Before Super Bowl, Trump talks Iran, Mexico, voter fraud, Obamacare, Patriots and Putin
In a wide-ranging interview with Bill O’Reilly, which aired during the Fox Super Bowl pregame show, President Trump discussed a myriad of controversies that have swirled in the two weeks since he’s taken office.
Among them: his executive order banning immigration from seven predominantly Muslim countries, his verbal threats against Iran, his allegations of voter fraud, his phone call with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, his threat to defund so-called sanctuary cities, his plan to repeal and replace Obamacare, and his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
First, Trump defended the rollout of his immigration order, dismissing the notion there was any confusion and saying it went “very smooth.” The order took effect as travelers whom it barred were en route to the United States.
The president also defended his administration putting Iran “on notice,” though it was unclear what exactly that meant in terms of policy.
“They have total disregard for our country,” Trump said. “They are the No. 1 terrorist state. They’re sending money all over the place, and weapons. And, can’t do that.”
Super Bowl live blog: Follow the action with Yahoo Sports and Shutdown Corner
Trump confirmed that he had offered to send U.S. troops to Mexico to help in the country’s drug wars. The Associated Press had reported that Trump told Peña Nieto that the U.S. might send its military to stop the “bad hombres down there” unless Mexico acted.
“Those cartels are operating in our country,” Trump told O’Reilly. “And they are poisoning the youth of our country.”
The president declined to say specifically how he would make Mexico pay for his planned wall along the U.S. southern border, but claimed that the pressure he put on companies like Carrier and General Motors from outsourcing jobs to Mexico was proof his plan is already working.
“I’ve turned it around already,” Trump said.
On the subject of Obamacare, the president repeated his intention to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, but acknowledged it may not come together as quickly as he had hoped.
“Maybe it’ll take sometime into next year, but we are certainly going to be in the process,” Trump said. “Very complicated.”
Related: Trump picks Patriots to win Super Bowl: ‘Have to stick up for your friends’
On the voter fraud front, Trump defended his call for an investigation to back up his debunked claim that 3 million to 5 million votes were illegally cast by undocumented immigrants.
“Forget that,” Trump told O’Reilly. “Look, Bill, we can be babies, but you take a look at the registration, you have illegals, you have dead people, you have this. It’s really a bad situation. It’s really bad.”
Trump told O’Reilly he has “respect” for Putin but that doesn’t mean Trump’s “going to get along with him.”
When O’Reilly described Putin as “a killer,” Trump said the United States has killers too.
“There are a lot of killers,” Trump said. “We’ve got a lot of killers. What do you think? Our country’s so innocent?”
Trump’s remarks about Putin, which were released by Fox on Saturday night, have already drawn sharp criticism from some Republicans. On Sunday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called Putin a “thug,” and Sen. Marco Rubio slammed the idea that U.S. and Russian actions were equivalent.
Later during the pre-Super Bowl interview, O’Reilly asked Trump if he’s had a chance to reflect on the fact that he’s the president of the United States.
“Well, I must tell you, the other day I walked into the main entrance of the White House,” Trump replied. “And I said to myself, ‘This is sort of amazing.’ Or you walk into Air Force One. It’s like a surreal experience in a certain way, but you have to get over it.”
Finally, Trump was asked for his prediction on the Super Bowl. And unsurprisingly, he picked the Patriots, the team he’s championed for years.
“I like [Patriots owner] Bob Kraft, I like coach [Bill] Belichick. Tom Brady is my friend,” Trump said. “And you have to stick up for your friends, right?”
More from Yahoo News:
