White House press briefing
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Good afternoon, everybody.
00:03How are we?
00:05It's a newsy day, indeed.
00:08And last night, we saw the very best of America.
00:11After spending nearly 300 days aboard the International Space Station, Butch Wilmore
00:17and Sonny Williams are back on Earth.
00:20These two incredible astronauts were only supposed to be up there for eight days, but
00:25because of the Biden administration's lack of urgency, they ended up spending nine months
00:31in space.
00:33Joe Biden's lack of courage to act boldly and decisively was a big reason why Butch
00:38and Sonny did not make it back until yesterday.
00:41But President Trump doesn't waste time.
00:44Immediately after taking office, President Trump directed Elon Musk and SpaceX to rescue
00:49these brave astronauts alongside NASA.
00:53The President also called the Acting Administrator of NASA and told her to bring the astronauts
00:57home as soon as possible.
00:59As Acting Administrator Janet Petro said herself yesterday, per President Trump's direction,
01:05NASA and SpaceX worked diligently to pull the schedule a month earlier.
01:10The President looks forward to welcoming Butch and Sonny to the Oval Office when they are
01:14recovered.
01:15This historic mission brings new meaning to President Trump's promise to always look
01:19out for the forgotten man and woman.
01:23On another important matter, yesterday, President Trump and President Putin spoke about the
01:27need for peace and a ceasefire in the Ukraine war.
01:31Both leaders agreed this conflict needs to end with a lasting peace and also stressed
01:36the need for improved bilateral relations between the United States and Russia.
01:40President Trump also spoke with President Zelensky this morning to align both Russia
01:44and Ukraine in terms of their needs and requests.
01:48As President Trump has said repeatedly, the precious lives and money that both Ukraine
01:53and Russia have been spending in this war would be better spent on the needs of their
01:57people.
01:58This terrible conflict would have never started with President Trump in charge, but he is
02:03determined to end it once and for all.
02:06President Trump also promised maximum transparency and a commitment to rebuild the trust of the
02:11American people in our intelligence community.
02:15Part of that promise was to fully release previously classified records related to the
02:19assassination of former President John F. Kennedy, and he made that happen yesterday.
02:24This historic release consisted of approximately 80,000 pages of previously classified records
02:31that are now published.
02:32The records are available to access either online at archives.gov slash JFK or in person
02:39accessible to the American people at the National Archives in College Park, Maryland.
02:45Records that are currently only available for in-person viewing are being digitized
02:49and will be uploaded in the coming days.
02:52On another note, positive economic data continues to pour in, showing the immediate impact of
02:57President Trump's pro-growth agenda.
03:00After suffering a steep decline in the final year of the Biden administration, the manufacturing
03:05sector came roaring back in February.
03:09Total production surged in February, these are new numbers, three times at a greater
03:14three times rate than the expectations to its highest ever recorded level.
03:20And President Trump's laser focus on massive deregulation and unleashing our domestic energy
03:25industry is leading to stabilities for Americans' bottom lines.
03:30As Newsweek summed it up today, gas prices are plummeting under President Trump.
03:35And the Trump administration continues to make American communities safer through our
03:40ongoing mass deportation campaign of illegal alien criminals.
03:44Yesterday, FBI Director Kash Patel announced the agency captured another fugitive from
03:49its 10 most wanted list, securing the extradition of Francisco Javier Roman Bardelas, a key
03:56senior leader of the brutal MS-13 gang.
03:59And the brave men and women of ICE also arrested a number of dangerous aliens across the country
04:05in recent days.
04:06You will see them on this screen.
04:08ICE San Francisco just arrested a citizen of Guatemala convicted of sexual battery.
04:13ICE New Orleans arrested a citizen of Ecuador convicted of rape in Suffolk County, New York.
04:20ICE Atlanta arrested a citizen of Mexico convicted of assault by strangulation.
04:25ICE Dallas arrested a citizen of Mexico convicted of assault with a firearm and rape with a
04:30foreign object.
04:33And ICE Houston arrested a citizen of Guatemala convicted of indecent sexual contact with
04:37a child in Texas.
04:39These are heinous criminal alien monsters who the previous administration allowed to
04:44flood into our country.
04:46And every time President Trump and this team deport one of them, our country becomes safer.
04:51Finally, before I open it up to questions, I want to tout how successful our efforts
04:55have been in filling out President Trump's administration.
