An Interview with President Trump

The New York Times recently interviewed President Donald Trump for two hours in the Oval Office (Jan. 11, 2026). To make the interview accessible to a wider audience, the Times printed the transcript in their newspaper and online. The session with the reporters covered a wide range of topics—Venezuela, the Epstein files, Russia, Iran, the economy, ICE raids and much more.

Trump in his Oval Office with the New York Times Reporters

Over the past ten years, since President Trump has been in the political limelight, I have listened to him often. My wife and I agreed when he stepped onto the political stage in 2016 that we needed to hear him first-hand and avoid listening to either right- or left-wing pundits who might spin his remarks. Whether we supported his decisions or criticized them, we wanted to form our own opinions based on what we heard him say.

Over the course of his time in office, we have heard him give speeches on many different subjects and in various venues. As we have done for all of the presidents who have served during our lifetime, whether we voted for them or not, we have pulled for him. We wanted him to unite our fragmented country, to build on the foundation of others, to uphold our laws, and respect our institutions. We anticipated that he would reach across the aisle and dialogue with those who disagreed with his policies. We hoped the President would recognize the inequality in our economic system and work to pass legislation that would benefit Americans struggling with higher insurance costs, rising medical expenses, inflationary food prices, and so much more.

Certainly there were things about his behavior and approach to politics that troubled us. His name calling and denigration of other people were sources of frustration, but we recognized that he had never before been in the national and world spotlight. We tried to give him the benefit of the doubt. His prevarications and carelessness with the truth diminished his credibility. His undermining of our institutions that have held our nation together for 250 years concerned us. His defunding of scientific research centers and the elimination of medical aid and food to poor countries have weakened America’s stature on the world stage. But we hoped, as he listened to his advisors, he would grow into his role as Commander-in-Chief of the most powerful nation on earth, and he would eventually reverse many of his more destructive decisions.

Many of our friends were optimistic that his success in real estate would translate into actions that would create an economic boom for our country. They also liked that he spoke boldly, even aggressively about America’s place in the world. Many felt that our country was on the wrong track, that illegal immigration and crime were out-of-control, that the political system was hopelessly corrupt, and believed that for America to survive the country needed a more decisive and muscular leader.

Those dreams are fading with every passing day, even among many of his staunchest supporters. He continues to litigate the 2020 election, even though there was virtually no evidence of election fraud. He has alienated our closest allies. His tariffs have damaged our economy and raised prices for consumers. He removed an evil dictator in Venezuela but has yet to make any references to restoring democracy. He seems only interested in Venezuelan oil, not the people.

He has threatened to invade Greenland unless they yield to his demands. Greenland is a U.S. ally, for goodness sakes, and has stood with the United States through wars and has shed blood on our behalf. He has humiliated the Ukrainian leader and has been reluctant to unequivocally stand with the Ukrainian people as they fight for survival against Russian aggression. He has even accused the Ukrainians of initiating the war! And incomprehensibly, our military support for this fledgling democracy has dwindled to a trickle.

To add fuel to the fire, he continues to seek retribution against his political enemies, when he should move on from past grievances. His investigations on democrats, or anyone who opposes him, threatens to destroy our rule of law.  

With all the misguided steps President Trump has made in both his first and second term, I still held out hope that somehow, someway, he would listen to his better angels, work with Congress, put aside old grudges, and lead our country in a more constructive direction. But after the interview with the Times, my hopes for such a presidency have all but vanished.

Americans have disagreed over policies since our inception as a nation. Washington, Hamilton, Madison, Jefferson, and all of our Founding Fathers differed in their views about how best to move America forward. But those leaders listened and learned from their mistakes. Through argument and debate, they made compromises for the common good, realizing that in a democracy no one has a monopoly on truth. And above all else, the rule of law stood foremost as their North Star.

President Trump has obviously departed from the leadership style of our Founders, as well as most other presidents, and pursued a more confrontational and transactional approach to governance. This was evident in his interview with the Times. While I shook my head in dismay at many of President Trump’s answers, one response stands out that deeply troubles me and makes me fear for the future of our country. When asked what the limits to his executive power are, he responded, “My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.”

I read his response over and over again. Surely, he didn’t say that. Or maybe there is some other way to interpret his words. Were they out of context? Did the reporters try to bait him? But as I reread the interview, I realized the words were not taken out of context. He really believes that the only check on his behavior or policy decisions should be his own moral conscience. That is a frightening thought.

The Bible repeatedly tells us that all people are sinful. Human beings, all human beings, are limited by their moral failures and corruptible natures. Scripture warns us time and again against following our own set of moral values. The wise Solomon said, “There is a way that seems right to man, but in the end it leads to death” (Prov. 14:12). No person is a law unto himself. We all need boundaries, rules, and guidelines to help us stay on track. We desperately need people around us who call us out when our decisions or actions are ill-advised. Without them we live by our instincts—greed, lust, vengeance, domination, retribution, and hate. In the past year, President Trump has displayed all of these vices and shows absolutely no remorse.

Solomon cautioned us that going our own way leads to death.  Tragically, though, if the leader of a country follows no moral compass but his own, not only will it lead to his destruction, but to his country’s as well.