Trump Defends Tariffs, Blames Biden for Economic Woes in New Interview

President Donald Trump, in a newly aired interview with NBC News, took credit for the "good parts" of the U.S. economy while shifting blame for current struggles onto his predecessor, Joe Biden.

Speaking just over three months into his current term, Trump defended his controversial tariff policy despite rising economic uncertainty. “The tariffs are going to make us rich,” he said. “We’re going to be a very rich country.”

Trump dismissed concerns that higher tariffs could lead to supply shortages, brushing aside critiques raised during a recent Cabinet meeting. “I’m just saying [children] don’t need to have 30 dolls, they can have three… they don’t need 250 pencils, they can have five,” he remarked.

The former president has repeatedly criticized Biden’s handling of the economy, most recently blaming him for the U.S. GDP contraction in Q1 2025.

Despite forecasts warning of short-term pain, Trump remained optimistic. “This is a transition period. I think we’re going to do fantastically,” he told NBC’s Kristen Welker.