Karoline Leavitt holds a White House press briefing.
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00:00Good afternoon everybody. Good to see all of you. Happy Friday. The president looks forward to
00:08embarking on his historic return to the Middle East, visiting Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United
00:14Arab Emirates next week, where he will focus on strengthening ties between our nations. Eight
00:20years ago, President Trump's first trip was to this same region of the world, where he introduced
00:25his bold, peace through strength foreign policy strategy. On that trip, the president laid out his
00:31goal of eradicating terrorism and extremism in the region, which he successfully accomplished over
00:36the course of his administration, with the total defeat of ISIS and the historic signing of the
00:42Abraham Accords. Now, eight years later, President Trump will return to reemphasize his continued
00:48vision for a proud, prosperous, and successful Middle East, where the United States and Middle
00:54Eastern nations are in cooperative relationships, and where extremism is defeated in place of
00:59commerce and cultural exchanges. This trip ultimately highlights how we stand on the brink of the Golden
01:05Age for both America and the Middle East, united by a shared vision of stability, opportunity, and mutual
01:11respect. The president greatly looks forward to visiting with our brave men and women in uniform at
01:17our U.S. Air Base in Qatar throughout this trip. Yesterday, President Trump demonstrated the art of the deal
01:23and secured a historic trade agreement, despite all of the naysayers who said no deals were
01:28coming. That, of course, turned out to be untrue. On the 80th anniversary of Victory Day for World War II,
01:34President Trump announced a great deal that provides American companies unprecedented access to the U.K.
01:41markets while bolstering U.S. national security. This trade deal will massively expand U.S. market access in the United
01:48Kingdom, creating a $5 billion opportunity for new exports for U.S. farmers, ranchers, and producers. This
01:56includes more than $700 billion in ethanol exports and $250 million in other agricultural products like good
02:04old American beef. The deal commits the United States and United Kingdom to work together to enhance
02:09industrial and agricultural market access and strengthens American competitiveness. Importantly, the deal also
02:15ensures streamlined customs procedures for U.S. exports. The U.K. will also be purchasing $10 billion of
02:24American-made Boeing planes as part of the deal. A trade agreement like this between the United States
02:30and the United Kingdom was being worked on for many years but continued to prove elusive. But because of
02:35President Trump's bold negotiating approach, he got it done. All of this happened because of President
02:41Trump's implementation of powerful tariffs to end the era of economic surrender and rebalance America's
02:47trading agreements. American workers and companies are the best in the world, and they finally have
02:52a president who has their backs, fights for them, and delivers good deals that puts them first. This is
02:58just the first of many trade deals to come. Get ready for more historic deals in our country to boom like
03:04never before. On that note, Treasury Secretary Scott Besson and Ambassador Jameson Greer will meet with the
03:10lead representatives on economic matters from the People's Republic of China over the weekend in
03:14Switzerland. As President Trump has said, the United States and China have been talking for some time over
03:19the course of the administration, and now teams from both countries will meet in person to continue
03:24discussions. You can be certain that President Trump and his trade team will ensure we work to achieve the best deal
03:31possible for America. In other news, the Trump administration just announced a new incentive
03:36for illegal aliens living in the United States to self-deport. Eligible illegal aliens who now use
03:42the CBP Home app to self-deport will receive a clear, safe way to leave the United States. Their plane
03:48tickets home may be paid for, and they will receive a $1,000 stipend once we have confirmation that they
03:54have left our country. This new feature will allow illegal aliens to have a planned departure out of the
04:00country and to leave as soon as possible in a dignified way. If illegal aliens make the right
04:05decision here and submit their intent to depart through the CBP Home app and pass extensive vetting,
04:10they will be temporarily deprioritized for ICE detention and enforcement action before their
04:15scheduled departure. And leaving voluntarily in this matter may improve their legal immigration
04:20options in the future. This initiative will also save massive amounts of money for American taxpayers.
