interview questions about business planning

30 Business Planning Analyst Interview Questions and Answers

Common Business Planning Analyst interview questions, how to answer them, and example answers from a certified career coach.

A business planning analyst is a key player in steering the strategic direction of an organization. By interpreting data, forecasting trends, and developing actionable insights, you help shape the future success of the company. But before you can take on this influential role, you must first navigate the interview process.

Interviews for a business planning analyst position can be intricate and challenging, as they are designed to assess not only your technical skills but also your ability to think critically and strategically about complex business scenarios. To equip you with the right tools for your upcoming interview, we’ve compiled a list of common questions faced by business planning analysts, along with insightful guidance on how to craft compelling responses.

1. Can you describe a time when your analysis significantly influenced a business decision?

The essence of a Business Planning Analyst’s role is to provide data-driven insights that guide strategic decisions. Therefore, interviewers want to know if you have successfully used your analytical skills to influence a business decision in the past. This helps them gauge your impact and effectiveness in the role. This question also sheds light on your problem-solving abilities and how you use data to drive solutions.

Example: “In a previous role, our company was considering expanding into a new market. I conducted an in-depth analysis of the potential market size, competition, and consumer behavior. My findings showed that while there was demand for our product, the competition was intense and consumer loyalty to existing brands was high.

I presented my findings to management, emphasizing the risks associated with this move. Based on my analysis, they decided to postpone the expansion and instead focus on strengthening our position in existing markets. This decision helped save significant resources that could have been potentially wasted.”

2. How have you used data analysis to drive business planning in your previous roles?

This question is posed to understand your ability to navigate the complex world of data analysis and apply its outcomes to business planning. It is essential in businesses today to make decisions based on data-driven insights. This question will allow the hiring manager to gauge your analytical thinking, your practical application of data analysis, and your understanding of how data can shape and influence business strategy.

Example: “In one project, I used data analysis to identify a significant drop in sales for a specific product line. By analyzing customer feedback and market trends, I found that the decline was due to increased competition.

I presented these findings to management with a proposal for a new marketing strategy focused on differentiating our product from competitors. This led to a 20% increase in sales over the next quarter.

In another instance, I analyzed operational data to identify inefficiencies in our supply chain process. After implementing recommended changes based on my analysis, we saw a 15% reduction in delivery times and associated costs.

These experiences underscore how crucial data analysis is in driving effective business planning.”

3. How do you handle situations where data is incomplete or inconsistent?

Data is the backbone of strategic business decisions, but it’s not always perfect. Sometimes, information is missing, inconsistent, or just plain hard to interpret. Hiring managers want to see that you can think on your feet and come up with solutions to data problems that could potentially throw your analyses and subsequent recommendations off track.

Example: “In situations with incomplete or inconsistent data, I first identify the gaps and inconsistencies. Then, I communicate these issues to relevant stakeholders for clarification or additional information.

If this isn’t possible, I use statistical methods like imputation to handle missing data, ensuring that any assumptions made align with our understanding of the business environment.

For inconsistent data, I would cross-verify it with other reliable sources. If discrepancies persist, I’d lean on domain knowledge and context to make educated decisions about which data is most likely accurate.

Throughout this process, transparency is vital. I document all steps taken so that others can understand the reasoning behind my decisions.”

4. What techniques do you use to ensure accuracy in your analysis?

Accuracy is the backbone of a business planning analyst’s job. It’s paramount that you are able to generate precise and reliable data and insights to guide business decisions. Hence, hiring managers want to understand if you have a systematic approach to minimize errors, whether it’s double-checking your work, using specific tools or software, or applying certain analytical techniques. Your response to this question would help them assess your attention to detail and your commitment to delivering accurate work.

Example: “I ensure accuracy in my analysis by employing a few key techniques. I use data validation to ensure that the information I’m working with is clean and accurate. Cross-referencing data from different sources also helps me verify its validity.

I often utilize statistical methods to identify any outliers or anomalies which could potentially skew the results.

Another important practice is double-checking calculations and formulas used in spreadsheets, as even small errors can have significant impacts on the final outcome.

Lastly, peer reviews are invaluable for catching mistakes and providing new perspectives on the data. This collaborative approach not only improves accuracy but also enhances the overall quality of the analysis.”

5. Describe a time when you had to present complex information to non-technical stakeholders. How did you ensure they understood your findings?

The ability to translate complex data into digestible, understandable information is a key skill for a Business Planning Analyst. Your job isn’t just about crunching numbers, but also about helping others in your organization understand what those numbers mean. This question is designed to assess your communication skills and your ability to make data accessible to all, regardless of their technical expertise.

Example: “During a project, I had to explain the impact of supply chain disruptions on our company’s financial performance to non-technical board members. To ensure clarity, I used simple language and avoided jargon. I also utilized visual aids like charts and graphs to illustrate key points.

I prepared a mock Q&A session with my team beforehand to anticipate possible questions. This helped me address potential areas of confusion during the actual presentation. The stakeholders appreciated this approach and were able to grasp the implications of my findings effectively.”

6. How do you approach the task of creating a business plan from scratch?

Creating a business plan from scratch involves a deep understanding of the company’s operations, goals, and market environment. So, when you’re asked this question, the interviewer is trying to gauge your strategic thinking skills, how well you understand the components of a business plan, and your ability to apply this understanding in real-world situations. They want to know if you can define clear, achievable goals, develop strategies to meet those goals, and design a plan that aligns with the overall business objectives.

Example: “Creating a business plan from scratch involves thorough market research to understand the industry, competition, and target audience. It’s crucial to define clear objectives and strategies for achieving them.

A strong financial forecast is essential, outlining expected revenue, expenses, and profitability. Risk assessment also plays a key role in planning for potential challenges and devising mitigation strategies.

The executive summary should be compelling, summarizing the entire plan while enticing readers to delve deeper.

Throughout this process, I believe in maintaining open communication with stakeholders, ensuring their insights are incorporated into the plan. This collaborative approach fosters buy-in and shared ownership of the final plan.”

7. Tell me about a time when your forecast was significantly off. How did you handle that situation?

Forecasting is a fundamental part of business planning, yet it’s never 100% accurate. Employers want to see how you handle unexpected circumstances and deviations from your plan. This question aims to assess your ability to quickly adapt and make strategic decisions when things don’t go as planned. It also gives them insight into your problem-solving skills and how you handle accountability for your mistakes.

Example: “During a major product launch, my forecast was significantly off due to unexpected market changes. I immediately communicated the discrepancy to relevant stakeholders and initiated an in-depth analysis to identify the factors that led to this deviation.

After identifying that a sudden shift in consumer behavior was the primary cause, I revised our forecasting model to better capture these variables. This experience taught me the importance of continually refining predictive models and maintaining open communication lines when discrepancies occur.”

8. How do you ensure your business plans align with the company’s strategic goals?

A company’s strategic goals are the compass guiding its journey, and as a business planning analyst, your role is to map out that journey. Employers want to know that you can create plans that not only address immediate needs but also steer the company towards its long-term objectives. Your understanding of the company’s vision and your ability to align your plans with it is a vital attribute they are looking for.

Example: “To ensure business plans align with the company’s strategic goals, I start by thoroughly understanding these goals. I then integrate them into every stage of planning, from initial brainstorming to final execution.

I employ data analysis and market research to validate each decision against our objectives. Regular reviews are also crucial for maintaining alignment as it allows for adjustments based on real-time feedback.

Collaboration is another key aspect. By working closely with different departments, we can ensure that all perspectives are considered and the plan supports overall strategy.

In essence, a combination of comprehensive understanding, data-driven decisions, regular reviews, and cross-departmental collaboration ensures alignment between business plans and strategic goals.”

9. How would you approach a scenario where the business objectives change mid-way through the planning process?

Well, change is the only constant in the business world. As an analyst, you’re expected to be flexible, adaptable, and quick on your feet. The ability to pivot and adjust strategies in response to changing business objectives is a critical skill, and interviewers want to see how you handle such situations. They’re interested in your problem-solving abilities, your creativity, and your resilience in the face of challenges.

Example: “When business objectives change mid-way through the planning process, it’s crucial to remain flexible and adaptable. I would first evaluate the new objectives in relation to our current plan.

Next, I’d identify areas that need adjustments and determine how these changes can be implemented without disrupting ongoing operations too much. This might involve re-prioritizing tasks or reallocating resources.

Communication is key during this transition. I would ensure all stakeholders are informed about the changes and understand their new roles and responsibilities.

Lastly, monitoring progress and adjusting as necessary is essential to ensure the revised plan aligns with the updated business objectives.”

10. Can you describe your experience with financial modelling and budgeting?

By asking this question, employers are trying to gauge your understanding and proficiency in financial modeling and budgeting. It’s an integral part of a Business Planning Analyst’s role, as these skills are essential for making strategic business decisions, forecasting future financial performance, and guiding budget allocation. They’re interested in your ability to use financial data to analyze business trends and make strategic recommendations.

Example: “I have extensive experience in financial modelling and budgeting. During my MBA, I specialized in finance which provided me with a solid theoretical foundation.

Post-graduation, I worked on several projects where I developed and analyzed complex financial models to support strategic decision-making processes. This involved forecasting revenues, costs, and cash flows.

In terms of budgeting, I’ve managed annual budgets for large-scale projects, ensuring alignment with business objectives. My role included tracking expenditures, identifying variances, and suggesting corrective actions.

My proficiency in Excel and financial software, coupled with strong analytical skills, enables me to create accurate forecasts and budgets.”

11. What methods do you use to keep track of industry trends and how do you incorporate them into your business plans?

Stepping into the shoes of a Business Planning Analyst requires you to be a keen observer of industry trends and to have the ability to incorporate these into your strategic plans. This question aims to assess your analytical skills, your ability to stay updated with market trends, and how well you can utilize this knowledge in formulating business strategies. The goal is to ensure that you can make the business adaptable and future-proof.

Example: “I use a combination of industry reports, webinars, and networking events to stay abreast of trends. I also subscribe to relevant newsletters and follow thought leaders on social media platforms for real-time updates.

Incorporating these trends into business plans involves analyzing their potential impact on our operations or market position. If the trend aligns with our strategic goals, I propose ways we can leverage it to drive growth or improve efficiency. Conversely, if it poses a threat, I suggest mitigation strategies to minimize its negative effects.”

12. How do you prioritize tasks when working on multiple projects simultaneously?

As a Business Planning Analyst, you’ll be juggling multiple projects with various deadlines and scopes. The ability to prioritize tasks effectively is key to managing your workload and meeting project deadlines. This question gives hiring managers a glimpse into your organizational skills and how you manage pressure and competing demands.

Example: “When working on multiple projects, I prioritize tasks based on their urgency and importance. Urgency refers to the time sensitivity of a task while importance pertains to its impact on the project or business goals.

I use tools like Trello or Asana for visualizing tasks and deadlines which helps in maintaining an organized workflow.

Communication with team members is also crucial as it aids in understanding dependencies and aligning priorities accordingly. Regular check-ins ensure everyone is on the same page and delays are minimized.

Constant re-evaluation of tasks is necessary due to changing circumstances or sudden urgencies. This flexible approach ensures that critical tasks don’t fall through the cracks.”

13. What is your approach to risk assessment when developing a business plan?

Risk assessment is a critical part of business planning. Businesses live in a world of uncertainty, and the ability to anticipate potential challenges and plan for them is a valuable skill. When hiring managers ask about risk assessment, they’re looking to see if you can identify potential pitfalls, weigh their impact, and develop strategies to manage them. This ensures that the business plan you create is robust, resilient, and ready to handle whatever comes its way.

Example: “In risk assessment for a business plan, I prioritize identifying potential risks that could impact the project. This includes both internal and external factors such as market volatility or operational inefficiencies.

After identification, I quantify these risks by assessing their potential impact and probability of occurrence. Tools like SWOT analysis and PESTEL framework can be helpful in this process.

Finally, I develop mitigation strategies to minimize the impact of these risks. This might involve diversifying resources, implementing contingency plans, or investing in insurance policies. The goal is to ensure that the business is prepared for any eventualities and can adapt quickly to changes.”

14. How have you used business intelligence tools in your previous roles?

Understanding your ability to use business intelligence tools is key for hiring managers because these tools are often the backbone of a business planning analyst’s work. They not only help in gathering and analyzing data but also in providing insights that influence strategic decisions. Your experience with these tools can show your proficiency in data analysis, and your ability to leverage data to drive business growth and improvement.

Example: “In the past, I’ve utilized business intelligence tools to analyze and interpret data that influenced strategic decisions. For instance, using Tableau, I created interactive dashboards for real-time tracking of key performance indicators.

I also used Power BI to identify trends and patterns in large datasets which helped in forecasting future outcomes. This not only improved operational efficiency but also provided valuable insights for decision-making processes.

Moreover, SQL was instrumental in managing and manipulating databases to ensure accurate and timely reporting. These experiences have honed my skills in leveraging business intelligence tools to drive growth and profitability.”

15. Can you describe a time when you had to make a critical decision based on your analysis? What was the outcome?

The crux of a Business Planning Analyst’s role is to analyze data, make informed recommendations, and sometimes, even critical business decisions. By asking this question, the hiring manager wants to assess your ability to use data-driven insights to make strategic decisions, your judgment, your analytical skills, and your impact on the business. It’s also a way to gauge your experience and effectiveness in similar roles or situations.

Example: “In one instance, I was tasked with analyzing sales data to determine the viability of a new product launch. My analysis revealed that while there was significant interest in the product, it would not be profitable due to high production costs and market competition.

I presented these findings to senior management. Despite initial resistance, they agreed to halt the product launch. This decision saved the company from potential financial loss and allowed resources to be redirected towards more promising projects.”

16. How do you communicate your findings to the leadership team to influence decision-making?

Diplomacy, communication, and persuasion skills are all vital for a Business Planning Analyst. Your ability to translate complex data into actionable insights in a clear, concise manner can make the difference between an idea that gathers dust on a shelf and one that transforms the business. Therefore, employers want to ensure you have the ability to articulate your findings effectively to influence decision-making at the top level.

Example: “To effectively communicate my findings to the leadership team, I focus on clarity and relevance. I present data visually when possible, as graphs or charts can often convey information more efficiently than text.

I also frame my findings in terms of business objectives to highlight their significance. For instance, if a trend in the data suggests an opportunity for cost reduction, I would emphasize how this aligns with our goal of improving profitability.

Moreover, I ensure to provide actionable insights instead of raw data. This involves interpreting the data, identifying patterns, drawing conclusions, and suggesting next steps based on these conclusions. By doing so, I aim to facilitate informed decision-making.”

17. What experience do you have with process improvement and efficiency analysis?

The backbone of a business planning analyst’s role is to identify areas of improvement, streamline processes, and ultimately, enhance business efficiency. By asking this question, the hiring manager wants to gauge your experience in these areas. They’re interested in your ability to identify problems, propose solutions, and implement changes that can have a tangible impact on the business’s bottom line.

Example: “I have been involved in several process improvement initiatives. I used Lean Six Sigma methodologies to identify inefficiencies and redundancies, then proposed solutions that increased productivity by 20%.

In terms of efficiency analysis, I’m adept at using tools like time-motion studies and workflow mapping. For instance, I once identified a bottleneck in an operational procedure which was resolved by redistributing tasks among team members, leading to a 15% increase in speed.

My experience has taught me the importance of data-driven decisions and continuous monitoring for sustainable improvements.”

18. How do you approach the task of integrating new business strategies into existing plans?

The essence of a Business Planning Analyst role is to constantly adapt and adjust to the changing business landscape. Interviewers want to confirm that you have the ability to seamlessly incorporate new strategies into existing plans. Your approach speaks volumes about your analytical skills, flexibility, and understanding of the business’s overall objectives.

Example: “When integrating new business strategies into existing plans, I start by conducting a thorough analysis of the current plan to identify its strengths and weaknesses. This provides a clear understanding of what needs improvement.

Next, I align the new strategy with the company’s overall objectives to ensure it supports our goals.

I then develop an implementation roadmap detailing how we will transition from the current plan to the new one. This includes identifying key milestones, resources required, and potential challenges.

Finally, I establish metrics for tracking progress and adjusting the strategy as necessary based on performance feedback. It’s crucial to have a flexible approach that allows for adjustments in real-time.”

19. What is your process for conducting market research and competitive analysis?

As a Business Planning Analyst, your ability to conduct effective market research and competitive analysis is a key component of your role. This process is critical in helping your organization understand its position within the market and make informed, strategic decisions. By asking this question, the interviewer is seeking to understand your approach, the tools you use, and how your research ultimately informs strategy.

Example: “To conduct market research, I start by defining the problem or opportunity. Then, I collect data from primary and secondary sources, which includes customer surveys and industry reports respectively. This helps to understand consumer behavior and trends.

For competitive analysis, I identify key competitors and analyze their products, sales, and marketing strategies. Tools like SWOT analysis are used to evaluate their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.

Both processes involve synthesizing information into actionable insights, which can guide strategic decision-making. Regular monitoring is essential to stay updated with changing market dynamics.”

20. How have you used key performance indicators (KPIs) in your previous roles?

This question aims to gauge your understanding of key performance indicators, their importance, and how well you can use them to drive business strategy. KPIs play a pivotal role in business planning and strategy, so it’s essential to know how to identify, track, and interpret them to inform decision-making, project prioritization, and overall business performance.

Example: “In one of my projects, I used KPIs to measure the performance and success rate of a new product launch. The key indicators included sales volume, market share, and customer satisfaction rates.

