Article content

Donald Trump had a lot to say during his nearly three-hour conversation with Joe Rogan.

The former US president, a third-time Republican candidate, spoke with the podcast host on Friday in Austin, Texas, just over a week before the election.

Rogan, who has more than 14 million followers on Spotify and nearly 18 million followers on YouTube, asked Trump about a variety of topics, including his biggest mistake while in office, restoring Americans’ health, withdrawal of the army from Afghanistan, customs tariffs and Democratic opponent Kamala Harris. .

Article content

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Play video

On his biggest mistake, Trump said he regretted some of the appointments he made early in his administration.

“The biggest mistake I made was I picked great people, you know, but you don’t think about it,” he said. “I chose people I shouldn’t have chosen. I chose a few people I shouldn’t have chosen.

“And the neoconservatives,” Rogan replied.

“Yes, neoconservatives, bad guys or disloyal people,” Trump added.

Elsewhere in the interview, Trump raised the possibility of tapping Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to “make America healthy” and asked whether the former independent presidential candidate would have a job in his administration.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Play video

“Oh, I am, but the only thing I want to be a little careful about with him is the environment,” Trump said. “Because, you know, he doesn’t like oil. I love oil.

Article content

Article content

“I think you just need to keep it out of the heat.” So I’m going to keep him away for a little while. I said focus on health. To focus. You can do whatever you want, but I have to be a little careful with the liquid gold.

Speaking about the US military’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, Trump called retired Gen. Mark Milley “stupid” for not removing military hardware before soldiers and said he would have fired everyone involved in the plan.

“These generals should have all been fired…” he said. “Those involved in Afghanistan should have all been fired. Then they would write books about him (Milley), how stupid and evil he was. But you take out your soldiers last.

US forces permanently left Afghanistan under the leadership of President Joe Biden in August 2021. In the final days of the evacuation, 13 US service members lost their lives in a suicide attack at the capital’s Hamid Karzai International Airport Kabul.

Article content

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Play video

Trump also talked about tariffs, suggesting he could use them on foreign goods to replace the federal income tax.

“To me, the most beautiful word – I’ve said this over the last few weeks – in the dictionary today is the word tariff,” Trump said. “It’s more beautiful than love, more beautiful than anything. It’s the most beautiful word. This country can become rich through the proper use of tariffs.

Rogan asked if Trump was seriously considering eliminating the income tax and replacing it with tariffs.

“Yes, of course,” Trump said. “Why not? Our country was relatively the richest in the 1880s and 1890s. An assassinated president named McKinley was the king of tariffs.

The Tariff Act of 1890, which aimed to protect American industries and workers from foreign competition, increased the cost of foreign goods by nearly 50 percent.

Article content

“He spoke beautifully about tariffs. His tongue was really beautiful. “We will not allow the enemy to come in and take our jobs, take our factories, take our workers and take our families, unless they pay a high price.” And the big price is customs duties. And he spoke like that, but he was right. And then, in the early 1900s, they stupidly moved to an income tax.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Play video

Trump was also asked about Harris, who called him a fascist who admires dictators after his former chief of staff John Kelly said the former president suggested Adolf Hitler ‘did good things’ and wanted generals like those of the German Nazi leader.

“There’s also the rhetoric that you’re Hitler and to stop Hitler you have to do anything,” Rogan said. “I mean, you hear this now, Kamala compared you, said you liked Hitler.”

Article content

“Kamala is a very low IQ person,” Trump responded. “She has a very low IQ. You know, I’m also all for taking tests. I think anyone running for president should take a test.

“And it’s not about age,” Trump continued. “If you look at history, the ’70s and ’80s, your greatest, some of your greatest world leaders, world history, long-standing world history, they were in their 70s and 80s. But I think you should take cognitive tests. … They say it’s unconstitutional, but I think it’s ridiculous. I think Kamala should take a test because something is missing. There’s something wrong with her.

Article content