Karoline Leavitt LIVE — Trump's Press Secy Reveals Shocking Iran Oil Seizure Plans Amid New Threats

[0:00] He's threatening to destroy civilizations, and not casting wars as fights against other [0:06] governments. [0:07] Ms. Andrew, I think you should take a look at the actions of this President [0:10] over the course of the past six weeks, and the actions of our brave men and women in [0:14] our United States military, who have taken out the military of a rogue Islamic regime [0:22] that has chanted death to America for 47 years, that has killed and maimed thousands of American [0:28] soldiers over the course of the last five decades. [0:30] The President absolutely has the moral high ground over the Iranian terrorist regime, and [0:35] for you to even suggest otherwise is, frankly, insulting. [0:38] The Press, with all due respect, Caroline, with all due respect, there is [0:42] The Press, just given what we've seen in Lebanon today and the increased attacks from Israel, [0:48] I mean, is there any concern that Netanyahu is trying to kill the ceasefire? [0:53] Ms. The President spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu last night in that private [0:57] conversation. [0:58] Prime Minister Netanyahu relayed exactly what he said to the world publicly, that he supports [1:02] the President, and Israel remains a key ally and partner to the United States. [1:06] They've been a tremendous partner over the course of the past six weeks, and we thank them [1:10] for their heroic efforts as well. [1:13] And the President had that conversation last night, and that was relayed to the world publicly [1:17] as well. [1:19] Reagan, go ahead. [1:20] The Press, I have a question for you on Iran, and I have a question on the Dignity Act as well. [1:25] On Iran, it's been reported that the ceasefire was struck after the involvement of two unlikely [1:30] factors, J.D. Vance and China. [1:33] What role did those parties play in striking a deal? [1:36] Well, Vice President Vance has played a very significant and a key role in this since the [1:41] very beginning. [1:42] Of course, he's the President's right-hand man. [1:43] He is the Vice President of the United States. [1:46] He's been involved in all of these discussions. [1:48] And as I just announced, he'll be leading this new phase of negotiations in Islamabad later [1:53] this week. [1:55] With respect to China, there were conversations that took place between top levels of our [2:00] government and China's government. [2:03] The President has great respect for President Xi and a great working relationship with him [2:08] and with that country, and he looks forward to visiting China in just a few weeks. [2:13] And on the Dignity Act, it's getting a fresh push through Congress. [2:17] It would give some illegal immigrants in the country a path to citizenship. [2:21] What's the White House's position on this legislation, and would the President sign it [2:25] if it made it to his desk? [2:26] Honestly, Reagan, I haven't spoken to the President about the legislation, but I will have that [2:31] conversation, and we'll get you our formal position on it as soon as we can. [2:34] You're welcome. [2:35] Go ahead. [2:36] The President suggested in Israel this morning that he would support a joint U.S. [2:40] Iran adventure to charge tolls for ships going through the strait. [2:44] Does the President believe that the U.S. should earn revenue from the strait if he was [2:49] going forward? [2:51] It's something, it's an idea the President has floated, as you know, and it's something [2:55] that will continue to be discussed over the course of the next two weeks. [2:58] But the immediate priority of the President is the reopening of the strait without [3:02] any limitations, whether in the form of tolls or otherwise. [3:05] And on the highly enriched uranium, has Iran given the administration any indication that [3:10] it would simply turn over the enriched uranium, or is this an expectation the President has [3:16] that he would have to send in ground troops in order to do that? [3:19] This is on the top of the priority list for the President and his negotiating team as they [3:24] head into this next round of discussions. [3:26] And as I said in my opener, that is a red line that the President is not going to back away [3:30] from. [3:31] And he's committed to ensuring that takes place. [3:34] We hope it will be through diplomacy. [3:35] But have they given any indication that they would turn it over? [3:38] They have. [3:39] They have. [3:40] Yes. [3:41] Trevor. [3:42] The latest news out of Iran is that the air defenses have been activated in several [3:46] cities, including Isfahan, and that explosions have been heard in Isfahan. [3:49] Who is bombing Iran right now? [3:51] Were those reports just as of a few minutes ago? [3:54] Yeah. [3:55] Okay. [3:56] So, obviously, I'll have to go back and check with the national security team. [3:59] I'm standing out here with all of you. [4:00] But I will do that, and we will get you an answer. [4:02] Okay? [4:03] Just on the civilization question that we've been talking about. [4:06] And I would just add to that point. [4:08] Again, I haven't seen these reports. [4:09] I'm not verifying them. [4:10] Not that I don't trust you, Trevor, but I want to go back and check with the experts [4:13] here at the White House. [4:14] I would just say, and I would echo what the Vice President said this morning. [4:18] This is a fragile truce. [4:20] Ceasefires are fragile by nature. [4:21] We've seen this with respect to the 12-day war with Iran and Israel last year. [4:25] It takes time sometimes for these ceasefires to be fully effectuated. [4:30] And one of the results of Operation Epic Fury was we completely dismantled Iran's command [4:35] and control center, which makes it difficult for them to pass messages up and down the chain. [4:40] And so we understand that. [4:41] I would caution a little bit of patience, but, of course, we want to see the ceasefire effectuated [4:47] and abided by by all parties as quickly as possible. [4:49] The Pressure. [4:50] The Pressure. [4:51] And the American presidential administrations, going back to Ronald Reagan, have said this [4:54] formulation about nuclear war, that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. [4:59] Is that still the view of this administration, given the President's comments about civilization? [5:03] Cease. [5:04] I have no change in our view on that policy. [5:05] Katie. [5:06] The Pressure. [5:07] Thanks, Caroline. [5:08] I'm just, given the gravity of what he said yesterday, what was your understanding [5:12] of what he meant when he said this civilization [5:17] is going to be eliminated? [5:18] Ms. I think it was a very, very strong threat [5:20] from the President of the United States [5:22] that led the Iranian regime to cave to their knees [5:25] and ask for a ceasefire [5:27] and agree to reopening the Strait of Hormuz. [5:29] So it was a very strong threat that led to results. [5:31] And as the Secretary of War stated at the Pentagon [5:34] this morning, it was not an empty threat by any means. [5:38] The Pentagon had a target list that they were ready to hit [5:42] and go on at 8 p.m. last night [5:44] if the Iranian regime had not agreed to open the Strait, [5:47] which they did, and I think that's something [5:48] we should all be grateful for. [5:49] The Press is the United States as a moral leader [5:51] in the world, given that he's... [5:52] Ms. I was asked this exact same question [5:54] by your colleague, Andrew, in the back. [5:55] And I think, again, the insinuation by anyone in this room [5:59] that Iran somehow has the moral high ground [6:01] over the United States of America is insulting, [6:03] considering the atrocities that they have... [6:06] considering the atrocities that they have committed [6:08] against our people and our military [6:10] over the past five decades. [6:13] John. [6:14] John, go ahead. [6:15] The Press, thanks a lot, Caroline. [6:16] Two questions for you. [6:17] One has to do with a statement, [6:19] a joint statement put out this morning [6:21] by some of America's European allies, our NATO allies. [6:25] And in that joint statement, they said, [6:26] regarding the Strait of Hormuz, [6:28] our governments will contribute to ensuring [6:31] freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. [6:34] What's the administration's reaction [6:36] to that joint statement? [6:37] Does that smooth things over when the President meets [6:40] with NATO's Secretary General [6:42] a little bit later this afternoon? [6:43] Ms. I have a direct quote [6:44] from the President of the United States on NATO, [6:47] and I will share it with all of you. [6:48] They were tested and they failed. [6:50] And I would add, it's quite sad that NATO [6:52] turned their backs on the American people [6:54] over the course of the last six weeks, [6:55] when it's the American people [6:56] who have been defunding their defense. [6:59] As you know, President Trump will be meeting [7:00] with Secretary Ruta in a couple of hours [7:03] here at the White House, and I know he looks forward [7:04] to having a very frank and candid conversation with him. [7:07] And then secondly, in regards to this conflict, [7:10] 38 days, as you pointed out, [7:12] President Trump has said that there's been regime change. [7:16] Has that regime change led to more freedoms [7:20] for the Iranian people? [7:21] Ms. I think that's a question [7:23] that's being asked a little bit too early, John, [7:25] and we hope that is the case, [7:27] but it's something that has yet to be seen. [7:29] Caroline, on this question of tolling by the Iranians [7:34] in the Strait of Hormuz, I've heard you talk about [7:37] a number of red lines that the President has [7:39] in this negotiation, but I haven't heard you say [7:41] that Iranian tolling in the Strait of Hormuz [7:44] is a red line. [7:45] Would it be acceptable to the United States [7:47] at the end of all this if the Iranians are able [7:50] to charge tolls in the Strait of Hormuz? [7:52] Ms. I think the President was very clear [7:54] and simplistic in his language last night [7:56] in his Truth Social post, [7:58] where he said that this ceasefire is subject [8:00] to the free, safe, and immediate reopening [8:03] of the Strait of Hormuz. [8:04] That's very plain language, [8:06] and it should be taken at face value. [8:07] The Press. [8:08] The Press. [8:09] Ms. Carrie, go ahead. [8:10] Without limitation, including tolls, yes. [8:13] Carrie. [8:14] The Press. [8:15] Why would the U.S. allow Iran [8:17] to collect tolls from the Strait of Hormuz? [8:20] That's not something that we've opposed [8:21] for a number of years now. [8:23] Ms. Again, that's not something we've said [8:25] that we've definitively accepted. [8:26] The joint venture is something that was proposed [8:29] by the President, but he was very clear [8:31] in his statement last night. [8:32] He wants to see the Strait reopened immediately [8:34] without limitation, and that's something [8:36] we're going to hold them to. [8:37] The Press. [8:38] Ms. Yes, in the blue. [8:39] The Press. [8:40] On family and friends in Iran, [8:41] I myself am Iranian, and I've been talking to them [8:44] through the blackout. [8:44] One of my family members yesterday said goodbye to me. [8:48] So, what message should we be sending Iranians [8:51] when they message me saying, [8:52] what should they be doing right now? [8:54] How should they stay safe? [8:55] Because they really don't know what to do. [8:57] Ms. I think the President [8:59] is main bringing in threats of violence. [9:02] This is a huge achievement for the First Lady, [9:04] and I know the President is very proud of his wife's efforts [9:07] in getting this critical legislation passed [9:09] to protect America's youth. [9:10] So, we thank the First Lady for her efforts, [9:13] and we hope that others will report [9:14] on this historic conviction yesterday. [9:18] With respect to the two-week ceasefire [9:19] announced by President Trump last night, [9:21] this is a victory for the United States of America [9:24] that the President and our incredible military made happen. [9:29] From the very beginning of Operation Epic Fury, [9:32] President Trump stated this would be a four to six-week [9:35] military operation to dismantle the military threat [9:38] posed by the radical Islamic Iranian regime. [9:43] Thanks to the unbelievable capabilities [9:45] of America's war fighters, [9:47] the United States has achieved and exceeded [9:49] those core military objectives in just 38 days. [9:54] The U.S. military destroyed Iran's defense industrial base, [9:58] crushing the regime's ability to manufacture weapons [10:01] that they and their proxies use to maim and kill Americans [10:05] and terrorize the world. [10:07] Iran's ability to build and stockpile ballistic missiles [10:10] and long-range drones has also been set back by years, [10:14] compared to where it was six weeks ago, [10:16] prior to the launch of Operation Epic Fury. [10:19] We destroyed the vast majority of Iran's ballistic missiles, [10:22] launcher vehicles, and long-range attack drones, [10:25] through more than 450 strikes on ballistic missiles [10:29] and approximately 800 strikes on Iran's drone-launching units [10:34] and storage facilities. [10:35] In total, more than 13,000 targets across Iran were struck. [10:40] Again, this is in the matter of just 38 days. [10:45] Meanwhile, the Iranian Navy was completely annihilated. [10:49] The United States destroyed more than 150 naval vessels in total, [10:54] including 16 entire classes of Iranian warships. [10:58] Despite once being the largest undersea force in the Middle East, [11:02] Iran now has zero submarine vessels. [11:06] Ninety-seven percent of Iran's once-massive inventory [11:10] of more than 5,000 naval mines has also been targeted and destroyed. [11:15] Iran's air forces are functionally and operationally irrelevant at this point, [11:19] after the United States maintained total air dominance over their country for weeks on end. [11:25] To underscore the significance of this, [11:27] before Operation Epic Fury, [11:29] the Iranian Air Force would fly between 30 to 100 flights per day. [11:35] Today, that number is zero. [11:37] Iran's ability to fund and support its terrorist proxies has been greatly reduced. [11:42] At this point, Iran can no longer distribute weapons to its proxies in the region. [11:48] And most importantly, Iran will not be able to acquire nuclear weapons. [11:52] Prior to the start of this successful operation, [11:55] Iran was aggressively expanding its short-range ballistic missile arsenal. [12:00] Through these weapons and its navy, [12:02] Iran was attempting to build a military buildup around their country [12:06] that would pose an imminent and existential threat [12:08] to the United States military assets in the Middle East, [12:11] our allies in the region, and ultimately, the free world. [12:15] Iran was pursuing this dangerous and aggressive strategy for one reason, [12:19] to hold the entire world hostage to its terrorist ambitions. [12:24] The Iranians aim to use their expanded military capabilities [12:27] as a shield around their country [12:29] to continue achieving their ultimate goal internally, [12:32] building nuclear bombs. [12:34] But their murderous and evil plans have been blown up, [12:37] quite literally and figuratively, [12:39] along with their military, their nuclear program, [12:42] and most of their senior leadership, [12:44] including the former Supreme Leader Ayatollah al-Khamani. [12:48] Their command and control structures were also massively disrupted [12:52] after being struck more than 2,000 times. [12:55] Many of their remaining leaders are paralyzed in fear [12:57] and no longer enjoy the freedom to move around their country freely and meet openly. [13:03] Thanks to the unmatched excellence of our warriors at the direction of the commander-in-chief, [13:08] the world has just witnessed a historically swift and successful military triumph. [13:13] President Trump started Operation Epic Fury with strategic military objectives, [13:18] and the United States has clearly achieved them. [13:21] As we mark this progress, we also remember and honor the 13 American heroes [13:26] who laid down their lives in this noble effort. [13:29] I know President Trump and our grateful nation honors their ultimate sacrifice, [13:33] and we will never forget them. [13:35] May God bless their families. [13:37] The valiant efforts of all of our incredible service members created maximum leverage [13:42] for the President of the United States, [13:44] allowing he and his leadership team to engage in tough negotiations [13:49] over the past couple of weeks that have now created an opening for a diplomatic solution [13:54] in long-term peace in the Middle East. [13:56] The President's maximum pressure and the leverage created by the success of Operation Epic Fury [14:01] led to the Iranian regime asking for, and ultimately agreeing to, [14:06] a ceasefire proposal with the United States. [14:09] Iran could no longer tolerate being bombed or taking the gamble of what was to come [14:14] following President Trump's 8 p.m. deadline last night. [14:18] Iran has agreed to open the Strait of Hormuz, and as the President said, [14:21] we have received a proposal from the Iranians that has been determined to be a workable basis [14:27] on which to negotiate. [14:28] I've seen a lot of inaccurate coverage today from the media about these negotiations [14:32] and these plans already. [14:34] So let me be clear and correct the record. [14:37] The Iranians originally put forward a 10-point plan that was fundamentally unserious, [14:42] unacceptable, and completely discarded. [14:44] It was literally thrown in the garbage by President Trump and his negotiating team. [14:49] Many outlets in this room have falsely reported on that plan as being acceptable to the United [14:54] States, and that is false. [14:57] With the President's deadline fast approaching and the United States military completely decimating [15:01] Iran with each passing hour, the regime acknowledged reality to the negotiating team. [15:06] They put forward a more reasonable and entirely different and condensed plan to the President [15:12] and his team. [15:13] President Trump and the team determined the new, modified plan was a workable basis on which [15:18] to negotiate and to align it with our own 15-point proposal. [15:23] The President's red lines, namely the end of Iranian enrichment in Iran, have not changed. [15:30] And the idea that President Trump would ever accept an Iranian wish list as a deal is completely [15:35] absurd. [15:37] The President will only make a deal that serves in the best interests of the United States [15:41] of America. [15:42] And he as a negotiating team will focus on this effort over the next two weeks, so long [15:46] as the Strait of Hormuz remains open with no limitations or delays. [15:51] These extraordinarily sensitive and complex negotiations will take place behind closed doors over the [15:57] course of the next two weeks. [15:58] I would strongly advise the media against running with narratives that have no basis in fact. [16:04] What Iran says publicly or feeds to all of you in the press is much different than what [16:08] they communicate to the United States, the President, and his team privately. [16:12] Never underestimate President Trump's ability to successfully advance America's interests [16:17] and broker peace. [16:19] President Trump has a proven track record of achieving good deals on behalf of the United [16:23] States and the American people, and he will only accept one that puts America first. [16:29] With that, I will take your questions today. [16:30] I'm sure you have a lot of them. [16:32] In our new media seat, we have Shane Harris with the AMAC Newsline. [16:35] Shane, thank you for being here. [16:36] Why don't you kick us off? [16:38] Yeah, thanks for having me, Caroline. [16:39] Two questions for you. [16:40] First, following the President's announcement of the ceasefire, if this is indeed the end [16:43] of hostilities in Iran, what is the President's message to the American people about what [16:48] was it achieved for our country through Operation Epic Fury? [16:51] Sure. [16:52] I think I just laid out a significant portion of that in my opening remarks. [16:55] Six weeks ago, the President looked the American people in the eye directly, and he told [16:59] them that he launched this operation to take out the imminent threat that was posed by Iran. [17:05] And that threat has now been greatly destroyed. [17:07] Their Navy, their missiles, their defense industrial base, and their desire and their plan to build [17:13] a nuclear bomb inside their country is no longer going to be allowed, can no longer happen, [17:17] thanks to the remarkable success of Operation Epic Fury over the course of the last 38 days. [17:22] That has been absolutely achieved, and now we're moving into the next phase of this, which [17:26] is a negotiating period, to put some fine points on this and to hopefully broker an agreement [17:32] that can achieve long-term peace in the Middle East. [17:34] Yeah, and then second, what is the President's message to American seniors who have a much [17:38] higher voter participation rate, and they're likely to be a key swing boat in the midterm [17:42] elections? [17:43] Well, the President loves our seniors across the country. [17:46] And as you know, the President signed the one big, beautiful bill, the working families [17:50] tax cut last year, which greatly reduced taxes on Social Security for our seniors. [17:56] In fact, thanks to the working families tax cut, nearly 90 percent of seniors will no longer [18:00] pay tax on their Social Security. [18:03] That's a huge win for our seniors and also for our middle class and working families across [18:07] the country with the no tax on tips provision and the no tax on overtime. [18:11] Next week is Tax Week. [18:13] You'll hear a lot from the President about how his policies have benefited the American people, [18:16] and I'm proud to report that the President will be traveling next week to the great states [18:20] of Nevada and Arizona to tout this historic accomplishment over the course of the next week. [18:26] Thank you for being here, Shane. [18:27] Gabe. [18:28] The Press. [18:29] The Press. [18:30] Thank you, Caroline. [18:31] Iranian state media is saying that Iran has now closed off the Strait of Foreign Moves today [18:33] in response to Israeli attacks on Lebanon. [18:36] What's the White House response to that? [18:38] And you just listed many military successes, I understand that, but strategically, how is the administration [18:44] arguing that Iran does not have more economic leverage now than it did before the start of [18:51] the war? [18:52] Sure. [18:53] Well, with respect to the first reporting out of Iranian state media, the President [18:56] was made aware of those reports before I came to the podium. [19:00] That is completely unacceptable. [19:01] And again, this is a case of what they're saying publicly is different privately. [19:04] We have seen an uptick of traffic in the Strait today. [19:08] And I will reiterate the President's expectation and demand that the Strait of Hormuz is reopened [19:13] immediately, quickly and safely. [19:17] That is his expectation. [19:18] It has been relayed to him privately that that is what's taking place and these reports publicly [19:22] are false. [19:23] And Caroline, the President yesterday threatened that a whole civilization would die if a ceasefire [19:28] deal wasn't reached, understanding that Iranian leaders have previously said death to America. [19:33] But why is it appropriate for the President of the United States to use that kind of language [19:38] when talking about civilian targets? [19:41] And was the President mocking Islam by signing off his true social post over the weekend, [19:45] praise be to Allah? [19:46] Wouldn't that antagonize Muslim allies across the world? [19:49] Well, I understand the questions about the President's rhetoric, but what the President [19:54] cares most about is results. [19:56] And in fact, his very tough rhetoric and his tough negotiating style is what has led to the [20:01] result that you are all witnessing today, Iran publicly acknowledging last night that they [20:06] have agreed or that they wanted this ceasefire with the United States because they no longer [20:11] could tolerate being bombed by our very powerful and lethal military, and that they have committed [20:16] to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which the President will hold them accountable [20:19] for. [20:20] And it's something the administration is closely monitoring in real time. [20:23] So, Danny. [20:24] Should the world not take his word seriously? [20:26] The world should take his word very seriously in understanding that the President is always [20:31] most interested in results. [20:33] And it was the Iranians who backed down, not President Trump. [20:36] He said that they would face very grave consequences, as you just laid out, by the 8 p.m. deadline [20:41] if they did not agree to reopening the Strait of Hormuz. [20:44] And what did they do last night? [20:45] They agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. [20:46] Danny. [20:47] Thanks. [20:48] Thanks, Connie. [20:49] Would President Trump like to see Lebanon included in this peace deal? [20:52] As you know, there have been increased Israeli strikes on Lebanon today with dozens of casualties [20:57] there. [20:58] Sure. [20:59] Lebanon is not part of the ceasefire. [21:00] That has been relayed to all parties involved in the ceasefire. [21:04] As you know, Prime Minister Netanyahu put out a statement last night in support of the [21:08] ceasefire, in support of the United States' efforts. [21:11] And he's also assured the President they'll continue to be a helpful partner throughout the course [21:14] of the next two weeks. [21:15] The Press. [21:16] Is there any thought, though, that the President might like to see Lebanon included at a future [21:19] date, given that it seems to be causing or potentially undermining the Iran ceasefire? [21:25] Again, this will continue to be discussed, I am sure, between the President and Prime [21:30] Minister Netanyahu, the United States and Israel, and all of the parties involved. [21:34] But at this point in time, they're not included in a ceasefire deal. [21:36] Jeff. [21:37] Thank you. [21:38] Caroline, will the U.S. take part in talks with Iran in Islamabad on Friday? [21:43] I can announce that the President is dispatching his negotiating team, led by the Vice President [21:49] of the United States, J.D. Vance, Special Envoy Whitcoff, and Mr. Kushner to Islamabad for [21:54] talks this weekend. [21:55] The first round of those talks will take place on Saturday morning, local time. [22:00] And we know we look forward to those in-person meetings. [22:02] The Press. [22:03] What role does the President see for the U.S. in monitoring or helping with this trade [22:07] of partners going forward? [22:08] I think the President commented on that this morning. [22:11] We're going to continue to monitor it very, very closely. [22:14] We will be helpful in any way that we can, but we fully expect Iran to do this. [22:18] And the President has made that quite clear as well. [22:20] It's, again, as his statement said last night, this ceasefire is subject to the safe reopening [22:26] of the Strait of Hormuz. [22:27] Again, this was just determined last night. [22:29] We understand things take time, but that's the President's expectation, and he will hold [22:33] everyone to it. [22:34] The Press. [22:36] Sure. [22:37] In the green blazer. [22:38] The Press. [22:39] Thank you, Carolyn. [22:40] Sure. [22:41] And then in front of you. [22:42] But, Andrew, you can go ahead. [22:43] The Press. [22:44] All right. [22:45] You're not wearing a green blazer. [22:46] I am actually wearing a green blazer. [22:47] It's a little brown to me, but go ahead. [22:49] Fair enough. [22:51] So, regarding the President's rhetoric, when the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003, George W. [22:57] Bush said in a message to the Iraqi people that the military campaign was directed, quote, [23:04] against the lawless men who rule your country and not against you. [23:09] Yesterday, the President threatened to destroy Iran's civilization, the entire civilization. [23:15] Not the Iranian government, but the Iranian civilization, the Iranian people. [23:22] He's a moral leader for most of its history by fighting wars against other governments, [23:29] not against civilizations. [23:32] How can the President claim that America can ever have the moral high ground if he's threatening [23:38] to destroy civilizations and not casting wars as fights against other governments? [23:44] Andrew, I think you should take a look at the actions of this President over the course [23:47] of the past six weeks and the actions of our brave men and women in our United States [23:52] military who have taken out the military, essentially taken out the military of a rogue Islamic regime [23:59] that has chanted death to America for 47 years, that has killed and maimed thousands of American soldiers [24:05] over the course of the last five decades. [24:07] The President absolutely has the moral high ground over the Iranian terrorist regime, [24:12] and for you to even suggest otherwise is frankly insulting. [24:15] The Press, with all due respect, Caroline, with all due respect there is [24:20] The Press, just given what we've seen in Lebanon today and the increased attacks from Israel, [24:25] I mean, is there any concern that Netanyahu is trying to kill the ceasefire? [24:30] The President spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu last night. [24:33] In that private conversation, Prime Minister Netanyahu relayed exactly what he said to the world publicly, [24:38] that he supports the President and Israel remains a key ally and partner to the United States. [24:43] They've been a tremendous partner over the course of the past six weeks, [24:46] and we thank them for their heroic efforts as well. [24:49] And the President had that conversation last night, and that was relayed to the world publicly as well. [24:55] Reagan, go ahead. [24:56] Thank you, Caroline. I have a question for you on Iran, and I have a question on the Dignity Act as well. [25:01] On Iran, it's been reported that the ceasefire was struck after the involvement of two unlikely factors, [25:08] J.D. Vance and China. What role did those parties play in striking a deal? [25:12] Well, Vice President Vance has played a very significant and a key role in this since the very beginning. [25:18] Of course, he's the President's right-hand man. He is the Vice President of the United States. [25:22] He's been involved in all of these discussions. [25:24] And as I just announced, he'll be leading this new phase of negotiations in Islamabad later this week. [25:31] With respect to China, there were conversations that took place between top levels of our government and China's government. [25:39] The President has great respect for President Xi and a great working relationship with him and with that country. [25:46] And he looks forward to visiting China in just a few weeks. [25:50] And on the Dignity Act, it's getting a fresh push through Congress. [25:54] It would give some illegal immigrants in the country a path to citizenship. [25:58] What's the White House's position on this legislation and would the President sign it if it made it to his desk? [26:04] Honestly, Reagan, I haven't spoken to the President about the legislation. [26:07] But I will have that conversation and we'll get you our formal position on it as soon as we can. [26:11] You're welcome. Go ahead. [26:13] The Press. The President suggested in Israel this morning that he would support a joint of U.S.