Trump about immigration and Hegseth in the Atlantic interview: no perfection

Trump about immigration and Hegseth in the Atlantic interview: no perfection

cnn - Jeffrey Goldberg, editor -in -chief of Atlantic, was a central figure in the first major self -indebted crisis of Trump's second term. He was accidentally added to a signal chat in which cabinet members discussed military strokes in Yemen. A few weeks later, Trump gave an interview with Atlantic journalists, in which he addressed topics such as Defense Minister Pete Hegseth and the measures against immigration.

The signal chat controversy and Trump's reactions

The controversy around the signal chat frustrated Trump, who had canceled a planned interview with the journalists a week earlier. In the run -up to the interview, the president made it clear that he was “curious” whether the Atlantic can report “honestly”.

In an interview with the journalists Ashley Parker and Michael Scherer, Trump said that he believed that Hegseth would "get the situation under control". This was done in the middle of reports on unrest in the Pentagon, including layoffs due to alleged unauthorized revelations.

Hegseth and the discussion about his performance

The reporters of the Atlantic reports from CBS that Hegseth had set up an expensive make-up studio in the Pentagon. Hegseth rejected these reports and defended his leadership in the Pentagon. However, the president looked pleased when he was asked about history. "I think he will do it," said Trump in the interview. "I had a positive conversation with him."

Trump emphasized that Hegseth was “safe”. Sources reported that Trump spoke to Hegseth twice after the second signal chat details became known and had feedback on its performance.

Trump's handling of illegal immigration

In another section of the interview, Trump expressed that "nothing will be perfect in this world" when he was asked about possible mistakes in the deportation of people. These comments came only days after CNN reported that three children, US citizens, had been deported to Honduras with their undocumented mothers. Trump replied that he was not involved in individual deportations, and instead referred to the many people in his administration who were responsible.

Trump's relationship with Zelensky and Ukraine

Trump also spoke about his tense relations with the Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj. He expressed that he thought that Ukraine would be “destroyed” “very soon” without his support. With regard to a meeting with Zelensky in the Oval Office, he commented: "Everything he had to do was to be quiet." This statement referred to a tense conversation in which Zelensky apparently disagreed with Trump's views on the security of Ukraine.

Trump's second term: differences to the first

In the first 100 days of his second term, Trump tested the limits of his executive authority and reconsidered the role of the United States in the world. He explained that his second term of office is very different from the first: “The first time it was about leading the country and survival. The second time I lead the country and the world.”

Interview with the Atlantic: Unplanned conversations

originally Trump had canceled the interview with the Atlantic after he had attacked the reporters on Truth Social. After a direct contact of the reporters with Trump, however, he confirmed that he wanted to talk about his achievements, which apparently had the previous hostility.

Ultimately, the planned meeting occurred in the Oval Office, where Goldberg was also present.