In a candid interview with Sean Hannity on Wednesday night, former US President Donald Trump addressed a gamut of issues, from his controversial pardons to international defense spending. Trump defended his decision to pardon, commute, or dismiss the cases of over 1,500 individuals charged with crimes linked to efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat. He also criticized current President Joe Biden for not pardoning himself before leaving office. Trump made several claims during the interview, touching on topics like NATO defense spending, US-China relations concerning the Panama Canal, and California's water management policies.
Trump's decision to grant pardons and commutations sparked disappointment among two major police unions. He argued that many individuals faced unjust harsh prison conditions and were unfairly treated.
“Those people – and I’m not saying in every single case – but there was a lot of patriotism with those people.” – Donald Trump
However, Trump's assertion that the 2020 election was stolen contradicts findings from courts and officials who confirmed the election's legitimacy.
During the interview, Trump criticized Biden for not self-pardoning, suggesting it was an oversight on Biden's part.
“This guy went around giving everybody pardons. And you know, the funny thing, maybe the sad thing, is he didn’t give himself a pardon. And if you look at it, it all had to do with him,” – Donald Trump
Trump also hinted at potential investigations into those who prosecuted him, suggesting actions should be taken against them.
Turning to international matters, Trump proposed that NATO members should increase their minimum defense spending from 2% to 5% of GDP. This proposal comes amidst ongoing discussions about NATO's role and funding.
Richard Grenell, the US envoy for special missions, echoed Trump's sentiments on defense spending. He emphasized the need for NATO allies to contribute their "fair share" before expanding the alliance.
“You cannot ask the American people to expand the umbrella of Nato when the current members aren’t paying their fair share, and that includes the Dutch who need to step up,” – Richard Grenell
Grenell also commented on the frustration felt by Americans regarding international spending and diplomacy.
“There’s a huge frustration from Americans that we’re spending hundreds of billions of dollars, and our leaders aren’t speaking to each other to try to solve problems,” – Richard Grenell
The discussion about NATO funding was further complicated by comments from NATO chief Mark Rutte and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo.
“We have collectively to move up and we will decide on the exact number later this year, but it will be considerably more than two [percent],” – Mark Rutte
“I see a lot of finger pointing between partners. And that’s not helpful,” – Alexander De Croo
In another claim, Trump insisted that China operates the Panama Canal, clarifying that the US did not cede control over it to China. His remarks have stirred further debate on US-China relations.
On domestic matters, Trump suggested withholding federal aid from California until the state revises its water management strategies. He asserted that California's conservation efforts are causing urban fire hydrants to run dry, a claim contested by experts.
Trump also took pride in providing a voiceover for the song "Justice for All," which enjoyed significant commercial success.
“It was the number one selling song, number one on Billboard, number one on everything for so long. People get it. They wanted to see those people.” – Donald Trump
In terms of foreign policy, Trump threatened new sanctions on Moscow if it does not reach an agreement to end its military offensive in Ukraine. Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin, downplayed Trump's threats.
“We do not see any particularly new elements,” – Dmitry Peskov
“We remain ready for dialogue, for equal, mutually respectful dialogue,” – Dmitry Peskov
Grenell expressed concerns about NATO's expansion plans involving Ukraine.
“You’re going to run into a big buzzsaw in America if we have the Nato secretary general talking about adding Ukraine to Nato,” – Richard Grenell