According to Fox News, during a brief phone appearance on CNN’s State of the Union, President Donald Trump agreed in principle to return for a broader Trump CNN interview with host Jake Tapper, saying, “Sure, we’ll do that. We’ll do that.” The acceptance came at the close of a short call that included recollection of the president’s recent contact with Sen. Lindsey Graham.
Trump CNN interview: recap of the call
The exchange was short and largely focused on Trump’s recollection of his last conversation with Sen. Lindsey Graham rather than detailed policy discussion. Near the end of the segment, Tapper invited a fuller sit-down: “We would love to have you back sometime because I do have a lot of other questions for you, sir,” he said. Trump accepted the invitation but did not set a time or format.
Tapper closed by noting the limited scope of the call and thanking the president for calling in. Trump replied, “We’re trying to have CNN go on a normal path, and we’ll do that.” Tapper answered, “Well, I’m on a normal path right here, sir, and I appreciate your time, and thank you for calling in.” The agreement was verbal and open-ended: an acceptance in principle rather than a scheduled appearance.
Planned follow up interview: timing and format
There is no date, location or format set for the follow-up Trump CNN interview. During the exchange the president did not specify whether a future appearance would be in-studio, remote by phone, or on another program. The invitation and acceptance establish mutual interest but leave logistical details to be worked out between CNN’s booking team and the president’s representatives.
Newsrooms will likely seek a firm date and clarification on format. Until CNN or the White House announces scheduling specifics, the commitment should be understood as an agreed intention rather than a confirmed booking.
What Trump said about Lindsey Graham
Trump said Graham called him Saturday evening and “appeared tired from the trip to Ukraine” but otherwise sounded well on the call. “He was full of vim and vigor. He was tired. He said, ‘I’m tired because it’s a long trip,’ but other than that, he was, he was fine,” Trump said on the segment.
The president also praised what he described as Graham’s most notable Senate moment: his defense of Brett Kavanaugh during the 2018 confirmation hearings. “I think his finest moment was his defense of Brett Kavanaugh, who’s a terrific guy,” Trump said. “I think it was a top 10, maybe a top 5 moment in the history of the Senate. It was an incredible display, and he did it from the heart.” These remarks were Trump’s characterizations of Graham’s record shared on the call.
Trump declines to discuss reported U.S. strikes and Strait of Hormuz
Tapper sought to shift the conversation to recent reports of U.S. strikes on Iran and related developments in the Strait of Hormuz, but Trump declined to expand on the subject during the call, saying he would not discuss it out of respect for Graham. When pressed, the president said, “We hit them very hard last night. So I don’t want to talk about it, but I will say we hit them very hard last night.”
That operational claim is reported here as Trump’s statement. The details of any military action were not independently verified during the segment; no independent confirmation was provided on the call, and this article does not add operational assertions beyond what the president stated.
Background and context
Trump phoned into State of the Union in a brief appearance that mixed personal recollection and limited policy responses. The call followed reports earlier in the news cycle concerning U.S. actions in the Middle East; Tapper raised those reports directly but did not obtain additional operational detail from the president during this exchange.
The portion of the conversation about Graham recalled the senator’s recent trip to Ukraine and Trump’s recollection of their last call. Trump’s praise for Graham’s role in the Kavanaugh hearings reflects the president’s interpretation of the senator’s legislative record, as offered during the segment.
What comes next
CNN and other newsrooms will likely follow up to arrange a date and format for the promised, broader interview. Reporters will press for scheduling specifics and for verification or clarification of any operational claims made on air. For now, the commitment stands as a verbal acceptance to return for a fuller interview at some future time.
FAQ
When will Trump appear on CNN for the full interview?
There is no date set. Trump accepted the invitation in principle but did not schedule a time or set a format during the call.
Will the interview be in person or by phone?
Trump did not specify. He accepted the offer to return but left open whether the next appearance would be in person or by phone.
Did Trump confirm details of the reported U.S. strikes on Iran?
Trump stated, “We hit them very hard last night,” but he declined to discuss operational specifics on the call. That assertion is reported as his claimed account and was not independently verified during the segment.
Source: Fox News — Fox News
