California fires, J6 pardons, TikTok, sanctuary cities, J13, and declassifying JFK records all came up during his conversation with Fox’s Sean Hannity.
President Donald J. Trump granted Fox News host Sean Hannity the first Oval Office interview of his second presidency.
The historic conversation ranged widely, covering his pardons for Jan. 6 defendants, the wildfires burning through Los Angeles, his fast action on the border, and the declassification of records relating to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, among other topics.
While discussing former President Joe Biden’s preemptive pardons, granted to Dr. Anthony Fauci and many others, Trump noted they did not include Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), nor the former president himself.
Here are some takeaways from the first half of the interview, which aired on Jan. 22. The second half will be aired on Jan. 23.
Trump Reiterates Pledge to Declassify JFK, RFK, and MLK Shooting Records
Speaking just two days after his inauguration, Trump told Hannity he still plans to release classified government records concerning the assassinations of President Kennedy; his brother, Robert F. Kennedy; and civil rights leader the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
“We’re looking at it right now,” he said, adding, “We’re going to release them immediately.”
The three killings defined the consciousness of America’s tumultuous 1960s, sparking theories of involvement from the U.S. government, foreign governments, organized crime, and other actors. Proponents of declassification hope the new information may shed more light on what happened.
In August 2024, a month after an assassin nearly killed him in Butler, Pennsylvania, Trump said he would create a presidential commission to oversee the release of the JFK files.
He said that during his first term, government officials including then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo advised him not to release all of the JFK files.
Pompeo “felt it was just not a good time to release them. You might ask him why,” Trump told Hannity.
Trump Says Funding for California Should Hinge on Water Management
The president also addressed the recent devastating fires in Southern California.
“It’s like a nuclear weapon went off, what’s happened to Los Angeles,” he said. “A lot of money is going to be necessary for Los Angeles.”
By Nathan Worcester