04:58There have been a record number of 281 Senate-confirmed nominations already, with another 280 in
05:07process.
05:08Here at the White House, OPM, and GSA, we have filled 100% of the total number of slots.
05:15And this is a record number of placements in the first 58 days of any administration,
05:20and a testament to the caliber and the sheer quantity of talented people who want to work
05:25for President Trump to make America great again.
05:29Here in our new media seat today, we have Katie Pavlich.
05:32Katie is the editor of Townhall.com, which is a subsidiary of Townhall Media.
05:37It's a leading conservative news and opinion outlet based right here in Washington, D.C.,
05:42with writers and journalists reporting around the country.
05:46Last year, Townhall Media had 60 million unique users and 1.4 billion page views, with a broad
05:52reach on a number of social media platforms.
05:54With that, Katie, please kick us off.
05:56Thank you, Caroline.
05:57Really appreciate it.
05:58Sure.
06:00So given the back and forth with this U.S. district judge and the administration's use
06:02of the Alien Enemies Act, does the President plan to send new and additional flights of
06:07Venezuelan gang members, now designated as foreign terrorists, from the U.S. to El Salvador
06:12or elsewhere?
06:13Can Americans expect to see those flights sometime soon?
06:16Americans can absolutely expect to see the continuation of the mass deportation campaign
06:21that has been successfully led by this President, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem,
06:26and also our Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
06:29Since you brought up the judges, I would like to point out that the judges in this country
06:35are acting erroneously.
06:37We have judges who are acting as partisan activists from the bench.
06:42They are trying to dictate policy from the President of the United States.
06:46They are trying to clearly slow walk this administration's agenda, and it's unacceptable.
06:52As the President said last night, we will continue to comply with these court orders.
06:55We will continue to fight these battles in courts.
06:58But it's incredibly apparent that there is a concerted effort by the far left to judge
07:04shop, to pick judges who are clearly acting as partisan activists from the bench in an
07:10attempt to derail this President's agenda.
07:13We will not allow that to happen.
07:14Not only are they usurping the will of the President and the Chief Executive of our country,
07:19but they are undermining the will of the American public, tens of millions of Americans who
07:24duly elected this President to implement the policies that are coming out of this White House.
07:29And then one more question.
07:30Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said yesterday that he was united with Democrats
07:35in working against Americans who, quote, their attitude is, I made my money all by myself.
07:40How dare government take my money from me?
07:42Or, I built my company with my bare hands.
07:44How dare your government tell me how to treat my customers?
07:47What is the President's response to this given his upcoming tax agenda and need to work on
07:51capital help?
07:52Well, we certainly hope that Democrats all of a sudden are for more money in the pockets
07:56of the American public.
07:57The President has made it incredibly clear that he is committed to tax cuts.
08:01He is committed to passing a big reconciliation package later this year, ending no taxes on
08:07tips, taxes on overtime, no taxes on Social Security for our hardworking seniors.
08:12And we encourage everybody on Capitol Hill to support that when it comes to the finish line.
08:17Especially Democrats who clearly need a boost from the American public right now.
08:20Their approvals are at an all-time record low.
08:23Thanks for being with us, Katie.
08:24Gary.
08:25One other question.
08:26I want to follow up on Katie's question, actually.
08:27You said the mass deportation campaign would continue, but she asked about the flights
08:31specifically.
08:32Will those flights to El Salvador continue while this case is being appealed?
08:36We don't have any flights planned specifically, but we will continue with the mass deportations.
08:42And I would just like to point out that the judge in this case is essentially trying to
08:45say that the President doesn't have the executive authority to deport foreign terrorists from
08:51our American soil.
08:53That is an egregious abuse of the bench.
08:56This judge does not have that authority.
08:59It is the opinion of this White House and of this administration, and that's why we're
09:02fighting this in court.
09:04And it's very, very clear that this is an activist judge who is trying to usurp the
09:09President's authority.
09:10Under the Alien Enemies Act, the President has this power, and that's why this deportation
09:14campaign has continued.
09:16And this judge, Judge Boasberg, is a Democrat activist.
09:20He was appointed by Barack Obama.
09:23His wife has donated more than $10,000 to Democrats, and he has consistently shown his
09:29disdain for this President and his policies, and it's unacceptable.
