Time magazine named President-elect Donald Trump as “Person of the Year” for the second time. In an exclusive interview, he revealed some of his top priorities for his second term.
Trump said he plans to pardon “most” of the individuals convicted in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, making it one of his first official acts in office.
He told Time that the pardons would begin quickly, possibly within his presidency’s first hour or even the first nine minutes.
“A vast majority should not be in jail, and they’ve suffered gravely,” he said.
Other top priorities for Trump include increasing domestic oil production and ramping up deportations, a key issue in his election campaign. He also explained that federal laws would allow him to use the military to enforce his immigration policies.
“It doesn’t stop the military if it’s an invasion of our country, and I consider it an invasion of our country,” said Trump. “I’ll only do what the law allows, but I will go up to the maximum level of what the law allows.”
Trump also discussed plans for the U.S. Department of Education, proposing a “virtual closure,” though he did not specify what that would involve. He also indicated his intention to roll back some of President Joe Biden’s protections for transgender students, particularly in sports.
Concerning public health, Trump expressed support for revisiting childhood vaccinations if links to autism are found. “We’re going to have a big discussion. The autism rate is at a level that nobody ever believed possible,” Trump said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found no link between vaccines and autism.
Regarding foreign policy, Trump suggested that resolving conflicts in the Middle East would be easier than ending the war in Ukraine.
“I think that the Middle East is an easier problem to handle than what’s happening with Russia and Ukraine,” Trump said. “The Middle East is going to get solved. I think it’s more complicated than the Russia-Ukraine [war], but I think it’s easier to solve.”