04:26Voluntary departures are much more cost effective than traditional removals. By deploying the CBP Home
04:32app in this new way, President Trump is aiming to reduce the need for costly arrests, detentions,
04:37and court proceedings. Currently, the average cost of traditional removal is more than $17,000 per
04:44illegal alien. Our projections estimate that the use of the CBP Home app will massively reduce that
04:50financial burden by approximately 70% so taxpayer dollars can be redirected and our brave immigration
04:56law enforcement officers can focus on removing the most violent illegal aliens hiding in our communities.
05:03Finally, it was announced this morning that First Lady Melania Trump secured a $25 million
05:08investment in President Trump's budget to provide housing and support for youth transitioning out of
05:13foster care. And in recognition of the seventh anniversary of Mrs. Trump's Be Best initiative,
05:19the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development allocated funds toward the agency Foster Youth
05:25to Independence Program. Yesterday, Mrs. Trump hosted a special celebration of military mothers with the
05:31President, bringing together 150 military moms from around the country to recognize their service,
05:37not just in their home, but for our country. For those of you who were there at the
05:41attend events yesterday like I did, I have no doubt you will join me in recognizing how truly special
05:47those moments were. So let's get to questions. Here in our new media seat today is Andrew Egger,
05:52the White House correspondent for The Bulwark. The Bulwark is a new media company launched in 2019 with
05:57hundreds of thousands of readers on Substack and more than a million subscribers on YouTube. Andrew,
06:02please kick us off. Thanks for being here. Yeah, thank you for having me, Caroline. The President
06:05posted another ad this week for his Trump meme coin. The group that's running that coin is encouraging
06:10people to buy in order to win a dinner this month with the President. Why is the President planning
06:15to attend a dinner for the top investors in this coin? Look, the President is abiding by all
06:19conflict of interest laws. The President has been incredibly transparent with his own personal
06:24financial obligation throughout the years. The President is a successful businessman, and I think,
06:28frankly, it's one of the many reasons that people reelected him back to this office. There are at
06:31least some people who are buying this coin who seem to view it as an opportunity to influence the
06:35President's views. There was a logistics company this week that said they would buy 20 million
06:39dollars in the coin in order to advocate for free trade between the U.S. and Mexico. If buyers are
06:44buying for that reason, are they wasting their money? Look, I can assure you the President acts with
06:48only the interests of the American public in mind, putting our country first and doing what's best for
06:52our country, full stop. That's his intention, and that's what he's focused on. Christine, good to see
06:57you here today. Welcome back. Thank you. Glad to be back. So on those China talks, what does President
07:04Trump expect to come out of those talks? And is he going to be disappointed if his team can't secure
07:09a deal? Well, look, the President is very confident in his Secretary of Treasury, Scott
07:13Besant, and of course, Ambassador Jameson Greer, who has played an instrumental role in all of these
07:18trade negotiations as well. I think yesterday's success, the announcement of a trade deal with the
07:22United Kingdom, is a great first step. Again, many said in this room it couldn't be done. Now,
07:27we are moving forward with many other countries. We're talking to dozens of our trading partners
07:31around the world. But of course, China is a major country, a major player in this space. And the
07:38President has said, and he's right, that China needs the United States of America. They need our
07:42markets. They need our consumer base. And Secretary Besant knows that he's going to Switzerland this
07:48weekend with the full support and confidence and trust of the President here at home.
07:52Jeff. Thanks very much, Caroline. Two questions. First,
07:56can you give us an update on U.S. efforts to mediate or have an impact on the conflict between
08:02India and Pakistan? Sure. I absolutely can. This is something that the Secretary of State
08:06and, of course, now our National Security Advisor as well, Marco Rubio, has been very much involved
08:12in. The President has expressed he wants to see this de-escalate as quickly as possible. He
08:16understands these are two countries that have been at odds with one another for decades, long before
08:21President Trump was here in the Oval Office. However, he has good relationships with the
08:26leaders of both countries. And the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, I spoke to him just yesterday,
08:31he has been in constant communication with the leaders of both countries trying to bring this conflict
08:36to an end. Just one other question. Yesterday, we saw the news of the new pope. Before Pope
08:42Leo became Pope Leo, there were some critical comments that he made about President Trump and
08:47about Vice President Vance on his X account, then X account. Does the White House have any reaction to
08:54those comments? The President made his reaction to Pope Leo's announcement yesterday very clear.
