Trump Touts Aggressive Opening Of New Term With Tariffs, Mass Deportations Plans

American President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday vowed to implement sweeping changes, such as pardons for those convicted for the US Capitol attack, impose trade tariffs and carry out mass deportations, immediately after taking office on January 20, 2025. In his first formal television interview since the Presidential election, Mr Trump also dangled the idea of the United States withdrawing from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) under his administration. 

The incoming President also said he'll work to extend the tax cuts passed in his first term and would not seek to impose restrictions on abortion pills. On the diplomatic front, Mr Trump signalled that the United States may scale back its support to Ukraine, saying he will "probably" cut the aid helping Kyiv repel Russia's invasion.

Highlights From Donald Trump's 1st TV Interview After Polls

Immigration And Deportation

The Republican leader said he would go ahead with mass deportation of undocumented immigrants living in the United States. Immigration was the centrepiece of the Republican's election campaign, and the President-elect said he would "have to" ahead with the "hard" task of deportation. 

"First will be convicted criminals," he said. Mr Trump's interview on NBC's "Meet the Press with Kristen Welker" was aired Sunday, just six weeks before Inauguration Day. 

On asked whether the targets would go beyond that group, Mr Trump said: "Well, I think you have to do it, and it's a hard - it's a very tough thing to do. It's - but you have to have, you know, you have rules, regulations, laws. They came in illegally."

And he said he would try to end the "ridiculous" constitutionally protected right to US citizenship for anyone born in the country. In a small olive branch offering to those advocating for allowing some undocumented migrants -- a key source of labour for much of the US economy -- to stay, Mr Trump said he will "work with the Democrats" on the so-called "dreamers". 

"I will work with the Democrats on a plan," he said, praising "Dreamers", the immigrants who've become successful residents by getting good jobs and starting businesses after entering the United States illegally as young children.

"We're going to have to do something with them," he added.

However, the incoming President suggested that even US citizens could be deported if they have family members who are in the country illegally. "The only way you don't break up the family is you keep them together and you have to send them all back," he said.

Pardon Of January 6 Rioters 

The President-elect said the pardons for his supporters, jailed for storming the US Capitol after his 2020 election defeat to Joe Biden, will happen on day one, arguing many have endured overly harsh treatment in prison. "These people are living in hell," he said.

NATO Membership

Mr Trump reiterated his familiar threat to leave NATO, the cornerstone of security in Europe since World War II, saying that US allies do not pay enough for their defence. "If they're paying their bills, and if I think they're treating us fairly, the answer is absolutely I'd stay with NATO," said.

"But there is also "absolutely" the possibility of America's departure," he added. 

Mr Trump's interview was aired after he met with the presidents of France and Ukraine over the weekend -- his first foreign trip since winning the November election against Vice President Kamala Harris.

Tariffs 

The Republican also stressed that his campaign promises of huge tariffs -- including against top US trading partners Canada, Mexico and China -- will be enacted. "We're subsidizing Mexico and we're subsidizing Canada and we're subsidizing many countries all over the world," he said.

Vowing that "properly used" tariffs are "a very powerful tool," Trump added that he would not only wield them economically, "but also for getting other things outside of economics."

As to whether Americans would see higher prices as a result of those tariffs, Trump said, "I can't guarantee anything."

Threat To Critics

The President-elect, who was impeached by Congress and criminally charged over his historic attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election, once again refused to admit he lost that vote. "No, why would I do that?" he said.

He also said that members of Congress who investigated him over the January 6, 2021, insurrection by his supporters "should go to jail."

While stressing that he would not personally order law enforcement bodies to prosecute his political enemies, he said officials could take the decision to do so themselves. 

Asked whether his pick to head the FBI, Kash Patel, should go through with his frequent threats to go after political opponents, Trump answered: "If they think that somebody was dishonest or crooked or a corrupt politician, I think he probably has an obligation to do it."

Trump said he will have "the absolute right" to prosecute domestic opponents because as president "I'm the chief law enforcement officer."

However, he said he was "not interested in that" and would instead work for economic growth and an end to illegal immigration so that his "retribution will be through success."