09:31You took me where I wanted to go about the idea that these people are all foreign terrorists,
09:35Judge Boasberg was originally appointed by George W. Bush and then elevated by Barack
09:39Obama.
09:40I just feel like I should clear that up.
09:41Well, let me just say something to that effect, Garrett.
09:45Sixty-seven percent of all of the injunctions in this century have come against which President?
09:51Donald J. Trump.
09:52Let me say that again.
09:53Sixty percent of the injunctions by partisan activists in the judicial branch have come
09:58against President Donald Trump, and 92 percent of those have been from Democrat-appointed
10:03judges.
10:04This is a clear, concerted effort by leftists who don't like this President and are trying
10:10to impose or slow down his agenda.
10:15So given that, do you think it's a good use of Congress's time and the President's political
10:20capital to try to impeach and remove a federal judge, which would take 67 votes you're unlikely
10:25to get in the Senate?
10:26Well, look, the President has made it clear that he believes this judge in this case should
10:29be impeached, and he has also made it clear that he has great respect for the Chief Justice
10:34John Roberts, and it's incumbent upon the Supreme Court to rein in these activist judges.
10:40These partisan activists are undermining the judicial branch by doing so.
10:44We have co-equal branches of government for a reason, and the President feels very strongly
10:47about that.
10:48Jackie.
10:50What options does the President have to – he said he's going to follow court orders.
10:55He wouldn't defy a court order, but he's raised these concerns about these judges acting
10:59in such a partisan way.
11:01What option does he have to ensure that his agenda continues to move forward while this
11:06is ongoing and the judges appear to be trying to just block and delay and impede?
11:10Well, you're right.
11:11They are trying to block, delay, and impede.
11:13This is lawfare.
11:15The President is no stranger to it.
11:17He faced it in his campaign, and this is a continuation of the lawfare that President
11:21Trump faced as a candidate and he's now, unfortunately, facing as a President.
11:25Clearly, these partisan activists in the judicial branch didn't get the memo on November 5th
11:30when the American people overwhelmingly re-elected this President to continue with mass deportation.
11:35So White House Counsel and the Department of Justice are working on this.
11:38They're appealing these cases, and we will continue to use the full weight of the White
11:44House Counsel's Office and the President's team of lawyers to fight this in court because
11:47we know we will win even if we have to go all the way to the Supreme Court.
11:51One more on TDA.
11:52Andy McCarthy said in an interview with Hugh Hewitt he certainly agrees with what the President
11:57is trying to do with the Alien Enemies Act, but he's not sure that the law is completely
12:01on his side.
12:03He cites some previous Supreme Court rulings dealing with enemy combatants in wartime,
12:08says that even they have a right to challenge their detention in court.
12:13He raised concern also that while TDA has been designated as a terrorist organization,
12:17these individuals hadn't been prosecuted for terrorism.
12:21So my question is, will the President ask Congress potentially to declare war on these
12:28cartels for the invasion that he's talked about so that he's on stronger legal footing?
12:32Well, we absolutely disagree with the legal opinion of the individual that you mentioned.
12:36We would not have moved forward with this if we didn't believe the President.
12:39This was within the President's executive authority to continue with this mass deportation
12:44effort under the authority provided to him under the Alien Enemies Act.
12:49And when you read the act, as I did last time at the podium, a predatory incursion
12:53is absolutely what has happened with Tren de Aragua.
12:56They have been sent here by the hostile Maduro regime in Venezuela, and the President immediately
13:01upon taking office designated TDA as a foreign terrorist organization.
13:06And under this act, it is within the President's authority to deport these terrorists.
13:11And anybody trying to defend these terrorists who have now been sent off of American soil
13:16should talk to the families of the individuals who these heinous monsters have killed and
13:21have raped.
13:22If you talk to those families, they are so heartened by the President's decision to take
13:27tough action and to use his executive authority, something that no other President has been
13:31willing to do, because President Trump does what he says he's going to do, and he is deporting
13:35these foreign terrorists from American soil to secure our homeland, and he's within his
13:39rights to do that.
13:40Jennifer.
13:41Very quickly on Tesla.
13:42Very quickly on Tesla.
13:43There is a website that's trying to dox Tesla owners across the country and saying they're
13:47only going to take down personal information when people show that they've sold their cars.
13:52What's the administration going to do about that?
13:54I haven't seen that website, but we certainly think it's despicable, the violence that has
13:58taken place against Tesla, the company, its employees, and also just Americans who have
14:03chosen to drive an electric vehicle.