-Iran adventure to charge tolls for ships going through the strait. [26:22] Does the President believe that the U.S. should earn revenue from the strait if we're going forward? [26:27] It's something, it's an idea the President has floated, as you know, and it's something that will continue to be discussed over the course of the next two weeks. [26:34] But the immediate priority of the President is the reopening of the strait without any limitations, whether in the form of tolls or otherwise. [26:41] And on the highly enriched uranium, has Iran given the administration any indication that it would simply turn over the enriched uranium? [26:50] Or is this an expectation that the President has that he would have to send in ground troops in order to do that? [26:56] This is on the top of the priority list for the President and his negotiating team as they head into this next round of discussions. [27:02] And as I said in my opener, that is a red line that the President is not going to back away from, and he's committed to ensuring that takes place. [27:10] We hope it will be through diplomacy. [27:12] But have they given any indication that they would turn it over? [27:14] They have. They have. [27:15] They have. Yes. [27:16] Trevor. [27:17] The latest news out of Iran is that the air defenses have been activated in several cities, including Isfahan, and that explosions have been hurt in Isfahan. [27:25] Who is bombing Iran right now? [27:28] Were those reports just as of a few minutes ago? [27:31] Yeah. [27:32] Okay. So, obviously, I'll have to go back and check with the national security team. [27:35] I'm standing out here with all of you. [27:36] But I will do that, and we will get you an answer, okay? [27:38] And then just on the civilization question that we've been talking about. [27:42] And I would just add to that point. [27:44] Again, I haven't seen these reports. [27:45] I'm not verifying them. [27:46] Not that I don't trust you, Trevor, but I want to go back and check with the experts here at the White House. [27:50] I would just say, and I would echo what the Vice President said this morning. [27:54] This is a fragile truce. [27:56] Ceasefires are fragile by nature. [27:57] We've seen this with respect to the 12-day war with Iran and Israel last year. [28:01] It takes time sometimes for these ceasefires to be fully effectuated. [28:05] And one of the results of Operation Epic Fury was we completely dismantled Iran's command and control center, which makes it difficult for them to pass messages up and down the chain. [28:15] And so we understand that. [28:17] I would caution a little bit of patience. [28:19] But, of course, we want to see the ceasefire effectuated and abided by by all parties as quickly as possible. [28:25] Thank you. [28:26] And the American presidential administrations, going back to Ronald Reagan, have said this formulation about nuclear war, that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. [28:35] Is that still the view of this administration, given the President's comments about civilization? [28:39] I have no change in our view on that policy. [28:41] Katie. [28:42] Thanks, Caroline. [28:43] I'm just, given the gravity of what he said yesterday, what was your understanding of what he meant when he said that civilization is going to be eliminated? [28:55] I think it was a very, very strong threat from the President of the United States that led the Iranian regime to cave to their knees and ask for a ceasefire and agree to reopening the Strait of Hormuz. [29:06] So it was a very strong threat that led to results. [29:09] And as the Secretary of War stated at the Pentagon this morning, it was not an empty threat by any means. [29:15] The Pentagon had a target list that they were ready to hit go on at 8 p.m. last night if the Iranian regime had not agreed to open the Strait, which they did. [29:24] And I think that's something we should all be grateful for. [29:25] The Press. [29:26] The Press. [29:27] The Press. [29:28] The Press. [29:29] The Press. [29:30] The Press. [29:31] The Press. [29:32] The Press. [29:33] The Press. [29:34] The Press. [29:35] The President. [29:36] The Press. [29:37] The Press. [29:38] With sí breathy. [29:39] The Press. [29:40] The President. [29:41] At the Moon. [29:42] We'll make sure we made the announcement this evening in Whitecaps. [29:43] I think one of these провер [29:47] that Iran somehow has the moral high ground over the United States of America is insulting considering [29:50] the atrocities that they have committed against our people and our military over the past five decades. [29:53] John. [29:54] John, go ahead. [29:55] Thanks a lot, Caroline. [29:56] Two questions for you. [29:57] One has to do with a statement, a joint statement put out this morning by some of America's European [30:00] allies, our NATO allies. [30:02] And in that joint statement, they said regarding the Strait of Hormuz, our governments will contribute to ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. [30:11] What's the administration's reaction to that joint statement? [30:14] Does that smooth things over when the president meets with NATO's secretary general a little bit later this afternoon? [30:20] I have a direct quote from the president of the United States on NATO, and I will share it with all of you. [30:25] They were tested and they failed. [30:27] And I would add it's quite sad that NATO turned their backs on the American people over the course of the last six weeks when it's the American people who have been defunding their defense. [30:36] As you know, President Trump will be meeting with Secretary Ruta in a couple of hours here at the White House, and I know he looks forward to having a very frank and candid conversation with him. [30:44] And then secondly, in regards to this conflict, 38 days, as you pointed out, President Trump has said that there's been regime change. [30:52] Has that regime change led to more freedoms for the Iranian people? [30:58] I think that's a question that's being asked a little bit too early, John, and we hope that is the case. [31:04] But it's something that has yet to be seen. [31:06] Caroline, on this question about tolling by the Iranians in the Strait of Hormuz, I've heard you talk about a number of red lines that the president has in this negotiation. [31:17] But I haven't heard you say that Iranian tolling in the Strait of Hormuz is a red line. [31:22] Would it be acceptable to the United States at the end of all this if the Iranians are able to charge tolls in the Strait of Hormuz? [31:29] I think the president was very clear and simplistic in his language last night in his Truth Social post, where he said that this ceasefire is subject to the free, safe, and immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. [31:41] That's very plain language, and it should be taken at face value. [31:44] That's very plain language, Carrie. Carrie, go ahead. Without limitation, including tolls, yes. Carrie. [31:50] A quick follow-up on the atonement. Why would the U.S. allow Iran to collect tolls from the Strait of Hormuz? [31:57] That's not something that we've opposed for a number of years now. [32:00] Again, that's not something we've said that we've definitively accepted. [32:04] The joint venture is something that was proposed by the president, but he was very clear in his statement last night. [32:09] He wants to see the Strait reopened immediately without limitation, and that's something we're going to hold them to. [32:14] And a second question on family and friends in Iran. [32:18] I, myself, am Iranian, and I've been talking to them through the blackout. [32:21] One of my family members yesterday said goodbye to me. [32:25] So what message should we be sending Iranians when they message me saying, what should they be doing right now? [32:31] How should they stay safe? Because they really don't know what to do. [32:34] I think the president's main point in threats of violence. [32:39] This is a huge achievement for the first lady, and I know the president is very proud of his wife's efforts in getting this critical legislation passed to protect America's youth. [32:47] So we thank the first lady for her efforts, and we hope that others will report on this historic conviction yesterday. [32:54] With respect to the two-week ceasefire announced by President Trump last night, this is a victory for the United States of America that the president and our incredible military made happen. [33:06] From the very beginning of Operation Epic Fury, President Trump stated this would be a four-to-six-week military operation to dismantle the military threat posed by the radical Islamic Iranian regime. [33:19] Thanks to the unbelievable capabilities of America's warfighters, the United States has achieved and exceeded those core military objectives in just 38 days. [33:31] The U.S. military destroyed Iran's defense industrial base, crushing the regime's ability to manufacture weapons that they and their proxies use to maim and kill Americans and terrorize the world. [33:43] Iran's ability to build and stockpile ballistic missiles and long-range drones has also been set back by years compared to where it was six weeks ago prior to the launch of Operation Epic Fury. [33:56] We destroyed the vast majority of Iran's ballistic missiles, launcher vehicles, and long-range attack drones through more than 450 strikes on ballistic missiles and approximately 800 strikes on Iran's drone-launching units and storage facilities. [34:12] In total, more than 13,000 targets across Iran were struck. [34:17] Again, this is in the matter of just 38 days. [34:22] Meanwhile, the Iranian Navy was completely annihilated. [34:26] The United States destroyed more than 150 naval vessels in total, including 16 entire classes of Iranian warships. [34:35] Despite once being the largest undersea force in the Middle East, Iran now has zero submarine vessels. [34:43] 97 percent of Iran's once massive inventory of more than 5,000 naval mines has also been targeted and destroyed. [34:51] Iran's air forces are functionally and operationally irrelevant at this point, after the United States maintained total air dominance over their country for weeks on end. [35:02] To underscore the significance of this, before Operation Epic Fury, the Iranian Air Force would fly between 30 to 100 flights per day. [35:12] Today, that number is zero. [35:14] Iran's ability to fund and support its terrorist proxies has been greatly reduced. [35:19] At this point, Iran can no longer distribute weapons to its proxies in the region. [35:24] And most importantly, Iran will not be able to acquire nuclear weapons. [35:29] Prior to the start of this successful operation, Iran was aggressively expanding its short-range ballistic missile arsenal. [35:37] Through these weapons and its navy, Iran was attempting to build a military buildup around their country that would pose an imminent and existential threat to the United States military assets in the Middle East, [35:48] our allies in the region, and ultimately, the free world. [35:51] Iran was pursuing this dangerous and aggressive strategy for one reason, to hold the entire world hostage to its terrorist ambitions. [36:01] The Iranians aim to use their expanded military capabilities as shields around their country to continue achieving their ultimate goal internally, building nuclear bombs. [36:10] But their murderous and evil plans have been blown up, quite literally and figuratively, along with their military, their nuclear program, and most of their senior leadership, including the former Supreme Leader Ayatollah al-Khamani. [36:25] Their command and control structures were also massively disrupted after being struck more than 2,000 times. [36:31] Many of their remaining leaders are paralyzed in fear and no longer enjoy the freedom to move around their country freely and meet openly. [36:40] Thanks to the unmatched excellence of our warriors at the direction of the commander-in-chief, the world has just witnessed a historically swift and successful military triumph. [36:50] President Trump started Operation Epic Fury with strategic military objectives, and the United States has clearly achieved them. [36:57] As we mark this progress, we also remember and honor the 13 American heroes who laid down their lives in this noble effort. [37:06] I know President Trump and our grateful nation honors their ultimate sacrifice, and we will never forget them. [37:12] May God bless their families. [37:13] The valiant efforts of all of our incredible service members created maximum leverage for the President of the United States, allowing he and his leadership team to engage in tough negotiations over the past couple of weeks that have now created an opening for a diplomatic solution in long-term peace in the Middle East. [37:33] The President's maximum pressure and the leverage created by the success of Operation Epic Fury led to the Iranian regime asking for and ultimately agreeing to a ceasefire proposal with the United States. [37:46] Iran could no longer tolerate being bombed or taking the gamble of what was to come following President Trump's 8 p.m. deadline last night. [37:55] Iran has agreed to open the Strait of Hormuz, and as the President said, [37:58] we have received a proposal from the Iranians that has been determined to be a workable basis on which to negotiate. [38:05] I've seen a lot of inaccurate coverage today from the media about these negotiations and these plans already. [38:11] So let me be clear and correct the record. [38:14] The Iranians originally put forward a 10-point plan that was fundamentally unserious, unacceptable, and completely discarded. [38:21] It was literally thrown in the garbage by President Trump and his negotiating team. [38:26] Many outlets in this room have falsely reported on that plan as being acceptable to the United States, and that is false. [38:34] With the President's deadline fast approaching and the United States military completely decimating Iran with each passing hour, [38:40] the regime acknowledged reality to the negotiating team. [38:44] They put forward a more reasonable and entirely different and condensed plan to the President and his team. [38:49] President Trump and the team determined the new modified plan was a workable basis on which to negotiate and to align it with our own 15-point proposal. [39:00] The President's red lines, namely the end of Iranian enrichment in Iran, have not changed. [39:07] And the idea that President Trump would ever accept an Iranian wish list as a deal is completely absurd. [39:13] The President will only make a deal that serves in the best interests of the United States of America, [39:18] and he as a negotiating team will focus on this effort over the next two weeks, [39:23] so long as the Strait of Hormuz remains open with no limitations or delays. [39:28] These extraordinarily sensitive and complex negotiations will take place behind closed doors over the course of the next two weeks. [39:35] I would strongly advise the media against running with narratives that have no basis in fact. [39:40] What Iran says publicly or feeds to all of you in the press is much different than what they communicate to the United States, [39:47] the President, and his team privately. [39:49] Never underestimate President Trump's ability to successfully advance America's interests and broker peace. [39:56] President Trump has a proven track record of achieving good deals on behalf of the United States and the American people, [40:02] and he will only accept one that puts America first. [40:06] With that, I will take your questions today. [40:07] I'm sure you have a lot of them. [40:09] In our new media seat, we have Shane Harris with the AMAC Newsline. [40:12] Shane, thank you for being here. [40:13] Why don't you kick us off? [40:14] Yeah, thanks for having me, Caroline. [40:15] I have two questions for you. [40:17] First, following the President's announcement of the ceasefire, [40:19] if this is indeed the end of hostilities in Iran, [40:22] what is the President's message to the American people about what was it achieved for our country through Operation Epic Fury? [40:28] Sure. [40:29] I think I just laid out a significant portion of that in my opening remarks. [40:32] Six weeks ago, the President looked the American people in the eye directly, [40:36] and he told them that he launched this operation to take out the imminent threat that was posed by Iran, [40:41] and that threat has now been greatly destroyed. [40:44] Their Navy, their missiles, their defense industrial base, [40:47] and their desire and their plan to build a nuclear bomb inside their country is no longer going to be allowed, [40:53] can no longer happen, thanks to the remarkable success of Operation Epic Fury over the course of the last 38 days. [40:59] That has been absolutely achieved, and now we're moving into the next phase of this, [41:03] which is a negotiating period, to put some fine points on this [41:07] and to hopefully broker an agreement that can achieve long-term peace in the Middle East. [41:11] Yeah, and then second, what is the President's message to American seniors [41:14] who have a much higher voter participation rate and they're likely to be a key swing vote in the midterm elections? [41:20] Well, the President loves our seniors across the country, [41:23] and as you know, the President signed the one big, beautiful bill, [41:26] the Working Families Tax Cut, last year, [41:28] which greatly reduced taxes on Social Security for our seniors. [41:33] In fact, thanks to the Working Families Tax Cut, [41:35] nearly 90 percent of seniors will no longer pay tax on their Social Security. [41:40] That's a huge win for our seniors and also for our middle class and working families across the country [41:44] with the no tax on tips provision and the no tax on overtime. [41:47] Next week is Tax Week. [41:50] You'll hear a lot from the President about how his policies have benefited the American people, [41:53] and I'm proud to report that the President will be traveling next week [41:56] to the great states of Nevada and Arizona to tout this historic accomplishment over the course of the next week. [42:03] Thank you for being here, Shane. [42:04] Gabe. [42:04] Thank you, Caroline. [42:05] Iranian state media is saying that Iran has now closed off the Strait of Four moves today [42:10] in response to Israeli attacks on Lebanon. [42:13] What's the White House response to that? [42:14] And you just listed many military successes. [42:17] I understand that. [42:18] But strategically, how is the administration arguing that Iran does not have more economic leverage [42:25] than now than it did before the start of the war? [42:29] Sure. [42:29] Well, with respect to the first reporting out of Iranian state media, [42:32] the President was made aware of those reports before I came to the podium. [42:36] That is completely unacceptable. [42:38] And again, this is a case of what they're saying publicly is different privately. [42:41] We have seen an uptick of traffic in the Strait today, [42:45] and I will reiterate the President's expectation and demand [42:48] that the Strait of Four moves is reopened immediately, quickly, and safely. [42:53] That is his expectation. [42:54] It has been relayed to him privately that that is what's taking place, [42:58] and these reports publicly are false. [43:00] Caroline, the President yesterday threatened that a whole civilization would die [43:04] if a ceasefire deal wasn't reached, [43:06] understanding that Iranian leaders have previously said death to America. [43:10] But why is it appropriate for the President of the United States [43:13] to use that kind of language when talking about civilian targets? [43:17] And was the President mocking Islam by signing off his true social post over the weekend, [43:22] praise be to Allah, [43:24] wouldn't that antagonize Muslim allies across the world? [43:27] Well, I understand the questions about the President's rhetoric, [43:30] but what the President cares most about is results. [43:33] And in fact, his very tough rhetoric and his tough negotiating style [43:37] is what has led to the result that you are all witnessing today. [43:40] Iran publicly acknowledging last night that they have agreed, [43:44] or that they wanted this ceasefire with the United States [43:47] because they no longer could tolerate being bombed [43:50] by our very powerful and lethal military, [43:52] and that they have committed to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, [43:55] which the President will hold them accountable for, [43:57] and it's something the administration is closely monitoring in real time. [44:00] Danny. [44:01] Should the world not take his word seriously? [44:04] The world should take his word very seriously [44:06] in understanding that the President is always most interested in results. [44:10] And it was the Iranians who backed down, not President Trump. [44:13] He said that they would face very grave consequences, [44:16] as you just laid out, by the 8 p.m. deadline [44:18] if they did not agree to reopening the Strait of Hormuz. [44:21] And what did they do last night? [44:22] They agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. [44:24] Danny. [44:25] Thanks, Connie. [44:26] Would President Trump like to see Lebanon included in this peace deal? [44:30] As you know, there have been increased Israeli strikes on Lebanon today [44:33] with dozens of casualties there. [44:35] Sure. [44:35] Lebanon is not part of the ceasefire. [44:37] That has been relayed to all parties involved in the ceasefire. [44:40] As you know, Prime Minister Netanyahu put out a statement last night [44:44] in support of the ceasefire, [44:46] in support of the United States' efforts, [44:48] and he's also assured the President [44:49] they'll continue to be a helpful partner [44:51] throughout the course of the next two weeks. [44:53] Is there any thought, though, [44:54] that the President might like to see Lebanon included in a future date, [44:57] given that it seems to be causing [44:59] or potentially undermining the Iran ceasefire? [45:02] Again, this will continue to be discussed, I am sure, [45:05] between the President and Prime Minister Netanyahu, [45:08] the United States and Israel, [45:09] and all of the parties involved. [45:11] But at this point in time, [45:12] they're not included in this ceasefire deal. [45:14] Jeff. [45:14] Thank you. [45:15] Caroline, will the U.S. take part [45:17] in talks with Iran in Islamabad on Friday? [45:20] I can announce that the President [45:22] is dispatching his negotiating team, [45:25] led by the Vice President of the United States, [45:27] J.D. Vance, Special Envoy Whitcoff, [45:29] and Mr. Kushner to Islamabad for talks this weekend. [45:33] The first round of those talks will take place [45:34] on Saturday morning, local time, [45:37] and we know we look forward to those in-person meetings. [45:39] What role does the President see for the U.S. [45:42] in monitoring or helping with this trade-of-war moves going forward? [45:46] I think the President commented on that this morning. [45:48] We're going to continue to monitor it very, very closely. [45:51] We will be helpful in any way that we can, [45:53] but we fully expect Iran to do this, [45:55] and the President has made that quite clear as well. [45:57] It's, again, as his statement said last night, [46:01] this ceasefire is subject to the safe reopening [46:04] of the Strait of Hormuz. [46:05] Again, this was just determined last night. [46:06] We understand things take time, [46:08] but that's the President's expectation, [46:10] and he will hold everyone to it. [46:13] Sure, in the green blazer. [46:15] Thank you, Caroline. [46:16] Sure, and then in front of you. [46:17] But, Andrew, you can go ahead. [46:18] All right. [46:19] You're not wearing a green blazer. [46:20] I am actually wearing a green blazer. [46:23] It's a little brown to me, but go ahead. [46:26] Fair enough. [46:28] So, regarding the President's rhetoric, [46:31] when the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003, [46:33] George W. Bush said in a message to the Iraqi people [46:38] that the military campaign was directed, quote, [46:41] against the lawless men who rule your country [46:43] and not against you. [46:44] Yesterday, the President threatened to destroy Iran's civilization, [46:51] the entire civilization. [46:52] Not the Iranian government, but the Iranian civilization, [46:56] the Iranian people. [46:58] The U.S. has been a moral leader for most of its history [47:02] by fighting wars against other governments, [47:05] not against civilizations. [47:09] How can the President claim that America [47:11] can ever have the moral high ground [47:13] if he's threatening to destroy civilizations [47:16] and not casting wars as fights against other governments? [47:20] Andrew, I think you should take a look at the actions of this President [47:24] over the course of the past six weeks [47:26] and the actions of our brave men and women [47:28] in our United States military [47:29] who have taken out the military, [47:32] essentially taken out the military [47:33] of a rogue Islamic regime [47:36] that has chanted death to America for 47 years, [47:39] that has killed and maimed thousands of American soldiers [47:42] over the course of the last five decades. [47:45] The President absolutely has the moral high ground [47:47] over the Iranian terrorist regime [47:49] and for you to even suggest otherwise [47:51] is, frankly, insulting. [47:52] Go ahead. [47:52] With all due respect, Caroline, [47:54] with all due respect, there is... [47:57] Just given what we've seen in Lebanon today [48:01] and the increased attacks of Israel, [48:03] I mean, is there any concern [48:04] that Netanyahu is trying to kill the ceasefire? [48:07] The President spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu last night [48:10] and in that private conversation, [48:12] Prime Minister Netanyahu relayed exactly what he said [48:14] to the world publicly, [48:15] that he supports the President [48:16] and Israel remains a key ally [48:18] and partner to the United States. [48:20] They've been a tremendous partner [48:22] over the course of the past six weeks [48:23] and we thank them for their heroic efforts as well. [48:27] And the President had that conversation last night [48:30] and that was relayed to the world publicly as well. [48:33] Reagan, go ahead. [48:34] Thank you, Caroline. [48:35] I have a question for you on Iran [48:36] and then I have a question on the Dignity Act as well. [48:40] On Iran, it's been reported that the ceasefire [48:42] was struck after the involvement of two unlikely factors, [48:45] J.D. Vance, in China. [48:47] What role did those parties play in striking a deal? [48:50] Well, Vice President Vance has played a very significant [48:53] and a key role in this since the very beginning. [48:56] Of course, he's the President's right-hand man. [48:58] He is the Vice President of the United States. [49:00] He's been involved in all of these discussions [49:02] and as I just announced, [49:03] he'll be leading this new phase of negotiations [49:05] in Islamabad later this week. [49:09] With respect to China, [49:11] there were conversations that took place [49:13] between top levels of our government [49:15] and China's government. [49:17] The President has great respect for President Xi [49:19] and a great working relationship with him [49:22] and with that country [49:24] and he looks forward to visiting China in just a few weeks. [49:28] On the Dignity Act, [49:29] it's getting a fresh push through Congress. [49:31] It would give some illegal immigrants in the country [49:35] a path to citizenship. [49:36] What's the White House's position on this legislation [49:38] and would the President sign it [49:40] if it made it to his desk? [49:41] Honestly, Reagan, [49:42] I haven't spoken to the President about the legislation, [49:44] but I will have that conversation [49:46] and we'll get you our formal position on it [49:48] as soon as we can. [49:49] You're welcome. [49:50] Go ahead. [49:50] The President suggested in the room this morning [49:53] that he would support a joint of the U.S. Iran [49:55] adventure, [49:56] the charged tolls for ships going through the street. [49:59] Does the President believe that the U.S. should earn revenue [50:02] from the strait of room he was going for? [50:04] It's something, [50:05] it's an idea the President has floated, as you know, [50:08] and it's something that will continue to be discussed [50:10] over the course of the next two weeks. [50:12] But the immediate priority of the President [50:14] is the reopening of the strait [50:15] without any limitations, [50:17] whether in the form of tolls or otherwise. [50:19] On the highly enriched uranium, [50:21] has Iran given the administration any indication [50:24] that it would simply turn over the enriched uranium, [50:28] or is this an expectation the President has [50:30] that he would have to send in ground troops [50:33] in order to do that? [50:34] This is on the top of the priority list [50:36] for the President and his negotiating team [50:38] as they head into this next round of discussions. [50:40] And as I said in my opener, [50:42] that is a red line [50:43] that the President is not going to back away from, [50:45] and he's committed to ensuring that takes place. [50:48] We hope it will be through diplomacy. [50:50] But have they given any indication [50:51] that they would turn it over? [50:53] They have. [50:53] They have. [50:54] Yes. [50:55] Trevor. [50:55] The latest news out of Iran [50:57] is that the air defenses have been activated [51:00] in several cities, including Isfahan, [51:02] and that explosions have been heard in Isfahan. [51:03] Who is bombing Iran right now? [51:06] Were those reports just as of a few minutes ago? [51:09] Yeah. [51:09] Okay. [51:10] So obviously I'll have to go back [51:11] and check with the national security team. [51:13] I'm standing out here with all of you. [51:14] But I will do that, [51:15] and we will get you an answer, okay? [51:16] And just on the civilization question [51:19] that we've been talking about. [51:20] And I would just add to that point. [51:22] Again, I haven't seen these reports. [51:23] I'm not verifying them. [51:24] Not that I don't trust you, Trevor, [51:26] but I want to go back and check [51:27] with the experts here at the White House. [51:29] I would just say, [51:30] and I would echo what the Vice President said this morning. [51:32] This is a fragile truce. [51:34] Ceasefires are fragile by nature. [51:35] We've seen this with respect to the 12-day war [51:37] with Iran and Israel last year. [51:39] It takes time sometimes for these ceasefires [51:41] to be fully effectuated. [51:44] And one of the results of Operation Epic Fury [51:46] was we completely dismantled Iran's command and control center, [51:50] which makes it difficult for them [51:51] to pass messages up and down the chain. [51:54] And so we understand that. [51:56] I would caution a little bit of patience, [51:58] but of course we want to see the ceasefire [51:59] effectuated and abided by by all parties [52:02] as quickly as possible. [52:03] And the American presidential administrations, [52:06] going back to Ronald Reagan, [52:08] have said this formulation about nuclear war, [52:10] that a nuclear war cannot be won [52:12] and must never be fought. [52:13] Is that still the view of this administration, [52:15] given the President's comments about civilization? [52:17] I have no change in our view on that policy. [52:20] Katie. [52:21] Thanks, Caroline. [52:22] I'm just, given the gravity of what he said yesterday, [52:25] what was your understanding of what he meant [52:28] when he said, [52:29] civilization is going to be eliminated? [52:32] I think it was a very, very strong threat [52:34] from the President of the United States [52:36] that led the Iranian regime to cave to their knees [52:40] and ask for a ceasefire [52:41] and agree to reopening the Strait of Hormuz. [52:43] So it was a very strong threat that led to results. [52:46] And as the Secretary of War stated at the Pentagon this morning, [52:50] it was not an empty threat by any means. [52:52] The Pentagon had a target list [52:54] that they were ready to hit go on at 8 p.m. last night [52:58] if the Iranian regime had not agreed to open the Strait, [53:01] which they did. [53:02] And I think that's something we should all be grateful for. [53:03] The United States is a moral leader in the world, [53:06] given that he is... [53:06] I was asked this exact same question [53:08] by your colleague Andrew in the back. [53:09] And I think, again, [53:10] the insinuation by anyone in this room [53:12] that Iran somehow has the moral high ground [53:15] over the United States of America [53:16] is insulting, [53:18] considering the atrocities that they have... [53:20] considering the atrocities that they have committed [53:22] against our people and our military [53:24] over the past five decades. [53:27] John. [53:28] John, go ahead. [53:29] Thanks a lot, Caroline. [53:30] Two questions for you. [53:32] One has to do with a statement, [53:33] a joint statement put out this morning [53:35] by some of America's European allies, [53:38] our NATO allies. [53:39] And in that joint statement, [53:40] they said regarding the Strait of Hormuz, [53:42] our governments will contribute [53:44] to ensuring freedom of navigation [53:46] in the Strait of Hormuz. [53:48] What's the administration's reaction [53:50] to that joint statement? [53:51] Does that smooth things over [53:53] when the President meets with NATO's Secretary General [53:56] a little bit later this afternoon? [53:58] I have a direct quote [53:59] from the President of the United States on NATO, [54:01] and I will share it with all of you. [54:02] They were tested and they failed. [54:04] And I would add, [54:05] it's quite sad that NATO turned their backs [54:07] on the American people [54:08] over the course of the last six weeks [54:09] when it's the American people [54:10] who have been defunding their defense. [54:13] As you know, [54:14] President Trump will be meeting [54:15] with Secretary Ruta [54:15] in a couple of hours here at the White House, [54:17] and I know he looks forward [54:18] to having a very frank [54:19] and candid conversation with him. [54:21] And then secondly, [54:23] in regards to this conflict, [54:24] 38 days, as you pointed out, [54:27] President Trump has said [54:28] that there's been regime change. [54:30] Has that regime change led [54:32] to more freedoms for the Iranian people? [54:35] I think that's a question [54:37] that's being asked a little bit too early, John, [54:39] and we hope that is the case, [54:41] but it's something that has yet to be seen. [54:43] Caroline, on this question [54:46] of tolling by the Iranians [54:48] in the Strait of Hormuz, [54:50] I've heard you talk about [54:51] a number of red lines [54:52] that the President has [54:53] in this negotiation, [54:54] but I haven't heard you say [54:55] that Iranian tolling [54:56] in the Strait of Hormuz [54:57] is a red line. [54:59] Would it be acceptable [55:00] to the United States [55:01] at the end of all this [55:03] if the Iranians are able [55:04] to charge tolls [55:05] in the Strait of Hormuz? [55:06] I think the President [55:07] was very clear [55:08] and simplistic in his language [55:10] last night [55:10] in his Truth Social post, [55:12] where he said [55:12] that this ceasefire [55:13] is subject to [55:14] the free, safe, [55:16] and immediate reopening [55:17] of the Strait of Hormuz. [55:18] That's very plain language [55:20] and it should be taken [55:21] at face value. [55:22] Does that mean [55:22] freedom of charge? [55:23] Carrie, go ahead. [55:24] Without limitation, [55:26] including tolls, yes. [55:27] Carrie. [55:28] Quick follow-up on the atollan. [55:29] Why would the U.S. [55:30] allow Iran to collect tolls [55:32] from the Strait of Hormuz? [55:34] That's not something [55:34] that we've opposed [55:35] for a number of years now. [55:37] Again, that's not something [55:38] we've said [55:39] that we've definitively accepted. [55:41] The joint venture [55:41] is something that was [55:42] proposed by the President, [55:44] but he was very clear [55:45] in his statement last night. [55:46] He wants to see [55:47] the Strait reopened [55:48] immediately without limitation [55:49] and that's something [55:50] we're going to hold them to. [55:51] Yes, and then we're... [55:52] And a second question [55:53] on family and friends in Iran. [55:55] I, myself, am Iranian [55:57] and I've been talking to them [55:58] through the blackout. [55:59] One of my family members [56:00] yesterday said goodbye to me. [56:02] So, what message [56:03] should we be sending Iranians [56:05] when they message me [56:06] saying what should they [56:07] be doing right now? [56:08] How should they stay safe? [56:09] Because they really [56:10] don't know what to do. [56:12] I think the President's [56:14] main point in threats of violence. [56:16] This is a huge achievement [56:17] for the First Lady [56:18] and I know the President [56:19] is very proud of his wife's efforts [56:21] in getting this critical legislation [56:22] passed to protect America's youth. [56:24] So, we thank the First Lady [56:25] for her efforts [56:27] and we hope that others [56:28] will report on this [56:29] historic conviction yesterday. [56:32] With respect to the [56:33] two-week ceasefire [56:33] announced by President Trump [56:35] last night, [56:35] this is a victory [56:36] for the United States of America [56:38] that the President [56:39] and our incredible military [56:41] made happen. [56:42] From the very beginning [56:44] of Operation Epic Fury, [56:46] President Trump stated [56:47] this would be [56:48] a four-to-six-week [56:49] military operation [56:50] to dismantle [56:51] the military threat [56:52] posed by the radical [56:54] Islamic Iranian regime. [56:57] Thanks to the [56:58] unbelievable capabilities [56:59] of America's war fighters, [57:01] the United States [57:02] has achieved [57:02] and exceeded [57:03] those core military objectives [57:05] in just 38 days. [57:08] The U.S. military [57:09] destroyed Iran's [57:10] defense industrial base, [57:12] crushing the regime's ability [57:14] to manufacture weapons [57:15] that they and their proxies [57:17] use to maim and kill [57:18] Americans [57:19] and terrorize the world. [57:21] Iran's ability [57:22] to build and stockpile [57:23] ballistic missiles [57:24] and long-range drones [57:25] has also been set back [57:27] by years [57:27] compared to where it was [57:29] six weeks ago [57:30] prior to the launch [57:31] of Operation Epic Fury. [57:33] We destroyed [57:34] the vast majority [57:35] of Iran's ballistic missiles, [57:37] launcher vehicles, [57:38] and long-range attack drones [57:39] through more than [57:40] 450 strikes [57:42] on ballistic missiles [57:43] and approximately [57:44] 800 strikes [57:45] on Iran's drone-launching units [57:48] and storage facilities. [57:49] In total, [57:50] more than 13,000 targets [57:53] across Iran [57:54] were struck. [57:55] Again, [57:55] this is in the matter [57:56] of just 38 days. [57:58] Meanwhile, [58:00] the Iranian Navy [58:01] was completely annihilated. [58:03] The United States [58:04] destroyed more than [58:05] 150 naval vessels [58:07] in total, [58:08] including 16 entire classes [58:10] of Iranian warships. [58:13] Despite once being [58:13] the largest undersea force [58:15] in the Middle East, [58:16] Iran now has [58:18] zero submarine vessels. [58:20] 97% of Iran's [58:22] once-massive inventory [58:24] of more than 5,000 naval mines [58:26] has also been targeted [58:27] and destroyed. [58:29] Iran's air forces [58:30] are functionally [58:31] and operationally [58:32] irrelevant at this point, [58:33] after the United States [58:34] maintained total air dominance [58:36] over their country [58:37] for weeks on end. [58:39] To underscore [58:40] the significance of this, [58:41] before Operation Epic Fury, [58:43] the Iranian Air Force [58:45] would fly between [58:46] 30 to 100 flights per day. [58:49] Today, [58:49] that number is zero. [58:51] Iran's ability [58:52] to fund and support [58:53] its terrorist proxies [58:54] has been greatly reduced. [58:56] At this point, [58:57] Iran can no longer [58:58] distribute weapons [58:59] to its proxies [59:00] in the region. [59:02] And most importantly, [59:03] Iran will not be able [59:04] to acquire nuclear weapons. [59:07] Prior to the start [59:08] of this successful operation, [59:09] Iran was aggressively [59:11] expanding its short-range [59:12] ballistic missile arsenal. [59:14] Through these weapons [59:15] and its navy, [59:16] Iran was attempting [59:17] to build a military buildup [59:19] around their country [59:20] that would pose [59:20] an imminent and existential threat [59:22] to the United States' [59:23] military assets [59:24] in the Middle East, [59:25] our allies in the region, [59:27] and ultimately the free world. [59:29] Iran was pursuing [59:30] this dangerous [59:31] and aggressive strategy [59:32] for one reason, [59:33] to hold the entire world hostage [59:35] to its terrorist ambitions. [59:38] The Iranians aim [59:39] to use their expanded [59:40] military capabilities [59:41] as a shield [59:42] around their country [59:43] to continue achieving [59:44] their ultimate goal [59:45] internally, [59:47] building nuclear bombs. [59:48] But their murderous [59:49] and evil plans [59:50] have been blown up, [59:51] quite literally [59:52] and figuratively, [59:53] along with their military, [59:54] their nuclear program, [59:56] and most of their [59:57] senior leadership, [59:58] including the former [59:59] Supreme Leader, [1:00:00] Ayatollah al-Khamani. [1:00:02] Their commanding control [1:00:03] structures were also [1:00:04] massively disrupted [1:00:05] after being struck [1:00:07] more than 2,000 times. [1:00:09] Many of their remaining leaders [1:00:10] are paralyzed in fear [1:00:12] and no longer enjoy [1:00:13] the freedom [1:00:13] to move around their country [1:00:15] freely and meet openly. [1:00:17] Thanks to the unmatched [1:00:18] excellence of our warriors [1:00:19] at the direction [1:00:20] of the Commander-in-Chief, [1:00:22] the world has just witnessed [1:00:23] a historically swift [1:00:25] and successful [1:00:25] military triumph. [1:00:28] President Trump [1:00:28] started Operation Epic Fury [1:00:30] with strategic military objectives [1:00:32] and the United States [1:00:33] has clearly achieved them. [1:00:35] As we mark this progress, [1:00:37] we also remember [1:00:38] and honor [1:00:38] the 13 American heroes [1:00:40] who laid down their lives [1:00:41] in this noble effort. [1:00:43] I know President Trump [1:00:44] and our grateful nation [1:00:45] honors their ultimate sacrifice [1:00:47] and we will never forget them. [1:00:49] May God bless their families. [1:00:50] The valiant efforts [1:00:52] of all of our incredible [1:00:53] service members [1:00:54] created maximum leverage [1:00:56] for the President [1:00:57] of the United States, [1:00:59] allowing he and his leadership team [1:01:00] to engage in tough negotiations [1:01:02] over the past couple of weeks [1:01:04] that have now created [1:01:05] an opening for a diplomatic solution [1:01:08] in long-term peace [1:01:09] in the Middle East. [1:01:10] The President's maximum pressure [1:01:12] and the leverage created [1:01:13] by the success [1:01:14] of Operation Epic Fury [1:01:16] led to the Iranian regime [1:01:17] asking for [1:01:18] and ultimately agreeing to [1:01:20] a ceasefire proposal [1:01:21] with the United States. [1:01:23] Iran could no longer tolerate [1:01:25] being bombed [1:01:25] or taking the gamble [1:01:27] of what was to come [1:01:28] following President Trump's [1:01:29] 8 p.m. deadline last night. [1:01:32] Iran has agreed [1:01:33] to open the Strait of Hormuz [1:01:34] and as the President said, [1:01:36] we have received a proposal [1:01:37] from the Iranians [1:01:38] that has been determined [1:01:39] to be a workable basis [1:01:41] on which to negotiate. [1:01:42] I've seen a lot [1:01:43] of inaccurate coverage today [1:01:45] from the media [1:01:45] about these negotiations [1:01:46] in these plans already. [1:01:48] So let me be clear [1:01:49] and correct the record. [1:01:51] The Iranians originally [1:01:52] put forward a 10-point plan [1:01:54] that was fundamentally [1:01:55] unserious, unacceptable, [1:01:57] and completely discarded. [1:01:58] It was literally [1:01:59] thrown in the garbage [1:02:00] by President Trump [1:02:02] and his negotiating team. [1:02:04] Many outlets in this room [1:02:05] have falsely reported [1:02:06] on that plan [1:02:07] as being acceptable [1:02:08] to the United States [1:02:09] and that is false. [1:02:11] With the President's deadline [1:02:12] fast approaching [1:02:13] and the United States military [1:02:14] completely decimating Iran [1:02:16] with each passing hour, [1:02:17] the regime acknowledged reality [1:02:19] to the negotiating team. [1:02:21] They put forward [1:02:21] a more reasonable [1:02:22] and entirely different [1:02:24] and condensed plan [1:02:25] to the President [1:02:26] and his team. [1:02:27] President Trump [1:02:28] and the team determined [1:02:29] the new modified plan [1:02:30] was a workable basis [1:02:31] on which to negotiate [1:02:32] and to align it [1:02:34] with our own 15-point proposal. [1:02:37] The President's red lines, [1:02:39] namely the end [1:02:40] of Iranian enrichment in Iran, [1:02:42] have not changed. [1:02:44] And the idea [1:02:45] that President Trump [1:02:46] would ever accept [1:02:47] an Iranian wish list [1:02:48] as a deal [1:02:49] is completely absurd. [1:02:51] The President [1:02:51] will only make a deal [1:02:52] that serves [1:02:53] in the best interests [1:02:54] of the United States of America. [1:02:56] And he as a negotiating team [1:02:57] will focus on this effort [1:02:58] over the next two weeks, [1:03:00] so long as the Strait of Hormuz [1:03:01] remains open [1:03:02] with no limitations [1:03:04] or delays. [1:03:05] These extraordinarily sensitive [1:03:07] and complex negotiations [1:03:08] will take place [1:03:09] behind closed doors [1:03:10] over the course [1:03:11] of the next two weeks. [1:03:12] I would strongly advise [1:03:14] the media [1:03:14] against running [1:03:15] with narratives [1:03:15] that have no basis in fact. [1:03:18] What Iran says publicly [1:03:19] or feeds to all of you [1:03:20] in the press [1:03:21] is much different [1:03:21] than what they communicate [1:03:23] to the United States, [1:03:24] the President, [1:03:25] and his team privately. [1:03:26] Never underestimate [1:03:27] President Trump's ability [1:03:29] to successfully advance [1:03:30] America's interests [1:03:31] and broker peace. [1:03:33] President Trump [1:03:33] has a proven track record [1:03:35] of achieving good deals [1:03:36] on behalf of the United States [1:03:37] and the American people, [1:03:39] and he will only accept one [1:03:41] that puts America first. [1:03:43] With that, [1:03:43] I will take your questions today. [1:03:45] I'm sure you have a lot of them. [1:03:46] In our new media seat, [1:03:47] we have Shane Harris [1:03:48] with the AMAC Newsline. [1:03:49] Shane, thank you for being here. [1:03:50] Why don't you kick us off? [1:03:51] Yeah, thanks for having me, Caroline. [1:03:53] I have two questions for you. [1:03:54] First, following the President's announcement [1:03:55] of the ceasefire, [1:03:57] if this is indeed [1:03:57] the end of hostilities in Iran, [1:03:59] what is the President's message [1:04:01] to the American people [1:04:02] about what was it achieved [1:04:03] for our country [1:04:03] through Operation Epic Fury? [1:04:05] Sure. [1:04:06] I think I just laid out [1:04:07] a significant portion of that [1:04:08] in my opening remarks. [1:04:09] Six weeks ago, [1:04:10] the President looked [1:04:11] the American people [1:04:12] in the eye directly, [1:04:13] and he told them [1:04:14] that he launched this operation [1:04:15] to take out the imminent threat [1:04:17] that was posed by Iran. [1:04:19] And that threat [1:04:19] has now been greatly destroyed. [1:04:21] Their Navy, [1:04:22] their missiles, [1:04:23] their defense industrial base, [1:04:24] and their desire [1:04:25] and their plan [1:04:26] to build a nuclear bomb [1:04:28] inside their country [1:04:29] is no longer going to be allowed, [1:04:30] can no longer happen, [1:04:32] thanks to the remarkable success [1:04:33] of Operation Epic Fury [1:04:35] over the course [1:04:35] of the last 38 days. [1:04:37] That has been absolutely achieved, [1:04:39] and now we're moving [1:04:39] into the next phase of this, [1:04:41] which is a negotiating period, [1:04:42] to put some fine points on this [1:04:44] and to hopefully broker [1:04:45] an agreement [1:04:46] that can achieve long-term peace [1:04:47] in the Middle East. [1:04:48] Yeah, and then second, [1:04:49] what is the President's message [1:04:51] to American seniors [1:04:52] who have a much higher [1:04:53] voter participation rate [1:04:54] and they're likely to be [1:04:55] a key swing vote [1:04:56] in the midterm elections? [1:04:57] Well, the President loves [1:04:58] our seniors across the country, [1:05:00] and as you know, [1:05:01] the President signed [1:05:02] the one big, beautiful bill, [1:05:03] the Working Families Tax Cut, [1:05:05] last year, [1:05:06] which greatly reduced taxes [1:05:07] on Social Security [1:05:09] for our seniors. [1:05:10] In fact, thanks [1:05:10] to the Working Families Tax Cut, [1:05:12] nearly 90% of seniors [1:05:14] will no longer pay tax [1:05:15] on their Social Security. [1:05:17] That's a huge win [1:05:18] for our seniors [1:05:18] and also for our middle class [1:05:20] and working families [1:05:21] across the country [1:05:22] with the No Tax on Tips provision [1:05:23] and the No Tax on Overtime. [1:05:25] Next week is Tax Week. [1:05:27] You'll hear a lot from the President [1:05:28] about how his policies [1:05:29] have benefited the American people, [1:05:30] and I'm proud to report [1:05:32] that the President [1:05:32] will be traveling next week [1:05:33] to the great states [1:05:34] of Nevada and Arizona [1:05:36] to tout this historic accomplishment [1:05:38] over the course [1:05:39] of the next week. [1:05:40] Thank you for being here, Shane. [1:05:41] Gabe. [1:05:41] Thank you, Caroline. [1:05:42] Iranian state media [1:05:43] is saying that Iran [1:05:45] has now closed off [1:05:46] the Strait of Four moves today [1:05:47] in response to Israeli attacks [1:05:49] on Lebanon. [1:05:50] What's the White House [1:05:51] response to that? [1:05:51] And you just listed [1:05:53] many military successes. [1:05:54] I understand that. [1:05:55] But strategically, [1:05:57] how is the administration [1:05:58] arguing that Iran [1:05:59] does not have more economic leverage [1:06:02] than now than it did [1:06:05] before the start of the war? [1:06:06] Sure. [1:06:06] Well, with respect [1:06:07] to the first reporting [1:06:08] out of Iranian state media, [1:06:10] the President was made aware [1:06:11] of those reports [1:06:11] before I came to the podium. [1:06:13] That is completely unacceptable. [1:06:15] And again, [1:06:16] this is a case [1:06:16] of what they're saying publicly [1:06:18] is different privately. [1:06:19] We have seen an uptick [1:06:20] of traffic in the Strait today. [1:06:22] And I will reiterate [1:06:23] the President's expectation [1:06:24] and demand [1:06:25] that the Strait of Hormuz [1:06:26] is reopened immediately, [1:06:29] quickly, and safely. [1:06:30] That is his expectation. [1:06:32] It has been relayed [1:06:33] to him privately [1:06:33] that that is what's taking place [1:06:35] and these reports [1:06:36] publicly are false. [1:06:37] Caroline, [1:06:38] the President yesterday [1:06:39] threatened that a whole [1:06:40] civilization would die [1:06:41] if a ceasefire deal [1:06:43] wasn't reached, [1:06:44] understanding that Iranian leaders [1:06:45] have previously [1:06:46] set death to America. [1:06:47] But why is it appropriate [1:06:48] for the President [1:06:49] of the United States [1:06:50] to use that kind of language [1:06:52] when talking about civilian targets? [1:06:55] And was the President [1:06:56] mocking Islam [1:06:57] by signing off [1:06:58] his true social post [1:06:59] over the weekend, [1:07:00] praise be to Allah? [1:07:01] Wouldn't that antagonize [1:07:02] Muslim allies [1:07:03] across the world? [1:07:04] Well, I understand [1:07:05] the questions [1:07:05] about the President's rhetoric, [1:07:07] but what the President [1:07:08] cares most about [1:07:09] is results. [1:07:10] And in fact, [1:07:11] his very tough rhetoric [1:07:12] and his tough negotiating style [1:07:14] is what has led [1:07:15] to the result [1:07:16] that you are all witnessing today. [1:07:18] Iran publicly acknowledging [1:07:19] last night [1:07:20] that they have agreed [1:07:21] or that they wanted [1:07:23] this ceasefire [1:07:23] with the United States [1:07:24] because they no longer [1:07:25] could tolerate being bombed [1:07:27] by our very powerful [1:07:28] and lethal military [1:07:29] and that they have committed [1:07:30] to the reopening [1:07:31] of the Strait of Hormuz, [1:07:32] which the President [1:07:32] will hold them accountable for. [1:07:34] And it's something [1:07:35] the administration [1:07:35] is closely monitoring [1:07:36] in real time. [1:07:37] Danny. [1:07:38] Should the world [1:07:39] not take his word seriously? [1:07:41] The world should take [1:07:42] his word very seriously [1:07:43] in understanding [1:07:44] that the President [1:07:45] is always most interested [1:07:46] in results. [1:07:47] And it was the Iranians [1:07:48] who backed down, [1:07:49] not President Trump. [1:07:50] He said that [1:07:51] they would face [1:07:52] very grave consequences [1:07:53] as you just laid out [1:07:54] by the 8 p.m. deadline [1:07:55] if they did not agree [1:07:56] to reopening [1:07:57] the Strait of Hormuz. [1:07:58] And what did they do last night? [1:07:59] They agreed to reopen [1:08:00] the Strait of Hormuz. [1:08:01] Danny. [1:08:02] Thanks, Connie. [1:08:03] Would President Trump [1:08:04] like to see Lebanon [1:08:05] included in this peace deal? [1:08:07] As you know, [1:08:07] there have been increased [1:08:08] Israeli strikes on Lebanon today [1:08:10] with dozens of casualties there. [1:08:12] Sure. [1:08:13] Lebanon is not part [1:08:14] of the ceasefire. [1:08:15] That has been relayed [1:08:15] to all parties involved [1:08:16] in the ceasefire. [1:08:18] As you know, [1:08:18] Prime Minister Netanyahu [1:08:20] put out a statement [1:08:20] last night [1:08:21] in support of the ceasefire, [1:08:23] in support of the United States' efforts. [1:08:25] And he's also assured [1:08:26] the President [1:08:26] they'll continue [1:08:27] to be a helpful partner [1:08:28] throughout the course [1:08:29] of the next two weeks. [1:08:30] Is there any thought, though, [1:08:31] that the President [1:08:32] might like to see Lebanon [1:08:33] included in a future date, [1:08:34] given that it seems [1:08:35] to be causing [1:08:37] or potentially undermining [1:08:38] the Iran ceasefire? [1:08:40] Again, [1:08:40] this will continue [1:08:41] to be discussed, [1:08:42] I am sure, [1:08:42] between the President [1:08:44] and Prime Minister Netanyahu, [1:08:45] the United States, [1:08:46] and Israel, [1:08:46] and all of the parties involved. [1:08:47] But at this point in time, [1:08:49] they're not included [1:08:50] in the ceasefire deal. [1:08:51] Jeff. [1:08:51] Thank you. [1:08:52] Caroline, [1:08:53] will the U.S. take part [1:08:54] in talks with Iran [1:08:56] and Islamabad on Friday? [1:08:57] I can announce [1:08:59] that the President [1:08:59] is dispatching [1:09:00] his negotiating team, [1:09:02] led by the Vice President [1:09:03] of the United States, [1:09:04] J.D. Vance, [1:09:05] Special Envoy Whitcoff, [1:09:06] and Mr. Kushner [1:09:07] to Islamabad [1:09:08] for talks this weekend. [1:09:10] The first round [1:09:10] of those talks [1:09:11] will take place [1:09:11] on Saturday morning, [1:09:13] local time. [1:09:14] And we know [1:09:14] we look forward [1:09:15] to those in-person meetings. [1:09:16] What role does the President [1:09:17] see for the U.S. [1:09:19] in monitoring [1:09:20] or helping with [1:09:21] the Strait of Hormuz [1:09:22] going forward? [1:09:23] I think the President [1:09:24] commented on that [1:09:24] this morning. [1:09:25] We're going to continue [1:09:26] to monitor it [1:09:27] very, very closely. [1:09:28] We will be helpful [1:09:29] in any way that we can, [1:09:30] but we fully expect [1:09:31] Iran to do this, [1:09:32] and the President [1:09:33] has made that [1:09:33] quite clear as well. [1:09:34] It's, again, [1:09:35] as his statement [1:09:37] said last night, [1:09:38] this ceasefire [1:09:38] is subject to [1:09:39] the safe reopening [1:09:41] of the Strait of Hormuz. [1:09:42] Again, [1:09:42] this was just determined [1:09:43] last night. [1:09:44] We understand things [1:09:44] take time, [1:09:45] but that's the President's [1:09:46] expectation, [1:09:47] and he will hold [1:09:47] everyone to it. [1:09:50] Sure, [1:09:51] in the green blazer. [1:09:52] Thank you, Carolyn. [1:09:53] Sure, [1:09:53] and then in front of you. [1:09:54] But, Andrew, [1:09:55] you can go ahead. [1:09:56] All right. [1:09:56] You're not wearing [1:09:57] a green blazer. [1:09:58] I am actually wearing [1:09:59] a green blazer. [1:10:00] It's a little brown to me, [1:10:01] but go ahead. [1:10:03] Fair enough. [1:10:05] So, [1:10:05] regarding the President's rhetoric, [1:10:07] when the U.S. invaded Iraq [1:10:09] in 2003, [1:10:10] George W. Bush [1:10:11] said in a message [1:10:13] to the Iraqi people [1:10:15] that the military campaign [1:10:17] was directed, [1:10:18] quote, [1:10:18] against the lawless men [1:10:19] who rule your country [1:10:20] and not against you. [1:10:23] Yesterday, [1:10:24] the President threatened [1:10:25] to destroy Iran's civilization, [1:10:28] the entire civilization. [1:10:29] Not the Iranian government, [1:10:31] but the Iranian civilization, [1:10:33] the Iranian people. [1:10:35] The U.S. has been [1:10:36] a moral leader [1:10:37] for most of its history [1:10:39] by fighting wars [1:10:40] against other governments, [1:10:43] not against civilizations. [1:10:46] How can the President claim [1:10:48] that America can ever [1:10:49] have the moral high ground [1:10:50] if he's threatening [1:10:51] to destroy civilizations [1:10:53] and not casting wars [1:10:55] as fights [1:10:56] against other governments? [1:10:58] Andrew, [1:10:59] I think you should take a look [1:11:00] at the actions [1:11:00] of this President [1:11:01] over the course [1:11:02] of the past six weeks [1:11:03] and the actions [1:11:03] of our brave men and women [1:11:05] in our United States [1:11:06] military [1:11:06] who have taken out [1:11:08] essentially taken out [1:11:10] the military [1:11:10] of a rogue Islamic regime [1:11:13] that has chanted [1:11:14] death to America [1:11:15] for 47 years, [1:11:16] that has killed [1:11:17] and maimed [1:11:18] thousands of American soldiers [1:11:19] over the course [1:11:20] of the last five decades. [1:11:22] The President absolutely [1:11:23] has the moral high ground [1:11:24] over the Iranian terrorist regime [1:11:26] and for you to even suggest [1:11:28] otherwise is frankly insulting. [1:11:29] Go ahead. [1:11:29] With all due respect, [1:11:30] Caroline, [1:11:31] with all due respect, [1:11:33] there is... [1:11:34] just given what we've seen [1:11:37] in Lebanon today [1:11:38] and the increased attacks [1:11:39] from Israel, [1:11:40] I mean, [1:11:40] is there any concern [1:11:41] that Netanyahu [1:11:42] is trying to kill [1:11:43] the ceasefire? [1:11:44] The President spoke [1:11:45] with Prime Minister Netanyahu [1:11:46] last night [1:11:47] and in that private conversation, [1:11:49] Prime Minister Netanyahu [1:11:50] relayed exactly what he said [1:11:51] to the world publicly, [1:11:52] that he supports the President [1:11:54] and Israel remains a key ally [1:11:56] and partner [1:11:56] to the United States. [1:11:57] They've been a tremendous partner [1:11:59] over the course [1:11:59] of the past six weeks [1:12:00] and we thank them [1:12:02] for their heroic efforts [1:12:03] as well. [1:12:04] And the President [1:12:05] had that conversation [1:12:06] last night [1:12:07] and that was relayed [1:12:08] to the world publicly [1:12:09] as well. [1:12:10] Reagan, go ahead. [1:12:11] Thank you, Caroline. [1:12:12] I have a question [1:12:12] for you on Iran [1:12:14] and then I have a question [1:12:15] on the Dignity Act [1:12:16] as well. [1:12:17] On Iran, [1:12:18] it's been reported [1:12:18] that the ceasefire [1:12:19] was struck [1:12:20] after the involvement [1:12:21] of two unlikely factors, [1:12:23] J.D. Vance and China. [1:12:24] What role did those parties [1:12:26] play in striking a deal? [1:12:27] Well, Vice President Vance [1:12:28] has played a very significant [1:12:30] and a key role in this [1:12:32] since the very beginning. [1:12:33] Of course, [1:12:33] he's the President's [1:12:34] right-hand man. [1:12:35] He is the Vice President [1:12:36] of the United States. [1:12:37] He's been involved [1:12:38] in all of these discussions [1:12:39] and as I just announced, [1:12:40] he'll be leading [1:12:41] this new phase [1:12:42] of negotiations [1:12:43] in Islamabad [1:12:44] later this week. [1:12:46] With respect to China, [1:12:48] there were conversations [1:12:49] that took place [1:12:50] between top levels [1:12:51] of our government [1:12:52] and China's government. [1:12:54] The President [1:12:55] has great respect [1:12:56] for President Xi [1:12:57] and a great working [1:12:58] relationship with him [1:12:59] and with that country [1:13:01] and he looks forward [1:13:02] to visiting China [1:13:04] in just a few weeks. [1:13:05] And on the Dignity Act, [1:13:06] it's getting a fresh push [1:13:08] through Congress. [1:13:09] It would give some [1:13:10] illegal immigrants [1:13:11] in the country [1:13:12] a path to citizenship. [1:13:13] What's the White House's [1:13:14] position on this legislation [1:13:16] and would the President [1:13:16] sign it if it made it [1:13:18] to his desk? [1:13:18] Honestly, Reagan, [1:13:19] I haven't spoken [1:13:20] to the President [1:13:20] about the legislation [1:13:21] but I will have [1:13:23] that conversation [1:13:23] and we'll get you [1:13:24] our formal position [1:13:25] on it as soon as we can. [1:13:26] You're welcome. [1:13:27] Go ahead. [1:13:28] The President suggested [1:13:29] the interview this morning [1:13:30] that he would support [1:13:31] a joint U.S.-Iran adventure [1:13:33] to charge tolls [1:13:34] for ships going [1:13:35] through the strait. [1:13:36] Does the President [1:13:37] believe that the U.S. [1:13:38] should earn revenue [1:13:39] from the strait [1:13:40] of where he was going for? [1:13:42] It's something, [1:13:42] it's an idea [1:13:43] the President has floated [1:13:44] as you know [1:13:45] and it's something [1:13:46] that will continue [1:13:46] to be discussed [1:13:47] over the course [1:13:48] of the next two weeks [1:13:49] but the immediate [1:13:50] priority of the President [1:13:51] is the reopening [1:13:52] of the strait [1:13:53] without any limitations [1:13:54] whether in the form [1:13:55] of tolls [1:13:55] or otherwise. [1:13:56] On the highly [1:13:57] enriched uranium [1:13:58] has Iran given [1:13:59] the administration [1:14:00] any indication [1:14:01] that it would simply [1:14:02] turn over [1:14:03] the enriched uranium [1:14:05] or is this [1:14:06] an expectation [1:14:07] the President has [1:14:07] that he would [1:14:08] have to send in [1:14:09] ground troops [1:14:10] in order to do that? [1:14:11] This is on the top [1:14:12] of the priority list [1:14:13] for the President [1:14:13] and his negotiating team [1:14:15] as they head [1:14:15] into this next round [1:14:16] of discussions [1:14:17] and as I said [1:14:18] in my opener [1:14:19] that is a red line [1:14:20] that the President [1:14:20] is not going to back [1:14:21] away from [1:14:22] and he's committed [1:14:23] to ensuring [1:14:24] that takes place [1:14:25] we hope it will be [1:14:26] through diplomacy [1:14:27] But have they [1:14:27] given any indication [1:14:28] that they would [1:14:29] turn it over? [1:14:30] They have [1:14:30] They have [1:14:31] Yes [1:14:31] Trevor [1:14:32] The latest news [1:14:33] out of Iran [1:14:34] is that the air defenses [1:14:35] have been activated [1:14:37] in several cities [1:14:38] including Isfahan [1:14:39] and that explosions [1:14:39] have been hurt [1:14:40] who is bombing [1:14:42] Iran right now? [1:14:43] Were those reports [1:14:44] just as of a few [1:14:45] minutes ago? [1:14:46] Yeah [1:14:46] Okay [1:14:47] So obviously [1:14:47] I'll have to go back [1:14:48] and check [1:14:49] with the national security team [1:14:50] I'm standing out here [1:14:51] with all of you [1:14:51] but I will do that [1:14:52] and we will get you [1:14:53] an answer [1:14:53] Okay? [1:14:53] Just on the civilization [1:14:55] question that we've [1:14:56] been talking about [1:14:57] And I would just add [1:14:58] to that point [1:14:59] again I haven't seen [1:15:00] these reports [1:15:00] I'm not verifying them [1:15:01] not that I don't trust [1:15:03] you Trevor [1:15:03] but I want to go back [1:15:04] and check with the experts [1:15:05] here at the White House [1:15:05] I would just say [1:15:07] and I would echo [1:15:07] what the Vice President [1:15:08] said this morning [1:15:09] this is a fragile truce [1:15:11] ceasefires are fragile [1:15:12] by nature [1:15:12] we've seen this [1:15:13] with respect to the [1:15:14] 12-day war [1:15:15] with Iran and Israel [1:15:16] last year [1:15:16] it takes time [1:15:17] sometimes for these [1:15:18] ceasefires to be [1:15:19] fully effectuated [1:15:20] and one of the results [1:15:22] of Operation Epic Fury [1:15:23] was we completely [1:15:24] dismantled Iran's [1:15:25] command and control [1:15:26] center [1:15:27] which makes it difficult [1:15:28] for them to pass [1:15:29] messages up and down [1:15:30] the chain [1:15:30] and so we understand [1:15:32] that [1:15:33] I would caution [1:15:33] a little bit [1:15:34] of patience [1:15:35] but of course [1:15:35] we want to see [1:15:36] the ceasefire [1:15:37] effectuated [1:15:38] and abided by [1:15:39] by all parties [1:15:39] as quickly as possible [1:15:40] thank you [1:15:41] and the American [1:15:42] presidential administrations [1:15:43] going back to [1:15:44] Ronald Reagan [1:15:44] have said this [1:15:46] formulation about [1:15:47] nuclear war [1:15:47] that a nuclear war [1:15:48] cannot be won [1:15:49] and must never be fought [1:15:50] is that still the view [1:15:51] of this administration [1:15:52] given the President's [1:15:53] comments about [1:15:54] civilization [1:15:54] I have no change [1:15:55] in our view [1:15:56] on that policy [1:15:56] Katie [1:15:57] thanks Caroline [1:15:59] I'm just [1:15:59] given the gravity [1:16:00] of what he said [1:16:01] yesterday [1:16:01] what was your [1:16:03] understanding [1:16:04] of what he meant [1:16:05] when he said [1:16:05] I'm [1:16:07] this [1:16:07] civilization [1:16:08] is going to be [1:16:08] eliminated [1:16:09] I think it was [1:16:10] a very very strong [1:16:11] threat from the [1:16:12] President of the [1:16:12] United States [1:16:13] that led the [1:16:14] Iranian regime [1:16:15] to cave to their [1:16:16] knees and ask [1:16:17] for a ceasefire [1:16:18] and agree to [1:16:19] reopening the [1:16:19] Strait of Hormuz [1:16:20] so it was a very [1:16:21] strong threat [1:16:21] that led to results [1:16:23] and as the [1:16:23] Secretary of War [1:16:24] stated at the [1:16:25] Pentagon this [1:16:26] morning [1:16:26] it was not an [1:16:28] empty threat [1:16:28] by any means [1:16:29] the Pentagon [1:16:30] had a target list [1:16:31] that they were [1:16:32] ready to hit [1:16:33] go on [1:16:34] at 8pm [1:16:34] last night [1:16:35] if the Iranian [1:16:36] regime had not [1:16:37] agreed to open [1:16:38] the Strait [1:16:38] which they did [1:16:39] and I think [1:16:39] that's something [1:16:39] we should all [1:16:40] be grateful for [1:16:41] the United States [1:16:41] is a moral leader [1:16:42] in the world [1:16:43] given that he [1:16:43] I was asked [1:16:44] this exact same [1:16:44] question by your [1:16:45] colleague Andrew [1:16:46] in the back [1:16:46] and I think again [1:16:47] the insinuation [1:16:48] by anyone in this [1:16:49] room [1:16:50] that Iran somehow [1:16:51] has the moral [1:16:52] high ground [1:16:52] over the United States [1:16:53] of America [1:16:53] is insulting [1:16:55] considering the [1:16:55] atrocities that they [1:16:57] have [1:16:57] committed [1:16:59] against our [1:17:00] people and our [1:17:01] military over the [1:17:02] past five decades [1:17:03] John [1:17:05] go ahead [1:17:06] thanks a lot [1:17:07] Caroline [1:17:07] two questions for you [1:17:09] one has to do [1:17:10] with a statement [1:17:10] a joint statement [1:17:11] put out this morning [1:17:12] by some of America's [1:17:14] European allies [1:17:15] our NATO allies [1:17:16] and in that joint [1:17:17] statement they said [1:17:17] regarding the [1:17:18] Strait of Hormuz [1:17:19] our governments will [1:17:21] contribute to ensuring [1:17:22] freedom of navigation [1:17:23] in the Strait of Hormuz [1:17:25] what's the [1:17:26] administration's reaction [1:17:27] to that joint [1:17:28] statement [1:17:28] does that smooth [1:17:29] things over [1:17:30] when the president [1:17:31] meets with NATO's [1:17:32] Secretary General [1:17:33] a little bit later [1:17:34] this afternoon [1:17:34] I have a direct quote [1:17:36] from the president [1:17:36] of the United States [1:17:37] on NATO [1:17:38] and I will share it [1:17:39] with all of you [1:17:39] they were tested [1:17:40] and they failed [1:17:41] and I would add [1:17:42] it's quite sad [1:17:43] that NATO [1:17:43] turned their backs [1:17:44] on the American people [1:17:45] over the course [1:17:45] of the last six weeks [1:17:46] when it's the American [1:17:47] people who have been [1:17:48] defunding their defense [1:17:50] as you know [1:17:51] President Trump [1:17:51] will be meeting [1:17:52] with Secretary Ruta [1:17:53] in a couple of hours [1:17:54] here at the White House [1:17:55] and I know he looks [1:17:55] forward to having [1:17:56] a very frank [1:17:57] and candid conversation [1:17:58] with him [1:17:58] and then secondly [1:17:59] in regards to this conflict [1:18:01] 38 days [1:18:02] as you pointed out [1:18:03] President Trump [1:18:04] has said that [1:18:05] there's been regime change [1:18:07] has that regime change [1:18:08] led to more freedoms [1:18:10] for the Iranian people [1:18:12] I think that's a question [1:18:14] that's being asked [1:18:15] a little bit too early [1:18:16] John [1:18:16] and we hope [1:18:17] that is the case [1:18:18] but it's something [1:18:19] that has yet to be seen [1:18:20] Caroline [1:18:21] on this question [1:18:24] of tolling [1:18:25] by the Iranians [1:18:26] in the Strait of Hormuz [1:18:27] I've heard you talk [1:18:28] about a number [1:18:29] of red lines [1:18:30] that the President [1:18:30] has in this negotiation [1:18:31] but I haven't heard you [1:18:32] say that Iranian [1:18:33] tolling in the Strait of Hormuz [1:18:35] is a red line [1:18:36] would it be acceptable [1:18:37] to the United States [1:18:38] at the end of all this [1:18:40] if the Iranians [1:18:41] are able to charge [1:18:42] tolls in the Strait of Hormuz [1:18:43] I think the President [1:18:44] was very clear [1:18:45] and simplistic [1:18:46] in his language [1:18:47] last night [1:18:47] in his Truth Social post [1:18:49] where he said [1:18:50] that this ceasefire [1:18:50] is subject to [1:18:51] the free, safe [1:18:53] and immediate reopening [1:18:54] of the Strait of Hormuz [1:18:55] that's very plain language [1:18:57] and it should be taken [1:18:58] at face value [1:18:59] without limitation [1:19:03] including tolls [1:19:04] yes [1:19:04] Carrie [1:19:04] quick follow up [1:19:05] on the atollian [1:19:06] why would the U.S. [1:19:07] allow Iran [1:19:08] to collect tolls [1:19:10] from the Strait of Hormuz [1:19:11] that's not something [1:19:12] that we've opposed [1:19:12] for a number of years now [1:19:14] again [1:19:15] that's not something [1:19:15] we've said [1:19:16] that we've definitively [1:19:17] accepted [1:19:18] the joint venture [1:19:19] is something [1:19:19] that was proposed [1:19:20] by the President [1:19:21] but he was very clear [1:19:22] in his statement [1:19:23] last night [1:19:23] he wants to see [1:19:24] the Strait reopened [1:19:25] immediately [1:19:26] without limitation [1:19:27] and that's something [1:19:27] we're going to hold them to [1:19:28] and a second question [1:19:30] on family and friends [1:19:32] in Iran [1:19:32] I myself am Iranian [1:19:34] and I've been talking [1:19:35] to them through the blackout [1:19:36] one of my family members [1:19:37] yesterday said goodbye to me [1:19:38] so what message [1:19:40] should we be sending [1:19:41] Iranians [1:19:42] when they message me [1:19:43] saying what should [1:19:44] they be doing right now [1:19:45] how should they stay safe [1:19:46] because they really [1:19:47] don't know what to do [1:19:49] I think the President's [1:19:51] main point [1:19:51] in threats of violence [1:19:53] this is a huge achievement [1:19:54] for the First Lady [1:19:55] and I know the President [1:19:56] is very proud [1:19:57] of his wife's efforts [1:19:58] in getting this critical [1:19:59] legislation passed [1:20:00] to protect America's youth [1:20:01] so we thank the First Lady [1:20:03] for her efforts [1:20:04] and we hope that others [1:20:05] will report on this [1:20:06] historic conviction [1:20:07] yesterday [1:20:08] with respect to the [1:20:10] two-week ceasefire [1:20:11] announced by President Trump [1:20:12] last night [1:20:12] this is a victory [1:20:14] for the United States [1:20:15] of America [1:20:15] that the President [1:20:16] and our incredible [1:20:18] military made happen [1:20:19] from the very beginning [1:20:21] of Operation Epic Fury [1:20:23] President Trump stated [1:20:24] this would be [1:20:25] a four to six week [1:20:26] military operation [1:20:27] to dismantle [1:20:28] the military threat [1:20:29] posed by the radical [1:20:31] Islamic Iranian regime [1:20:33] thanks to the [1:20:35] unbelievable capabilities [1:20:36] of America's war fighters [1:20:38] the United States [1:20:39] has achieved [1:20:40] and exceeded [1:20:40] those core military objectives [1:20:42] in just 38 days [1:20:45] the U.S. military [1:20:46] destroyed Iran's [1:20:48] defense industrial base [1:20:49] crushing the regime's [1:20:50] ability to manufacture weapons [1:20:52] that they and their proxies [1:20:54] use to maim and kill Americans [1:20:56] and terrorize the world [1:20:58] Iran's ability [1:20:59] to build and stockpile [1:21:00] ballistic missiles [1:21:01] and long-range drones [1:21:02] has also been set back [1:21:04] by years [1:21:04] compared to where it was [1:21:06] six weeks ago [1:21:07] prior to the launch [1:21:08] of Operation Epic Fury [1:21:10] we destroyed the vast majority [1:21:12] of Iran's ballistic missiles [1:21:14] launcher vehicles [1:21:15] and long-range attack drones [1:21:16] through more than [1:21:17] 450 strikes [1:21:19] on ballistic missiles [1:21:20] and approximately [1:21:21] 800 strikes [1:21:23] on Iran's drone-launching units [1:21:25] and storage facilities [1:21:26] in total [1:21:27] more than 13,000 targets [1:21:30] across Iran [1:21:31] were struck [1:21:31] again [1:21:32] this is in the matter [1:21:33] of just 38 days [1:21:35] meanwhile [1:21:36] the Iranian naval navy [1:21:38] was completely annihilated [1:21:40] the United States [1:21:41] destroyed more than [1:21:42] 150 naval vessels [1:21:44] in total [1:21:45] including 16 entire classes [1:21:47] of Iranian warships [1:21:49] despite once being [1:21:51] the largest undersea force [1:21:52] in the Middle East [1:21:53] Iran now has [1:21:55] zero submarine vessels [1:21:57] 97% of Iran's [1:21:59] once massive inventory [1:22:01] of more than [1:22:01] 5,000 naval mines [1:22:03] has also been targeted [1:22:05] and destroyed [1:22:05] Iran's air forces [1:22:07] are functionally [1:22:08] and operationally [1:22:09] irrelevant at this point [1:22:10] after the United States [1:22:12] maintained total air dominance [1:22:13] over their country [1:22:14] for weeks on end [1:22:16] to underscore [1:22:17] the significance of this [1:22:18] before Operation Epic Fury [1:22:20] the Iranian air force [1:22:22] would fly between [1:22:23] 30 to 100 flights per day [1:22:25] today [1:22:26] that number is zero [1:22:28] Iran's ability [1:22:29] to fund and support [1:22:30] its terrorist proxies [1:22:32] has been greatly reduced [1:22:33] at this point [1:22:34] Iran can no longer [1:22:35] distribute weapons [1:22:36] to its proxies [1:22:37] in the region [1:22:38] and most importantly [1:22:40] Iran will not be able [1:22:41] to acquire nuclear weapons [1:22:43] prior to the start [1:22:45] of this successful operation [1:22:46] Iran was aggressively expanding [1:22:48] its short-range [1:22:49] ballistic missile arsenal [1:22:51] through these weapons [1:22:52] and its navy [1:22:53] Iran was attempting [1:22:54] to build a military buildup [1:22:56] around their country [1:22:57] that would pose [1:22:58] an imminent [1:22:58] and existential threat [1:23:00] to the United States [1:23:00] military assets [1:23:01] in the Middle East [1:23:02] our allies in the region [1:23:04] and ultimately [1:23:05] the free world [1:23:06] Iran was pursuing [1:23:08] this dangerous [1:23:08] and aggressive strategy [1:23:09] for one reason [1:23:10] to hold the entire world hostage [1:23:12] to its terrorist ambitions [1:23:14] the Iranians aim to use [1:23:16] their expanded military capabilities [1:23:18] as a shield [1:23:19] around their country [1:23:20] to continue achieving [1:23:21] their ultimate goal [1:23:22] internally [1:23:23] building nuclear bombs [1:23:25] but their murderous [1:23:26] and evil plans [1:23:27] have been blown up [1:23:28] quite literally [1:23:29] and figuratively [1:23:30] along with their military [1:23:31] their nuclear program [1:23:33] and most of their senior leadership [1:23:34] including the former [1:23:36] supreme leader [1:23:37] Ayatollah al-Khamani [1:23:38] their commanding control structures [1:23:41] were also massively disrupted [1:23:42] after being struck [1:23:44] more than 2,000 times [1:23:46] many of their remaining leaders [1:23:47] are paralyzed in fear [1:23:49] and no longer enjoy [1:23:50] the freedom [1:23:50] to move around [1:23:51] their country