Fox News host Bret Baier grilled former President Donald Trump Monday, noting that some of those he placed in key roles during his administration are now running against him.
Trump sat down with Baier at his Bedminster, New Jersey, club for an interview six days after he was arraigned Tuesday in Miami after Special Counsel Jack Smith secured a grand jury indictment on 37 counts, including violations of the Espionage Act, that was unsealed Friday.
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“In 2016 you said that, ‘I’m going to surround myself with only the best and most serious people,’” Baier said to Trump.
“Well, I did do that and we had tremendous — we had the best economy the world has ever seen,” Trump responded.
Former Vice President Mike Pence and former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley both announced they would be running for the Republican nomination for president in 2024, putting them in competition with their former boss.
“This time, your vice president, Mike Pence, is running against you. Your ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, is running against you,” Baier said to Trump, before noting that other former Trump administration officials, including former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former national security adviser John Bolton, former Attorney General Bill Barr and other former appointees said they would not back Trump in 2024.
“So why did you hire them?” Baier asked Trump.
Trump has criticized past officials who served in his administration on various matters, including Pence for not returning the certifications from disputed states for further investigation in the wake of the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol building.
“I hired 10 to 1 that were fantastic,” Trump told Baier. “We had a great economy. We had phenomenal people in charge of the economy. We had phenomenal people in the military. I’m not a fan of Milley and I’m not a fan of certain television people, but I knocked out ISIS, I defeated ISIS. They said Mattis, it would take three years and I don’t think we can do it. I did it in a period of like four weeks.”
“Don’t forget, for every one you say I had 10 that love us,” Trump said.
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