14:05Many of them are Democrats, by the way.
14:08Democrats were big supporters of Tesla and of electric vehicles until Elon Musk decided
14:12to vote for Donald Trump, so we would like Democrats to also come out and condemn this
14:17heinous violence that we have seen, and I believe the Attorney General has said she's
14:20investigating these incidents as acts of domestic terrorism.
14:23Jennifer.
14:24On Ukraine, can you say, is the White House going to pause foreign military aid or intelligence
14:30sharing with Ukraine as Russia says it's pushing for, and then have a follow-up on the Federal
14:35Trade Commission?
14:36Sure.
14:37When it comes to Ukraine, I do have a statement for you from the National Security Advisor
14:41and also the Secretary of State.
14:42First, I'd like to reiterate what the President said earlier following his call with President
14:47Zelensky this morning.
14:48He said he just completed a very good telephone call with President Zelensky.
14:53It lasted approximately one hour.
14:55Much of the discussion was based on a call made yesterday with President Putin in order
14:59to align both Russia and Ukraine in terms of their requests and needs.
15:03We are very much on track, and I will ask Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Mike Walz
15:08to give an accurate description of the points discussed.
15:11That statement will be put out shortly.
15:12While I have that statement for you right here, bear with me as I read it.
15:16Today, President Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky had a fantastic phone conversation.
15:22President Zelensky thanked President Trump for a productive start for the work of the
15:26Ukrainian and American teams in Jeddah on March 11th.
15:30The meeting of the senior officials from both nations significantly helped in moving toward
15:34ending the war.
15:35President Zelensky thanked President Trump for the support of the United States, especially
15:39the Javelin missiles that President Trump was first to provide in his efforts towards
15:44peace.
15:45The leaders agreed Ukraine and America will continue working together to bring about a
15:48real end to the war, and that lasting peace under President Trump's leadership can be
15:53achieved.
15:55President Trump fully briefed President Zelensky on his conversation with Putin and the key
15:59issues discussed.
16:01They reviewed the situation in Kursk and agreed to share information closely between their
16:05defense staffs as the battlefield situation evolved.
16:09President Zelensky asked for additional air defense systems to protect his civilians,
16:13particularly Patriot missile systems, and President Trump agreed to work with him to
16:17find what was available, particularly in Europe.
16:21The two leaders also agreed on a partial ceasefire against energy.
16:25Technical teams will meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming days to discuss broadening the
16:29ceasefire to the Black Sea on the way to a full ceasefire.
16:33They agreed this could be the first step toward the full end of the war in ensuring security.
16:39President Zelensky was grateful for the President's leadership in this effort and reiterated his
16:42willingness to adopt a full ceasefire.
16:45President Trump also discussed Ukraine's electrical supply and nuclear power plants.
16:50He said that the United States could be very helpful in running those plants with its electricity
16:54and utility expertise.
16:56American ownership of those plants would be the best protection for that infrastructure
17:00and support for Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
17:04President Zelensky also thanked President Trump for continuing to push humanitarian
17:07concerns including the exchange of prisoners of war.
17:11He noted they had just had a successful exchange and thanked the President for his leadership
17:15on that.
17:17President Trump also asked President Zelensky about the children who had gone missing from
17:20Ukraine during the war, including the ones that had been abducted, and President Trump
17:25promised to work closely with both parties to help make sure those children were returned
17:29home.
17:30They agreed all parties must continue the effort to make a ceasefire work.
17:34The Presidents noted the positive work of their advisors and representatives, especially
17:38Secretary Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Special Envoy Kellogg, and others.
17:44The Presidents instructed their teams to move ahead with the technical issues related to
17:48implementing and broadening the partial ceasefire.
17:51The Presidents instructed their advisors and representatives to carry out this work as
17:54quickly as possible.
17:56The Presidents emphasized that in further meetings, the teams can agree on all necessary
18:00aspects of advancing toward lasting peace and security.
18:04That is a lengthy statement that was just given to me, so thanks for bearing with me.
18:07Our office will, of course, provide this after.
18:10And as you know, as I just pointed out in the statement, the President's team of negotiators
18:14and national security experts will be heading to Saudi again later this week to continue
18:19working on and ironing out the details.
18:21But I would just like to emphasize we have never been this close to peace, and it's only
18:25because of President Trump that we are here.
