Donald Trump has marked 100 days back in the White House with a sit-down interview — and if you were expecting a calm and respectful conversation, think again.
In a fiery, wide-ranging interview with ABC’s Terry Moran, the POTUS didn’t just double down on his decisions — he took a direct swing at Putin, ABCS News, and the very voters expressing regret over backing him in 2024.
"There is a lot of concern out there," Moran told Trump. "People are worried, even some people who voted for you, sayin', "I didn't sign up for this." So how do you answer those concerns?"
Moran was referring to Trump's recent and aggressive economic policies, such as his trade war with China and aggressive tariff strategy.
But, unperturbed, Trump's blunt 8-word response was simply: “Well, they did sign up for it, actually.”
He added: “This is what I campaigned on.”
Trump’s comments come amid a rocky reintroduction to the presidency. A joint ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll shows 55% of Americans disapprove of how Trump is handling his job — the worst 100-day approval rating for any U.S. president in 80 years. A separate New York Times/Siena College poll reports just 42% approval, with a staggering 66% of respondents describing his second term so far as “chaotic.”
Trump has since taken to Truth Social to blast these polls, writing: "The Polls from the Fake News are, like the News itself, FAKE! We are doing GREAT, better than ever before."
And in his interview, Trump brushed off the numbers and defended his economic track record. “Energy is down. Gasoline hit $1.98 in a few states... It was $3.50 and $4.00 and $4.50. But gasoline is way down,” he claimed. “And when I took over, you remember the big thing with eggs? Well, eggs are down 87% since I got involved.”
“It’s all heading in the right direction,” he added. “Everybody’s gonna be just fine.”
The Oval Office interview, which aired Tuesday (April 29), saw Trump repeatedly clash with Moran, particularly over tariffs, immigration, and his growing grip on presidential power.
Moran pressed Trump on accusations of authoritarianism, noting recent actions such as targeting political opponents, stripping law firms of security clearances, and pulling $2.2 billion in federal funding from Harvard over its DEI programs. “Are you using your powers as president to get personal revenge?” Moran asked.
Trump didn’t deny the accusations outright. Instead, he pivoted. “There has never been a president in this country, in the history, that was persecuted like I was persecuted by really crooked people… when you say I’m treating people rough, I was treated rough,” he said. “I’m going after people who I think are dishonest.”
He also made headlines with a sharp line about trust, telling Moran: “I don’t trust you. I don’t trust – I don’t trust a lot of people.”
The sit-down turned testy when the pair sparred over a digitally altered photo Trump shared showing “MS-13” tattoos allegedly photoshopped onto deported immigrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
When Moran suggested the image had been manipulated, Trump hit back: “That was Photoshop? Terry, you can’t do that… I picked you because – frankly I never heard of you, but that’s okay.”
The conversation also touched on Trump’s defense secretary Pete Hegseth, who has faced criticism over alleged misuse of the Signal messaging app, such as using an unsecure chat to share sensitive information.
“I had a talk with him,” Trump said, before adding, “I don’t have 100 percent confidence in anything, okay? Anything. Only a liar would say, ‘I have a hundred percent confidence.’”
And on foreign policy, Trump didn’t mince words about Vladimir Putin’s intentions in Ukraine. “I believe that Putin wanted to get all of Ukraine, once he went in,” he said. “I think if I didn’t win the election, he would have gotten all of Ukraine.”
Pressed on whether he trusted the Russian leader, Trump deadpanned: “I don’t trust you.”
Despite his harsh rhetoric and the mounting disapproval, Trump maintains that his bold approach is what America needs. “I’m doing one thing — I’m making America great again,” he said. “It wouldn’t have been if I didn’t do this.”
Overall, this historic interview was certainly everything Trump is - bold, brash, and divisive.