freely [1:23:52] and meet openly [1:23:53] thanks to the unmatched [1:23:55] excellence of our warriors [1:23:57] at the direction [1:23:57] of the commander-in-chief [1:23:59] the world has just witnessed [1:24:00] a historically swift [1:24:02] and successful [1:24:03] military triumph [1:24:04] President Trump [1:24:05] started Operation Epic Fury [1:24:07] with strategic military objectives [1:24:09] and the United States [1:24:10] has clearly achieved them [1:24:11] as we mark this progress [1:24:13] we also remember [1:24:15] and honor the 13 American heroes [1:24:17] who laid down their lives [1:24:18] in this noble effort [1:24:19] I know President Trump [1:24:21] and our grateful nation [1:24:23] honors their ultimate sacrifice [1:24:24] and we will never forget them [1:24:26] may God bless their families [1:24:28] the valiant efforts [1:24:29] of all of our incredible [1:24:31] service members [1:24:31] created maximum leverage [1:24:33] for the President [1:24:34] of the United States [1:24:35] allowing he and his leadership team [1:24:37] to engage in tough negotiations [1:24:39] over the past couple of weeks [1:24:41] that have now created [1:24:43] an opening [1:24:43] for a diplomatic solution [1:24:45] in long-term peace [1:24:46] in the Middle East [1:24:47] the President's maximum pressure [1:24:49] and the leverage created [1:24:50] by the success [1:24:51] of Operation Epic Fury [1:24:53] led to the Iranian regime [1:24:54] asking for [1:24:55] and ultimately agreeing to [1:24:57] a ceasefire proposal [1:24:59] with the United States [1:25:00] Iran could no longer tolerate [1:25:02] being bombed [1:25:03] or taking the gamble [1:25:04] of what was to come [1:25:05] following President Trump's [1:25:07] 8 p.m. deadline [1:25:08] last night [1:25:08] Iran has agreed to open [1:25:10] the Strait of Hormuz [1:25:11] and as the President said [1:25:13] we have received a proposal [1:25:14] from the Iranians [1:25:15] that has been determined [1:25:16] to be a workable basis [1:25:18] on which to negotiate [1:25:19] I've seen a lot of [1:25:21] inaccurate coverage today [1:25:22] from the media [1:25:22] about these negotiations [1:25:24] and these plans already [1:25:25] so let me be clear [1:25:26] and correct the record [1:25:27] the Iranians originally [1:25:29] put forward a 10-point plan [1:25:31] that was fundamentally [1:25:32] unserious [1:25:33] unacceptable [1:25:34] and completely discarded [1:25:35] it was literally [1:25:36] thrown in the garbage [1:25:37] by President Trump [1:25:39] and his negotiating team [1:25:40] many outlets in this room [1:25:42] have falsely reported [1:25:43] on that plan [1:25:44] as being acceptable [1:25:45] to the United States [1:25:46] and that is false [1:25:48] with the President's deadline [1:25:49] fast approaching [1:25:50] and the United States military [1:25:51] completely decimating Iran [1:25:53] with each passing hour [1:25:54] the regime acknowledged reality [1:25:56] to the negotiating team [1:25:57] they put forward [1:25:58] a more reasonable [1:25:59] and entirely different [1:26:01] and condensed plan [1:26:02] to the President [1:26:03] and his team [1:26:04] President Trump [1:26:05] and the team [1:26:06] determined the new [1:26:06] modified plan [1:26:07] was a workable basis [1:26:09] on which to negotiate [1:26:10] and to align it [1:26:11] with our own [1:26:12] 15-point proposal [1:26:14] the President's red lines [1:26:16] namely the end [1:26:17] of Iranian enrichment [1:26:18] in Iran [1:26:19] have not changed [1:26:21] and the idea [1:26:22] that President Trump [1:26:23] would ever accept [1:26:24] an Iranian wish list [1:26:25] as a deal [1:26:26] is completely absurd [1:26:27] the President [1:26:28] will only make a deal [1:26:30] that serves [1:26:30] in the best interests [1:26:31] of the United States [1:26:32] of America [1:26:32] and he isn't negotiating [1:26:34] team will focus [1:26:35] on this effort [1:26:36] over the next two weeks [1:26:37] so long as the Strait of Hormuz [1:26:39] remains open [1:26:39] with no limitations [1:26:41] or delays [1:26:42] these extraordinarily sensitive [1:26:44] and complex negotiations [1:26:46] will take place [1:26:47] behind closed doors [1:26:48] over the course [1:26:48] of the next two weeks [1:26:49] I would strongly advise [1:26:51] the media [1:26:51] against running [1:26:52] with narratives [1:26:53] that have no basis [1:26:54] in fact [1:26:54] what Iran says publicly [1:26:56] or feeds to all of you [1:26:57] in the press [1:26:58] is much different [1:26:59] than what they communicate [1:27:00] to the United States [1:27:01] the President [1:27:02] and his team privately [1:27:03] never underestimate [1:27:04] President Trump's ability [1:27:06] to successfully advance [1:27:07] America's interests [1:27:08] and broker peace [1:27:09] President Trump [1:27:10] has a proven track record [1:27:12] of achieving good deals [1:27:13] on behalf of the United States [1:27:15] and the American people [1:27:16] and he will only accept one [1:27:18] that puts America first [1:27:19] with that [1:27:20] I will take your questions today [1:27:22] I'm sure you have a lot of them [1:27:23] in our new media seat [1:27:24] we have Shane Harris [1:27:25] with the AMAC Newsline [1:27:26] Shane thank you for being here [1:27:27] why don't you kick us off [1:27:28] yeah thanks for having me Caroline [1:27:30] two questions for you [1:27:31] first following the President's announcement [1:27:33] of the ceasefire [1:27:34] if this is indeed [1:27:34] the end of hostilities [1:27:35] in Iran [1:27:36] what is the President's message [1:27:38] to the American people [1:27:39] about what was it achieved [1:27:40] for our country [1:27:41] through Operation Epic Fury [1:27:42] sure [1:27:42] I think I just laid out [1:27:44] a significant portion of that [1:27:45] in my opening remarks [1:27:46] six weeks ago [1:27:47] the President [1:27:48] looked the American people [1:27:49] in the eye directly [1:27:50] and he told them [1:27:51] that he launched [1:27:51] this operation [1:27:52] to take out [1:27:53] the imminent threat [1:27:54] that was posed by Iran [1:27:55] and that threat [1:27:56] has now been greatly destroyed [1:27:58] their Navy [1:27:59] their missiles [1:28:00] their defense industrial base [1:28:01] and their desire [1:28:02] and their plan [1:28:04] to build a nuclear bomb [1:28:05] inside their country [1:28:06] is no longer going to be allowed [1:28:07] can no longer happen [1:28:09] thanks to the remarkable success [1:28:10] of Operation Epic Fury [1:28:12] over the course [1:28:12] of the last 38 days [1:28:14] that has been [1:28:14] absolutely achieved [1:28:16] and now we're moving [1:28:16] into the next phase of this [1:28:18] which is a negotiating period [1:28:19] to put some fine points [1:28:21] on this [1:28:22] and to hopefully broker [1:28:23] an agreement [1:28:23] that can achieve [1:28:24] long-term peace [1:28:25] in the Middle East [1:28:25] and then second [1:28:26] what is the President's message [1:28:28] to American seniors [1:28:29] who have a much higher [1:28:30] voter participation rate [1:28:31] and they're likely [1:28:32] to be a key swing vote [1:28:33] in the midterm elections [1:28:34] well the President loves [1:28:35] our seniors [1:28:36] across the country [1:28:37] and as you know [1:28:38] the President signed [1:28:39] the one big beautiful bill [1:28:40] the working families tax cut [1:28:42] last year [1:28:42] which greatly reduced taxes [1:28:44] on Social Security [1:28:46] for our seniors [1:28:47] in fact thanks to [1:28:48] the working families tax cut [1:28:49] nearly 90% of seniors [1:28:51] will no longer pay tax [1:28:52] on their Social Security [1:28:54] that's a huge win [1:28:55] for our seniors [1:28:55] and also for our middle class [1:28:57] and working families [1:28:58] across the country [1:28:59] with the no tax [1:29:00] on tips provision [1:29:00] and the no tax [1:29:01] on overtime [1:29:02] next week is tax week [1:29:04] you'll hear a lot [1:29:04] from the President [1:29:05] about how his policies [1:29:06] have benefited [1:29:07] the American people [1:29:07] and I'm proud to report [1:29:09] that the President [1:29:09] will be traveling next week [1:29:11] to the great states [1:29:11] of Nevada and Arizona [1:29:13] to tout this historic [1:29:14] accomplishment [1:29:15] over the course [1:29:16] of the next week [1:29:17] thank you for being here [1:29:18] Shane [1:29:18] Gabe [1:29:18] thank you Caroline [1:29:19] Iranian state media [1:29:20] is saying that [1:29:22] Iran has now closed off [1:29:23] the straight-of-form moves [1:29:24] today in response [1:29:25] to Israeli attacks [1:29:26] on Lebanon [1:29:27] what's the White House [1:29:28] response to that [1:29:28] and just listed [1:29:30] many military successes [1:29:31] I understand that [1:29:32] but strategically [1:29:34] how is the administration [1:29:35] arguing that Iran [1:29:37] does not have [1:29:37] more economic leverage [1:29:39] than now [1:29:41] than it did before [1:29:42] the start of the war [1:29:43] sure [1:29:43] well with respect [1:29:44] to the first reporting [1:29:45] out of Iranian state media [1:29:47] the President [1:29:47] was made aware [1:29:48] of those reports [1:29:48] before I came [1:29:50] to the podium [1:29:50] that is completely [1:29:52] unacceptable [1:29:52] and again [1:29:53] this is a case [1:29:53] of what they're saying [1:29:54] publicly is different [1:29:55] privately [1:29:56] we have seen [1:29:56] an uptick [1:29:57] of traffic [1:29:58] in the straight [1:29:58] today [1:29:59] and I will reiterate [1:30:00] the President's [1:30:01] expectation [1:30:01] and demand [1:30:02] that the straight [1:30:03] of Hormuz [1:30:04] is reopened [1:30:05] immediately [1:30:06] quickly [1:30:06] and safely [1:30:07] that is his expectation [1:30:09] it has been [1:30:09] relayed to him [1:30:10] privately [1:30:11] that that is [1:30:12] what's taking place [1:30:12] and these reports [1:30:13] publicly are false [1:30:14] Caroline [1:30:15] the President yesterday [1:30:16] threatened that a whole [1:30:17] civilization would die [1:30:18] if a ceasefire deal [1:30:20] wasn't reached [1:30:20] understanding that [1:30:21] Iranian leaders [1:30:22] have previously said [1:30:23] death to America [1:30:24] but why is it appropriate [1:30:25] for the President [1:30:26] of the United States [1:30:27] to use that kind [1:30:28] of language [1:30:29] when talking [1:30:30] about civilian targets [1:30:31] and was the President [1:30:33] mocking Islam [1:30:34] by signing off [1:30:35] his true social post [1:30:36] over the weekend [1:30:36] praise be to Allah [1:30:37] wouldn't that antagonize [1:30:39] Muslim allies [1:30:40] across the world [1:30:41] well I understand [1:30:42] the questions [1:30:43] about the President's rhetoric [1:30:44] but what the President [1:30:45] cares most about [1:30:46] is results [1:30:47] and in fact [1:30:48] his very tough rhetoric [1:30:50] and his tough [1:30:51] negotiating style [1:30:52] is what has led [1:30:52] to the result [1:30:53] that you are all [1:30:54] witnessing today [1:30:55] Iran publicly [1:30:56] acknowledging [1:30:56] last night [1:30:57] that they have agreed [1:30:58] or that they wanted [1:31:00] this ceasefire [1:31:00] with the United States [1:31:02] because they no longer [1:31:02] could tolerate [1:31:03] being bombed [1:31:04] by our very powerful [1:31:05] and lethal military [1:31:06] and that they have [1:31:07] committed to the reopening [1:31:08] of the Strait of Hormuz [1:31:09] which the President [1:31:09] will hold them [1:31:10] accountable for [1:31:11] and it's something [1:31:12] the administration [1:31:12] is closely monitoring [1:31:13] in real time [1:31:14] should the world [1:31:16] not take his word [1:31:17] seriously [1:31:17] the world should [1:31:18] take his word [1:31:19] very seriously [1:31:20] in understanding [1:31:21] that the President [1:31:22] is always most [1:31:23] interested in results [1:31:24] and it was the Iranians [1:31:26] who backed down [1:31:26] not President Trump [1:31:27] he said that [1:31:28] they would face [1:31:29] very grave consequences [1:31:30] as you just laid out [1:31:31] by the 8 p.m. deadline [1:31:32] if they did not agree [1:31:33] to reopening [1:31:34] the Strait of Hormuz [1:31:35] and what did they do [1:31:35] last night [1:31:36] they agreed to reopen [1:31:37] the Strait of Hormuz [1:31:38] Danny [1:31:39] would President Trump [1:31:42] like to see Lebanon [1:31:43] included in this peace deal [1:31:44] but as you know [1:31:44] there have been increased [1:31:45] Israeli strikes [1:31:46] on Lebanon today [1:31:47] with dozens of casualties [1:31:48] there [1:31:49] sure [1:31:49] Lebanon is not part [1:31:51] of the ceasefire [1:31:51] that has been relayed [1:31:53] to all parties [1:31:53] involved in the ceasefire [1:31:54] as you know [1:31:56] Prime Minister Netanyahu [1:31:57] put out a statement [1:31:58] last night [1:31:58] in support of the ceasefire [1:32:00] in support of the United [1:32:01] States' efforts [1:32:02] and he's also assured [1:32:03] the President [1:32:03] they'll continue [1:32:04] to be a helpful partner [1:32:05] throughout the course [1:32:06] of the next two weeks [1:32:07] is there any thought [1:32:08] though [1:32:08] that the President [1:32:09] might like to see [1:32:09] Lebanon included [1:32:10] at a future date [1:32:11] given that it seems [1:32:12] to be causing [1:32:14] or potentially undermining [1:32:15] the Iran ceasefire [1:32:17] again [1:32:17] this will continue [1:32:18] to be discussed [1:32:19] I am sure [1:32:19] between the President [1:32:21] and Prime Minister Netanyahu [1:32:22] the United States [1:32:23] and Israel [1:32:23] and all of the parties [1:32:24] involved [1:32:25] but at this point [1:32:26] in time [1:32:26] they're not included [1:32:27] in the ceasefire deal [1:32:27] Jeff [1:32:28] thank you [1:32:29] Caroline [1:32:29] will the U.S. [1:32:31] take part [1:32:31] in talks with Iran [1:32:33] in Islamabad [1:32:33] on Friday [1:32:34] I can announce [1:32:36] that the President [1:32:36] is dispatching [1:32:37] his negotiating team [1:32:39] led by the Vice President [1:32:40] of the United States [1:32:41] of the U.S. [1:32:42] J.D. Vance [1:32:43] Special Envoy Whitcoff [1:32:43] and Mr. Kushner [1:32:44] to Islamabad [1:32:45] for talks this weekend [1:32:47] the first round [1:32:47] of those talks [1:32:48] will take place [1:32:49] on Saturday morning [1:32:50] local time [1:32:51] and we know [1:32:51] we look forward [1:32:52] to those in-person meetings [1:32:53] what role does [1:32:54] the President see [1:32:55] for the U.S. [1:32:56] in monitoring [1:32:57] or helping with [1:32:58] this rate of war [1:32:59] moves going forward [1:33:00] I think the President [1:33:01] commented on that [1:33:02] this morning [1:33:02] we're going to continue [1:33:03] to monitor it [1:33:04] very very closely [1:33:05] we will be helpful [1:33:06] in any way [1:33:07] that we can [1:33:07] but we fully expect [1:33:09] Iran to do this [1:33:09] and the President [1:33:10] has made that quite clear [1:33:11] as well [1:33:11] it's again [1:33:12] as his statement [1:33:14] said last night [1:33:15] this ceasefire [1:33:15] is subject to [1:33:16] the safe reopening [1:33:18] of the Strait of Hormuz [1:33:19] again this was [1:33:20] just determined [1:33:20] last night [1:33:21] we understand [1:33:21] things take time [1:33:22] but that's the [1:33:23] President's expectation [1:33:24] and he will hold [1:33:25] everyone to it [1:33:25] sure in the green blazer [1:33:29] thank you [1:33:30] and then in front of you [1:33:31] but Andrew [1:33:32] you can go ahead [1:33:33] you're not wearing [1:33:34] a green blazer [1:33:34] I am actually [1:33:36] wearing a green blazer [1:33:37] it's a little brown [1:33:38] to me but go ahead [1:33:38] fair enough [1:33:41] so regarding [1:33:43] the President's rhetoric [1:33:45] when the U.S. invaded Iraq [1:33:46] in 2003 [1:33:47] George W. Bush [1:33:48] said in a message [1:33:50] to the Iraqi people [1:33:52] that the military campaign [1:33:54] was directed [1:33:55] quote [1:33:55] against the lawless men [1:33:56] who rule your country [1:33:57] and not against you [1:33:59] yesterday [1:34:00] the President [1:34:01] threatened to destroy [1:34:03] Iran's civilization [1:34:05] the entire civilization [1:34:06] not the Iranian government [1:34:07] but the Iranian civilization [1:34:10] the Iranian people [1:34:12] the U.S. has been [1:34:13] a moral leader [1:34:14] for most of its history [1:34:16] by fighting wars [1:34:17] against other governments [1:34:19] not against civilizations [1:34:22] how can the President [1:34:25] claim that America [1:34:25] can ever have [1:34:26] the moral high ground [1:34:27] if he's threatening [1:34:29] to destroy civilizations [1:34:30] and not casting wars [1:34:32] as fights [1:34:34] against other governments [1:34:35] Andrew [1:34:36] I think you should [1:34:36] take a look [1:34:37] at the actions [1:34:37] of this President [1:34:38] over the course [1:34:39] of the past six weeks [1:34:40] and the actions [1:34:41] of our brave men [1:34:42] and women [1:34:42] in our United States military [1:34:43] who have taken out [1:34:45] essentially taken out [1:34:47] the military [1:34:47] of a rogue Islamic regime [1:34:50] that has chanted [1:34:51] death to America [1:34:52] for 47 years [1:34:53] that has killed [1:34:54] and maimed [1:34:55] thousands of American soldiers [1:34:57] over the course [1:34:57] of the last five decades [1:34:59] the President [1:34:59] absolutely has [1:35:00] the moral high ground [1:35:01] over the Iranian terrorist regime [1:35:03] and for you to even suggest [1:35:05] otherwise [1:35:05] is frankly insulting [1:35:07] with all due respect [1:35:08] with all due respect [1:35:09] there is [1:35:10] just given what we've seen [1:35:13] in Lebanon today [1:35:14] and the increased attacks [1:35:15] of Israel [1:35:16] I mean is there any concern [1:35:17] that Netanyahu [1:35:18] is trying to kill the ceasefire? [1:35:20] the President spoke [1:35:21] with Prime Minister Netanyahu [1:35:22] last night [1:35:23] and in that private conversation [1:35:25] Prime Minister Netanyahu [1:35:26] relayed exactly what he said [1:35:27] to the world publicly [1:35:28] that he supports the President [1:35:30] and Israel remains [1:35:31] a key ally [1:35:32] and partner [1:35:33] to the United States [1:35:34] they've been a tremendous partner [1:35:36] over the course [1:35:37] of the past six weeks [1:35:38] and we thank them [1:35:39] for their heroic efforts [1:35:40] as well [1:35:41] and the President [1:35:42] had that conversation [1:35:43] last night [1:35:44] and that was relayed [1:35:45] to the world publicly [1:35:46] as well [1:35:47] Reagan go ahead [1:35:48] I have a question for you [1:35:49] on Iran [1:35:50] and I have a question [1:35:51] on the Dignity Act [1:35:52] as well [1:35:53] on Iran [1:35:54] it's been reported [1:35:55] that the ceasefire [1:35:56] was struck [1:35:57] after the involvement [1:35:58] of two unlikely factors [1:35:59] J.D. Vance and China [1:36:00] what role did those parties [1:36:02] play in striking a deal? [1:36:03] well Vice President Vance [1:36:04] has played a very significant [1:36:06] and a key role [1:36:07] in this since the very beginning [1:36:09] of course he's the President's [1:36:10] right-hand man [1:36:11] he is the Vice President [1:36:12] of the United States [1:36:13] he's been involved [1:36:14] in all of these discussions [1:36:15] and as I just announced [1:36:16] he'll be leading [1:36:17] this new phase [1:36:18] of negotiations [1:36:19] in Islamabad [1:36:20] later this week [1:36:22] with respect to China [1:36:24] there were conversations [1:36:25] that took place [1:36:26] between top levels [1:36:27] of our government [1:36:28] and China's government [1:36:30] the President [1:36:31] has great respect [1:36:32] for President Xi [1:36:33] and a great working [1:36:34] relationship [1:36:35] with him [1:36:36] and with that country [1:36:37] and he looks forward [1:36:38] to visiting China [1:36:40] in just a few weeks [1:36:42] and on the Dignity Act [1:36:43] it's getting a fresh push [1:36:44] through Congress [1:36:46] it would give some illegal [1:36:47] immigrants in the country [1:36:48] a path to citizenship [1:36:50] what's the White House's [1:36:51] position on this legislation [1:36:52] and would the President [1:36:53] sign it if it made it [1:36:54] to his desk? [1:36:55] honestly Reagan I haven't [1:36:56] spoken to the President [1:36:57] about the legislation [1:36:58] but I will have that [1:36:59] conversation and we'll get [1:37:00] you our formal position [1:37:01] on it as soon as we can [1:37:02] you're welcome [1:37:03] go ahead [1:37:04] the President suggested [1:37:06] in the interview this morning [1:37:07] that he would support [1:37:08] a joint of U.S. Iran [1:37:09] adventure [1:37:10] to charge tolls [1:37:11] for ships going [1:37:12] through the Strait [1:37:13] does the President [1:37:14] believe that the U.S. [1:37:15] should earn revenue [1:37:16] from the Strait [1:37:17] of Romeu's going forward? [1:37:19] it's something [1:37:20] it's an idea the President [1:37:21] has floated as you know [1:37:22] and it's something [1:37:23] that will continue [1:37:24] to be discussed [1:37:25] over the course [1:37:26] of the next two weeks [1:37:27] but the immediate priority [1:37:28] of the President [1:37:29] is the reopening [1:37:30] of the Strait [1:37:31] without any limitations [1:37:32] whether in the form [1:37:33] of tolls or otherwise [1:37:34] and on the highly enriched [1:37:35] uranium [1:37:36] has Iran given [1:37:37] the administration [1:37:38] any indication [1:37:39] that it would simply turn [1:37:40] over the enriched uranium [1:37:42] or is this an expectation [1:37:44] the President has [1:37:45] that he would have to send [1:37:46] in ground troops [1:37:47] in order to do that? [1:37:48] this is on the top [1:37:49] of the priority list [1:37:50] for the President [1:37:51] and his negotiating team [1:37:52] as they head into this [1:37:53] next round of discussions [1:37:54] and as I said [1:37:55] in my opener [1:37:56] that is a red line [1:37:57] that the President [1:37:58] is not going to back away [1:37:59] from and he's committed [1:38:00] to ensuring that takes place [1:38:02] we hope it will be [1:38:03] through diplomacy [1:38:04] but have they given [1:38:05] any indication [1:38:06] that they would turn it over? [1:38:07] they have [1:38:08] yes [1:38:09] Trevor [1:38:10] the latest news [1:38:11] out of Iran [1:38:12] is that the air defenses [1:38:13] have been activated [1:38:14] in several cities [1:38:15] including Isfahan [1:38:16] and that explosions [1:38:17] have been hurt in Isfahan [1:38:18] who is bombing Iran [1:38:19] right now? [1:38:20] were those reports [1:38:21] just as of a few minutes ago? [1:38:23] yeah [1:38:24] okay so obviously [1:38:25] I'll have to go back [1:38:26] and check with the national [1:38:27] security team [1:38:28] I'm standing out here [1:38:29] with all of you [1:38:30] but I will do that [1:38:31] just on the civilization question [1:38:33] that we've been talking about [1:38:34] and I would just add [1:38:35] to that point [1:38:36] again I haven't seen [1:38:37] these reports [1:38:38] I'm not verifying them [1:38:39] not that I don't trust you [1:38:40] Trevor [1:38:41] but I want to go back [1:38:42] and check with the experts [1:38:43] here at the White House [1:38:44] I would just say [1:38:45] and I would echo [1:38:46] what the Vice President [1:38:47] said this morning [1:38:48] this is a fragile truce [1:38:49] ceasefires are fragile [1:38:50] by nature [1:38:51] we've seen this [1:38:52] with respect to the 12-day war [1:38:53] with Iran and Israel [1:38:54] last year [1:38:55] it takes time sometimes [1:38:56] for these ceasefires [1:38:57] to be fully effectuated [1:38:58] and one of the results [1:38:59] of Operation Epic Fury [1:39:00] was we completely [1:39:01] dismantled [1:39:02] Iran's command [1:39:03] and control center [1:39:04] which makes it difficult [1:39:05] for them to pass messages [1:39:06] up and down the chain [1:39:07] and so we understand that [1:39:10] I would caution [1:39:11] a little bit of patience [1:39:12] but of course we want [1:39:13] to see the ceasefire [1:39:14] effectuated [1:39:15] and abided by [1:39:16] by all parties [1:39:17] as quickly as possible [1:39:18] thank you [1:39:19] and the American presidential [1:39:20] administrations [1:39:21] going back to Ronald Reagan [1:39:22] have said this formulation [1:39:23] about nuclear war [1:39:24] that a nuclear war [1:39:25] cannot be won [1:39:26] and must never be fought [1:39:27] is that still the view [1:39:28] of this administration [1:39:29] given the president's [1:39:30] comments [1:39:31] about civilization [1:39:32] I have no change in our [1:39:33] view on that policy [1:39:34] Katie [1:39:35] Thanks Caroline [1:39:36] I'm just given the gravity [1:39:37] of what he said yesterday [1:39:39] what was your understanding [1:39:41] of what he meant [1:39:42] when he said [1:39:43] I'm [1:39:44] this civilization [1:39:45] is going to be eliminated [1:39:46] I think it was a very [1:39:47] very strong threat [1:39:48] from the president [1:39:49] of the United States [1:39:50] that led the Iranian regime [1:39:52] to cave to their knees [1:39:53] and ask for a ceasefire [1:39:54] and agree to reopening the Strait of Hormuz [1:39:57] so it was a very strong threat [1:39:58] that led to results [1:39:59] and as the Secretary of War [1:40:01] stated at the Pentagon [1:40:02] this morning [1:40:03] it was not an empty threat [1:40:05] by any means [1:40:06] the Pentagon had a target list [1:40:08] that they were ready [1:40:09] to hit go on [1:40:10] at 8 p.m. last night [1:40:12] if the Iranian regime [1:40:13] had not agreed to open the Strait [1:40:14] which they did [1:40:15] and I think that's something [1:40:16] we should all be grateful for [1:40:17] Does he say the United States [1:40:18] is a moral leader in the world [1:40:19] given that he's [1:40:20] I was asked this exact same question [1:40:22] by your colleague Andrew [1:40:23] in the back [1:40:24] and I think again [1:40:25] the insinuation [1:40:26] by anyone in this room [1:40:27] that Iran somehow [1:40:28] has the moral high ground [1:40:29] over the United States [1:40:30] of America [1:40:31] is insulting [1:40:32] considering the atrocities [1:40:33] that they have [1:40:34] considering the atrocities [1:40:35] that they have committed [1:40:36] against our people [1:40:38] and our military [1:40:39] over the past five decades [1:40:40] John [1:40:42] John go ahead [1:40:43] Thanks a lot Caroline [1:40:44] two questions for you [1:40:45] one has to do [1:40:46] with a statement [1:40:47] a joint statement [1:40:48] put out this morning [1:40:49] that some of America's [1:40:51] European allies [1:40:52] are NATO allies [1:40:53] and in that joint statement [1:40:54] they said regarding [1:40:55] the Strait of Hormuz [1:40:56] our governments [1:40:57] will contribute [1:40:58] to ensuring [1:40:59] freedom of navigation [1:41:00] in the Strait of Hormuz [1:41:02] what's the administration's [1:41:03] reaction to that joint statement [1:41:05] does that smooth things over [1:41:07] when the president meets [1:41:08] with NATO Secretary General [1:41:09] a little bit later [1:41:10] this afternoon [1:41:11] I have a direct quote [1:41:12] from the president [1:41:13] of the United States [1:41:14] on NATO [1:41:15] and I will share it with all of you [1:41:16] they were tested [1:41:17] and they failed [1:41:18] and I would add [1:41:19] it's quite sad [1:41:20] that NATO turned their backs [1:41:21] on the American people [1:41:22] over the course [1:41:23] of the last six weeks [1:41:24] when it's the American people [1:41:25] who have been defunding [1:41:26] their defense [1:41:27] as you know [1:41:28] President Trump [1:41:29] will be meeting [1:41:30] with Secretary Ruta [1:41:31] in a couple of hours [1:41:32] here at the White House [1:41:33] and I know he looks forward [1:41:34] to having a very frank [1:41:35] and candid conversation [1:41:36] with him [1:41:37] secondly [1:41:38] in regards to this conflict [1:41:39] 38 days [1:41:40] as you pointed out [1:41:41] President Trump has said [1:41:42] that there's been [1:41:43] regime change [1:41:44] that regime change [1:41:45] led to more freedoms [1:41:47] for the Iranian people [1:41:50] I think that's a question [1:41:51] that's being asked [1:41:52] a little bit too early [1:41:53] John and we hope [1:41:54] that is the case [1:41:55] but it's something [1:41:56] that has yet to be seen [1:41:58] Caroline [1:41:59] Eamon [1:42:00] Caroline on this question [1:42:01] about tolling [1:42:02] by the Iranians [1:42:03] in the Strait of Hormuz [1:42:04] I've heard you talk [1:42:05] about a number [1:42:06] of red lines [1:42:07] that the president has [1:42:08] in this negotiation [1:42:09] but I haven't heard you say [1:42:10] that Iranian tolling [1:42:11] in the Strait of Hormuz [1:42:12] is a red line [1:42:13] would it be acceptable [1:42:14] to the United States [1:42:15] at the end of all this [1:42:17] if the Iranians [1:42:18] are able to charge tolls [1:42:19] in the Strait of Hormuz [1:42:20] I think the president [1:42:21] was very clear [1:42:22] and simplistic [1:42:23] in his language [1:42:24] last night [1:42:25] in his Truth Social post [1:42:26] where he said [1:42:27] that this ceasefire [1:42:28] is subject to [1:42:29] the free, safe [1:42:30] and immediate reopening [1:42:31] of the Strait of Hormuz [1:42:32] that's very plain language [1:42:34] and it should be taken [1:42:35] at face value [1:42:36] Does he mean free to charge? [1:42:37] Carrie [1:42:38] Carrie go ahead [1:42:39] without limitation [1:42:40] including tolls [1:42:41] yes [1:42:42] Carrie [1:42:43] quick follow-up [1:42:44] on the Italian [1:42:45] why would the U.S. allow Iran [1:42:46] to collect tolls [1:42:47] in the Strait of Hormuz [1:42:48] that's not something [1:42:49] that we've opposed [1:42:50] for a number of years now [1:42:51] again [1:42:52] that's not something [1:42:53] we've said [1:42:54] that we've definitively accepted [1:42:55] the joint venture [1:42:56] is something that was [1:42:57] proposed by the president [1:42:58] but he was very clear [1:42:59] in his statement [1:43:00] last night [1:43:01] he wants to see [1:43:02] the Strait reopened [1:43:03] immediately [1:43:04] without limitation [1:43:05] and that's something [1:43:06] we're going to hold them to [1:43:07] second question [1:43:08] on family and friends [1:43:09] in Iran [1:43:10] when I myself [1:43:11] am Iranian [1:43:12] and I've been talking to them [1:43:13] through the blackout [1:43:14] one of my family members [1:43:15] yesterday said goodbye to me [1:43:16] so [1:43:17] what message [1:43:18] should we be sending [1:43:19] Iranians [1:43:20] when they message me [1:43:21] saying what should they be doing [1:43:22] right now [1:43:23] how should they stay safe [1:43:24] because they really don't know [1:43:25] what to do [1:43:26] I think the president's main point [1:43:28] in threats of violence [1:43:30] this is a huge achievement [1:43:31] for the first lady [1:43:32] and I know the president [1:43:33] is very proud [1:43:34] of his wife's efforts [1:43:35] in getting this critical [1:43:36] legislation passed [1:43:37] to protect America's youth [1:43:38] so we thank the first lady [1:43:40] for her efforts [1:43:41] and we hope that others [1:43:42] will report on this [1:43:43] historic conviction [1:43:44] yesterday [1:43:45] with respect to the two-week [1:43:47] ceasefire announced [1:43:48] by President Trump [1:43:49] last night [1:43:50] this is a victory [1:43:51] for the United States [1:43:52] of America [1:43:53] that the president [1:43:54] and our incredible military [1:43:55] made happen [1:43:57] from the very beginning [1:43:58] of Operation Epic Fury [1:44:00] President Trump stated [1:44:01] this would be [1:44:02] a four to six week [1:44:03] military operation [1:44:04] to dismantle [1:44:05] the military threat [1:44:06] posed [1:44:07] by the radical Islamic [1:44:08] Iranian regime [1:44:10] thanks to the unbelievable [1:44:12] capabilities [1:44:13] of America's war fighters [1:44:14] the United States [1:44:15] has achieved [1:44:16] and exceeded [1:44:17] those core military objectives [1:44:19] in just 38 days [1:44:21] the US military destroyed [1:44:23] Iran's defense industrial base [1:44:25] crushing the regime's ability [1:44:27] to manufacture weapons [1:44:28] that they and their proxies [1:44:30] use to maim and kill Americans [1:44:32] and terrorize the world [1:44:35] Iran's ability to build [1:44:36] and stockpile [1:44:37] ballistic missiles [1:44:38] and long-range drones [1:44:39] has also been set back [1:44:40] by years [1:44:41] compared to where it was [1:44:42] six weeks ago [1:44:43] prior to the launch [1:44:44] of Operation Epic Fury [1:44:46] We destroyed the vast majority [1:44:48] of Iran's ballistic missiles [1:44:50] launcher vehicles [1:44:51] and long-range attack drones [1:44:53] through more than 450 strikes [1:44:55] on ballistic missiles [1:44:57] and approximately 800 strikes [1:44:59] on Iran's drone launching units [1:45:01] and storage facilities [1:45:03] in total [1:45:04] more than 13,000 targets [1:45:06] across Iran were struck [1:45:08] again [1:45:09] this is in the matter [1:45:10] of just 38 days [1:45:12] meanwhile [1:45:13] the Iranian Navy [1:45:14] was completely annihilated [1:45:16] the United States [1:45:17] destroyed [1:45:18] more than 150 naval vessels [1:45:20] in total [1:45:21] including 16 entire classes [1:45:24] of Iranian warships [1:45:26] despite once being [1:45:27] the largest undersea force [1:45:29] in the Middle East [1:45:30] Iran now has zero [1:45:32] submarine vessels [1:45:34] 97% of Iran's [1:45:36] once massive inventory [1:45:37] of more than 5,000 naval mines [1:45:39] has also been targeted [1:45:41] and destroyed [1:45:42] Iran's air forces [1:45:43] are functionally [1:45:44] and operationally irrelevant [1:45:45] at this point [1:45:46] after the United States [1:45:48] maintained total air dominance [1:45:50] over their country [1:45:51] for weeks on end [1:45:52] to underscore the significance [1:45:54] of this [1:45:55] before Operation Epic Fury [1:45:56] the Iranian Air Force [1:45:59] would fly between 30 to 100 flights [1:46:01] per day [1:46:02] today [1:46:03] that number is zero [1:46:05] Iran's ability to fund [1:46:06] and support its terrorist proxies [1:46:08] has been greatly reduced [1:46:10] at this point [1:46:11] Iran can no longer [1:46:12] distribute weapons [1:46:13] to its proxies [1:46:14] in the region [1:46:15] and most importantly [1:46:16] Iran will not be able [1:46:18] to acquire nuclear weapons [1:46:20] prior to the start [1:46:21] of this successful operation [1:46:23] Iran was aggressively expanding [1:46:25] its short-range [1:46:26] ballistic missile arsenal [1:46:27] through these weapons [1:46:28] and its Navy [1:46:29] Iran was attempting [1:46:30] to build a military build-up [1:46:32] around their country [1:46:33] that would pose [1:46:34] an imminent and existential threat [1:46:36] to the United States [1:46:37] military assets [1:46:38] in the Middle East [1:46:39] our allies in the region [1:46:40] and ultimately [1:46:41] the free world [1:46:42] Iran was pursuing [1:46:44] this dangerous [1:46:45] and aggressive strategy [1:46:46] for one reason [1:46:47] to hold the entire world hostage [1:46:49] to its terrorist ambitions [1:46:51] the Iranians aim to use [1:46:53] their expanded military capabilities [1:46:55] as a shield [1:46:56] around their country [1:46:57] to continue achieving [1:46:58] their ultimate goal [1:46:59] internally [1:47:00] building nuclear bombs [1:47:02] but their murderous [1:47:03] and evil plans [1:47:04] have been blown up [1:47:05] quite literally [1:47:06] and figuratively [1:47:07] along with their military [1:47:08] their nuclear program [1:47:09] and most of their senior leadership [1:47:11] including the former Supreme Leader [1:47:13] Ayatollah al-Khamani [1:47:15] their commanding control structures [1:47:18] were also massively disrupted [1:47:20] after being struck [1:47:21] more than 2,000 times [1:47:23] many of their remaining leaders [1:47:24] are paralyzed in fear [1:47:26] and no longer enjoy the freedom [1:47:27] to move around their country [1:47:29] freely and meet openly [1:47:31] thanks to the unmatched excellence [1:47:32] of our warriors [1:47:33] at the direction [1:47:34] of the commander-in-chief [1:47:35] the world has just witnessed [1:47:37] a historically swift [1:47:38] and successful military triumph [1:47:41] President Trump started [1:47:42] Operation Epic Fury [1:47:43] with strategic military objectives [1:47:45] and the United States [1:47:46] has clearly achieved them [1:47:48] as