I analyzed these metrics regularly to assess if our strategies were effective or if adjustments needed to be made. This data-driven approach helped us identify areas for improvement quickly, enabling faster decision-making and ultimately leading to a successful product launch.

Using KPIs in this way allowed us to stay focused on our goals and ensured we were making progress towards achieving them.”

21. Can you describe a time when you had to revise a business plan due to unforeseen circumstances?

As a Business Planning Analyst, you’re not only tasked with creating effective business plans, but also adapting them when unforeseen challenges arise. Flexibility and problem-solving skills are key in this role. Therefore, hiring managers ask this question to determine how you handle change and unexpected obstacles, and if you can think on your feet to revise plans and still achieve business objectives.

Example: “In one instance, our team had developed a robust business plan for launching a new product line. However, just before the launch, a competitor released a similar product with advanced features.

Recognizing the need to pivot quickly, we revised our plan focusing on differentiating factors like superior customer service and flexible pricing models. We also accelerated the development of additional features that were initially planned for future releases.

The revision required intense collaboration across departments but ultimately led to a successful product launch despite the unexpected competition. This experience reinforced my belief in agility and adaptability as key elements in business planning.”

22. How do you ensure that your business plans are flexible and adaptable to change?

The business landscape is always shifting; it’s a dynamic entity. Therefore, hiring managers need to ensure that you are not just focused on creating rigid plans but are also capable of adapting to new challenges, market trends, or changes in the company’s strategy. Your ability to create flexible and adaptive plans is essential to keep the business agile and prepared for unforeseen circumstances.

Example: “To ensure business plans are flexible and adaptable, I incorporate scenario planning. This involves creating multiple forecasts based on different circumstances to prepare for various outcomes.

Another strategy is continuous monitoring and evaluation of the plan’s progress. By tracking key performance indicators (KPIs), we can identify when adjustments may be needed.

Lastly, maintaining open lines of communication within the team fosters an environment that embraces change. This allows us to adapt quickly when necessary.”

23. Can you describe your experience with project management and coordination?

The essence of a Business Planning Analyst’s role involves managing and coordinating various tasks to ensure the smooth running of business operations. This question is designed to gauge your ability to oversee projects, coordinate with different teams, and manage timelines and deliverables efficiently. It seeks to understand your competency in balancing multiple tasks, prioritizing, and ensuring all projects are completed successfully and on time.

Example: “In my experience, effective project management involves strategic planning, resource allocation, and risk assessment. I’ve managed several high-stakes projects, ensuring they are completed within the set timeframe and budget.

As for coordination, it’s about fostering a collaborative environment. In past projects, I’ve coordinated with various departments to ensure alignment of objectives. This involved regular communication, conflict resolution, and team building activities.

My approach is data-driven, using tools like MS Project and Jira for tracking progress. I also use SWOT analysis for risk mitigation, which has significantly reduced project delays in my experience.

Overall, my expertise lies in managing and coordinating complex projects while maintaining efficiency and meeting deadlines.”

24. How do you handle situations where your recommendations are not implemented?

This question is designed to test your resilience and adaptability. In a business environment, not all your recommendations or proposals will be accepted or implemented. The interviewer wants to see how you handle such situations, whether you can accept feedback positively, learn from the experience, and continue to contribute constructively to the team and organization.

Example: “In situations where my recommendations aren’t implemented, I respect the decision-making process and understand that there could be various factors at play. However, I believe in constructive dialogue. So, I would seek feedback to understand why my suggestions were not adopted. This helps me learn and improve my future proposals.

Moreover, I consider such instances as opportunities for growth. They allow me to reassess my approach, refine my analytical skills, and enhance my understanding of business needs. It’s all about maintaining a positive attitude, staying resilient, and continuously striving for improvement.”

25. What is your approach to stakeholder management when developing a business plan?

Stakeholder management is an essential part of developing a business plan. As a Business Planning Analyst, you’re expected to engage stakeholders at all levels, understand their concerns and expectations, and incorporate their feedback into your plan. The interviewer wants to understand your ability to balance different perspectives and collaborate effectively with a variety of individuals and teams. The ultimate goal is to ensure the plan you develop is comprehensive, realistic, and supported by key stakeholders.

Example: “My approach to stakeholder management in business planning involves clear communication, active listening, and collaboration. I ensure stakeholders are informed about the plan’s progress, challenges, and changes.

Understanding their concerns and expectations is crucial, so I engage them through regular meetings and feedback sessions. This helps align their interests with the business objectives.

Collaboration is key for successful implementation of a plan. I involve stakeholders in decision-making processes where necessary, fostering ownership and commitment. By balancing their needs and business goals, we can achieve a mutually beneficial outcome.”

26. How do you stay updated on the latest business analysis tools and techniques?

Analysts are expected to be on the cutting edge of the tools and techniques that can help businesses run more efficiently. By asking this question, hiring managers are trying to gauge your commitment to continuous learning and your ability to adapt to new technologies and methodologies. It’s an indicator of your passion for the field and your resourcefulness in staying updated.

Example: “I regularly attend webinars and workshops to stay updated on the latest business analysis tools. Reading industry-specific publications, like Harvard Business Review, also helps me keep abreast of new methodologies. Participating in online forums and communities such as LinkedIn groups for Business Analysts provides insights from peers. I am also a member of the International Institute of Business Analysis which offers resources and updates on current trends and technologies in the field.”

27. What experience do you have with cross-functional collaboration in business planning?

In the dynamically connected world of business, cross-functional collaboration is key to achieving comprehensive and effective business planning. Hiring managers want to assess your experience and skills in collaborating with different departments. It’s not just about your analytical abilities, but also your communication and teamwork skills. Your ability to work cross-functionally can directly impact the quality of the business plan and its execution.

Example: “In my experience, cross-functional collaboration is essential for effective business planning. I’ve worked closely with teams from marketing, sales, and operations to align our strategies and objectives.

One project involved developing a new product launch plan. By collaborating with the marketing team, we were able to identify key market trends and customer needs that guided our product development. Working with the sales team helped us understand potential challenges in selling the product and informed our pricing strategy.

This collaborative approach not only ensured a successful product launch but also fostered a culture of open communication and mutual respect among different departments. It’s these experiences that make me confident in my ability to facilitate cross-functional collaboration in business planning.”

28. How do you handle disagreements or conflicts during the planning process?

Conflict is inevitable in any workplace, and it can be particularly prevalent in roles such as a Business Planning Analyst where you are often working collaboratively on complex projects. Interviewers want to see how you navigate these situations. Your ability to handle disagreements and conflicts not only speaks to your interpersonal skills, but also your problem-solving abilities and your capacity to maintain a productive and positive work environment.

Example: “In handling disagreements or conflicts during planning, I believe in open communication and collaboration. It’s essential to understand different perspectives as they often bring valuable insights.

If a conflict arises, I would facilitate a discussion where each party can express their views. We then explore these viewpoints, focusing on the objectives of the project rather than personal opinions.

I also find it beneficial to refer back to our shared goals and data-driven evidence when making decisions. This approach helps keep discussions objective and focused on finding the best solution for the business.”

29. Can you describe a time when your analysis uncovered a significant opportunity for business growth?

The essence of a business planning analyst’s role is to scrutinize data and identify new opportunities for growth and development. Hence, hiring managers look for candidates who can demonstrate their ability to identify such opportunities and their potential impact on the company’s bottom line. They want to see your problem-solving skills, analytical thinking, and ability to make data-driven decisions that can contribute to the company’s growth.

Example: “In one instance, I was analyzing sales data for a retail client. I noticed that while overall sales were steady, there was a significant drop in a specific product category.

Upon further investigation, I discovered that this decline was due to an increase in competitor activity. However, our product had better reviews and customer satisfaction scores.

I proposed a targeted marketing campaign highlighting these strengths. As a result, we regained market share and increased sales by 20% over the next quarter. This experience taught me the importance of continuous monitoring and in-depth analysis to identify growth opportunities.”

30. How do you balance the need for immediate results with long-term strategic planning?

This question is designed to gauge how well you can manage the sometimes conflicting needs of short-term tasks and long-term goals. As a business planning analyst, you’ll be required to maintain a strategic vision while managing immediate operational needs. Your ability to balance these aspects effectively is key for ensuring the business’s sustainable growth and success.

Example: “Balancing immediate results with long-term strategic planning requires a clear understanding of the business’s objectives and priorities. I believe in setting short-term goals that align with our long-term vision, ensuring each step we take contributes to overall growth.

It’s essential to maintain flexibility, as market dynamics can change rapidly. Therefore, while focusing on quick wins for momentum, it’s crucial not to lose sight of the bigger picture.

Effective communication across teams is also key. This ensures everyone understands how their work impacts both immediate outcomes and long-term strategy. By integrating these elements, we can achieve a balance between immediate results and long-term success.”

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Interview Questions about Strategic Thinking and Planning – Learn how to answer them

An excellent leader always thinks a few steps ahead . They keep the bigger picture on their mind while making everyday decisions, making sure that the team, department, or entire company follows the right direction, pursuing the long term goals of the business. Strategic planning is an important skill for all mid-level and top-level management jobs. It’s more than a skill– it’s a mindset, the way you approach your work.

Hiring managers and CEOs will typically ask you a few question that relate (directly or indirectly) to your ability to think strategically . Let’s have a look at 7 of them, and how you should answer them in order to make the right impression on your interviewers .

Table of Contents

In your opinion, what role does strategic planning play in this managerial role?

If they ask about it, it likely plays a crucial role . But you should elaborate on this answer. Explain the responsibility you will have in the team, for setting the overall direction , for understanding the market trends , and predict the future .

You understand that without knowing the final destination the ship can hardly reach the harbor . And without knowing where you are eventually going as a team, you won’t be able to manage your people effectively.

But you also understand that things change quickly in the economic climate of 21st century. Strategic thinking is not a set and forget task for you . You will revisit your plans regularly, and make adjustments if the situation demands it.

Describe your process of setting long term goals for your team.

The key is to show them that you have some system in your strategic planning , and pillars you stick to. The overall vision and mission statement of the company can be one of your pillars.

Before deciding about the goals of the team, you consider the goals of the entire organization , the role your team plays (or should play) in achieving these goals, in attaining the lofty vision. Then you devise your goals accordingly, finding the sweet spot.

You understand that your team isn’t a stand-alone unit in the company , or in the entire economy. There are always bigger goals to follow, and everything relates to everything. You keep this on your mind while deciding about long term goals for your team.

What’s more–you try to be ambitious and realistic at the same time . It makes no sense to aim too low–that’s not why you became a manager. But you also want to set long terms goals your employees find viable , because if they struggled to imagine your vision, they would find it hard to work on it day after day…

How do you inform people about your strategic decisions?

It’s not only about form, or timing. Communication is also super important , and you should place the value on it in your answer.

Say that first and foremost, you make sure that everyone understands your decisions , the long term plan, ans what role they play in it . You may communicate this during managerial meetings, but you may also have one on one with the representatives of lower-management , explaining everything clearly, and with the help of follow-up questions ensuring that they got your point, and understand how it impacts their work.

Of course if we talk here about an unpopular decision –such as restructuring the company, or terminating contracts, or cutting salaries, timing is also important. What’s more, when announcing an unpopular decision you make sure that people understand why you had to make it , and that you did not really have another option.

* May also interest you : Creative thinking interview questions

Tell us about a time when you failed to achieve your goals in work.

The situation you narrate doesn’t interest the interviewers as much as the attitude you show, and the way in which you analyze the situation . Can you admit making a mistake? Can you identify the factors that contributed to the failure? And did you learn your lesson in the situation?

Try to go back in time, all the way to setting your goals. Describe the process of planning –what you had on your mind, what you tried to achieve, milestones and goals you set. But perhaps you underestimated something, or market conditions changed–and you didn’t have a plan B, or something else happened.

One way or another, you failed to reach the goal–and you take full responsibility for this as a manager . You understand what you did wrong, or neglected. You learned from the situation, and won’t repeat the same mistake again, while working on your strategic plans or setting your goals in your new job.

* Special Tip : Strategic planning isn’t the only tricky area they will inquire about in your managerial interview. You will face questions about adaptability, prioritization, dealing with ambiguity, and many other tricky questions. If you want to avoid “interview headaches”, and finally streamline your preparation for the big day, have a look at our Interview Success Package . Up to 10 premium answers for each difficult interview question will help you stand out in the interviews, impress the hiring managers, and get an amazing offer at the end. Thank you for checking it out!

If we hire you for this managerial job, what goals will you set for yourself and for your team?

This one is a bit tricky. Your ability to answer it correctly depends on your knowledge of your future employer , and their current situation. Needless to say, you should do an extensive research about your future place of work.

What they do, what they try to achieve, who their main competitors are, what is their position on the market. And of course, what role you can play in all this as their new manager . This should help you understand the basic direction, and perhaps even set some goals for you for the first year or two.

If you cannot find the information, however, and job description does not help you much, you still have two options for a decent answer .

First one is being honest and humble , and saying that before setting any goals, you have to talk to the executives, and understand what exactly they expect from you and from the team you will lead. Or at least your place in the company. Only when you understand such things will you be able to set right goals for yourself and for the team.

Another option is referring to general indicators of success . Increasing profits, reducing expenses, improving the customer satisfaction or retention, etc–depending the the position you have, the team you will lead. Of course each corporation will be satisfied if you reach such goals as a manager…

How do you measure the effectiveness of your strategy?

This isn’t always easy , especially if you work on something and the fruits of your efforts will become apparent much later– when everything eventually clicks together , and you will dominate the market.

Anyway, you can say that you will always try to set some partial goals , or point out certain indicators you can realistically measure , and will continuously monitor them while working.

While this isn’t a bullet-proof way of measuring the effectiveness of your strategy, it can definitely help you identify that things aren’t going the right way , and take action accordingly.

Of course when we speak about some specific strategy and position, when you can set very clear indicators (such as number of deals closed each month), it’s easier to measure the effectiveness of your strategy.

Tell us about a time when you demonstrated leadership at work.

More than anything else, true leadership (on the highest level of corporate hierarchy) is about making unpopular decisions , challenging the status quo , or setting overall direction for a team, department, company, or the entire country (if we talk about politics).

And that’s exactly what you should talk about–because they do not hire you to keep the status quo . They hire you to change and improve things, to set new strategic plans and take their company (or a team within it) to the next level.

Do not be afraid to talk about a time when you were bold in your decisions or expectations . It doesn’t matter whether others supported or opposed you, and whether your suggestion or decision eventually went through, and had a desired effect.

The most important thing is to show that you thought about the bigger picture , and did not mind challenging the routine in the place, the way they had done things before you came onboard…

* May also interest you : Are you a leader, or a manager?

Conclusion, premium answers to all questions

Strategic thinking and planning is an important skill, something we learn by experience . Interviewers may ask you several questions while trying to assess your ability to think strategically. Their questions may range from relatively simple (How do you set long term goals?) to tricky situational or behavioral questions (Tell us about a time when you failed to reach your goals in work) .

Try to prepare a short answer to each question from the list, following my hints. And do not forget to do a throughout research about your future employer, their vision and goals, and the role you will play in the company. It will help you with your answers to the questions about strategic planning and thinking.

Last but not least, do not neglect your preparation for other tricky interview questions –questions about prioritization, dealing with pressure or ambiguity, and with many other situation you can experience in the workplace. If you need help, have a look at our Interview Success Package . Up to 10 premium answers to 31 tricky scenario based questions (+ more) will help you streamline your interview preparation, and eventually outclass your competitors and get the job . Thank you for checking out out, and I wish you best of luck in your interview!

May also interest you :

• Leadership interview questions – Each great manager is an excellent leader. Learn how to answer questions about leadership.
• Dealing with ambiguity interview questions – Another buzzword, and another set of tricky questions you may face in your managerial interview.
• Analytical skills interview questions .
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Strategic Planner Interview Questions

The strategic planner assesses a company's goals and identifies strategies that will help to achieve these goals. The strategic planner is also responsible for observing sales metrics to see if new strategies are effective in reaching the company's goals.

When interviewing strategic planners, the ideal candidate should have excellent data analysis skills. Be wary of candidates who are unwilling to perform thorough research when forming strategies.

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Interview Questions for Strategic Planners:

1. can you describe the methods you use to assess operational effectiveness.

Tests the candidate's experience and competence in research and analysis.

2. Share an experience when your advice was not received well. How did you handle the situation?

Reveals the candidate's communication and interpersonal skills as well as the ability to deal with difficult situations.

3. Can you provide an example of a project or procedure you implemented that improved organizational growth?

Illustrates the candidate's previous experience and competence.

4. What important information do you evaluate before developing a business strategy?

Tests the candidate’s knowledge of business strategies.

5. Your analytics report proves to be incorrect. What steps do you take to correct the problem?

Demonstrates the candidate’s problem-solving skills.

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Strategic planner job description, strategy manager interview questions, strategy manager job description, brand strategist interview questions, brand strategist job description.

15 Business Planning Manager Interview Questions (With Example Answers)

It's important to prepare for an interview in order to improve your chances of getting the job. Researching questions beforehand can help you give better answers during the interview. Most interviews will include questions about your personality, qualifications, experience and how well you would fit the job. In this article, we review examples of various business planning manager interview questions and sample answers to some of the most common questions.

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Common Business Planning Manager Interview Questions

What does a typical day involve for a business planning manager, what is the most important skill for a business planning manager, what challenges does a business planning manager face, how do business planning managers use technology in their work, what role does creativity play in business planning, what are some best practices for business planning, how does a business plan evolve over time, what are some common mistakes made in business planning, how can business planning managers make sure their plans are executed effectively, what are some ways to measure the success of a business plan, what are the challenges of forecasting for businesses, how can business planning managers ensure they have accurate data to work with, how do businesses use scenario planning to prepare for different future outcomes, what are some common pitfalls in financial planning for businesses, how can business owners make sure their goals are realistic and achievable.