18:27I think a couple of years ago, as you all reported on the war, it was incomprehensible
18:32to have a partial ceasefire in this conflict, and today that is true because of the leadership
18:37of this President.
18:38Mary.
18:39So they agreed to share, closely share information between their defense staffs.
18:44Does that mean all intelligence sharing will continue, so the White House is rejecting
18:49Russia's request?
18:51Intelligence sharing in terms of defense for Ukraine will continue to be shared.
18:55Mary.
18:56Thanks, Caroline.
18:57I have two questions, one on the United States Institute of Peace and then on the Supreme
19:00Court, if that's okay.
19:01Sure.
19:02So on the United States Institute of Peace, this is a little bit wild.
19:05I understand the old President refused to leave after he was removed from his position.
19:09He barricaded himself in his offices, had to be escorted out by police, left the building
19:14without Wi-Fi, telephones, elevators, and more, and is now telling media that Doge broke
19:21in and illegally removed him.
19:23So can you comment on this sequence of events and specify, did Doge illegally enter?
19:28I'm really glad you brought this up, Mary.
19:30We were made aware of this story by individuals at Doge, at Elon Musk's team, and also at
19:38the State Department who were unable to access this building.
19:43And it became very clear that there was a concerted effort amongst the rogue bureaucrats
19:48at the United States Institute of Peace to actually physically barricade themselves essentially
19:52inside of the building to prevent political appointees of this administration who work
19:58at the direction of the President of the United States to get into the building.
20:02There was a piece in the Daily Caller, thank you for sharing the truth on this, about what
20:06happened.
20:08Staff contacted the MPD in an attempt to prevent Doge personnel from entering.
20:13They barricaded the doors.
20:15They also disabled telephone lines, internet connections, and other IT infrastructure within
20:21the building.
20:22They distributed flyers internally, encouraging each other to basically prevent these individuals
20:29from accessing the building.
20:30I use this to say this is what Doge and this administration is facing.
20:35It's a resistance from bureaucrats who don't want to see change in this city.
20:40President Trump was elected on an overwhelming mandate to seek change and implement change,
20:45and this is unacceptable behavior.
20:47And just really quick on the Supreme Court, I know it's been almost three years now since
20:50the leak of the draft Dobbs opinion to Politico, actually, a leak which sparked protesting
20:55outside the homes of the justices and even brought on one attempted assassination attempt.
21:00I know Justice Alito said that it made the justices targets for assassinations, but yet
21:04the Supreme Court has not tracked down any leaker.
21:06Does the White House have interest in finding out who that leaker was, and can you comment
21:10on that at all?
21:11I know generally speaking, the President has an interest in finding leakers, and he believes
21:15it's unacceptable, and it's the position of this administration.
21:19You've seen the Secretary of Homeland Security has taken tough action at her agency.
21:24Leaking is unacceptable to this President and to the leaders across the board in this
21:27cabinet, especially when it puts people in harm's way.
21:30Sure.
21:31Thank you, Caroline.
21:32A mom whose daughter was forced to change the locker room with a biological male at
21:35school filed an complaint with the DOJ.
21:36How will the Trump DOJ deal with violations that President Trump's order has been limiting
21:37girls like this?
21:38I would defer you to the Department of Justice on that specific case, but the President has
21:47made it incredibly clear that it is the policy of this administration that there are only
21:52two genders, male and female.
21:54Only two sexes, rather, male and female, and that we are not going to tolerate such behavior
22:00by men pretending to be women.
22:03The President will continue to strongly stand for the rights of women and girls, not just
22:07in sports and on athletic fields, but also in private spaces like locker rooms and bathrooms.
22:11Go ahead.
22:13On the FTC, two quick questions.
22:15Can you explain the President's thinking in his decision to fire the two Democratic commissioners,
22:20especially given that Mark Meador is on track to be confirmed next week and there would
22:24be a Republican majority?
22:25My biggest question is, why now?
22:28Sure.
22:29Because the time was right to let these people go, and the President absolutely has the authority
22:33to do it, and they were given ample notice in a letter that I believe your outlet reported
22:38on, so it pretty much explains exactly why this administration chose to let those individuals
22:42go.
22:43Do you have a goal to get this to the Supreme Court to try to overturn the 1935 precedent?
22:47The goal was to let these individuals go.
