Trump doesn’t care about higher auto prices and won’t fire anyone over Signal leaks

President Donald Trump told NBC News on Saturday that he has no intention of firing anyone involved in Signal leaks, and he also declared he “couldn’t care less” if foreign car manufacturers raise prices in response to new U.S. tariffs. 

Speaking by phone from Florida, Trump insisted that he remains confident in the advisers who took part in the chat and argued that higher prices for imported automobiles would only help American automakers.

In the interview, which touched on trade, national security, and his aspirations to take over Greenland, Trump insisted he is staying the course on his policy decisions. 

Trump said he sees no reason to let go of any officials linked to the Signal incident. He added that his administration carried out what he described as a “tremendously successful” strike against Houthi militants earlier in March and that the media should focus on that result rather than any mishaps in communication. 

“I don’t fire people because of fake news and because of witch hunts,” Trump said, adding, “We had a tremendously successful strike. We struck very hard and very lethal. And nobody wants to talk about that. All they want to talk about is nonsense. It’s fake news.”

Trump also underscored his continued confidence in Waltz and Hegseth, saying, “I do,” when asked if he still has faith in them. “I have no idea what Signal is. I don’t care what Signal is. It’s the only thing the press wants to talk about, because you have nothing else to talk about,” he added.

Trump can’t care less about imported car prices going up

When the discussion turned to trade, Trump spoke at length about his recent decision to impose 25% tariffs on all foreign-made automobiles. 

He repeatedly stated that he “couldn’t care less” if car prices for foreign models go up, since, from his perspective, that would only drive more American consumers to buy vehicles made in the United States. He added, “I hope they raise their prices, because if they do, people are gonna buy American-made cars.”

Asked if he had warned motor industry executives against increasing prices, the president insisted he did no such thing and said that any company wanting to avoid tariffs should build cars in the United States. 

“The message is congratulations, if you make your car in the United States, you’re going to make a lot of money. If you don’t, you’re going to have to probably come to the United States,” he stated. 

The president then confirmed that foreign auto parts will also face a 25% duty even if those parts go into vehicles assembled domestically, with certain exceptions tied to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). 

According to the White House, those USMCA-compliant components will remain tariff-free until the government establishes a process for imposing the new tax. However, Trump noted that the tariffs themselves are permanent. “Absolutely, they’re permanent, sure. The world has been ripping off the United States for the last 40 years and more. And all we’re doing is being fair, and frankly, I’m being very generous,” he said.

Trump’s new tariffs were announced on Wednesday, just weeks before his planned April 2 “Liberation Day.” On that date, a separate set of tariffs on a range of consumer goods is scheduled to take effect. 

Several international leaders, such as Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, quickly criticized the move. Carney argued that these tariffs were “unjustified” and signaled “the old relationship we had with the United States based on deepening integration of our economies and tight security and military cooperation is over.”

Even so, Trump maintained that he does not plan to postpone the April 2 tariffs. When asked if he was open to negotiating, he said, “Only if people are willing to give us something of great value. Because countries have things of great value, otherwise, there’s no room for negotiation.”

His stance on trade has contributed to uncertainty in global financial markets, and he has been accused by some experts of creating volatility on Wall Street. However, Trump dismissed these concerns. He pointed to polling numbers indicating that more Americans feel the country is on the right track than at almost any point in recent decades. 

“What I see is right track, wrong track. And the right track was the first time in like, 40 years where it was right track,” Trump remarked. 

Trump is serious about taking over Greenland

Another topic raised was Trump’s ongoing pursuit of Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory governed by Denmark. While many observers have regarded the idea of buying Greenland as improbable, Trump insisted he is serious. 

“We’ll get Greenland. Yeah, 100%,” he said. “I don’t take anything off the table,” he continued, mentioning that he sees a “good possibility” the United States can do it without a military approach.

Vice President JD Vance visited Greenland on Friday with his wife, Usha. Trump referred to that visit and said he was not especially concerned about how Russia or other nations might perceive an American attempt to acquire the territory. “I don’t really think about that. I don’t really care,” he said. “Greenland’s a very separate subject, very different. It’s international peace. It’s international security and strength.”

Trump maintained that the region’s geographic importance could justify American control, warning of ships from Russia, China, and other countries sailing near Greenland. “We’re not going to allow things to happen that are going to hurt the world or the United States,” he said, describing his position as a necessary measure of defense.

What’s the takeaway?

Throughout Saturday’s conversation, Trump showed no sign of scaling back his recent plans. According to the president, his decisions will strengthen America’s economic base and national security.

He accused other nations of exploiting the United States for decades and insisted his administration would continue to put American interests first. “Countries have been taking advantage of us for so many years,” Trump said, underscoring that he believes higher tariffs will encourage companies to produce goods domestically.

The president also brushed off the risk of higher consumer costs, economic wars, or strained alliances. Instead, he concluded by saying he has every intention of pressing forward. “People said we couldn’t do many things that we’ve done, and now they’re happening,” Trump said. “It’s been the greatest 100-day presidency in the history of our country.”

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