The interviewer is trying to gauge the level of responsibility and work required in the role. This is important because it helps to determine if the role is a good fit for the candidate and if the candidate has the necessary skills and experience to perform the job.

As a business planning manager, a typical day involves coordinating with various departments within the company to develop and implement plans for growth and expansion. This includes creating budgets, researching new markets, and developing strategies to increase sales and profits. It is important to be able to effectively communicate with other members of the management team in order to ensure that all goals are aligned and that everyone is working towards the same objectives.

Example: “ A business planning manager typically works with senior management to develop and implement business plans. This may involve creating financial models, conducting market research, and developing strategy. The business planning manager also works with other departments to ensure that the business plan is executed effectively. ”

The interviewer is asking this question to gain insight into the Business Planning Manager's priorities and what they believe is necessary for success in the role. By understanding the most important skill for the Business Planning Manager, the interviewer can better understand how the Business Planning Manager will approach their work and whether they will be a good fit for the organization.

Example: “ The most important skill for a business planning manager is the ability to develop and implement strategic plans. This includes the ability to set goals, create action plans, and track progress. The business planning manager must also be able to communicate the plan to all members of the organization and ensure that it is executed properly. ”

The interviewer is trying to gauge the interviewee's understanding of the role of a business planning manager. It is important for the interviewer to understand how the interviewee perceives the role, and what challenges they think are associated with it. This question allows the interviewer to get a sense of the interviewee's work style and whether they would be a good fit for the position.

Example: “ There are various challenges that a business planning manager might face. These can include: - Ensuring that the business plan is realistic and achievable - Managing stakeholder expectations - Dealing with uncertainty and risk - Keeping the business plan up to date as circumstances change - Communicating the business plan to different audiences - Getting buy-in and support for the business plan from key decision makers ”

It is important to ask this question because technology is constantly changing and evolving, so it is important for business planning managers to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and developments. Additionally, technology can be a great tool for business planning managers to use in order to improve efficiency and productivity.

Example: “ Technology is playing an increasingly important role in the work of business planning managers. They are using it to collect and analyze data, create and manage models, and communicate with stakeholders. Data collection and analysis: Business planning managers use technology to collect data from a variety of sources, including financial reports, market research, customer surveys, and data from social media and other online sources. They use this data to identify trends and develop models that help them understand how businesses operate. Modeling: Technology is also used to create and manage models that help business planning managers predict future trends and outcomes. These models can be used to simulate different scenarios and test different strategies. Communication: Technology is essential for communication between business planning managers and their stakeholders. They use it to share information, collaborate on projects, and track progress. ”

There are a few reasons why an interviewer might ask this question to a business planning manager. First, they may be trying to gauge the level of importance that the manager places on creativity in the business planning process. Second, they may be interested in how the manager uses creativity to overcome obstacles or solve problems. Finally, they may be curious about what role creativity plays in the manager's overall business planning strategy.

It is important for business planning managers to be creative in their approach to planning because it allows them to come up with new and innovative solutions to problems. Additionally, creativity can help managers to better communicate their plans to others, and it can make the planning process more enjoyable for all involved.

Example: “ Creativity plays an important role in business planning as it helps businesses to come up with new and innovative ideas. This can help businesses to stand out from their competitors and attract new customers. creativity can also help businesses to find new ways to solve problems and improve their products or services. ”

The interviewer is likely asking this question to gauge the candidate's understanding of best practices for business planning and to see if they are familiar with the relevant literature. This is important because the Business Planning Manager will be responsible for developing and implementing business plans. Therefore, it is essential that they have a strong understanding of best practices in this area.

Example: “ There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the best practices for business planning will vary depending on the specific industry and business context. However, some general tips that may be useful include: 1. Make sure to align your business plan with your company's overall strategy. 2. Make sure your assumptions are realistic and based on market research. 3. Use market analysis and financial projections to support your plan. 4. Create a clear and concise executive summary. 5. Plan for contingencies and risks, and identify how you will mitigate them. ”

The interviewer is asking how the Business Planning Manager's role changes over time as the business plan develops. This is important because it shows how the Business Planning Manager adapts to the needs of the business and how they evolve the plan to meet the ever-changing needs of the business.

Example: “ A business plan is a document that outlines the goals, strategies, and objectives of a business. It is important for businesses to have a business plan in order to stay organized and on track. The business plan should be updated regularly as the business grows and changes. ”

There could be a number of reasons why an interviewer would ask this question to a business planning manager. It could be to gauge the manager's understanding of the Planning process, to get insights into common mistakes that are made during the process, or to identify areas where the manager believes improvements can be made.

It is important for the interviewer to get an understanding of the manager's understanding of the Planning process and to identify any areas where improvements can be made. By asking about common mistakes, the interviewer can get a sense of the manager's experience and knowledge in this area.

Example: “ There are a number of common mistakes made in business planning, which can include: 1. Not Defining the Business Purpose One of the most common mistakes made in business planning is failing to clearly define the purpose of the business. This can lead to confusion and ambiguity later on down the line, as everyone involved will have their own ideas about what the business is trying to achieve. 2. Not Conducting Market Research Another mistake that is often made is failing to conduct adequate market research. This means that you may not have a clear understanding of your target market, your competitors or what your customers really want and need. This can all lead to problems later on. 3. Overlooking Financial Considerations Another common mistake is overlooking financial considerations. This can include failing to create a realistic budget or not taking into account all of the costs associated with starting and running a business. This can put you in a difficult financial position later on. 4. Not Having a Marketing Plan A further mistake that is often made is failing to create a marketing plan. Without a plan, it will be difficult to effectively promote your business and reach your target market. This can lead to lost sales and revenue. 5. ”

The interviewer is asking how the business planning manager can ensure that their plans are executed effectively in order to gauge the manager's understanding of the role. It is important for business planning managers to be able to ensure that their plans are executed effectively in order to avoid any disruptions or delays in the business operations.

Example: “ There are a few key things that business planning managers can do to ensure that their plans are executed effectively: 1. Define clear objectives and goals - Without clear objectives and goals, it will be difficult to measure success or determine whether the plan is being executed effectively. 2. Create a detailed plan of action - The plan should include who is responsible for each task, when it needs to be completed, and how it will be carried out. 3. Communicate the plan to all relevant parties - Make sure that everyone who needs to be aware of the plan is informed and understands their role in its execution. 4. Monitor progress and make adjustments as needed - Regularly check in on the status of the plan and make changes as necessary to ensure its successful execution. ”

The interviewer is asking this question to gauge the interviewee's understanding of how to measure the success of a business plan. It is important for the interviewee to be able to identify key metrics and indicators that show whether or not a business plan is successful. This question allows the interviewer to get a sense of the interviewee's analytical and problem-solving skills.

Example: “ There are a number of ways to measure the success of a business plan. One way is to look at how well the plan has been executed. This can be measured by looking at factors such as whether the plan was completed on time, within budget, and whether it achieved its objectives. Another way to measure the success of a business plan is to look at its impact on the business. This can be measured by looking at factors such as sales growth, profitability, market share, and customer satisfaction. ”

The interviewer is looking for a few things:

-How well the Business Planning Manager understands the forecasting process

-How well the Business Planning Manager understands the challenges associated with forecasting

-How the Business Planning Manager plans on overcoming those challenges

Forecasting is important for businesses because it allows them to plan for the future. It helps businesses make decisions about what products to produce, how many staff to hire, and how to allocate their resources. Without accurate forecasting, businesses would be operating blindly and would likely make poor decisions that could lead to financial losses.

There are a number of challenges associated with forecasting, such as data accuracy, seasonality, and economic conditions. Data accuracy is a challenge because businesses need to have accurate data in order to produce accurate forecasts. Seasonality is a challenge because certain products or services may be in demand at certain times of the year, and businesses need to be able to anticipate that. Economic conditions can also impact demand, and businesses need to be able to adjust their forecasts accordingly.

The Business Planning Manager should have a good understanding of the forecasting process and the challenges associated with it. They should be able to explain how they plan on overcoming those challenges.

Example: “ There are a number of challenges that businesses face when forecasting, including: 1. Ensuring accuracy: Forecasting is only as accurate as the data that is used to generate it. This means that businesses need to have access to accurate and up-to-date data in order to produce reliable forecasts. 2. Dealing with uncertainty: The future is inherently uncertain, which makes forecasting difficult. Businesses need to be able to account for different possible scenarios when generating their forecasts. 3. Managing change: The business environment is constantly changing, which can impact the accuracy of forecasts. Businesses need to be able to adapt their forecasting methods as changes occur. 4. Avoiding bias: It is important that businesses avoid bias when forecasting, as this can lead to inaccurate predictions. There are a number of ways to avoid bias, such as using multiple sources of data and involving different people in the forecasting process. ”

Inaccurate data can lead to bad decision-making, and ultimately, poor performance. As a business planning manager, it is important to ensure that the data you are working with is accurate so that you can make the best decisions for the company. There are a few ways to ensure that the data you are working with is accurate:

- First, make sure that you are only using data from reliable sources. This means using data from sources that you trust and that have a good track record of accuracy.

- Second, cross-check your data against other sources. This will help you to identify any discrepancies and ensure that you are working with the most accurate data possible.

- Finally, keep your own records. This way, if there is ever any question about the accuracy of the data you are working with, you will have your own records to fall back on.

Example: “ There are a few things business planning managers can do to ensure they have accurate data to work with: 1. Make sure to collect data from a variety of sources, both internal and external. This will help to ensure that the data is as accurate as possible. 2. Use data cleansing and validation techniques to ensure that the data is free of errors. 3. Use data mining and analytics techniques to uncover trends and patterns in the data that could be useful for planning purposes. ”

Scenario planning is a tool that businesses use to prepare for different future outcomes. By creating scenarios, businesses can explore how different factors could impact their operations and make plans to mitigate risks. This type of planning is important because it allows businesses to be proactive in their decision-making, rather than reactive. This can help businesses avoid costly mistakes and disruptions to their operations.

Example: “ Scenario planning is a tool that businesses use to prepare for different future outcomes. It involves creating a number of different possible scenarios, based on factors such as market trends, political changes, and technological developments. Businesses then use these scenarios to plan how they would respond to each one. This helps them to be better prepared for whatever the future may hold. ”

There are a few reasons why an interviewer might ask this question to a business planning manager. One reason is to gauge the manager's level of experience and knowledge in the field. This question can also help the interviewer understand the manager's problem-solving abilities. Additionally, the interviewer may be looking to see if the manager is familiar with common financial planning pitfalls so that they can avoid them in the future.

It is important for business planning managers to be aware of common financial planning pitfalls so that they can avoid them when developing plans for their organizations. By understanding the potential problems that can arise, managers can be better prepared to deal with them if they do occur. Additionally, identifying financial planning pitfalls can help managers develop contingency plans to mitigate the risks associated with them.

Example: “ There are a number of common pitfalls that can occur when financial planning for businesses, which can include failing to properly account for all income and expenses, not having realistic sales projections, and not having adequate cash reserves. Additionally, businesses can also run into trouble if they do not have a clear understanding of their tax obligations or if they do not have a solid plan in place for managing debt. ”

The interviewer is likely trying to gauge the interviewee's ability to think critically about goal setting for businesses. It is important for business owners to make sure their goals are realistic and achievable so that they can create a plan to reach those goals and measure their progress. If goals are not realistic or achievable, businesses may get discouraged and give up before they reach their potential.

Example: “ There are a few key things that business owners can do to make sure their goals are realistic and achievable: 1. Define the goal clearly and specifically - This will help you to better understand what you need to do to achieve the goal, and whether or not it is actually achievable. 2. Do your research - Make sure you understand the market, the competition, and what it will take to achieve your goal. This will help you to set a realistic timeline and budget for achieving your goal. 3. Create a plan of action - Once you have a clear understanding of your goal and what it will take to achieve it, you need to create a plan of action. This should include specific steps that you will take, as well as deadlines for each step. 4. Get feedback from others - Ask trusted friends, family members, or colleagues for their honest opinion on your goal and plan. This can help you to identify any potential problems or roadblocks that you may not have considered. 5. Be prepared to adjust your goal - As you work towards your goal, there may be times when you need to adjust it based on new information or unforeseen circumstances. Be prepared to make changes to your goal as needed in order to ”

Related Interview Questions

• Demand Planning Manager
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Planning Analyst Interview Questions

The most important interview questions for Planning Analysts, and how to answer them

Getting Started as a Planning Analyst

• What is a Planning Analyst
• How to Become
• Certifications
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• LinkedIn Guide
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• Work-Life Balance
• Professional Goals
• Resume Examples
• Cover Letter Examples

Interviewing as a Planning Analyst

Types of questions to expect in a planning analyst interview, behavioral questions, technical and quantitative questions, scenario-based and case study questions, communication and presentation questions, preparing for a planning analyst interview, how to prepare for a planning analyst interview.

• Research the Company and Industry: Gain a comprehensive understanding of the company's business model, strategic objectives, and position within the industry. Also, study the industry trends, challenges, and competitors to show your ability to contextualize planning within a broader economic framework.
• Understand Planning Processes and Tools: Familiarize yourself with common planning methodologies, forecasting techniques, and analytical tools that are relevant to the role. Be prepared to discuss how you have used these in past experiences or how you would apply them in the company's context.
• Review Financial and Statistical Concepts: Ensure your knowledge of key financial principles, statistical analysis, and data interpretation is sharp, as these are often fundamental to a Planning Analyst's role.
• Practice Behavioral and Technical Questions: Prepare for behavioral questions that explore your past work experiences and problem-solving abilities. Also, anticipate technical questions that may test your analytical skills and knowledge of planning processes.
• Prepare to Discuss Past Projects: Be ready to discuss specific examples of when you have contributed to strategic planning, problem-solving, or data analysis. Quantify your achievements and explain the impact of your work.
• Develop Insightful Questions: Create a list of questions that demonstrate your strategic thinking and interest in the company's planning challenges. This can include questions about their planning cycles, tools they use, or how they measure planning effectiveness.
• Engage in Mock Interviews: Practice with a mentor or peer, especially focusing on articulating your thought process during analytical tasks. Feedback from these sessions can be invaluable in refining your communication and presentation skills.

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Planning Analyst Interview Questions and Answers

"how do you approach creating a strategic plan for a new project or initiative", how to answer it, example answer, "can you describe a time when you had to adjust a plan due to unforeseen circumstances", "how do you ensure that your plans are aligned with the company's financial goals", "what tools and software do you use for planning and analysis, and why", "how do you prioritize tasks and projects when faced with multiple deadlines", "describe your experience with forecasting and what methods you find most effective.", "how do you handle stakeholder communication when presenting plans and reports", "what is your approach to risk assessment in planning, and can you provide an example of how you've mitigated a significant risk", which questions should you ask in a planning analyst interview, good questions to ask the interviewer, "can you outline the typical planning cycle at your company and how the planning analyst role contributes to each phase", "what are the most significant planning challenges the company is currently facing, and how do you envision a planning analyst addressing them", "how does the company support the ongoing learning and development of its analysts, and are there opportunities for advancement within the planning team", "could you share an example of a recent strategic initiative that the planning team was involved in and the outcome of that initiative", what does a good planning analyst candidate look like, strategic thinking, analytical skills, communication and reporting, attention to detail, problem-solving skills, collaborative mindset, adaptability, interview faqs for planning analysts, what is the most common interview question for planning analysts, what's the best way to discuss past failures or challenges in a planning analyst interview, how can i effectively showcase problem-solving skills in a planning analyst interview.

Planning Analyst Job Title Guide

Related Interview Guides

Balancing supply and demand, forecasting trends for strategic business planning

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Optimizing business efficiency, analyzing processes for improved operational performance

Optimizing product flow, ensuring efficient delivery from supplier to consumer

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• Donald Trump

Read the Full Transcripts of Donald Trump’s Interviews With TIME

Read our full cover story on Donald Trump here . You can also read the transcript of the interviews here and a full fact check here .

Former President Donald Trump sat down for a wide-ranging interview with TIME at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla., on April 12, and a follow-up conversation by phone on April 27.

Over the course of the interviews, Trump discussed his agenda for a second term, which includes deporting millions of people , cutting the U.S. civil service, and intervening more directly in Justice Department prosecutions than his predecessors. He also discussed his thinking on other issues, including abortion, crime, trade, Ukraine, Israel, and the prospects for political violence in this election cycle.

Read More : How Far Trump Would Go

Below is a transcript, lightly edited for clarity, of the interviews between Trump and TIME National Politics Reporter Eric Cortellessa. Click here to read our fact-check.

Let’s start with Day One: January 20, 2025. You have said that you will take a suite of aggressive actions on the border and on immigration—

Donald Trump: Yes.

You have vowed to—

Trump: And on energy. 

Yes, yes. And we'll come to that, certainly. You have vowed to launch the largest deportation operation in American history. Your advisors say that includes—

Trump: Because we have no choice. I don't believe this is sustainable for a country, what's happening to us, with probably 15 million and maybe as many as 20 million by the time Biden's out. Twenty million people, many of them from jails, many of them from prisons, many of them from mental institutions. I mean, you see what's going on in Venezuela and other countries. They're becoming a lot safer.

Well, let's just talk—so you have said you're gonna do this massive deportation operation. I want to know specifically how you plan to do that.

