During a gaggle aboard Air Force One on Sunday, President Donald Trump said, "If we don't have tariffs, we don't have national security." (Ken Cedeno/Reuters)
"Other countries use tariffs against us, and we weren't able to openly and freely use tariffs against them," Trump said. "I'll give you an example – China. That was going to be a disaster for the world, and I was able to settle it very quickly, very easily because I was able to use tariffs. It's total national security, and economic health is also part of national security, by the way."
Trump said he will not attend oral arguments to avoid drawing attention to himself, explaining, "It’s not about me. It’s about our country." Instead, he plans to deliver a speech in Miami.
"I wanted to go so badly," he said. "I just didn’t want to do anything to deflect from the importance of that decision. If we don't have tariffs, we don't have national security, and the rest of the world would laugh at us because they've used tariffs against us for years and took advantage of us."
TRUMP ASKS SUPREME COURT FOR URGENT RULING ON TARIFF POWERS AS 'STAKES COULD NOT BE HIGHER'
President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Oct. 10, 2025. (Shawn Thew/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
He said tariffs have fueled record market growth and "great wealth" during his presidency and remain vital to keeping the country competitive with global powers.
"It will be, in my opinion, one of the most important and consequential decisions ever made by the United States Supreme Court," Trump said. "If we win, we will be the richest, most secure country anywhere in the world, by far. If we lose, our country could be reduced to almost third world status."
On foreign policy, Trump dismissed questions about using frozen Russian assets as leverage, saying Europe and Russia "are having discussions" and that he was "not involved."
TRUMP’S DEADLINE ON SECONDARY TARIFFS ARRIVES; US-RUSSIAN RELATIONS HANG IN THE BALANCE
President Trump said the U.S. will not tolerate the mass killing of Christians in Nigeria. (Associated Press)
"They're killing record numbers of Christians in Nigeria," Trump said. "They're killing the Christians and killing them in very large numbers. We're not going to allow that to happen."
A day earlier, he warned the U.S. will halt aid if Abuja does not stop the killings and said he may order rapid action to wipe out Islamist terrorists after designating Nigeria a country of particular concern.
The persecution of Christians in Nigeria has reached crisis levels as Islamist militants burn down villages, massacre worshipers and displace thousands across the north and central regions.
When asked about potential U.S. strikes in Venezuela, Trump declined to confirm or deny, saying, "How can I answer a question like that?"
"Who would say that?" Trump asked a reporter. "Supposing there were – would I say that to you? Honestly. Yes, we have plans. We have very secret plans. Look, we'll see what happens with Venezuela. Venezuela sent us thousands and thousands, hundreds of thousands of people from prisons, from mental institutions, drug addicts – and so did other countries."
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He blamed President Biden’s immigration policies for allowing criminals to cross into the U.S., calling him "the worst president in the history of our country."
Trump added, "It’s the other countries too, because we were run by very stupid people, very, very stupid people. Biden, who is the worst president in the history of our country by far… Many countries, they sent their prisoners – they sent drug dealers, they sent drug addicts. They sent anybody they didn’t want. They sent them through our country. And Venezuela was one of the worst abusers."
Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.
Story tips and ideas can be sent to Greg.Wehner@Fox.com and on Twitter @GregWehner.
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