22:48If we have to fight it all the way to the Supreme Court, we certainly will.
22:51Rachel.
22:52Back to the deportation of Giselle Salvador, can the administration provide any more details
22:57on how authorities determined that each of those men weren't faxed members of a gang?
23:02And if the White House can publish images, photos, videos of those men, why can't the
23:07administration just release basic information like their identities and names?
23:10We are not going to reveal operational details about a counterterrorism operation, but what
23:15I can assure you, as I said on Monday, we have the highest degree of confidence in our
23:20ICE agents and our Customs and Border Patrol agents who have committed their lives to targeting
23:26illegal criminals in our country, particularly foreign terrorists, and they had great evidence
23:32and indication.
23:33They have the highest degree of professionalism, and they were 100% confident in the individuals
23:38that were sent home on these flights and in the President's executive authority to
23:42do that.
23:43Just to follow up, I know in the last briefing you cited privacy concerns as a reason why
23:46the administration may not be able to reveal the identities.
23:49What exactly are the privacy rights of immigrants who were deported that the administration
23:53says were dangerous enough to be sent to El Salvador and sent into prison?
23:57Again, as I just said, we're not going to reveal the operational details of a counterterrorism
24:02operation for quite obvious reasons.
24:04We're trying to combat terrorism here in the United States of America.
24:07Jeff.
24:08And if I could ask something else about the phone call yesterday, there was a couple different
24:11readouts from the Kremlin and the U.S. on a couple different points.
24:14One was energy and infrastructure.
24:18The U.S. statement said energy and infrastructure.
24:20The Kremlin said energy infrastructure.
24:23What is your understanding of what the actual substance of that disagreement was?
24:27And then one other question on that.
24:28I would defer you to the readout that was provided by the White House.
24:31That's our understanding, and that's the truth.
24:33And if I could ask a question about the judge as well.
24:36How does the President define a bad judge?
24:38Is it just someone who disagrees with him?
24:40No.
24:41And is that a dangerous precedent in this case because this is a temporary ruling from
24:44Judge Boasberg that he could ultimately rule in your favor?
24:48Is he setting up a standard here for calling for the impeachment of a judge who may ultimately
24:53rule on your side?
24:55No.
24:56It has nothing to do with disagreeing with the President on policy.
24:59It's with disagreeing with the Constitution and the law.
25:02And it's trying to usurp the authority of the executive branch of this country.
25:06It's having baseless reasoning for these injunctions, and it's a clear effort by these judges to
25:13slow roll this President's agenda.
25:15And if you just look at the injunctions that this President has faced, deporting foreign
25:20terrorists from our homeland, hiring and firing of executive branch employees when the President
25:27is the executive of the executive branch.
25:30You also see an injunction by a partisan activist judge when it comes to the Secretary of Defense
25:36trying to determine the readiness of our troops and the qualifications of our troops and our
25:42armed forces.
25:43Does a single district court judge really have more authority over the commander-in-chief
25:48and the Secretary of Defense to determine who should serve in our United States Armed
25:52Forces?
25:53Absolutely not.
25:54Anyone who has taken a basic civics lesson can understand that, and it's ridiculous law
25:59fair that we are witnessing.
26:00And it's-
26:01The President said he supports...
26:02I'm sorry.
26:03The President said he respects the Chief Justice here.
26:07Does he respect him specifically on this case and this opinion, or respects him overall?
26:13And has he spoken to any other Supreme Court justice?
26:15The President respects Chief Justice Roberts overall.
26:18He just expressed that to me in the Oval Office.
26:21But it's also quite clear that the Supreme Court needs to rein in these judges who are
26:25acting as partisan activists.
26:27And they are undermining the judicial branch, and it's a dereliction of duty on their behalf.
26:32And how will you rein them in?
26:33Deanna.
26:34Deanna, go ahead.
26:35Thank you so much, Caroline.
26:36On the call with Zelensky, did they discuss the minerals deal at all?
26:39Is that back on the table, and what do the Ukrainians have to do to get that back on
26:43the table?
26:44And then one on the Russia call as well.
26:45Again, I just provided a very lengthy readout of the call that was provided by the Secretary
26:50of State and the National Security Advisor.
26:53And now we have moved beyond the economic minerals deal.
26:56We are at a place of peace.
26:57We're at a partial ceasefire, and we're moving towards a full ceasefire and a longstanding
27:02peace in this conflict.