we mark this progress [1:47:50] we also remember [1:47:51] and honor [1:47:52] the 13 American heroes [1:47:53] who laid down their lives [1:47:55] in this noble effort [1:47:56] I know [1:47:57] President Trump [1:47:58] and our grateful nation [1:47:59] honors their ultimate sacrifice [1:48:01] and we will never forget them [1:48:03] may God bless their families [1:48:04] the valiant valiant efforts [1:48:06] of all of our incredible [1:48:07] service members [1:48:08] created maximum leverage [1:48:10] for the President of the United States [1:48:12] allowing he and his leadership team [1:48:14] to engage in tough negotiations [1:48:16] over the past couple of weeks [1:48:18] that have now created an opening [1:48:20] for a diplomatic solution [1:48:22] in long-term peace [1:48:23] in the Middle East [1:48:24] the President's maximum pressure [1:48:26] and the leverage created [1:48:27] by the success of Operation Epic Fury [1:48:29] led to the Iranian regime [1:48:31] asking for [1:48:32] and ultimately agreeing to [1:48:34] a cease-fire proposal [1:48:35] with the United States [1:48:37] Iran could no longer tolerate [1:48:38] being bombed [1:48:39] or taking the gamble [1:48:40] of what was to come [1:48:42] following President Trump's [1:48:43] 8 p.m. deadline last night [1:48:45] Iran has agreed to open [1:48:47] the Strait of Hormuz [1:48:48] and as the President said [1:48:49] we have received a proposal [1:48:51] from the Iranians [1:48:52] that has been determined [1:48:53] to be a workable basis [1:48:54] on which to negotiate [1:48:56] I've seen a lot of inaccurate coverage [1:48:58] today from the media [1:48:59] about these negotiations [1:49:00] and these plans already [1:49:02] so let me be clear [1:49:03] and correct the record [1:49:04] the Iranians originally put forward [1:49:06] a 10-point plan [1:49:07] that was fundamentally [1:49:09] unserious unacceptable [1:49:10] and completely discarded [1:49:12] it was literally [1:49:13] thrown in the garbage [1:49:15] by President Trump [1:49:16] and his negotiating team [1:49:17] many outlets in this room [1:49:19] have falsely reported [1:49:20] on that plan [1:49:21] as being acceptable [1:49:22] to the United States [1:49:23] and that is false [1:49:24] with the President's deadline [1:49:26] fast approaching [1:49:27] and the United States military [1:49:28] completely decimating Iran [1:49:29] with each passing hour [1:49:31] the regime acknowledged reality [1:49:33] to the negotiating team [1:49:34] they put forward [1:49:35] a more reasonable [1:49:36] and entirely different [1:49:37] and condensed plan [1:49:39] to the President and his team [1:49:40] President Trump and the team [1:49:42] determined the new modified plan [1:49:44] was a workable basis [1:49:45] on which to negotiate [1:49:46] and to align it [1:49:47] with our own 15-point proposal [1:49:50] the President's red lines [1:49:52] namely the end [1:49:53] of Iranian enrichment in Iran [1:49:55] have not changed [1:49:57] and the idea [1:49:58] that President Trump [1:49:59] would ever accept [1:50:00] an Iranian wish list [1:50:01] as a deal [1:50:02] is completely absurd [1:50:04] the President will only [1:50:05] make a deal [1:50:06] that serves in the best interests [1:50:07] of the United States of America [1:50:09] and he as a negotiating team [1:50:11] will focus on this effort [1:50:12] over the next two weeks [1:50:13] so long as the Strait of Hormuz [1:50:15] remains open [1:50:16] with no limitations [1:50:17] or delays [1:50:18] these extraordinarily sensitive [1:50:20] and complex negotiations [1:50:22] will take place [1:50:23] behind closed doors [1:50:24] over the course [1:50:25] of the next two weeks [1:50:26] I would strongly advise [1:50:27] the media [1:50:28] against running with narratives [1:50:29] that have no basis [1:50:30] in fact [1:50:31] what Iran says publicly [1:50:33] or feeds to all of you [1:50:34] in the press [1:50:35] is much different [1:50:36] than what they communicate [1:50:37] to the United States [1:50:38] the President and his team privately [1:50:40] never underestimate [1:50:41] President Trump's ability [1:50:42] to successfully advance [1:50:43] America's interests [1:50:44] and broker peace [1:50:46] President Trump [1:50:47] has a proven track record [1:50:48] of achieving good deals [1:50:49] on behalf of the United States [1:50:51] and the American people [1:50:52] and he will only accept one [1:50:54] that puts America first [1:50:56] with that [1:50:57] I will take your questions today [1:50:58] I'm sure you have a lot of them [1:50:59] in our new media seat [1:51:00] we have Shane Harris [1:51:01] with the AMAC Newsline [1:51:02] Shane thank you for being here [1:51:03] why don't you kick us off [1:51:04] yeah thanks for having me Caroline [1:51:06] I have two questions for you [1:51:07] first [1:51:08] following the President's announcement [1:51:09] of the ceasefire [1:51:10] if this is indeed [1:51:11] the end of hostilities [1:51:12] in Iran [1:51:13] what is the President's message [1:51:14] to the American people [1:51:15] about what was it achieved [1:51:16] for our country [1:51:17] through Operation Epic Fury [1:51:19] sure [1:51:20] I think I just laid out [1:51:21] a significant portion of that [1:51:22] in my opening remarks [1:51:23] six weeks ago [1:51:24] the President looked [1:51:25] the American people [1:51:26] in the eye directly [1:51:27] and he told them [1:51:28] that he launched this operation [1:51:29] to take out [1:51:30] the imminent threat [1:51:31] that was posed by Iran [1:51:32] and that threat [1:51:33] has now been greatly destroyed [1:51:35] of their Navy [1:51:36] their missiles [1:51:37] their defense industrial base [1:51:38] and their desire [1:51:39] and their plan [1:51:40] to build a nuclear bomb [1:51:41] inside their country [1:51:42] is no longer going to be allowed [1:51:44] can no longer happen [1:51:45] thanks to the remarkable success [1:51:47] of Operation Epic Fury [1:51:48] over the course [1:51:49] of the last 38 days [1:51:50] that has been absolutely achieved [1:51:52] and now we're moving [1:51:53] into the next phase of this [1:51:54] which is a negotiating period [1:51:56] to put some fine points [1:51:57] on this [1:51:58] and to hopefully broker [1:51:59] an agreement [1:52:00] that can achieve long-term peace [1:52:01] in the Middle East [1:52:02] and then second [1:52:03] what is the President's message [1:52:04] to American seniors [1:52:05] who have a much higher [1:52:06] voter participation rate [1:52:07] and they're likely [1:52:08] to be a key swing boat [1:52:09] in the midterm elections [1:52:10] well the President [1:52:11] loves our seniors [1:52:12] across the country [1:52:13] and as you know [1:52:14] the President signed [1:52:15] the one big beautiful bill [1:52:16] the working families tax cut [1:52:17] last year [1:52:18] which greatly reduced taxes [1:52:20] on Social Security [1:52:21] for our seniors [1:52:23] in fact thanks to [1:52:24] the working families tax cut [1:52:25] nearly 90% of seniors [1:52:27] will no longer pay tax [1:52:28] on their Social Security [1:52:30] that's a huge win [1:52:31] for our seniors [1:52:32] and also for our middle class [1:52:33] and working families [1:52:34] across the country [1:52:35] with the no tax [1:52:36] on tips provision [1:52:37] and the no tax on overtime [1:52:38] next week is tax week [1:52:40] you'll hear a lot [1:52:41] from the President [1:52:42] about how his policies [1:52:43] have benefited the American people [1:52:44] and I'm proud to report [1:52:45] that the President [1:52:46] will be traveling next week [1:52:47] to the great states [1:52:48] of Nevada and Arizona [1:52:49] to tout this historic accomplishment [1:52:51] over the course [1:52:52] of the next week [1:52:53] thank you for being here Shane [1:52:54] Gabe [1:53:01] is the President [1:53:02] and he said [1:53:03] in the last week [1:53:04] he said [1:53:06] that the President [1:53:07] said [1:53:08] before moves today [1:53:09] in response [1:53:10] to Israeli attacks [1:53:11] on Lebanon [1:53:12] what's the white house [1:53:13] response to that [1:53:14] and just listed [1:53:15] many military successes [1:53:16] I understand that [1:53:18] but strategically [1:53:19] how is the administration [1:53:20] arguing that [1:53:21] Iran does not have [1:53:22] more economic leverage [1:53:23] than now [1:53:24] than it did [1:53:25] before the start of the war [1:53:26] sure [1:53:27] well with respect [1:53:28] to the first reporting [1:53:29] out of Iranian state media [1:53:30] is a case of what they're saying publicly is different privately we have seen an uptick [1:53:34] of traffic in the strait today and i will reiterate the president's expectation and demand [1:53:40] that the strait of humus is reopened immediately quickly and safely that is his expectation it has [1:53:46] been relayed to him privately that that is what's taking place and these reports uh publicly are [1:53:51] false caroline the president yesterday threatened that a whole civilization would die if a ceasefire [1:53:57] deal wasn't reached understanding that iranian leaders have previously said death to america [1:54:02] but why is it appropriate for the president of the united states to use that kind of language when [1:54:06] talking about civilian targets and was the president mocking islam by signing off his true social post [1:54:13] over the weekend praise be to allah wouldn't that antagonize muslim allies across the world well i [1:54:19] understand the questions about the president's rhetoric but what the president cares most about [1:54:23] is results and in fact his uh very tough rhetoric and his tough negotiating style is what has led to [1:54:29] the result that you are all witnessing today iran publicly acknowledging uh last night that they [1:54:35] have agreed or that they wanted this ceasefire with the united states because they no longer could [1:54:40] tolerate being bombed by our very powerful and lethal military and that they have committed to the [1:54:44] reopening of the strait of humus which the president will hold them accountable for and it's something [1:54:49] the administration is closely monitoring in real time danny should the world not take his word seriously [1:54:55] the world should take his word very seriously and understanding that the president is always [1:55:00] most interested in results and it was the iranians who backed down not president trump he said that [1:55:05] they would face very grave consequences as you just laid out by the 8 pm deadline if they did not [1:55:10] agree to reopening the strait of humus and what did they do last night they agreed to reopen the [1:55:14] strait of humus danny thanks carly um would president trump like to see lebanon included in this peace [1:55:21] deal as you know there have been increased israeli uh strikes on lebanon today with dozens of casualties [1:55:26] there sure lebanon is not part of the ceasefire that has been relayed to all parties involved in the [1:55:31] ceasefire as you know prime minister netanyahu put out a statement last night in support of the [1:55:36] ceasefire in support of the united states's efforts and he's also assured the president they'll continue to [1:55:41] be a helpful partner throughout the course of the next two weeks is there any thought though that [1:55:45] the president might like to see lebanon included in a future date um given that it seems to be [1:55:51] causing or potentially undermining the iran ceasefire again this will continue to be discussed i am sure [1:55:57] between the president and prime minister netanyahu the united states and israel and all of the parties [1:56:01] involved but at this point in time they're not included in the ceasefire deal jeff thank you caroline [1:56:07] will the u.s take part in talks with iran and islamabad on friday i can announce that the [1:56:13] president is dispatching his negotiating team led by the vice president of the united states jd vance [1:56:19] special envoy whitkoff and mr kushner to islamabad for talks this weekend the first round of those [1:56:25] talks will take place on saturday morning local time and we know we look forward to those in-person [1:56:30] meetings what role does the president see for the u.s in monitoring or helping with the straight [1:56:36] of hummus going forward i think the president commented on that this morning we're going to [1:56:40] continue to monitor it very very closely we will be helpful in any way that we can but we fully expect [1:56:46] iran to do this and the president has made that quite clear as well it's again as his statement said [1:56:51] last night this ceasefire is subject to the safe reopening of the straight of hummus again this was [1:56:57] just determined last night we understand things take time but that's the president's expectation [1:57:01] and he will hold everyone to it um sure in the green blazer thank you uh thank you sure and then in [1:57:08] front of you but andrew you can go ahead all right you're not wearing a green blazer [1:57:13] i am actually wearing a green blazer it's a little brown to me but go ahead [1:57:18] fair enough so uh regarding the president's rhetoric when the u.s invaded iraq in 2003 george w bush [1:57:25] uh said in a message to the iraqi people that the military campaign was directed quote against [1:57:33] the lawless men who rule your country and not against you yesterday the president threatened to [1:57:39] destroy iran's civilization the entire civilization not the iranian government but the iranian [1:57:46] civilization the iranian people the u.s has been a moral leader for most of its history by fighting wars [1:57:55] against other governments not against civilizations how can the president claim that america can ever [1:58:03] have the moral high ground if he's threatening to destroy civilizations and not casting wars as [1:58:10] fights against other governments andrew i think you should take a look at the actions of this president [1:58:15] over the course of the past six weeks and the actions of our brave men and women in our united [1:58:20] states military who have taken out the mili essentially taken out the military of a rogue islamic [1:58:27] regime that has chanted death to america for 47 years that has killed and maimed thousands of american [1:58:33] soldiers over the course of the last five decades the president absolutely has the moral high ground [1:58:39] over the iranian terrorist regime and for you to even suggest otherwise is frankly insulting [1:58:43] all due respect caroline with all due respect go ahead there is just given what we've we've seen in [1:58:51] lebanon today and the increased attacks from israel is there any concern that netanyahu is trying to [1:58:57] kill the ceasefire the president spoke with prime minister netanyahu last night and in that private [1:59:03] conversation prime minister netanyahu relayed exactly what he said to the world publicly that he supports [1:59:07] the president and israel remains a key ally and partner to the united states they've been a tremendous [1:59:13] partner over the course of the past six weeks and we thank them for their heroic efforts as well [1:59:18] and the president had that conversation last night and that was relayed to the world publicly as well [1:59:24] reagan go ahead thank you caroline i have a question for you on iran and a question on the dignity act [1:59:30] as well um on iran it's been reported that the ceasefire was struck after the involvement of two [1:59:36] unlikely factors jd vance in china what role did those parties play in striking a deal well vice [1:59:42] president vance has played a very significant and a key role in this since the very beginning of [1:59:47] course he's the president's right-hand man he is the vice president of the united states he's been [1:59:52] involved in all of these discussions and as i just announced he'll be leading this new phase of [1:59:56] negotiations in islamabad later this week with respect to china there were conversations that took place [2:00:04] between top levels of our government and china's government the president has great respect for [2:00:10] president xi and a great working relationship with him and and with that country and he looks forward [2:00:16] to visiting china in just a few weeks on the dignity act it's getting a fresh push through congress [2:00:24] it would give some illegal immigrants in the country a path to citizenship what's the white [2:00:28] house's position on this legislation and would the president sign it if it made it to his desk honestly [2:00:33] reagan i haven't spoken to the president about the legislation but i will have that conversation and [2:00:38] we'll get you our formal position on it as soon as we can you're welcome go ahead the president [2:00:42] suggested the insurance that he would support the children of the u.s are on the venture to charge [2:00:48] tolls for ships going through the street does the president believe that the u.s should earn revenue [2:00:54] from the straight from where he was going forward it's something it's an idea the president has floated [2:00:58] as you know and it's something that will continue to be discussed over the course of the next two weeks but [2:01:03] the immediate priority of the president is the reopening of the strait without any limitations [2:01:08] whether in the form of tolls or otherwise on the highly enriched uranium has iran given the [2:01:14] administration any indication that it would simply turn over the enriched uranium or is this an [2:01:20] expectation the president has that he would have to send in ground troops in order to do that this is [2:01:25] on the top of the priority list for the president and his negotiating team as they head into this next [2:01:30] round of discussions and as i said in my opener that is a red line that the president is not going [2:01:35] to back away from and he's committed to ensuring that takes place uh we hope it will be through [2:01:41] diplomacy have they given any indication that they would turn it over they have they are yes trevor [2:01:47] the latest news out of iran is that the air defenses have been uh activated in several cities including [2:01:52] isfahan and that explosions have been heard in isfahan who who is bombing iran right now [2:01:57] i did were those reports just as of a few minutes ago yeah okay so obviously i'll have to go back [2:02:02] and check with the national security team i'm standing out here with all of you but i will do [2:02:06] that and we will get you an answer okay and just on the civilization uh question that we've been [2:02:10] talking about and i would just add to that point again i haven't seen these reports i'm not verifying [2:02:15] them not that i don't trust you trevor but i want to go back and check with the experts here at the [2:02:19] white house i would just say and i would echo what the vice president said this morning this is a [2:02:24] fragile truce ceasefires are fragile by nature we've seen this with respect to the 12-day war [2:02:29] with iran and israel last year it takes time sometimes for these ceasefires to be fully [2:02:34] effectuated and one of the results of operation epic fury was we completely dismantled iran's [2:02:40] command and control center which makes it difficult for them to pass messages up and down the chain [2:02:45] and so we we understand that i would caution a little bit of patience but of course we want [2:02:50] to see the ceasefire uh effectuated and abided by by all parties as quickly as possible thank you [2:02:55] and the american presidential administrations going back to ronald reagan have said this [2:03:00] formulation about nuclear war that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought is that [2:03:05] still the view of this administration given the president's comments about civilization i have no [2:03:09] change in our view on that policy katie thanks caroline i'm just given the gravity of what he said [2:03:15] yesterday what was your understanding of what he meant when he said i'm this civilization is going [2:03:22] to be eliminated i think it was a very very strong threat from the president of the united states [2:03:28] that led the iranian regime to cave to their knees and ask for a ceasefire and agree to reopening the [2:03:34] street of her moose so it was a very strong threat that led to results and as the secretary of war [2:03:39] stated at the pentagon this morning it was not an empty threat by any means the pentagon had a target [2:03:45] list that they were ready uh to hit go on at 8 p.m last night if the iranian regime had not agreed [2:03:51] to open the strait which they did and i think that's something we should all be grateful for [2:03:55] the united states as a moral leader in the world given that i was asked this exact same question by [2:03:59] your colleague andrew in the back and i think again the insinuation by anyone in this room um that iran [2:04:05] somehow has the moral high ground over the united states of america is insulting considering the [2:04:09] atrocities that they have considering the atrocities that they have committed against our [2:04:15] people in our military over the past five decades john john go ahead thanks a lot caroline two [2:04:22] questions for you one has to do with a statement a joint statement put out this morning by some of [2:04:28] america's european allies our nato allies and in that joint statement they said regarding the strait of [2:04:33] humus our governments will contribute to ensuring freedom of navigation in the strait of humus what's [2:04:40] the administration's reaction to that joint statement does that smooth things over when the [2:04:45] president meets with nato's secretary general a little bit later this afternoon i have a direct [2:04:50] quote from the president of the united states on nato and i will share it with all of you they were [2:04:54] tested and they failed and i would add it's quite sad that nato turned their backs on the american [2:04:59] people over the course of the last six weeks when it's the american people who have been defunding [2:05:03] their defense as you know president trump will be meeting with secretary ruta in a couple of hours here [2:05:08] at the white house and i know he looks forward to having a very frank and candid conversation with him [2:05:13] and then secondly uh in regards to this conflict 38 days as you pointed out president trump has said [2:05:19] that there's been regime change has that regime change led to more freedoms for the iranian people [2:05:27] i think that's a question that's being asked a little bit too early john and and we hope that is [2:05:31] the case um but it's something that has yet to be seen caroline on this tolling by the iranians in the [2:05:40] strait of hormuz i've heard you talk about a number of red lines that the president has in [2:05:44] this negotiation but i haven't heard you say that iranian tolling in the strait of hormuz is a red [2:05:50] line would it be acceptable to the united states at the end of all this if the iranians are able to [2:05:56] charge tolls in the strait of hormuz i think the president was very clear and simplistic in his [2:06:01] language last night in his true social post where he said that this ceasefire is subject to of the free [2:06:06] safe and immediate reopening of the strait of hormuz that's very plain language and it should be taken [2:06:12] at face value carrie carrie go ahead without limitation including tolls yes carrie quick [2:06:19] follow-up on your time why would the u.s uh allow iran to collect tolls uh from the strait of hormuz [2:06:25] that's not something that we've opposed for a number of years now again that's not something we've said [2:06:30] that we've definitively accepted the joint venture is something that was proposed by the president but he [2:06:36] was very clear in his statement last night he wants to see the strait reopened immediately without [2:06:40] limitation and that's something we're going to hold them to a second question on family and friends [2:06:46] in iran i myself am iranian and i've been talking to them through the blackout one of my family members [2:06:51] yesterday said goodbye to me so what message should we be sending iranians when they message me saying [2:06:58] what should they be doing right now how should they stay safe because they really don't know what to do [2:07:03] uh i think the president's main bringing in threats of violence this is a huge achievement for the [2:07:09] first lady and i know the president is very proud of his wife's efforts in getting this critical [2:07:13] legislation passed to protect america's youth so we thank the first lady for her efforts and we hope [2:07:19] that others will report on this historic conviction yesterday with respect to the two-week ceasefire [2:07:25] announced by president trump last night this is a victory for the united states of america that the [2:07:30] president and our incredible military made happen from the very beginning of operation epic fury [2:07:37] president trump stated this would be a four to six week military operation to dismantle the military [2:07:43] threat posed by the radical islamic iranian regime thanks to the unbelievable capabilities of america's [2:07:51] war fighters the united states has achieved and exceeded those core military objectives in just 38 days [2:07:59] the u.s military destroyed iran's defense industrial base crushing the regime's ability to manufacture [2:08:06] weapons that they and their proxies use to maim and kill americans and terrorize the world iran's ability [2:08:13] to build and stockpile ballistic missiles and long-range drones has also been set back by years compared to [2:08:20] where it was six weeks ago prior to the launch of operation epic fury we destroyed the vast majority of iran's [2:08:27] ballistic missiles launcher vehicles and long-range attack drones through more than 450 strikes on [2:08:34] ballistic missiles and approximately 800 strikes on iran's drone launching units and storage facilities [2:08:41] in total more than 13 000 targets across iran were struck again this is in the matter of just 38 days [2:08:50] meanwhile the iranian naval navy was completely annihilated the united states destroyed more than [2:08:56] 150 naval vessels in total including 16 entire classes of iranian warships despite once being [2:09:05] the largest undersea force in the middle east iran now has zero submarine vessels 97 percent of iran's [2:09:14] once massive inventory of more than 5 000 naval mines has also been targeted and destroyed iran's air [2:09:21] forces are functionally and operationally irrelevant at this point after the united states maintained [2:09:26] total air dominance over their country for weeks on end to underscore the significance of this [2:09:32] before operation epic fury the iranian naval air force would fly between 30 to 100 flights per day [2:09:40] today that number is zero iran's ability to fund and support its terrorist proxies has been greatly [2:09:47] reduced at this point iran can no longer distribute weapons to its proxies in the region and most importantly iran [2:09:55] will not be able to acquire nuclear weapons prior to the start of this successful operation iran was [2:10:01] aggressively expanding its short-range ballistic missile arsenal through these weapons and its navy [2:10:07] iran was attempting to build a military buildup around their country that would pose an imminent [2:10:13] and existential threat to the united states military assets in the middle east our allies in the region [2:10:18] and ultimately the free world iran was pursuing this dangerous and aggressive strategy for one [2:10:24] reason to hold the entire world hostage to its terrorist ambitions the iranians aim to use their [2:10:31] expanded military capabilities as a shields around their country to continue achieving their ultimate [2:10:36] goal internally building nuclear bombs but their murderous and evil plans have been blown up quite [2:10:43] literally and figuratively along with their military their nuclear program and most of their senior leadership [2:10:49] including the former supreme leader ayatollah ala khamani their commanding control structures were [2:10:55] also massively disrupted after being struck more than two thousand times many of their remaining [2:11:01] leaders are paralyzed in fear and no longer enjoy the freedom to move around their country freely and meet [2:11:07] openly thanks to the unmatched excellence of our warriors at the direction of the commander-in-chief [2:11:13] the world has just witnessed a historically swift and successful military triumph president trump [2:11:20] started operation epic fury with strategic military objectives and the united states has clearly achieved [2:11:25] them as we mark this progress we also remember and honor the 13 american heroes who laid down their [2:11:32] lives in this noble effort i know president trump and our grateful nation honors their ultimate sacrifice [2:11:39] and we will never forget them may god bless their families the valiant valiant efforts of all of our [2:11:44] incredible service members created maximum leverage for the president of the united states allowing he [2:11:50] and his leadership team to engage in tough negotiations over the past couple of weeks that have now created [2:11:57] an opening for a diplomatic solution in long-term peace in the middle east the president's maximum pressure [2:12:03] and the leverage created by the success of operation epic fury led to the iranian regime [2:12:09] asking for and ultimately agreeing to a ceasefire proposal with the united states [2:12:14] iran could no longer tolerate being bombed or taking the gamble of what was to come following [2:12:20] president trump's 8 pm deadline last night iran has agreed to open the strait of her moose and as the [2:12:26] president said we have received a proposal from the iranians that has been determined to be a workable [2:12:31] basis on which to negotiate i've seen a lot of inaccurate coverage today from the media about these [2:12:37] negotiations and these plans already so let me be clear and correct the record the iranians originally [2:12:43] put forward a 10-point plan that was fundamentally unserious unacceptable and completely discarded it [2:12:50] was literally thrown in the garbage by president trump and his negotiating team many outlets in this room [2:12:56] have falsely reported on that plan as being acceptable to the united states and that is false with the [2:13:02] president's deadline fast approaching and the united states military completely decimating iran with [2:13:07] each passing hour the regime acknowledged reality to the negotiating team they put forward a more [2:13:13] reasonable and entirely different and condensed plan to the president and his team president trump and [2:13:19] the team determined the new modified plan was a workable basis on which to negotiate and to align align it [2:13:25] with our own 15-point proposal the president's red lines namely the end of iranian enrichment in iran have [2:13:34] not changed and the idea that president trump would ever accept an iranian wish list as a deal is completely [2:13:41] absurd the president will only make a deal that serves in the best interests of the united states of [2:13:46] america and he is a negotiating team will focus on this effort over the next two weeks so long as the [2:13:52] straight of her moves remains open with no limitations or delays these extraordinarily sensitive and [2:13:59] complex negotiations will take place behind closed doors over the course of the next two weeks i would [2:14:04] strongly advise the media against running with narratives that have no basis in fact what iran says [2:14:10] publicly or feeds to all of you in the press is much different than what they communicate to the united [2:14:15] states the president and his team privately never underestimate president trump's ability to successfully [2:14:21] advance america's interests and broker peace president trump has a proven track record of achieving good [2:14:27] deals on behalf of the united states and the american people and he will only accept one that puts america [2:14:33] first with that i will take your questions today i'm sure you have a lot of them in our new media seat [2:14:38] we have shane harris with the amac news line shane thank you for being here why don't you kick us off yeah [2:14:43] thanks for having me caroline uh two questions for you first following the president's announcement of the [2:14:47] ceasefire if this is indeed the end of hostilities in iran what is the president's message to the [2:14:52] american people about what was it achieved for our country through operation epicuring sure i think [2:14:57] i just laid out a significant portion of that in my opening remarks six weeks ago the president [2:15:02] looked the american people in the eye directly and he told them that he launched this operation to take [2:15:07] out the imminent threat that was posed by iran and that threat has now been greatly destroyed their navy [2:15:13] their missiles their defense industrial base and their desire and their plan to build a nuclear bomb [2:15:19] inside their country is no longer going to be allowed can no longer happen thanks to the remarkable [2:15:24] success of operation epic fury over the course of the last 38 days that has been absolutely achieved and [2:15:30] now we're moving into the next phase of this which is a negotiating period to put some fine points [2:15:35] on this and to hopefully broker an agreement that can achieve long-term peace in the middle east yeah and then [2:15:40] second what is the president's message to american seniors who have a much higher voter participation [2:15:45] rate and they're likely to be a key swing vote in the midterm elections well the president loves our [2:15:50] seniors across the country and as you know the president signed the one big beautiful bill the working [2:15:55] families tax cut last year which greatly reduced taxes on social security for our seniors in fact thanks [2:16:02] to the working families tax cut nearly 90 percent of seniors will no no longer pay tax on their social [2:16:08] security that's a huge win for our seniors and also for our middle class and working families across [2:16:13] the country with the no tax on tips provision and the no tax on overtime next week is tax week you'll [2:16:18] hear a lot from the president about how his policies have benefited the american people and i'm proud to [2:16:23] report that the president will be traveling next week to the great states of nevada and arizona to tout [2:16:28] this historic accomplishment over the course of the next week thank you for being here shane gabe thank you [2:16:33] carolina iranian state media is saying that iran has now closed off the straight of four moves today [2:16:38] in response to israeli attacks on lebanon what's the white house response to that and just listed many [2:16:44] military successes i understand that but strategically how is the administration arguing that iran does not [2:16:51] have more economic leverage than now than it did before the star report sure well with respect to the [2:16:59] first reporting out of iranian state media the president was made aware of those reports [2:17:03] uh before i came to the podium that is completely unacceptable and again this is a case of what [2:17:08] they're saying publicly is different privately we have seen an uptick of traffic in the strait today [2:17:13] and i will reiterate the president's expectation and demand that the strait of her moose is reopened [2:17:19] immediately quickly and safely that is his expectation it has been relayed to him privately [2:17:25] that that is what's taking place and these reports uh publicly are false carolina the president [2:17:30] yesterday threatened that a whole civilization would die if a ceasefire deal wasn't reached [2:17:35] understanding that iranian leaders have previously said death to america but why is it appropriate for [2:17:40] the president of the united states to use that kind of language when talking about civilian targets [2:17:46] and was the president mocking islam by signing off his true social post over the weekend praise be to [2:17:51] allah wouldn't that antagonize muslim allies across the world well i understand the questions about [2:17:57] the president's rhetoric but what the president cares most about is results and in fact his very tough [2:18:03] rhetoric and his tough negotiating style is what has led to the result that you are all witnessing [2:18:08] today iran publicly acknowledging last night that they have agreed or that they wanted this ceasefire [2:18:15] with the united states because they no longer could tolerate being bombed by our very powerful and [2:18:19] lethal military and that they have committed to the reopening of the strait of her moose which the [2:18:23] president will hold them accountable for and it's something the