In a hard-hitting interview, Fox News host Bret Baier confronted former President Donald Trump about a significant development: individuals whom Trump had appointed to crucial positions during his administration are now running against him.
Trump engaged in the interview with Baier at his club in Bedminster, New Jersey, merely six days after his arraignment in Miami. The Special Counsel, Jack Smith, recently obtained a grand jury indictment consisting of 37 counts, including violations of the Espionage Act, which was made public on 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.
