Washington: US President Donald Trump, on Saturday, urged young Americans to pursue careers in artificial intelligence and defended recent US military actions abroad during a wide-ranging interview with YouTuber and boxer Jake Paul, using the online platform to connect directly with younger voters.
In a wide-ranging conversation, Trump said young people should find work they enjoy, but also think hard about where opportunities are growing.
“You always have to find something you love doing,” Trump said, adding: “You’ve got to do something you like, or you’re just not going to be successful at it.”
He then pointed to artificial intelligence as the hottest sector in the job market.
“Like, the hot thing right now is AI,” Trump said, adding: “If you know the AI thing, you’re gonna get an unbelievable, crazy job at ridiculous numbers, numbers you never thought of.”
The interview moved between boxing, politics and Trump’s view of his own public appeal.
Paul asked the US President how he moved from business and television into politics and whether he had advice for younger people who want to “create impact and change in America”.
Trump said the decision had been in the works for years.
“I had to do it,” he said, adding: “I had one shot left.”
He added that his wife Melanie Trump had pushed him to stop talking about politics unless he was prepared to run.
“Do it or don’t do it,” he recalled her saying.
He also cast political success in competitive terms.
“The biggest victories are when you go against the wind,” Trump said, adding: “There’s no feeling like winning.”
Trump repeatedly said that his outreach through long-form interviews and digital personalities helped him connect with younger voters.
“I won with youth,” he said, adding: “Republicans, for whatever reason, don’t do great with youth, and I did unbelievably.”
The US President said his son Barron Trump helped introduce him to online creators and influencers.
“Barron said, ‘Dad, you gotta do Joe Rogan’,” Trump said, describing those appearances as important to his campaign communication.
On foreign policy, Trump defended his actions against Iran and said force was necessary.
“We had to wipe out the evil,” he said.
He claimed Iran posed an imminent threat and said, “If we didn’t attack them, they were gonna attack us, and we did it first.”
Trump also linked that decision to Iran’s nuclear programme.
“The number one thing is they cannot have nuclear weapons,” he said, adding: “If we didn’t do the B2 attack, the B2 was the attack of the nuclear, uh, they would have had a nuclear weapon.”
Trump also used the interview to highlight his immigration record and his claims about urban crime.
He said his administration was focused on removing violent offenders from the US.
“We’re really looking for the bad ones,” he said, adding: “We gotta get the bad ones out.”
The exchange was also filled with lighter moments.
Trump praised Paul’s toughness in the ring, saying, “You really are the real deal,” and added, “I’m proud of you.”
Paul, in turn, told Trump he looked up to his “American story” and said he wanted to inspire young viewers to chase their own dreams.
(IANS)
