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Your Guide to the Most Important Quotes From The Times’s Trump Interview with New york times

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Donald J. Trump, the president-elect, during an interview with The New York Times on Tuesday.CreditHiroko Masuike/The New York Times

Donald J. Trump sat down on Tuesday with reporters, editors and columnists of The New York Times for an exclusive interview. We have annotated portions of the interview. The full transcript is available here.

On his relationship with Obama

“I hope we can have a good — I mean, it doesn’t mean we’re going to agree on everything, but I hope that we will have a great long-term relationship. I really liked him a lot and I’m a little bit surprised I’m telling you that I really liked him a lot.”

The personal interactions between President Obama and Mr. Trump have so far been pleasant, but it’s not clear that the kumbaya moment will last. Mr. Obama has already indicated that he may weigh in against Mr. Trump once the new administration takes over, especially if the new president attacks Mr. Obama’s legacy achievements.

-Michael D. Shear

On his feud with The Times

“I just appreciate the meeting and I have great respect for The New York Times. Tremendous respect. It’s very special. Always has been very special. I think I’ve been treated very rough. It’s well out there that I’ve been treated extremely unfairly in a sense, in a true sense.”

Mr. Trump is working to reset his mercurial relationship with the media as he looks toward assuming office, starting with this meeting at what he branded the “failing New York Times” during his presidential campaign. But he still nurses intense grievances toward news outlets in general and The Times in particular.

-Julie Hirschfeld Davis

On helping with his business

“So I don’t have to do anything, but I want to do something if I can. If there is something.”

Mr. Trump is hinting that even though federal law does not require him to do anything specific to separate himself from his vast business empire, he is inclined to submit to some sort of voluntary standard of ethics that would avoid conflicts of interest or their appearance. But he leaves open the possibility that there may not be a way to accomplish it.

-Julie Hirschfeld Davis

On conflicts of interest

“As far as the, you know, potential conflict of interests, though, I mean I know that from the standpoint, the law is totally on my side, meaning, the president can’t have a conflict of interest. That’s been reported very widely. Despite that, I don’t want there to be a conflict of interest anyway.”

Mr. Trump is correct that federal law, for the most part, exempts the President from conflict of interest rules, meaning he is allowed to take actions that could benefit his financial holdings. But in modern times, most presidents have voluntarily put their financial assets into blind trusts. Mr. Trump has said he does not intend to take such a step, instead will turn his companies over to his children.

-Eric Lipton

Mr. Trump in the lobby of The Times’ building in Manhattan after the interview. CreditTodd Heisler/The New York Times

On liquidating assets

“Selling real estate is much different, it’s in a much different world. I’d say this, and I mean this and I said it on ‘60 Minutes’ the other night: My company is so unimportant to me relative to what I’m doing, ’cause I don’t need money, I don’t need anything, and by the way, I’m very under-leveraged, I have a very small percentage of my money in debt.”

The Wall Street Journal editorial board, among others, has suggested that the only solution to Mr. Trump’s potential conflicts of interest is to sell off all of his assets, and then have a blind trust reinvest the proceeds. Mr. Trump suggests that this is not practical.

-Eric Lipton

On the Clinton investigation

“I don’t think they will be disappointed. I think I will explain it, that we have to, in many ways save our country.”

Mr. Trump’s crowds at rallies frequently targeted Hillary Clinton, chanting “Lock her up!” and referring to her as a criminal. In July, Mr. Trump himself encouraged a crowd in Colorado, telling them “I’m starting to agree with you” as they chanted “Lock her up!” In addition, despite Mr. Trump’s remarks here, the F.B.I. and the Justice Department, which have investigated Mrs. Clinton’s email server and the Clinton Foundation, conduct criminal inquiries largely independently of the White House. A president attempting to intervene in those kinds of inquiries, in any direction, would be a major scandal.

-Carolyn Ryan

On the alt-right movement

“I don’t want to energize the group, and I disavow the group.”

Mr. Trump has been criticized for not specifically denouncing bigotry and groups that spread bigoted views. His statements about such conduct tend to be vague, including here, when he says “I disavow the group.” That nonspecific language has been comforting to leaders of the alt-right, a rebranded white nationalist movement, including Richard B. Spencer, who led a gathering at a federal building near the White House last weekend that included some audience members offering a Nazi salute.

-Carolyn Ryan

On the family brand

The brand is certainly a hotter brand than it was before. I can’t help that, but I don’t care. I said on ‘60 Minutes’: I don’t care. Because it doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters to me is running our country.”

