In a recent interview for his new book, author Ramin Setoodeh revealed that President Trump seemed to believe he retained certain “foreign policy powers” even after his term ‘ended’.
Speaking on CNN's “The Source,” Setoodeh shared insights from his extensive interviews with Trump, noting that he was most animated when discussing his time on “The Apprentice,” while his demeanor darkened when the conversation turned to his White House tenure.
“And then he would talk about what he did at the White House, and he would become gloomy, and resentful, and unhappy, and refer to Afghanistan and Joe Biden. But he also seemed to think that he still had some foreign policy powers,” the author explained.
Setoodeh recounted a specific instance where Trump claimed he needed to address issues in Afghanistan, despite ‘no longer holding office’.
“And there was one day, where he told me he needed to go upstairs to deal with Afghanistan, even though he clearly didn’t,” Setoodeh explained, noting that President Trump referred to it as “the Afghanistan.”
Setoodeh, co-editor-in-chief of Variety, conducted six interviews with Trump for his book, “Apprentice in Wonderland: How Donald Trump and Mark Burnett Took America Through the Looking Glass,” which debuted on Tuesday. These discussions, starting in May 2021, portrayed Trump as “deflated” and “conflicted,” grappling with the aftermath of the 2020 election and his claims of voter fraud.
Reflecting on Trump's sentiments, Setoodeh noted his frustration with media coverage and his continued belief in his electoral victory. However, Trump's mood noticeably lifted when reminiscing about “The Apprentice.” Watching show clips and the theme song seemed to bring him genuine happiness, underscoring a nostalgic longing for his television days over his presidential experiences.