09:00He is very proud to have an American pope. I think it was a surprise to everyone. I saw the news media was
09:05surprised to report on that yesterday. But it's a great thing for the United States of America and for the
09:09world. And we are praying for him. Thanks, Caroline. The President has been pretty firm
09:14on keeping these 145 percent tariffs in place on Chinese imports today via Truth Social. He said
09:20that he'd be possibly open to lowering those to 80 percent. Why the change and how did the President land
09:25on 80? The President still remains with his position that he is not going to unilaterally bring down
09:31tariffs on China. We need to see concessions from them as well. And again, that's part of the reason
09:35that Secretary Besson is going to talk to his Chinese counterparts this weekend to start those
09:40discussions in person. As for the 80 percent number, that was a number the President threw
09:45out there. And we'll see what happens this weekend. And always in the effort of transparency,
09:49I'm sure you'll hear directly from the Treasury Secretary or the President after those negotiations
09:54conclude. Jackie. Thank you, Caroline. Why did the White House announce this deal with the UK
10:00before all of the details were finished? That's not true, actually. I saw the fact sheet. I saw the
10:06deal as well before the President brought all of you in the Oval Office in the effort of transparency.
10:11You had the President and the Prime Minister on the phone talking to all of you directly about how
10:16this was a great deal, a phenomenal deal. And discussions will continue. But as I spoke to our
10:22Ambassador Greer yesterday, this is how trade deals work. You set an initial agreement. You set the
10:28framework. You set up the deal. And then, of course, you know, T's have to be crossed and I's have to
10:34be dotted. But this deal is a good deal. And the numbers are determined. And all of the market access
10:39that I just discussed will remain. Does that mean that the 10 percent baseline
10:43is going to still be there at the end when all of the other details are ironed out?
10:48The President is committed to the 10 percent baseline tariff not just for the United Kingdom,
10:52but for his trade negotiations with all other countries as well.
10:55Permanently, even after the deals are done. Like, that is going to remain.
10:59The President is determined to continue with that 10 percent baseline tariff. I just spoke to him
11:03about it earlier. Stephen.
11:04Thank you, Caroline. I'd like to ask about New York and about a personnel matter.
11:08On New York, the Mayor, Eric Adams, is here today. Can you tell us anything more about the visit,
11:13who initiated it, what they're talking about? And also, is there any comment from the White House on
11:17the air traffic control issues in New York?
11:18All I will say on Mayor Eric Adams is that he requested a meeting with the President,
11:23and the President was willing to take it. If the President wishes to discuss his private
11:27meeting afterwards, I will let him do that himself. Yes, I'm glad you asked about the FAA.
11:33There was a glitch in the system this morning, especially at New York Airport. As you all know,
11:37I spoke to the Department of Transportation. That glitch was caused by the same telecoms and
11:41software issues that were raised last week. Everything went back online after the brief outage,
11:47and there was no operational impact. DOT and the FAA are working to address this technical issue
11:53tonight to prevent further outages, as well as install new fiber from New York Airport to Philadelphia.
12:00And the goal is to have the totality of this work done by the end of the summer. I want to add that
12:05this outage at New York Airport speaks to why the Secretary of Transportation yesterday made a massive
12:11announcement in investing in our aviation safety and our telecom system. There's a four-part infrastructure
12:20plan that was released by the Secretary of Transportation yesterday to improve communication,
12:24surveillance, automation, and their facilities. They want to replace the antiquated telecom systems
12:30with new fiber, wireless, and satellite technologies, replace more than 600 radars, which have gone way past
12:36their life cycle, and address one runway safety. They want to build six new air traffic control centers
12:41for the first time since the 1960s, and replace towers as well. They want to implement, excuse me,
12:48new modern hardware and software for all traffic facilities to create a common platform system
12:53throughout the towers. These are much needed changes. This is a very bold plan by the Department of
12:58Transportation. I think it's unfortunate that the previous administration sat in their hands and did
13:02nothing but how grateful we are that we have a Department of Transportation and a Secretary and
13:07a President who's willing to take bold action and change. Go ahead.
