President Donald Trump claimed this week that Chinese President Xi Jinping personally called him as the two governments discuss a potential trade deal, though Beijing has publicly denied any recent contact. In an interview with Time magazine published Friday, Trump said talks are progressing and suggested a flurry of tariff deals will be finalized in a matter of weeks.
"He's called. And I don't think that's a sign of weakness on his behalf," Trump told Time, while declining to specify when the call occurred. "We're meeting with China. We're doing fine with everybody. But ultimately, I've made all the deals."
China's Foreign Ministry and its embassy in Washington have pushed back on the narrative, warning the U.S. to stop "misleading the public" about the status of tariff negotiations. Despite that, Trump insisted: "The deal is a deal that I choose. View it differently: We are a department store, and we set the price."
Trump claimed to have unilaterally made "200 deals" by imposing tariffs on trading partners and described a pricing strategy akin to fixed-rate commerce: "They don't have to do business with the United States, but I set a tariff on countries."
Asked whether he would be satisfied if tariffs remained at 50% a year from now, Trump responded: "Total victory."
The president also reiterated his controversial stance on Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea. "Crimea will stay with Russia. And (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelenskiy understands that, and everybody understands that it's been with them for a long time," Trump said.
His remarks follow a week of backchannel diplomacy, including a Friday meeting between Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin. U.S. officials have been pressing a ceasefire proposal that reportedly includes recognizing Russia's control over Crimea and other occupied Ukrainian regions-an offer sharply criticized by Kyiv and European allies.
On the Middle East, Trump said he expects Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords, a U.S.-brokered agreement normalizing relations between Israel and several Arab nations. "I think Saudi Arabia will go into the Abraham Accords. That will happen," he said.
Trump also suggested openness to reengaging Iran, a country his previous administration designated a top adversary. Asked if he would meet with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei or President Masoud Pezeshkian, Trump replied: "Sure." He added that a visit to Saudi Arabia and the wider region is planned for next month.
Domestically, Trump defended his controversial moves targeting foreign students and former U.S. officials. "They can protest, but they can't destroy the schools like they did with Columbia and others," he said, referencing recent campus protests.
He also responded to questions about the arrest of Rumeysa Öztürk, a Turkish student at Tufts University accused of ties to Hamas, stating he was not aware of the case but would "look into it." Öztürk has said she was detained due to her pro-Palestinian advocacy, including co-authoring a campus opinion piece.
