President Donald Trump was [interviewed by CNBC]( https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/02/cnbc-transcript-president-donald-trump-speaks-with-cnbcs-joe-kernen-today-.html) on the eve of July Fourth weekend July 2, during which he made reference six times to Herbert Hoover, saying Trump was not going to be associated with an economic depression. “I don’t want a depression on my resume. “ He said, “I don’t want to be Herbert Hoover. Of almost all presidents, and some have been bad, some have been good, very few have been great, but I never want to be Herbert Hoover.”
In this regard, among the references he made, is that he knew he could “be the tough guy and close up the Strait [of Hormuz] for the next years, where 21% or whatever it might be, 20%, 21%, of the oil never comes out….” But he knew not to do that.
Among other topics of discussion, he boasted of what he gets out of places he invades or attacks. Unlike Biden getting out of Afghanistan, “Getting out of Afghanistan was fine, but they should have kept Bagram, the Air Force base.”
Venezuela? “Our relationship, by the way, with Venezuela is great. They’re doing better than they’ve ever done with oil. The big companies are moving in, and we’re getting a good chunk of it too, as we should.”
Trump had much to say about Iran, but regarding them getting some assets back, or getting some of a new fund, he held forth that his U.S. military has smashed Iran. “So, we’re going to take some of the money, and we’re going to buy them. They need food. They need corn, and wheat, and soybeans, and we’re going to have exclusively our American farmers provide that.” This refers to the plan attributed to billionaire Jared Kushner, that Iran be compelled to buy U.S. crops, which was rejected by Iran, and called stupid, by U.S. farm leaders.
