Assistance from Claude AI.
Summary
President Donald Trump delivered a sweeping interview with POLITICO‘s Dasha Burns at the White House on December 8, 2025, revealing that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has not yet read the most recent peace proposal despite mounting casualties, declaring that Russia holds the stronger negotiating position in the conflict. Trump criticized European leaders for allowing what he called a immigration crisis that is causing nations to “decay,” announced his administration released a controversial national security strategy aimed at “cultivating resistance to Europe’s current trajectory,” and suggested Nicolás Maduro‘s “days are numbered” in Venezuela while refusing to rule out American military action. On the domestic front, Trump defended his economic record with an “A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus” grade despite constituent concerns about affordability, indicated he may allow Obamacare subsidies to expire in two weeks to pressure Congress toward his preferred health care approach of giving money directly to citizens rather than insurance companies, and discussed the upcoming Supreme Court case on birthright citizenship that could fundamentally reshape American immigration policy.
Participants
- Donald Trump, President of the United States
- Dasha Burns, Journalist, POLITICO
Detailed Breakdown by Topic
Ukraine-Russia Peace Negotiations and Zelenskyy’s Response
Trump opened the interview by asserting that Russia holds the stronger negotiating position in the Ukraine war, stating “there can be no question about it. It’s Russia. It’s a much bigger country.” He characterized the conflict as “a war that should’ve never happened” and claimed it “wouldn’t have happened if I were president, and it didn’t happen for four years.”
When Burns asked about the stalled peace negotiations, Trump revealed that Zelenskyy had not yet read the most recent peace proposal “as of yesterday.” Trump expressed frustration with this delay, saying: “It would be nice if he would read it. You know, a lot of people are dying. So it would be really good if he’d read it.” He noted that Zelenskyy’s lieutenants and top advisers “loved the proposal” and “really liked it,” but emphasized “they said he hasn’t read it yet. I think he should find time to read it.”
Trump also endorsed holding elections in Ukraine, saying “Yeah. I think so. It’s been a long time.” He argued that Ukraine has been “using war not to hold an election,” adding: “I think it’s an important time to hold an election. They’re using war not to hold an election, but, uh, I would think the Ukrainian people would … should have that choice.” Trump suggested that the prolonged absence of elections undermines Ukraine’s democratic credentials: “You know, they talk about a democracy, but it gets to a point where it’s not a democracy anymore.”
When asked about his son Donald Trump Jr.‘s suggestion that Trump might walk away from Ukraine, the president gave a qualified response: “No, it’s not correct. But it’s not exactly wrong. We have to … you know, they have to play ball. If they, uh … if they don’t read agreements, potential agreements, you know, it’s, uh, not easy with Russia ’cause Russia has the upper … upper hand.”
Trump praised Ukrainian bravery but emphasized Russia’s advantages: “I give Ukraine a lot of … a lot of … I give the people of Ukraine and the military of Ukraine tremendous credit for the, you know, bravery and for the fighting and all of that. But you know, at some point, size will win, generally. And this is a massive size.”
Territorial Losses and Military Casualties
Trump described Ukraine’s territorial losses in stark terms, noting: “They’ve lost territory long before I got here. They lost a whole strip of seafront, big seafront.” When Burns asked directly if Ukraine has lost the war, Trump responded: “You certainly wouldn’t say it’s a victory. I could show you a chart. It’s uh … it’s a lot of land they lost.”
He provided specific casualty figures that highlighted the war’s devastating human cost: “You know, last month they lost 27,000 soldiers and some people from missiles being launched into Kyiv and o … Kyiv and other places.” Trump characterized the situation as “what a sad thing for humanity,” noting that “millions of people are dead, many, many soldiers.”
Trump criticized the Biden administration’s approach, stating: “Our country is no longer paying any money ever since Biden gave them $350 billion so stupidly. And you know, if he wouldn’t have given it, maybe something else would’ve happened.”
Personal Dynamics Between Putin and Zelenskyy
A significant obstacle to peace negotiations, according to Trump, is the personal animosity between the two leaders. “Putin has … had no respect for Biden, and he had no respect for Zelenskyy, didn’t like Zelenskyy. They really hate each other,” Trump said, adding: “Part of the problem is they hate each other really a lot, you know. And it’s very hard for them to try and make a deal. It’s harder than most.”