administration is closely monitoring [2:18:28] in real time danny should the world not take his word seriously the world should take his word very [2:18:34] seriously and understanding that the president is always most interested in results and it was the [2:18:39] iranians who backed down not president trump he said that they would face very grave consequences as [2:18:44] you just laid out by the 8 p.m deadline if they did not agree to reopening the strait of her moose and [2:18:49] what did they do last night they agreed to reopen the strait of her moose danny thanks carly would [2:18:55] president trump like to see lebanon included in this peace deal as you know there have been increased [2:18:59] israeli strikes on lebanon today with dozens of casualties there sure lebanon is not part of the [2:19:05] ceasefire that has been relayed to all parties involved in the ceasefire as you know prime minister [2:19:10] netanyahu put out a statement last night in support of the ceasefire in support of the united [2:19:15] states his efforts and he's also assured the president they'll continue to be a helpful partner [2:19:19] throughout the course of the next two weeks is there any thought though that the president might [2:19:23] like to see lebanon included at a future date given that it seems to be causing or potentially [2:19:29] undermining the iran ceasefire again this will continue to be discussed i am sure between the [2:19:35] president and prime minister netanyahu the united states and israel and all of the parties involved [2:19:39] but at this point in time they're not included in the ceasefire deal jeff thank you caroline will [2:19:44] the u.s take part in talks with iran and islamabad on friday i can announce that the president is [2:19:51] dispatching his negotiating team led by the vice president of united states jd vance special envoy [2:19:57] whitkoff and mr kushner to islamabad for talks this weekend the first round of those talks will take [2:20:03] place on saturday morning local time and we know we look forward to those in-person meetings what role [2:20:08] does the president see for the u.s in monitoring or helping with the straight of humus going forward [2:20:14] i think the president commented on that this morning we're going to continue to monitor it [2:20:18] very very closely we will be helpful in any way that we can but we fully expect iran to do this and [2:20:24] the president has made that quite clear as well it's again as his statement said last night this [2:20:29] ceasefire is subject to the safe reopening of the straight of humus again this was just determined last [2:20:35] night we understand things take time but that's the president's expectation and he will hold everyone [2:20:39] to it um sure in the green blazer thank you thank you sure and then in front of you but andrew you can [2:20:46] go ahead all right you're not wearing a green blazer i am actually wearing a green blazer it's a little [2:20:52] brown to me but go ahead fair enough so uh regarding the president's rhetoric when the u.s invaded iraq in [2:21:01] 2003 george w bush uh said in a message to the iraqi people that the military campaign was directed [2:21:09] quote against the lawless men who rule your country and not against you yesterday the president threatened [2:21:16] to destroy iran's civilization the entire civilization not the iranian government but the iranian civilization [2:21:25] the iranian people the u.s has been a moral leader for most of its history by fighting wars [2:21:32] against other governments not against civilizations how can the president claim that america can ever [2:21:40] have the moral high ground if he's threatening to destroy civilizations and not casting wars as [2:21:47] fights against other governments and your i think you should take a look at the actions of this [2:21:52] president over the course of the past six weeks and the actions of our brave men and women in our united [2:21:57] states military who have taken out the mili essentially taken out the military of a rogue islamic [2:22:04] regime that has chanted death to america for 47 years that has killed and maimed thousands of american [2:22:10] soldiers over the course of the last five decades the president absolutely has the moral high ground [2:22:16] over the iranian terrorist regime and for you to even suggest otherwise is frankly insulting [2:22:20] with all due respect caroline with all due respect go ahead there is just given what we've we've seen [2:22:28] in lebanon today and the increased attacks of israel i mean is there any concern that netanyahu is trying [2:22:34] to kill the ceasefire the president spoke with prime minister netanyahu last night and in that private [2:22:40] conversation prime minister netanyahu relayed exactly what he said to the world publicly that he supports [2:22:44] the president and israel remains a key ally and partner to the united states they've been a tremendous [2:22:50] partner over the course of the past six weeks and we thank them for their heroic efforts as well [2:22:55] and the president had that conversation last night and that was relayed to the world publicly as [2:23:00] well reagan go ahead i have a question for you on iran and i have a question on the dignity act as well [2:23:08] on iran it's been reported that the ceasefire was struck after the involvement of two unlikely [2:23:13] factors jd vance in china what role did those parties play in striking a deal well vice president [2:23:19] vance has played a very significant and a key role in this since the very beginning of course he's [2:23:25] the president's right-hand man he is the vice president of the united states he's been involved [2:23:29] in all of these discussions and as i just announced he'll be leading this new phase of negotiations in [2:23:34] islamabad later this week with respect to china there were conversations that took place between top [2:23:42] levels of our government and china's government the president has great respect for president xi and a great [2:23:49] working relationship with him and and with that country and he looks forward to visiting china [2:23:55] in just a few weeks and on the dignity act it's getting a fresh push through congress uh it would [2:24:01] give some illegal immigrants in the country a path to citizenship what's the white house's position on [2:24:06] this legislation and would the president sign it if it made it to his desk honestly reagan i haven't [2:24:11] spoken to the president about the legislation um but i will have that conversation and we'll get [2:24:15] you our formal position on it as soon as we can you're welcome go ahead the president suggested [2:24:20] the interest he would support the children of the u.s iran adventure the charged tolls for ships going [2:24:26] through the street does the president believe that the u.s should earn revenue from the straight [2:24:31] of where he was going forward it's something it's an idea the president has floated as you know [2:24:37] and it's something that will continue to be discussed over the course of the next two weeks but [2:24:40] the immediate priority of the president is the reopening of the straight without any limitations whether [2:24:46] in the form of tolls or otherwise on the highly enriched uranium has iran given the administration [2:24:52] any indication that it would simply turn over the enriched uranium or is this an expectation the [2:24:58] president has that he would have to send in ground troops in order to do that this is on the top of [2:25:03] the priority list for the president and his negotiating team as they head into this next round of [2:25:08] discussions and as i said in my opener that is a red line that the president is not going to back [2:25:13] away from and he's committed to ensuring that takes place we hope it will be through diplomacy [2:25:18] have they given any indication they have they would turn it over they have they are yes trevor the [2:25:24] latest news out of iran is that the air defenses have been uh activated in several cities including [2:25:29] isfahan and that explosions have been heard in isfahan who is bombing iran right now were those reports [2:25:36] just as of a few minutes ago yeah okay so obviously i'll have to go back and check with the national [2:25:41] security team i'm standing out here with all of you but i will do that and we will get you an [2:25:44] answer okay just on the civilization uh question that we've been talking about and i would just [2:25:49] add to that point again i haven't seen these reports i'm not verifying them not that i don't [2:25:54] trust you trevor but i want to go back and check with the experts here at the white house i would [2:25:57] just say and i would echo what the vice president said this morning this is a fragile truce ceasefires [2:26:03] are fragile by nature we've seen this with respect to the 12-day war with iran and israel last year [2:26:08] it takes time sometimes for these ceasefires to be fully effectuated and one of the results of [2:26:14] operation epic fury was we completely dismantled iran's command and control center which makes [2:26:19] it difficult for them to pass messages up and down the chain and so we we understand that i would [2:26:24] caution a little bit of patience but of course we want to see the ceasefire effectuated and abided by [2:26:30] by all parties as quickly as possible thank you and the american presidential administrations going back to [2:26:35] ronald reagan have said this formulation about nuclear war that a nuclear war cannot be won and [2:26:40] must never be fought is that still the view of this administration given the president's comments about [2:26:45] civilization i have no change in our view on that policy katie thanks caroline i'm just given the [2:26:51] gravity of what he said yesterday what was your understanding of what he meant when he said [2:26:58] i'm this civilization is going to be eliminated i think it was a very very strong threat from the [2:27:03] president of the united states that led the iranian regime to cave to their knees and ask for a [2:27:09] ceasefire and agree to reopening the street of humus so it was a very strong threat that led to results [2:27:14] and as the secretary of war stated at the pentagon this morning it was not an empty threat by any means [2:27:21] the pentagon had a target list that they were ready to hit go on at 8 pm last night if the iranian [2:27:28] regime had not agreed to open the strait which they did and i think that's something we should all be [2:27:31] grateful for the united states as a moral leader in the world given that i was asked this exact same [2:27:36] question by your colleague andrew in the back and i think again the insinuation by anyone in this room [2:27:42] that iran somehow has the moral high ground over the united states of america is insulting considering [2:27:46] the atrocities that they have considering the atrocities that they have committed against our [2:27:52] people and our military over the past five decades john john go ahead thanks a lot caroline two [2:27:59] questions for you one has to do with a statement a joint statement put out this morning by [2:28:04] some of america's european allies our nato allies and in that joint statement they said regarding the [2:28:09] strait of humus our governments will contribute to ensuring freedom of navigation in the strait of [2:28:16] humus what's the administration's reaction to that joint statement does that smooth things over when the [2:28:22] president meets with nato's secretary general a little bit later this afternoon i have a direct quote from [2:28:27] the president of the united states on nato and i will share it with all of you they were tested [2:28:32] and they failed and i would add it's quite sad that nato turned their backs on the american people [2:28:36] over the course of the last six weeks when it's the american people who have been defunding their [2:28:41] defense as you know president trump will be meeting with secretary ruta in a couple of hours here at [2:28:45] the white house and i know he looks forward to having a very frank and candid conversation with him [2:28:50] and then secondly uh in regards to this conflict 38 days as you pointed out president trump has said [2:28:56] that there's been regime change has that regime change led to more freedoms for the iranian people [2:29:04] i think that's a question that's being asked a little bit too early john and and we hope that is [2:29:09] the case um but it's something that has yet to be seen caroline on this question of tolling by the [2:29:16] iranians in the strait of hormuz i've heard you talk about a number of red lines that the [2:29:21] president has in this negotiation but i haven't heard you say that iranian tolling in the strait [2:29:25] of hormuz is a red line would it be acceptable to the united states at the end of all this if the [2:29:32] iranians are able to charge tolls in the strait of hormuz i think the president was very clear and [2:29:37] simplistic in his language last night in his true social post where he said that this ceasefire is [2:29:42] subject to of the free safe and immediate reopening of the strait of hormuz that's [2:29:47] very plain language and it should be taken at face value [2:29:52] carrie go ahead without limitation including tolls yes carrie quick follow-up on the atolling why would [2:29:58] the u.s uh allow iran to collect tolls uh from the strait of hormuz that's not something that we've [2:30:03] opposed for a number of years now again that's not something we've said that we've definitively [2:30:09] accepted the joint venture is something that was proposed by the president but he was very clear [2:30:14] in his statement last night he wants to see the strait reopened immediately without limitation and [2:30:18] that's something we're going to hold them to a second question on family and friends in iran i myself am [2:30:25] iranian and i've been talking to them through the blackout one of my family members yesterday said [2:30:29] goodbye to me so what message should we be sending iranians when they message me saying what should they [2:30:35] be doing right now how should they stay safe because they really don't know what to do [2:30:41] i think the president's main in threats of violence this is a huge achievement for the first lady and [2:30:47] i know the president is very proud of his wife's efforts in getting this critical legislation passed [2:30:51] to protect america's youth so we thank the first lady for her efforts and we hope that others will [2:30:56] report on this historic conviction yesterday with respect to the two-week ceasefire announced by [2:31:03] president trump last night this is a victory for the united states of america that the president and [2:31:08] our incredible military made happen from the very beginning of operation epic fury president trump [2:31:15] stated this would be a four to six week military operation to dismantle the military threat posed by [2:31:22] the radical islamic iranian regime thanks to the unbelievable capabilities of america's war fighters [2:31:29] the united states has achieved and exceeded those core military objectives in just 38 days the u.s [2:31:37] military destroyed iran's defense industrial base crushing the regime's ability to manufacture weapons [2:31:44] that they and their proxies use to maim and kill americans and terrorize the world iran's ability to [2:31:51] build and stockpile ballistic missiles and long-range drones has also been set back by years compared to where it [2:31:57] was six weeks ago prior to the launch of operation epic fury we destroyed the vast majority of iran's [2:32:04] ballistic missiles launcher vehicles and long-range attack drones through more than 450 strikes on [2:32:11] ballistic missiles and approximately 800 strikes on iran's drone launching units and storage facilities [2:32:18] in total more than 13 000 targets across iran were struck again this is in the matter of just 38 days [2:32:27] meanwhile the iranian naval navy was completely annihilated the united states destroyed more than 150 [2:32:35] naval vessels in total including 16 entire classes of iranian warships despite once being the largest [2:32:43] undersea force in the middle east iran now has zero submarine vessels 97 of iran's once massive [2:32:52] inventory of more than 5 000 naval mines has also been targeted and destroyed iran's air forces are [2:32:59] functionally and operationally irrelevant at this point after the united states maintained total air [2:33:04] dominance over their country for weeks on end to underscore the significance of this before operation epic [2:33:11] fury the iranian air force would fly between 30 to 100 flights per day today that number is zero iran's [2:33:20] ability to fund and support its terrorist proxies has been greatly reduced at this point iran can no [2:33:26] longer distribute weapons to its proxies in the region and most importantly iran will not be able to [2:33:33] acquire nuclear weapons prior to the start of this this successful operation iran was aggressively [2:33:39] expanding its short-range ballistic missile arsenal through these weapons and its navy iran was [2:33:45] attempting to build a military buildup around their country that would pose an imminent and existential [2:33:51] threat to the united states military assets in the middle east our allies in the region and ultimately [2:33:56] the free world iran was pursuing this dangerous and aggressive strategy for one reason to hold the [2:34:03] entire world hostage to its terrorist ambitions the iranians aim to use their expanded military [2:34:09] capabilities as a shield around their country to continue achieving their ultimate goal internally [2:34:15] building nuclear bombs but their murderous and evil plans have been blown up quite literally and [2:34:20] figuratively along with their military their nuclear program and most of their senior leadership [2:34:26] including the former supreme leader ayatollah ala kamani their commanding control structures were [2:34:32] also massively disrupted after being struck more than two thousand times many of their remaining [2:34:38] leaders are paralyzed in fear and no longer enjoy the freedom to move around their country freely and [2:34:44] meet openly thanks to the unmatched excellence of our warriors at the direction of the commander-in-chief [2:34:50] the world has just witnessed a historically swift and successful military triumph president trump started [2:34:57] operation epic fury with strategic military objectives and the united states has clearly [2:35:02] achieved them as we mark this progress we also remember and honor the 13 american heroes who laid down [2:35:09] their lives in this noble effort i know president trump and our grateful nation honors their ultimate [2:35:15] sacrifice and we will never forget them may god bless their families the valiant valiant efforts of all of [2:35:21] our incredible service members created maximum leverage for the president of the united states allowing he and his [2:35:28] leadership team to engage in tough negotiations over the past couple of weeks that have now created an [2:35:34] opening for a diplomatic solution in long-term peace in the middle east the president's maximum pressure [2:35:40] and the leverage created by the success of operation epic fury led to the iranian regime asking for and [2:35:47] ultimately agreeing to a ceasefire proposal with the united states iran could no longer tolerate being bombed or [2:35:54] taking the gamble of what was to come following president trump's 8 pm deadline last night iran has agreed [2:36:01] to open the strait of her moose and as the president said we have received a proposal from the iranians [2:36:07] that has been determined to be a workable basis on which to negotiate i've seen a lot of inaccurate [2:36:12] coverage today from the media about these negotiations and these plans already so let me be clear and correct the [2:36:18] record the iranians originally put forward a 10-point plan that was fundamentally unserious unacceptable and [2:36:25] completely discarded it was literally thrown in the garbage by president trump and his negotiating team [2:36:32] many outlets in this room have falsely reported on that plan as being acceptable to the united states [2:36:38] and that is false with the president's deadline fast approaching and united states military completely [2:36:43] decimating iran with each passing hour the regime acknowledged reality to the negotiating team [2:36:49] they put forward a more reasonable and entirely different and condensed plan to the president and [2:36:55] his team president trump and the team determined the new modified plan was a workable basis on which [2:37:00] to negotiate and to align align it with our own 15-point proposal the president's red lines namely the end of [2:37:08] iranian enrichment in iran have not changed and the idea that president trump would ever accept an iranian [2:37:16] wish list as a deal is completely absurd the president will only make a deal that serves in the best [2:37:22] interests of the united states of america and he is a negotiating team will focus on this effort over the [2:37:27] next two weeks so long as the strait of her moves remains open with no limitations or delays these [2:37:34] extraordinarily sensitive and complex negotiations will take place behind closed doors over the [2:37:39] course of the next two weeks i would strongly advise the media against running with narratives that have [2:37:44] no basis in fact what iran says publicly or feeds to all of you in the press is much different than [2:37:51] what they communicate to the united states the president and his team privately never underestimate [2:37:56] president trump's ability to successfully advance america's interests and broker peace president trump [2:38:02] has a proven track record of achieving good deals on behalf of the united states and the american [2:38:07] people and he will only accept one that puts america first with that i will take your questions [2:38:13] today i'm sure you have a lot of them in our new media seat we have shane harris with the amac newsline [2:38:18] shane thank you for being here why don't you kick us off yeah thanks for having me caroline uh two [2:38:21] questions for you first following the president's announcement of the ceasefire if this is indeed the end of [2:38:26] hostilities in iran what is the president's message to the american people about what was it [2:38:31] achieved for our country through operation epicurian sure i think i just laid out a significant portion [2:38:36] of that in my opening remarks six weeks ago the president looked the american people in the eye [2:38:41] directly and he told them that he launched this operation to take out the imminent threat that was [2:38:46] posed by iran and that threat has now been greatly destroyed their navy their missiles their defense [2:38:52] industrial base and their desire and their plan to build a nuclear bomb inside their country is no [2:38:58] longer going to be allowed can no longer happen thanks to the remarkable success of operation epic [2:39:03] fury over the course of the last 38 days that has been absolutely achieved and now we're moving into [2:39:08] the next phase of this which is a negotiating period to put some fine points on this and to hopefully [2:39:14] broker an agreement that can achieve long-term peace in the middle east yeah and then second what is [2:39:18] the president's message to american seniors who have a much higher voter participation rate and they're [2:39:23] likely to be a key swing boat in the midterm elections well the president loves our seniors [2:39:27] across the country and as you know the president signed the one big beautiful bill the working [2:39:32] families tax cut last year which greatly reduced taxes on social security for our seniors in fact [2:39:39] thanks to the working families tax cut nearly 90 of seniors will no no longer pay tax on their social [2:39:45] security that's a huge win for our seniors and also for our middle class and working families across [2:39:50] the country with the no tax on tips provision and the no tax on overtime next week is tax week you'll [2:39:55] hear a lot from the president about how his policies have benefited the american people and i'm proud [2:40:00] to report that the president will be traveling next week to the great states of nevada and arizona [2:40:05] to tout this historic accomplishment over the course of the next week thank you for being here shane [2:40:09] gabe carolina state media is saying that iran has now closed off the straightforward moves today in [2:40:16] response to israeli attacks on lebanon what's the right white house response to that and just listed many [2:40:22] military successes i understand that but strategically how is the administration arguing that iran does [2:40:28] not have more economic leverage than now than it did before the star report sure well with respect to the [2:40:36] first reporting out of iranian state media the president was made aware of those reports before i [2:40:41] came to the podium that is completely unacceptable and again this is a case of what they're saying [2:40:46] publicly is different privately we have seen an uptick of traffic in the strait today and i will [2:40:51] reiterate the president's expectation and demand that the strait of humus is reopened immediately [2:40:57] quickly and safely that is his expectation it has been relayed to him privately that that is what's [2:41:03] taking place and these reports publicly are false carolina the president yesterday threatened that a whole [2:41:08] civilization would die if a ceasefire deal wasn't reached understanding that iranian leaders have [2:41:14] previously said death to america but why is it appropriate for the president of the united states [2:41:19] to use that kind of language when talking about civilian targets and was the president mocking islam by [2:41:25] signing off his true social post over the weekend praise be to allah wouldn't that antagonize muslim [2:41:31] allies across the world well i understand the questions about the president's rhetoric but what the [2:41:36] president cares most about is results and in fact his uh very tough rhetoric and his tough negotiating [2:41:43] style is what has led to the result that you are all witnessing today iran publicly acknowledging [2:41:48] last night that they have agreed or that they wanted this ceasefire with the united states because [2:41:53] they no longer could tolerate being bombed by our very powerful and lethal military and that they have [2:41:58] committed to the reopening of the strait of humus which the president will hold them accountable for [2:42:02] and it's something the administration is closely monitoring in real time jani should the world not [2:42:08] take his word seriously the world should take his word very seriously and understanding that the president [2:42:13] is always most interested in results and it was the iranians who backed down not president trump he [2:42:19] said that they would face very grave consequences as you just laid out by the 8 pm deadline if they [2:42:24] did not agree to reopening the strait of humus and what did they do last night they agreed to reopen the [2:42:29] strait of humus danny thanks thanks um would president trump like to see lebanon included in this peace [2:42:35] deal because as you know they've been increased this way the uh strikes on lebanon today with [2:42:39] dozens of casualties there sure lebanon is not part of the ceasefire that has been relayed to all [2:42:44] parties involved in the ceasefire as you know prime minister netanyahu put out a statement last night [2:42:49] in support of the ceasefire in support of the united states's efforts and he's also assured the [2:42:54] president they'll continue to be a helpful partner throughout the course of the next two weeks [2:42:59] is there any thought though that the president might like to see lebanon included at a future date [2:43:03] given that it seems to be um causing or potentially undermining the iran ceasefire again this will [2:43:09] continue to be discussed i am sure between the president and prime minister netanyahu the united [2:43:14] states and israel and all of the parties involved but at this point in time they're not included in [2:43:18] the ceasefire deal jeff thank you caroline will the u.s take part in talks with iran and islamabad on [2:43:25] friday i can announce that the president is dispatching his negotiating team led by the vice [2:43:31] president of the united states jd vance special envoy whitkoff and mr kushner to islamabad for talks [2:43:37] this weekend the first round of those talks will take place on saturday morning local time and we know [2:43:43] we look forward to those in-person meetings what role does the president see for the u.s in monitoring [2:43:49] or helping with this trade of war moves going forward i think the president commented on that this [2:43:53] morning we're going to continue to monitor it very very closely we will be helpful in any way that we [2:43:59] can but we fully expect iran to do this and the president has made that quite clear as well it's [2:44:03] again as his statement said last night this ceasefire is subject to the safe reopening of the straight [2:44:10] of her moose again this was just determined last night we understand things take time but that's [2:44:14] the president's expectation and he will hold everyone to it um sure in the green blazer thank you thank [2:44:21] you sure and then in front of you but andrew you can go ahead all right you're not wearing a green blazer [2:44:26] i am actually wearing a green blazer it's a little brown to me but okay fair enough [2:44:33] so uh regarding the president's rhetoric when the u.s invaded iraq in 2003 george w bush [2:44:41] said in a message to the iraqi people that the military campaign was directed quote against the [2:44:47] lawless men who rule your country and not against you yesterday the president threatened to destroy [2:44:54] iran's civilization the entire civilization not the iranian government but the iranian civilization [2:45:02] the iranian people the u.s has been a moral leader for most of its history by fighting wars against [2:45:10] other governments not against civilizations how can the president claim that america can ever have the [2:45:18] moral high ground if he's threatening to destroy civilizations and not casting wars as fights against other [2:45:26] governments andrew i think you should take a look at the actions of this president over the course of [2:45:30] the past six weeks and the actions of our brave men and women in our united states military who have [2:45:36] taken out the mil essentially taken out the military of a rogue islamic regime that has chanted death [2:45:43] to america for 47 years that has killed and maimed thousands of american soldiers over the course of [2:45:49] the last five decades the president absolutely has the moral high ground over the iranian terrorist [2:45:54] regime and for you to even suggest otherwise is frankly insulting to respect caroline with all [2:46:00] with all due respect go ahead there is um just given what we've we've seen in lebanon today and [2:46:07] the increased attacks from israel i mean is there any concern that netanyahu is trying to kill the [2:46:12] ceasefire the president spoke with prime minister netanyahu last night uh and in that private [2:46:17] conversation prime minister netanyahu relayed exactly what he said to the world publicly that he supports [2:46:21] the president and israel remains a key ally and partner to the united states they've been a [2:46:26] tremendous partner over the course of the past six weeks and we thank them for their heroic efforts [2:46:31] as well and the president had that conversation last night and that was relayed to the world publicly [2:46:37] as well reagan go ahead thank you caroline i have a question for you on iran and i have a question on [2:46:43] the dignity act as well um on iran it's been reported that the ceasefire was struck after the involvement of [2:46:49] two unlikely factors jd vance in china what role did those parties play in striking a deal well vice [2:46:56] president vance has played a very significant and a key role in this since the very beginning of course [2:47:02] he's the president's right-hand man he is the vice president of the united states he's been involved [2:47:06] in all of these discussions and as i just announced he'll be leading this new phase of negotiations in [2:47:12] islamabad later this week with respect to china there were conversations that took place between [2:47:19] top levels of our government and china's government the president has great respect for president xi [2:47:26] and a great working relationship with him and and with that country and he looks forward to visiting [2:47:32] china in just a few weeks and on the dignity act it's getting a fresh push through congress [2:47:38] it would give some illegal immigrants in the country a path to citizenship what's the white house's [2:47:43] position on this legislation and would the president sign it if it made it to his desk honestly reagan i [2:47:48] haven't spoken to the president about the legislation but i will have that conversation and we'll get [2:47:52] you our formal position on it as soon as we can you're welcome go ahead the president suggested in [2:47:58] this morning that he would support the children of the u.s iran adventure to charge tolls for ships [2:48:03] going through the street does the president believe that the u.s should earn revenue from the [2:48:08] street of where he was going for it's something it's an idea the president has floated as you know [2:48:14] and it's something that will continue to be discussed over the course of the next two weeks but [2:48:18] the immediate priority of the president is the reopening of the strait without any limitations [2:48:23] whether in the form of tolls or otherwise on the highly enriched uranium has iran given the [2:48:28] administration any indication that it would simply turn over the enriched uranium or is this [2:48:35] an expectation the president has that he would have to send in ground troops in order to do that this [2:48:40] is on the top of the priority list for the president and his negotiating team as they head into this [2:48:44] next round of discussions and as i said in my opener that is a red line that the president is not [2:48:49] going to back away from and he's committed to ensuring that takes place we hope it will be through [2:48:55] diplomacy have they have they given any indication that they would turn it over they have they are yes [2:49:00] trevor the latest news out of iran is that the air defenses have been uh activated in several cities [2:49:06] including isfahan and that explosions have been heard in israel who is bombing iran right now [2:49:12] were those reports just as of a few minutes ago yeah okay so obviously i'll have to go back and check [2:49:17] with the national security team i'm standing out here with all of you but i will do that and we will [2:49:21] get you an answer okay just on the civilization uh question that we've been talking about and i would [2:49:26] just add to that point again i haven't seen these reports i'm not verifying them not that i don't [2:49:31] trust you trevor but i want to go back and check with the experts here at the white house i would just say [2:49:35] and i would echo what the vice president said this morning this is a fragile truce ceasefires are [2:49:40] fragile by nature we've seen this with respect to the 12-day war with iran and israel last year it [2:49:45] takes time sometimes for these ceasefires to be fully effectuated and one of the results of [2:49:51] operation epic fury was we completely dismantled iran's command and control center which makes it [2:49:56] difficult for them to pass messages up and down the chain and so we we understand that i would caution [2:50:02] a little bit of patience but of course we want to see the ceasefire uh effectuated and abided by [2:50:07] by all parties as quickly as possible thank you and the american presidential administrations going back [2:50:12] to ronald reagan have said this formulation about nuclear war that a nuclear war cannot be won and [2:50:17] must never be fought is that still the view of this administration given the president's comments [2:50:22] about civilization i have no change in our view on that policy katie thanks carolyn i'm just given the [2:50:28] gravity of what he said yesterday what was your understanding of what he meant when he said i'm [2:50:35] this civilization is going to be eliminated i think it was a very very strong threat from the president [2:50:41] of the united states that led the iranian regime to cave to their knees and ask for a ceasefire and [2:50:47] agree to reopening the street of her moose so it was a very strong threat