Trump: So if you look back into the 1950s, Dwight Eisenhower, he's not known for that, you know, you don't think of him that way. Because you see, Ike, but Dwight Eisenhower was very big on illegal immigration not coming into our country. And he did a massive deportation of people. He was doing it for a long time. He got very proficient at it. He was bringing them just to the other side of the border. And they would be back in the country within a matter of days. And then he started bringing them 3,000 miles away—

What’s your plan, sir? 

Trump: We will be using local law enforcement. And we will absolutely start with the criminals that are coming in. And they're coming in in numbers that we've never seen before. And we do have a new category of crime. It's called migrant crime. It's, ugh, you see it all the time. You see it in New York City where they're having fistfights with police. And far worse than that. You see it all the time. And you're seeing it in all of the cities, especially the Democratic-run cities, which is a lot of the big ones, but you're seeing it in Chicago, you're seeing it in New York and L.A. and getting worse than in other places.

Does that include using the U.S. military? 

Trump: It would. When we talk military, generally speaking, I talk National Guard. I've used the National Guard in Minneapolis. And if I didn't use it, I don't think you'd have Minneapolis standing right now, because it was really bad. But I think in terms of the National Guard. But if I thought things were getting out of control, I would have no problem using the military, per se. We have to have safety in our country. We have to have law and order in our country. And whichever gets us there, but I think the National Guard will do the job. You know, had Nancy Pelosi used the National Guard. You know, I offered them whatever they wanted, but I often—

You would use the military inland as well as at the border?

Trump: I don't think I'd have to do that. I think the National Guard would be able to do that. If they weren't able to, then I’d use the military.  You know, we have a different situation. We have millions of people now that we didn't have two years ago.

Sir, the Posse Comitatus Act says that you can't deploy the U.S. military against civilians. Would you override that?

Trump: Well, these aren’t civilians . These are people that aren't legally in our country. This is an invasion of our country. An invasion like probably no country has ever seen before. They're coming in by the millions. I believe we have 15 million now. And I think you'll have 20 million by the time this ends. And that's bigger than almost every state.

So you can see yourself using the military to address this?

Trump: I can see myself using the National Guard and, if necessary, I'd have to go a step further. We have to do whatever we have to do to stop the problem we have. Again, we have a major force that’s forming in our country, when you see that over the last three weeks, 29,000 people came in from China, and they're all fighting age, and they're mostly males. Yeah, you have to do what you have to do to stop crime and to stop what's taking place at the border.

Would that include building new migrant detention camps?

Trump: We wouldn't have to do very much of that. Because we'll be bringing them out of the country. We're not leaving them in the country. We're bringing them out. It’s been done before.

Will you build new ones?

Trump: And it was done by Obama in a form of jails , you know, prisons. And I got blamed for that for four months. And then people realized that was done by him, not by me.

So are you ruling out that you would build new migrant detention camps?

Trump: No, I would not rule out anything. But there wouldn't be that much of a need for them, because of the fact that we're going to be moving them out. We're going to bring them back from where they came.

I ask because your close aide and adviser Stephen Miller said that part of what it would take to carry out this deportation operation would include new migrant detention camps. 

Trump: It’s possible that we’ll do it to an extent but we shouldn't have to do very much of it, because we're going to be moving them out as soon as we get to it. And we'll be obviously starting with the criminal element. And we're going to be using local police because local police know them by name, by first name, second name, and third name. I mean, they know them very well. 

How are you going to get state and local police departments to participate in this? Under what authority is the President able to do that?

Trump: Well, there's a possibility that some won't want to participate, and they won't partake in the riches, you know. We have to do this. This is not a sustainable problem for our country. 

Does that mean you would create funding incentives from the federal government for state and local police departments?

Trump: It could very well be. I want to give police immunity from prosecution because the liberal groups or the progressive groups, depending on what they want to be called, somewhat liberal, somewhat progressive, but they are—they’re very strong on the fact that they want to leave everybody in, I guess, I don't know. You know, sanctuary cities are failing all over the place. And I really believe that there's a pent-up demand to end sanctuary cities by people that were in favor of sanctuary cities, because it's just not working out for the country.

So by your own telling, these are new, bold, and aggressive actions that you would take.

Trump: I don't think they're bold actions. I think they’re actions that are common sense. But I really believe, Eric, that they’re actions that—it's incredible that they've allowed so many people to come into our country, especially considering they were unchecked and unvetted, most of them. They're just pouring in. They're pouring in at levels that no country has ever seen before. It's an invasion of our country.

Well, let me put it this way: They’re new and they're certainly going to be tested in the courts. If the courts rule against you, do you commit to complying with all court orders upheld by the Supreme Court? 

Trump: I will be complying with court orders. And I'll be doing everything on a very legal basis, just as I built the wall. You know, I built a tremendous wall, which gave us great numbers. I also was willing to do far more than I said I was going to do. I was also and am willing to—they should have completed the wall. I completed what I said I was going to do , much more than I said I was going to do. But as you do it, you realize you need more wall in different locations, locations that, at one point, people thought you wouldn't be able to—you wouldn't need.

But, and—the first glimpse I found that Biden, frankly, wanted open borders, because I never believed it. It just didn't make sense. The first time I really saw that was when he didn't want to install the wall that was already built and could have been thrown up, hundreds of miles of additional work could have been thrown up in a period of three weeks. 

I want to talk about your plan to build the wall in just a second, but just to come back on that. So you commit to complying with all Supreme Court orders? All orders upheld by the Supreme Court?

Trump: Yeah, I would do that, sure. I have great respect for the Supreme Court.

So come back to the border wall for a second because in the last term, you tried to negotiate border funding with Democrats, Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, and had an opportunity for $25 billion. Didn't work. Got the $1.4 billion—

Trump: But with the $25 billion things came that were unacceptable.

Codifying the DREAMER protections—

Trump: Well, a lot of other things besides that. There were a lot of bad things. Sure, they gave you money for the wall. I basically took the money from the military, as you know. I consider this an invasion of our country and I took the money from the—

So my question is, what do you plan to do in the second term? Are you going to move right away on day one to direct federal funds to continue building the wall? Are you going to aim for legislation? How do you plan to do? 

Trump: I think what we will do is we will complete—and when you say and when I say complete the wall, I built much more wall than I ever thought necessary. But as you build it, you find out that you need it. And we built it, and there were certain areas then you find out that are leaking and they leak. Like a politician leaks, they leak. And we would get that and we would build that and then you build something else. And it was just a system, we had a great system going. And we could have added another 200 miles of wall and good territory for it. Because it really does work, you know, walls work. Walls and wheels. I would say, you know, a lot of, see what you have here, your tape recorder, everything else is going to be obsolete in about six months. You'll have something that's much better. But the two things that are never obsolete are walls and wheels.

Something you said a moment ago. You said, “We want to protect police from prosecution.” What do you mean by that? 

Trump: Police have been—their authority has been taken away. If something happens with them, even if they're doing a very good job, they take away their house, they take away their pension, they take away their, I mean, essentially, they end up losing their families over it. They take away everything. They prosecute people. And we have to give the police back the power and respect that they deserve. Now, there will be some mistakes, and there are certain bad people and that's a terrible thing. But there are far more problems with what's happened now, where police are standing outside of a department store as it’s being robbed and 500 mostly young people are walking out carrying air conditioners and televisions and everything else. And the police would like to do something about it. But they're told to stand down. They said don't do it. And if you do anything about it, if you stop crime, we're going to go after your pension, your home, your family, your wife or your husband. And you know, police are being prosecuted all the time. And we want to give them immunity from prosecution if they're doing their job.

Would you try to pass a law for that through Congress? 

Trump: Excuse me. 

Would you push a bill through Congress to do that? 

Trump: We’d have to take a look at that. 

Let’s shift to the economy, sir. You have floated a 10% tariff on all imports, and a more than 60% tariff on Chinese imports. Can I just ask you now: Is that your plan?

Trump: It may be more than that. It may be a derivative of that. A derivative of that. But it will be somebody—look when they come in and they steal our jobs, and they steal our wealth, they steal our country.

When you say more than that, though: You mean maybe more than 10% on all imports?

Trump: More than 10%, yeah. I call it a ring around the country. We have a ring around the country. A reciprocal tax also, in addition to what we said. And if we do that, the numbers are staggering. I don't believe it will have much of an effect because they're making so much money off of us. I also don't believe that the costs will go up that much. And a lot of people say, “Oh, that's gonna be a tax on us.” I don't believe that. I think it's a tax on the country that's doing it. And I know. Look, I took in billions of dollars from China. Nobody else ever did anything on China. I also let people know what the threat of China was. China was going along making $500 to $600 billion a year and nobody was ever even mentioning it until I came along. What's happening in Detroit is very sad because electric cars with this EV mandate, which is ridiculous, because they don't go far. They cost too much and they're going to be made in China. They're all going to be made in China.

Mr. President, most economists—and I know not all, there isn't unanimity on this—but most economists say that tariffs increase prices. 

Trump: Yeah. 

Are you comfortable with additional inflation?

Trump: No, I've seen. I've seen—I don't believe it'll be inflation. I think it'll be lack of loss for our country. Because what will happen and what other countries do very successfully, China being a leader of it. India is very difficult to deal with. India—I get along great with Modi, but they're very difficult to deal with on trade. France is frankly very difficult on trade. Brazil is very difficult on trade. What they do is they charge you so much to go in. They say, we don't want you to send cars into Brazil or we don't want you to send cars into China or India. But if you want to build a plant inside of our country, that's okay and employ our people. And that's basically what I'm doing. And that’s—I was doing and I was doing it strongly, but it was ready to really start and then we got hit with COVID. We had to fix that problem. And we ended up handing over a higher stock market substantially than when COVID first came in . But if you look at the first few years of what we did, the numbers we had were breathtaking. There's never been an economy—

Sir, the economy was certainly humming during your first term. There's no question about it. But, you know, Moody's did say that your trade war with China cost the U.S. economy $316 billion and 300,000 jobs. [Editor’s note: The estimate of $316 billion was made by Bloomberg Economics, not Moody’s.]

Trump: Yeah. Moody’s doesn’t know what they’re talking about. We had the greatest economy in history. And Moody's acknowledges that. So how did it cost us if we had such a good economy? Everybody admits it. If we didn't do that, we would have no steel industry right now. They were dumping steel all over this country. And I put a 50% tariff on steel. It was gonna go higher. And the people that love me most are businesses, but in particular, the steel industry. They love me because I saved their industry. I've had owners of steel companies and executives of steel companies come up and start crying when they see me. They say, nobody, nobody helped us until you came along. China was dumping massive amounts of steel into our country. And we saved the steel industry.

Do you think that businesses pass along the cost of a tax to the consumer?

Trump: No, I don’t believe so. I believe that it cost the country that—I think they make less. I actually think that the country that is being taxed makes less. I don't believe—

You don't believe that businesses pass on the cost? 

Trump: No, I think what happens is you build. What happens to get out of the whole situation is you end up building, instead of having your product brought in from China, because of that additional cost, you end up making the product in the United States. And that's been traditionally what happened. If you look at what goes on. If you look at China, they don't want our cars. They charge them tremendous numbers. You look at India. India is a very good example. I get along very well with the people, representatives of India. Modi is a great guy, and he's doing what he has to do. But we had a case with Harley Davidson, I had Harley Davidson on the White House. I said, “How are you doing? How's business? Very good? Everything's good?” I said, “Just out of curiosity, how do you deal with India?” “Not Well.” Now you’ve got to remember, this is five years ago, four years ago, they said, “Not well. We can't do business with India, because they charged us such a big tariff, it was over 100%.” And at that price, you know, there's a point at which the consumer breaks and can't buy. They said, “But they will do anything for us to build a Harley Davidson plant in India. They don't want us to give motorcycles to India, but they do want us to build a plant.” I said, “Well, I'm not going to be very happy with that.” But that's ultimately what happened. They built a plant in India. And now there's no tax, and I'm saying we're doing the same thing. We're gonna build plants here. Now something that's taking place that nobody's talking about, maybe don’t know, but I have a friend who builds auto plants. That's what he does. If you ask him to build a simple apartment someplace, he wouldn't know how to do it. But he can build the plant, millions of feet, the biggest plants in the world. He's incredible. And I said to him, “I want to see one of your plants.” And he said to me, “Well, are you ready to go to Mexico? Are you ready to go to China?” I said, “No, I want to see it here.” He said, “We're not really building them here, not the big ones, the big ones are being built right now in Mexico or China.” China now is building plants in Mexico to make cars to sell into the United States. And these are the biggest plants anywhere in the world. And that's not going to happen when I'm President, because I will tariff them at 100%. Because I'm not going to allow them to steal the rest of our business. You know, Mexico has taken 31% of our auto manufacturing, auto business. And China has taken a much bigger piece than that. We have a very small percentage of that business left and then you have a poor fool like the gentleman is at the United Auto Workers who is okay with the fact that we're going to do all electric cars and it's so sad to see because the all electric cars are just not what the consumer wants.

Sir, I understand your position—

Trump: And by the way, I have no problem with all electric. I think it's great. And you can buy electric, I think it's fine. They don't go far. They have problems. They don't work in the cold. They don't work in the heat. There's a lot of problems. When I was in Iowa where they were all over. They were all over the streets. It was 40 degrees below zero the night of the Iowa caucuses.

I was there with you. 

Trump: Right. That’s right. I’ve never heard of cold weather like that. 

Just to clarify something you said a moment ago: You're considering a 100% tariff on Chinese and Mexican imports?

Trump: I didn't say that. They charge us 100%. But they charge us much more than that. India charges us more than that. Brazil charges us what—Brazil's a very big, very big tariff country. I ask people, Who are the worst to deal with? I'm not going to give that to you because I don't want to insult the countries because I actually get along with them. But you'd be surprised. The E.U. is very tough with us. They don't take our foreign products. They don't take our cars. We take Mercedes Benz and Volkswagen and BMW. They don't take our cars. If we want to sell a Chevrolet, even if we want to sell a Cadillac, a beautiful Cadillac Escalade, if we want to sell our cars into Germany, as an example, they won't take them. 

Let's come back to Europe later.

Trump: I said to Angela Merkel, “Angela, how many Chevrolets are in the middle of Berlin?” She said none. I said, “You're right about that. But we take your cars, including cars that aren't that expensive, like Volkswagen, relatively speaking.” I said, “Do you think that's fair?” She said, “Probably not, but until you came along, nobody ever mentioned it.”

Sir, you've been critical of how Israel has prosecuted its war against Hamas. In a recent interview, you said that it needed to “get it over with” and “get back to normalcy.”

Trump: Yeah.

So as President, would you consider withholding American military assistance to Israel to push it to winding down its war? 

Trump: Okay. So let me, I have to start just as I did inside. [Asks an aide to turn down the air conditioner.] I don't have to go through the whole thing. But as you know, Iran was broke. Iran is the purveyor of—

No, I know that but would you— 

Trump: No, but think of the great job I did. It would have never happened. It would have never happened. You wouldn't have had—Hamas had no money. Do you know that?

I do understand that, sir, I just want to know—

Trump: No, but I hope it can be pointed out. During my term, there were stories that Iran didn't have the money to give to any—there was very little terrorism. We had none. I had four years of—we had no terrorism. We didn't have a World Trade Center knocked down. You know, Bush used to say, “Well, we’ve been a safe country.” I said they knocked down the World Trade Center in the middle of your term. Do you remember that one during the debate? That was a good one. But it was true, very true. But we had no terror during our—and we got rid of ISIS 100%. Now they're starting to come back. 

I want to know—you said you want to get Israel to wind down the war. You said it needs to “get it over with.” How are you going to make that happen? Would you consider withholding aid?

Trump: I think that Israel has done one thing very badly: public relations. I don't think that the Israel Defense Fund or any other group should be sending out pictures every night of buildings falling down and being bombed with possibly people in those buildings every single night, which is what they do. 

So you won’t rule out withholding or conditioning aid? 

Trump: No, I—we have to be. Look, there's been no president that's done what I've done for Israel. When you look at all of the things that I've done, and it starts with the Iran nuclear deal. You know, Bibi Netanyahu begged Obama not to do that deal. I ended that deal. And if they were smart and energetic, other than trying to get Trump, they would have made a deal because they were in bad shape. They should have made a deal with Iran. They didn't prosecute that. They didn't make that deal. But I did Golan Heights.

You did.  

Trump: Nobody even thought of Golan Heights. I gave them Golan Heights. I did the embassy and in Jerusalem. Jerusalem became the capital. I built the embassy. I even built the embassy. 

Right. 

Trump: And it's a beautiful embassy for a lot less money than anybody ever thought possible. And you've heard that. But there's been no president that's done what I've done in Israel. And it's interesting. The people of Israel appreciate it. I have like a 98%—I have the highest approval numbers .

Do you know who doesn’t have a high approval rating right now in Israel, though?

Trump: Bibi.

Yeah. Do you think it's time for him to go?

Trump: Well, I had a bad experience with Bibi. And it had to do with Soleimani, because as you probably know by now, he dropped out just before the attack. And I said, “What's that all about?” Because that was going to be a joint and all of a sudden, we were told that Israel was not doing it. And I was not happy about that. That was something I never forgot. And it showed me something. I would say that what happened on—the October 7 should have never happened.

It happened on his watch. 

Trump: No, it happened on his watch. And I think it's had a profound impact on him, despite everything. Because people said  that shouldn't have happened. They have the most sophisticated equipment. They had—everything was there to stop that. And a lot of people knew about it, you know, thousands and thousands of people knew about it, but Israel didn't know about it, and I think he's being blamed for that very strongly, being blamed. And now you have the hostage situation—

Has his time passed?

