FULL BRIEFING: Trump, Hegseth & Gen. Cain on Iran Rescue Mission, Hormuz Threat & New Strikes — AC1E

[0:02] The President It's a great honor to be with you. [0:05] And Happy Easter. [0:07] We had a great Easter. [0:08] This is one of our better Easter's, I think, in a [0:10] lot of different ways. [0:11] I can say, militarily, it's been one of the best. [0:16] So, good afternoon. [0:18] We have quite a bit to discuss. [0:20] We'll go into pretty good detail. [0:23] And we have the people that are most involved. [0:25] We'll give you exactitude. [0:29] And we're here today to celebrate the success of [0:32] one of the largest, most complex, most harrowing [0:35] combat searches. [0:37] I guess you would call it a search and rescue [0:39] mission ever attempted by the military. [0:43] Generally, when planes are knocked down in war, [0:46] especially when you're fighting a strong group, [0:50] an evil group, you can't really do this because you [0:55] send in 200 men to pick up one. [0:58] And it's something that's usually not attempted as [1:00] much as you want to attempt. [1:02] And bad things happen to that one or two. [1:06] And in this case, we did two and might not have [1:08] been attempted before, but we did. [1:11] And we got we had great talent. [1:13] We got a little luck, too, I would say. [1:16] And we were helped by a lot of people, a lot of [1:20] great people. [1:22] And it was an honor to be involved with it. [1:23] It's very historic. [1:26] This is a rescue that's very historic. [1:30] It'll go down in the books. [1:31] Late Thursday night, an American F-15 fighter jet [1:35] went down deep inside enemy territory in Iran [1:39] while participating in Operation Epic Fury, [1:43] where we're doing unbelievably well. [1:45] Well, at a level that nobody has ever seen before. [1:50] The entire country could be taken out in one night. [1:53] And that night might be tomorrow night. [1:56] Both members of the crew ejected from the aircraft [1:59] and landed alive on Iranian soil. [2:02] I immediately was asked to make a decision. [2:08] I ordered the U.S. [2:09] Armed Forces to do whatever was necessary to [2:11] bring our brave warriors back home. [2:13] A risky decision because we could have ended up [2:17] with 100 dead as opposed to one or two. [2:20] It's a hard decision to make. [2:23] But in the United States military, we leave no [2:26] American behind. [2:27] We don't do it. [2:29] Within hours, our armed forces deployed 21 military [2:32] aircraft into hostile airspace, many flying at [2:35] very low altitude, being shot by bullets. [2:40] You bring rifles into play when you're going that [2:42] low. [2:44] There are also certain advantages. [2:47] And in broad daylight over Iran for seven hours at [2:51] times facing very, very heavy enemy fire, we have [2:55] a helicopter that's got a lot of bullets in it. [2:57] It's amazing. [2:58] We just realized how good those those weapons are. [3:01] Those are machines are nobody has. [3:05] Nobody has the equipment that we have and nobody [3:07] has the military that we have. [3:09] Not even close to the most powerful military [3:12] anywhere in the world. [3:12] By far, the flight crews and warfighters aboard [3:16] those aircraft took extraordinary risks to [3:19] rescue their fellow service members. [3:22] This first wave of search and rescue forces [3:24] successfully located. [3:26] The. [3:26] Pilot of the F-15 and he was extracted from enemy [3:31] territory by an HH 60 Jolly Green to helicopter. [3:36] Fabulous machine as our warriors faced gunfire at [3:40] very close range. [3:43] It's amazing that when you look at the machinery, [3:47] what happened, that nobody was even injured. [3:50] Meanwhile, the second crew member, a weapons [3:53] system officer, highly respected colonel, had [3:56] landed a significant distance away from the [3:58] pilot when you're going. [3:59] At those speeds, even if you go out two or three [4:02] seconds later, it's miles, it's miles and miles [4:06] away because you're going fast. [4:09] He was injured quite badly and stranded in an area [4:13] teeming with terrorists from the Islamic [4:15] Revolutionary Guard Corps Rough Group, as well as [4:19] besieged military militia and local authorities. [4:24] Many on top of everything else, they told the [4:29] communities actually with inside. [4:31] Of Iran, the people of Iran, they were given a [4:35] tremendous incentive to find this pilot. [4:39] Despite the peril, the officer followed his [4:41] training and climbed into the treacherous mountain [4:44] terrain and started climbing toward a higher [4:48] altitude, something they were trained to do in [4:51] order to evade capture. [4:54] They want to always go as far away from the site of [4:59] the shoot down. [5:01] You want to go as far away because they all. [5:02] Head right to that site. [5:04] You want to be as far away as you can. [5:07] And he was injured and he was an amazing, amazing [5:10] thing. [5:11] He scaled cliff faces, bleeding rather profusely, [5:16] treated his own wounds and contacted American forces [5:20] to transmit his location. [5:23] They have a very sophisticated beeper type [5:28] apparatus that is on them at all times. [5:32] And when they when they go out on these missions, [5:34] they make sure they have lots of. [5:36] Battery space and they're in good shape. [5:39] And this one worked really well. [5:41] Amazingly saved his life. [5:43] We immediately mobilized a massive operation to [5:46] retrieve him from the mountain holdout, and he [5:51] kept going higher and higher. [5:52] The mountain kept getting rougher and rougher and [5:55] really very, very hard to find. [5:58] The second rescue mission involved 155 aircraft, [6:02] including four bombers, 64 fighters, 48 refueling [6:07] tankers. [6:08] 13. [6:08] We were bringing them all over. [6:13] And a lot of it was subterfuge. [6:15] We wanted to have them think he was in a [6:17] different location because they had a vast military [6:21] force out there. [6:22] Thousands, thousands of people were looking. [6:25] So we wanted them to look in different areas. [6:27] So we were scattered all over like we were right on [6:31] top of them. [6:32] We had seven different locations where they [6:35] thought and they were very confused. [6:36] They said, Well, wait a minute. [6:37] They've got groups here. [6:38] They've got groups there. [6:39] It's an amazing thing. [6:42] I was listening to these great people, these great [6:47] generals. [6:48] General Raising Cane was amazing. [6:50] And Pete Hexeth was amazing. [6:51] But I listened to the whole thing. [6:53] It was pretty amazing. [6:55] So they had all these different sites where [6:56] everybody thought he was located. [6:59] We think we have him over there because they have [7:01] nine planes circling a little area that's 25 [7:05] miles down the coast. [7:08] So in a breathtaking show of skill and precision, [7:12] lethality and force. [7:13] America's military descended on the area, the [7:17] real area, engaged the enemy, rescued the [7:21] stranded officer, destroyed all threats, and [7:25] exited Iranian territory while taking no casualties [7:28] of any kind. [7:30] The heroic F-15 weapons system officer had evaded [7:34] capture on the ground in Iran for almost 48 hours. [7:40] That's a long time when you're in tough shape and [7:43] when you're bleeding. [7:43] It's a long time. [7:45] When we left, as you probably know, we had two [7:50] large planes, old, pretty old planes. [7:53] It carried a lot. [7:54] We needed a lot more equipment going in than [7:56] coming out, obviously, because going in, we [7:59] needed to be able to scale mountains. [8:02] And we had a lot of equipment. [8:04] But the sand was it was sandy, wet sand. [8:08] So we thought there may be a problem taking off [8:11] because of the weight of the plane. [8:13] And then we also had all the men jumping back onto [8:15] the planes. [8:17] And they got pretty well bogged down. [8:19] And we had a contingency plan, which was [8:22] unbelievable, where lighter, faster aircraft [8:25] came in and they took them out. [8:27] We blew up the old planes. [8:29] We blew them up to smithereens because we had [8:32] equipment on the planes that, frankly, we'd like [8:34] to take, but I don't think it was worthwhile [8:36] spending another four hours there taking it off. [8:39] So we didn't want anybody to have the best, best [8:42] equipment anywhere in the world. [8:43] We didn't want anybody examining our anti-aircraft [8:48] other equipment. [8:50] So these were large planes that were old and [8:53] pretty old. [8:53] And we blew them up and we had faster, lighter [8:58] planes come in and they were able to land on the sand. [9:01] We needed the bigger planes because we had so [9:02] much equipment that we knew. [9:03] We took three helicopters over there, which were very [9:06] strongly used and couldn't have lived without them. [9:09] They did. [9:10] And they performed unbelievably well. [9:12] And if you'd see it, you wouldn't believe it. [9:14] They came off the plane and these guys had them. [9:17] The the the rotors. [9:19] The rotors were off. [9:21] They rebuilt these helicopters in less than 10 [9:24] minutes. [9:26] And that was one of the more amazing things. [9:28] These are helicopters, small, unbelievably [9:33] powerful, but small, very small so it can get into [9:37] certain areas. [9:39] And they got them off the plane and they rebuilt all [9:42] three of them in a matter of less than I would say [9:46] less than 10 minutes. [9:47] It's pretty amazing what the genius of these [9:50] people. [9:51] You'd think that you'd think it would take five [9:53] days to build them. [9:54] And in some companies, it would take five days and [9:56] they wouldn't do it well. [9:58] But they served us well. [10:00] As Commander Chief, I never forget the [10:03] extraordinary risk taken by the warriors that we send [10:07] into battle and the genius. [10:08] I mean, think of it having a contingency of three [10:11] planes waiting because we think the sand is so bad [10:14] that we probably won't be able to take off. [10:17] And the planes really got bogged. [10:19] Sand was this was not much of a runway. [10:22] This was a farm, not a runway. [10:24] It's a farm, but it did the trick. [10:27] But to have a contingency as opposed to having to [10:29] wait two days. [10:30] Can you imagine right in the middle? [10:32] This was central. [10:34] This was right. [10:35] You would call it central casting if you were doing a [10:38] movie for location and probably the toughest area [10:42] of Iran where we'd be sitting there. [10:44] So these planes came in. [10:45] Those pilots came in so fast and so quick and got [10:48] out of there. [10:49] Everybody got aboard and just got 15 minute [10:52] intervals. [10:53] One load out. [10:55] One load out. [10:56] One load out. [10:58] It happened. [10:59] And we were watching and we said, that's amazing. [11:02] In many ways, I was I was almost more impressed by [11:06] the contingency that we had than the fact that, [11:11] you know, if we would have had a runway or decent [11:13] soil, but it was an amazing thing. [11:15] But we thank God for every single one of them. [11:18] And the talent, the genius is not even talent. [11:21] It's genius. [11:22] It's the whole ballgame. [11:24] Every one of them. [11:26] If you look at what we did with Maduro, we went [11:28] into a military compound, a massive with thousands [11:32] and thousands of soldiers within a matter of minutes. [11:36] And he lived behind iron doors. [11:37] There were steel doors, broke them down so quickly. [11:41] And within almost minutes, he was in the back of [11:44] these planes. [11:44] It was a similar group. [11:46] Incredible. [11:47] We have incredibly talented people. [11:49] And if the time comes, we move heaven and earth to [11:53] bring them home safely. [11:54] We're