BRIDGEWATER, N.J. (AP) 鈥� is dismissing the idea that launching this year betrayed his refrain of 鈥淣o new wars鈥� that he made repeatedly as he campaigned again for the White House.
Trump, in an interview that aired Sunday on NBC’s 鈥淢eet the Press,鈥� said he 鈥渄idn’t guarantee鈥� there would be no wars if he were back in office.
“First of all, I didn鈥檛 guarantee no war. Why would I have built the strongest military in the world?” Trump said.
Trump also defended plans for a now-scrapped that would have compensated allies of the Republican president and he repeated his of mass fraud in California鈥檚 drawn-out vote count from . He ended the interview abruptly when he became frustrated with pushback from NBC’s Kristen Welker.
Iran 鈥榠s not an endless war鈥�
In his 2024 campaign, Trump repeatedly cast his Democratic opponents as warmongers and said he was a president who started 鈥渘o new wars” and would bring an era of peace.
But Trump said in the NBC interview, taped Friday in Wisconsin, that as a candidate, 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 promise anything.鈥�
鈥淚 don鈥檛 like these endless wars. This is not an endless war. We鈥檝e been doing this for three months,鈥� he said of the war with Iran, which began Feb. 28.
Trump said he was 鈥渄oing the world a service鈥� and 鈥渄oing our country a service鈥� because he had to stop Iran from having a nuclear weapon. But elsewhere in the interview, Trump repeated a contradictory message where he said U.S. strikes last year 鈥渙bliterated鈥� Iranian nuclear sites.
He also defended his decision in his first term to withdraw from Democratic President Barack Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran, an agreement he has heavily criticized, without negotiating the 鈥渂etter deal鈥� he has promised to reach.
鈥淚t takes years to do these things,鈥� Trump said.
Trump without evidence claims fraud in California vote
California’s count has been a magnet for election conspiracy theories, and Trump since Tuesday’s election has claimed without evidence that Democrats are rigging the election. The Trump-appointed top federal prosecutor in Los Angeles said Friday 鈥渕ultiple election fraud investigations.鈥�
Late-tallied Democratic-leaning mail ballots have eaten into the vote totals for Trump’s preferred candidates for governor and Los Angeles mayor. While Trump has often said that changes to vote totals as late ballots are counted , they are merely a reflection of a slow vote-counting process.
Trump in the interview kept claiming that it was a sign of 鈥渃heating鈥� and 鈥渁 rigged election,” and grew increasingly frustrated as Welker pressed him for evidence to support that.
鈥淎ll I have to do is look. All I have to do is look,鈥� Trump said.
鈥淏ut that鈥檚 not evidence,鈥� Welker responded.
鈥淎nd I listen. And I listen to people. And let鈥檚 see what happens,鈥� Trump replied.
鈥楢nti-weaponization鈥� fund
Trump defended plans that his Department of Justice said it has now abandoned to create a $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund鈥� as part of a settlement to resolve Trump’s over the leak of his tax returns.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said that the department was scrapping the plan. That announcement came after the plan was paused by a judge and after both Democrats and some Republicans said they were concerned about the fund’s lack of oversight and the possibility of payouts being made to participants in the .
Trump told NBC he thought the fund was 鈥渁 great idea鈥� and that he would be 鈥渄isappointed鈥� if it were not approved.
When asked if he thought people who attacked police officers on Jan. 6 should get a payout, Trump said, 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 be inclined to say so, but I have to see it.” He then began making unfounded and false claims about riot and those who stormed the Capitol. Trump in January 2025 to the more than 1,500 people prosecuted over Jan. 6.
Rain interruptions and an abrupt end
The NBC interview was conducted in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, before Trump was set to speak at a roundtable event with farmers. The interview was repeatedly interrupted as waves of heavy rain fell on the metal roof of the barn where the taping took place, making it difficult at times to hear.
At the end, Welker pressed Trump on the settlement fund and his claims about the California election. Trump raised his voice and began calling Welker and the media 鈥渃rooked,” attacking her credibility and complaining about what he called 鈥渢he fake, dirty press.鈥�
As Welker tried to switch subjects, Trump continued on and there was cross talk between the two. Trump ended the interview, saying said, 鈥淟et’s call it quits.” He took off his microphone, telling Welker, 鈥淭hank you, darling. Have a good time.” He said he had given the interview enough time, stood up and walked away.
Welker said during the broadcast that she spoke to Trump on Saturday and he agreed the rain had caused complications and said he would do another interview in the future.
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