27:03And that's great news for the American public.
27:05The Kremlin readout mentioned that Trump and Putin spoke about potential U.S.-Russia hockey
27:10games.
27:11And the Kremlin readout also said that Russia wanted the U.S. to stop U.S. intelligence
27:18and U.S. funding to Ukraine.
27:20The President has said that that conversation did not happen.
27:23Just wondering if you can give us any more clarity on that.
27:26And also, again, if it's energy infrastructure, or if it's energy and infrastructure, because
27:31I think there is a big difference between that.
27:33Again, as for the readouts of the call, I would defer you to ours.
27:37And when it comes to the topic of hockey, it did come up.
27:41However, we're more interested in securing a peace deal than scheduling hockey games
27:44right now.
27:45Sean.
27:46Hey, about the deportation.
27:47So was it the President himself who directed the planes to stay in the air after the judge
27:53ordered them to turn back?
27:55It was the President's side who invoked the Aliens Enemies Act with a proclamation, which
28:00then directed the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State to move forward
28:04with the plan of action.
28:05And as I said yesterday, all of the planes that were subject to the judge's written order
28:10took off before the order was submitted in court.
28:13I was asked and answered that question multiple times yesterday.
28:16Kate, go ahead.
28:17Is the President still considering pressuring Russia with sanctions or tariffs to try to
28:21get a full ceasefire?
28:23And is there any kind of deadline or timeline that the White House has in mind for when
28:27that pressure might ramp up?
28:28Again, the President had a nearly two-hour-long call with President Putin yesterday.
28:33We provided a readout of that call, and we have his negotiating team heading to the Middle
28:37East this week to continue these discussions in regards to sanctions and any other details.
28:42I'm not going to give a readout of those from this podium.
28:44And on TikTok, is Oracle the leading contender for a deal?
28:47And would the U.S. back a deal that keeps TikTok's algorithm and the underlying technologies
28:52still in Chinese hands?
28:53As President Trump does so well, we don't get ahead of ourselves when we are in the
28:57midst of the art of the deal.
28:59So when the President and his team are ready to announce a deal on TikTok, which is a high
29:04priority for the President, we will make that known.
29:06I've seen that reporting, but I'm not going to comment on it just yet.
29:09Sure.
29:10Go ahead.
29:11Thank you, Press Secretary Levitt.
29:12Some prominent Trump supporters have been making the case that Derek Chauvin deserves
29:15a pardon.
29:16They argue that he did not receive a fair trial.
29:18Joe Biden and other Democrats actually implied that he was guilty while the trial was going.
29:23BLM rioters had these jurors under immense threat and pressure.
29:27Mainstream media, frankly, many news outlets here today chose – are complicit here.
29:31They chose to ignore the autopsy report.
29:34They chose to ignore the full-body camera footage.
29:36They decided to slander Derek Chauvin as a racist cop instead.
29:40Does the administration believe Derek Chauvin received a fair trial, and will they consider
29:44a pardon moving forward?
29:45The President has been asked and answered this question.
29:48He said it's not something he's considering at this time.
29:50Philip.
29:52I have two questions.
29:53First, just a follow-up on the readouts from those calls.
29:56When it comes to the discrepancies between the U.S. and Russian readout of that call
30:00between President Trump and Putin, is it the President's assessment that something is
30:05getting lost in translation, or does he believe that the Russians are trying to play games
30:09here?
30:10Nope.
30:11The President believes in his team that put the readout out, and he also put his own out
30:13on Truth Social.
30:14We've been incredibly transparent about all of the President's calls with foreign
30:17leaders.
30:18And again, I would defer you to the readout.
30:19And then following up on –
30:20Michael.
30:22Caroline.
30:23The White House said yesterday that gas prices across the U.S. have fallen for the fourth
30:27straight week.
30:28Thirty-four states now seeing gas under $3 a gallon.
30:31This limited ceasefire with Ukraine regarding oil refineries, energy – will that affect
30:37gas prices here in the U.S.?
30:39Well, it's – certainly the President's hope that gas prices will continue to fall,
30:43and he's working every single day to ensure that we do.
30:46As you just mentioned, there's been very encouraging data.
30:49Inflation is cooling and gas prices are falling.
