BEIJING (dpa-AFX) - President Donald Trump has said he believes special counsel Robert Mueller will be fair in his investigation of Russian meddling in last year's election but argued the probe is hurting the image of the U.S.
In a wide-ranging interview with the New York Times on Thursday, Trump repeatedly insisted there was 'no collusion' between his presidential campaign and the Russians.
'There was no collusion with respect to my campaign. I think I'll be treated fairly,' Trump said. 'Timing-wise, I can't tell you. I just don't know. But I think we'll be treated fairly.'
The president claimed his only concern about the length of the investigation is the impact that the probe has had on the country's image.
'It makes the country look very bad, and it puts the country in a very bad position,' Trump said. 'So the sooner it's worked out, the better it is for the country.'
Trump also discussed his post on Twitter responding to reports of China selling oil to North Korea in violation of U.N. sanctions.
'Caught RED HANDED - very disappointed that China is allowing oil to go into North Korea,' Trump tweeted on Thursday. 'There will never be a friendly solution to the North Korea problem if this continues to happen!'
Trump suggested that he would follow through on his campaign promise to take aggressive trade actions against China if the communist country continues to illegally sell oil to North Korea.
'China's hurting us very badly on trade, but I have been soft on China because the only thing more important to me than trade is war,' Trump said.
'If they're helping me with North Korea, I can look at trade a little bit differently, at least for a period of time. And that's what I've been doing,' he added. 'But when oil is going in, I'm not happy about that.'
Trump said China has tremendous power over North Korea but argued the Chinese are not doing enough to rein in a country he described as a 'nuclear menace.'
The president also expressed confidence that he will win another four years in the White House and suggested the media would actually help him.
Trump said he expects to be re-elected in 2020 primarily because the U.S. is starting to do well again and being respected again.
'But another reason that I'm going to win another four years is because newspapers, television, all forms of media will tank if I'm not there because without me, their ratings are going down the tubes,' Trump said.
'So they basically have to let me win,' he added. 'And eventually, probably six months before the election, they'll be loving me because they're saying, 'Please, please, don't lose Donald Trump.'
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX