Micklethwait asked Trump about the cost of tariffs to the American economy, and Trump responded with a long “sir” story about a supposed friend named John who builds car factories. Micklethwait asked about how a trade war would affect the 40 million American jobs that rely on trade, and Trump told stories about John Deere and a conversation he had with former German Chancellor Angela Merkel. When the interviewer asked whether a trade war would endanger relationships with allies, Trump rejected the premise of alliances.