NBC News secured an interview with President-elect Donald Trump, revealed on Thursday (Nov. 7). During the conversation, he outlined his main goals upon taking office in January 2025, which will include strengthening the U.S. border. Addressing his campaign promise of widespread deportations, Trump asserted that his administration would have “no choice” but to follow through on this commitment.
“We obviously have to make the border strong and powerful,” he stated. “At the same time, we want people to come into our country. I’m not somebody that says, ‘No, you can’t come in.’ We want people to come in.” When asked about the financial implications, Trump dismissed the question of cost, saying, “It’s not a question of a price tag... There is no price tag.”
Despite his stance on immigration, Trump gained record support among Latino voters, a demographic the Democrats sought to attract by highlighting Trump’s past rhetoric on immigration. “They want to have borders, and they like people coming in, but they have to come in with love for the country. They have to come in legally,” Trump explained when asked about the increased support from Latino, young men, women and Asian American voters. “I started to see realignment could happen because the Democrats are not in line with the thinking of the country. You can’t have ‘defund the police,’ these kinds of things.”
Trump described his recent phone conversations with Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden as “very nice calls, very respectful both ways.” He noted that Harris expressed her hope for a smooth transition — an issue she spoke about during her concession speech.
NBC News added that Trump spoke with “probably” 70 world leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which he described as “a very good talk.” He also had a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, though he did not disclose details. Trump confirmed he had not yet spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who praised him following his election win, but expects to do so soon. Others, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Trump in messages on social media.