Mr. Trump here acknowledges, perhaps for the first time, that being president will perhaps help enrich his family. He also concedes that the arrangement might fairly be called a conflict of interest.

-Eric Lipton

On torture

“It’s not going to make the kind of a difference that maybe a lot of people think. If it’s so important to the American people, I would go for it. I would be guided by that. But General Mattis found it to be very less important, much less important than I thought he would say. I thought he would say — you know he’s known as Mad Dog Mattis, right? Mad Dog for a reason. I thought he’d say ‘It’s phenomenal, don’t lose it.’ He actually said, ‘No, give me some cigarettes and some drinks, and we’ll do better.’”

Back in February, when he was still a candidate, Mr. Trump said definitively that torture was effective. “Don’t tell me it doesn’t work — torture works,” he told an audience in South Carolina. “O.K., folks? Torture, you know, half these guys: ‘Torture doesn’t work.’ Believe me, it works. O.K.?”

So Mr. Trump’s answer on Tuesday offered a revealing insight into his willingness to shift or rethink a position, especially after talking with someone he respects. Gen. James N. Mattis may well be Mr. Trump’s secretary of defense, and his rejection of torture clearly had an effect on the president-elect.

Michael D. Shear

On factory jobs

“You have to understand, our companies are noncompetitive right now. They’re really largely noncompetitive. About four weeks ago, I started adding a certain little sentence into a lot of my speeches, that we’ve lost 70,000 factories since W. Bush. 70,000. When I first looked at the number, I said: ‘That must be a typo. It can’t be 70, you can’t have 70,000, you wouldn’t think you have 70,000 factories here.’ And it wasn’t a typo, it’s right. We’ve lost 70,000 factories.”

The reality is more complicated. The number of factories and the number of Americans who work in factories both have declined sharply in recent decades. But the nation’s manufacturing output is at the highest level in history. The labor-intensive production of low-value goods, like socks, has been replaced by the largely automated production of high-value goods, like circuits.

-Binyamin Appelbaum

On immigration

“You know, you’ve been talking about immigration bills for 50 years and nothing’s ever happened.”

In 1986, President Ronald Reagan signed a landmark law that prohibited the hiring of illegal immigrants, provided new resources for enforcement along the Mexican border and offered legal status to several million illegal immigrants. Experts say the law did little to slow migration to the United States, but made crossing the border more difficult and dangerous.

-Robert Pear

On health care

“’Cause health care is — you know people are paying a 100 percent increase and they’re not even getting anything, the deductibles are so high, you have deductibles $16,000. So they’re paying all of this money and they don’t even get health care.”

Premiums for many health plans under the Affordable Care Act are increasing 20 percent to 40 percent or more, but increases of 100 percent are extremely rare. Deductibles for many plans are high, but not $16,000. For a family plan in 2017, the maximum out-of-pocket cost, including the deductible, is $14,300.

-Robert Pear

On party unity

“Right now they’re in love with me. O.K.? Four weeks ago they weren’t in love with me.”

Mr. Trump’s comments about his fellow Republicans had a sharp edge and an implicit message: They owe their congressional majority to him, and he expects to be treated accordingly. Whether this is true, and to what extent, will be one of the pivotal stories of the new Trump administration, and crucial to figuring out how much or how little he can get done. He needs Congress to achieve many of the campaign promises he made, including the deep tax cut and large infrastructure spending package, not to mention — and it is an open question how “in love” with his policies Republicans will prove to be.

-Julie Hirschfeld Davis

On achieving peace in the Middle East

“The president of the United States is allowed to have whatever conflicts he wants — he or she wants. But I don’t want to go by that. Jared’s a very smart guy. He’s a very good guy. The people that know him, he’s a quality person and I think he can be very helpful. I would love to be able to be the one that made peace with Israel and the Palestinians. I would love that, that would be such a great achievement. Because nobody’s been able to do it.”

Mr. Trump suggests here that he may name Jared Kushner, his son-in-law,as a special envoy to the Middle East, charged with making peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Buried in this answer is an assertion by Mr. Trump that the federal government’s anti-nepotism law does not apply to him as president, but he also says he would want to avoid the appearance of conflict. Installing Mr. Kushner as a special envoy could have that effect, essentially giving him an important task that would allow him to be involved in high-level national security deliberations without hiring him outright. This is a role that was often discussed as a potential landing spot for Bill Clinton if Mrs. Clinton had won the White House.

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IGP directs police officers to wear black bands in honour of Taoreed Lagbaja

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Kayode Egbetokun, the inspector-general of police, has directed officers to wear black bands in honour of Taoreed Lagbaja, the late chief of army staff (COAS).

