’re talking about turning on and off lights, or gaining or losing weight.
“I think something’s happening. Something’s changing and it’ll change back again,” he told CBS’ Lesley Stahl. “I don’t think it’s a hoax. I think there’s probably a difference. But I don’t know that it’s manmade. I will say this: I don’t want to give trillions and trillions of dollars. I don’t want to lose millions and millions of jobs.”
Trump also expressed the opinion that scientists have some kind of ulterior motive. When asked what he’d say about the scientists who are insistent that the impact on our planet is worse than ever, Trump quipped, “You’d have to show me the scientists because they have a very big political agenda.”
Climate change wasn’t the only thing that was covered in the interview, Trump was also, predictably, asked a lot about his policy, including the controversial family separations at the US border.
Trump declined to give Stahl a straight-forward answer on whether he intended to continue enforcing his administrations “zero tolerance” immigration policy. Instead, Trump deflected, using the expected talking point that Obama maintained the same policy.
“It was on the books, but he didn’t enforce it. You enforced it,” Stahl pointed out.
The two went back and forth between a few topic changes before Trump complained that he was being treated differently than Obama.
“I disagree, but I don’t want to have that fight with you,” Stahl responded.
“Hey, it’s OK,” Trump said.
“All right, I’ll get in another fight with you,” Stahl said, trying to get the interview back on track and change topics.
“Lesley, it’s OK. In the meantime, I’m President, and you’re not,” Trump said.
Trump also took some time to address First Lady Melania Trump’s comments about not trusting aides in the White House.
“I’m usually guarded,” the president said. “And I think I’m guarded anyway. But I’m not saying I trust everybody in the White House. I’m not a baby. It’s a tough business. This is a vicious place. Washington, DC, is a vicious, vicious place. The attacks … the bad-mouthing, the speaking behind your back. But, you know, and in my way, I feel very comfortable here.”
I’m sure he has quite a few things in common with those “bad-mouthing” individuals that would help with his comfort in the swamp he campaigned on draining.
And apparently, the president has a new found admiration for people in politics, noting that he used to think that Manhattan real estate agents were the “toughest” but now “they’re babies.”
Now he said, the political people are the toughest.
“This is the most deceptive, vicious world. It is vicious, it’s full of lies, deceit and deception,” he mused.