that led to results and as [2:50:52] the secretary of war stated at the pentagon this morning it was not an empty threat by any means the [2:50:58] pentagon had a target list that they were ready uh to hit go on at 8 p.m last night if the iranian [2:51:05] regime had not agreed to open the straight which they did and i think that's something we should [2:51:08] all be grateful for the united states as a moral leader in the world given that i was asked this [2:51:12] exact same question by your colleague andrew in the back and i think again the insinuation by anyone in [2:51:18] this room um that iran somehow has the moral high ground over the united states of america is insulting [2:51:23] considering the atrocities that they have considering the atrocities that they have committed against [2:51:29] our people and our military over the past five decades john john go ahead thanks a lot caroline [2:51:36] two questions for you one has to do with a statement a joint statement put out this morning by [2:51:41] some of america's european allies our nato allies and in that joint statement they said regarding the [2:51:46] strait of hormuz our governments will contribute to ensuring freedom of navigation in the strait of [2:51:53] four moves what's the administration's reaction to that joint statement does that smooth things [2:51:58] over when the president meets with nato's secretary general a little bit later this afternoon i have [2:52:03] a direct quote from the president of the united states on nato and i will share it with all of [2:52:07] you they were tested and they failed and i would add it's quite sad that nato turned their backs on [2:52:13] the american people over the course of the last six weeks when it's the american people who have been [2:52:16] defunding their defense as you know president trump will be meeting with secretary ruta in a couple of [2:52:22] hours here at the white house and i know he looks forward to having a very frank and candid conversation [2:52:27] with him and then secondly uh in regards to this conflict 38 days as you pointed out president trump [2:52:33] has said that there's been regime change has that regime change led to more freedoms for the iranian [2:52:40] people i think that's a question that's being asked a little bit too early john and and we hope that [2:52:46] is the case um but it's something that has yet to be seen caroline on this question of tolling by [2:52:53] the iranians in the strait of hormuz i've heard you talk about a number of red lines that the [2:52:58] president has in this negotiation but i haven't heard you say that iranian tolling in the strait [2:53:02] of hormuz is a red line would it be acceptable to the united states at the end of all this if the [2:53:09] iranians are able to charge tolls in the strait of hormuz i think the president was very clear and [2:53:14] simplistic in his language last night in his truth social post where he said that this ceasefire is [2:53:19] subject to of the free safe and immediate reopening of the strait of hormuz that's very plain language [2:53:26] and it should be taken at face value carrie carrie go ahead without limitation including tolls yes [2:53:33] carrie quick follow-up on the atonement why would the u.s uh allow iran to collect tolls uh from the [2:53:39] strait of hormuz that's not something that we've opposed for a number of years now again that's [2:53:43] not something we've said that we've definitively accepted the joint venture is something that was [2:53:48] proposed by the president but he was very clear in his statement last night he wants to see the [2:53:52] strait reopened immediately without limitation and that's something we're going to hold them to [2:53:59] on family and friends in iran i myself am iranian and i've been talking to them through the blackout one [2:54:04] of my family members yesterday said goodbye to me so what message should we be sending iranians when [2:54:11] they message me saying what should they be doing right now how should they stay safe because they [2:54:15] really don't know what to do i think the president's main bringing in threats of violence this is a huge [2:54:22] achievement for the first lady and i know the president is very proud of his wife's efforts in [2:54:27] getting this critical legislation passed to protect america's youth so we thank the first lady for her [2:54:32] efforts and we hope that others will report on this historic conviction yesterday with respect to [2:54:38] the two-week ceasefire announced by president trump last night this is a victory for the united states [2:54:43] of america that the president and our incredible military made happen from the very beginning of [2:54:50] operation epic fury president trump stated this would be a four to six week military operation to [2:54:56] dismantle the military threat posed by the radical islamic iranian regime thanks to the unbelievable [2:55:04] capabilities of america's war fighters the united states has achieved and exceeded those core military [2:55:11] objectives in just 38 days the u.s military destroyed iran's defense industrial base crushing the [2:55:18] regime's ability to manufacture weapons that they and their proxies use to maim and kill americans and [2:55:25] terrorize the world iran's ability to build and stockpile ballistic missiles and long-range drones [2:55:31] has also been set back by years compared to where it was six weeks ago prior to the launch of operation [2:55:38] epic fury we destroyed the vast majority of iran's ballistic missiles launcher vehicles and long-range [2:55:44] attack drones through more than 450 strikes on ballistic missiles and approximately 800 strikes on iran's drone [2:55:53] launching units and storage facilities in total more than 13 000 targets across iran were struck again [2:56:01] this is in the matter of just 38 days meanwhile the iranian naval navy was completely annihilated the [2:56:09] united states destroyed more than 150 naval vessels in total including 16 entire classes of iranian warships [2:56:18] despite once being the largest undersea force in the middle east iran now has zero submarine vessels [2:56:26] 97 of iran's once massive inventory of more than 5 000 naval mines has also been targeted and destroyed [2:56:35] iran's air forces are functionally and operationally irrelevant at this point after the united states [2:56:40] maintained total air dominance over their country for weeks on end to underscore the significance of this [2:56:47] before operation epic fury the iranian air force would fly between 30 to 100 flights per day [2:56:54] today that number is zero iran's ability to fund and support its terrorist proxies has been greatly reduced [2:57:02] at this point iran can no longer distribute weapons to its proxies in the region and most importantly iran [2:57:09] will not be able to acquire nuclear weapons prior to the start of this successful operation iran was [2:57:16] aggressively expanding its short-range ballistic missile arsenal through these weapons and its navy [2:57:22] iran was attempting to build a military build-up around their country that would pose an imminent [2:57:27] and existential threat to the united states military assets in the middle east our allies in the region [2:57:32] and ultimately the free world iran was pursuing this dangerous and aggressive strategy for one reason [2:57:39] to hold the entire world hostage to its terrorist ambitions the iranians aim to use their [2:57:45] expanded military capabilities as a shields around their country to continue achieving their ultimate [2:57:51] goal internally building nuclear bombs but their murderous and evil plans have been blown up quite [2:57:57] literally and figuratively along with their military their nuclear program and most of their senior [2:58:02] leadership including the former supreme leader ayatollah ala kamani their commanding control structures [2:58:09] were also massively disrupted after being struck more than two thousand times many of their remaining [2:58:16] leaders are paralyzed in fear and no longer enjoy the freedom to move around their country freely and meet [2:58:22] openly thanks to the unmatched excellence of our warriors at the direction of the commander in chief [2:58:27] the world has just witnessed a historically swift and successful military triumph president trump started [2:58:34] operation epic fury with strategic military objectives and the united states has clearly achieved them [2:58:41] as we mark this progress we also remember and honor the 13 american heroes who laid down their [2:58:46] lives in this noble effort i know president trump and our grateful nation honors their ultimate sacrifice [2:58:53] and we will never forget them may god bless their families the valiant efforts of all of our incredible [2:58:59] service members created maximum leverage for the president of the united states allowing he and his [2:59:05] leadership team to engage in tough negotiations over the past couple of weeks that have now created an [2:59:11] opening for a diplomatic solution in long-term peace in the middle east the president's maximum pressure [2:59:18] and the leverage created by the success of operation epic fury led to the iranian regime asking for and [2:59:24] ultimately agreeing to a ceasefire proposal with the united states iran could no longer tolerate being [2:59:31] bombed or taking the gamble of what was to come following president trump's 8 pm deadline last night [2:59:37] iran has agreed to open the strait of her moose and as the president said we have received a proposal [2:59:43] from the iranians that has been determined to be a workable basis on which to negotiate i've seen a lot [2:59:49] of inaccurate coverage today from the media about these negotiations and these plans already [2:59:54] so let me be clear and correct the record the iranians originally put forward a 10-point plan [2:59:59] that was fundamentally unserious unacceptable and completely discarded it was literally thrown in [3:00:05] the garbage by president trump and his negotiating team many outlets in this room have falsely reported [3:00:12] on that plan as being acceptable to the united states and that is false with the president's deadline [3:00:18] fast approaching and the united states military completely decimating iran with each passing hour [3:00:23] the regime acknowledged reality to the negotiating team they put forward a more reasonable and [3:00:28] entirely different and condensed plan to the president and his team president trump and the [3:00:34] team determined the new modified plan was a workable basis on which to negotiate and to align align it [3:00:40] with our own 15-point proposal the president's red lines namely the end of iranian enrichment in iran [3:00:48] have not changed and the idea that president trump would ever accept an iranian wish list as a deal [3:00:55] is completely absurd the president will only make a deal that serves in the best interests of the united [3:01:00] states of america and he is a negotiating team will focus on this effort over the next two weeks so long [3:01:06] as the strait of her moves remains open with no limitations or delays these extraordinarily sensitive [3:01:13] and complex negotiations will take place behind closed doors over the course of the next two weeks [3:01:18] i would strongly advise the media against running with narratives that have no basis in fact what [3:01:24] iran says publicly or feeds to all of you in the press is much different than what they communicate to [3:01:29] the united states the president and his team privately never underestimate president trump's ability to [3:01:34] successfully advance america's interests and broker peace president trump has a proven track record of [3:01:41] achieving good deals on behalf of the united states and the american people and he will only accept one [3:01:47] that puts america first with that i will take your questions today i'm sure you have a lot of them [3:01:52] in our new media seat we have shane harris with the amac news line shane thank you for being here [3:01:56] why don't you kick us off yeah thanks for having me caroline two questions for you first following the [3:02:00] president's announcement of the ceasefire if this is indeed the end of hostilities in iran what is the [3:02:05] president's message to the american people about what was it achieved for our country through operation [3:02:10] epic fury sure i think i just laid out a significant portion of that in my opening remarks six weeks [3:02:15] ago the president looked the american people in the eye directly and he told them that he launched [3:02:20] this operation to take out the imminent threat that was posed by iran and that threat has now been [3:02:26] greatly destroyed their navy their missiles their defense industrial base and their desire and their [3:02:32] plan to build a nuclear bomb inside their country is no longer going to be allowed can no longer happen [3:02:37] thanks to the remarkable success of operation epic fury over the course of the last 38 days that has [3:02:43] been absolutely achieved and now we're moving into the next phase of this which is a negotiating period [3:02:48] to put some fine points on this and to hopefully broker an agreement that can achieve long-term peace [3:02:53] in the middle east yeah and then second what is the president's message to american seniors who have [3:02:58] a much higher voter participation rate and they're likely to be a key swing boat in the midterm elections [3:03:03] well the president loves our seniors across the country and as you know the president signed the [3:03:08] one big beautiful bill the working families tax cut last year which greatly reduced taxes on social [3:03:14] security for our seniors in fact thanks to the working families tax cut nearly 90 of seniors will no [3:03:20] no longer pay tax on their social security that's a huge win for our seniors and also for our middle [3:03:25] class and working families across the country with the no tax on tips provision and the no tax on [3:03:30] overtime next week is tax week you'll hear a lot from the president about how his policies have [3:03:35] benefited the american people and i'm proud to report that the president will be traveling next [3:03:39] week to the great states of nevada and arizona to tout this historic accomplishment over the course [3:03:44] of the next week thank you for being here shane gabe thank you caroline iranian state media is saying [3:03:50] that iran has now closed off the straight-up form moves today in response to israeli attacks on lebanon [3:03:55] what's the right white house response to that and just listed many military successes i understand [3:04:01] that but strategically how is the administration arguing that iran does not have more economic [3:04:07] leverage than now than it did before the start of the war sure well with respect to the first [3:04:13] reporting out of iranian state media the president was made aware of those reports uh before i came to [3:04:18] the podium that is completely unacceptable and again this is a case of what they're saying publicly is [3:04:23] different privately we have seen an uptick of traffic in the strait today and i will reiterate [3:04:28] the president's expectation and demand that the strait of humus is reopened immediately quickly and [3:04:35] safely that is his expectation it has been relayed to him privately that that is what's taking place [3:04:41] and these reports publicly are false caroline the president yesterday threatened that a whole [3:04:45] civilization would die if a ceasefire deal wasn't reached understanding that iranian leaders have [3:04:51] previously said death to america but why is it appropriate for the president of the united [3:04:55] states to use that kind of language when talking about civilian targets and was the president mocking [3:05:02] islam by signing off his true social post over the weekend praise be to allah wouldn't that antagonize [3:05:08] muslim allies across the world well i understand the questions about the president's rhetoric but what [3:05:13] the president cares most about is results and in fact his very tough rhetoric and his tough negotiating [3:05:20] style is what has led to the result that you are all witnessing today iran publicly acknowledging [3:05:25] last night that they have agreed or that they wanted this ceasefire with the united states because [3:05:30] they no longer could tolerate being bombed by our very powerful and lethal military and that they have [3:05:35] committed to the reopening of the strait of humus which the president will hold them accountable for [3:05:40] and it's something the administration is closely monitoring in real time danny should the world not [3:05:45] take his word seriously the world should take his word very seriously and understanding that the [3:05:50] president is always most interested in results uh and it was the iranians who backed down not [3:05:55] president trump he said that they would face very grave consequences as you just laid out by the 8 pm [3:06:00] deadline if they did not agree to reopening the strait of humus and what did they do last night [3:06:05] they agreed to reopen the strait of humus danny thanks thanks um would president trump like to see lebanon [3:06:11] included in this peace deal as you know there's been increased israeli uh strikes on lebanon today [3:06:16] with dozens of casualties there sure lebanon is not part of the ceasefire that has been relayed to [3:06:21] all parties involved in the ceasefire as you know prime minister netanyahu put out a statement last [3:06:26] night in support of the ceasefire in support of the united states's efforts and he's also assured the [3:06:32] president they'll continue to be a helpful partner throughout the course of the next two weeks [3:06:35] is there any thought though that the president might like to see lebanon included at a future date [3:06:40] given that it seems to be um causing or potentially undermining the iran ceasefire again this will [3:06:46] continue to be discussed i am sure between the president and prime minister netanyahu the united [3:06:51] states and israel and all of the parties involved but at this point in time they're not included in [3:06:55] the ceasefire deal jeff thank you caroline will the u.s take part in talks with iran and islamabad on [3:07:02] friday i can announce that the president is dispatching his negotiating team led by the vice [3:07:08] president of the united states jd vance special envoy whitkoff and mr kushner to islamabad for talks [3:07:15] this weekend the first round of those talks will take place on saturday morning local time and we know [3:07:20] we look forward to those in-person meetings what role does the president see for the u.s in monitoring [3:07:26] or helping with the strata formulas going forward i think the president commented on that this morning [3:07:31] we're going to continue to monitor it very very closely we will be helpful in any way that we can but [3:07:36] we fully expect iran to do this and the president has made that quite clear as well it's again as his [3:07:41] as his statement said last night the ceasefire is subject to the safe reopening of the straight [3:07:47] of her moose again this was just determined last night we understand things take time but that's [3:07:51] the president's expectation and he will hold everyone to it um sure in the green blazer thank you [3:07:58] thank you sure and then in front of you but andrew you can go ahead all right you're not wearing a green [3:08:02] blazer with you i am actually wearing a green blazer it's a little brown to me but okay fair enough [3:08:10] so uh regarding the president's rhetoric when the u.s invaded iraq in 2003 george w bush [3:08:18] said in a message to the iraqi people that the military campaign was directed quote against the [3:08:24] lawless men who rule your country and not against you yesterday the president threatened to destroy [3:08:31] iran's civilization the entire civilization not the iranian government but the iranian civilization [3:08:39] the iranian people the u.s has been a moral leader for most of its history by fighting wars against [3:08:47] other governments not against civilizations how can the president claim that america can ever have the [3:08:55] moral high ground if he's threatening to destroy civilizations and not casting wars as fights against [3:09:02] other governments andrew i think you should take a look at the actions of this president over the [3:09:07] course of the past six weeks and the actions of our brave men and women in our united states military [3:09:12] who have taken out the mili essentially taken out the military of a rogue islamic regime that [3:09:19] has chanted death to america for 47 years that has killed and maimed thousands of american [3:09:25] soldiers over the course of the last five decades the president absolutely has the moral high ground [3:09:30] over the iranian terrorist regime and for you to even suggest otherwise is frankly insulting [3:09:35] with all due respect caroline with all with all due respect go ahead there is just given what we [3:09:42] we've seen in lebanon today and the increased attacks from israel i mean is there any concern [3:09:47] that netanyahu is trying to kill the ceasefire the president spoke with prime minister netanyahu last [3:09:52] night and in that private conversation prime minister netanyahu relayed exactly what he said to the world [3:09:57] publicly that he supports the president and israel remains a key ally and partner to the united [3:10:02] states they've been a tremendous partner over the course of the past six weeks and we thank them [3:10:07] for their heroic efforts as well and the president had that conversation last night and that was [3:10:13] relayed to the world publicly as well reagan go ahead thank you caroline i have a question for [3:10:18] you on iran and i have a question on the dignity act as well um on iran it's been reported that the [3:10:24] ceasefire was struck after the involvement of two unlikely factors jd vance and china [3:10:30] what role did those parties play in striking a deal well vice president vance has played a very [3:10:35] significant and a key role in this since the very beginning of course he's the president's right-hand [3:10:40] man he is the vice president of the united states he's been involved in all of these discussions and [3:10:45] as i just announced he'll be leading this new phase of negotiations in islamabad later this week [3:10:51] um with respect to china there were conversations that took place between top levels of our [3:10:57] government and china's government the president has great respect for president xi and a great [3:11:03] working relationship with him and and with that country and he looks forward to visiting china in [3:11:10] just a few weeks on the dignity act it's getting a fresh push through congress it would give some [3:11:16] illegal immigrants in the country a path to citizenship what's the white house's position on this [3:11:21] legislation and would the president sign it if it made it to his desk honestly reagan i haven't spoken [3:11:25] to the president about the legislation um but i will have that conversation and we'll get you our [3:11:30] formal position on it as soon as we can you're welcome go ahead the president suggested this morning [3:11:36] that he would support a joint of u.s iran adventure to charge tolls for ships going through the [3:11:41] street does the president believe that the u.s should earn revenue from the street from where he was going [3:11:46] for it's something it's an idea the president has floated as you know and it's something that will [3:11:52] continue to be discussed over the course of the next two weeks but the immediate priority of the [3:11:56] president is the reopening of the strait without any limitations whether in the form of tolls or [3:12:01] otherwise and on the highly enriched uranium has iran given the administration any indication that it [3:12:07] would simply turn over the enriched uranium or is this an expectation that the president has that he would [3:12:14] have to send in ground troops in order to do that this is on the top of the priority list for the [3:12:19] president and his negotiating team as they head into this next round of discussions and as i said in [3:12:24] my opener that is a red line that the president is not going to back away from and he's committed to [3:12:29] ensuring that takes place we hope it will be through diplomacy have they have they given any [3:12:34] indication that they would turn it over they have they are yes trevor the latest news out of iran is [3:12:40] that the air defenses have been uh activated in several cities including isfahan and then [3:12:44] explosions have been heard in isfahan who is bombing iran right now i have did were those reports just [3:12:51] as of a few minutes ago yeah okay so obviously i'll have to go back and check with the national [3:12:55] security team i'm standing out here with all of you but i will do that and we will get you an answer [3:12:59] okay just on the civilization uh question that we've been talking about and i would just add to that [3:13:04] point again i haven't seen these reports i'm not verifying them not that i don't trust you trevor [3:13:09] but i want to go back and check with the experts here at the white house i would just say and i [3:13:12] would echo what the vice president said this morning this is a fragile truce ceasefires are [3:13:17] fragile by nature we've seen this with respect to the 12-day war with iran and israel last year it [3:13:22] takes time sometimes for these ceasefires to be fully effectuated and one of the results of operation [3:13:28] epic fury was we completely dismantled iran's command and control center which makes it difficult for [3:13:34] them to pass messages up and down the chain and so we we understand that i would caution a little [3:13:40] bit of patience but of course we want to see the ceasefire effectuated and abided by by all parties [3:13:45] as quickly as possible thank you and the american presidential administrations going back to ron [3:13:50] reagan have said this formulation about nuclear war that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be [3:13:55] fought is that still the view of this administration given the president's comments about civilization i have [3:14:00] no change in our view on that policy katie thanks caroline i'm just given the gravity of what he said [3:14:07] yesterday what was your understanding of what he meant when he said i'm this civilization is going [3:14:14] to be eliminated i think it was a very very strong threat from the president of the united states [3:14:19] that led the iranian regime to cave to their knees and ask for a ceasefire and agree to reopening [3:14:25] the street of her moose so it was a very strong threat that led to results and as the secretary of war [3:14:30] stated at the pentagon this morning it was not an empty threat by any means the pentagon had a [3:14:36] target list that they were ready to hit go on at 8 p.m last night if the iranian regime had not [3:14:42] agreed to open the strait which they did and i think that's something we should all be grateful for [3:14:46] the united states as a moral leader in the world given that i was asked this exact same question by [3:14:51] your colleague andrew in the back and i think again the insinuation by anyone in this room [3:14:56] that iran somehow has the moral high ground over the united states of america is insulting considering [3:15:01] the atrocities that they have considering the atrocities that they have committed against [3:15:06] our people and our military over the past five decades john john go ahead thanks a lot caroline [3:15:13] two questions for you one has to do with a statement a joint statement put out this morning by [3:15:18] uh some of america's european allies our nato allies and in that joint statement they said [3:15:23] regarding the strait of hormuz our governments will contribute to ensuring freedom of navigation [3:15:29] in the strait of hormuz what's the administration's reaction to that joint statement does that [3:15:35] smooth things over when the president meets with nato secretary general a little bit later this [3:15:40] afternoon i have a direct quote from the president of the united states on nato and i will share it with [3:15:44] all of you they were tested and they failed and i would add it's quite sad that nato turned their [3:15:49] backs on the american people over the course of the last six weeks when it's the american people who [3:15:53] have been defunding their defense as you know president trump will be meeting with secretary ruta [3:15:59] in a couple of hours here at the white house and i know he looks forward to having a very frank [3:16:02] and candid conversation with him and secondly uh in regards to this conflict 38 days as you pointed [3:16:09] out president trump has said that there's been regime change has that regime change led to more [3:16:15] freedoms for the iranian people i think that's a question that's being asked a little bit too early [3:16:21] john and and we hope that is the case um but it's something that has yet to be seen caroline on this [3:16:30] tolling by the iranians in the strait of hormuz i've heard you talk about a number of red lines [3:16:35] that the president has in this negotiation but i haven't heard you say that iranian tolling in [3:16:39] the strait of hormuz is a red line would it be acceptable to the united states at the end of [3:16:45] all this if the iranians are able to charge tolls in the strait of hormuz i think the president was [3:16:50] very clear and simplistic in his language last night in his true social post where he said that this [3:16:55] ceasefire is subject to of the free safe and immediate reopening of the strait of hormuz that's [3:17:02] very plain language and it should be taken at face value carrie carrie go ahead without limitation [3:17:08] including tolls yes carrie quick follow-up on the italian why would the u.s uh allow iran to collect [3:17:14] tolls uh from the strait of hormuz that's not something that we've opposed for a number of years [3:17:19] now again that's not something we've said that we've definitively accepted the joint venture is [3:17:24] something that was proposed by the president but he was very clear in his statement last night he wants [3:17:29] to see the strait reopened immediately without limitation and that's something we're going to [3:17:33] hold them to a second question on family and friends in iran i myself am iranian and i've been [3:17:40] talking to them through the blackout one of my family members yesterday said goodbye to me [3:17:44] so what message should we be sending iranians when they message me saying what should they be doing [3:17:50] right now how should they stay safe because they really don't know what to do i think the president's [3:17:56] main being in threats of violence this is a huge achievement for the first lady and i know the [3:18:01] president is very proud of his wife's efforts in getting this critical legislation passed to protect [3:18:06] america's youth so we thank the first lady for her efforts and we hope that others will report on this [3:18:12] historic conviction yesterday with respect to the two-week ceasefire announced by president trump last [3:18:18] night this is a victory for the united states of america that the president and our incredible military [3:18:24] made happen from the very beginning of operation epic fury president trump stated this would be a four [3:18:31] to six week military operation to dismantle the military threat posed by the radical islamic iranian [3:18:39] regime thanks to the unbelievable capabilities of america's war fighters the united states has achieved [3:18:45] and exceeded those core military objectives in just 38 days the u.s military destroyed iran's defense [3:18:54] industrial base crushing the regime's ability to manufacture weapons that they and their proxies [3:19:00] use to maim and kill americans and terrorize the world iran's ability to build and stockpile ballistic [3:19:06] missiles and long-range drones has also been set back by years compared to where it was six weeks ago [3:19:13] prior to the launch of operation epic fury we destroyed the vast majority of iran's ballistic missiles [3:19:19] launcher vehicles and long-range attack drones through more than 450 strikes on ballistic missiles and [3:19:26] approximately 800 strikes on iran's drone launching units and storage facilities in total more than 13 [3:19:34] 000 targets across iran were struck again this is in the matter of just 38 days meanwhile the iranian naval [3:19:43] navy was completely annihilated the united states destroyed more than 150 naval vessels in total [3:19:51] including 16 entire classes of iranian warships despite once being the largest undersea force in the [3:19:58] middle east iran now has zero submarine vessels 97 of iran's once massive inventory of more than 5 000 [3:20:08] naval mines has also been targeted and destroyed iran's air forces are functionally and operationally [3:20:14] irrelevant at this point after the united states maintained total air dominance over their country [3:20:20] for weeks on end to underscore the significance of this before operation epic fury the iranian [3:20:27] air force would fly between 30 to 100 flights per day today that number is zero iran's ability to fund [3:20:35] and support its terrorist proxies has been greatly reduced at this point iran can no longer distribute [3:20:42] weapons to its proxies in the region and most importantly iran will not be able to acquire nuclear [3:20:48] weapons prior to the start of this this successful operation iran was aggressively expanding its short-range [3:20:55] ballistic missile arsenal through these weapons and its navy iran was attempting to build a military [3:21:01] build-up around their country that would pose an imminent and existential threat to the united [3:21:06] states military assets in the middle east our allies in the region and ultimately the free world [3:21:12] iran was pursuing this dangerous and aggressive strategy for one reason to hold the entire world [3:21:18] hostage to its terrorist ambitions the iranians aim to use their expanded military capabilities as a [3:21:24] shield around their country to continue achieving their ultimate goal internally building nuclear bombs [3:21:31] but their murderous and evil plans have been blown up quite literally and figuratively along with [3:21:36] their military their nuclear program and most of their senior leadership including the former supreme [3:21:42] leader ayatollah ala kamani their commanding control structures were also massively disrupted [3:21:49] after being struck more than 2 000 times many of their remaining leaders are paralyzed in fear and no [3:21:55] longer enjoy the freedom to move around their country freely and meet openly thanks to the unmatched [3:22:01] excellence of our warriors at the direction of the commander-in-chief the world has just witnessed a [3:22:06] historically swift and successful military triumph president trump started operation epic fury with [3:22:13] strategic military objectives and the united states has clearly achieved them as we mark this progress we [3:22:20] also remember and honor the 13 american heroes who laid down their lives in this noble effort i know president [3:22:26] trump and our grateful nation honors their ultimate sacrifice and we will never forget them may god bless [3:22:32] their families the valiant valiant efforts of all of our incredible service members created maximum leverage [3:22:39] for the president of the united states allowing he and his leadership team to engage in tough negotiate [3:22:45] negotiations over the past couple of weeks that have now created an opening for a diplomatic solution in long-term [3:22:52] to peace in the middle east the president's maximum pressure and the leverage created by the success of [3:22:57] operation epic fury led to the iranian regime asking for and ultimately agreeing to a ceasefire proposal with the [3:23:05] united states iran could no longer tolerate being bombed or taking the gamble of what was to come following [3:23:11] president trump's 8 pm deadline last night iran has agreed to open the strait of her moose and as the president said we have [3:23:19] received a proposal from the iranians that has been determined to be a workable basis on which to negotiate [3:23:25] i've seen a lot of inaccurate coverage today from the media about these negotiations and these plans already [3:23:31] so let me be clear and correct the record the iranians originally put forward a 10-point plan that was [3:23:37] fundamentally unserious unacceptable and completely discarded it was literally thrown in the garbage by president trump [3:23:45] and his negotiating team many outlets in this room have falsely reported on that plan as being [3:23:50] acceptable