13:09The Press on the personnel matter, Caroline, could I ask you?
13:11Thanks, Caroline. Just going back to India, Pakistan, can we expect President Trump to get in touch
13:16personally with the leaders of those countries to try and de-escalate this situation?
13:22If and when that happens, we will certainly let you know.
13:24Madam.
13:25Thanks, Caroline. I have a question with the Middle East trip.
13:28Will any of the President's family members, including Don Jr., Eric, or Derek Kushner,
13:33be joining him on the trip?
13:34MS. I am not tracking any of the President's family members joining us at this time,
13:38but of course, the first family is welcome to come. I hope they would. They're great people,
13:42great to be around, but I'm not tracking them on the manifesto.
13:44And given that you noted he is a successful businessman, do you know if the President has
13:48any plans to meet with any of the folks involved with any of the family businesses over there or
13:54see any of the sites that are going to be neutral?
13:57MS. Not to my knowledge, and let me just get to the premise of your question that
14:00both of you have raised. I think it's frankly ridiculous that anyone in this room would even
14:04suggest that President Trump is doing anything for his own benefit. He left a life of luxury and a life
14:10of running a very successful real estate empire for public service, not just once, but twice. And again,
14:16the American public reelected him back to this White House because they trust he acts in the best
14:21interests of our country and putting the American public first. This is a President who has actually
14:25lost money for being President of the United States. I don't remember these same type of
14:29questions being asked of my predecessor about a career politician who was clearly profiting off
14:34of this office. That is not what President Trump does, and this White House holds ourselves to the
14:38highest of ethical standards. Phil.
14:40Thank you. There's this Reuters report that the U.S. is in talks with Israel about an American-led
14:47post-war administration in Gaza. Is that accurate? Are these talks ongoing?
14:51MS. We are in constant communication and dialogue with our counterparts and our allies and friends
14:57in Israel. Ron Dermer was here at the White House yesterday meeting with members of President Trump's
15:02team. As for the situation in Gaza, the President and his entire national security team have made it
15:07very clear we want to see the hostages released from Gaza. That is a priority for this administration.
15:13As for what that looks like, and even moving beyond that, I'm not going to get into the details of
15:18plans that, frankly, may or may not have even been proposed, but I can emphasize what the President
15:23holds closest in his heart right now, and that's the release of all of the hostages in Gaza.
15:27And then there's been some conservative pushback to some of these salt tax,
15:31the salt tax cap. For instance, Majority Leader Steve Scalise said that bringing back the state and
15:36local tax deduction would essentially mean, quote, 45 states are subsidizing five states that have very high
15:42taxes imposed by leftist governors. Is he wrong? Is it fair to ask Red Indiana to bail out Blue New York?
15:52MS. Well, look, this is an ongoing discussion on the Hill. There's a lot of
15:56disagreement on Capitol Hill right now about the salt tax proposal, and we will let them work it out.
16:01As for the tax provisions and the reconciliation bill, the priorities of this President, he has made them
16:07incredibly clear. No tax on tips for our hardworking service workers. No tax on Social Security for our
16:13well-deserving seniors who have worked their whole lives to pay into this system. No tax on overtimes
16:19for hardworking Americans as well. And there's a plethora of other priorities the President wants to see
16:26in this bill. Anyone who opposes this bill will be opposing the largest tax cut in American history.
16:31They will be voting to raise taxes by the tune of $4 trillion on the middle class of this country.
16:38And we look forward to holding them accountable for that. Everyone on Capitol Hill on both sides of
16:42the aisle should be supportive of the President's tax priorities.