Trump contrasted this situation with his own dealmaking experience: “I settled eight wars, and this … I would’ve said this is the ninth. This would’ve been the easiest one, I would’ve said, or one of the easier ones. I mean, I settled one … one that was going on for 36 years. Uh, I settled Pakistan and India. I settled so many wars.” However, he acknowledged: “This one is tough. One of the reasons is the level of hatred between Putin and Zelenskyy is tremendous.”
Historical Context: Crimea and Obama Administration
Trump repeatedly brought up the 2014 annexation of Crimea by Russia during the Obama administration, calling it a pivotal moment. “Obama gave away Crimea,” Trump stated, describing it as “the heart” of the conflict. He characterized Crimea in glowing terms from a strategic perspective: “I’m a real estate person at heart, right? I’m very good at real estate. And when I looked o … wh … every time I look at that map, I say, oh, this Crimea’s so beautiful. Wow. It’s surrounded on four sides by ocean.”
Trump described Crimea’s geography in detail: “It’s only got a little piece of land to get to … you know, to the main … well, the main. I mean, Crimea’s massive. But it connects the part of Ukraine that we talk about now … through a small, little jetty. It … it’s four sides of ocean in the warmest part. It’s got the best weather, best everything.” He concluded: “Obama forced them to give up Crimea. That was a d … I … I remember when it happened.”
Trump also criticized Zelenskyy’s early approach to negotiations with Putin, saying: “When, uh, Zelenskyy first went in and first met Putin, he said I want two things. I want Crimea back and we’re gonna be a member of NATO. He didn’t say it in a very nice way either.”
He gave Zelenskyy the nickname “P.T. Barnum,” explaining: “You know who P.T. Barnum was, right? … One of the greatest on Earth. He could sell any product at any time. That was his expression, I can sell any product at any time. It was true. He said, doesn’t matter whether it works or not.” Trump added: “He … he got, uh, crooked Joe Biden to give him $350 billion. And look what it got … got him. About 25 percent of his country is missing.”
Trump’s New National Security Strategy and European Relations
A major focus of the interview was Trump‘s controversial new national security strategy document, which Burns described as sending “shockwaves throughout Europe.” She quoted the strategy as saying a key pillar should be “cultivating resistance to Europe’s current trajectory within European nations.”
Trump justified this approach by characterizing Europe’s situation in dire terms: “Europe is a different place. And if it keeps going the way it’s going, Europe will not be … in my opinion, uh, many of those countries will not be viable countries any longer.”
European Immigration Policies
Trump focused extensively on European immigration policies, which he called “a disaster.” He contrasted the U.S. approach with Europe’s: “We had a disaster coming, but I was able to stop it. You know, we have no people coming through our borders now, zero, seven months. I mean, who would believe zero? We went from millions of people — in some cases, millions of people a month — but millions of people to no people.”
He described Europe’s situation as the opposite: “Europe, they’re coming in from all parts of the world. Not just the Middle East, they’re coming in from the Congo, tremendous numbers of people coming from the Congo. And even worse, they’re coming from prisons of the Congo and many other countries.”
Trump singled out specific cities and leaders for criticism. Regarding Paris, he said: “If you take a look at Paris, it’s a much different place. I loved Paris. Uh, it’s a much different place than it was.” On London, Trump was particularly harsh about Mayor Sadiq Khan: “You have a mayor named Khan. He’s a horrible mayor. He’s an incompetent mayor, but he’s a horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor. I think he’s done a terrible job. London’s a different place. I love London. I love London. And I hate to see it happen.”
Trump used Sweden as a repeated example throughout the interview: “If you take a look at Sweden, Sweden was known as the safest country in Europe … one of the safest countries in the world. Now it’s known as very unsafe … well, pretty unsafe country. It’s not even believable. It’s a whole different country, Sweden.”
On Germany, Trump criticized former Chancellor Angela Merkel: “Look at Germany. Germany was crime-free, and Angela made two big mistakes; immigration and energy. But those two are beauties.”
Political Involvement in Europe
When Burns asked if Trump would endorse candidates in European elections, he acknowledged: “I want to run the United States. I don’t want to run Europe. I’m involved in Europe very much.” He noted his past endorsements: “I’ve endorsed people, but I’ve endorsed people that a lot of Europeans don’t like. I’ve endorsed Viktor Orbán.”
Trump praised Hungary‘s Viktor Orbán specifically for immigration policies: “One thing he … one thing he has really … he’s really gotten right is the immigration because he…he al … he allows nobody in his country. And Poland has done a very good job in that respect, too.”