going to bring our people home safely. [11:55] I want to thank every member of the U.S. [11:58] Armed Forces involved in these historic operations. [12:01] They really were historic. [12:03] It's just not something that's done. [12:05] And you'd understand it. [12:06] Not that they don't want to do it. [12:08] But when you're going into areas, when you look at [12:10] these helicopters, when you look at the amount of [12:12] bullets and everything else that they took, when [12:14] you go into these areas, you don't come out like we [12:18] came out. [12:19] God was watching us. [12:20] Well, it was the Easter. [12:23] We were in an Easter territory, I guess. [12:27] But God was watching us. [12:28] It was amazing. [12:29] Because when you look at the machinery, they took [12:32] damage. [12:33] It tells you. [12:34] First thing I said is, these are unbelievable [12:36] machines. [12:36] They flew back and not even much of a problem. [12:41] But these two extraordinary rescues [12:43] because it was too. [12:44] And as you probably know, we didn't talk about the [12:46] first one for an hour. [12:48] And then somebody leaked something, which we'll [12:51] hopefully find that leaker. [12:52] We're looking very hard to find that leaker. [12:55] And talked about there's somebody missing. [12:59] They basically said that. [13:01] We have one, and there's somebody missing. [13:03] Well, they didn't know there was somebody missing [13:04] until this leaker gave the information. [13:07] So whoever it was, we think we'll be able to [13:09] find it out because we're going to go to the media [13:12] company that released it, and we're going to say, [13:17] National Security, give it up or go to jail. [13:20] And we know who and you know who we're talking [13:23] about, because some things you can't do. [13:26] Because when they did that, all of a sudden, the [13:29] entire country of Iran knew that there was a [13:33] pilot that was somewhere. [13:34] They were on their land that was fighting for his [13:37] life. [13:39] And it also made it much more difficult for the [13:43] pilots and for the people going in to search for him. [13:46] All of a sudden, they know that there's somebody out [13:49] there. [13:50] They see all these planes coming in. [13:51] It became a much more difficult operation because [13:55] a leaker leaked that we have one, we've rescued [13:59] one, but there's another one out there that we're [14:02] trying to get. [14:04] So, actually, the country, Iran, has been [14:08] putting out a major notice, you all saw it, [14:11] offering a very big award for anybody that captures [14:16] the pilot. [14:16] So, in addition to a hostile, very talented, [14:20] very good, very evil military, we had millions [14:25] of people trying to get an award. [14:27] So, when you add that to it, but we have to find [14:31] that leaker because that's a sick person. [14:33] Probably didn't realize the extent of how bad it [14:36] was. [14:37] I can't imagine that the person did. [14:38] But we're going to find out. [14:40] It's National Security. [14:41] And the person that did the story will go to jail [14:46] if he doesn't say. [14:47] And that doesn't last long. [14:49] And I think everybody would understand that they [14:50] put this mission at great risk. [14:52] They put that man at great risk, and they put the [14:54] hundreds of people that went in looking for him [14:57] because everyone now knows that we're going in. [15:02] Over the past 37 days, America's armed forces [15:05] have carried out more than 10,000 combat flights [15:09] over Iran, unheard of, striking more than 13,000 [15:12] targets. [15:13] The F-15 we lost last week was the first manned [15:17] aircraft downed by the enemy in this entire [15:20] operation, with thousands and thousands of flights. [15:23] They got lucky. [15:23] It was a lucky hit. [15:25] You know, eventually, you get lucky. [15:28] But we got lucky, too, because we got both of them [15:30] back. [15:31] But it's a record that is unparalleled in the [15:33] history of military air operations. [15:36] Nobody has ever seen anything like it. [15:38] It's such an honor to be involved with it. [15:42] We were up late at night. [15:45] And then we were waiting for those contingent planes [15:49] to come in, and we said, come on, let's go get in. [15:51] Because they're waiting out on this farm without a [15:56] runway, with wet, crummy soil, sand, mostly sand, [16:02] wet sand. [16:04] And it eats planes alive. [16:06] And we're waiting, and we're saying, I hope that [16:08] one can land and take off. [16:11] And they came in like magic. [16:12] Boom, boom, boom, one after another. [16:14] It was like genius. [16:16] I'm so impressed by that because we were a little [16:19] concerned. [16:19] We said, boy. [16:21] If they don't get in and get up fast, we're [16:23] sitting in the middle. [16:24] And that's called Iran Prime, right, General? [16:28] That's where the whole bet is. [16:31] And here we are, sitting there, waiting for a [16:34] plane. [16:34] But they came in so fast and so hard, and these [16:37] guys knew exactly what to do. [16:38] Let's go. [16:39] Come on, get in. [16:40] Let's go. [16:40] Pwah. [16:41] They came one right after another. [16:43] Not at the same time. [16:45] They don't want to come at the same time. [16:47] They had to come right after each other. [16:48] They didn't have any room. [16:49] There was barely any room to land. [16:51] Tiny little patches. [16:52] A very wet earth and sand. [16:57] So I just, I'm so proud of the people that I have [17:00] standing up here with me, and many others that [17:02] worked. [17:02] I mean, so many. [17:04] Steve Witkoff is over here. [17:05] He's doing fantastically. [17:07] Jared Kushner. [17:08] But the people that are here, the job they did is [17:11] amazing. [17:12] And I think I'm going to introduce the head of the [17:15] CIA, and he is a man who is central casting, okay? [17:21] If we cast a movie, he's going to play the head of [17:23] the CIA. [17:23] He's one of the few. [17:25] John Ratcliffe. [17:26] He did a phenomenal job that night. [17:29] He did something that I don't know if you want to [17:31] talk about it. [17:31] If you want, you can. [17:32] I'm not sure he's supposed to. [17:33] I'm not going to talk about it. [17:34] But he really, the CIA was very responsible for [17:38] finding this little speck. [17:39] It's like they used an expression on one of the [17:42] shows the General was talking about. [17:44] It's like finding a needle in a haystack, finding [17:46] this pilot. [17:48] And the CIA was unbelievable. [17:50] And you may, if you can, you'll talk. [17:52] It might be classified, in which case I'd have to [17:55] put him in jail if he talks about it. [17:57] And I don't want to put him in jail. [17:59] He doesn't deserve that. [18:00] So, John, do you want to say a few words? [18:02] Thank you. [18:05] Mr. Thank you, Mr. President. [18:06] It's a privilege to be here with you today to [18:09] share what we can about this exceptional mission [18:13] and to recognize the ingenuity and bravery of [18:16] those who executed it, as well as the leadership and [18:19] resolve of the President who ordered it. [18:23] One thing that has been clear to me in this role is [18:25] that the flawless military operations that the [18:28] Department of War is known for are hostage. [18:32] And we've seen that in the skies over Iran in [18:37] Operation Midnight Hammer last summer. [18:39] We witnessed it in Venezuela during Operation [18:42] Absolute Resolve. [18:44] We've seen it against the cartels in the Western [18:46] Hemisphere, and we're seeing it every day in [18:50] Operation Epic Fury, including this mission to [18:54] rescue an aviator buried deep behind enemy lines. [18:58] Because it is the unique tradition of the U.S. [19:01] Armed Forces that we leave no man or woman behind, [19:05] this was a no-fail mission. [19:08] That was the spirit in which the President put us [19:10] to work, and we were determined not to let him [19:13] down or our airmen down. [19:18] As an agency, the CIA possesses unique [19:21] capabilities that only the President can deploy. [19:25] Some of these capabilities fall under covert action [19:27] authorities, and because covert means exactly that, [19:32] I'm not going to be able to tell you everything that [19:35] you want to know. [19:38] At the President's direction, we deployed [19:40] both human assets and exquisite technology. [19:43] Technologies that no other intelligence service in [19:45] the world possesses, to a daunting challenge, [19:48] comparable to hunting for a single grain of sand in [19:53] the middle of a desert. [19:55] This was also a race against the clock, as it [19:58] was critical that we locate the downed aviator [20:01] as quickly as possible, while at the same time [20:05] keeping our enemies misdirected. [20:08] For that reason, in addition to the human and [20:12] technical assets deployed by the President to find [20:15] our airmen. [20:17] CIA executed a deception campaign to confuse the [20:20] Iranians who were desperately hunting for our [20:24] airmen. [20:25] On Saturday morning, we achieved our primary [20:28] objective by finding and providing confirmation [20:32] that one of America's best and bravest was alive and [20:36] concealed in a mountain crevice, still invisible to [20:40] the enemy, but not to the CIA. [20:44] That confirmation was relayed by Secretary [20:46] Hegseth to the President, and the operation quickly [20:49] moved to the execution phase. [20:52] Following the successful exfiltration on Saturday [20:55] night, our intelligence reflects that the Iranians [20:59] were embarrassed and ultimately humiliated by [21:02] the success of this audacious rescue mission. [21:07] When the President asked me to lead the CIA, he made [21:11] it clear, get back to basics, no politics, no [21:14] agendas, tackle the hardest problems, and execute the [21:18] toughest missions. [21:20] This President is about results, and now, that's [21:24] what his CIA is about, too. [21:27] The professionals at the Department of Defense and the [21:28] agency, and at the Department of War deserve [21:32] immense credit for their flawless execution during [21:34] this daring mission. [21:36] Their skill, creativity, and courage are unmatched [21:40] on the battlefield wherever they step, but [21:44] none of that matters, and all of that is wasted [21:48] without a President with the political courage to [21:51] put them into action. [21:54] Mr. President, I've had the privilege of seeing you [21:58] act with political courage in the best interest of the [22:00] United States up close on a daily basis, and I'm [22:02] grateful that this successful mission has [22:04] given the American people a window into that as well. [22:10] The Secretary and Chairman will tell you that our [22:12] service members' confidence is boosted by a Commander in [22:15] Chief who has their back the same way they have [22:19] yours, and I know that the confidence of CIA's officers [22:24] is boosted by the knowledge that their work is informing [22:27] a President who's not afraid to make the hardest [22:31] decisions when the stakes are highest. [22:35] And to the American people, your confidence should be [22:39] boosted by knowing that the security of the nation [22:42] is in the hands of a President who's willing to [22:45] take on problems that have confounded both sides of the [22:49] political aisle for nearly half a century. [22:53] It is an honor to serve under a leader who just [22:55] proved that you can believe him when he says, [23:00] no matter what, we will leave no one behind. [23:04] We will come for you. [23:06] Thank you. [23:15] The President Well, John, thank you for the [23:16] collaboration of the CIA as well. [23:18] Incredible and ongoing partnership. [23:21] Ladies and gentlemen, fellow