President-elect Donald Trump was Time magazine’s Person of the Year and in: long interview In the magazine, Trump recalled his crazy pre-election campaign schedule that helped him win every swing state, including Pennsylvania.
It belonged to Trump second time was named Time magazine’s Person of the Year just over a month before the inauguration of his second administration and a month after winning Pennsylvania and the presidency.
A lot has changed since he first received the distinction in 2016. In a wide-ranging interview published Thursday, Trump talked about loyalty and praised Elon Musk, one of his campaign’s strongest surrogates in Pennsylvania. He also addressed the Capitol bathroom controversy as Republican-elect Sarah McBride (D-Delaware) prepares to take office next month.
To celebrate being named Person of the Year, Trump made the call Thursday morning at the opening of the New York Stock Exchange.
Here’s what you need to know from the interview:
’72 days of fury’ for Donald Trump to win swing states and the presidency
Trump told Time that on his way to victory in key swing states – including Pennsylvania – and the presidency, he called the tumultuous sequence of no days off “72 days of rage.”
But even more significant to his path to victory than his continued work, he said, was Democrats’ lack of connection with voters’ priorities.
“We said things that the whole country thinks about. I don’t think the Democrats understood that,” Trump said. “They just kept going back to the same old crap. And that was nonsense, especially where we are now. And we hit it – we hit something special. We have hit a sensitive spot in the country.”
The president-elect also recalled the aftermath of the attack during his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July. Trump said he tries not to think about that moment, but said his October rally, during which he returned to the scene of the Butler Farm Show shooting, was a “very significant moment” that made people more religious.
Trump said he owed his victory in part to his campaign’s messaging on immigration, border security and the economy; No interviews with Vice President Kamala Harris; and his raucous rallies, which he called “one of his greatest assets.” However, he does not see his victory as a “comeback”.
“I don’t see it that way. I think I ran a great campaign. I think I was popular. I think I did a very good job in my first term. … So no, I don’t see it as a comeback,” he said. “I know that’s what people think. I should let it be, and I will let it be. But you know, come back from what? You know, I’ve always been here.
Elon Musk: father surrogate, DOGE co-leader and “great guy”
After spending a significant amount of time and financial capital campaigning for Trump in Pennsylvania, Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and CEO of SpaceX, has earned a place in Trump’s inner circle, often at his side at major events – even if he is the CEO of Tesla and Trump believes electric cars “are not for everyone.”
In an interview with Time, Trump called Musk a friend and “great guy” who gave him “the best support that could be obtained.”
He was amazed by the unlikely way Musk had become a staunch ally. When Trump was shot in Butler, Pennsylvania, the president-elect said “something happened” to Musk. Shortly after the assassination attempt, Musk endorsed Trump, and during an August conversation at X Spaces, the billionaire praised Trump’s “strength under fire.”
And it is this friendship and support that led Trump to appoint Musk as co-chair of the “Department of Government Effectiveness” alongside tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. The proposed commission, which would operate outside the government, is intended to curb perceived government waste and spending.
Many details of DOGE remain unclear, but Trump said the country is “bloated with rules, regulations and, frankly, people that don’t need to be taken care of.” He said his administration would try to promote private sector jobs and shift oversight of education to the states.
Trump and new Delaware state Rep. Sarah McBride agree on one thing
On the campaign trail, Trump ads constantly criticized Harris’ support for transgender rights. At rallies, he pledged to ban transgender athletes from participating in sports.
And this topic has now reached Capitol Hill. Last month, U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R., S.C.) introduced a bill that would prohibit lawmakers from using same-sex facilities “other than those consistent with their biological sex,” a move clearly aimed at Sarah McBride, a Democrat from the state Delaware, who is the first transgender person elected to Congress. McBride will take office next month.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) announced – on Transgender Day of Remembrance – that transgender people cannot use Capitol bathrooms that are consistent with their gender identity.
However, despite the attacks, McBride chose not to engage in the toilet debate. “I’m not here to fight about bathrooms,” McBride said on November 20. “I am here to fight for the people of Delaware and reduce costs for families.”
Trump told Time he agreed with McBride’s view that there are more important issues to deal with than talking about bathrooms.
“I agree with that. About that – absolutely,” Trump said. – As I said, it is a small number of people.
Trump is downplaying the possibility of lower prices after campaigning on the issue
In the interview, Trump underestimated his ability to achieve affordability, even after pledging to address rising costs – some of them have slowed down — on the campaign trail.
“Look, they got them out. I would like to bring them down. “It’s hard to bring things down when they’re high,” Trump said. “You know, it’s very difficult. But I think they will. I think this energy will blow them away. I think a better supply chain will destroy them.”
Many voters said they voted for Trump because they thought he would be able to handle the increased costs, but he told Time he didn’t believe his presidency would fail unless he lowered prices.
He did not specify how he would solve problems in the supply chain, but some experts say that Trump’s plans to sweep new ones tariffs would add additional burden in the event of supply chain problems. And if Trump ends up deporting farm workers as part of his mass deportation plans, it could further threaten the food supply chain.
When asked about this in an interview, Trump replied: “No, because we will let people in, but we have to let them in legally.”
Trump believes he will be able to maintain loyalty in a second administration
Howard Lutnick, Trump’s transition co-chairman, his nominee for Commerce secretary and Haverford College’s largest donor, stressed the importance of loyalty in the next Trump administration in an October interview with The Inquirer.
Trump he told Tim that he does not think he will have to ask his appointees for a “pledge of loyalty”, but he believes that if officials or public servants do not follow his orders, he will consider firing them.
One of Trump’s most loyal nominees – and also one of his most controversial – is Kash Patel, the president-elect’s pick to be FBI director. Last week, U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) released a statement calling on President Joe Biden to issue full pardons to people perceived as Trump’s political enemies, who he said Patel would be targeted if confirmed.
“I think in most cases I will be able to tell who is loyal,” Trump said. “I want them to be loyal to politics and the country. It has to be loyal.”
