Two Hours, Scores of Questions, 23,000 Words: Our Interview With President Trump
📅 January 12, 2026
✍️ Editor: Sudhir Choudhary, The Vagabond News
For more than two hours, Donald Trump sat down for an expansive, wide-ranging interview with The Vagabond News, responding to scores of questions that produced more than 23,000 words of transcript and offered a detailed window into how the president sees his second term, the global order, and his unfinished political project.
The interview, conducted in a private setting and without time limits, covered domestic policy, foreign affairs, the economy, immigration, and Trump’s evolving view of presidential power. At times combative, at times reflective, the president returned repeatedly to a central theme: that his administration represents a corrective to what he described as institutional drift, economic mismanagement, and global weakness.
“I’ve done this before,” President Donald Trump said during the interview. “This time, I know exactly where the levers are.”
A Presidency Framed as a Second Act
Throughout the discussion, President Donald Trump emphasized continuity with his first term while arguing that the political and institutional environment has changed in his favor. He described his return to office not as a reset, but as a continuation interrupted by what he repeatedly characterized as a “lost four years.”
On economic policy, Trump defended his push for lower interest rates, expanded domestic manufacturing, and aggressive trade leverage. He argued that economic growth, rather than fiscal restraint, should remain the primary policy objective, even as critics warn about deficits and inflation risks.
“The country grows when businesses grow,” he said. “You don’t grow by tightening everything down.”
Asked about tensions with the Federal Reserve, the president insisted he respects its independence while making clear that he believes monetary policy should align more closely with growth objectives.
Foreign Policy: Pressure, Deals, and Leverage
On the global stage, President Donald Trump reiterated his preference for bilateral deals over multilateral frameworks. He defended his approach to alliances as transactional rather than ideological, arguing that leverage, not consensus, produces results.
He was particularly outspoken on trade with China, NATO burden-sharing, and Middle East diplomacy, asserting that unpredictability remains one of his strongest negotiating tools.
“They don’t know what I’ll do next,” he said. “That’s not chaos. That’s leverage.”
Trump also suggested that traditional diplomatic norms often obscure real power dynamics. In his telling, public confrontation can be more effective than quiet diplomacy, especially when dealing with adversaries who test perceived weakness.
Immigration and Executive Authority
Immigration emerged as one of the most forcefully argued sections of the interview. President Donald Trump defended expanded enforcement actions and framed border security as a question of sovereignty rather than humanitarian policy.
“We’re a country with laws, or we’re not,” he said, dismissing criticism that enforcement measures risk legal or moral overreach.
When asked about the expanding use of executive authority, Trump rejected the notion that he was stretching presidential power beyond precedent. Instead, he argued that previous administrations had failed to fully exercise authority already available to the office.
“The powers were always there,” he said. “They just didn’t want to use them.”
Media, Institutions, and Legacy
Trump reserved some of his sharpest comments for the media and federal institutions, which he accused of resisting reform and misrepresenting his actions. Yet he also acknowledged that constant conflict carries political costs, suggesting a more selective approach to confrontation during his current term.
Despite that, the president showed little interest in softening his rhetoric, arguing that directness resonates with voters who feel excluded from elite decision-making.
Looking ahead, President Donald Trump framed his legacy ambitions in institutional terms. He spoke of reshaping trade policy, redefining America’s role abroad, and altering how future presidents understand the scope of their authority.
“This isn’t just about one term,” he said. “It’s about how the country is run for decades.”
An Unfiltered Record
At more than 23,000 words, the interview stands as one of the most detailed public accounts of President Donald Trump’s thinking since his return to office. It reflects a leader confident in his instincts, dismissive of conventional constraints, and focused on consolidating the changes he believes his first term set in motion.
Whether supporters see clarity and resolve, or critics see risk and confrontation, the conversation offers an unfiltered record of a presidency intent on reshaping both policy and precedent.
Source: Direct interview conducted by The Vagabond News.
Tags: President Donald Trump, U.S. Politics, White House, Executive Power, Foreign Policy, Economy
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