President Donald Trump said he is “running the country and the world” in his second term, in an interview with The Atlantic a few weeks after the magazine’s revelations about leaked plans for a US attack on Yemen’s Houthis.

“The first time, I had two things to do – run the country and survive, with all these corrupt people,” he said. “The second time, I run the country and the world,” he said.

Trump, who has already signed more than 140 executive orders in less than 100 days to unilaterally achieve his policy goals, appears to be enjoying his tenure more this time around, writes The Atlantic, which met him in the Oval Office at the White House.

In the interview, Trump agreed with the observation that he’s having more fun this time around, “blowing up” Washington “with a twinkle in his eye,” as a close associate described it. “I’m having a lot of fun, given what I’m doing,” he said. “You know, what I do is very serious,” he added.

He also referred to the warm welcome he has received from members of the billionaire elite, including Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos. “There’s just a higher level of respect,” he commented. “Maybe at first they didn’t know me well, and now they do,” he said.

The interview took place on April 24 at the White House, in the presence of The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg, who was in the news recently when a leak of military plans via a messaging app was revealed.

About Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth

Commenting on the position of Pete Hegseth, who is facing criticism for his handling of the Pentagon and the leaking of military information, Trump said: “I think he’ll get it together.” The president acknowledged he had a recent, positive conversation with him, while Hegseth has been accused of chaotic administration.

On the possibility of a third term

Asked about third term scenarios, which he has hinted at despite the Constitution’s limitation, Trump did not categorically rule out the possibility. “That would be a major upset, wouldn’t it?” he said with a laugh. “Maybe I’m just trying to cause a stir,” he said.

Despite his tough stance on the media, which he continues to call “the enemy of the people,” Trump has granted several interviews to major media outlets, including Time and ABC News, as part of marking the first 100 days of his second term.