President Donald Trump sat down for an exclusive interview with Kristen Welker on NBC’s Meet the Press this morning, clashing with the host over the state of the economy, energy prices, and the agricultural sector.
The conversation began with a debate over the latest employment data. When Welker noted that a strong jobs report had beat expectations with 170,000 jobs created, Trump quickly interjected to emphasize the scale of the growth. “Not strong. Not strong. Really strong,” Trump said, adding that the numbers beat expectations “by how much? Triple.”
Welker then shifted the focus to rising energy costs, pointing out that despite the job numbers, the prices of gas and diesel have continued to climb. Trump attributed the inflation directly to ongoing geopolitical conflict but promised a swift resolution. “It’s all coming down as soon as the war’s over,” Trump countered.
The interview grew more tense when Welker pressed the president on the difficulties facing American agricultural workers, stating that 70 percent of farmers report they can no longer afford fertilizer. Trump disputed the premise, stating, “The farmers are doing very well,” and asserted that “all of them support me.”
As Welker continued to ask what his message would be to farmers who say they are currently struggling to make ends meet, Trump defended his record and his relationship with the rural electorate.
“Are you ready? Are you ready? Am I allowed to talk? You keep asking questions, and you don’t listen to the answers,” Trump said. “I love the farmers, and the farmers love me. The farmers trust me. In the first term, I had something very similar. China and others were – and Canada, which was brutal- they were taking advantage of our farmers. They don’t take advantage of them anymore. I gave them $28 billion, split up. They never had a payday like that. And the farmers love me. And they came back, and they voted for me in record numbers. You know that. Nobody’s ever even come close.”
Trump then explained that current economic pressures, including the spike in fuel and agricultural inputs, were the result of a deliberate strategic choice related to national security.
“Now, because of the fact that we had a choice– I had a choice to make. I could keep it going. The farmers were doing great. Fertilizer was very cheap. Everything was cheap. Gasoline was very low. Everything was very low. I could’ve kept it that way. But I said, I have to take a little bit of a turn. The farmers are going to understand it better than anybody,” Trump said. “We’re going to have higher gasoline. We’re going to have a little higher fertilizer, et cetera, et cetera. But I’m going to get rid of a nuclear weapon in the hands of very dangerous people. Excuse me. Wait. It should’ve been done for 47 years. No president had the guts to do it. I did it, and I’ve done it. It’s almost complete. As soon as that’s complete, gasoline prices are going to drop like a rock.”
Concluding his remarks on energy costs, Trump recalled his previous campaign stops before recent military actions. “You know, I was in Iowa speaking about farms. And it was before we attacked Iran. And I was in Iowa, and the prices were $1.85 a gallon. $1.91 a gallon,” Trump stated.
READ: Trump Fights For Revision Of Controversial ‘Weaponization’ Cash Fund
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