Americans, and [23:23] especially the brave warriors in our armed [23:25] forces, over this Easter weekend, the United States [23:29] military has once again proved why we possess the [23:32] greatest fighting force the world has ever known. [23:36] In two extraordinary combat search and rescue [23:39] operations deep inside enemy territory in Iran, [23:43] our warriors executed missions of breathtaking [23:46] skill, courage, and precision. [23:50] When our warriors are unleashed, as this [23:52] President has allowed them to be, they are [23:55] unstoppable. [23:55] When American airmen were down behind enemy lines, [24:00] our forces and our President did not hesitate. [24:03] Special operators supported by elite air crews and [24:06] intelligence professionals moved swiftly and decisively [24:09] into treacherous mountain terrain under the constant [24:12] threat of Iranian forces closing in. [24:15] Ultimately, it was an impotent Iranian threat. [24:19] And today, as the CIA director mentioned, Iran's [24:22] military, and we know this, is embarrassed and [24:25] humiliated, and they should be. [24:27] Now, these are not routine operations. [24:30] They were high-risk, high-stakes missions [24:33] conducted in the heart of enemy territory. [24:35] This was not just barely into Iran. [24:37] This was deep into Iran, involving coordinated [24:40] strikes to suppress threats, deception tactics [24:42] to protect our teams, and full synchronization [24:45] across air, ground, and special operations. [24:48] The Iranians are still asking themselves right [24:50] now, how did the Americans do this? [24:55] One downed airman evaded capture for more than a [24:58] day. [24:59] Scaling rugged ridges while hunted by the enemy. [25:03] When he was finally able to activate his emergency [25:06] transponder, his first message was simple, and it [25:10] was powerful. [25:12] He sent a message, God is good. [25:16] In that moment of isolation and danger, his faith and [25:20] fighting spirit shown through. [25:22] You see, shot down on a Friday, Good Friday. [25:26] Hidden in a cave, a crevice, all of Saturday, [25:32] and rescued on Sunday. [25:34] Flown out of Iran. [25:36] As the sun was rising on Easter Sunday. [25:41] A pilot reborn, all home and accounted for. [25:45] A nation rejoicing. [25:47] God is good. [25:51] Despite incoming fire and unforgiving conditions, [25:53] our troops brought every American home. [25:56] No American lives were lost. [25:59] We leave no man behind. [26:00] And that is not luck. [26:02] It's the result of unmatched training, superior [26:04] technology, an unbreakable warrior ethos, and sheer [26:09] American grit. [26:10] Our special operators, pilots, and support crews [26:13] performed with near perfection under fire. [26:17] And they were lethal. [26:20] Just ask any Iranian soldier who dared attempt to [26:24] get anywhere near that pilot before or during that [26:28] mission. [26:29] Death from above. [26:32] Our troops turned a potential tragedy into a [26:34] resounding demonstration of American resolve and [26:36] capability. [26:37] That's what excellence in uniform looks like. [26:41] But make no mistake about it. [26:42] None of our troops have been able to survive the [26:44] situation. [26:45] And neither has the U.S. [26:47] Air Force. [26:48] We will survive this, would have been possible [26:50] without the courageous leadership and ironclad [26:54] determination of President Donald J. [26:55] Trump. [26:56] From the moment our airmen went down, [26:58] President Trump made it clear, we will leave no [27:02] one behind. [27:03] The first mission, the first of two, was an [27:07] audacious daylight thunder run. [27:10] Right up the middle. [27:12] It was authorized in less than two hours from that [27:16] pilot going down when we knew where he was. [27:17] And it was authorized in the middle of the night. [27:17] because anybody that's worked for this man [27:19] knows he's up in the middle of the night. [27:21] Authorized immediately, without hesitation, audaciously. [27:25] The second mission, as soon as we knew where that pilot was, [27:28] and John was certainly helpful in that, [27:31] also executed immediately. [27:33] You know, I looked up at my screen [27:35] when the final mission was complete inside our SCIF, [27:37] our secure facility, and we have a running VTC, [27:40] a running coordination cell, and the top of it read 45 minutes [27:46] and 45 hours and 56 minutes. [27:50] For 45 hours and 56 minutes, [27:53] we held that call open for coordination. [27:55] From the moment our pilots went down, [27:57] our mission was unblinking. [28:00] The call never dropped, the meeting never stopped, [28:03] the planning never ceased. [28:06] The president demanded rapid, decisive action. [28:08] He backed our military with the full weight of his resolve, [28:11] refusing to let enemy propaganda [28:13] or tactical setbacks deter us. [28:15] His leadership ensured that every lethal [28:19] and nonlethal resource was brought to bear, [28:21] that our forces had [28:22] the unwavering power to fight and defend [28:22] the United States and the United States, [28:23] and that the United States and the United States [28:24] had the military, the military authorities, [28:25] and the support they needed to succeed. [28:26] When the president says he has the backs of our warfighters, [28:29] he means it, and it means a great deal, [28:33] and it's a big difference on the battlefield. [28:36] President Trump understands that peace through strength [28:37] is not a slogan. [28:40] It is a doctrine that saves American lives. [28:44] His unwavering commitment to rebuilding our military [28:46] and restoring the warrior spirit has paid dividends [28:49] in missions just like this one. [28:53] Under his command, America projects power with [28:55] confidence and brings our people home with victory. [28:59] And that continues today, by the way. [29:01] Per the president's direction, today will be the largest volume [29:04] of strikes since day one of this operation. [29:07] Tomorrow, even more than today. [29:10] And then Iran has a choice. [29:12] Choose wisely, because this president does not play around. [29:18] You can ask Soleimani. [29:20] You can ask Maduro. [29:21] You can ask Khomeini. [29:24] To those heroes who planned and executed these rescues, [29:27] your nation stands in awe. [29:29] I stand in awe. [29:30] The chairman stands in awe. [29:31] We all stand in awe of your professionalism and bravery. [29:35] We serve for you. [29:37] You embody the very best of America. [29:39] To the rescued airmen and their families, welcome home. [29:42] Your courage and endurance, the quiet declaration of faith amid the storm, inspires us all. [29:50] God is good every day. [29:54] And to our adversaries watching from Tehran, let this be a clear message. [29:59] The United States military will go anywhere, at any time, to protect our own. [30:02] The United States military will go anywhere, at any time, to protect our own. [30:04] We now have a return to the양 and complete the mission. [30:05] We now have a return to the either anded. [30:08] We checking,completement and complete the mission. [30:10] We execute with precision. [30:11] We control the sky. [30:12] You see, we flew for seven hours in daylight over Iran to get the first pilot. [30:15] And we flew seven hours in the middle of the night to get the second. [30:17] And Iran did nothing about it. [30:18] We fight with honor. [30:19] And under President Trump's leadership, we win. [30:24] So God bless our troops. [30:25] God bless President Trump. [30:28] And God bless the United States of America. [30:31] You know, it's one of many issues, one of many schools tables. [30:31] One of many families. [30:32] One of many units. [30:34] One of many children. [30:35] And one of many individuals from different countries. [30:39] So those reflective conversations. [30:40] Is an important question. [30:40] Thank you, Mr. President. [30:42] Thank you, Mr. Secretary. [30:43] I know before I start, I know many of you want [30:46] specific details in these briefings. [30:49] We will share what we can, but I will retain what I [30:53] must in the event that we have to go do this again [30:56] sometime. [30:57] And I cannot stress the importance, as the [31:00] President said, around operational security. [31:03] The Secretary and I will do a more detailed [31:05] briefing tomorrow morning, and we look forward to [31:07] sharing the details that we can. [31:10] On Thursday, 2 April, at 1010 p.m. [31:12] Eastern Time, 440 in the morning, local Iran time, [31:16] the Joint Personnel Recovery Center, which [31:18] handles the Central Command Area of [31:20] Responsibility, declared an isolated personnel [31:23] recovery event for a U.S. [31:25] Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle, callsign DUDE44, [31:29] which was down in hostile Iranian territory. [31:33] The pilot and weapons system officer had both [31:35] safely ejected and were isolated behind enemy [31:38] lines. [31:39] Following [31:40] confirmation of active rescue beacons, and on [31:43] the direction of the Secretary and by order of [31:45] the President, a rescue operation was launched [31:48] with the stated purpose of bringing both Americans [31:51] home safely. [31:53] As the Secretary said several hours later on [31:55] the morning, after positively locating the [31:58] front-seater, callsign DUDE44, and aware of an [32:03] aggressive, ongoing search by the enemy, a U.S. [32:06] Central Command plan was approved by the Secretary [32:09] and the President. [32:10] Shortly thereafter, a U.S. [32:12] Air Force Combat Search and Rescue Task Force, [32:16] comprised of A-10 Warthogs in their Sandy role, [32:20] and I'll describe what that is in a minute, HC-130 [32:23] Combat King IIs, HH-60 Jolly Green II helicopters, [32:28] and Air Force Special Warfare Airmen, a package [32:32] comprised of combat rescue officers and [32:34] pararescue operators, audaciously penetrated [32:38] enemy territory in broad daylight. [32:40] To find, fix, and recover DUDE44 Alpha from behind [32:46] enemy lines. [32:48] This was an incredibly dangerous mission, an [32:52] incredibly dangerous undertaking, but a filled [32:57] promise made to every American warfighter that [33:00] you will not be left behind. [33:03] We will always come find you, and we will always [33:06] bring you home. [33:08] Over the next hours, the Search and Rescue Task [33:11] Force crossed the beach. [33:12] Entered into Iranian airspace, protected by a [33:16] fighter strike package, and moved into the [33:18] objective area all under fire. [33:21] En route, as some of you have seen on social media, [33:24] the helicopters took gas off the C-130s and pressed [33:28] onward and forward up into the objective area. [33:32] While this was ongoing and out in front of them, the [33:35] Sandy flight of A-10s and other remotely piloted [33:38] aircraft, drones, and other tactical aircraft were [33:42] violently suppressing and engaging the enemy in a [33:45] close-in gunfight to keep them away from the front [33:48] seater and allow the pickup force to get into [33:52] the objective area. [33:54] During this engagement, one of the Sandy aircraft, [33:57] the one primarily responsible for [33:59] communicating with the downed pilot, was hit by [34:02] enemy fire. [34:04] This pilot continued to fight, continued the [34:07] mission, and then, upon exit, flew his aircraft [34:10] into another country. [34:12] And determined that the aircraft was going to be [34:13] destroyed. [34:14] He was killed by a drone. [34:15] He was wounded, and he was shot dead by the [34:16] drone. [34:17] He was shot dead by the drone. [34:18] He was shot dead by the drone. [34:19] The pilot was told by the captain of the aircraft [34:20] that the airplane was not landable. [34:21] This was one of our A-10 Sandy