Trump gives update on Iran war following expletive-laden threats

[0:06] Thank you. [0:36] Thank you. [1:06] Thank you. [1:36] Thank you. [2:06] Thank you. [2:36] Thank you. [3:06] Thank you. [3:36] Thank you. [4:06] Thank you. [4:36] Thank you. [5:06] Thank you. [5:36] Thank you. [6:06] Thank you. [6:36] Thank you. [7:06] Thank you. [7:36] Thank you. [8:06] Thank you. [8:36] Thank you very much. [8:53] Thank you. [8:54] It's a great honor to be with you, and happy Easter. [9:12] We had a great Easter. [9:13] This is one of our better Easters, I think, in a lot of different ways. [9:16] I can say, militarily, it's been one of the best. [9:21] So, good afternoon. [9:23] We have quite a bit to discuss. [9:25] We'll go into pretty good detail. [9:28] And we have the people that are most involved. [9:30] We'll give you exactitude. [9:34] And we're here today to celebrate the success of one of the largest, [9:38] most complex, most harrowing combat searches. [9:42] I guess you would call it a search-and-rescue mission. [9:46] Ever attempted by the military, generally, when planes are knocked down, [9:50] in war, especially when you're fighting a strong group, an evil group. [9:56] You can't really do this, because you send in 200 men to pick up one. [10:03] And it's something that's usually not attempted as much as you want to attempt. [10:07] And bad things happen to that one or two. [10:11] And in this case, we did two, and it might not have been attempted before, but we did. [10:16] And we got — we had great talent, but we got a little luck, too, I would say. [10:21] And we were helped by a lot of people, a lot of great people. [10:25] And it was an honor to be involved with it. [10:29] It's very historic. [10:32] This is a rescue that's very historic. [10:35] It'll go down in the books. [10:36] Late Thursday night, an American F-15 fighter jet went down deep inside enemy territory [10:43] in Iran while participating in Operation Epic Fury, where we're doing unbelievably well, [10:50] well at a level that nobody has ever seen before. [10:55] The entire country could be taken out in one night. [10:58] And that night might be tomorrow. [10:59] Tomorrow night. [11:02] Both members of the crew ejected from the aircraft and landed alive on Iranian soil. [11:07] I immediately was asked to make a decision. [11:13] I ordered the U.S. Armed Forces to do whatever was necessary to bring our brave warriors [11:18] back home. [11:19] A risky decision, because we could have ended up with 100 dead as opposed to one or two. [11:25] It's a hard decision to make. [11:28] But in the United States military, we leave no American behind. [11:32] We don't do it. [11:33] Within hours, our armed forces deployed 21 military aircraft into hostile airspace, many [11:39] flying at very low altitude, being shot by bullets. [11:45] You bring rifles into play when you're going that low, but there are also certain advantages. [11:51] And in broad daylight over Iran for seven hours, at times facing very, very heavy enemy [11:59] fire, we have a helicopter that's got a lot of bullets in it. [12:02] It's amazing. [12:03] We just realized how good those weapons are. [12:06] They're really good. [12:07] Our machines are — nobody has — nobody has the equipment that we have, and nobody [12:12] has the military that we have. [12:14] Not even close. [12:15] We have the most powerful military anywhere in the world, by far. [12:19] The flight crews and warfighters aboard those aircraft took extraordinary risks to rescue [12:24] their fellow service members. [12:27] This first wave of search and rescue forces successfully located the pilot of the F-15, [12:34] and he was extracted from enemy territory by an HH-16. [12:36] That's a good thing. [12:37] That's a good thing. [12:38] The HH-16 Jolly Green II helicopter — fabulous machine, as our warriors faced gunfire at [12:45] very close range. [12:48] It's amazing that when you look at the machinery, what happened, that nobody was even injured. [12:54] Meanwhile, the second crew member, a weapons system officer, a highly respected colonel, [13:01] had landed a significant distance away from the pilot when you're going at those speeds. [13:06] Even if you go out two or three seconds later, it's miles — it's miles and miles away. [13:11] Because you're going fast. [13:14] He was injured quite badly and stranded in an area, teeming with terrorists from the [13:20] Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a rough group, as well as besieged militia and local [13:27] authorities. [13:29] Many, on top of everything else, they told the communities, actually, withinside of Iran, [13:37] the people of Iran. [13:38] They were given a tremendous incentive to find this pilot. [13:43] Despite the peril, the officer followed his training and climbed into the treacherous [13:49] mountain terrain and started climbing toward a higher altitude — something