Trump: And I happen to think that on the hostages, knowing something about the enemy, and knowing something about people, I think you have very few hostages left. You know, they talk about all of these hostages. I don't believe these people are able or even wanting to take care of people as negotiations. I don't—I think the hostages are going to be far fewer than people think, which is a very sad thing.

You think you could work better with Benny Gantz than Netanyahu in a second term? 

Trump: I think Benny Gantz is good, but I'm not prepared to say that. I haven't spoken to him about it. But you have some very good people that I've gotten to know in Israel that could do a good job.

Do you think—

Trump: And I will say this, Bibi Netanyahu rightfully has been criticized for what took place on October 7.

Do you think an outcome of that war between Israel and Hamas should be a two state solution between Israelis and Palestinians? 

Trump: Most people thought it was going to be a two-state solution. I'm not sure a two-state solution anymore is gonna work. Everybody was talking about two states, even when I was there. I was saying, “What do you like here? Do you like two states?” Now people are going back to—it depends where you are. Every day it changes now. If Israel’s making progress, they don't want two states. They want everything. And if Israel's not making progress, sometimes they talk about two-state solution. Two-state solution seemed to be the idea that people liked most, the policy or the idea that people liked above. 

Do you like it? 

Trump: It depends when. There was a time when I thought two states could work. Now I think two states is going to be very, very tough. I think it's going to be much tougher to get. I also think you have fewer people that liked the idea. You had a lot of people that liked the idea four years ago. Today, you have far fewer people that like that idea.

Trump; There may not be another idea.  You know, there are people that say that that situation is one of the toughest, the toughest to settle.

Yeah, absolutely. 

Trump: Because children grow up and they're taught to hate Jewish people at a level that nobody thought was possible. And I had a friend, a very good friend, Sheldon Adelson, who felt that it was impossible to make a deal because the level of hatred was so great. And I think it was much more so on one side than the other, but the level of hatred of Jewish people was so great, and taught from the time they were in kindergarten and before.  He felt that—and he was a great dealmaker. He was a very rich man. He was a rich man because of his ability to make deals. And he loved Israel more than anything else. He loved Israel, and he wanted to protect Israel. And he felt that it was impossible to make a deal because of the level of hatred.

Do you feel that way now?

Trump: I disagreed with it. But so far, he hasn’t been wrong.

You said you're proud to be one of the first presidents in generations to have not gotten the United States into a war. You addressed this a little bit in the press conference. But if Iran and Israel got into a war, will you join in Israel side?

Trump: I have been very loyal to Israel, more loyal than any other president. I've done more for Israel than any other president. Yeah, I will protect Israel.

You came out this week and said that abortion should be left to the states and you said you won't sign a federal ban. So just to be clear: Will you veto any bill that imposes any federal restrictions on abortions? 

Trump: You don’t need a federal ban. We just got out of the federal. You know, if you go back on Roe v. Wade , Roe v. Wade was all about—it wasn't about abortion so much as bringing it back to the states. So the states would negotiate deals. Florida is going to be different from Georgia and Georgia is going to be different from other places. But that's what's happening now. It's very interesting. But remember this, every legal scholar for 53 years has said that issue is a state issue from a legal standpoint. And it's starting to work that way. And what's happened is people started getting into the 15 weeks and the five weeks or the six weeks and they started getting into, you know, time periods. And they started all of a sudden deciding what abortion was going to be. 

People want to know whether you would veto a bill, if it came to your desk, that would impose any federal restrictions. This is really important to a lot of voters. 

Trump: But you have to remember this: There will never be that chance because it won't happen. You're never going to have 60 votes. You're not going to have it for many, many years, whether it be Democrat or Republican. Right now, it’s essentially 50-50. I think we have a chance to pick up a couple, but a couple means we're at 51 or 52. We have a long way to go. So it's not gonna happen, because you won't have that. Okay. But with all of that being said, it's all about the states, it's about state rights. States’ rights. States are going to make their own determination. 

Do you think that—

Trump: And you know what? That’s taken tremendous pressure off everybody. But we—it was ill-defined. And to be honest, the Republicans, a lot of Republicans, didn't know how to talk about the issue. That issue never affected me. 

So just to be clear, then: You won't commit to vetoing the bill if there's federal restrictions—federal abortion restrictions?

Trump : I won't have to commit to it because it’ll never—number one, it’ll never happen. Number two, it’s about states’ rights. You don't want to go back into the federal government. This was all about getting out of the federal government. And this was done, Eric, because of—this was done, this issue, has been simplified greatly over the last one week. This is about and was originally about getting out of the federal government. The last thing you want to do is go back into the federal government. And the states are just working their way through it. Look at Ohio. Ohio passed something that people were a little surprised at. Kansas, I mean, places that are conservative and big Trump states, I mean, Ohio and way up Kansas, all these states, but they passed what they want to pass. It's about states rights.

I understand, sir. Your allies in the Republican Study Committee, which makes up about 80% of the GOP caucus, have included the Life at Conception Act in their 2025 budget proposal. The measure would grant full legal rights to embryos. Is that your position as well?

Trump: Say it again. What? 

The Life at Conception Act would grant full legal rights to embryos, included in their 2025 budget proposal. Is that your position?

Trump: I'm leaving everything up to the states. The states are going to be different. Some will say yes. Some will say no. Texas is different than Ohio.

Would you veto that bill? 

Trump: I don't have to do anything about vetoes, because we now have it back in the states. 

Okay. 

Trump: They’re gonna make those determinations. 

Do you think women should be able to get the abortion pill mifepristone? 

Trump: Well, I have an opinion on that, but I'm not going to explain. I'm not gonna say it yet. But I have pretty strong views on that. And I'll be releasing it probably over the next week.

Well, this is a big question, Mr. President, because your allies have called for enforcement of the Comstock Act, which prohibits the mailing of drugs used for abortions by mail. The Biden Department of Justice has not enforced it. Would your Department of Justice enforce it? 

Trump: I will be making a statement on that over the next 14 days. 

You will? 

Trump: Yeah, I have a big statement on that. I feel very strongly about it. I actually think it’s a very important issue. 

Got it. You think this issue should be left to the states. You've made that perfectly clear. Are you comfortable if states decide to punish women who access abortions after the procedure is banned? 

Trump: Are you talking about number of weeks? 

Yeah. Let’s say there’s a 15-week ban—

Trump: Again, that’s going to be—I don't have to be comfortable or uncomfortable. The states are going to make that decision. The states are going to have to be comfortable or uncomfortable, not me.

Do you think states should monitor women's pregnancies so they can know if they've gotten an abortion after the ban?

Trump: I think they might do that. Again, you'll have to speak to the individual states. Look, Roe v. Wade was all about bringing it back to the states. And that was a legal, as well as possibly in the hearts of some, in the minds of some, a moral decision. But it was largely a legal decision. Every legal scholar, Democrat, Republican, and other wanted that issue back at the states. You know, Roe v. Wade was always considered very bad law. Very bad. It was a very bad issue from a legal standpoint. People were amazed it lasted as long as it did. And what I was able to do is through the choice of some very good people who frankly were very courageous, the justices it turned out to be you know, the Republican—

States will decide if they're comfortable or not— 

Trump: Yeah the states— 

Prosecuting women for getting abortions after the ban. But are you comfortable with it? 

Trump: The states are going to say. It’s irrelevant whether I’m comfortable or not. It's totally irrelevant, because the states are going to make those decisions. And by the way, Texas is going to be different than Ohio. And Ohio is going to be different than Michigan. I see what's happening.

President Trump, we're here in Florida. You're a resident of Florida.

Trump: Yeah.  

How do you plan to vote in the state’s abortion referendum this November that would overturn DeSantis’s six-week ban?

Trump: Well, I said I thought six weeks is too severe. 

You did. 

Trump: You know, I've said that previously.

Trump: I think it was a semi-controversial statement when I made it, and it's become less and less controversial with time. I think Ron was hurt very badly when he did this because the people—even conservative women in Florida thought it was—

Well this referendum would undo that. Are you gonna vote for it in November? 

Trump: Well, it'll give something else. I don't tell you what I'm gonna vote for. I only tell you the state's gonna make a determination. 

Okay, sir. Violent crime is going down throughout the country. There was a 6% drop in—

Trump: I don't believe it. 

You don’t believe that?

Trump: Yeah, they’re fake numbers. 

You think so?

Trump: Well it came out last night. The FBI gave fake numbers.

I didn't see that, but the FBI said that there was a 13% drop in 2023. [Editor's note: This statistic refers specifically to homicides.]

Trump: I don’t believe it. No, it’s a lie. It’s fake news. 

Sir, these numbers are collected by state and local police departments across the country. Most of them support you. Are they wrong? 

Trump: Yeah. Last night. Well, maybe, maybe not. The FBI fudged the numbers and other people fudged numbers. There is no way that crime went down over the last year. There's no way because you have migrant crime. Are they adding migrant crime? Or do they consider that a different form of crime? 

So these local police departments are wrong? 

Trump: I don't believe it's from the local police. What I saw was the FBI was giving false numbers.

Okay. So if elected, going on to the Department of Justice. If elected, would you instruct your Attorney General to prosecute the state officials who are prosecuting you, like Alvin Bragg and Fani Willis?

Trump: Well, we're gonna look at a lot of things like they're looking. What they've done is a terrible thing. No, I don't want to do that. I was not happy looking at Clinton. I was not happy. I think it's a terrible thing. But unfortunately, what they've done is they've lifted up the lid and they've—what they've done to me is incredible. Over nothing. 

Well you said Alvin Bragg should be prosecuted. Would you instruct your Attorney General to prosecute him? 

Trump: When did I say Alvin Bragg should be prosecuted?

It was at a rally. 

Trump: I don’t think I said that, no. 

I can pull it up. 

So just to be clear: You wouldn’t instruct your Attorney General to prosecute Alvin Bragg? 

Trump: We are going to have great retribution through success. We're going to make our country successful again. Our retribution is going to be through success of our country.

Would you fire a U.S. attorney who didn't prosecute someone you ordered him to? Him or her?

Trump: It depends on the situation, honestly. 

So you might? 

Trump: It would depend on the situation. Yeah.

Okay, so sir, you said that you would appoint a real special prosecutor to go after Biden and his family—

Trump: Well, it depends what happens with the Supreme Court. Look, a president should have immunity. That includes Biden. If they've ruled that they don't have immunity, Biden, probably nothing to do with me, he would be prosecuted for 20 different acts, because he's created such. You take a look at not only his criminal acts of taking a lot of money and being a Manchurian Candidate . Look at what happened in Afghanistan. Look at what happened throughout the world. Look at what happened with him allowing Russia to do that with Ukraine. That would have never happened with me, and it didn't happen. And I knew Putin very well.

President Trump, isn’t going after your political opponents what they do in a banana republic?

Trump: That’s what’s happening now. Yeah.

Trump: No, no, no, no. Eric, that’s what’s happening now. I’ve got to be on Monday—in fact, we’re doing this today because Monday was a little bit tougher, because I have to be in a criminal court on Monday. 

That’s right.

Trump: Over a non-criminal case. It's not even a criminal case . And it's like I said, if you go to Andy McCarthy, or if you go to Jonathan Turley, two real experts, or if you go to all the legal scholars that wrote, they say, this isn't even a criminal case. And I have a judge who's more conflicted than any judge anyone's ever seen. And he's a mean guy who hates Trump. And you take a look at what's going on there. You just asked me, you know, you're talking about—you just asked me a question and they're doing that to me!

Well, sir, just to be clear—

Trump: Wait a minute, I haven't had a chance to do it to them. I would be inclined not to do it. I don't want to do it to them. But a lot of that's going to have to do with the Supreme Court. Look, we are going in another two weeks to the Supreme Court. And they're going to make a ruling on presidential immunity. If they said that a president doesn't get immunity, then Biden, I am sure, will be prosecuted for all of his crimes, because he's committed many crimes . If they say, on the other hand, that a president has immunity, and I happen to think a president has to have immunity, because otherwise it's going to be just a ceremonial position. But Biden has done so many things so badly. And I'm not even talking the overt crime. I'm talking about the border, allowing all of the death and destruction at the border—

Trump: Allowing all of this stuff. If a president doesn't have immunity. So when you asked me that question, it depends on what the Supreme Court does. 

Well on that question, your lawyer, John Sauer, argued in court recently that if you as President ordered a Navy SEAL team to assassinate a political rival, you shouldn’t be prosecuted. Do you agree with your lawyer? 

Trump: Well, I understood it differently.  I thought it was a political rival from another country. I think I understood it differently, and I'm not sure. And John Sauer also said that first you go through an impeachment and then you make that determination based on impeachment. But a president, if you don't don't have immunity from prosecution, fairly strong immunity from prosecution. Now, if you do something just overtly very bad and very stupid, that's a different situation. That may be one of those cases.

Gotcha. So just to come back to something you were saying a moment ago, I just want to say for the record, there's no evidence that President Biden directed this prosecution against you. But even if we—

Trump: Oh sure there is. 

Well, even if we stipulated that—

Trump: I always hate the way a reporter will make those statements. They know it’s so wrong. It’s just sort of to protect yourself. But no, no. His head of the Justice Department, one of the top few people, was put into the DOJ. Fani, Mr. Wade, Fani’s lover, spent hours in Washington with the DOJ working on my case. The DOJ worked with Leticia James on my case. The DOJ worked with deranged Jack Smith. He's a deranged person on my case . No, no, this is all Biden—

But the question, though—

Trump: And by the way, let me go a step further. 

Trump: On my case with a woman that I never—that I have no idea who she is, until she made a phone call. “Do you know her?” And I said, “This is something that's a figment of her imagination.”

You’re talking about E. Jean Carroll? 

Trump: Then I got sued. Until that, I had no idea who this woman was, I have no, I had nothing to do with this woman. That was done by a political lawyer in front of a highly, in my opinion, a totally inappropriate judge, who was conflicted for a lot of reasons , who wouldn't allow us to put in evidence, he was so bad, he was so evil. But I've had three of those judges in New York now, three of them. That's all I get. And it's a very unfair situation. They've gone after me, it's called election interference. But it's even beyond election interference, what they've done, and they've never seen, and I sort of, it's amazing when you say that Biden knew nothing. Biden knew everything. Just like, he knew nothing about Tucker's business and his business.

Even if we stipulate that, do two wrongs make a right?

Trump: No, I don't, I wouldn't want to, I wouldn't want to do anything having to do with. I wouldn't want to hurt Biden. I'm not looking to hurt Biden. I wouldn't want to hurt him. I have too much respect for the office. But he is willing to hurt a former President who is very popular, who got 75 million votes. I got more votes than any other sitting president in history. And I have probably eight cases right now that are all inspired by them, including my civil case.

Jason Miller: Eric, the President has his dinner in about 15 minutes. So he has a few more minutes here. 

Trump: Are you staying? Are you going to have dinner with everybody?

Yeah, yeah. We only have 15 minutes left? 

Trump: Yeah, his dinner is at 7:15. 

In that case, let’s just do some rapid-fire questions. 

Trump: All right. Do you think you could do this interview with Biden? 

You know, he didn’t say yes. So I’m grateful that you’re giving me the opportunity. 

Trump: He will never say yes, cause he’s off. He’s off, way off. 

Let's take a second to talk about January 6. You have called the men and women who have been prosecuted for their actions on January 6 “hostages” and “political prisoners.” More than 800 of these people have been sentenced through our judicial system, most of whom pleaded guilty. Some of them have been convicted by juries. You've said you will pardon them. Are you calling into question the conclusions of the justice system in more than 800 cases? 

Trump: It’s a two-tier system. Because when I look at Portland, when I look at Minneapolis, where they took over police precincts and everything else, and went after federal buildings, when I look at other situations that were violent, and where people were killed, nothing happened to them. Nothing happened to them. I think it's a two-tier system of justice. I think it's a very, very sad thing. And whether you like it or not, nobody died other than Ashli .

Will you consider pardoning every one of them? 

Trump: I would consider that, yes. 

You would? 

Trump: Yes, absolutely.

All right, so—

Trump: If somebody was evil and bad, I would look at that differently. But many of those people went in, many of those people were ushered in. You see it on tape, the police are ushering them in. They’re walking with the police. 

I want to ask you another question on this. There are some former allies and staff who don't support you in this election and have cited your attempts to overturn the 2020 election. What would you say to voters who like your policies, but who believe that someone who attacked a cornerstone of democracy—the peaceful transfer of power—cannot be entrusted to preserve it?

Trump: Well, actually, I did the opposite of attack. I'm the one that tried to stop it. I offered 10,000 soldiers and Nancy Pelosi turned me down. So did the mayor of Washington, she turned me down in writing.

What would you say to those voters, though?

Trump: That I offered. Number one, I made a speech that was peaceful and patriotic that nobody reports. Nobody talks about it: peacefully and patriotically. Nobody talks. You know, the committee never used those words. They refused to allow those words. Number two, I had like five tweets that were, go home, blah, blah. I got canceled because of those tweets.

Trump: No, I got canceled because of those tweets. I didn't get canceled because of bad things I said. I got canceled because of good things I said. Because when you read my tweets, and when you see the speech that I made, and when you see the statement that I made in the Oval Office in the Rose Garden, during this very dramatic and horrible period, I'm a very innocent man. Nancy Pelosi is responsible, because she refused to take the 10,000 soldiers or National Guardsmen that I offered. She refused to take them. The mayor of Washington refused to take them too. And they're responsible, you know, for the Capital. 