aircraft. [34:22] The pilot then made the decision to eject over [34:23] friendly territory and was quickly and safely [34:24] recovered and is doing fine. [34:27] After picking up Dude 4-4 Alpha, the HH-60 Jolly [34:32] Greenfight was engaged by every single person in Iran [34:37] who had a small arms weapon. [34:39] And one of the aircraft, the trailing aircraft, [34:42] took several hits. [34:43] The crew sustained minor injury and they are going [34:46] to be fine. [34:47] A note for those of you that do not know what a [34:51] Sandy does. [34:52] Named after the flight call sign that did this [34:55] very mission in Vietnam flying A-1 Sky Raiders and [34:59] A-7 Corsairs, a Sandy has one mission. [35:04] Get to the survivor, bring the rescue force forward, [35:08] and put themselves between that survivor on the [35:11] ground and the enemy. [35:13] They are coming. [35:14] They are committed to this. [35:15] This is what they live for and this is what they've [35:18] trained for over many, many years. [35:22] The A-10 force and the rescue force did fantastic, [35:27] did a fantastic job rescuing Dude 4-4 Alpha. [35:32] He was recovered Friday afternoon. [35:34] As I said, and the nation needs to know this, this [35:38] was an incredibly brave and courageous mission and a [35:42] testament to the courage, skill, and tenacity that [35:46] the joint force and our leaders, and especially a [35:50] daylight option, having the guts to try means so [35:54] much to so many. [35:56] Meanwhile, the backseater, as the President and the [35:59] Secretary have said, had continued to work and [36:03] survive. [36:04] Through the hours of daylight, Dude 4-4 Bravo, [36:07] the backseater, evaded. [36:10] Using every means available, the efforts of [36:12] the United States military, the Central [36:15] Intelligence Agency, and others, were [36:17] attempting to find and locate with precision Dude [36:21] 4-4 Bravo, the backseater. [36:23] A note on the backseater and the frontseater. [36:28] The single most important contributor to a successful [36:33] rescue operation is the spirit of attack inside the [36:37] heart of that downed aviator. [36:39] Their will to survive, their will to evade, their [36:43] will to recover is everything. [36:46] In this case, the backseater's absolute [36:48] commitment to surviving made much of our efforts [36:51] possible. [36:53] On Saturday, 4 April, after establishing positive [36:57] communications with the backseater, we learned, as [37:00] the President said, that he was injured and actively [37:03] evading enemy forces. [37:05] And thanks to our interagency partners, we [37:08] were able to get eyes on his location and positively [37:12] ID him. [37:13] Throughout this entire time, the enemy force [37:15] continued to search for 4-4 Bravo, and the joint force [37:19] continued to strike them over and over and over again. [37:24] Fighting off marginal weather in Iran and the [37:26] enemy's search, for a second time on Saturday, at [37:30] the recommendation of the CENTCOM commander and at [37:32] the approval of the Secretary and the [37:34] President, we launched a rescue task force to [37:37] recover Dude 4-4 Bravo. [37:40] Again, this came to the President and the [37:42] Secretary for approval, this time with a much [37:45] larger force package, based on the time that the [37:48] enemy had to prepare to fight. [37:50] Again, this force was protected by A-10 warthogs [37:56] using the Sandy Call sign. [37:58] And this force had one single mission, do [38:01] everything they can to bring an American home. [38:05] This meant having a plan, being prepared to execute [38:08] that plan, and more importantly, being [38:12] prepared for multiple simultaneous contingencies. [38:17] And because of this force's professionalism, grit, [38:20] and determination fight off two enemies at the [38:24] same time, the enemy searching for 4-4 Bravo and [38:28] contingencies, which anyone who has done these [38:31] types of missions knows we run into every single time. [38:36] The force fought off both of those enemies [38:39] incredibly well. [38:41] During the period of darkness on Saturday, and [38:44] as the Secretary said, into Easter Sunday and [38:47] into the daylight, the force fought its way in and [38:51] rescued Dude 4-4 Bravo. [38:51] They were protected overhead by an air armada, [38:57] including tactical drones, strike aircraft, and [39:00] others. [39:02] The force fought through multiple simultaneous [39:05] contingencies, something no other nation, no other [39:09] military can do, and safely returned Dude 4-4 [39:14] Bravo, the back-seater, home, and all other [39:18] Americans home as well. [39:20] At midnight 12 local Eastern Time, Eastern [39:23] Sunday, more than 50 hours after the start of [39:28] this operation, the Joint Personnel Recovery Center [39:33] declared Dude 4-4 Bravo both the front and [39:37] back-seater returned to friendly territory. [39:40] The courage demonstrated by both the pilot and the [39:44] weapons system officer while isolated and them [39:47] invading the enemy cannot be overstated. [39:50] Their grit and warfighting tenacity is a direct [39:54] result of the absolute trust they have in our [39:56] rescue forces, their training, and their will to [40:00] survive and return. [40:02] They always knew that we would be ordered to go get [40:05] them, and they always knew that we would be coming to [40:08] get them. [40:10] These two operations reflect our nation's most [40:13] sacred obligation to our military service members. [40:16] We leave no one behind. [40:18] Bless you. [40:19] It also perfectly captures the first truth of our [40:23] special operations force. [40:24] Thank you. [40:24] There are two reasons why we are the first [40:27] to be called the air force. [40:29] We are the first to be called air forces, that [40:33] people are more important than hardware. [40:35] That is the standard we live by, and the rescue [40:39] forces that execute these missions operate under a [40:43] clear motto, these things we do that others may live. [40:47] Their actions were a direct embodiment of that [40:51] commitment to others, and I could not be more proud [40:56] This operation serves as a clear reminder of the [40:59] capability and will of America's joint force. [41:03] The United States of America will recover our [41:05] warfighters anywhere in the world, under any [41:08] conditions, when we want to. [41:11] We will always bring overwhelming skill and [41:13] firepower to every member of the joint force, our [41:17] interagency partners, the leadership at CENTCOM, and [41:20] our leaders at the department and above. [41:22] Thank you. [41:23] I'm proud of each and every one of you. [41:26] And thankful to our deployed forces and their [41:29] families. [41:30] And lastly, and most importantly, to Dude44, [41:35] welcome home. [41:36] Job well done. [41:37] Thank you. [41:38] The President Thank you. [41:43] Pretty amazing. [41:44] Pretty amazing. [41:46] And these two gentlemen have been, from day one, [41:50] they've been perfecto. [41:51] You know, I got to know General Cain in my first [41:56] term because he was able to take out ISIS in four [41:59] weeks instead of the four-year projection that [42:02] was given to me by other. [42:03] Much lesser generals. [42:05] And I said, you know, if I ever do this again, that's [42:07] going to be the head of my Joint Chiefs of Staff. [42:10] And we worked it that way, didn't we? [42:12] And it's amazing. [42:13] He took out ISIS. [42:14] We defeated ISIS in four weeks. [42:17] I was told it would take four years. [42:18] I flew to Iraq to find out, with the greatest [42:22] equipment in the world, why would it take four [42:24] years. [42:26] And he told me, sir, it won't. [42:29] It'll take four weeks and you'll have time left [42:31] over. [42:32] And that's exactly what happened. [42:33] So he's great. [42:34] And peace. [42:34] All I can say is that he was treated very unfairly. [42:40] And now those same people that treated him unfairly, [42:42] that fought against him, they called me up and [42:44] said, what a great choice he was. [42:47] They said, well, what happened during his [42:49] nomination? [42:49] What happened to you? [42:51] I'm telling you, people that were not forum [42:53] senators, friends of mine, sir, I don't think [42:56] you're doing the right thing. [42:57] Now they're calling me up. [42:58] What a choice. [43:00] These two guys are fantastic. [43:02] And John Ratcliffe was incredible. [43:04] He was actually there. [43:05] He was our genius that called us from he was 40 [43:10] miles away. [43:11] And he said, you know, we're seeing something [43:13] moving up in the mountain. [43:15] This is at night. [43:17] And they kept the camera on him for 45 minutes. [43:19] He wasn't moving. [43:20] And they said, you know, probably wrong, but we're [43:23] seeing something moving. [43:24] This is a vast mountain, vast, thick, with bushes, [43:31] trees. [43:31] He said, we see something moving 40 miles away. [43:34] He was the head of a human being, I'm telling you. [43:39] It's moving. [43:39] And then all of a sudden, 45 minutes later, he [43:43] moved a lot, stood up, and they said, we have him. [43:48] And that was really the beginning of something [43:51] incredible. [43:52] We had an idea where he was, but not specifically. [43:55] That's a big mountain. [43:56] So I want to thank the CIA, too. [44:00] I don't think they get enough credit for the [44:02] great job they've done. [44:04] Yes, please. [44:04] The Press Thank you very much, Mr. President, for [44:07] this great opportunity. [44:11] Country, it has super army. [44:13] You make a difference. [44:15] Mr. President, thank you for your greatest leadership. [44:17] The President Thank you. [44:18] The Press I have two quick questions, Mr. President. [44:22] What was your reaction when you learned that [44:25] Kurdistan region had resumed exporting oil to [44:29] the international market with your support as [44:32] United States of America? [44:34] The President Well, I expected that. [44:36] We've gotten along with the Kurds for a long time, [44:39] so I expected that. [44:40] The Press Another question. [44:42] What would be your reaction? [44:45] What would be your reaction if the Iranian people [44:48] rise up against their regime during a case fire, [44:52] Mr. President? [44:53] The President Well, they should do it. [44:54] But, again, the consequences are great. [44:56] I mean, they were told, if you protest, you will be [44:59] shot immediately. [45:01] You saw what happened to the young wrestler. [45:03] He was a great champion, by the way. [45:04] He was a great wrestler. [45:05] One of the top in the world. [45:07] And he and his two friends were hung. [45:11] And all they did was say a little bit about liberty. [45:14] They wanted liberty, and they were violent. [45:17] They were violently executed. [45:18] But the number is up to probably 45,000 people were [45:22] killed. [45:23] So, you know, when somebody stays in a house, when [45:25] they know if they walk out of the house to protest, [45:27] they'll be immediately shot and killed. [45:30] And they issued that. [45:31] You know, that was publicly issued. [45:32] It's not a secret. [45:34] That's why so many people say, oh, well, why are [45:36] you doing this? [45:36] We can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon. [45:41] You know, we got regime change. [45:43] We do. [45:44] We're dealing with a much different regime than [45:45] before. [45:46] We're dealing with different people. [45:48] They're smarter. [45:50] I think they're sharper and far less radical. [45:55] We have regime change. [45:56] But we didn't do this for regime change. [45:58] We did it for the fact. [46:00] And my view is very simple. [46:02] I saw somebody said, oh, he doesn't have a plan. [46:05] I have the best plan of all. [46:06] But I'm