Exclusive: Former President Trump talks 1-on-1 with Channel 11 at Steelers game

PITTSBURGH — Former President Donald Trump spent his weekend in Pennsylvania, including a stop at Acrisure Stadium for the Steelers game.

During halftime, Channel 11 got an exclusive interview with Trump.

>> WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE <<

Channel 11 News anchor Lisa Sylvester asked about several issues important to Pennsylvanians, including fracking and his plans if elected.

Two weeks ago, WPXI-TV reached out to both Kamala Harris’s campaign and the Trump campaign requesting an interview. We offered to meet the candidates on the road or here in Pittsburgh.

After the Trump team initially agreed, we again reached out to the Harris team, making it clear we wanted to give both candidates equal time.

As we worked this past week to get clearance from the Secret Service, set up logistics with the Steelers and finalize details for such a unique environment, we reached out multiple times to Team Harris. The offer to her still stands and we hope she accepts in the near future.

As for our interview with Trump, we wanted to get specifics about his “America First” agenda.

WPXI talks exclusively with former President Donald Trump about his 'America First' agenda

Sylvester: “We are only a couple of weeks until Election Day, so what is your closing message to voters here in PA?”

Trump: “Well, the closing message is we have to save our country. Our country’s in big trouble. We’re really in decline, serious decline. We’ve had two people that don’t know what they’re doing.”

In the final sprint to Election Day, Trump hopes to turn the page on the last four years, appealing to voters on the issue of the Economy. He wants to support businesses with deregulation, extend tax cuts set to expire in 2025, end taxes on restaurant worker tips and social security income and to reduce the corporate tax rate from 21% to 15% for companies that make their products in the United States.

>> WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE <<

“We’re gonna bring back business. We’re gonna cut taxes and do all the things that we’ve done. We had the greatest economy we ever had just four years ago and now we’re gonna have to do it again, but do it even better,” Trump said.

To offset those costs and try to save manufacturing jobs, the former president is proposing new tariffs on imported products -- some as high as 100%.

Sylvester: “And here in Pennsylvania, manufacturing jobs are very important. How soon and which industries would you focus on raising tariffs? And is this something in the first 100 days in office?”

Trump: “Well, many industries, because we’ve been taken advantage of by so many different countries even, our so-called friends, they took advantage of it, almost worse than the enemies, if you want to know the truth. And it’s time that we now get some of it back and we will do that. And the tariffs to me is a very beautiful word”

Sylvester: “Your opponents have called this a national tax, saying that this will just be passed along to consumers. What’s your reaction to that?”

Trump: “Well, it’s just the opposite. The country will pay the tax. Our consumers didn’t. And if you look at our economy, as you know, I had virtually no inflation at all”

Various economic and industry groups including the National Retail Federation have argued the added tariffs and costs will be passed along to consumers. If those companies want to stay afloat

And other countries could reciprocate.

Sylvester: “Could this trigger a trade war with China and with our European allies?”

Trump: “Just the opposite. They’ll respect us. They expect it and they’ll respect us for doing it.”

A cornerstone of Trump’s plan is to make the United States energy independent, to drive down prices Americans pay at the pump and to boost energy production. That means expanding areas for fracking in Pennsylvania and re-visiting the Paris Accord on Climate Change, an international agreement signed by 195 countries to curb greenhouse gas emissions.

During his first term in office, Trump pulled the U.S. out of the deal, but President Joe Biden, on his first day in office, re-signed the agreement.

Sylvester: “If you are elected, will you pull the U.S. out of the Paris Accord on climate change?”

Trump: “Well, we’re going to do it again because it’s a ripoff. We pay a trillion dollars when other countries pay nothing. China pays nothing. India pays nothing. Russia pays nothing. And we pay a trillion dollars at least and we’re going to take them out so fast your head will spin. It’s a ridiculous, one-sided deal. All they did with the Paris Accord was take advantage environmentally of the United States and we’re not going to stand for it.”

The race for president is down to the final days and the candidates are separated by a razor-thin margin, reflective of our divided country.

Sylvester: “If you are elected president, you would be the president for all Americans and that is Democrats and Republicans, Conservatives and Liberals. Right now, there is a huge divide in this country. How do you bridge that gap?”

Trump: “What’s going to bring us together is success. It’s going to bring everybody together. Prior to COVID coming in, we had a unified country. It was amazing. Liberal, conservative, everybody was, we were unified. Success will bring us together. And we’re going to have tremendous success.”

Trump did not elaborate as far as which industries could be targeted first for tariffs and whether Congress could get a bill to the White House that removes taxes on things like tips, overtime and Social Security.

WPXI talks exclusively with former President Trump on abortion, international conflicts and more

We asked specifically about a Florida law that took effect this year that bans abortions after six weeks, when most women may not even know they are pregnant. There is a ballot measure that would reverse that. We asked where he stands on the issue:

“Well, I think it’s got to be longer than six weeks, personally. And, as you know, I’ve done a great job in this for the people. They wanted to get it back in the states,” Trump told Channel 11.

Eighty-five percent of Americans believe abortion should be legal at least in certain circumstances, according to a Gallup Poll done earlier this year. The former president said there should be exceptions.

>> WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE <<

“And I’m a believer in the exceptions. That’s life of the mother, rape and incest, and I believe strongly that as Ronald Reagan and others have, and most of the party does. But no, I think it’s got to be longer than six weeks,” Trump said.

Shifting to international issues, Trump said that the International conflicts, from the Israeli hostages being taken on Oct. 7, 2023, to the fighting in Gaza and the invasion in Ukraine, would not have happened on his watch as we spoke about the rise in antisemitism since the Tree of Life synagogue shooting nearly six years ago:

Sylvester: ”Here in Pittsburgh, we are coming up on six years since the Tree of Life synagogue shooting. Eleven people lost their lives.”

Trump: “I was there. I was there. I went there right afterward. Yep. Terrible.”

Sylvester: “And you visited some of the police officers in the hospital. Right now, we are seeing antisemitism. We are also seeing vigils and rallies for people who have lost their lives in Gaza. How do you see the path moving forward in Gaza resolving that conflict?”

Trump: “Success is going to move us forward. Nobody ever thought we’d see what’s going on right now. I mean, the attack of October 7th would have never happened if I were president. Ukraine would have never happened with Russia. That would have never happened.”

Trump said he would resolve these ongoing conflicts, without giving specifics, if he is re-elected.

Finally, we asked him if he loses the election, will he accept the results:

“Of course, I’ll accept them immediately if it’s a fair election, but you want to make sure it’s a fair election. You always have to have the option of challenging something on the assumption that it’s a fair election. Absolutely,” Trump answered.

As we mentioned, our offer to Kamala Harris and her team to do a sit-down interview to reach voters in this critical swing state still stands. We will be covering both campaigns as they continue their focus on Western Pennsylvania over the next two weeks.

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