16:45Can you follow up on that?
16:45MS. Go ahead. Sure. Go ahead, and then I'll go to your follow-up.
16:49The Press. Thanks, Caroline. So, I want to follow up on a true social post. So, the President is saying 80 percent
16:54tariffs could come down. Just an announcement would be enough to lower those tariffs? Is that what he's looking for?
16:59MS. That's not what the President said. He said that an 80 percent number may sound good to him.
17:06But again, he's in constant contact with our Secretary of Treasury, who will be leading his
17:09negotiations this weekend. And historically, the Chinese have
17:13made the meeting itself a win. What does a win look like out of these meetings for
17:18the President this weekend? MS. A good deal for the American
17:21worker and the American people. Go ahead.
17:23The Press. Yes, Caroline. Yeah, back to the reconciliation bill. Can you just clarify
17:26the President's position, though, a little bit specifically on the tax issue? Because in his
17:30true social post, he said this morning that he would accept even a tiny tax increase for the rich,
17:36but then says Republicans probably shouldn't do it, but I'm okay if they do it. So,
17:40what is it that he wants? Does he want them to increase the tax rates?
17:44MS. The President wants tax cuts, the largest tax cuts in history. He wants to extend his historic tax
17:49cuts from 2017, and he wants to see all of the other tax priorities that I just laid out for you
17:54included in this bill as well. As for the policy proposal you're talking about,
17:58the President has said he himself, personally, would not mind paying a little bit more to help
18:03the poor and the middle class and the working class in this country. I think, frankly, that's a very
18:07honorable position. But again, these negotiations are ongoing on Capitol Hill, and the President
18:12will weigh in when he feels necessary. The Press. So you have to encourage them to
18:16have a higher bracket for top earners? MS. The President has made his personal
18:19position on this matter clear. Michael. The President is in constant
18:24communication with leaders on the Hill. Go ahead.
18:26The Press. The President's trip to the Middle East,
18:28he's mentioned he wants to rename the Persian Gulf the Gulf of Arabia. Iran is now saying that doing
18:34so will bring the wrath of all Iranians. Can you talk about the support that the Gulf of Arabia has in
18:40the region and why this is important to the President? MS. Well, first of all,
18:43the President has said he hasn't made a determination yet. That was in the news that you guys all asked him
18:48about it, and he said he wasn't quite sure. So he hasn't made a definitive decision on that yet.
18:52And secondly, Caroline, the President has shown support for South African refugees that are
18:58coming to the United States next week. Can you talk about what these refugees are fleeing and why
19:03this is a priority for the administration? MS. Well, the President has actually signed
19:06an executive order on that matter. My office can get it back to you, Michael. But this group in South
19:12Africa has faced racial persecution. In fact, the government there has vowed to take away their
19:19farmland that they own. And so the President has talked significantly about this. As for further
19:25details on refugee claims and asylum claims, I would defer you to the State Department.
19:30Can I follow up one more?
19:31MS. Go ahead. No, in front of you.
19:33Thanks, Caroline. Does the administration have any response to the news today that a federal
19:37judge has ordered the immediate release of Ramesa Ozturk from detention, and particularly his comments
19:42that the government submitted no evidence other than an op-ed that Ozturk wrote last year?
19:46MS. I will have to check in with the Department of Homeland Security on that particular case,
19:50but I think our overall feeling we've made quite clear that lower-level judges should not be dictating
19:57the foreign policy of the United States. And we absolutely believe that the President and the
20:01Department of Homeland Security are well within their legal rights to deport illegal immigrants.
20:06As for visa revocations, the Secretary of State has the right to do that as well.
20:12It is a privilege, not a right, to come to this country on a visa. But I'll check in on this
20:15specific case. My office will get you details.
20:17MS. Sure.
20:18Caroline, yesterday the administration appears to have started dismantling the Consumer Product
20:24Safety Commission. This is the federal agency, an independent one, that does recalls and is
20:29responsible for product safety. Does the administration not believe that it's important to keep
20:35toys and cribs? I mean, you're a young mom off of the market?