Speaking of this, looking forward—

Trump: One other thing they did that’s so horrible and the press refuses to talk about it. They destroyed all evidence.

Are you worried about political violence in connection with this November's election? 

Trump: No. I don't think you’ll have political violence. 

You don’t expect anything? 

Trump: I think we're gonna have a big victory. And I think there will be no violence. 

Mr. President, you've talked a lot about your plan to obliterate the deep state. What exactly does that mean?

Trump: It means we want to get rid of bad people, people that have not done a good job in government. And we look at people like a company would look at people. You know, when you buy a company, you go in and you look at, how do you like the job? Job performance. They have job performance standards.  And yeah, we would like to get rid of people that haven't done a good job. And there are plenty of them. 

How do you plan to do that? Your team is preparing to give you the power through Schedule F, which would allow you to fire civil servants. 

Trump: We’re looking at a lot of different things. Civil service is both very good and very bad. You have some people that are protected that shouldn’t be protected. And you have some people you almost want to protect because they do such a good job. I know a lot of people that are in civil service and they’re outstanding people.

Would you hire anyone who believes Joe Biden won the 2020 election?

Trump: I have no doubt that what we said was fact. The press, the fake news media, doesn't want to talk about it. You know, I have a lawsuit against the Pulitzer Foundation over the Russia, Russia, Russia hoax, because they talked about it for two and a half years and it turned out to be a total scam . And then certain writers got Nobel Prizes—

The RNC is holding litmus tests on employees, asking if they believe the election was stolen or not. Would you do the same? [Editor's Note: While the RNC is reportedly asking job applicants this question, it has denied it is a litmus test for employment.]

Trump: I wouldn’t feel good about it, because I think anybody that doesn't see that that election was stolen. It just—you look at the proof. It's so vast, state legislatures where they didn't go through the legislature. They had to go through the legislature. You look at it, it’s so vast, all of the different things. I could give you report after report on state after state of all of the fraud that was committed in the election, and if you had a really open mind, you would say I was right.

I want to get to your policies on Russia and Ukraine in a second, but President Trump, we just passed the one year anniversary of Evan Gerskovich’s detainment in Russia. Why haven't you called for his release?

Trump: I guess because I have so many things I'm working on. I have hundreds of things. And I probably have said very good things about him. Maybe it wasn't reported. But I think he's a very brave young man.

Will you do it now? 

Trump: You’re talking about Wall Street Journal ? 

Yeah. 

Trump: Oh, I would certainly call. I’ll call for it right now in your story if you'd like.

Excellent. 

Trump: But I do have. I do have many, many things. And here's a difference between me and Biden: I'll get him released. He'll be released. Putin is going to release him. 

Can we talk about—

Trump: I think Biden has dealt with Putin very poorly. Putin should never have gone into Ukraine. And he didn't go in for four years with me. I get along very well with Putin, but the reporter should be released and he will be released. I don't know if he's going to be released under Biden. 

But you would try to get him released as President? 

Trump: Yeah, I would get him released. Yes.

You said that Russia—

Trump: I’m surprised that Biden. Well, I'm not surprised with anything with Biden. But I think it's a terrible precedent. And I'm very surprised that he hasn't been released, but I will get him released, if he's not released by the time we get to office.

Sir, you have said that you're willing to let Russia “do whatever the hell they want” to NATO countries that don't spend enough on their defense. If Putin attacked a NATO state that you believe was not spending enough on their defense, would the U.S. come to that country's assistance? 

Trump: Yeah, when I said that, I said it with great meaning, because I want them to pay. I want them to pay up. That was said as a point of negotiation. I said, Look, if you're not going to pay, then you're on your own. And I mean that. And the question was asked to me: If we don't pay? It was asked to me long before this event. Do you know that, after I said that, do you know that billions of dollars poured into NATO? Do you know that? 

I know that, sir. Secretary General Stoltenberg gave you credit for that. He said that your threat to pull out of NATO—

Trump: Correct.

Led to the allied countries giving $100 billion more on their defense. 

Trump: Both then and three years before. Do you know that NATO—the cupboards were bare. They had no cash, they were dying, we were spending almost 100% of the money on NATO . We were protecting Europe. And they weren't even paying.

The question, though, is would you—

Trump: Eight. Only eight countries were paying. The rest of them were delinquent. And I said to them, if you don't pay, enjoy yourselves, but we're not going to protect you. I said it again a few weeks ago, two months ago, I said it again. And I said it, that if you don't pay. Look, that's the way you talk as a negotiator. I'm negotiating because I want them to pay. I want Europe to pay. I want nothing bad to happen to Europe, I love Europe, I love the people of Europe, I have a great relationship with Europe. But they've taken advantage of us, both on NATO and on Ukraine. We're in for billions of dollars more than they're in in Ukraine. It shouldn't be that way. It should be the opposite way. Because they're much more greatly affected. We have an ocean in between us. They don't. And when I say things like that, that’s said as a point of negotiation, and I did a very good job because billions of dollars came in recently.

You said in 2016 in an interview, you said “in order to get reform, you have to be willing to walk away.” 

Trump: I said, for instance, the question was asked when we had a very big meeting, rather secret, but the press knew about it. We had 28 countries at that time. And a gentleman stood up who happened to be the head of a very important country. And he said, “Are you saying”— because I said to him, “You guys aren't paying your bills, we're paying your bills. It's not fair. You're hurting us on trade. And then on top of it, we're defending you. We're spending most of the money on NATO with the United States.” I said it's not fair. And the man stood up and said, “Are you saying that if we aren't paying our bills, if we don't pay our bills, and Russia attacks us, are you saying that you will not protect us?” I said that's exactly what I'm saying. 

Now, after I said that, billions of dollars poured in. It was like magic. Obama never said that. Obama would go give a speech and he’d leave. Bush would go give his speech and he’d leave. I went, I looked at the numbers, and I said, wait a minute, the United States is paying for NATO. We're paying for close to 100% of NATO. 

So the question, though, sir—

Trump: And not being treated right, because we're being treated very badly by most of the same countries on trade.

So you want to renegotiate the terms of the treaty, it sounds like. Do you want to—

Trump: No, I just want them to pay their bills. I don't have to renegotiate it. It's like Biden. Biden has the right to close up the border right now. He doesn't need anything from Congress. Same thing with NATO. I don't need to renegotiate the terms of the treaty. All I need to do is have them pay their bills. They don't pay their bills.

Do you want to maintain 80 years of American leadership in defending the West, especially Europe, or do you want to change the architecture of the post-war world that has kept us out of a World War for the last 80 years? 

Trump: I want them to pay their bills. Very simple. NATO is fine. See, the problem I have with NATO is, I don't think that NATO would come to our defense if we had a problem. 

Trump: No, I don't believe that. I know them all. It's a one-way street, even if they paid. I want them to pay. But I believe if we were attacked, NATO wouldn't be there. Many of the countries in NATO would not be there .

Would you continue to provide military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine?

Trump: I’m going to try and help Ukraine but Europe has to get there also and do their job. They're not doing their job. Europe is not paying their fair share.

Orban says he came here and met with you, and said that you wouldn’t give a penny. Is he wrong? 

Trump: No, I said I wouldn't give unless Europe starts equalizing. They have to come. Europe has to pay. We are in for so much more than the European nations. It's very unfair to us. And I said if Europe isn't going to pay, who are gravely more affected than we are. If Europe is not going to pay, why should we pay? 

So you may not aid Ukraine? 

Trump: Look, we get hurt on trade. We get hurt on trade. European Union is brutal to us on trade. We went over it, the cars, they don't want our agriculture. They don't want our cars. They don't want anything from us. It's like a one-way street. Well it’s the same thing with NATO. They treat us very badly. They don't pay their bills. Now, I came along and they start paying their bills. I'll tell you something, Secretary Stoltenberg said, and I hope he says it now, but he certainly said it then loud and clear, he has never seen any force like Trump . Because every president would come over, they'd make a speech and they'd leave. Trump came over and he got us billions and billions of dollars. I got them hundreds of billions of dollars from countries that were delinquent. And he was my biggest fan. I hope he still is, but I don't know that he is, you know, maybe he is, maybe he is. But even this recent go-round, right, because you're asking me a question. There are two parts of that question. One is, four years ago, and one is now. I did a hell of a job getting money for NATO because nobody else—NATO had no money. NATO couldn't have even prosecuted what they're doing right now. They had no money. All they were doing was building stupid office buildings. They built a $3 billion office building.

Miller: Eric, Eric, I gotta wrap because his dinner is coming up. 

Can we just do the rapid fire then, because—

Miller: Eric, I literally have three minutes until this dinner starts.

Okay, you said—

Trump: By the way, you understand what I just said?  

Yeah, yeah.

Trump: He spent $3 billion by the same architect—

Let’s just go through this rapid fire because of the time. 

Trump: But you understand?

I do. I do, Mr. President. You said you only want to be dictator for a day. What did you mean by that?

Trump: That was said sarcastically as a joke on Sean Hannity. He said, “Do you want to be a dictator?” I said, “Only for one day. I want to close up the border and I want to drill, baby, drill.” Then I said, “After that, then I never want to be a dictator.” That was done. That was said sarcastically. That was meant as a joke. Everybody knows that. 

Do you see why—okay, you say you were joking, but do you see why—

Trump: No, no, wait. If you read it, it was a joke. I wanted to be for one day. You know why? Because we have an incompetent fool that’s allowing people to come into our country. We have an incompetent fool that drove energy prices so high over such a short period of time. And by the way, you know, he's gone to a lot of my policies now. But the day after the election, if they win, there won't be any more oil.

Do you see why so many Americans see language like that, you know, dictator for a day, suspending the Constitution—

Trump: I think a lot of people like it.

But you see why they see that as contrary to our most cherished democratic principles?

Trump: No. I think the press does. Not because they don’t understand it. They understand it as well as you do, as well as anybody does. That was said in fun, in jest, sarcastically.

Trump: It’s like “Russia, if you’re listening.” Remember “Russia, if you’re listening”? 

Trump: That was said in the exact same vein. “Russia, if you're listening.” Everybody knows that was said sarcastically. But they cut off the laughter. You know, they cut it off immediately. As soon as it was—immediately, it was cut off. But that was said, sarcastically, a joke, it was in jest. This is the same thing. I said, “I want to be dictator for one day, I want to close up the border. And I want to drill, baby, drill.” And then I said, “After that, I don't want to be a dictator.” Now— 

Trump: I did. But nobody reports that.

Well, we have a chance to have a good conversation and get the full truth here, which is what I’m trying to do. 

Trump: But you understand what I mean. 

I know what you mean.

Trump: I hope you report it. Because that was said. 

I’m giving you a chance to respond. 

Trump: Good. That was also said, Eric, with a smile. I'm laughing. And Sean Hannity, it was a question that he asked me. 

It scares people, though, sir. It scares people. 

Trump: I don't understand why it would. Everybody. Anybody that saw it would say I was laughing. He was laughing. The whole place was laughing. You know, it was a town hall? 

I saw it. 

Trump: And the town hall, they were laughing like hell. That was said in jest.

Only four of the 44 people who served in your cabinet the last time are endorsing you in this election. [Editor’s note: Roughly half a dozen Trump cabinet members had endorsed him at the time of this interview.] A number, as you know, have come out and said they won't support you in this election. 

Trump: I don’t know. Like who? I’ve gotten many. I got Mnuchin!

Your former chiefs of staff, your former secretary of defense—

Trump; Well, I don’t know. Look, I mean—

The question, though, is why should voters—

Trump: Well, wait. Even this week, Mnuchin endorsed me. Pompeo endorsed me. Who are the people that? I mean, some didn’t because I didn't think they were very good. Look, when people think you don't like them and you're not going to bring them back. I'm not going to bring many of those people back. I had some great people. I had some bad people. When they think they are not in favor and they're not coming back, they're not inclined to endorse. 

Well, the question I have to ask you, sir, is why should voters trust you? 

Trump: I’ve had a lot of people endorse me. 

You’ve gotten a lot of—

Miller: I’ll send him the full list.

You’ve gotten a lot of endorsements. I don’t dispute that. But the question I have to ask—

Trump: No, I mean that. I’ve had a lot of people endorse me from cabinets. Now, I have to tell you this, I haven’t asked for a lot of endorsements. 

They come to you know. I know, sir. 

Trump: If I call up 95% of those people that you say, if I made one phone call, they’d be endorsing me in two minutes. 

The question I have to ask you is: Why should voters trust you when so many of the people who watched you the most closely in the first term don't think you should serve a second?

Trump: Well, they don't because I didn't like them. Some of those people I fired. Bill Barr, I fired Bill Barr . I didn't want him. Other people. I thought he did a terrible job. As soon as he was going to be impeached, he was going to be impeached by the Democrats, he totally folded. Bolton was a fool. He was a stupid fool. But actually, he served a good purpose because he's a nutjob. And every time he walked into a room, people thought you were going to war. He's one of the people, one of the many people, that convinced Bush to go into the Middle East, blow the place up and end up with a whole destroyed world. And nothing. What did anybody get out of it? We blew up the Middle East. And nobody got anything out of it. That was one of the Bolton people. You could go past. You could give me every single person you're talking about. And I would tell you a reason why I wouldn't want their endorsement. Now I had great people like, you know, I rebuilt the military.

Miller: The president's late for his dinner. 

Biden doesn’t have any cabinet members who have come out against him. 

Trump: Because Biden’s a very different kind of a guy than me. He keeps bad people. For instance, when you had Afghanistan, he kept Milley. Milley should have been fired immediately. Milley should have been fired based on his statement to China. If he actually made those statements, that's a very serious thing. You know, the statement to China, if he actually made them, and I guess he did, because they're on tape. That is really a serious problem. But he should have been fired for that. Other people should have been. Many people should have been fired. I did fire people, I fired a lot of people. Now I let them quit because ,you know, I have a heart. I don't want to embarrass anybody. But almost every one of those people were fired by me. 

You could look at the military people. I said, “Hand me a letter, general, hand me a letter,” every one of them. So they handed me a letter. I don't think I’ll do that again. I think, from now on, I’ll fire. You know why? Because they say that they quit. They didn't quit. I said, “Hand me a letter.” That's a gentleman's thing to do. “General, hand me a letter.” I took care of ISIS. I had people saying it would take five years. I did it in a very short period of time. We have a great military, if you look at our military, I have great support from our military, from the real people, from the real generals, not the television generals. But I could ask for endorsements from 90 to 95% of the people that you're telling me. Every one of them would give me an endorsement.

Miller: Eric, Eric, I do have to get the president to his dinner. I’m sorry. 

Both the Heritage Foundation's Project 25 and the American Conservative magazine, they're a big supporter of yours, have proposed abolishing the 22nd amendment that limits presidents to two terms. They say that, you know, if you come back into office, you will have served two non-consecutive terms, and that if the popular will is there for you, there's no reason you shouldn't be able to— [Editor's note: The proposal came from the American Conservative , not Project 25.]

Trump: I didn't know they did that.

Well, would you definitely retire after a second term, or would you consider challenging the 22nd amendment?

Trump: Well, I would, and I don't really have a choice, but I would.

You would consider it?

Trump: I’m at a point where I would, I  think, you know, I would do that. Look, it’s two terms. I had two elections. I did much better on the second one than I did the first. I got millions more votes. I was treated very unfairly. They used COVID to cheat and lots of other things to cheat. But I was treated very unfairly. But no, I'm going to serve one term, I'm gonna do a great job. We're gonna have a very successful country again—

But you’d consider it? 

Trump: And then I'm gonna leave.

You’d consider it, you said. 

Trump: Consider what? 

Challenging the 22nd amendment. 

Trump: I don't know anything about it. I mean, you're telling me now that somebody's looking to terminate. I wouldn't be in favor of it. I wouldn't be in favor of a challenge. Not for me. I wouldn't be in favor of it at all. I intend to serve four years and do a great job. And I want to bring our country back. I want to put it back on the right track. Our country is going down. We're a failing nation right now. We're a nation in turmoil.  

Miller: Eric, we’re way past—the President’s gotta get to his dinner. I’m sorry. 

Is there anything we didn’t talk about that you wanna talk about before they—

Any question that I didn’t ask you that I should have? 

Trump: No, I thought it was a good interview, actually. 

Well, I really appreciate—

Trump: I mean, if it’s written fairly, it’s a good interview. 

I had so many more questions I’d love to ask you. 

Trump: And I find them to be very interesting questions. 

I just try to ask good, probing questions. I have a lot more I’d love to talk about.

Trump: All I ask is one thing: Treat it fairly.  

I will, sir. 

Trump: I will say this, let me just say this. Everybody wants to work for me. And a lot of people say, “Oh, would he work for me? Oh, would he be a Vice President? Would he accept?” Vice President? I’ve got everybody in the nation calling me begging me to be vice president. I have everybody calling me wanting to be in the cabinet. Everybody wants to work for me. Everybody. And the practice of saying, “General, give me a letter” or “somebody give me a letter,” that's a nice thing to do. I don't think I'll do it anymore. But that's a nice thing to do. But everybody wants to work for me. We're gonna have a very successful administration. And the advantage I have now is I know everybody. I know people. I know the good, the bad, the stupid, the smart. I know everybody. When I first got to Washington, I knew very few people. I had to rely on people. And some of those people gave me very good advice.

People close to you tell me you’re more skeptical now—

Trump: Of what?

Of people betraying you in Washington? 

Trump: I'm not more skeptical. I know the way nature—that's the way nature works. And I run a tough operation and some people can't take it. You know, working for Biden is very easy. He never fires anybody. He should fire everybody having to do with Afghanistan. He should fire everybody having to do with the border. I would have fired everybody and it would have been a big story. 