Regarding a reported $20 billion financial commitment to Orbán, Trump clarified: “No, I didn’t promise him, but he certainly asked for it.”
Trump made a broader point about European leadership: “I like all of them. I have no real enemy. I’ve had a couple that I didn’t like over the years. I actually like the current crew. I like ’em a lot. But they … and I know ’em very well. I know ’em really well. Um, some are friends. Some are OK. I know the good leaders. I know the bad leaders. I know the smart ones. I know the stupid ones. You get some real stupid ones, too.”
NATO and Turkey
On NATO, Trump used a striking phrase: “NATO calls me Daddy. I mean, I have a lot to say about it.” He touted his success in increasing defense spending: “Look, I raised, you know, GDP from 2 percent to 5 percent; the 2 percent they weren’t paying and the 5 percent they are paying.”
Regarding NATO expansion, Burns asked if the alliance should stop accepting new members. Trump noted: “Well, you know, there aren’t that many left when you get right down to it, right? There aren’t that many left.” He emphasized: “It was always, uh … I … I … long before Putin, uh, it was an understanding that Ukraine would not be going into NATO. This was long before Putin, in all fairness.”
Trump discussed his relationship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: “Erdoğan is a friend of mine. Whenever they have a problem with Erdoğan, they ask me to call because they can’t speak to him. He’s a tough cookie. I actually like him a lot.” Trump described their effective working relationship: “But they have a hard time dealing with him, and they ask me to call him. And I do call him, and I always work it out with him. You know, he and I work it out right … really quickly.”
He praised Erdoğan’s leadership: “Look, he’s built a strong country, strong military. But they have a hard time dealing with him, and they ask me to call him.”
Russia’s Response to U.S. Strategy
When Burns noted that the Kremlin called Trump’s new strategy document a “positive step” that aligns with “Moscow’s vision,” Trump pushed back: “Well, I think he’d like to see a … a weak Europe, and, uh, so you know, to be honest with you, uh, he’s getting that. That has nothing to do with me.”
Trump clarified his priorities: “I have no vision for Europe. All I want to see is a strong Europe. Look, I have a vision for the United States of America first. It’s ‘Make America Great Again.’” However, he added: “I do explain to Europe ’cause I think, you know, I’m supposed to be a very smart person, I can … I have eyes. I have ears. I have, uh, knowledge. I have vast knowledge. I see what’s happening. I get reports that you will never see. And I think it’s horrible what’s happening to Europe.”
Venezuela and Nicolás Maduro
Trump issued a stark warning about Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, stating: “His days are numbered.” When Burns asked if American troops could be deployed to Venezuela, Trump refused to provide details: “I don’t comment on that. I wouldn’t say that one way or the other.”
He justified his focus on Venezuela by detailing what he described as Maduro’s actions: “He sent us millions of people, many from prisons, many drug dealers, drug lords, uh, mental institution … people in mental institutions. He sent them into our country.” Trump characterized Biden as “a low-IQ person, especially nowadays” for accepting these migrants.
Trump provided specific statistics: “Eleven thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight murderers were entered into our country, and stupid Joe took all those people. And now we’re getting them out. We’re finding ’em.”
He praised the Venezuelan-American community in Florida: “I got to know the Venezuelan people very well because, uh, that I’ve owned [Doral] for a long time. And they’re unbelievable people. The area is such a successful area. Everybody is successful. It’s amazing.” Trump added: “They were tremendous to me. They voted for me 94 percent or something. I mean, it’s incredible.”
When asked about the type of immigrants he wants in America, Trump contrasted Venezuelan-Americans with others, specifically mentioning Somalia and making a reference to Representative Ilhan Omar (without naming her): “I don’t want to see a woman that, you know, marries her brother to get in and then becomes a congressman and does nothing but complain.”
Controversial Boat Strikes and Drug Policy
The interview addressed controversial naval strikes on alleged drug boats. When asked if Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth should testify under oath about a second strike on September 2, Trump replied: “I don’t care if he does. He can if he wants. I don’t care.”
Trump defended the policy by citing drug-related deaths: “We save 25,000 people every time we knock out a boat. On average, they kill 25,000 Americans.” He touted the results: “The drugs coming in through the sea are down to … they’re down by 92 percent.”
