Trump Responded To Criticism In An Extensive Interview

During the interview, Trump said he was “starting to get great polls on the economy.” NBC News noted that recent national polling shows voter views on the economy remain mixed, with negative assessments outweighing positive ones in several surveys.

When journalist Tom Llamas said the polls were “not great,” Trump responded, “They should be great,” and said he did not know why they were not.

NBC News also reviewed Trump’s statements on inflation and economic performance, noting that inflation levels at the start of his term were not at historic highs based on official government data.

Investment and Jobs

Trump claimed that $18 trillion was being invested in the U.S. economy. NBC News reported that publicly announced investment commitments amount to a significantly lower figure and include long-term projections rather than confirmed spending.

Employment data reviewed by NBC showed that job growth has continued but at a slower pace compared with earlier periods, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics figures.

Immigration and Border Enforcement

On immigration, Trump said enforcement efforts were focused on criminals. NBC News cited federal data showing that a portion of migrants taken into custody did not have criminal records.

Trump also repeated claims about the total number of people who entered the U.S. illegally in previous years. NBC News reported that official border encounter data shows lower figures than those cited by Trump.

Crime and Minneapolis

Trump stated that crime levels were improving. NBC News noted that national crime rates have declined in recent years, according to FBI data, and that the trend began before the period Trump referenced.

Discussing enforcement tactics, Trump said, “I learned that maybe we can use a little bit of a softer touch,” referencing Minneapolis.

Foreign Policy and Venezuela

When asked about Venezuela, Trump compared the situation to post-invasion Iraq, saying the removal of government leadership had created instability.

“Remember in Iraq, they got rid of everybody. They had no generals, they had no people,” Trump said, adding that the collapse contributed to the rise of ISIS. He later said current handling of Venezuela was “handled very well,” without providing further detail.

“Discombobulator” Description

Trump discussed a device that he referred to as the “Discombobulator” while describing operations in Venezuela. “None of their equipment worked. That’s what it does… Everything was discombobulated,” he said when asked about the term. The device was named by Trump during a discussion of military operations.

Analysts note that the term “Discombobulator” is not used in official military terminology and may be a reference to a range of electronic warfare or electromagnetic pulse capabilities that can disrupt equipment, rather than a formally acknowledged single weapon system. Electromagnetic weapons are known to have the potential to disable electronic systems, though the specific nature of the device Trump described has not been publicly confirmed.

Artificial Intelligence and Energy

Trump described artificial intelligence as a major technological shift, saying, “AI is going to be maybe the biggest thing bigger than the Internet.”

He added that he had proposed a concept requiring new data centers to generate their own electricity, linking AI development with energy infrastructure.

Federal Reserve

On monetary policy, Trump said the Federal Reserve is independent “in theory” and added, “I know the economy better than almost everybody.”

NBC News noted that the Federal Reserve operates independently under U.S. law.

Question on Remaining President

When asked whether he could envision any scenario in which he remained president after January 21, 2029, Trump declined to give a direct answer, saying, “I don’t know. It would be interesting.”

NBC News noted that the U.S. Constitution limits presidents to two terms in office.