not going to tell you what my plan is. [46:08] You know, they want me to say, here's my plan. [46:10] We're going to attack at 947 in the morning, and [46:13] then we're going to do this. [46:14] And then we're going to — and if you don't do that, [46:16] they say, I have a plan. [46:17] These people know what the plan is. [46:19] Everybody here knows what the plan is. [46:21] But it's very unfair to say — you know, because I [46:25] don't mind being insulted. [46:26] I've been insulted for many years by the — by [46:28] the fake news. [46:29] But you can't — it's so bad for the people that [46:34] are so — you just saw two great — and John Ratcliffe [46:37] — three unbelievable people. [46:39] They have a plan. [46:40] Every — every single thing has been thought out [46:42] by all of us. [46:44] But I can't reveal the plan to the media. [46:47] So, you know — but we're just thrilled by the [46:50] success of this operation. [46:51] Yes, please. [46:51] The Press Thank you, Mr. President. [46:53] You've said Iranians would be mad if you stopped [46:55] these attacks. [46:56] But why would they want you to blow up their [46:58] infrastructure, to cut off their power? [47:00] Wouldn't that be punishing Iranians for the actions of [47:03] the regime? [47:04] The President They would be willing to — they [47:05] would be — and it's suffering. [47:07] They would be willing to suffer that in order to [47:09] have freedom. [47:11] The Iranians have — and we've had numerous [47:14] intercepts. [47:15] Please keep bombing. [47:16] Bombs that are dropping near their homes. [47:19] Please keep bombing. [47:21] Do it. [47:23] And these are people that are living where the [47:24] bombs are exploding. [47:26] And when we leave and we're not hitting those [47:29] areas, they're saying, please, come back, come [47:30] back, come back. [47:32] These are the people. [47:34] I don't know what they do. [47:36] All I can tell you is they want freedom. [47:38] They have lived in a world that you know nothing [47:41] about. [47:42] It's a violent, horrible world where, if you [47:46] protest, you are shot. [47:48] Remember the great woman protest where they had [47:50] 400,000, 500,000 women, and they were all enthused, [47:53] and they were going to — . [47:54] They were going to protest, and everybody [47:56] said, oh, the regime is going to come to an end. [47:58] And then, all of a sudden — boom, boom, five, six, [48:05] different areas — a woman would go down right [48:08] between the eyes. [48:08] They had snipers. [48:09] They had five snipers. [48:10] That's all it took. [48:12] And those 400,000 or 500,000 women said, oh, [48:15] my God, what's that? [48:17] Oh, look over there. [48:18] What's that? [48:19] A woman shot right between the eyes. [48:23] And after five or six of them go down, then you [48:26] start hearing the people. [48:27] And they're like, oh, my God. [48:31] And then, they're like, oh, my God, who would do [48:35] that? [48:36] And they're incredible people. [48:38] But they've lived so horribly. [48:40] They've lived so horribly. [48:41] You know, Iran was a great country, if you go back [48:44] 25 years ago or so. [48:47] The Persian people, they're incredible, smart, [48:50] brilliant, actually. [48:52] And I know so many — I know, coming from New York, [48:55] originally, I know so many people from Iran. [48:57] They're incredible people. [48:58] Incredible energy and — and — it's a — it's a [49:01] very, very brilliant people. [49:02] And — but when you're standing in a group and [49:05] protesting and you have a woman — in the case of a [49:07] woman, remember the Great Woman March. [49:09] Everybody was like, oh, this is the end of the [49:11] country. [49:12] And then, snipers selectively picked. [49:16] Every single one was shot right between the eyes [49:19] from a long distance. [49:20] They were on top of buildings. [49:22] Nobody even knew where they were, where they're [49:23] coming from. [49:24] This wasn't like a machine gun, which is also [49:26] very bad. [49:27] They've done that, too. [49:28] They did that recently. [49:30] This was snipers sitting on the top of a building, [49:32] the top of buildings, aiming and hitting women. [49:36] And when they see people go down, and all of a [49:38] sudden, there's a riot in the reverse direction. [49:42] And they never came out again. [49:44] And a lot of the — the news doesn't talk about [49:46] that. [49:47] They talk about, oh, women's rights. [49:49] You want to see women's rights? [49:50] You're not going to see it there. [49:52] It's amazing when I see some of the stupid people, [49:54] like, you know, AOC Plus 3, all that group. [49:57] They talk about, oh, freedom for Iran. [50:01] They don't tell you the real facts. [50:02] Women. [50:03] Men. [50:05] Gays. [50:06] How about gays for Iran? [50:09] They kill the gays. [50:10] They throw them off buildings. [50:12] So I wonder what — what's going on. [50:14] I can only say this. [50:17] They want us to keep bombing, even if it [50:20] jeopardizes — because their life is in much [50:22] greater danger. [50:23] They want freedom for Iran, but it's very hard [50:25] for them to protest. [50:26] I actually tell them — I said, don't go out. [50:28] I fully understand. [50:29] Nobody in this room would go out. [50:31] I don't think there's any — because, frankly, it's [50:33] not a question of bravery. [50:34] We're all brave, right? [50:35] You're brave. [50:35] I'm brave. [50:36] We're all brave. [50:37] But we're also intelligent. [50:40] If you have people shooting at you — [50:43] expert shots with the best rifles you can get — [50:47] and hitting you right between the eyes every [50:48] single time, and you're looking here, and you're [50:51] seeing, and you're looking here — you're out of [50:53] there. [50:54] I don't care who it is. [50:55] The Press Thank you, Mr. President. [50:56] The Press Mark Meredith, Fox News. [50:57] The President I know that. [50:59] The Press Oh, thank you. [50:59] The President Go ahead. [51:01] The Press America's watching. [51:02] The President Good job. [51:02] The Press No. [51:03] Can we go back to the weekend? [51:05] First off, was everyone on board with the [51:07] operation? [51:08] Or were there people that were trying to talk you [51:09] out of going through with the operation this weekend? [51:11] The President Not everybody was on board. [51:13] The Press Somebody else within your — [51:14] The President No, there was military people, [51:15] very professional, that preferred not doing it. [51:19] These two were totally on board, which was very [51:22] important. [51:22] The Press I think they are, yeah. [51:23] The President They were, and it would have had a [51:24] little difficulty. [51:25] But, no, there were military people that said, [51:28] you just don't do this. [51:29] You don't go into the heart of a very powerful [51:33] military. [51:33] You know, this is — hey, you have countries and [51:35] countries. [51:36] You have some countries where military is not [51:38] there. [51:39] So this whole thing is militarized like nobody's [51:42] ever seen before. [51:43] Half the people are wearing uniforms. [51:46] And, no, we had — we had people within the [51:48] military. [51:50] Usually, it's not done. [51:51] That's one of the reasons. [51:52] You know, I was surprised. [51:53] Somebody said, it's the only time it's ever been [51:55] done. [51:56] I said, that's not possible. [51:57] But it is possible because you're going into [52:00] hundreds of thousands of soldiers along the path. [52:04] I mean, look at some of the helicopters, how they [52:07] got hit. [52:08] So, yeah, there were people within the [52:10] military that said it's a wise — and don't forget, [52:12] how many men did you send altogether, [52:14] approximately, for the operation? [52:16] The President I'd love to keep that a secret. [52:18] The President Okay, well, we are. [52:19] But I will tell you, the number — I'll keep it a [52:24] secret, but it was hundreds. [52:26] And hundreds of these people — that's pretty [52:28] good. [52:29] Is he central — is he central casting? [52:32] But hundreds of people went into this journey. [52:36] Hundreds of people could have been killed. [52:37] Forget about the equipment. [52:38] A lot of equipment. [52:39] Nobody cares. [52:40] Hundreds of people could have been killed. [52:44] So we had people that were within the military [52:46] that said, this is not a wise — and I understood [52:48] that, but I decided to do it. [52:50] The Press Was there a point that they were [52:53] going to — that you were thinking there's too much [52:55] on the line and somebody was saying, maybe we abort [52:57] this now and wait? [52:58] I mean, given the resource, like the [53:00] General said, it seemed like there was so much [53:02] on the line here. [53:03] You must have been thinking this could have [53:04] completely changed the next three weeks. [53:05] The President Well, so the first one, which was, [53:07] in many ways, as dangerous as the [53:11] second, I guess it gets — because we're flying over [53:13] daylight. [53:14] You know, we're the best at the world at night. [53:16] We have goggles that nobody — we have goggles. [53:18] I've tried them and they're unbelievable. [53:20] I see better with the goggles at night with — [53:23] than I see without them during daylight. [53:25] I mean, daylight today, we have a beautiful day. [53:28] You see just as well with goggles. [53:31] In many ways, it's enhanced. [53:33] So we have the best in the world. [53:35] So it's much safer for us to — for us to do it at [53:37] night, whereas other people — no other country [53:40] has that capability. [53:41] They don't have the experience. [53:41] They don't have that particular piece of [53:43] equipment like we do. [53:45] But when I was told, flying — and in daylight, [53:50] I think we flew seven hours over Iran — and [53:52] that's a long time — over unbelievably hostile [53:56] territory, where they have nothing but weapons. [53:59] We took out their anti-aircraft, which is [54:01] great. [54:02] We took out their radar, which is great. [54:04] We took out a lot. [54:04] But they still have — you know, what hit this one [54:07] was a shoulder — handheld shoulder missile, [54:10] heat-seeking missile. [54:11] So it's not like, you know, they had a total [54:13] — they're totally whatever. [54:15] But — but — and they had probably a little [54:18] luck, because you got to get lucky. [54:20] But they shot it, and it got sucked in right by the [54:23] engine. [54:24] But these guys were out of there. [54:25] They were great. [54:26] Their timing was great. [54:28] But, no, I was told that this is a very dangerous [54:31] mission. [54:32] I understand. [54:32] They didn't say it's a foolish mission. [54:34] They said, you know, we're going to be sacrificing [54:36] hundreds of people to do this. [54:38] This is — I mean, you have tankers that are [54:40] flying over this area so that they — because the [54:42] flight was so long. [54:43] They had to refuel. [54:45] It's a very dangerous mission. [54:47] I just felt it was worth it. [54:49] If you would have told me that we would have been [54:51] successful, gotten both, and nobody was even, [54:54] essentially, injured, I would have said that would [54:56] be impossible. [54:57] Yeah, please. [54:58] The Press Thank you very much. [54:59] The President Thank you, sir. [55:00] The Press Thank you. [55:01] The President Well, I'll come back to you. [55:02] The Press Okay, thank you. [55:03] The Press Given that you are now dealing, you say, [55:04] with a more reasonable, less extreme leadership [55:09] in Iran, what does that mean for the protesters, [55:12] for the human rights movement in that country? [55:13] The Press Thank you very much. [55:14] The Press What's your expectation of the [55:15] country after this conflict? [55:16] What's your expectation? [55:17] The