When Burns noted that most fentanyl comes from Mexico using Chinese precursor chemicals, not Venezuela, Trump insisted: “Yeah, well, they do send lots of drugs. Those boats come in largely from Venezuela.” He added: “But … but let me tell you what they do do. They send really, really bad people into our country, and they’ve done it better than anybody else.”
Regarding potential similar actions against Mexico and Colombia, Trump stated: “Yeah, I would. Sure. I would.”
Juan Orlando Hernández Pardon
Trump defended his pardon of former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández, who was convicted of international drug trafficking. Trump characterized it as similar to his own legal battles: “I know very little about him other than people said it was like, uh, an Obama/Biden type setup, where he was set up.”
He explained: “The country, uh, deals in drugs, like probably you could say that about every country, and because he was the president, they gave him like 45 years in prison. And there are many people fighting for Honduras, very good people that I know. And they think he was treated horribly, and they asked me to do it, and I said I’ll do it.”
Trump connected this to broader themes of government weaponization: “When you weaponize government … uh, they’ve weaponized their government just like they did over here. I’m one of the people that survived.”
Response to Marjorie Taylor Greene Criticism
Trump addressed criticism from Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene about spending too much time on foreign policy, launching into a personal attack: “I’ve watched stupid people like Marjorie Traitor Greene, or some people call her Taylor Greene. Some people call her Taylor Brown because green sometimes turns to brown, which isn’t nice.”
He called her “a low IQ person” and explained the breakdown in their relationship: “She was a loyal person until I wasn’t able to answer her phone calls ’cause I’m just too busy to answer people’s phone calls. You can’t call me three times a day.”
Trump defended his foreign policy focus by citing economic returns: “I made one trip. I brought back trillions of dollars on that one trip. I stopped in Japan. I stopped in South Korea. I met with President Xi and ended what could’ve been a big … problem.” He added: “Went to the Middle East. I brought back, uh, $3 trillion from the Middle East. I sold many Boeing airplanes on that trip, like 300.”
Regarding his negotiations with China over rare earth elements and magnets, Trump emphasized: “Remember, uh, rare earth and the problem with magnets and all of these things that was gonna shut down the whole world? I worked it out with President Xi and we have a good relationship. I worked it out with President Xi very favorable … to the United States.”
Economic Assessment and Affordability Concerns
When asked to grade his economy, Trump responded emphatically: “A-plus … Yeah, A-plus-plus-plus-plus-plus.”
However, Burns presented concerns from a Pennsylvania supporter named Melanie who said: “Groceries, utility, insurance, and the basic cost of running small business keep rising faster than wages.”
Trump acknowledged inheriting economic challenges: “The word affordability … I inherited a mess. I inherited a total mess. Prices were at an all-time high when I came in. Prices are coming down substantially.”
He focused particularly on energy: “Look at energy. You and I discussed before the interview, energy … energy has come down incredibly. When energy comes down, everything … ’cause it’s so much bigger than any other subject.” Trump provided specific examples: “If you think of gasoline a gallon, they had it at $4.50, almost $5.00. You go to some of the states, you had it at $6.00. We hit, uh, three states two days ago, $1.99 a gallon.”
Tariffs and Investment
Trump touted massive investment inflows: “We’ve got $18 trillion coming into our country. Biden had less than a trillion for four years, and he was heading south.” He attributed this to tariffs, stating: “I think because of tariffs and November 5 election, if you want to know the truth.”
When asked about additional tariff carveouts beyond coffee, Trump was flexible: “Yeah. Sure. And I’ve done that already … with coffee. Uh, they’re very small carveouts. It’s not a big deal.” However, he added: “On some. And on some I’ll increase tariffs.”
He defended tariffs as bringing back manufacturing: “Because you know what happens is because of tariffs, all of the car companies are coming back. You know, we lost 58 percent of the automobile business.”
Trump also cited a deal with Intel: “They came in to see me, Intel. They needed something to be done by the government. I said, I’m gonna do it, but I think you have to give us 10 percent of your company. You know what happened? We made $40 billion on that deal. The price went through the roof.”
Interest Rates and Federal Reserve
On the Federal Reserve, Trump criticized Chairman Jerome Powell: “This guy too … should too [lower rates]. But I think he’s a combination of not a smart person and doesn’t like Trump. But the reason he doesn’t like Trump … well, the reason he doesn’t like Trump is because I hit him hard because he’s doing a bad job.”
