Trump says conflicts could turn into World War III, days after warning of Israel’s demise
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump says the conflict in Ukraine or fighting in the Middle East could end up turning into a massive global war, continuing to attack US Vice President and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris’s handling of world affairs under US President Joe Biden.
“We have to get those wars settled. I’ll tell you, you have to get Ukraine done,” Trump says on the Lex Fridman podcast released Tuesday. “That could end up in a third world war. So could the Middle East. So could the Middle East.”
Asked about his negotiating tactics, the real estate mogul turned former president appears to endorse the use of military pressure as a bargaining chip.
“I think the stick probably is generally more successful in that we’re talking about war,” he says, though there is no indication the comment is specifically meant to refer to talks on a hostage release and ceasefire deal in Gaza. “But the kind of destruction that we’re witnessing now, nobody’s ever seen. It’s a terrible thing. And we’re witnessing it all over. We’re witnessing it in all parts of the world and a lot of things are going to get started.”
Here's my conversation with @realDonaldTrump
It's here on X in full, and is up everywhere else too. Links in comment.
Timestamps:
0:00 – Introduction
1:09 – Psychology of winning and losing
3:51 – Politics is a dirty game
5:28 – Business vs politics
8:04 – War in Ukraine
9:53 -… pic.twitter.com/64pCfH8JPs— Lex Fridman (@lexfridman) September 3, 2024
On Ukraine, he claims he’ll end the war there, and claims he has a secret plan for other areas as well, though not this neck of the woods.
“I have a very exacting plan how to stop Ukraine and Russia, And I have a certain idea — maybe not a plan, but an idea — for China,” he adds.
The interview comes days after Trump told Fox News that if Iran gets a nuclear weapon “Israel is gone, it will be gone.”