to the united states and that is false with the president's deadline fast approaching and [3:23:56] the united states military completely decimating iran with each passing hour the regime acknowledged [3:24:01] reality to the negotiating team they put forward a more reasonable and entirely different and condensed [3:24:07] plan to the president and his team president trump and the team determined the new modified plan was a [3:24:13] workable basis on which to negotiate and to align align it with our own 15-point proposal the president's [3:24:21] red lines namely the end of iranian enrichment in iran have not changed and the idea that president [3:24:28] trump would ever accept an iranian wish list as a deal is completely absurd the president will only make [3:24:35] a deal that serves in the best interests of the united states of america and he is a negotiating team will [3:24:40] focus on this effort over the next two weeks so long as the straight of her moves remains open with [3:24:46] no limitations or delays these extraordinarily sensitive and complex negotiations will take [3:24:52] place behind closed doors over the course of the next two weeks i would strongly advise the media [3:24:57] against running with narratives that have no basis in fact what iran says publicly or feeds to all of you [3:25:03] in the press is much different than what they communicate to the united states the president and his team [3:25:08] privately never underestimate president trump's ability to successfully advance america's interests [3:25:14] and broker peace president trump has a proven track record of achieving good deals on behalf of the [3:25:20] united states and the american people and he will only accept one that puts america first with that [3:25:26] i will take your questions today i'm sure you have a lot of them in our new media seat we have shane [3:25:30] harris with the amac news line shane thank you for being here why don't you kick us off yeah thanks for [3:25:34] having me caroline uh two questions for you first following the president's announcement of the [3:25:39] ceasefire if this is indeed the end of hostilities in iran what is the president's message to the [3:25:44] american people about what was it achieved for our country through operation epic fury sure i think i [3:25:49] just laid out a significant portion of that in my opening remarks six weeks ago the president [3:25:54] looked the american people in the eye directly and he told them that he launched this operation to take out [3:25:59] the imminent threat that was posed by iran and that threat has now been greatly destroyed their [3:26:04] navy their missiles their defense industrial base and their desire and their plan to build a nuclear [3:26:10] bomb inside their country is no longer going to be allowed can no longer happen thanks to the [3:26:15] remarkable success of operation epic fury over the course of the last 38 days that has been [3:26:20] absolutely achieved and now we're moving into the next phase of this which is a negotiating period [3:26:25] to put some fine points on this and to hopefully broker an agreement that can achieve long-term peace in [3:26:30] the middle east yeah and then second what is the president's message to american seniors who have [3:26:35] a much higher voter participation rate and they're likely to be a key swing vote in the midterm elections [3:26:40] well the president loves our seniors across the country and as you know the president signed the one [3:26:45] big beautiful bill the working families tax cut last year which greatly reduced taxes on social [3:26:51] security for our seniors in fact thanks to the working families tax cut nearly 90 percent of seniors will no [3:26:57] no longer pay tax on their social security that's a huge win for our seniors and also for our middle [3:27:02] class and working families across the country with the no tax on tips provision and the no tax on [3:27:07] overtime next week is tax week you'll hear a lot from the president about how his policies have [3:27:12] benefited the american people and i'm proud to report that the president will be traveling next week to [3:27:16] the great states of nevada and arizona to tout this historic accomplishment over the course of the next week [3:27:22] thank you for being here shane gabe thank you caroline iranian state media is saying that iran has [3:27:28] now closed off the straight-of-form moves today in response to israeli attacks on lebanon what's [3:27:33] the right white house response to that and just listed many military successes i understand that [3:27:38] but strategically how is the administration arguing that iran does not have more economic leverage [3:27:46] than now than it did before the start of the war sure well with respect to the first reporting out [3:27:51] of iranian state media the president was made aware of those reports uh before i came to the [3:27:56] podium that is completely unacceptable and again this is a case of what they're saying publicly is [3:28:00] different privately we have seen an uptick of traffic in the strait today and i will reiterate the [3:28:06] president's expectation and demand that the strait of her moose is reopened immediately quickly [3:28:12] and safely that is his expectation it has been relayed to him privately that that is what's taking [3:28:18] place and these reports uh publicly are false caroline the president yesterday threatened that a whole [3:28:23] civilization would die if a ceasefire deal wasn't reached understanding that iranian leaders have [3:28:28] previously said death to america but why is it appropriate for the president of the united states [3:28:33] to use that kind of language when talking about civilian targets and was the president mocking islam [3:28:39] by signing off his true social post over the weekend praise be to allah wouldn't that antagonize [3:28:45] muslim allies across the world well i understand the questions about the president's rhetoric but [3:28:50] what the president cares most about is results and in fact his uh very tough rhetoric and his tough [3:28:56] negotiating style is what has led to the result that you are all witnessing today iran publicly [3:29:01] acknowledging last night that they have agreed or that they wanted this ceasefire with the united [3:29:07] states because they no longer could tolerate being bombed by our very powerful and lethal military [3:29:12] and that they have committed to the reopening of the strait of her moose which the president will [3:29:15] hold them accountable for and it's something the administration is closely monitoring in real [3:29:19] time danny should the world not take his word seriously the world should take his word very [3:29:25] seriously and understanding that the president is always most interested in results and it was [3:29:30] the iranians who backed down not president trump he said that they would face very grave consequences [3:29:36] as you just laid out by the 8 pm deadline if they did not agree to reopening the [3:29:40] street of her moose and what did they do last night they agreed to reopen the street of her moose [3:29:44] danny thanks thanks um would president trump like to see lebanon included in this peace deal [3:29:50] as you know there have been increased israeli uh strikes on lebanon today with dozens of casualties [3:29:54] there sure lebanon is not part of the ceasefire that has been relayed to all parties involved in the [3:30:00] ceasefire as you know prime minister netanyahu put out a statement last night in support of the [3:30:05] ceasefire in support of the united states's efforts and he's also assured the president [3:30:09] they'll continue to be a helpful partner throughout the course of the next two weeks [3:30:13] is there any thought though that the president might like to see lebanon included at a future date [3:30:17] given that it seems to be causing or potentially undermining the iran ceasefire again this will [3:30:24] continue to be discussed i am sure between the president and prime minister netanyahu the united [3:30:28] states and israel and all of the parties involved but at this point in time they're not included in the [3:30:32] ceasefire deal jeff thank you caroline will the u.s take part in talks with iran and islamabad on [3:30:39] friday i can announce that the president is dispatching his negotiating team led by the [3:30:45] vice president of the united states jd vance special envoy whitkoff and mr kushner to islamabad [3:30:51] for talks this weekend the first round of those talks will take place on saturday morning local time [3:30:57] and we know we look forward to those in-person meetings what role does the president see for the [3:31:01] u.s in monitoring or helping with the strait of humus going forward i think the president commented on [3:31:07] that this morning we're going to continue to monitor it very very closely we will be helpful [3:31:12] in any way that we can but we fully expect iran to do this and the president has made that quite [3:31:16] clear as well it's again as his statement said last night the ceasefire is subject to the safe [3:31:23] reopening of the strait of humus again this was just determined last night we understand things take [3:31:27] time but that's the president's expectation and he will hold everyone to it um sure in the green [3:31:34] blazer thank you thank you sure and then in front of you but andrew you can go ahead all right you're [3:31:39] not wearing a green blazer i am actually wearing a green blazer it's a little brown to me but go [3:31:46] fair enough so uh regarding the president's rhetoric when the u.s invaded iraq in 2003 george w bush [3:31:54] uh said in a message to the iraqi people that the military campaign was directed quote against the [3:32:01] lawless men who rule your country and not against you yesterday the president threatened to destroy [3:32:08] iran's civilization the entire civilization not the iranian government but the iranian civilization [3:32:16] the iranian people the u.s has been a moral leader for most of its history by fighting wars against [3:32:24] other governments not against civilizations how can the president claim that america can ever have the [3:32:32] moral high ground if he's threatening to destroy civilizations and not casting wars as fights against [3:32:40] other governments and juror i think you should take a look at the actions of this president over [3:32:44] the course of the past six weeks and the actions of our brave men and women in our united states military [3:32:50] who have taken out the mili essentially taken out the military of a rogue islamic regime that has [3:32:56] chanted death to america for 47 years that has killed and maimed thousands of american soldiers over [3:33:02] the course of the last five decades the president absolutely has the moral high ground over the [3:33:08] iranian terrorist regime and for you to even suggest otherwise is frankly insulting to respect caroline [3:33:14] go ahead with all with all due respect go ahead there is um just given what we've we've seen in [3:33:20] lebanon today and the increased attacks from israel i mean is there any concern that netanyahu is trying [3:33:26] to kill the ceasefire the president spoke with prime minister netanyahu last night and in that private [3:33:31] conversation prime minister netanyahu relayed exactly what he said to the world publicly that he supports [3:33:36] the president and israel remains a key ally and partner to the united states they've been a tremendous [3:33:41] partner over the course of the past six weeks and we thank them for their heroic efforts as well [3:33:47] and the president had that conversation last night and that was uh relayed to the world publicly as [3:33:52] well reagan go ahead i have a question for you on iran and a question on the dignity act as well [3:34:00] on iran it's been reported that the ceasefire was struck after the involvement of two unlikely [3:34:05] factors jd vance in china what role did those parties play in striking a deal well vice president [3:34:11] vance has played a very significant and a key role in this since the very beginning of course he's [3:34:16] the president's right-hand man he is the vice president of the united states he's been involved [3:34:20] in all of these discussions and as i just announced he'll be leading this new phase of negotiations in [3:34:26] islamabad later this week with respect to china there were conversations that took place between top [3:34:34] levels of our government and china's government the president has great respect for president xi and a great [3:34:40] working relationship with him and and with that country and he looks forward to visiting china in [3:34:47] just a few weeks and on the dignity act it's getting a fresh push through congress uh it would give some [3:34:53] illegal immigrants in the country a path to citizenship what's the white house's position [3:34:57] on this legislation and would the president sign it if it made it to his desk honestly reagan i haven't [3:35:02] spoken to the president about the legislation but i will have that conversation and we'll get you [3:35:07] our formal position on it as soon as we can you're welcome go ahead the president suggested the [3:35:12] industry is supporting the u.s and on adventure the charged tolls for ships going through the [3:35:18] strait does the president believe that the u.s should earn revenue from the strait from where [3:35:23] he was going forward it's something it's an idea the president has floated as you know [3:35:28] and it's something that will continue to be discussed over the course of the next two weeks but [3:35:32] the immediate priority of the president is the reopening of the strait without any limitations [3:35:37] whether in the form of tolls or otherwise on the highly enriched uranium has iran given the [3:35:42] administration any indication that it would simply turn over the enriched uranium or is this [3:35:49] an expectation the president has that he would have to send in ground troops in order to do that [3:35:54] this is on the top of the priority list for the president and his negotiating team as they head into [3:35:58] this next round of discussions and as i said in my opener that is a red line that the president is [3:36:03] not going to back away from and he's committed to ensuring that takes place we hope it will be [3:36:09] through diplomacy have they given any indication that they would turn it over they have they are [3:36:14] yes trevor the latest news out of iran is that the air defenses have been uh activated in several [3:36:20] cities including isfahan and the explosions have been heard in isfahan who is bombing iran right now [3:36:25] i did were those reports just as of a few minutes ago yeah okay so obviously i'll have to go back [3:36:31] and check with the national security team i'm standing out here with all of you but i will do [3:36:35] that and we will get you an answer okay just on the civilization uh question that we've been talking [3:36:39] about and i would just add to that point again i haven't seen these reports i'm not verifying them [3:36:44] not that i don't trust you trevor but i want to go back and check with the experts here at the white [3:36:48] house i would just say and i would echo what the vice president said this morning um this is a [3:36:53] fragile truce ceasefires are fragile by nature we've seen this with respect to the 12-day war [3:36:58] with iran and israel last year it takes time sometimes for these ceasefires to be fully [3:37:02] effectuated and one of the results of operation epic fury was we completely dismantled iran's [3:37:08] command and control center which makes it difficult for them to pass messages up and down the chain [3:37:14] and so we we understand that i would caution a little bit of patience but of course we want to [3:37:18] see the ceasefire uh effectuated and abided by by all parties as quickly as possible thank you [3:37:24] and the american presidential administrations going back to ron or reagan have said this [3:37:29] formulation about nuclear war that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought is that [3:37:33] still the view of this administration given the president's comments about civilization i have no [3:37:38] change in our view on that policy katie thanks caroline i'm just given the gravity of what he said [3:37:44] yesterday what was your understanding of what he meant when he said i'm this civilization is going to [3:37:51] be eliminated i think it was a very very strong threat from the president of the united states [3:37:56] that led the iranian regime to cave to their knees and ask for a ceasefire and agree to reopening [3:38:02] the street of her moose so it was a very strong threat that led to results and as the secretary of war [3:38:08] stated at the pentagon this morning it was not an empty threat by any means the pentagon had a target [3:38:14] list that they were ready to hit go on at 8 p.m last night if the iranian regime had not agreed to [3:38:20] open the strait which they did and i think that's something we should all be grateful for the united [3:38:24] states as a moral leader in the world given that i was asked this exact same question by your colleague [3:38:28] andrew in the back and i think again the insinuation by anyone in this room that iran somehow has the [3:38:34] moral high ground over the united states of america is insulting considering the atrocities [3:38:39] that they have considering the atrocities that they have committed against our people and our [3:38:44] military over the past five decades john john go ahead thanks a lot caroline two questions for you [3:38:52] one has to do with a statement a joint statement put out this morning by some of america's european [3:38:57] allies our nato allies and in that joint statement they said regarding the strait of hormuz [3:39:01] our governments will contribute to ensuring freedom of navigation in the strait of hormuz [3:39:08] what's the administration's reaction to that joint statement does that smooth things over when the [3:39:13] president meets with nato's secretary general a little bit later this afternoon i have a direct [3:39:18] quote from the president of the united states on nato and i will share it with all of you they were [3:39:22] tested and they failed and i would add it's quite sad that nato turned their backs on the american [3:39:27] people over the course of the last six weeks when it's the american people who have been defunding [3:39:32] their defense as you know president trump will be meeting with secretary ruta in a couple of hours [3:39:37] here at the white house and i know he looks forward to having a very frank and candid conversation with [3:39:41] him and then secondly uh in regards to this conflict 38 days as you pointed out president trump [3:39:47] has said that there's been regime change has that regime change led to more freedoms for the iranian [3:39:54] people i think that's a question that's being asked a little bit too early john and and we hope that is [3:40:00] the case um but it's something that has yet to be seen caroline on this tolling by the iranians in [3:40:08] the strait of hormuz i've heard you talk about a number of red lines that the president has in [3:40:13] this negotiation but i haven't heard you say that iranian tolling in the strait of hormuz [3:40:18] is a red line would it be acceptable to the united states at the end of all this if the iranians are [3:40:24] able to charge tolls in the strait of humus i think the president was very clear and simplistic in [3:40:29] his language last night in his truth social post where he said that this ceasefire is subject to [3:40:34] of the free safe and immediate reopening of the strait of humus that's very plain language and it [3:40:40] should be taken at face value carrie carrie go ahead without limitation including tolls yes carrie [3:40:47] a quick follow-up on the atonement why would the u.s uh allow iran to collect tolls uh from the [3:40:53] strait of permits that's not something that we've opposed for a number of years now again that's not [3:40:58] something we've said that we've definitively accepted the joint venture is something that was [3:41:02] proposed by the president but he was very clear in his statement last night he wants to see the [3:41:07] strait reopened immediately without limitation and that's something we're going to hold them to [3:41:11] and friends in iran i myself am iranian and i've been talking to them through the blackout one of [3:41:19] my family members yesterday said goodbye to me so what message should we be sending iranians when [3:41:25] they message me saying what should they be doing right now how should they stay safe because they [3:41:30] really don't know what to do i think the president's main thing in threats of violence this is a huge [3:41:36] achievement for the first lady and i know the president is very proud of his wife's efforts [3:41:41] in getting this critical legislation passed to protect america's youth so we thank the first lady [3:41:46] for her efforts and we hope that others will report on this historic conviction yesterday with respect [3:41:52] to the two-week ceasefire announced by president trump last night this is a victory for the united [3:41:57] states of america that the president and our incredible military made happen from the very beginning [3:42:04] of operation epic fury president trump stated this would be a four to six week military operation [3:42:10] to dismantle the military threat posed by the radical islamic iranian regime thanks to the unbelievable [3:42:18] capabilities of america's war fighters the united states has achieved and exceeded those core military [3:42:25] objectives in just 38 days the u.s military destroyed iran's defense industrial base crushing the [3:42:33] regime's ability to manufacture weapons that they and their proxies use to maim and kill americans [3:42:39] and terrorize the world iran's ability to build and stockpile ballistic missiles and long-range drones [3:42:45] has also been set back by years compared to where it was six weeks ago prior to the launch of operation [3:42:52] epic fury we destroyed the vast majority of iran's ballistic missiles launcher vehicles and long-range attack [3:42:59] drones through more than 450 strikes on ballistic missiles and approximately 800 strikes on iran's [3:43:06] drone launching units and storage facilities in total more than 13 000 targets across iran were struck [3:43:14] again this is in the matter of just 38 days meanwhile the iranian naval navy was completely annihilated [3:43:23] the united states destroyed more than 150 naval vessels in total including 16 entire classes of [3:43:31] iranian warships despite once being the largest undersea force in the middle east iran now has zero [3:43:38] submarine vessels 97 percent of iran's once massive inventory of more than 5 000 naval mines has also been [3:43:47] targeted and destroyed iran's air forces are functionally and operationally irrelevant at this point [3:43:53] after the united states maintained total air dominance over their country for weeks on end [3:43:59] to underscore the significance of this before operation epic fury the iranian air force would [3:44:05] fly between 30 to 100 flights per day today that number is zero iran's ability to fund and support [3:44:13] its terrorist proxies has been greatly reduced at this point iran can no longer distribute weapons to its [3:44:19] proxies in the region and most importantly iran will not be able to acquire nuclear weapons prior to [3:44:27] the start of this this successful operation iran was aggressively expanding its short-range ballistic [3:44:33] missile arsenal through these weapons and its navy iran was attempting to build a military build-up [3:44:39] around their country that would pose an imminent and existential threat to the united states military [3:44:44] assets in the middle east our allies in the region and ultimately the free world iran was pursuing this [3:44:51] dangerous and aggressive strategy for one reason to hold the entire world hostage to its terrorist [3:44:57] ambitions the iranians aim to use their expanded military capabilities as a shield around their country [3:45:03] to continue achieving their ultimate goal internally building nuclear bombs but their murderous and evil [3:45:09] plans have been blown up quite literally and figuratively along with their military their nuclear program [3:45:16] and most of their senior leadership including the former supreme leader ayatollah ala kamani their [3:45:22] commanding control structures were also massively disrupted after being struck more than 2 000 times many [3:45:29] of their remaining leaders are paralyzed in fear and no longer enjoy the freedom to move around their country [3:45:35] freely and meet openly thanks to the unmatched excellence of our warriors at the direction of [3:45:40] the commander in chief the world has just witnessed a historically swift and successful military [3:45:46] triumph president trump started operation epic fury with strategic military objectives and the united [3:45:52] states has clearly achieved them as we mark this progress we also remember and honor the 13 american [3:45:59] heroes who laid down their lives in this noble effort i know president trump and our grateful [3:46:05] nation honors their ultimate sacrifice and we will never forget them may god bless their families [3:46:11] the valiant valiant efforts of all of our incredible service members created maximum leverage for the [3:46:16] president of the united states allowing he and his leadership team to engage in tough negotiate [3:46:22] negotiations over the past couple of weeks that have now created an opening for a diplomatic solution [3:46:28] in long-term peace in the middle east the president's maximum pressure and the leverage created by the [3:46:33] success of operation epic fury led to the iranian regime asking for and ultimately agreeing to [3:46:40] a ceasefire proposal with the united states iran could no longer tolerate being bombed or taking [3:46:46] the gamble of what was to come following president trump's 8 pm deadline last night iran has agreed to [3:46:53] open the strait of her moose and as the president said we have received a proposal from the iranians that [3:46:58] has been determined to be a workable basis on which to negotiate i've seen a lot of inaccurate coverage [3:47:04] today from the media about these negotiations and these plans already so let me be clear and correct [3:47:10] the record the iranians originally put forward a 10-point plan that was fundamentally unserious unacceptable [3:47:17] and completely discarded it was literally thrown in the garbage by president trump and his negotiating team [3:47:23] many outlets in this room have falsely reported on that plan as being acceptable to the united states [3:47:29] and that is false with the president's deadline fast approaching and the united states military [3:47:34] completely decimating iran with each passing hour the regime acknowledged reality to the negotiating team [3:47:40] they put forward a more reasonable and entirely different and condensed plan to the president and [3:47:46] his team president trump and the team determined the new modified plan was a workable basis on which to [3:47:52] negotiate and to align align it with our own 15-point proposal the president's red lines namely the end [3:47:59] of iranian enrichment in iran have not changed and the idea that president trump would ever accept an [3:48:07] iranian wish list as a deal is completely absurd the president will only make a deal that serves in the [3:48:13] best interests of the united states of america and he is a negotiating team will focus on this effort over [3:48:19] the next two weeks so long as the strait of her moves remains open with no limitations or delays these [3:48:25] extraordinarily sensitive and complex negotiations will take place behind closed doors over the course [3:48:31] of the next two weeks i would strongly advise the media against running with narratives that have no [3:48:36] basis in fact what iran says publicly or feeds to all of you in the press is much different than what [3:48:42] they communicate to the united states the president and his team privately never underestimate president trump's [3:48:48] responsibility to successfully advance america's interests and broker peace president trump has a [3:48:54] proven track record of achieving good deals on behalf of the united states and the american people [3:48:59] and he will only accept one that puts america first with that i will take your questions today i'm sure [3:49:05] you have a lot of them in our new media seat we have shane harris with the amac news line shane thank you [3:49:10] for being here why don't you kick us off yeah thanks for having me caroline uh two questions for you first [3:49:14] following the president's announcement of the ceasefire if this is indeed the end of hostilities in [3:49:18] iran what is the president's message to the american people about what was it achieved for our country [3:49:23] through operation epic fury sure i think i just laid out a significant portion of that in my opening [3:49:29] remarks six weeks ago the president looked the american people in the eye directly and he told them that [3:49:34] he launched this operation to take out the imminent threat that was posed by iran and that threat has now [3:49:40] been greatly destroyed their navy their missiles their defense industrial base and their desire [3:49:46] and their plan to build a nuclear bomb inside their country is no longer going to be allowed can [3:49:50] no longer happen thanks to the remarkable success of operation epic fury over the course of the [3:49:55] last 38 days that has been absolutely achieved and now we're moving into the next phase of this which [3:50:01] is a negotiating period um to put some fine points on this and to hopefully broker an agreement that [3:50:06] can achieve long-term peace in the middle east yeah and then second uh what is the president's [3:50:10] message to american seniors who have a much higher voter participation rate and they're likely to be a [3:50:15] key swing boat in the midterm elections well the president loves our seniors across the country [3:50:20] and as you know the president signed the one big beautiful bill the working families tax cut last year [3:50:26] which greatly reduced taxes on social security for our seniors in fact thanks to the working [3:50:31] families tax cut nearly 90 percent of seniors will no no longer pay tax on their social security that's [3:50:37] a huge win for our seniors and also for our middle class and working families across the country with [3:50:42] the no tax on tips provision and the no tax on overtime next week is tax week you'll hear a lot from [3:50:47] the president about how his policies have benefited the american people and i'm proud to report that the [3:50:52] president will be traveling next week to the great states of nevada and arizona to tout this historic [3:50:57] accomplishment over the course of the next week thank you for being here shane gabe thank you [3:51:02] caroline brand state media is saying that iran has now closed off the straight-of-form moves today [3:51:07] in response to israeli attacks on lebanon what's the white house response to that and just listed many [3:51:13] military successes i understand that but strategically how is the administration arguing that iran does not [3:51:20] have more economic leverage than now than it did before the start of the war sure well with respect [3:51:27] to the first reporting out of iranian state media the president was made aware of those reports [3:51:32] before i came to the podium that is completely unacceptable and again this is a case of what [3:51:37] they're saying publicly is different privately we have seen an uptick of traffic in the strait today [3:51:42] and i will reiterate the president's expectation and demand that the strait of humus is reopened [3:51:48] immediately quickly and safely that is his expectation it has been relayed to him privately that that is [3:51:54] what's taking place and these reports uh publicly are false caroline the president yesterday threatened [3:51:59] that a whole civilization would die if a ceasefire deal wasn't reached understanding that iranian [3:52:05] leaders have previously said death to america but why is it appropriate for the president of the united [3:52:10] states to use that kind of language when talking about civilian targets and was the president mocking [3:52:16] islam by signing off his true social post over the weekend praise be to allah wouldn't that antagonize [3:52:22] muslim allies across the world well i understand the questions about the president's rhetoric but [3:52:27] what the president cares most about is results and in fact his uh very tough rhetoric and his tough [3:52:33] negotiating style is what has led to the result that you are all witnessing today iran publicly [3:52:38] acknowledging last night that they have agreed or that they wanted this ceasefire with the united [3:52:44] states because they no longer could tolerate being bombed by our very powerful and lethal military [3:52:49] and that they have committed to the reopening of the strait of her moose which the president will hold [3:52:53] them accountable for and it's something the administration is closely monitoring in real [3:52:57] time danny should the world not take his word seriously the world should take his word very [3:53:02] seriously and understanding that the president is always most interested in results and it was the [3:53:08] iranians who backed down not president trump he said that they would face very grave consequences as [3:53:13] you just laid out by the 8 pm deadline if they did not agree to reopening the strait of her moose and what [3:53:18] did they do last night they agreed to reopen the strait of her moose danny thanks carly um would [3:53:24] president trump like to see lebanon included in this peace deal as you know there's been increased [3:53:28] israeli uh strikes on lebanon today with dozens of casualties there sure lebanon is not part of the [3:53:34] ceasefire that has been relayed to all parties involved in the ceasefire as you know prime minister [3:53:39] netanyahu put out a statement last night in support of the ceasefire in support of the united [3:53:44] states's efforts and he's also assured the president they'll continue to be a helpful [3:53:48] partner throughout the course of the next two weeks is there any thought though that the president might [3:53:52] like to see lebanon included at a future date given that it seems to be causing or potentially [3:53:58] undermining the iran ceasefire again this will continue to be discussed i am sure between the [3:54:03] president and prime minister netanyahu the united states and israel and all of the parties involved [3:54:08] but at this point in time they're not included in the ceasefire deal jeff thank you [3:54:12] caroline will the u.s take part in talks with iran and islamabad on friday i can announce that the [3:54:19] president is dispatching his negotiating team led by the vice president of the united states jd vance [3:54:25] special envoy whitkoff and mr kushner to islamabad for talks this weekend the first round of those [3:54:30] talks will take place on saturday morning local time and we know we look forward to those in-person [3:54:36] meetings what role does the president see for the u.s in monitoring or helping with this [3:54:41] strait of hummus going forward i think the president commented on that this morning we're going to [3:54:45] continue to monitor it very very closely we will be helpful in any way that we can but we fully expect [3:54:51] iran to do this and the president has made that quite clear as well it's again as his statement said [3:54:57] last night this ceasefire is subject to the safe reopening of the strait of hummus again this was just [3:55:02] determined last night we understand things take time but that's the president's expectation and he will [3:55:07] hold everyone to it um sure in the green blazer thank you uh thank you sure and then in front of [3:55:14] you but andrew you can go ahead all right you're not wearing a green blazer i am actually wearing [3:55:19] a green blazer it's a little brown to me but go ahead fair enough um so uh regarding the president's [3:55:27] rhetoric when the u.s invaded iraq in 2003 george w bush uh said in a message to the iraqi people [3:55:35] that the military campaign was directed quote against the lawless men who rule your country [3:55:40] and not against you yesterday the president threatened to destroy iran's civilization the [3:55:48] entire civilization not the iranian government but the iranian civilization the iranian people [3:55:55] the u.s has been a moral leader for most of its history by fighting wars against other governments [3:56:02] not against bullets not against civility