Key takeaways from Donald Trump's Time Person of the Year interview

President-elect Donald Trump is Time Magazine’s Person of the Year, and in a lengthy interview with the magazine Trump recalled his furious campaign schedule in the lead-up to the election, which helped him every swing state, including Pennsylvania.

This was Trump’s second time being named TIME’s Person of the Year, and comes a little over a month before he will be inaugurated into his second administration, and a month after he won Pennsylvania and the presidency.

A lot has changed since he first won the award in 2016. In the wide-ranging interview, published Thursday, Trump talked about loyalty and praised Elon Musk, one of his strongest campaign surrogates in Pennsylvania. He also weighed in on the bathroom controversy on Capitol Hill as Representative-elect Sarah McBride (D., Del.) prepares to take her seat next month.

To celebrate being named Person of the Year, Trump rang the bell at the opening of the New York Stock Exchange Thursday morning.

Here’s what to know from the interview:

‘72 Days of Fury’ for Donald Trump to win swing states and the presidency

In his journey to winning crucial swing states — including Pennsylvania — and the presidency, Trump told TIME that he called a turbulent sequence of no days off “72 Days of Fury.”

But even more important to his path to victory than nonstop work, he said, was that Democrats were out of touch with voters’ priorities.

“We said things that were on the minds of the country. I think the Democrats didn’t get it,” Trump said. “They just kept going back to the same old nonsense. And it was nonsense, especially in where we are right now. And we hit—we hit something that was very special. We hit the nerve of the country.”

The president-elect also recalled the aftermath of surviving an assassination attempt at his rally in Butler, Pa. in July. Trump said that he tries not to think about that moment, but he said his rally, where he returned to the site of the shooting at the Butler Farm Show grounds in October, was “a very big moment” that made people become more religious.

Trump owes his victory in part to his campaign’s messaging on immigration issues, border security, and the economy, Vice President Kamala Harris’ lack of interviews, and his boisterous rallies which he called “one of the big advantages,” he said. But he doesn’t see his win as a “comeback.”

“I don’t view it that way. I think I ran a great campaign. I think I was popular. I think I did a very good job the first term … So I don’t, I don’t view it as a comeback,” he said. “I know it’s considered that. I should allow it to be that, and I will allow it to be that. But, you know, come back from what? I’ve always been here, you know.”

Elon Musk: Pa. surrogate, DOGE co-leader and a ‘great guy’

After spending significant time and financial capital campaigning for Trump in Pennsylvania, Elon Musk, the richest man in the world and SpaceX CEO, has earned himself a spot in Trump’s inner circle, often perched by his side at big events — even if he is the CEO of Tesla and Trump thinks that electric cars are “not for everyone.”

During the Time interview, Trump called Musk a friend and a “great guy” who gave him “the best endorsement you could ever have.”

He marveled over the unlikely way that Musk came to be a staunch ally. When Trump got shot in Butler, Pa. the president-elect said, “something happened” to Musk. Shortly after the assassination attempt, Musk endorsed Trump and during an X Spaces conversation in August the billionaire applauded Trump’s “strength under fire.”

And it’s that friendship and endorsement that prompted Trump to appoint Musk as the coleader of the “Department of Government Efficiency” alongside tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. The proposed commission, which will operate outside the government, is charged with cutting perceived government waste and spending.

Many of the specifics of DOGE remain unclear, but Trump said the country is “bloated with rules, regulations and with, frankly, people that are unnecessary to do.” He said his administration will look to promote private sector jobs and move education oversight to the states.

Trump and incoming Delaware Rep. Sarah McBride agree on one thing

On the campaign trail, Trump’s ads constantly railed against Vice President Kamala Harris’ support for transgender rights. At rallies, he pledged to ban transgender athletes from participating in their sports.

And that topic has now come to Capitol Hill. Last month, U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace (R, S.C.) introduced a bill that would restrict lawmakers from using single-sex facilities “other than those corresponding to their biological sex,” which was clearly aimed at Sarah McBride, the Delaware Democrat who is the first transgender person elected to Congress. McBride will take office next month.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R., La.) announced — on Transgender Day of Remembrance — that transgender individuals are not permitted to use Capitol bathrooms that align with their gender identity.

But despite the attacks McBride has opted against engaging in a debate over bathrooms. “I’m not here to fight about bathrooms,” McBride said on Nov. 20. “I’m here to fight for Delawareans and to bring down costs facing families.”

Trump told TIME that he agreed with McBride’s sentiments that there are more important issues at hand than discussing bathrooms.

“I do agree with that. On that—absolutely,” Trump said. “As I was saying, it’s a small number of people.”

Trump downplays ability to get prices down after campaigning on it

Trump undersold his ability to achieve affordable prices in the interview, even after committing to address rising costs — some of which have slowed — on the campaign trail.

“Look, they got them up. I’d like to bring them down. It’s hard to bring things down once they’re up,” Trump said. “You know, it’s very hard. But I think that they will. I think that energy is going to bring them down. I think a better supply chain is going to bring them down.”

Many voters cast their ballots for Trump because they thought he’d be able to address increased costs, but he told TIME that he didn’t believe his presidency would be a failure if he didn’t achieve lowering prices.

He didn’t specify how he would fix supply chain issues, but some experts say that Trump’s plans for sweeping new tariffs would add an extra burden to any supply chain problems. And if Trump ends up deporting agricultural workers as part of his plans for mass deportation, it could further put the food supply chain at risk.

Asked about this in the interview, Trump said: “No, because we’re going to let people in, but we have to let them in legally.”

Trump thinks he will be able to maintain loyalty in second administration

Howard Lutnick, Trump’s transition co-chair, his nominee for Commerce secretary, and Haverford College’s largest donor, emphasized in an interview with The Inquirer in October the importance of loyalty in the future Trump administration.

Trump told Time that he doesn’t think he will have to ask his appointees to “take a loyalty pledge,” but if officials or public servants don’t follow his orders he would consider firing them.

One of Trump’s most loyal picks — and also one of the most controversial — is Kash Patel, the president-elect’s nominee for FBI director. Last week, U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle (D., Pa) released a statement urging President Joe Biden to issue a blanket pardon of individuals, perceived as Trump’s political enemies, that he believes Patel will target should he be confirmed.

“I think I will be able to, for the most part, determine who’s loyal,” Trump said. “I want them to be loyal as to policy, as to the country. It’s gotta be loyal.”