In a statement signed by Muyiwa Adejobi, the force spokesperson, Egbetokun ordered personnel to wear the bands during the seven-day mourning period.

“This directive is to pay tribute and honour the late General who has shown gallantry, dedication, and passion for fighting violent crimes and insurgency in Nigeria,” the statement reads.

“He was a great leader who deserves to be honoured by all means.”

On Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu ordered that national flags be flown at half-mast in honour of Lagbaja.

Lagbaja died on Tuesday after battling an undisclosed ailment. He was 56-years-old.

He was appointed COAS by Tinubu on June 19, 2023.

Lagbaja enrolled into the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1987.

In September 1992, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Nigerian Infantry Corps as a member of the 39th regular course.

He served as a platoon commander in the 93 Battalion and the 72 Special Forces Battalion.

Lagbaja also participated in various internal security operations, including operation ZAKI in Benue, Lafiya Dole in Borno, Udoka in south-east, and forest sanity in Kaduna and Niger.

The president has appointed Olufemi Oluyede as acting COAS.

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LASEPA seals off churches, hotels over noise pollution

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The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) has sealed off some establishments over alleged noise pollution.

The facilities sealed include churches, lounges, nightclubs, bars, and hotels in the Lagos metropolis.

In a statement on Wednesday, Babatunde Ajayi, the general manager of LASEPA, said the move was in line with the agency’s efforts to uphold environmental standards and safeguard public health.

“In a bid to address noise pollution and other environmental violations, LASEPA took action, closing down several establishments across different parts of the state,” Ajayi said.

He noted that the establishments were found guilty of breaching environmental regulations despite multiple warnings from LASEPA.

He reiterated the agency’s zero-tolerance policy on regulatory non-compliance, saying “we will not permit disregard for our regulations”.

Ajayi said the enforcement drive focused on areas like Ogudu, Gbagada, Iyana Ejigbo, Isolo, Ajao Estate, Oshodi, Ilasamaja, and Okota.

He added that the sealed outfits include Honourable Lounge & Lodging, Redeemed Christian Church of God, Celestial Church of God, OMA Night Club and Lounge, and Bridge Spot Bar.

Others are Okiki Event Centre and Hall, Emota Paradise Hotel (Phase 2), CF Hotel & Suites, House 27 Hotel & Suites, Echo Spring Hotel, and Smile T Continental Hotel.

The LASEPA boss urged all businesses to recognise their environmental obligations and work alongside the state government to foster a cleaner and more sustainable Lagos.

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Tinubu approves establishment of Teaching Hospital in Ondo

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The Federal Government has approved the establishment of a teaching hospital in Akure, Ondo State, to support the training of medical students at the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA).

President Bola Tinubu has directed the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Mohammad Pate, to initiate the necessary arrangements for the establishment of the teaching hospital. Prof. Pate has since dispatched a team to Ondo State to assess the location.

Leading the team, Dr. Jimoh Olawole Salaudeen, Director of Hospital Services at the Federal Ministry of Health, inspected FUTA’s permanent site, designated for the hospital. Salaudeen also visited the Akure Annex of the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital (UNIMEDTH), which will serve as a temporary site for the teaching hospital.

Speaking with reporters after the inspection, Dr. Salaudeen expressed optimism about the hospital’s potential to become operational soon, citing available facilities. “President Tinubu directed that Akure should have a federal teaching hospital,” Salaudeen stated. “We are here to coordinate with the state government and review the site options for establishing the teaching hospital.”

Salaudeen highlighted the urgency of the project, noting that FUTA has begun training medical students, who are now in their third year. “The state government has provided a temporary site, and we are pleased with the infrastructure at the permanent site, including an auditorium, health center, and classrooms,” he said.

He added, “Our goal is to identify equipment needs at the temporary site to create a model federal tertiary hospital that supports student training. The enthusiastic support from the community is encouraging and will facilitate a peaceful learning environment.”

Ondo State’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Banji Ajaka, affirmed the state government’s commitment to supporting the project, ensuring it aligns with the president’s vision. “We have drafted an MOU and laid groundwork for the medical students to complete their training on schedule,” Ajaka said.

FUTA’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Adenike Oladiji, expressed relief, saying, “We’ve been concerned about where our medical students would complete their clinical studies. I’m thrilled that the federal government has stepped in to provide a solution.”

Prof. Oladiji also highlighted FUTA’s biomedical engineering department, which aims to contribute to the school of health sciences by producing essential medical equipment. “This initiative aligns perfectly with our commitment to training future health professionals and engineers who can innovate and support the healthcare sector,” she added.

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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