Trump will use military for deportations up to 'maximum' legal level; pardons for J6 defendants 'in first nine minutes'
President-elect Donald Trump has been named Time magazine's "2024 Person of the Year," it was announced on Thursday.
The feature story includes an interview with Trump, in which he discusses immigration, abortion, the economy and his incoming administration.
Part of the celebration included Trump ringing the bell at the New York Stock Exchange in New York City on Thursday.
He was joined by his wife Melania Trump and daughters Ivanka Trump and Tiffany Trump. Vice President-elect JD Vance and various Cabinet picks, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Pam Bondi and Scott Bessent, were also in attendance.
"This is an honor, a tremendous honor," Trump said. "I brought some of our patriots along with us. They're going to do a beautiful job for you for the next four years, and it's really been something very special."
It marks the second time Trump's been named Time's "Person of the Year." He was given the title in 2016 after he was first elected to the White House.
In his interview with the magazine, Trump reiterated that one of his first actions after being sworn in will be to pardon most of those jailed in connection with the Capitol attack by a pro-Trump mob on Jan. 6, 2021.
"I'll be looking at J6 early on, maybe the first nine minutes," he told the magazine.
Trump was repeatedly pressed if he would pardon all rioters, including those who were convicted for violent offenses.
"Well, we're going to look at each individual case, and we're going to do it very quickly, and it's going to start in the first hour that I get into office," he said. "And a vast majority of them should not be in jail. A vast majority should not be in jail, and they've suffered gravely."
Discussing his pledge to oversee mass deportations, Trump said he was willing to use the military to find and deport migrants living in the U.S. without legal permission -- which would mark a shift as the military doesn't normally engage with domestic law enforcement issues.
When asked what he would do if the military refuses such an order, Trump replied: "I'll only do what the law allows, but I will go up to the maximum level of what the law allows."
He was also asked about grocery prices, something Trump's cited as key to his victory over Vice President Kamala Harris. Inflation spiked to a peak of more than 9% during the Biden-Harris administration but has since cooled to 2.7% as of November.
Trump vowed to lower prices down throughout his campaign, even displaying food items like bacon or eggs during one of his events. But in his sit-down with Time, Trump brushed off whether his presidency would be considered a "failure" if he failed to do so.
"I don't think so. Look, they got them up. I'd like to bring them down," Trump said. "It's hard to bring things down once they're up. You know, it's very hard. But I think that they will."