President Well, I think positive. [55:17] The Press Yeah, if they assume control, if we do [55:19] something and they assume control, I think it's very [55:21] positive. [55:21] A big step. [55:23] I don't think you'd see the radicalization that [55:25] you have seen in the last — look what happened. [55:28] I mean, women are being executed because they're [55:30] not properly clothed, they say. [55:33] They're not properly clothed and they execute [55:35] the women. [55:36] They absolutely — they shoot them right on the [55:38] street. [55:40] No, you have a much different group of people. [55:42] Now, I'm not saying — we are dealing with [55:44] them. [55:47] Essentially, they have until 8 o'clock tomorrow [55:49] night, Eastern Time. [55:51] But we are dealing with them. [55:52] I think it's going well. [55:53] Mr. Witkoff is here, and J.D.'s involved in the [55:57] dealing. [55:58] Mr. Witkoff is sitting right here, and I think [56:00] it's going fine. [56:01] But we'll have to see. [56:02] You have to understand, we've been dealing with [56:04] these people for 47 years. [56:08] I'm standing here with a much more powerful Iran [56:13] as of a month ago. [56:14] Not anymore. [56:15] Right now, they are decapitated. [56:17] But I'm standing here, a month ago, with a much [56:20] more powerful Iran than it was at any point during [56:23] 47 years. [56:24] This should have been handled by seven [56:27] Presidents — a lot of Presidents. [56:30] And those Presidents are saying now, every one of [56:32] them, to their friends, we should have done this a [56:35] long time ago. [56:36] So it's not something I like doing. [56:38] It's very dangerous. [56:40] And we're getting them at the height of their [56:42] strength. [56:43] If I didn't terminate the Barack Hussein Obama Iran [56:46] nuclear deal, I wouldn't have done it. [56:47] If I didn't terminate the nuclear deal, they would [56:49] have had a — don't forget, that was a path to [56:51] a nuclear weapon. [56:52] Remember this. [56:53] He chose Iran over Israel. [56:56] Pure and simple. [56:57] How an — how Israel can vote for a Democrat is — [57:01] if you're Jewish in New York City or anyplace else [57:05] in this country, and how you can vote for a [57:08] Democrat is unbelievable. [57:10] Because he chose Iran — a very hostile Iran. [57:14] Remember when he filled up a 757 with cash? [57:17] Billions of dollars. [57:18] Billions of dollars of cash. [57:20] And he sent it over to them. [57:21] Then they gave them tens of billions of dollars. [57:24] He chose Iran over Israel and, really, the Arab [57:28] world, if you look. [57:29] Because, you know, the other — Saudi Arabia, [57:32] Qatar, UAE — I mean, you take a look. [57:35] I mean, I can add Kuwait, and I can add Bahrain, and [57:38] you can add others. [57:40] He chose such an unlikely candidate. [57:44] Nobody could believe it. [57:45] Frankly, if you're going to choose between Iraq and [57:48] Iran, he should have chosen — he should have — he [57:49] should have befriended Iraq. [57:52] He went in the exact opposite direction of all [57:56] thinking, and he made a terrible mistake. [57:59] But that was a road to a nuclear weapon. [58:02] And when I terminated that, everyone said, [58:04] Oh, he terminated it. [58:06] It was one of the best things we ever did, [58:08] because he had a road to a nuclear weapon. [58:09] And it was going to — it was a very short-term deal. [58:13] You know, countries don't do 10-year deals. [58:15] Countries do hundreds of years. [58:17] You don't do a 10-year deal. [58:18] For a country, you need — this isn't — this is a [58:19] country. [58:20] This isn't you're a landlord and you're renting [58:21] a store on — on a certain street, and you give [58:24] somebody a 5-year or 10-year lease. [58:26] This is a country. [58:27] It was a short-term deal. [58:29] It was ready to expire. [58:31] I terminated it before it expired. [58:33] It took a lot of heat, and it was one of the best [58:35] things I ever did, because he would have had a [58:36] nuclear weapon. [58:37] Then he would have had another nuclear weapon. [58:39] Had those beautiful B-2 bombers not gone in eight [58:42] months ago and obliterated that site. [58:45] And, by the way, the word is obliteration. [58:47] CNN said, Well, maybe. [58:49] It wasn't complete. [58:50] It was so complete that they still haven't been [58:52] able to get it. [58:53] It was obliteration. [58:54] But if we didn't hit them, that was a courageous [58:58] decision, too, because we had all those planes flying [59:01] in at night with very little cover. [59:04] Unbelievable, stealth planes. [59:06] And they were able to do their job. [59:08] If we didn't do that, Iran would have had a nuclear [59:12] weapon at a high level, either one of those two [59:15] instances. [59:16] And if they did, in my opinion — I told this to [59:19] Bibi Netanyahu yesterday. [59:20] Israel would have been extinguished. [59:25] Large portions of the Middle East would have been [59:28] extinguished, whether it's Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, [59:32] or others. [59:33] And you saw that with thousands of missiles [59:35] raining down upon them. [59:36] They didn't think they were going to be hit. [59:38] They thought they'd be watching us fight. [59:40] And all of a sudden, UAE got hit by 1,500 missiles. [59:45] He would have taken them out also. [59:47] And they were powerful. [59:49] If I didn't come along and terminate the Obama [59:52] deal, which was terrible — the Iran nuclear deal [59:55] was a road to a nuclear weapon, a big one, [59:59] unlimited, legally. [1:00:01] I terminated it without even much thought. [1:00:03] It was so easy. [1:00:05] I terminated that. [1:00:07] And then the B-2 bombers. [1:00:09] And I did one other thing. [1:00:10] I had killed Qassam Soleimani, who was an [1:00:15] evil genius. [1:00:17] And the reason I did it, I heard he was going to [1:00:19] knock out five of our military bases. [1:00:23] And had he lived — I believed him. [1:00:26] And I believe we would be fighting, perhaps, a [1:00:29] different Iran right now because — because he's [1:00:33] never — he's never been replaced, you know? [1:00:36] And I also — I did one other, but this one was [1:00:38] not picked up. [1:00:40] Osama bin Laden. [1:00:42] If you read my book, I said you got to take him [1:00:44] out one year before the World Trade Center came [1:00:46] down. [1:00:47] So I wish you'd read the book. [1:00:51] But you — as a President, to be a good [1:00:55] President, I believe you have to have good instincts. [1:00:57] And a lot of this is instinct. [1:00:58] Yeah, please. [1:00:59] The Press Thank you so much. [1:01:00] The Press Thank you, Mr. President. [1:01:01] The Press Thank you for taking my question today, [1:01:02] Mr. President. [1:01:03] The President Yeah, go ahead. [1:01:04] The Press Thank you. [1:01:05] The Press Last week — last week, you suggested [1:01:06] that Europe should take the lead on reopening the [1:01:07] Strait of Hormuz. [1:01:09] Has circumstances changed now that you're issuing a [1:01:11] direct 48-hour — I mean, 48-hour ultimatum? [1:01:16] And secondly, would a new ceasefire include Israel, [1:01:19] or would it just be between Iran and the U.S.? [1:01:20] The President I can't talk about ceasefire. [1:01:22] But I can tell you that we have an active, willing [1:01:27] participant on the other side. [1:01:29] They would like to be able to make a deal. [1:01:30] I can't say any more than that. [1:01:31] I just want to get it right for you. [1:01:32] The Press You've listed the goals of — [1:01:34] The President You've listed the goals of — [1:01:36] The Press Excuse me. [1:01:37] The Press Please, go ahead. [1:01:38] The Press Thank you, Mr. President. [1:01:39] The Press Who are you with? [1:01:40] Who are you with? [1:01:41] The Press My name is Diyar Kurdam. [1:01:41] I'm with the largest Kurdish media outlet, [1:01:43] Ruda Media Network. [1:01:44] It's based in Iran. [1:01:45] The President Go ahead. [1:01:46] The Press Mr. President, you said before that you [1:01:49] don't want the Kurdish forces to enter Iran and [1:01:51] be harmed. [1:01:53] Do you still want them to stay away? [1:01:54] Or what role do you expect them to play now? [1:01:57] The President I'd rather have them stay away. [1:02:00] I'd rather have them stay away because of the [1:02:01] things I think they bring with them some problems [1:02:04] and some difficulties. [1:02:05] And I don't know if they — they bring death, I [1:02:07] mean, you know, to themselves. [1:02:09] But I'd rather have them stay away. [1:02:10] The Press Thank you, Mr. President, for the [1:02:16] question. [1:02:17] Deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure [1:02:19] violate the Geneva Conventions and [1:02:21] international law. [1:02:22] The President Who are you with? [1:02:23] Who are you with? [1:02:23] The President I'm with The New York Times. [1:02:24] Zolan from The New York Times. [1:02:26] Are you concerned — [1:02:26] The Press The failing — the failing — [1:02:27] The President Are you concerned — [1:02:28] The President There's a circulation way down at [1:02:29] The New York Times. [1:02:30] What's going on? [1:02:31] The President Are you concerned that your threat [1:02:32] from power plants and bridges amount to war crimes? [1:02:34] The President No, not at all. [1:02:35] No, I'm not. [1:02:36] I hope I don't have to do it. [1:02:38] But, again, I just said, 47 years they've been [1:02:41] negotiating with these people. [1:02:42] They're great negotiators. [1:02:43] The Press But why would that attack not [1:02:45] violate international law? [1:02:45] The President And because they're not going to [1:02:46] have a nuclear weapon. [1:02:48] And if somebody that takes my place someday is [1:02:51] weak and ineffective, which possibly that will [1:02:54] happen because we had numerous Presidents that [1:02:56] were weak, ineffective, and afraid of Iran, we're [1:03:00] never going to let Iran have a nuclear weapon. [1:03:03] And if you think it's okay for people that are [1:03:06] sick of mind, that are tough, smart, and sick [1:03:11] — really sick, ideal — you know, from a policy [1:03:16] standpoint, from a standpoint — any which way [1:03:19] you want to say, mentally. [1:03:21] These are disturbed people. [1:03:23] If you think I'm going to allow them — and powerful [1:03:25] and rich — to have a nuclear weapon, you can [1:03:29] tell your friends at The New York Times, not [1:03:31] going to happen. [1:03:32] The Press The means violate international law. [1:03:37] The President Quite, quite, quite. [1:03:38] You no longer have credibility at The New York [1:03:40] Times because The New York Times said, Oh, Trump [1:03:43] won't win the election. [1:03:44] And I won in a landslide. [1:03:45] I won every swing state. [1:03:46] New York Times said, Oh, Trump won't win the [1:03:48] election. [1:03:49] New York Times has no credibility. [1:03:51] The credibility they have is it used to be all the [1:03:54] news that's fit to print. [1:03:55] A great — the old gray lady — it was great. [1:03:57] But they're running on past fumes, and you can't [1:04:00] keep doing that. [1:04:01] You have to be able to give the correct news. [1:04:04] And people like you, who I know, are fake. [1:04:07] You're fake. [1:04:08] Go ahead, please. [1:04:09] The Press Your messaging on the war has [1:04:12] moved from, the war is coming to an end, to we're [1:04:15] going to be bombing Iran to the Stone Ages. [1:04:17] And we've heard a range of those kind of messages. [1:04:20] So are you — so which is it? [1:04:22] Are you winding this down? [1:04:23] The President Can't tell you. [1:04:24] The Press I can't tell you. [1:04:25] I don't know. [1:04:26] I can't tell you. [1:04:26] It depends what they do. [1:04:27] This is a critical period. [1:04:29] They have a period of, well, until tomorrow at [1:04:33] 8 o'clock. [1:04:34] I gave them an extension. [1:04:35] They asked for an extension of seven days. [1:04:37] Right? [1:04:38] I said, Steve, give them 10 days. [1:04:43] Ten days is up, actually, today. [1:04:45] So I gave them 11, I guess, indirectly. [1:04:48] I thought it was inappropriate the day after [1:04:49] Easter. [1:04:50] I want to be a nice person. [1:04:53] They have until tomorrow. [1:04:55] Now, we'll see what happens. [1:04:57] I can tell you they're negotiating, we think, in [1:04:59] good faith. [1:05:00] We're going to find out. [1:05:01] We're getting the help of some incredible countries [1:05:04] that want this to be ended because it affects them [1:05:08] also. [1:05:09] A lot of people are affected by this. [1:05:10] But we're giving them — we're giving them until [1:05:14] tomorrow, 8 o'clock Eastern Time. [1:05:17] And after that, they're going to have no bridges. [1:05:21] They're going to have no power plants. [1:05:24] Stone ages. [1:05:25] Yeah. [1:05:26] Stone ages. [1:05:26] The Presser 2, CNN Fake News. [1:05:31] The Presser 2, Are you willing to make a deal that [1:05:34] does not include reopening the Strait of Hormuz, or is [1:05:37] that now a top priority? [1:05:38] The President I would say it's a very big priority [1:05:40] because — see, that's — that's one thing that's a [1:05:44] little different than other things. [1:05:46] We can bomb the hell out of them. [1:05:47] We can knock them out for a loop. [1:05:50] But to close the Strait, all you need is one [1:05:52] terrorist that somehow has a truck loaded with — [1:05:56] because you can carry them in trucks, large trucks — [1:05:59] a water mine, drop them in the water, and now you tell [1:06:04] people that own ships that cost a billion dollars to [1:06:06] don't worry about the mine. [1:06:08] You can do that even just by saying, we put mines in [1:06:10] the water. [1:06:11] So it's not like the rest. [1:06:13] We can knock out their military. [1:06:14] We already have. [1:06:15] We've knocked out their Navy. [1:06:17] We've knocked out their Air Force completely. [1:06:19] We've knocked out 158 ships. [1:06:21] In three days, we've knocked out even their [1:06:24] mine droppers. [1:06:24] They don't have any mine droppers anymore, but [1:06:27] they put them on other boats and they could drop [1:06:29] them. [1:06:29] I'm not even sure they have any mines yet, by [1:06:31] the way. [1:06:31] I'm not sure. [1:06:32] I'm — personally, they say there might be eight. [1:06:35] I don't know. [1:06:36] I don't know. [1:06:36] I think there might be none because they're very [1:06:39] good bullshit artists. [1:06:40] That's why, for 47 years, they've been bullshitting [1:06:42] other Presidents and they haven't done the job. [1:06:46] And people are living in hell. [1:06:48] You live in that country. [1:06:49] They're living in hell. [1:06:51] No, I think that 47 years of this stuff is long [1:06:56] enough. [1:06:57] They're at the weakest point they've ever been. [1:07:00] They have no Navy. [1:07:01] They have no Air Force. [1:07:02] They have no anti-aircraft weaponry. [1:07:05] They have no radar. [1:07:06] They have no communication. [1:07:08] In fact, the biggest problem we have in our [1:07:09] negotiation is that they can't communicate. [1:07:13] I said to Steve, what are they saying? [1:07:14] Sir, they can't communicate. [1:07:16] They have no method of communication. [1:07:18] So we're doing — we're communicating like they [1:07:21] used to communicate 2,000 years ago with children, [1:07:24] bringing a note back and forth. [1:07:26] They have no communication. [1:07:28] But all I want to see is I want to have a safe [1:07:31] world. [1:07:32] And you're not going to have a safe world. [1:07:34] Israel will be gone. [1:07:36] The Middle East will be gone. [1:07:38] And then they're coming for Europe. [1:07:40] And I have to tell you, I'm very disappointed in [1:07:42] NATO. [1:07:43] Very. [1:07:44] I think that NATO — I think it's a mark on NATO [1:07:47] that will never disappear. [1:07:48] Never disappear, in my mind. [1:07:50] You know, they're coming to see me on Wednesday. [1:07:51] They're going to say, oh, we'll do this, we'll do [1:07:53] that. [1:07:54] Now they all of a sudden want to send things, you [1:07:56] know. [1:07:57] But they said it loud and clear at the beginning [1:07:59] when I spoke to UK of all. [1:08:00] I would have said they would have been there [1:08:02] first because they've been — they're the oldest. [1:08:05] And I say, yeah, I'd love to have a little help. [1:08:07] He said, no, sir, we'd rather wait till you win. [1:08:10] I said, I don't need help after we win. [1:08:13] They have two old, broken aircraft carriers. [1:08:15] Barely work. [1:08:16] I said, I guess we can use them. [1:08:17] Who the hell knows? [1:08:18] I called the general. [1:08:19] He didn't even want to — he said, we don't [1:08:21] really need them. [1:08:22] We got — we got the SS Abraham Lincoln, sir. [1:08:25] We don't need them. [1:08:26] You know, we have — in terms of technology, we [1:08:29] had, one day, 101 missiles going at 2,700 [1:08:34] miles an hour, aimed at the Abraham Lincoln. [1:08:38] Hundred and one missiles. [1:08:39] Out of 101 missiles, 101 missiles were shot down. [1:08:45] Unbelievable technology. [1:08:48] Ten years ago — five years ago, I don't know [1:08:50] if that would have been possible. [1:08:52] But ten years ago, that wouldn't have been [1:08:53] — that wouldn't have been possible. [1:08:56] A hundred and one missiles heading to a ship [1:09:00] that's not that far off the coast. [1:09:03] And out of the 101 missiles, we shot down [1:09:06] all 101. [1:09:07] We have weaponry. [1:09:09] The patriots are unbelievable. [1:09:11] We have weaponry that's unbelievable. [1:09:13] Yeah. [1:09:14] Go ahead, please. [1:09:19] The Press Thank you, Mr. President. [1:09:21] You said earlier today, during the egg roll, that [1:09:23] you would like to take Iran's oil, but Americans [1:09:27] want U.S. forces home. [1:09:28] The President Correct. [1:09:28] The Press What's that tradeoff? [1:09:30] The President If I had my choice — [1:09:30] The Press Does it take too much time? [1:09:31] The President If I had my choice? [1:09:32] Yeah. [1:09:33] Because I'm a businessman first. [1:09:35] With Venezuela, as you know, the war was over in [1:09:39] about 45 minutes. [1:09:41] And we have great people running Venezuela. [1:09:44] Very good people. [1:09:44] I mean, the relationship is good. [1:09:47] And we are a partner with Venezuela. [1:09:50] And we've taken hundreds of millions of barrels. [1:09:53] Hundreds of millions. [1:09:55] Over 100 million barrels already is in Houston, [1:09:59] refined, and out. [1:10:00] And paid — paid for that war many, many times over. [1:10:05] Many times. [1:10:05] And, you know, the old days, to the victim. [1:10:08] Okay? [1:10:09] You know that. [1:10:10] To the — to the winner belong the spoils. [1:10:15] Go the spoils. [1:10:16] And I've said, why don't we use it? [1:10:18] To the victor. [1:10:19] Go the spoils. [1:10:20] And we don't have that. [1:10:21] We haven't had that in this country probably in [1:10:23] a hundred years, because even the Second World [1:10:25] War — you look at the Second World War, we [1:10:27] didn't have it with the Second World. [1:10:29] We helped rebuild all those countries. [1:10:30] We rebuilt Germany. [1:10:31] How about Germany telling us? [1:10:34] Germany telling us that, well, it's not their war. [1:10:38] We had nothing to do with getting — they wanted me [1:10:40] to go and tell them everything I was doing. [1:10:43] We didn't know anything about it. [1:10:44] Well, if I would have told them, they would have [1:10:46] leaked it, and we wouldn't have been nearly as [1:10:48] successful, possibly. [1:10:49] Right? [1:10:50] But to the victor belong the spoils. [1:10:52] So we haven't heard — we haven't heard that in, I [1:10:56] think, maybe hundreds of years. [1:10:59] Now, with Venezuela — and we — just so you [1:11:01] understand, the people of Venezuela — they say, [1:11:04] if I ran for President of Venezuela, I'm polling [1:11:07] higher than anybody has ever polled in Venezuela. [1:11:10] So after I'm finished with this, I can go to [1:11:12] Venezuela. [1:11:13] I will quickly learn Spanish. [1:11:14] It won't take too long. [1:11:15] I'm good at language. [1:11:17] And I will go to Venezuela, and I'm going to [1:11:18] run for President. [1:11:20] But we're very happy with the President-elect that [1:11:22] we have right now. [1:11:23] The — the people that are running it — if you [1:11:27] remember Bush with Iraq, they fired the generals, [1:11:31] they fired the police, they fired the people that [1:11:33] worked in there. [1:11:34] Equivalent of them. [1:11:35] Equivalent of the White House. [1:11:36] They fired everybody. [1:11:37] And you know what they had? [1:11:38] They had a mess. [1:11:39] And you know what happened? [1:11:40] ISIS formed. [1:11:41] Those generals and those soldiers got together. [1:11:44] The police got together. [1:11:45] They all got together. [1:11:46] They formed ISIS. [1:11:47] It's not going to happen with us. [1:11:49] So Venezuela has been an incredible — it's been an [1:11:53] incredible situation. [1:11:54] We went in. [1:11:55] We were very successful. [1:11:56] Military power like nobody has ever seen. [1:11:59] The general — Venezuelan general — said, I was on [1:12:02] that site. [1:12:03] I said, I've never seen ferocity like that. [1:12:06] I've been doing this for 40 years. [1:12:08] He said, I've never seen it. [1:12:09] They — they hit us from 17 different — it was — [1:12:12] they were all set. [1:12:14] They saw that big, beautiful aircraft carrier [1:12:16] — the Ford, in that case — and planes were [1:12:19] pouring off it at 1 o'clock in the morning. [1:12:22] So, typically, when you see that late at night, [1:12:25] you know you could be in trouble. [1:12:27] Right? [1:12:28] And we were all ready. [1:12:30] They had their equipment. [1:12:31] It was Russian. [1:12:33] And they had Chinese equipment. [1:12:34] It was all set. [1:12:35] They were going to give us a fight, he said. [1:12:38] And then they came. [1:12:39] And they came at speeds like we've never seen. [1:12:42] And they came at 17 different angles. [1:12:45] The general and his people — that was a lot of [1:12:47] angles. [1:12:48] They hit them from every angle. [1:12:49] He said, we knew it was over in three minutes. [1:12:54] We were waiting for them. [1:12:56] Their equipment didn't work. [1:12:58] And there's a reason it didn't work. [1:12:59] Someday we'll explain that to people. [1:13:02] They pressed the button. [1:13:03] Nothing happened. [1:13:04] They pressed it again and again. [1:13:05] Nothing happened. [1:13:07] And he said, we knew this whole thing was [1:13:09] over in three minutes. [1:13:10] We've never seen any — he used the word [1:13:12] ferocity — the ferocity of these planes from 17 [1:13:17] different angles. [1:13:17] And it was over. [1:13:18] They went inside. [1:13:19] And remember, that was on a military base with [1:13:21] thousands of soldiers. [1:13:23] And those soldiers looked, and they said, get [1:13:26] the hell out of here. [1:13:27] Thousands. [1:13:28] We didn't have thousands. [1:13:28] We had, like, 200 people. [1:13:31] So we have a great military. [1:13:34] And I'll tell you what, somehow this rescue [1:13:37] captured the world's attention — more so than, [1:13:40] normally, you're talking about two people. [1:13:43] But this rescue captured the world's attention. [1:13:47] But we did it in Venezuela. [1:13:48] That was amazing. [1:13:50] And now we have a very bad man in prison and going [1:13:53] to trial. [1:13:53] I mean, he released — aside from the drugs, [1:13:57] which he was terrible — Maduro released hundreds [1:14:01] of thousands of people from jails into our country. [1:14:05] Drug