30:52The President has established a National Energy Dominance Council, and it's ultimately
30:55the President's goal – and this administration is working hard on it every single day – to
30:59increase our energy production right here in the United States of America, to have it
31:04trump energy boom like we saw in our first term, which will not only lead to lower fuel
31:08prices here at home, but also lessen the rate of inflation that was created by the previous
31:13administration.
31:14One more on Tesla, Caroline.
31:15Tim Walz, Governor Walz, saying last night he frequently checks Tesla stock.
31:20In doing so, to, quote, give me a little boost during the day.
31:24How should Americans view politicians who take pride in the downfall of an American
31:29car company?
31:30I think that's quite sad, but I think Governor Walz unfortunately is living a sad existence
31:34after his devastating defeat on November 5th.
31:37Reagan.
31:38Reagan, go ahead.
31:39Thank you, Caroline.
31:40Across the country, Tesla cars are being lit on fire, dealerships are being shot up, Molotov
31:46cocktails are being used.
31:48There was a website posted yesterday that shared the addresses of private Tesla owners
31:52and reportedly had Kash Vatel's information on it.
31:55AG Gandhi has called this acts of domestic terrorism.
31:58Does the White House have any indication that this is some sort of coordinated movement
32:02or that it's being funded by some outside group, and do you know if the investigation
32:06by the DOJ is being investigated as incidents of organized terror?
32:11I believe the Attorney General has made her comments clear on that.
32:14She is investigating these events as acts of domestic terrorism, and we fully condemn
32:19them.
32:20And as I said earlier to Jackie's question, we think it's despicable what is happening
32:24to not just this American company, but also their innocent employees, and again, innocent
32:29Americans who drive these vehicles.
32:31We condemn it wholeheartedly.
32:32Sure.
32:33More than 24,000 workers in 18 agencies are in the process of being reinstated.
32:40What is your message to these workers, and can you assure them they won't be fired again
32:44as the administration directs agencies to do more layoffs?
32:47The administration is complying with the court's order.
32:50Again, as I have spoken about repeatedly, we think it's despicable that we have judges
32:55acting as judicial activists, partisan activists, trying to dictate who the President of the
32:59United States, the executive of the executive branch, can hire and fire.
33:04We have never seen anything like this.
33:06We are fighting this in court, and we will continue to fight it all the way to the Supreme
33:11Court if we have to.
33:12And as for federal employees, it's been the very common sense position of this President
33:17and the administration that bureaucrats here in Washington, D.C. need to show up to the
33:22office just like the rest of America.
33:25Middle class Americans, from doctors to business owners to teachers to law enforcement officers
33:31have to show up to their offices every single day, and the President has made it a clear
33:35priority that people in this city have to do the same.
33:38And we are also continuing to be committed to reducing the scale of our workforce and
33:43to reducing the size of our federal bureaucracy here in Washington, D.C., to save taxpayers'
33:47money.
33:48Annie, go ahead.
33:49Thanks so much.
33:50In the statement that you read, you referenced the President's interest in helping return
33:56Ukrainian children to their parents and to their families.
34:00There's an organization that provides intel and information about those children that
34:06has – their aid has been cut.
34:08It's a Yale University program that used foreign aid, and I'm curious if, as part
34:12of this new thinking with Ukraine, that aid might be unfrozen.
34:16I have no updates about that or that specific program at this time.
34:19Karen.
34:20Thanks, Caroline.
34:21Just to follow up on your answer to the question on the minerals deal, you said that the White
34:25House has moved beyond the minerals deal.
34:28What does that mean?
34:29Is that no longer on the table?
34:30No, it means the minerals deal is that first set of framework that you all saw in that
34:34very public meeting with President Zelensky and President Trump in the Oval Office.
34:38We are now focused on a long-term peace agreement.
34:41As you know, on that deal – or that meeting between President Zelensky and President Trump,
34:46the Ukrainian president at the time wasn't talking about a greater peace deal.
34:50We are now at that place where we are talking about that.
34:53So we've moved beyond just the economic minerals deal framework, and we're looking
34:56at a lasting ceasefire.
34:58Right now, we're at a partial ceasefire, but again, the President is sending his highly
35:02skilled, intelligent, and experienced team to Saudi Arabia later this week to continue
35:07fighting for peace in this conflict.
35:09And I would just reiterate one more time, we have never been closer to peace than we
35:13are today.
35:14Thank you very much, everybody.
35:15We'll see you later.
35:16Caroline, you didn't say you don't have a question.