20:41MS. It's a federal agency within which branch?
20:43It's the executive branch. Who's the head of the executive branch? The President of the United States.
20:49MS. Created by Congress.
20:50MS. He has the right to fire people within the executive branch. It's a pretty simple answer.
20:54Francesca.
20:55Thanks. One foreign policy one and then a domestic policy thing, if I could.
20:59As far as the President's trip goes next week, is he planning to meet with the FIFA
21:04President in either Saudi Arabia or Qatar? And if so, could you give us some more details about that?
21:08MS. The President has quite a few meetings with many people when he is there. We can
21:13certainly check out the itinerary and let you know if the FIFA President will be there next week.
21:17Frankly, I'm not quite sure, but we can certainly get you an answer. As you know,
21:20the President attended a FIFA Task Force meeting at the White House this week.
21:23And on the domestic front, could you explain why the FEMA administrator was removed from his
21:30position this week?
21:31MS. Well, this is a personnel matter in regards to the Department of Homeland Security,
21:35but my understanding is that this individual testified saying something that was contrary to
21:41what the President believes and the goals of this administration in regards to FEMA policy.
21:46And so, of course, we want to make sure that people in every position are advancing
21:49the administration's goals. But as for specifics, I'd defer you to the Department of Homeland Security.
21:54We leave it up to our great Cabinet secretaries when it comes to personnel matters.
21:58Sure, in the back.
21:59AID hasn't gone into Gaza in 10 weeks. Israel said that this is a policy to pressure Hamas
22:06in the negotiations, the ceasefire negotiations. Is this a policy that this administration supports?
22:11MS. The President answered this this week. He said that he wants to ensure that aid can get
22:15into Gaza. But we have to do it in a responsible way to ensure it doesn't end up in the hands of
22:20terrorists. So this is something the administration is actively working on. And when we have
22:25a policy to announce on this definitively, we can certainly let you know.
22:28Can you talk about this effort for the U.S. to take over the distribution of aid in Gaza to exclude
22:35Israel? But also international organizations said this effort militarizes aid.
22:41MS. I would reject that characterization by whatever groups you are citing. Kelly.
22:46Caroline, thank you. I want to get back to the First Lady Melania Trump dealing with foster
22:52children. That's an important component in American life to see what happens to the future
22:57of our children, particularly in foster care. Can you explain the significance of this development
23:02between the First Lady and the housing and urban development?
23:06MS. Yes, absolutely. It's millions of dollars that will go into a program that helps
23:10these children transition out of foster care to have productive and positive lives. And
23:16I'd like to share a personal story, since you asked, if I may. I hope the First Lady won't mind.
23:20I was at an event in Florida last year, and I was approached by a gentleman who was a foster dad.
23:28And he had taken in, I think it was six or seven foster children. And he spoke to me. He had recognized me
23:35in my work for President Trump's campaign at the time. And the little boy who was with him talked
23:40about the personal relationship that he had with First Lady Melania Trump, and the conversation she
23:47had had with him, and how she really encouraged him to be the best that he could be during her first
23:51term here at the White House, and how even after she and President Trump left the White House, she kept in
23:56very close touch with this young foster child. It was a touching moment that I will never forget.
24:02And it speaks to the heart of this First Lady and the great work that she is doing for foster
24:06children. And this is certainly a very big announcement that I know our Secretary of Housing
24:11and Urban Development is, in particular, very excited about. And we can certainly get you all the
24:15details on that program. John.
24:17Thanks a lot, Carolyn. I want to ask you about the trade deal that the President announced yesterday
24:22with the U.K. as it relates to the auto sector. The trade group that represents the Big Three
24:28here in the U.S. believes that it may put the Big Three automakers at a competitive disadvantage.
24:34What the trade group says is that it will now be cheaper to import a U.K. vehicle with very little
24:41American content than a U.S. MCA-compliant vehicle imported from Mexico or Canada with just 50 percent
24:50American content. What's your response to that criticism coming from this trade group?