they were trained [13:55] to do in order to evade capture. [13:59] They want to always go as far away from the site of the shoot-down. [14:06] You want to go as far away because they all head right to that site. [14:09] You want to be as far away as you can. [14:12] And he was injured. [14:13] And he was an amazing, amazing thing. [14:15] Thank you. [14:15] Thank you. [14:16] Thank you. [14:16] He scaled cliff faces, bleeding rather profusely, treated his own wounds, and contacted American [14:24] forces to transmit his location. [14:28] They have a very sophisticated beeper-type apparatus that is on them at all times. [14:37] And when they — when they go out on these missions, they make sure they have lots of [14:41] battery space and they're in good shape. [14:44] And this one worked really well. [14:46] Amazing. [14:47] It saved his life. [14:49] Thank you. [14:49] It was a massive operation to retrieve him [14:52] from the mountain holdout. [14:56] And he kept going higher and higher. [14:57] The mountain kept getting rougher and rougher [14:59] and really very, very hard to find. [15:03] The second rescue mission involved 155 aircraft, [15:07] including four bombers, 64 fighters, 48 refueling tankers, [15:12] 13 rescue aircraft, and more. [15:15] We were bringing them all over, and a lot of it was subterfuge. [15:20] We wanted to have them think he was in a different location [15:24] because they had a vast military force out there. [15:27] Thousands, thousands of people were looking. [15:30] So we wanted them to look in different areas. [15:32] So we were scattered all over, [15:35] like we were right on top of them. [15:37] We had seven different locations where they thought. [15:40] And they were very confused. [15:41] They said, well, wait a minute. They've got groups here. [15:43] They've got groups there. It's an amazing thing. [15:47] I was listening to these great people, [15:51] these great generals. [15:52] General Raisin Cane was amazing, [15:54] and Pete Hexeth was amazing. [15:56] But I listened to the whole thing. [15:58] It was pretty amazing. [16:00] So they had all these different sites [16:01] where everybody thought he was located. [16:04] We think we have them over there [16:05] because they have nine planes circling a little area [16:09] that's 25 miles down the coast. [16:13] So in a breathtaking show of skill and precision, [16:17] lethality and force, [16:18] America's military descended on the area, the real area, [16:23] engaged the enemy, rescued the strong, [16:26] stranded officers, destroyed all threats, [16:29] and exited Iranian territory [16:31] while taking no casualties of any kind. [16:35] The heroic F-15 weapons system officer [16:38] had evaded capture on the ground in Iran for almost 48 hours. [16:45] That's a long time when you're in tough shape [16:47] and when you're bleeding. It's a long time. [16:50] When we left, as you probably know, [16:54] we had two large planes, old, pretty old planes. [16:58] They carried a lot. [16:59] We needed a lot more equipment going in than coming out, [17:02] obviously, because going in, [17:04] we needed to be able to scale mountains. [17:07] And we had a lot of equipment. [17:09] But the sand was — it was sandy, wet sand. [17:13] So we thought there may be a problem taking off [17:16] because of the weight of the plane. [17:18] And then we also had all the men jumping back onto the planes. [17:22] And they got pretty well bogged down. [17:24] And we had a contingency plan, which was unbelievable. [17:28] We're lighter, faster aircraft. [17:29] Came in, and they took them out. [17:32] We blew up the old planes. [17:34] We blew them up to smithereens because we had equipment [17:38] on the planes that, frankly, we'd like to take, [17:39] but I don't think it was worthwhile, [17:41] spending another four hours there taking it off. [17:44] So we didn't want anybody to have — [17:45] we have the best equipment anywhere in the world. [17:48] We didn't want anybody examining our anti-aircraft [17:53] and other equipment. [17:54] So these were large planes that were old and pretty old. [17:58] And we blew them up. [18:00] And we had faster, lighter planes come in. [18:04] And they were able to land on the sand. [18:06] We needed the bigger planes because we had so much [18:08] equipment that we needed. [18:08] We took three helicopters over there, [18:11] which were very strongly used and couldn't have lived [18:14] without them. [18:14] They did — they performed unbelievably well. [18:17] And if you'd see it, you wouldn't believe it. [18:19] They came off the plane. [18:21] And these guys had them — the rotors were off. [18:26] They rebuilt these helicopters in less than 10 minutes. [18:31] And that was one of the more amazing things. [18:33] These are helicopters — small, unbelievably powerful, [18:39] but small — very small, so it can get into certain areas. [18:44] And