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U.S. President Donald Trump said connected Wednesday (January 14, 2026) that Iranian Opposition figure Reza Pahlavi “seems precise nice” but expressed uncertainty implicit whether Pahlavi would beryllium capable to muster enactment wrong Iran to yet instrumentality over.
In an exclusive Reuters interview in the Oval Office, Mr. Trump said determination is simply a accidental Iran’s clerical authorities could collapse, blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the stalemate successful negotiations with Russia implicit the warfare successful Ukraine, and dismissed Republican disapproval of a Justice Department probe of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.
Mr. Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene successful enactment of protesters successful Iran, wherever thousands of radical person been reported killed successful a crackdown connected the unrest against clerical rule. But helium was reluctant connected Wednesday (January 14, 2026) to lend his afloat enactment to Pahlavi, the lad of the precocious shah of Iran, who was ousted from powerfulness successful 1979.
“He seems precise nice, but I don’t cognize however he’d play wrong his ain country,” Mr. Trump said. “And we truly aren’t up to that constituent yet.
“I don’t cognize whether oregon not his state would judge his leadership, and surely if they would, that would beryllium good with me.”
Mr. Trump’s comments went further successful questioning Pahlavi’s quality to pb Iran aft saying past week that helium had nary plans to conscionable with him.
The U.S.-based Pahlavi, 65, has lived extracurricular Iran since earlier his begetter was toppled successful the 1979 Islamic Revolution and has go a salient dependable successful the protests. Iran’s absorption is fragmented among rival groups and ideological factions - including the monarchists who backmost Pahlavi - and appears to person small organized beingness wrong the Islamic Republic.
Mr. Trump said it is imaginable the government successful Tehran could autumn owed to the protests but that successful information “any authorities tin fail.”
“Whether oregon not it falls oregon not, it’s going to beryllium an absorbing play of time,” helium said.
Mr. Trump, who is closing retired the archetypal twelvemonth of his 2nd word successful office, sat down his monolithic Resolute Desk and sipped a Diet Coke during the 30-minute interview. At 1 point, helium held up a heavy binder of papers, which helium said contained his achievements since being sworn into bureau connected January 20, 2025.
But helium sought to negociate expectations for Republicans successful November’s legislature midterm elections, noting that the enactment successful powerfulness often loses seats 2 years aft a statesmanlike election.
“When you triumph the presidency, you don’t triumph the midterms,” helium said. “But we’re going to effort precise hard to triumph the midterms.”
‘Zelenskyy’ main inpediment to reaching woody
Mr. Trump, who has struggled passim his presidency to extremity Russia’s warfare successful Ukraine contempt run boasts that helium could extremity it successful a day, said Mr. Zelenskyy is the main impediment to resolving the four-year-old war.
Mr. Trump has often criticised some Russian President Vladimir Putin and Mr. Zelenskyy , but seemed much downbeat erstwhile again connected the Ukrainian president.
Mr. Trump said Mr. Putin is “ready to marque a deal.” Asked what the clasp up is, Mr. Trump said simply: “Zelenskyy.”
“We person to get President Zelenskyy to spell on with it,” helium said.
Republican lawmakers ‘should beryllium loyal’
Mr. Trump dismissed Senate Republicans who person vowed to artifact his Fed nominees implicit concerns that Trump’s Justice Department is interfering with the cardinal bank’s accepted independency with its probe into Powell.
“I don’t care. There’s thing to say. They should beryllium loyal,” helium said of his party’s lawmakers .Mr. Trump besides rejected disapproval from JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon that Trump’s meddling into the Fed could spike inflation.
“I don’t attraction what helium says,” Mr. Trump said.
Mr. Trump is to conscionable connected Thursday with Venezuelan absorption person Maria Corina Machado astatine the White House, their archetypal in-person gathering since Trump directed the apprehension of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and seized power of the state earlier this month.
“She’s a precise bully woman,” Mr. Trump said of Ms. Machado. “I’ve seen her connected television. I deliberation we’re conscionable going to speech basics.”
Ms. Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize past twelvemonth and dedicated it to Trump. She has offered to springiness him her prize, but the Nobel Committee said the bid prize cannot beryllium transferred.
He praised the acting president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, who was vice president to Mr. Maduro erstwhile helium was ousted. Trump said helium had a “fascinating talk” with Rodriguez earlier connected Wednesday (January 14, 2026) and “she’s been precise bully to woody with.”
Mr Trump often extolled the spot of the U.S. system during the interview, contempt lingering concerns among Americans astir rising prices. He said helium volition transportation that connection with him adjacent week to the World Economic Forum successful Davos, Switzerland, wherever helium volition accent “how large our system is, however beardown our occupation numbers are, however bully we’re doing.”
White House property secretary Karoline Leavitt told Reuters that Mr. Trump volition person bilateral meetings with the leaders of Switzerland, Poland and Egypt portion astatine the Davos event.
