Trump stands firm on tariffs, Signal leak, interest in Greenland
6 Min Read
In a wide-ranging interview, Trump dismissed concerns over automakers raising prices due to tariffs, defended his aides amid the Signal chat leak, and reiterated his determination to acquire Greenland.
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US President Donald Trump speaks during a swearing-in ceremony for Alina Habba as US Attorney General for New Jersey, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on March 28, 2025 (AFP)
US President Donald Trump indicated that he would not dismiss anyone involved in the Signal group chat where military attack plans were inadvertently disclosed to a journalist and said that he "couldn’t care less" if automakers raised prices due to his newly announced tariffs.
In an interview for NBC News on Saturday, Trump reiterated his commitment to acquiring Greenland and maintained that military action remained an option.
During the more than 10-minute phone interview, the US president dismissed concerns that his economic policies were causing volatility in the stock market or undermining consumer confidence, citing polling data showing that the percentage of Americans who believe the country is on the right track is at record highs.
He defended his decision to impose a 25% tariff on all foreign-made automobiles, saying he “couldn’t care less” if automakers raised prices as a result.
When asked about his message to auto industry CEOs, Trump responded, “The message is congratulations, if you make your car in the United States, you’re going to make a lot of money. If you don’t, you’re going to have to probably come to the United States, because if you make your car in the United States, there is no tariff.”
When pressed on whether he had explicitly told CEOs not to raise prices, as reported by The Wall Street Journal, Trump denied making such statements.
“I couldn’t care less. I hope they raise their prices, because if they do, people are gonna buy American-made cars. We have plenty.”
An aide later clarified that Trump’s remarks specifically referred to foreign car prices.
Earlier this week, NBC News reported that foreign auto parts would also be subject to the 25% tariff, even if the final vehicles were assembled in the US. However, auto imports under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) would receive temporary exemptions until a formal tariff implementation process is established. For now, USMCA-compliant auto parts will remain tariff-free.
Trump also revealed that the tariffs would be permanent, saying, "Absolutely, they’re permanent, sure. The world has been ripping off the United States for the last 40 years and more. And all we’re doing is being fair, and frankly, I’m being very generous."
The tariff decision has faced swift backlash from international leaders, including Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Carney condemned the move, calling it “unjustified” and arguing that it marked the end of the long-standing economic and security relationship between the US and Canada.
Despite criticism, Trump insisted he would not delay the April 2 tariff implementation unless other countries offered significant concessions.
He said that he would consider negotiating on that point “only if people are willing to give us something of great value. Because countries have things of great value, otherwise, there’s no room for negotiation.”
Signalgate
Trump also addressed the controversy surrounding National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, who reportedly added a journalist to a Signal group chat with senior Trump administration officials discussing plans to strike Yemen.
The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, revealed that he had been added to the chat and had access to messages outlining the military operation before it took place.
Despite calls—including from some of his allies—to dismiss Waltz over the incident, Trump dismissed the controversy as a “witch hunt”, asserting, “I don’t fire people because of fake news and because of witch hunts.”
Trump expressed continued confidence in Waltz and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who was also in the chat and shared a detailed timeline of the planned strikes.
The US President also downplayed the significance of the Signal app itself, saying, “I have no idea what Signal is. I don’t care what Signal is.”
“All I can tell you is it’s just a witch hunt, and it’s the only thing the press wants to talk about, because you have nothing else to talk about. Because it’s been the greatest 100-day presidency in the history of our country.”
Trump on Greenland: 'We’ll get it'
During the interview, Trump also reaffirmed his commitment to acquiring Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory. When asked about the possibility of annexing it, Trump responded unequivocally, “We’ll get Greenland. Yeah, 100%."
While he expressed optimism that Greenland could be acquired "without military force," he made it clear that “I don’t take anything off the table.”
His comments came a day after Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, visited Pituffik Space Base, a US military installation on Greenland’s northwestern coast. Speaking at the base, Vance criticized Denmark’s governance of Greenland, stating, “Our message to Denmark is very simple — you have not done a good job by the people of Greenland.”
When asked what message the US acquisition of Greenland would send to Russia and the international community, Trump dismissed any broader geopolitical concerns.
“I don’t really think about that. I don’t really care. Greenland’s a very separate subject, very different. It’s international peace. It’s international security and strength,” he said.
“You have ships sailing outside Greenland from Russia, from China and from many other places. And we’re not going to allow things to happen that are going to be — that are going to hurt the world or the United States,” he added.
Read more: Trump weighed firing Waltz over leak but chose to defy critics: Axios
