During a Monday night interview with Laura Ingraham on Fox News Channel's "The Ingraham Angle," President Donald Trump dismissed the idea that Americans are anxious about the economy, calling recent polling data that suggests such concerns fraudulent. The president confidently stated, "We have the greatest economy we've ever had," underscoring his administration's economic achievements.
The conversation, which spanned a range of contentious topics, grew particularly tense when discussing policies regarding foreign students, especially from China. Ingraham questioned the alignment of allowing 600,000 Chinese students into the U.S. with Trump's "pro-MAGA position." The president defended his stance by highlighting the importance of international students to the American education system, stating, "You don't want to...destroy our entire university and college system."
Trump emphasized his intimate understanding of the MAGA movement, asserting, "MAGA was my idea. I know what MAGA wants better than anybody else, and MAGA wants to see our country thrive."
Security concerns about Chinese students were raised by Ingraham, who pointed out instances of espionage and intellectual property theft. Trump responded with a broader critique of international relations, expressing skepticism about the trustworthiness of even America's traditional allies, citing trade issues with France as an example.
The interview also addressed the ongoing government shutdown, now in its sixth week, and the Senate's approach to a critical vote. Earlier in the day, Trump had threatened air traffic controllers who called in sick with docked pay, while also promising $10,000 bonuses to those who remained on duty. The president's vague response to questions about the funding source for these bonuses was, "I don’t know...I’ll get it from some place."
Ingraham and Trump discussed MAGA criticism of a proposal to have government-owned entities back 50-year mortgages. Trump downplayed the change from the standard 30-year mortgage, suggesting it would make payments more affordable over a longer period without significant impact.
Blame for the current interest rate levels was placed on the previous administration, with Trump attributing rate hikes to actions taken during the pandemic under Biden's watch. When asked about policy changes Republicans might need to implement for voters to feel more confident about economic conditions, Trump dismissed recent Democratic electoral victories and voter concerns as "a con job by the Democrats."
