Takeaways from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago press conference

PALM BEACH, Florida — Less than two weeks before taking office, President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday took some of his most audacious claims and promises of the transition period and amped them up to new levels. Some of the highlights from the press conference: The new Trump imperialism Trump ran on an isolationist “America First” agenda, promising to spend more time worrying about America’s problems than the world’s. “You know, they told me that, ‘We’re going to do everything possible to make this transition to the new administration very smooth,’” Trump said. “I just think that President Trump’s persona is such that he’s driving the narrative on this negotiation — that it is that relevant that he is coming in,” Witkoff said. Trump has long been critical of Carter, making his administration a punchline on the campaign trail as part of a larger dig at Biden for today’s high inflation rates, although he offered some gracious statements upon his death, saying the country owed the former president “a debt of gratitude.” Current presidents traditionally refrain from sharply criticizing former presidents, offering deference to fellow members of the informal president’s club.