President Trump and ABC News’ Terry Moran held a contentious interview on Tuesday in which the president and the senior national correspondent clashed over tariff policy, deportations, MS-13 tattoos and the power of the presidency.
The Oval Office interview came as Trump marked the first 100 days in office of his second term. Trump took multiple jabs at Moran throughout the hourlong primetime program, including when he suggested he had never heard of the journalist and at one point insisted “ABC is one of the worst.”
Moran peppered Trump with a wide range of questions involving the economy, his tariff program, mass deportations, the Russia-Ukraine war and what he would say to people who were worried he was “becoming an authoritarian.”
Here are five takeaways from the interview.
Spar over tariffs
One of the early signs of a spar during the interview came when Moran asked Trump about his tariff policy, and in particular his response to economic experts who say that policy would lead to a rise in consumer prices.
Moran asked Trump about concerns that tariffs on China in particular could hit American families hard.
“People are worried, even some people who voted for you, saying ‘I didn’t sign up for this.’ So how do you address those concerns?” Moran asked Trump.
“They did sign up for it, actually, and this is what I campaigned on,” Trump replied.
In a heated back-and-forth with Moran, during which the ABC host argued that tariffs could raise prices on electronics, clothing and home building, Trump said that “China probably will eat those tariffs.
Moran also asked Trump to speak to small business owners who might have felt that breaks companies like Apple received would not also benefit them.
Moran also noted that Trump has said to “hang tough” on tariffs while markets took a plunge in the first days of his reciprocal tariffs before he implemented a 90-day pause. When questioned if hard times are ahead, Trump replied, “I don’t think so.”
That set off a back-and-forth between the two men about what the tariffs mean for the American economy.
“So your answer to the concern about the tariffs is, ‘Everything’s gonna be hunky-dory?” Moran eventually asked.
“Everybody’s gonna be just fine,” Trump responded. “It wouldn’t have been if I didn’t do this. I had a choice. I could leave it, have a nice, easy time. But I think ultimately you wouldn’t had an implosion. Our country had inflation that was worse than they’ve ever had it before. You don’t mention that. Why don’t you mention that?”
Mass deportations, due process, Abrego Garcia
Moran pressed Trump on whether he acknowledges that under U.S. law, every person is afforded due process but Trump insisted that when people come to the country illegally “there’s a different standard.”
“But they get due process,” Moran said.
“Well, they get a process where we have to get ‘em out, yeah,” Trump responded. “They get whatever my lawyers say.”
Moran also noted that podcast host Joe Rogan, who endorsed Trump, warned that the U.S. could not be at risk of becoming “monsters while we’re fighting monsters.”
“I agree with that a hundred percent, yeah. I want to be careful and we are careful,” Trump said.
The interview grew intense when Moran asked about the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who the administration indicated in court documents was sent to El Salvador in “administrative error” but White House officials have since disputed that notion and the lawyer who wrote that court document has been put on leave.
Trump also highlighted those details, saying the lawyer working on behalf of the administration at the time, who has since been placed on leave, “should not have said that.”
Trump and Moran also had a dispute over Abrego Garcia’s tattoos.
Trump has shared an image of the characters “MS-13” added over his existing tattoos on Abrego Garcia’s hands that the White House argues are symbols that represent the gang name but the digital addition to the image has received backlash online for misleading the public.
Trump grew agitated when Moran suggested that the image had been photoshopped.
“That was photoshop? Terry, you can’t do that,” Trump said. “They’re giving you the big break of a lifetime. You know, you’re doing the interview. I picked you because – frankly I never hard of your but that’s ok.”
“But I picked you, Terry, but you’re not being very nice,” Trump added.
Trump optimistic on Hegseth
Trump addressed controversies that have surrounded his defense secretary, Pete Hegseth after reports surfaced that he had used an unsecure chat to share sensitive information including to his wife and a reporter.
“I had a talk with him, and whatever I said I probably wouldn’t be inclined to tell you,” Trump told Moran. “But – we had a good talk. He’s a talented guy. He’s young. He’s smart, highly educated. And I think he’s gonna be a very good defense, hopefully a great defense secretary.”
When Moran asked Trump if he had 100 percent confidence in Hegseth, Trump shot back: “I don’t have 100 percent confidence in anything, okay? Anything. Do I have a hundred percent? It’s a stupid question.”
“It’s a pretty important position,” Moran said, referring to the president’s stance on Hegseth.
“No, no, no,” Trump said. “You don’t have a hundred percent. Only a liar would say, ‘I have a hundred percent confidence.’”
The president told The Atlantic in an interview earlier this week that he thinks Hegseth will “get it together.” Hegseth reportedly ordered a makeup room to be set up at the Defense Department, which he has denied, and he has been at the center of controversy around his usage of the Signal messaging app and over his management of the Defense department.
Trump says Putin wants all of Ukraine
Trump acknowledged again that Russian President Vladimir Putin might be “tapping him along” when it comes to a peace deal to end the war with Ukraine.
Trump also said explicitly that he believes Putin wants the entire country and that the Krelim would have succeeded in that mission had Trump not won in 2024.
“He could be tapping me along a little bit. I would say that he would like to stop the war. I think, if it weren’t for me, I think he would like to take over the whole country personally,” Trump said. “I believe that Putin wanted to get all of Ukraine, once he went in.”
“I think Putin wanted all of Ukraine. I think if I didn’t win the election, he would have gotten all of Ukraine, he would have taken all of Ukraine,” Trump added, blaming Biden for Russia’s invasion into Ukraine. “I think he wanted the whole country.”
When asked if Putin wants peace, Trump replied, “I think he does, yes.”
When Moran asked if Trump trusts Putin, Trump replied, “I don’t trust you,I don’t trust – I don’t trust a lot of people.”
Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday in Rome, after which he posted on Truth Social that he thinks Putin may be “tapping” him along following the latest deadly strikes on Ukraine. His remarks came in contrast to what he said week ago, when the president insisted “nobody’s playing me.”
Trump asked of ‘authoritarian’ concerns
To end the interview, Moran asked Trump what he would say to people who are “concerned you are taking, seizing too much power and becoming an authoritarian president like we haven’t had before?”
“I would hate them to think that. I’m doing one thing, I’m making America great again,” Trump said.
He was also asked for his justification for going after political adversaries, whether by revoking security clearances, withholding funding or undercutting businesses such as law firms that employ attorneys who worked on behalf of Democrats or were involved in prior investigations of the president.
Moran asked Trump if he is using his powers as president to get personal revenge.
“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,” Trump replied.
And when asked for his justification for going after people he don’t like, Trump replied that he is going after “people who I think are dishonest.”
The administration recently took away $2.2 billion in funding for Harvard after the university refused to bow to Trump’s demands, which included changes to its hiring and admission practices, as well as eliminating its diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
He has also directed various agencies to cut off security clearances for law firms like Perkins Coie and WilmerHale.