Miller: Eric, he’s 10 minutes late for his dinner.

All right, all right. I don’t mean to be rude.

Trump: No, I find it very interesting. 

Thank you, sir.

Trump: Thank you very much.

Follow-up Phone Interview With Trump

Two weeks after the Mar-a-Lago interview, TIME conducted a 20-minute phone interview with Trump on April 27. Below is a lightly edited transcript of that conversation.

Last time we spoke, you said you had an announcement coming over the next two weeks regarding your policy on the abortion pill mifepristone. You haven't made an announcement yet. Would you like to do so now?

Trump: No, I haven’t. I’ll be doing it over the next week or two. But I don't think it will be shocking, frankly. But I'll be doing it over the next week or two. We’re for helping women, Eric. I am for helping women. You probably saw that the IVF came out very well. And, you know, I set a policy on it, and the Republicans immediately adopted the policy. 

That’s true. 

Trump: And that was a good policy for women. You know, it's about helping women, not hurting women. And so IVF is now, I think, really part of what we do. And that was important. I think that might have been right around the time of our interview. But in terms of the finalization—and you saw that Alabama and other states have now passed legislation to approve that.

Right, right. And of course there was the law in Arizona that was passed since then too. 

Trump: Right.

Mr. President, for the first time ever, Iran recently launched a massive attack against Israel from its own territory. 

If Israel and Iran get into a war, should the US support Israel in striking Iran militarily?

Trump: Yes, if a situation like occurred. A lot of people say it was a ceremonial, it was a ceremonial attack. Because they allowed everybody to know what happened, et cetera, et cetera. If that’s the case, it would be a good thing, not a bad thing. But a lot of people say that that attack was, you know, I mean, everybody knew about it. I heard about it long before the attack was made, and so did many others. So it would depend, obviously, but the answer is yes. If they attack Israel, yes, we would be there. 

Gotcha. Well, on that front, right now there are campus protests across the country, as you know, against Israel and against Israel's war in Gaza and against the United States’ posture there. 

Trump: Right. 

Your former Secretary of Defense says you once suggested shooting protesters in the leg during the Black Lives Matter—

Trump: Yeah, which Secretary of Defense was that? 

That was Esper.

Trump: Well, he was my worst Secretary of Defense. He was a weak, ineffective person. He was recommended by some RINOs that I don't have too much respect for. But I was, you know, I was not there very long. So I had to rely on people. No, he was a very ineffective Secretary of Defense. No, but I would, are you talking about in the case of colleges, or what are you talking about?

I was just going to ask, would you use the American military against protesters as President?

Trump: Well, I would use certainly the National Guard, if the police were unable to stop. I would absolutely use the National Guard. It would be something, I mean, if you look at what happened in Washington with monuments, I passed the law. I took an old law, brought it into effect that you get a minimum of 10 years without any adjustment if you do anything to desecrate a monument and everything was immediately set up. I didn’t have to use very much. That was having to do with the monuments. That was the monument period, where they liked to rip down monuments.

And I signed into effect a law that gives you 10 years, not one day less than 10 years of prison if you desecrate a monument. You know, that was very effective. I don’t know, I think you saw it, everything stopped after that. 

I remember that period, sir.  So you would rule out using the military on protesters?

Trump: Well, I would use the National Guard. I don't think you'd ever have to use much more than that.

So you have spoken a lot about “woke-ism” on college campuses. Polls show a majority of your supporters have expressed the belief that anti-white racism now represents a greater problem in the country than anti-Black racism. Do you agree?

Trump: Oh, I think that there is a lot to be said about that. If you look at the Biden Administration, they're sort of against anybody depending on certain views. They're against Catholics. They're against a lot of different people. They actually don't even know what they're against, but they're against a lot. But no, I think there is a definite anti-white feeling in this country and that can't be allowed either.

How would you address that as President? 

Trump: I don't think it would be a very tough thing to address, frankly. But I think the laws are very unfair right now. And education is being very unfair, and it's being stifled. But I don't think it's going to be a big problem at all. But if you look right now, there's absolutely a bias against white and that's a problem. 

I want to get to your thoughts on China. Do you think the U.S. should defend Taiwan if China invades?

Trump: Well, I’ve been asked this question many times and I always refuse to answer it because I don't want to reveal my cards to a wonderful reporter like you. But no. China knows my answer very well. But they have to understand that things like that can’t come easy. But I will say that I have never publicly stated although I want to, because I wouldn’t want to give away any negotiating abilities by giving information like that to any reporter.

I understand your position there—

Trump: It puts you in a very bad position if you actually come out and make a statement one way or the other. 

I understand, sir. Taiwan's foreign minister said U.S. aid for Ukraine was critical for deterring China from attacking Taiwan. Do you agree with that?

Trump: Well, I think they think the concept, because they have the same concept. Are we going to be helping them the same as we helped Ukraine? So they would want to think that, they think if you’re not helping Ukraine, you’re most likely not going to be helping them. So I think it’s difficult from their standpoint in terms of the policy. That’s a policy of the United States. It’s to help various countries that are in trouble.

You said you would back Israel if it goes to war with Iran. Do you think the U.S. can keep troops in the Middle East and contain the expansionist goals of Russia and China at the same time, or would we need to withdraw troops to realistically manage our obligations overseas?

Trump: I think we have a lot of options. And I think we’re in a lot of places where we shouldn't be, and we probably aren't in some places where we should be. We have a lot of options as to troops. And one of the things we have, we can manage our expectations, troops can be put in certain locations very quickly. 

Would you withdraw troops from South Korea? 

Trump: Well, I want South Korea to treat us properly. As you know, I got them to—I had negotiations, because they were paying virtually nothing for 40,000 troops that we had there. We have 40,000 troops, and in a somewhat precarious position , to put it mildly, because right next door happens to be a man I got along with very well, but a man who nevertheless, he’s got visions of things.

And we have 40,000 troops that are in a precarious position. And I told South Korea that it's time that you step up and pay. They’ve become a very wealthy country. We've essentially paid for much of their military, free of charge. And they agreed to pay billions of dollars. And now probably now that I’m gone, they're paying very little. I don't know if you know that they renegotiated the deal I made. And they're paying very little. But they paid us billions, many billions of dollars, for us having troops there. From what I’m hearing, they were able to renegotiate with the Biden Administration and bring that number way, way down to what it was before, which was almost nothing .

Gotcha. President Trump, you have been—

Trump: Which doesn’t make any sense, Eric. Why would we defend somebody? And we’re talking about a very wealthy country. But they're a very wealthy country and why wouldn't they want to pay? They were actually, they were a pleasure to deal with. Not easy initially, but ultimately, they became a pleasure to deal with. And they agreed to pay billions dollars to the United States for our military being there. Billions, many billions. 

President Trump, you have been the leader of the world's most powerful democracy and you have dealt with the leaders of authoritarian countries. Why is democracy better than dictatorship?

Trump: Well, it's because the word freedom. You have freedom. And you have all of the advantages with none of the disadvantages. You have freedom if you have a real democracy. I think we’re becoming less of a democracy when I look at the weaponization of the Justice Department, the FBI. When you look at what happened with FISA. When you look at all the things that have happened, we’re becoming less and less of a democracy. But with democracy, if it's a properly-run democracy, which it will be, if and when I get back into office, it’ll be a very proper democracy, not like what we have right now. I don't even think what we have right now is, where a presidential candidate has to spend eight hours a day in court instead of campaigning over nothing. Over zero. Over nonsense. And all speared and all spread out and—and really done by the Biden administration. And I think that's no longer democracy. I think that's third-world country stuff.

I want to get you to respond to one other thing you said that stirred some controversy. You once wrote on Truth Social that you might have to terminate parts of the Constitution. What did you mean by that?

Trump: I never said that at all. I never said that at all . When I talk about certain things, we are, there is nothing more important than our Constitution. But the Democrats have violated our Constitution with crooked elections and many other things. They violated it by using the FBI and the DOJ to go after people very unfairly, very unconstitutionally. I have a judge that gave me a gag order, where I'm the leading candidate, I'm leading Biden. I'm the Republican candidate who's substantially leading Biden. I don't know if you've seen the recent polls, Eric. But in fact, if you would, we will send them to you. Jason, if you could send them to Eric, it would be great.

Jason Miller: Yes, sir. 

Trump: But we're substantially leading in all of the swing states and overall, and you know, I’m in a court case. A Biden-inspired court case, where the judge has put a gag order on me where I'm not allowed to answer many very important questions. And so that's a violation of our Constitution. And I would end those violations of Constitution. So that's what I was referring to. They have broken the Constitution. They have gotten very far astray from our Constitution. I'm talking about the fascists and the people in our government right now, because I consider them, you know, we talk about the enemy from within. I think the enemy from within, in many cases, is much more dangerous for our country than the outside enemies of China, Russia, and various others that would be called enemies depending on who the president is, frankly.

President Trump—

Trump: Because if you have the proper president, you'll be able to handle them very smartly, and everybody will be very satisfied. But if you don't have the proper president, I agree they would be strong enemies. But the enemy from within is a bigger danger to this country than the outside enemy, on the basis of having a president that knows what he's doing. Because if a President is good, solid, the proper person, and you're not gonna have a big problem with China, Russia or others, but you still have a problem from the sick people inside our country. 

Mr. President, in our last conversation you said you weren't worried about political violence in connection with the November election. You said, “I think we're going to win and there won't be violence.” What if you don't win, sir?

Trump: Well, I do think we're gonna win. We're way ahead. I don't think they'll be able to do the things that they did the last time, which were horrible. Absolutely horrible. So many, so many different things they did, which were in total violation of what was supposed to be happening. And you know that and everybody knows that. We can recite them, go down a list that would be an arm’s long. But I don't think we're going to have that. I think we're going to win. And if we don't win, you know, it depends. It always depends on the fairness of an election. I don't believe they'll be able to do the things that they did the last time. I don't think they'll be able to get away with it. And if that's the case, we're gonna win in record-setting fashion.

One last question, Mr. President, because I know that your time is limited, and I appreciate your generosity. We have just reached the four-year anniversary of the COVID pandemic. One of your historic accomplishments was Operation Warp Speed. If we were to have another pandemic, would you take the same actions to manufacture and distribute a vaccine and get it in the arms of Americans as quickly as possible?

Trump: I did a phenomenal job. I appreciate the way you worded that question. So I have a very important Democrat friend, who probably votes for me, but I'm not 100% sure, because he's a serious Democrat, and he asked me about it. He said Operation Warp Speed was one of the greatest achievements in the history of government. What you did was incredible, the speed of it, and the, you know, it was supposed to take anywhere from five to 12 years, the whole thing. Not only that: the ventilators, the therapeutics, Regeneron and other things. I mean Regeneron was incredible. But therapeutics—everything. The overall—Operation Warp Speed, and you never talk about it. Democrats talk about it as if it’s the greatest achievement. So I don’t talk about it. I let others talk about it. 

You know, you have strong opinions both ways on the vaccines. It's interesting. The Democrats love the vaccine. The Democrats. Only reason I don’t take credit for it. The Republicans, in many cases, don’t, although many of them got it, I can tell you. It’s very interesting. Some of the ones who talk the most. I said, “Well, you didn’t have it did you?” Well, actually he did, but you know, et cetera. 

But Democrats think it’s an incredible, incredible achievement, and they wish they could take credit for it, and Republicans don’t. I don't bring it up. All I do is just, I do the right thing. And we've gotten actually a lot of credit for Operation Warp Speed. And the power and the speed was incredible. And don’t forget, when I said, nobody had any idea what this was. You know, we’re two and a half years, almost three years, nobody ever. Everybody thought of a pandemic as an ancient problem. No longer a modern problem, right? You know, you don't think of that? You hear about 1917 in Europe and all. You didn’t think that could happen. You learned if you could. But nobody saw that coming and we took over, and I’m not blaming the past administrations at all, because again, nobody saw it coming. But the cupboards were bare. 

We had no gowns, we had no masks. We had no goggles, we had no medicines. We had no ventilators. We had nothing. The cupboards were totally bare . And I energized the country like nobody’s ever energized our country. A lot of people give us credit for that. Unfortunately, they’re mostly Democrats that give me the credit.

Well, sir, would you do the same thing again to get vaccines in the arms of Americans as quickly as possible, if it happened again in the next four years?

Trump: Well, there are the variations of it. I mean, you know, we also learned when that first came out, nobody had any idea what this was, this was something that nobody heard of. At that time, they didn’t call it Covid. They called it various names. Somehow they settled on Covid. It was the China virus, various other names. 

But when this came along, nobody had any idea. All they knew was dust coming in from China. And there were bad things happening in China around Wuhan. You know, I predicted. I think you'd know this, but I was very strong on saying that this came from Wuhan. And it came from the Wuhan labs . And I said that from day one. Because I saw things that led me to believe that, very strongly led me to believe that. But I was right on that. A lot of people say that now that Trump really did get it right. A lot of people said, “Oh, it came from caves, or it came from other countries.” China was trying to convince people that it came from Italy and France, you know, first Italy, then France. I said, “No, it came from China, and it came from the Wuhan labs.” And that's where it ended up coming from. So you know, and I said that very early. I never said anything else actually. But I've been given a lot of credit for Operation Warp Speed. But most of that credit has come from Democrats. And I think a big portion of Republicans agree with it, too. But a lot of them don't want to say it. They don't want to talk about it.

So last follow-up: The Biden Administration created the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy, a permanent office in the executive branch tasked with preparing for epidemics that have not yet emerged. You disbanded a similar office in 2018 that Obama had created. Would you disband Biden's office, too?

Trump: Well, he wants to spend a lot of money on something that you don't know if it's gonna be 100 years or 50 years or 25 years. And it's just a way of giving out pork. And, yeah, I probably would, because I think we've learned a lot and we can mobilize, you know, we can mobilize. A lot of the things that you do and a lot of the equipment that you buy is obsolete when you get hit with something. And as far as medicines, you know, these medicines are very different depending on what strains, depending on what type of flu or virus it may be. You know, things change so much. So, yeah, I think I would. It doesn't mean that we're not watching out for it all the time. But it's very hard to predict what's coming because there are a lot of variations of these pandemics. I mean, the variations are incredible, if you look at it. But we did a great job with the therapeutics. And, again, these therapeutics were specific to this, not for something else. So, no, I think it's just another—I think it sounds good politically, but I think it's a very expensive solution to something that won't work. You have to move quickly when you see it happening.

Well, Mr. President, you've been extremely generous with your time, both in Mar-a-Lago and today, so thank you. I appreciate the opportunity to ask you these questions.

Trump: Thank you, Eric. And it’s an honor getting to know you. And call me anytime you want, okay? 

All right, I will, sir. Thank you.

Trump: Okay. Thank you very much.

Correction, April 30: The original version of this transcript mis-attributed a proposal to abolish the 22nd amendment. It was proposed by the American Conservative magazine, but not by the Heritage Foundation's Project 25.

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Reid Hoffman interviewed his AI deepfake and it was pretty convincing

• Reid Hoffman sat down for an interview with a deepfake of himself.
• The LinkedIn cofounder acknowledged the dangers of AI twins while also pursuing the benfits.
• The bot discussed AI regulation and spoke in Klingon during the conversation.

LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman's interview with an artificial intelligence version of himself started off with Jerry Seinfeld impressions and speaking in Klingon and only got more uncanny as it went on.

The investor — a loud supporter of AI — said he wanted to experiment with the technology and video while learning how he might be challenged by a deepfake known as Reid AI. Despite his pro-AI stance , he admitted he was on the fence about the interview.

"I initially thought I would hate this," Hoffman said. "But, I've actually found it kind of interesting."

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The bot was built on OpenAI's GPT-4 and trained on over 20 years' worth of material provided by Hoffman's public speaking engagements and the books he's published. Reid AI and Hoffman asked each other questions throughout the interview posted Wednesday.

In their conversation, the two Reids discussed AI regulation , its capabilities, and ways Hoffman can improve his LinkedIn profile. When Hoffman was asked about the ethics of deepfakes, he said setting "rules of the road" is important for both public and private citizens.

Reid AI — ironically — also asked about the risks of technology stealing jobs away from real people. The real Hoffman compared it to the invention of the steam engine.

"We win by embracing it first, learning early, and doing it as a society even though it will create some pain in transition," he said.

Surprisingly, Reid AI showed support for the government regulating technology like itself as advancements continue.

"There's a need for a framework that not only fuels innovation but also ensures AI benefits are fairly distributed, all while focusing on enhancing public good," Reid AI said.

As technology advances, the billionaire has been a champion of AI adoption for the "elevation of humanity." Hoffman has told Time that "blitzscaling," a strategy that puts the growth of a business above all else, should be applied to AI.

Watch: What is ChatGPT, and should we be afraid of AI chatbots?

• Main content

Bonza budget airline in administration as flights across the country cancelled

Embattled regional airline Bonza has gone into administration after cancelling flights across the country on Tuesday and stranding potentially thousands of passengers.

Documents filed with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) reveal Bonza Aviation Pty Ltd was at 3.25pm declared "externally administered", with accounting and advisory firm Hall Chadwick appointed to the role.

In a media release on Tuesday afternoon, Hall Chadwick confirmed Bonza's fleet would be grounded until Thursday, May 2.

Virgin Australia, Qantas and Jetstar have offered complimentary seats, where available, on their flights to passengers stranded mid-journey on Tuesday.

