President Donald Trump argued with Fox News anchor Bret Baier during an interview in Beijing, China, aggressively defending his administration’s economic and foreign policies as gas prices and inflation show upward trends. The high-stakes diplomatic trip, marked by extensive pageantry and closed-door meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, has drawn global scrutiny, particularly regarding Trump’s public remarks about Taiwan.
The interview, which aired Friday night on Fox News Channel’s Special Report, turned tense when Baier pressed the president on domestic economic pressures, specifically citing Iranian oil shipments and rising costs at home.
When Baier pointed out that “China got three tankers out this week filled with Iranian oil,” Trump responded, “Because we allowed that to happen.” When Baier noted this occurred before the China trip, he attempted to pivot to domestic fuel costs, stating, “Gas prices in America are still high. Painfully high for…”
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Trump interrupted the anchor, saying, “They’re going to drop like a rock as it’s over.”
As Baier countered that prices are “painfully high though now, and — and could be creeping higher before… it’s done,” Trump interrupted again to compare his numbers to his predecessor. “Well, lower than Biden,” Trump said. “Excuse me, lower than Biden, and much lower than people thought they’d be.”
The tense back-and-forth continued as Baier brought up the latest economic data, stating, “This inflation number is going up. You’re right, it’s much lower than President Biden’s was. But it’s going up under you, the numbers are. You can imagine Democrats and political pundits jumped…” Trump cut in, repeating twice, “The people get it.”
Baier then questioned Trump about a controversial audio clip recorded as the president departed for his trip. In the clip, a reporter asked Trump, “What extent are Americans’ financial situations motivating to you make a deal?” Trump had responded on tape: “Not even a little bit. The only thing that matters, I’m talking about Iran, they can’t have a nuclear weapon. I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody. I think about one thing. We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon, that’s all.”
After the clip played, Trump doubled down on his past remarks, telling Baier, “That’s right. That’s a perfect statement. I’d make it again.”
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Baier challenged the political wisdom of the wording, asking, “But you can imagine… how many people stopped the sound bite at… ‘I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation.’ So what’s your response to that framework?”
Trump dismissed the criticism, arguing that the public understands the broader geopolitical stakes involved in stopping Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
“It’s very simple,” Trump said. “When people hear me say it, everybody agrees, short-term pain, it’s going to be short-term pain. But the pain is much less than people thought. Because people thought that oil would go up to $250. You know, it was $99 yesterday, $99 a barrel. I thought it might go up to 200. I was OK with that, not that I wanted it, but you cannot let them have a nuclear weapon. They will use it on us.”
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