24:56Well, first of all, let's be clear about what the deal does. It sets a 10 percent rate on auto
25:01import ports for the first 100 cars that are imported into the United States. 100,000 cars, thank you.
25:07That would be very little, very few cars. 100,000 cars imported from the United Kingdom. After 100,000
25:13vehicles, it goes back up to a 25 percent tariff. And as for our U.S. auto manufacturers,
25:19our auto industry, the President wants to put them on the best pedestal to compete. And by the way,
25:25if they produce vehicles right here in the United States of America, they will face no tariff at all.
25:30I would argue of any industry, the President has spent more time talking to and listening to the
25:35concerns of our auto industry here at home. He hears them. He believes in them. He wants to see them
25:41produce their vehicles here in the United States of America. This is a good deal for them, too.
25:45Is this a model for European and Asian vehicles as well, what we see coming out of the UK trade deal
25:54with the U.S.? Look, all of these deals are going to be tailor-made. The President has said
25:58that from the beginning. It's very apropos that the first trade deal was announced between the
26:02United States and the United Kingdom, one of our oldest and greatest allies. But each country has
26:07unique concerns and challenges in terms of American industry. We need to open up markets in every
26:14single country. And obviously, the needs are unique. So our trade team is looking at each country and
26:20the advantages that we can pursue for American industries and American workers.
26:24Happy early Mother's Day. Oh, thank you. The President said yesterday that he would be
26:29speaking with Zelenskyy shortly. Did that call happen yesterday, or do we expect that to happen
26:33in the near term? The call happened yesterday. President Zelenskyy called the President
26:37to tell him that the critical minerals deal had passed the parliament in Ukraine. I talked to the
26:43President about that call. He said it was very good and productive. And of course, the critical minerals
26:48deal is great for Ukraine, but also, of course, for the United States of America and our taxpayers here.
26:53It was a good call. And they also spoke about, of course, the ceasefire that the President proposed,
26:58the 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, which we know Europe is on board with, and we hope
27:04both countries will agree to. The Press on next week, do we expect President Putin? Is there any
27:08chance that he could meet with Trump while he's in the region? The President answered this yesterday.
27:13Not going to happen. The Press on the ceasefire. Has he got any reaction from Zelenskyy or Putin on
27:17the proposal for a ceasefire? Is he satisfied by the reaction to that proposal? Not to my knowledge,
27:22but certainly if there is a reaction and updates, I'm sure you'll hear directly from the President.
27:26The Press on the question. The President fired the Librarian of Congress. Why did he choose to do that?
27:30We felt she did not fit the needs of the American people. There were quite concerning things that
27:35she had done at the Library of Congress in the pursuit of DEI and putting inappropriate books in
27:40the library for children. And we don't believe that she was serving the interests of the American taxpayer
27:45well. So she has been removed from her position, and the President is well within his rights to do that.
27:49John. Thank you, Caroline. Happy Mother's Day as well.
27:52Thank you. President Trump ran on delivering the
27:56biggest tax cut in history. He got over 70 million votes. Right now, you got a handful of
28:00obstructionists in the Republican conference that are saying they're not going to go along
28:06with his tax cut package. You just said those that don't will be held accountable. What is your
28:13description of being held accountable? Well, look, I think they'll be held accountable by the voters.
28:19The President will be held accountable for the voters in their respective districts if they
28:22choose to vote for a tax height to the tune of $4 trillion, which would raise taxes to thousands
28:29of dollars per household in this country. The President has great political instincts. That's
28:34why he's back in the Oval Office, and Capitol Hill should follow his lead. As for the President,
28:38speaking of him, he will be signing executive orders later this afternoon. We are happy to provide
28:43more information on those executive orders if you wish. Thank you for the Mother's Day wishes,
28:47and happy Mother's Day to all of the moms in the room. And don't forget to call your mom this Sunday.
28:52We'll see you guys later. Have a good weekend.
28:53Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Caroline.
28:55Thank you. Thank you so much.