Bonza chief executive Tim Jordan released a statement on Tuesday morning saying all services would be "temporarily suspended" while discussions were held about the ongoing viability of the business.

The airline has not responded to requests for comment, but has published a statement on its website and app apologising to affected customers.

"We’re working as quickly as possible to determine a way forward that ensures there is ongoing competition in the Australian domestic aviation market," the statement reads.

Early Bonza flights in and out of its base on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, along with Melbourne legs to Rockhampton, Gladstone and Tamworth, were all cancelled on Tuesday morning.

Three Bonza planes were parked on the tarmac at Sunshine Coast Airport on Tuesday, including a Boeing 737-MAX aircraft named Bruce, which had been leased from Canadian low-cost airline Flair to fly in Australia.

Bonza's financial position has been the subject of intense speculation since its first flight early last year.

"The discussions regarding ongoing trading are occurring over the forthcoming days and the administrators will be in a position to update all stakeholders as the matter progresses," Hall Chadwick said.

Passengers stranded

Rona Wall caught a shuttle bus to the Sunshine Coast airport early on Tuesday morning hoping to catch a flight to Rockhampton, after her scheduled Bonza flight from the Gold Coast was cancelled on Monday.

She said she received multiple correspondences from Bonza about a rescheduled flight, which created a lot of confusion.

"I've got a text message that was in my younger daughter's name, and an email, and also [a message] on the app," Ms Wall said.

"All three notifications were for three different flights."

Nicole Morris was due to fly from Melbourne to Rockhampton on Tuesday with Bonza but was told her flight had been cancelled when she arrived at the airport.

"It's crap, I don't know what I'm meant to do," Ms Morris said.

"I've come in and I can't find anyone to talk to — there's nobody here."

Bonza said affected passengers had been told they would receive a full refund.

The federal Transport Department has set up a hotline for stranded passengers on the number 1800 069 244, which will operate until 10pm.

'They were told Bonza has finished'

A Sunshine Coast man whose wife works for the airline told the ABC about 20 cabin crew were called into a meeting early on Tuesday morning.

"There were two crews there — they were just basically told that Bonza has finished," he said.

"They've been told that they're not flying until further notice.

"They've all been told that the bottom line is that Bonza will no longer be flying."

He said the news was a blow for staff and the region.

"They're pretty devastated. It's their job. She's been in it from day one. It's a bit of a blow for Maroochydore and the Sunshine Coast," he said.

History of cancellations

After months of delay, Bonza was given the go-ahead to start flying regional routes from the Sunshine Coast in January last year.

It was the first new local airline since Tiger Airways launched 15 years earlier, and its business model aimed to link regional centres often ignored by the larger carriers.

The company launched a base in Melbourne two months later.

Since launching, Bonza has faced criticism for cancelling flights, including mass cancellations over Christmas , and suspending routes .

A spokeswoman for Bonza last week, when the company cut services from the Gold Coast,  said it was working on improving customer service due to passenger complaints.

'Devastating' for regional tourism

Bundaberg Tourism chief executive Katherine Reid said the news was devastating.

"We believe that the Melbourne to Bundaberg route has been one of the strongest performing in the state for Bonza, sitting at an average of 90 per cent capacity," she said.

Ms Reid said that equated to as many as 400 people a week coming from Victoria into the Wide Bay region.

"We know a lot of people have had holidays booked," she said.

"We need to continue working with all levels of government to really attract airline partners into regional areas."

Call for bailout

Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce said he hoped the airline could "see their way out of" the situation but said the federal government could be doing more to help.

He wanted the government to consider a bailout package.

"Certainly consider it ... on the premise of a better market outcome for all passengers not just helping out one company," he said.

North West Queensland MP Robbie Katter said Bonza's struggles were a symptom of a bigger issue in the industry.

"It's disappointing because we need this competition," the Traegar MP said. 

"The bigger guys will always make it as difficult as possible for airlines to enter the market and destroy the dominance they've got.

"I'll plan to push the government to underwrite these funds so that bush residents aren't left worse off."

'Burning money'

Aviation analyst Geoffrey Thomas, the editor-in-chief of the website Airline Ratings, said he understood the airline's backers, 777 partners, had made changes to the leasing and financing of its aircraft.

He said the budget carrier may have been caught off guard.

777 Partners has been contacted for comment.

"It's shattering news, particularly for those affected who hold tickets and were going to fly today or tomorrow," Mr Thomas said.

"I think that the problem of Bonza is overseas, with leasing companies, and not the local management, not the business model."

But he said the low profit margin model could be tough in regional Australia, given long distances and relatively low passenger numbers.

"If you need 85 per cent capacity and you only get 70 per cent … then you're burning money," he said.

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The reidout.

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17 Strategic Planning Manager Interview Questions and Answers

Learn what skills and qualities interviewers are looking for from a strategic planning manager, what questions you can expect, and how you should go about answering them.

Strategic planning managers develop, implement, and oversee an organization’s long-term goals, objectives, and strategies. In order to be successful in this role, strategic planning managers must have excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.

If you’re interested in becoming a strategic planning manager, you’ll need to ace a job interview. During the interview, you’ll be asked a variety of questions about your experience, skills, and knowledge. You may also be asked to provide examples of times when you’ve used your skills to solve problems or make decisions.

To help you prepare, we’ve compiled a list of sample strategic planning manager interview questions and answers.

Are you familiar with the different types of strategic planning?

What are some of the most important elements of a successful strategic plan, how would you go about developing a new strategy for your organization, what is your experience with developing budgets for strategic plans, provide an example of a time when you had to change a plan due to unforeseen circumstances., if hired, what would be your priorities during your first few months on the job, what would you do if you noticed a disconnect between different departments’ plans, how well do you work under pressure, do you have any experience leading meetings, when reviewing past plans, what would you consider a success and what would you consider a failure, we want to increase our customer base. what ideas do you have for doing so, describe your process for evaluating the success of a plan., what makes you qualified for this position, which industries do you have experience in, what do you think is the most important skill for a strategic planning manager to have, how often would you recommend updating strategic plans, there is a new technology that could drastically change the industry. how would you react to this news.

This question can help the interviewer determine your level of expertise in strategic planning. Use this opportunity to highlight any experience you have with different types of strategic planning and how it helped your organization succeed.

Example: “I’ve worked with several different types of strategic planning, including SWOT analysis, environmental scanning, mission statements and vision statements. I find that each type of strategic planning is useful for a specific purpose. For example, when my team was working on our annual budget, we used SWOT analysis to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats within our company’s financials. This allowed us to make informed decisions about where we should allocate funds.”

This question can help the interviewer determine your understanding of what it takes to create a successful strategic plan. Use examples from previous experience to highlight your ability to lead and manage teams through the process of creating a strategic plan.

Example: “A successful strategic plan needs to be detailed, realistic and measurable. I find that having clear goals with specific targets is important because it allows you to measure progress throughout the planning process. It’s also important to have buy-in from all levels of management so everyone understands their role in achieving the company’s objectives. Finally, regular communication between departments and stakeholders is essential for keeping everyone informed about the progress of the strategic plan.”

This question can help the interviewer understand how you approach your work and what steps you take to complete it. Use examples from past experiences in which you developed a strategy for an organization or company, and explain how your process helped achieve success.

Example: “I would first assess my team’s strengths and weaknesses to determine where we need improvement. I find that this is one of the most important steps when developing a new strategy because it helps me understand what areas are performing well and which ones need more attention. From there, I would create a plan for implementing our goals and objectives by creating measurable targets and timelines for achieving them. This allows me to stay organized and ensure all aspects of the strategic plan are accounted for.”

Interviewers may ask this question to learn more about your experience with financial planning and budgeting. Use your answer to highlight your ability to create budgets that are realistic, achievable and effective for the organization’s goals.

Example: “In my previous role as a strategic planning manager, I worked closely with our finance team to develop budgets for each of our strategic plans. We used these budgets to track our progress throughout the year and make adjustments when necessary. This process helped us stay on track with our objectives while also ensuring we were making smart decisions with our finances.”

Employers ask this question to see how you adapt to change. They want to know that you can still complete your work and meet deadlines even when unexpected circumstances arise. In your answer, explain what steps you took to ensure the project stayed on track despite the changes.

Example: “In my previous role as a strategic planning manager, I had to make several adjustments to our plans due to changing client needs. One of these instances was when we were in the middle of developing a marketing plan for one company but then received an urgent request from another company asking us to develop their entire digital strategy. We immediately met with the first company to discuss the situation. After some discussion, they agreed to allow us to focus on the second company’s request while also agreeing to hire us for future projects.”

This question helps the interviewer determine how you plan to make an impact in your new role. Prioritizing tasks is a skill that many employers look for when hiring a strategic planning manager, so give them examples of what you would do first if hired.

Example: “My top priority during my first few months on the job would be to get to know everyone and learn more about the company’s culture. I’d also want to understand the goals and objectives of the organization and create a strategy for achieving those goals. After creating a strategy, I would implement it by developing plans for each department within the organization.”

This question can help interviewers assess your ability to work with others and resolve conflicts. In your answer, you should show that you are willing to collaborate with other departments and use your problem-solving skills to find solutions.

Example: “If I noticed a disconnect between different departments’ plans, I would first try to understand the reasons for this disconnect. Then, I would meet with representatives from each department to discuss their goals and objectives. Afterward, I would create a plan that combines elements of both departments’ strategic plans while also addressing any issues or concerns raised during the meeting. This process would ensure that all parties involved were on the same page and working toward the same goal.”

This question can help an interviewer determine how well you perform in a fast-paced environment. Strategic planning often requires working under pressure to meet deadlines and produce quality results. In your answer, try to explain that you are able to work effectively under pressure while still maintaining high standards for your work.

Example: “I am very comfortable working under pressure because I know it’s part of the job as a strategic planning manager. When I’m faced with a tight deadline, I always make sure to prioritize my tasks so I can complete them on time. I also find that being organized helps me manage my time more efficiently when I’m under pressure.”

The interviewer may ask this question to learn more about your leadership skills. As a strategic planning manager, you will likely lead many meetings throughout the year. In your answer, describe how you plan and run effective meetings. Share any tips or strategies that help you keep meetings organized and on schedule.

Example: “I have led several large-scale meetings in my previous role as a strategic planning manager. I find it helpful to create agendas for each meeting so everyone knows what topics we’ll discuss. I also like to use visual aids during meetings to help others understand complex ideas. For example, I once used a PowerPoint presentation to explain our company’s financial goals.”

This question can help the interviewer understand your critical thinking skills and how you learn from past experiences. Use examples from previous roles to explain what went well and what didn’t, and how you would apply those lessons to this role.

Example: “In my last position as a strategic planning manager, we had a goal of increasing sales by 10% within six months. We met that goal early, but I learned that it’s important to set realistic goals that are challenging enough to motivate employees but also achievable so they don’t feel discouraged. In another instance, we were tasked with creating a plan for a new product launch. While our team was able to come up with some great ideas, we didn’t have any metrics in place to measure success or failure. Now, I always make sure to include key performance indicators when developing plans.”

This question can help the interviewer understand your strategic planning skills and how you might apply them to their organization. Use examples from your experience that show your ability to create strategies for growth, including how you measure success.

Example: “I would first analyze our current customer base to see what we’re doing well and where we could improve. I’d then develop a plan to reach new customers by identifying target markets with similar interests or needs as our existing ones. For example, if we have a lot of customers who are parents, I may want to focus on reaching out to local parenting groups or organizations. We could also look at our website analytics to determine which pages aren’t getting enough traffic and find ways to make them more relevant.”

The interviewer may ask this question to learn more about your analytical skills and how you use them to evaluate the success of a plan. Use examples from past projects to describe how you measure success, analyze data and make decisions based on those results.

Example: “I typically start by reviewing the goals we set for ourselves at the beginning of a project. I then look at our progress reports to see if we’re meeting deadlines or making any changes to our original plans. After that, I compare our current performance against our initial projections to determine whether we’re ahead of schedule or behind it. From there, I can decide what steps we need to take to meet our goals.”

Employers ask this question to learn more about your background and how it relates to the job you’re applying for. Use your answer to highlight any relevant experience, skills or education that makes you a good fit for the role.

Example: “I have five years of strategic planning experience in my current position as a senior strategic planner. In this role, I’ve helped develop plans for several departments within our company, including marketing, sales and operations. My previous employer also promoted me twice during my time there, which shows that I’m qualified for this managerial role.”

This question can help the interviewer understand your experience level and how it applies to their company. Use this opportunity to highlight any relevant skills you have that would be beneficial in this role, such as communication or leadership abilities.

Example: “I’ve worked primarily in the technology industry for my entire career, but I also have a background in marketing and advertising. In my current position, I work with both departments to create strategies that support our goals. This has helped me develop an understanding of what each department needs from strategic planning so we can all work together more effectively.”

This question can help the interviewer determine if you have the skills and abilities they’re looking for in a strategic planning manager. Use your answer to highlight one or two of the most important skills, and explain why these are so important.

Example: “I think that communication is the most important skill for a strategic planning manager to have. A strategic planning manager needs to be able to communicate with all levels of an organization, from senior management to front-line employees. I’ve found that being able to clearly and concisely convey information is essential when working with others. This skill has helped me build strong relationships with my team members and other departments.”

This question can help interviewers understand your approach to strategic planning and how often you recommend updating plans. You can answer this question by explaining the frequency of updates in your previous role, or you can explain a specific time when an update was beneficial.

Example: “I would recommend updating strategic plans at least once per year. In my last position as a strategic planning manager, we updated our plan every six months. This helped us stay on track with our goals and objectives while also allowing us to make changes if needed. I think it’s important for businesses to have regular check-ins to ensure they’re making progress toward their goals.”

This question is a great way to see how you would react in an uncertain situation. It’s important for employers to know that you can adapt and change with the industry. In your answer, explain what steps you would take to learn more about this new technology and implement it into your strategic plan if it seems like a good fit.

Example: “I think it’s important to be open-minded when learning about new technologies. I would first do my research on the technology to understand its capabilities and limitations. Then, I would discuss the potential of implementing this technology into our strategic plan with my team. If we all agree that it could benefit our company, then I would work with my manager to create a budget for this new project.”

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Easyjet questions viability of Gatwick’s £2.2bn second runway plans

E asyjet has raised significant concerns over Gatwick’s £2.2bn plans for a second runway, the UK’s Planning Inspectorate heard in a hearing on Thursday.

Sir Jeremy Mark Quin, MP for Horesham, said he had been “particularly struck” by the airline’s enquiry, which found the proposals could risk operations at the hub becoming “less reliable, more expensive, noisier and worse for carbon emissions.”

He told the hearing Easyjet had raised “major questions” on the provision of supporting infrastructure within the airport perimeter, as well as a “lack of transparency on financing.”

The concerns are made more surprising given the low-cost carrier is Gatwick’s biggest airline by passenger numbers. The West-Sussex hub estimates its plans would result in a doubling of passenger traffic to 75m.

The UK Planning Inspectorate was hearing evidence as it moots whether to give the airport’s Development Consent Order (DCO) for the project the green light.

Quin argued Heathrow’s plans for a third runway would be a preferrable option given the constraints to Gatwick’s transport infrastructure.

The hub hangs off one railway line, the Brighton mainline, which is the busiest commuting line in the country. There are concerns increasing passenger traffic through the airport so significantly would leave local transport routes struggling to cope.

“The proposals would increase some journey times, including potentially for emergency response vehicles,” Quin said. “Most of the new jobs are likely to require people to travel in. Increases are also expected from the millions of additional passenger journeys and aspirations to significantly increase freight.”

Crispin Blunt, MP for Reigate, said: “In a business that has become more tightly managed for cash, particularly in light of the impact of Covid on the economics of Gatwick, this is about maximising shareholder value.

“I would invited you to have a look at the numbers underneath the economics of Gatwick Airport Limited.”

He described the application as “wholly inappropriate” given the inadequacy of nearby infrastructure, adding that thousands of new jobs would place added pressure on the housing market as it struggles to meet the demand.

“There is no plan I can see to increase rail access to Gatwick in any meaningful way… If you compare that to Heathrow, where there are something like eight different [lines] into Heathrow, you can see the reasons why one would be extremely unwise to contemplate increasing the passenger flow through Gatwick, perhaps to an order of 80m to the size of Heathrow at its peak.”

He added: “The road and rail access is completely inadequate for the scale of increase Gatwick are contemplating here.”

“If you try and drive directly in a straight line from central London to Gatwick, good luck.”

Gatwick submitted its proposals to the UK Planning Inspectorate in July. The airport says the expansion will create 14,000 new jobs and pump £1bn into the economy, while boosting its ability to tackle the long-haul market.

Concerns over the capability of Gatwick’s infrastructure to cope with such an expansion have been raised before. Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary said both Heathrow and Gatwick’s plans to boost capacity were “f****ng off the wall,” in an interview with City A.M. in January.

In its  financial results in March, Gatwick said 40.9m passengers passed through its doors last year, up 24.7 per cent.

A spokesperson for the airport said: “Public scrutiny is a vital part of the planning process and it is important that all views are heard and considered. We are delighted with the strong support shown by many local people and businesses during recent hearings, including their desire to see the airport grow for the economic benefit of the area. 

“We would like to thank them for their ongoing support.  MPs from both sides of the House, local councillors, business groups and trade unions are also supportive. 

“The airport’s plans include legally binding commitments to ensure noise levels are controlled and investment to improve roads around the airport, including separating local and airport traffic with flyovers at both terminals.  No airspace changes are required as part of the airport’s Northern runway plans.” 

London business backs Gatwick’s £2.2bn second runway proposals