Long before he descended the golden escalator. Long before rallies packed stadiums and chants of “Build the Wall” echoed across the nation. Long before he became the most hated and beloved political figure in modern American history—President Trump was already warning the country about getting ripped off.
And not just in some backroom conversation or off-the-cuff remark. No, we’re talking about 1988, on national television, sitting across from Oprah Winfrey.
That’s right. Nearly 37 years ago, Trump spelled it all out with such clarity that you’d think he had a crystal ball—and what’s wild is, he sounds exactly like he does today. The same message, the same conviction, the same America First mentality. Because when you’re grounded in actual principles instead of polling trends and donor demands, you don’t have to reinvent yourself every election cycle.
Back in 1988, Trump was already pointing out what nobody else in D.C. dared say out loud: Japan, Kuwait, and the rest of our so-called “allies” were bleeding America dry. “We let Japan come in and dump everything right into our markets… They knock the hell out of our companies,” he told Oprah. “They are beating the hell out of this country.”
And then came the kicker: “Kuwait—they live like kings. And yet they’re not paying. We make it possible for them to sell their oil. Why aren’t they paying us 25 percent of what they’re making? It’s a joke.”
Sound familiar? That was decades before he told NATO to pay up, before he slapped tariffs on China, before he told the Saudis they weren’t getting a blank check anymore. This wasn’t a focus-group-tested policy line—this was a worldview forged from experience and unapologetic patriotism.
And as for running for president? “Probably not,” he said. But with a qualifier that hits different today: “But if it got so bad, I would never want to rule it out totally.”
Well, it got that bad. And he did run. And he won. Twice.
President Trump on Oprah Winfrey’s show in 1988.
“I’d make our allies pay their fair share.”
Today he did just that.
— Ian Jaeger (@IanJaeger29) April 2, 2025
This clip is more than just a viral throwback—it’s proof. Proof that Trump has been saying the same thing for 40 years. Not because it polls well. Not because consultants told him to. But because it’s true.
The man warned us for decades. Then he stepped up, took the arrows, and actually did something about it.
Now he’s doing it again. And this time, there’s no denying it: President Trump was right all along.
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