dealers, murderers — the worst people in the [1:14:08] world were released into our country because we had [1:14:11] a stupid president who probably didn't know. [1:14:14] And we had a border czar who never went to the [1:14:16] border and never once called our great Border [1:14:19] Patrol agents. [1:14:20] Right? [1:14:20] Not once, Kamala. [1:14:21] She never called the Border Patrol. [1:14:23] She never said, how are we doing? [1:14:24] I used to call the Border Patrol guys every day. [1:14:26] You can ask them. [1:14:27] Paul, ask any one of them. [1:14:29] Brandon, ask them all the time. [1:14:31] How are we doing? [1:14:32] How are we doing? [1:14:33] And we now, I'm proud to say, have a totally sealed [1:14:36] border. [1:14:36] Nine months, nobody has come in through our border. [1:14:38] And nobody even tries because they know they're [1:14:39] not going to get through. [1:14:40] So we don't have caravans anymore. [1:14:41] The Press Thank you, Mr. President. [1:14:42] The Press Thank you, Mr. President. [1:14:42] So maybe one or two more and we'll be done. [1:14:46] The Press Mr. President, are you allowed to [1:14:50] end or are you willing to end this conflict with [1:14:52] Iran charging tolls for passengers through the [1:14:55] Strait? [1:14:56] The President Us charging tolls? [1:14:58] The Press Iran. [1:14:58] The President What about us charging tolls? [1:15:00] The Press Is that something you're [1:15:02] considering? [1:15:02] The President I'd rather do that than let them [1:15:04] have them, right? [1:15:05] Why shouldn't we? [1:15:05] We're the winner. [1:15:07] We won, okay? [1:15:08] They are militarily defeated. [1:15:11] The only thing they have is the psychology of, oh, [1:15:13] we're going to drop a couple of. [1:15:14] Mine's in the water, all right? [1:15:17] No, we, I mean, we have a concept where we'll charge [1:15:19] tolls, okay? [1:15:20] I thought you meant us. [1:15:21] The Press Mr. President. [1:15:23] The President Your question, your question [1:15:24] would have been more accurate if you said us. [1:15:27] Go ahead. [1:15:28] The Press Thank you very much. [1:15:29] So, just to clarify, in order for Iran to [1:15:32] successfully meet your deadline tomorrow, do they [1:15:35] have to make a deal, open the Strait, or both? [1:15:37] The President We have to have a deal that's [1:15:39] acceptable to me. [1:15:41] And part of that deal is going to be we want free [1:15:44] traffic of oil and everything else. [1:15:46] The Press Mr. President, thank you very much. [1:15:52] You've said, glory be to God, in this conflict. [1:15:55] Do you believe that God supports the United States [1:15:57] actions in this war? [1:15:58] The President I do, because God is good. [1:15:59] The Press And have you sought his direction? [1:16:01] The President Because God is good, and God wants to [1:16:02] see people taken care of. [1:16:05] God doesn't like what's happening. [1:16:06] I don't like what's happening. [1:16:08] Everyone says, I enjoy it. [1:16:09] I don't enjoy this. [1:16:10] I don't enjoy it. [1:16:10] These two guys don't enjoy it. [1:16:12] You know, people say, oh, boy, they're so tough. [1:16:15] I don't like seeing people killed. [1:16:17] I've ended eight wars. [1:16:20] Nobody has ever done it. [1:16:22] The person who won the Nobel Prize came to me and [1:16:24] said, you deserve the Nobel Prize. [1:16:26] She announced that. [1:16:27] When they announced, they said, it goes to Maria. [1:16:30] She's a great person, really a good person. [1:16:33] She said, no, no, no. [1:16:35] This is ridiculous. [1:16:37] They gave me the Nobel Prize. [1:16:39] President Trump ended eight wars. [1:16:40] I could go over every one of them, including India [1:16:43] and Pakistan, where the Prime Minister of [1:16:45] Pakistan said, President Trump. [1:16:48] Save from 30 to 50 million lives. [1:16:51] That makes me much happier than what we're doing [1:16:54] right now. [1:16:55] That makes me much happier. [1:16:56] We have one more to end, by the way. [1:16:58] The Press Thank you, Mr. President. [1:17:04] You called the yesterday in your Truth Social, you [1:17:06] called the Iranians crazy bastards. [1:17:09] The President True. [1:17:09] The Press What is your response to critics who [1:17:12] say that? [1:17:13] The President I don't care about critics. [1:17:14] The Press What is your response to critics who [1:17:15] say that it is your mental health that should [1:17:16] perhaps be examined as this war continues? [1:17:18] The President Well, I haven't heard that. [1:17:20] But if that's the case, you're going to have to [1:17:22] have more people like me, because our country was [1:17:24] being ripped off on trade, on everything, for [1:17:28] many years until I came along. [1:17:30] So if that's the case, you're going to have to [1:17:31] have more people. [1:17:32] Dasha, go ahead. [1:17:33] Dasha, go ahead. [1:17:34] The Press You said that very little is off [1:17:36] limits in Iran as far as targeting, including [1:17:39] power plants, bridges. [1:17:40] You've mentioned those. [1:17:41] The President Very little is off limits. [1:17:42] The Press Are there certain kinds of civilian [1:17:44] targets, though? [1:17:45] I'm thinking schools or hospitals that you would [1:17:46] say is off limits. [1:17:47] The President I don't want to tell you that. [1:17:48] I don't want to tell you that. [1:17:49] The Press We have a plan, because we have a plan, [1:17:52] because of the power of our military, where every [1:17:55] bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o'clock [1:18:00] tomorrow night, where every power plant in Iran [1:18:04] will be out of business, burning, exploding, and [1:18:08] never to be used again. [1:18:10] I mean, complete demolition by 12 o'clock. [1:18:13] And it'll happen over a period of four hours if [1:18:16] we want it to. [1:18:16] We don't want that to happen. [1:18:18] We may even get involved with helping them rebuild [1:18:21] their nation. [1:18:23] And you know what? [1:18:24] If that's the case, the last thing we want to do [1:18:26] is start with power plants, which are among the most [1:18:28] expensive thing, and bridges. [1:18:30] You saw the bridge. [1:18:31] The bridge went. [1:18:32] We were very close to a deal. [1:18:35] And then I got a call from Mr. Witkoff, Mr. [1:18:39] Kushner, and J.D., saying, I think they're [1:18:44] breaking the deal. [1:18:45] I said, tell them that's okay. [1:18:47] Don't worry about it. [1:18:48] But tell them to look out their window and watch. [1:18:50] And within 45 minutes, I gave the order to knock [1:18:54] out. [1:18:55] The biggest bridge. [1:18:57] I gave the order to knock out the biggest bridge in, [1:19:00] I believe, the Middle East, but the biggest [1:19:01] bridge in Iran. [1:19:02] And within 10 minutes after I gave that order, [1:19:06] that bridge was over. [1:19:08] So, do I want to do that? [1:19:11] No. [1:19:12] Do I want to destroy their infrastructure? [1:19:14] No. [1:19:15] It will take them 100 years to rebuild. [1:19:18] Right now, if we left today, it would take them [1:19:22] 20 years to rebuild their country, and it would [1:19:24] never be as good as it was. [1:19:26] The Press. [1:19:27] The Press. [1:19:28] The Press. [1:19:28] Thank you. [1:19:29] Thank you. [1:19:30] Thank you. [1:19:31] I think the only way that we're going to be able [1:19:31] to rebuild their country is to utilize the genius [1:19:36] of the United States of America. [1:19:37] The Press. [1:19:38] The Press. [1:19:39] The Press. [1:19:39] The Press. [1:19:40] On the displeasure with NATO in the past, is [1:19:41] there a danger to the U.S. not being the defacto of [1:19:43] the leader of the alliance, and then other [1:19:44] powers within the alliance than getting the [1:19:47] decisionmaking when it comes to wars and [1:19:49] nuclear weapons? [1:19:50] The President. [1:19:50] The President. [1:19:51] No, no, it's not a danger. [1:19:52] NATO is — look, we went to NATO. [1:19:54] I didn't ask very strongly. [1:19:55] I just said, hey, if you want to help, great. [1:19:57] No, no, no, we will not help. [1:19:59] I said, that's all right. You don't want to help? [1:20:01] Because I've always said NATO is a paper tiger. [1:20:04] See, NATO is a paper tiger. Putin is not afraid of NATO. [1:20:08] Putin is afraid of us, very afraid of us. [1:20:11] And he's explained it to me a lot of times. [1:20:13] I got to know him very well. I know him very well. [1:20:17] NATO is a paper tiger. NATO is us. [1:20:20] And when we needed them — [1:20:21] but we didn't need them, by the way. [1:20:23] We didn't need them, obviously, [1:20:25] because they haven't helped at all. Just the opposite. [1:20:27] They've actually gone out of their way not to help. [1:20:30] They didn't even want to give us landing strips. [1:20:33] Think of it. And it's not just NATO. [1:20:35] You know who else didn't help us? [1:20:37] South Korea didn't help us. You know who else didn't help us? [1:20:40] Australia didn't help us. You know who else didn't help us? [1:20:44] Japan. [1:20:46] We've got 50,000 soldiers in Japan [1:20:49] to protect them from North Korea. [1:20:51] We have 45,000 soldiers in South Korea [1:20:56] to protect us from Kim Jong-un, [1:20:58] who I get along with very well, as you know. [1:21:00] Do you notice he said very nice things about me? [1:21:02] He used to call. [1:21:03] Joe Biden, a mentally retarded person. [1:21:06] Okay? So don't tell me about your stuff. [1:21:10] Joe Biden, he said he's a mentally retarded person. [1:21:12] He was so nasty to Joe Biden. It was terrible. [1:21:15] But to me, he likes Trump. [1:21:16] And do you notice how nice things are with North Korea? [1:21:19] It's very nice. [1:21:21] But we have 45,000 people — soldiers — in harm's way. [1:21:25] And right next to Kim Jong-un, with a lot of nuclear weapons. [1:21:29] Forty-five — which should have never happened [1:21:32] if a certain President — I'm not going to mention [1:21:34] this President because I happen to like him, [1:21:35] believe it or not. [1:21:37] But if a certain President did his job, [1:21:39] Kim Jong-un would not have nuclear weapons right now. [1:21:42] But they're all afraid to do their job properly. [1:21:45] But just to conclude and just to finish, [1:21:49] Japan didn't help us. [1:21:50] Australia didn't help us. [1:21:51] South Korea didn't help us. [1:21:53] And then you get to NATO. [1:21:54] NATO didn't help us. [1:21:56] There were some countries that did. [1:21:57] Now, countries that have been good — [1:21:59] now, you could also say they've got to be [1:22:02] a little bit more involved because they're in the territory. [1:22:04] But Saudi Arabia has been excellent. [1:22:06] Qatar has been excellent. [1:22:08] UAE has been excellent. [1:22:10] Bahrain, Kuwait. [1:22:11] I mean, Kuwait did shoot down three of our planes. [1:22:14] The only planes, really, that we lost were friendly fire. [1:22:17] They call it — I call it unfriendly fire. [1:22:20] They unfortunately didn't know how to use our great patriots. [1:22:27] The pilots said, what kind of a missile is coming at us? [1:22:29] Patriot. [1:22:30] Boom, they got out because they know a patriot never misses. [1:22:34] So they had beautiful patriots. [1:22:36] There were planes heading in their direction. [1:22:39] Unfortunately, they decided to shoot those planes. [1:22:42] They were our planes. [1:22:43] So, you know, NATO is a paper tiger. [1:22:47] Now, he's coming to see me on Wednesday, as you know. [1:22:50] He's a wonderful guy. [1:22:52] Secretary General is great. [1:22:54] And Mark Rutte, he's a great person. [1:22:57] But he's got — and, you know, it all began with, [1:23:01] if you want to know the truth, Greenland. [1:23:03] We want Greenland. [1:23:05] They don't want to give it to us. [1:23:06] And I said, bye-bye. [1:23:08] Okay, thank you very much, everybody. [1:23:10] Thank you.