Photo: Alamy
President Trump sat for an extensive interview on November 25 with TIME magazine to discuss his victory and plans for his second presidential term.
The transcript was released on December 12, shortly after the magazine announced it had named the President-Elect its 2024 Person of the Year.
One topic of discussion that has been at the forefront of millions of Americans’ minds was Trump’s plan to combat waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government with the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The interviewer asked Trump if would require a loyalty pledge for appointees, to which he immediately responded, “I don’t think I’ll have to.”
Trump clarified his intentions regarding loyalty and said that he would have no problem figuring out who is loyal. “I want them to be loyal as to policy, as to the country. It’s gotta be loyal.”
The interviewer asked Trump if he would fire anyone who refused to follow his orders. Trump retorted, “If I think it’s appropriate, I’d fire them.”
The interviewer then pressed on whether civil servants would be treated with the same standards.
“Well, it depends. We have some interesting things happening in rules and regulations, but we’re going to see. But sure, if I’m allowed to do that, I would do that. If they’re not following my policies, absolutely.” Trump remarked.
The interviewer attempted to plant a seed that it was a conflict of interest that billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, who will oversee the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), would “oversee agencies that regulate his companies” and rhetorically asked if it was a conflict of interest.
Trump said, “I don’t think so. Look, we have a country that is bloated with rules, regulations and with, frankly, people that are unnecessary to do.”
He told the interviewer that his goal was to shift many jobs to the private sector where productivity would increase, and pointedly remarked, “But this country is bloated.”
The interviewer acknowledged waste did exist in the federal government and continued to push on whether Musk would make cuts that would directly benefit his company SpaceX.
Trump hit back at the presumptuous remark. “I think that Elon puts the country long before his company. I mean, he’s in a lot of companies, but he really is, and I’ve seen it. He considers this to be his most important project, and he wanted to do it. And, you know, I think, I think he’s one of the very few people that would have the credibility to do it, but he puts the country before, and I’ve seen it, before he puts his company.”