Bangkok Post – Trump talks Xi, tariffs and aliens in Freewheeling Rogan Podcast

WASHINGTON — Former U.S. President Donald Trump said he would consider replacing income taxes entirely with tariffs, admitted botching senior appointments and hinted at a possible revelation on extraterrestrial life during a free three-hour podcast with comedian Joe Rogan on Friday.

It was an unorthodox – and lengthy – conversation for a presidential candidate, highlighting the Republican candidate's engagement with young male voters and his quest for a spectacle that would make waves during the final days of the presidential campaign. The podcast, recorded Friday during a visit to Austin, Texas, is Trump's latest effort to broaden his electoral appeal beyond his fervent conservative base, with polls showing him deadlocked with Democrat Kamala Harris.

Trump spoke out on several topics, defending his populist economic agenda while praising billionaire Elon Musk — whom he called “out of this world” — as well as Chinese President Xi Jinping. Throughout his bid to return to the White House, Trump has talked about a resumption of the trade war he waged with Xi during his first term.

The conversation was long enough that Trump found himself hours late for a rally in the swing state of Michigan, where hundreds of supporters left the venue as temperatures dropped while awaiting his arrival.

But Rogan, widely considered the world's most popular podcaster — with 17.5 million subscribers on YouTube and 15.7 million on Spotify — has given the former president a unique platform to reach not just an audience massive, but also a platform full of independent voters. both campaigns have said it could decide the election.

Harris has also sought to exploit the growing popularity of non-traditional media, appearing on podcasts including the hit Call Her Daddy with Alex Cooper. Her campaign said scheduling difficulties prevented her from appearing on Rogan's show.

Republican presidential candidate and former US President Donald Trump is holding a campaign rally in Traverse City, Michigan, US on Friday. (Photo: Reuters)

Here are the main highlights of the conversation between Trump and Rogan:

“The biggest mistake”

Asked by Rogan what his “biggest mistake” in office was, Trump responded that he “chose people I shouldn't have chosen.”

“Neoconservatives, bad people or just disloyal people,” he added.

Trump singled out two former officials — both of whom have become prominent critics: former White House chief of staff John Kelly and former national security adviser John Bolton. Kelly accused Trump of saying he wanted the kind of generals Adolf Hitler had and praising the former Nazi leader for doing good things — allegations Trump has denied.

The former president called Kelly a “tyrant” and called Bolton an “idiot.”

“The most beautiful word”

Trump again defended his populist economic agenda focused on renewing expiring tax cuts, proposing new tax cuts and benefits as well as drastic tariffs on foreign countries that he said will help support the he domestic manufacturing industry in the United States.

The Republican candidate called the word tariff the “most beautiful word” in the dictionary.

“It's more beautiful than love. It's more beautiful than anything,” he said. “This country can become rich by using – appropriately – tariffs.”

Rogan asked if Trump would consider replacing income taxes with tariffs. Trump replied: “Yes, of course. Why not?” and went on to argue that the United States was richest when it had high tariffs in the late 19th century.

Trump has rejected claims by most economists that the tariffs would spur inflation and not produce the revenue he predicts.

Call of Pichai

During the interview, Trump said he received a call from Alphabet Incorporated CEO Sundar Pichai, who said interest in the Republican candidate's photo shoot at a McDonald's in the swing state of Pennsylvania had risen online.

Republican presidential candidate and former US President Donald Trump serves food at a McDonald's restaurant in Feasterville-Trevose, Pennsylvania, the United States, October 20, 2024. (Photo: Reuters)

“He said, 'This McDonald's thing, I want to tell you, it's one of the most important things we've ever had on Google.' It just hit,” Trump said.

The Republican nominee visited a McDonald's on Sunday, donning an apron at the fries station and handing out food to people, part of an effort to discredit — without proof — Harris' claims that she worked at the fast food chain when she was younger. .

Trump has had a contentious relationship with Alphabet's Google search engine, claiming it obscured the results of people trying to find information about him and previously saying he called Pichai to complain.

“Brilliant” Xi

Trump hailed China's Xi Jinping as a “brilliant guy” and highlighted the leader's strong hold on his country.

“He controls 1.4 billion people with an iron fist,” the former president said. “I mean, he’s a brilliant guy, whether you like it or not.”

Trump regularly says he has earned the respect of foreign leaders and insists his good relations with them — including Russian President Vladimir Putin — can help bring peace.

'Go to the beach'

Trump highlighted his relationship with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, sharing a story in which he urged the country's leader to stop building nuclear weapons.

Then US President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, in Panmunjom, South Korea, June 30, 2019. (Photo: Reuters)

“You're still building nuclear. Relax. You don't have to. Let's build condos on your shore.” » Trump said.

The former president said the North Korean leader told him he needed the weapons for his own security.

Conspiracy theories

Rogan and Trump repeatedly delved into conspiracy talk, with Trump insisting the 2020 election was stolen while the podcast host pushed him to provide evidence to support his claims.

Trump instead said he believed the media did not fairly cover the documents recovered from Hunter Biden's laptop and that pandemic changes to voting procedures were illegal.

Rogan was generally supportive of Trump's phrasing of the election question, but later balked when Trump praised the value of the polio vaccine.

Towards the end of the episode, Rogan asked the former president about the possibility of extraterrestrial life.

Trump said he did “an interview” with three or four unnamed officials he described as “solid, good-looking people” on the issue.

“They said, 'Sir, there's something there,'” Trump said, without elaborating.