When asked if lowering interest rates would be a litmus test for a new Fed chair, Trump responded: “Yes.”
Healthcare and Obamacare Subsidies
With Obamacare subsidies set to expire in two weeks, Trump outlined a dramatically different approach to healthcare. He characterized Obamacare as designed to enrich insurance companies: “Obamacare was set up for insurance companies to become rich, OK? That was why they … in my opinion, I think the Democrats did it for that reason. Do you know that insurance company stocks have gone up 16, 17, 1,800 percent over a short period of time?”
Trump‘s alternative: “I don’t want to pay ’em anything. No money for the insurance companies. Sorry, fellas. I know ’em all. No money for the insurance companies. I want to pay the money directly to the people and let the people get their own health care.”
When Burns pressed on whether premiums would rise in two weeks, Trump repeatedly emphasized his long-term goal: “I want to give the money to the people to buy their own health care. That’s a good thing, not a bad thing. The Democrats don’t want to do that. They want the insurance companies to continue to make a fortune.”
He blamed Democrats for blocking his approach: “You know who doesn’t want it? The Democrats, because they’re corrupt people because they’re totally owned and bought by the insurance companies.”
Despite Burns pressing on the immediate two-week deadline, Trump would not commit to extending subsidies: “I don’t know. I’m gonna have to see. I’d like to get better health care.”
Immigration Policies and the Pope
When asked about Pope Francis calling his immigration actions “inhumane,” Trump said he hadn’t seen the statement but defended his border wall: “The wall turned out to be great … I built a wall that, uh, stopped people from flooding into … we … I didn’t put up the wall. I built the wall.”
He emphasized the transformation: “You know, it’s interesting, uh, two years ago, a year ago under Biden, this country was out of control; millions of people pouring through totally unchecked, totally unvetted. And now we have nobody coming in. We have them coming in only legally.”
Trump mentioned the Pope’s brother with apparent amusement: “His brother’s a lovely man. You know, his brother … Do you know his brother is serious MAGA? Lives in Florida.”
When asked if he would meet with the Pope, Trump replied: “Sure, I will. Why not?”
Birthright Citizenship Case
The interview addressed the upcoming Supreme Court case on birthright citizenship. Trump framed the Fourteenth Amendment’s citizenship clause in historical context: “The case is very interesting because that case was meant for the babies of slaves. And if you look at the dates on the case, it was exactly having to do with the Civil War.”
He argued it was never intended for modern immigration: “That case was not meant from some rich person coming from another country, dropping … putting a foot in our country, and all of a sudden their whole family becomes, you know, United States citizens. That case is all about slaves, the babies of slaves, and it was a good reason for doing it.”
Trump characterized a loss as “devastating”: “Because our country cannot afford to house tens of millions of people that came in through birthright citizenship.”
When asked if he would try to take away citizenship from people who already have it, Trump said: “I … honestly, I haven’t thought of that.”
Supreme Court and Future Appointments
Regarding Justices Clarence Thomas (77) and Samuel Alito (75), Trump expressed support for them remaining: “I hope they stay ’cause I think they’re fantastic, OK? Both of those men are fantastic.”
He warned against Democratic proposals: “The Democrats want to pack the court. They want to have 21 justices. That would be a … a terrible thing for this country.”
Future of the Republican Party
In closing, Burns asked if anyone else in the GOP could energize Trump’s coalition. He responded philosophically: “I hope so. I don’t know. You never know until they’re tested. You know, it’s like, uh, you jump in the water; you can swim or you can’t. Some people can swim and some people can’t. You never know. You have to see.”
Trump expressed confidence in his team: “I think we have a very good bench. I must … we have a lot of good people. We have a great Cabinet. I have a really great Cabinet — better than my first Cabinet.”
He attributed this to experience: “I had some very good people in my first cabinet, but this cabinet, you know, I have much more experience. When I first came to Washington, it was interesting. I didn’t know anything about any of the people. I was in a different … I was a very successful guy from New York City, real estate and … and other things.”
The president concluded by noting ongoing White House improvements: “By the way, I’m fixing up the White House, making it beautiful. I’m doing a great ballroom that they’ve tried to do for 150 years and all of that stuff.”
Citation
Burns, Dasha. “Full transcript: POLITICO’s interview with Donald Trump.” POLITICO, 9 Dec. 2025, www.politico.com/news/2025/12/09/donald-trump-fullinterview-transcript-00681693.