- Trump spoke in an interview with Time magazine about his plans for a possible second term as President, should he win the 2024 election.
- Trump has announced his intention to launch “the largest deportation operation in American history” with the goal of removing millions of undocumented immigrants from the country.
- The former President also indicated that he would not hire anyone in his Administration that recognizes Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election.
- Trump said the WSJ journalist jailed in Russia “must and will be released under his leadership.”
Former President Donald Trump said loud and clear that Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich should be released from Russian prison, the Wall Street Journal writes.
“This reporter must be freed and he will be freed,” Trump told Time Magazine in an interview published Tuesday.
Gershkovich, 32, was detained in Russia on March 29, 2023, while practicing his job as a journalist. He is imprisoned on charges of espionage, charges vehemently denied by the US and the WSJ publication.
The State Department said Gershkovich was wrongfully detained, and President Biden promised his family he would bring him home. On April 23, a Moscow court rejected Gershkovich’s appeal against his detention, meaning the American citizen, who has been awaiting trial for over a year, will remain behind bars until at least June 30.
Trump, the main Republican presidential candidate, has not yet made official statements about the journalist’s punishment. Asked by Time why he didn’t seek Gershkovich’s release earlier, Trump said: “I think I have a lot of other things to focus on. I have hundreds of other things to do.” “I may have said some good things about him,” Trump added. “It may not have been reported. I think he is a very brave young man.”
Trump gave the interview on April 12, addressing a variety of topics. The cover of the issue is titled “If He Wins”.
Source: TIME
“Here’s the difference between me and Biden: I’m going to release him,” Trump said. “Putin will release him,” he added. The Russian Embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday – nor did the White House.
Biden mentioned Gershkovich during a speech at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday: “Putin should release him,” Biden said. “We’re doing everything we can.”
Gershkovich is the first American journalist jailed in Russia on espionage charges since the end of the Cold War.
The US State Department has said he is not a spy and has never worked for the government, calling for his immediate release.
“This year has been unimaginable for our family in many ways. It felt like we were holding our breath,” Gershkovich’s family wrote in a letter to Wall Street Journal readers in late March. “We live in constant pain, thinking about Evan every moment of every day.”
Other important topics addressed by Trump regarding the future of the USA
1. Use of military force in immigration matters
Trump suggests he would ignore legal restrictions to use military force against undocumented immigrants. He proposes using the National Guard or even other military branches to deport undocumented immigrants.
2. State involvement in abortion matters
Trump believes it is up to states to decide abortion policy, including monitoring pregnancies and prosecuting women who choose to have abortions.
He argues that decisions should be left to the states and that his personal opinion is irrelevant.
3. Withdrawal of American troops from some allied countries
Trump proposes withdrawing US troops from South Korea, citing the large number of troops and financial resources involved; Trump questions “why the US should defend a rich country” and claims that “the situation is illogical”.
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