they got them off the plane, and they rebuilt [18:47] all three of them in a matter of less than — [18:51] I would say less than 10 minutes. [18:52] It's pretty amazing what — the genius of these people. [18:56] Who would think that? [18:57] You'd think it would take five days to build them. [18:59] And in some companies, it would take five days, [19:01] and they wouldn't do it well. [19:04] And they proved us well that — as Commander-in-Chief, [19:06] I never forget the extraordinary risk taken [19:09] by the warriors that we send into battle. [19:12] And the genius — I mean, think of it. [19:14] Having a contingency of three planes waiting [19:17] because we think the sand is so bad [19:19] that we probably won't be able to take off. [19:21] And the planes really got bogged. [19:24] The sand was — this was not much of a runway. [19:27] This was a farm, not a runway. [19:28] It was a farm, but it did the trick. [19:32] But to have a contingency, as opposed to having to wait [19:35] two days — [19:35] can you imagine? [19:36] Right in the middle. [19:37] This was central. [19:39] This was right — you would call it central casting [19:42] if you were doing a movie for location. [19:45] And probably the toughest area of Iran [19:47] where we'd be sitting there. [19:49] So these planes came in. [19:50] Those pilots came in so fast and so quick [19:52] and got out of there. [19:54] Everybody got aboard and just got 15-minute intervals. [19:58] One load out. [20:00] One load out. [20:01] One load out. [20:02] The three — it happened. [20:04] And we were watching, and we said, [20:06] this is amazing. [20:07] It's — in many ways, I was — I was almost more [20:10] impressed by the contingency that we had [20:13] than the fact that, you know, if we would have [20:16] had a runway or decent soil. [20:18] But it was an amazing thing. [20:20] But we thank God for every single one of them. [20:23] And the talent — the genius — it's not even [20:26] talent, it's genius. [20:27] It's the whole ballgame. [20:29] Every one of them. [20:31] If you look at what we did with Maduro, we went [20:33] into a military compound — a massive, with thousands [20:37] and thousands of soldiers. [20:39] And within a matter of minutes — and he lived [20:41] behind iron doors. [20:42] There were steel doors. [20:43] Broke them down so quickly. [20:46] And within almost minutes, he was in the back [20:48] of these planes. [20:49] It was a similar group. [20:51] Incredible. [20:52] We have incredibly talented people. [20:54] And if the time comes, we move heaven and earth to [20:58] bring them home safely. [20:59] We're going to bring our people home safely. [21:02] I want to thank every member of the U.S. [21:03] Armed Forces involved in these historic operations. [21:06] They really were historic. [21:07] It's just not something that — [21:09] it's not something that we've done. [21:10] And you'd understand it. [21:11] Not that they don't want to do it, but when you're [21:14] going into areas — when you look at these [21:16] helicopters, when you look at the amount of bullets [21:18] and everything else that they took — when you go [21:19] into these areas, you don't come out like we [21:23] came out. [21:24] God was watching us. [21:25] I tell you, well, it was the Easter — we were in [21:30] an Easter territory, I guess. [21:32] But God was watching us. [21:33] It's amazing. [21:34] Because when you look at the machinery, they took [21:37] damage. [21:38] It tells you — first thing I said is, these are [21:40] unbelievable machines. [21:41] They flew back, and not even much of a problem. [21:45] But these two extraordinary rescues — [21:48] because it was two. [21:49] And as you probably know, we didn't talk about the [21:51] first one for an hour. [21:53] And then somebody leaked something, which we'll [21:56] hopefully find that leaker. [21:57] We're looking very hard to find that leaker. [22:00] And talked about there's somebody missing. [22:04] They basically said that we have one, and there's [22:07] somebody missing. [22:08] Well, they didn't know there was somebody missing [22:09] until this leaker gave the information. [22:12] So whoever it was, we think we'll be able to [22:14] find it out. [22:14] Because we're going to go to the media company that [22:18] released it, and we're going to say, national [22:22] security, give it up or go to jail. [22:25] And we know who — and you know who we're talking [22:28] about, because some things you can't do. [22:31] Because when they did that, all of a sudden, the [22:34] entire country of Iran knew that there was a [22:38] pilot that was somewhere on their land that was [22:41] fighting for his life. [22:44] And it also made it much more difficult for the [22:48] pilots and for the people. [22:49] Going in to search for him. [22:51] All of a sudden, they know that there's somebody [22:54] out there. [22:55] They see all these planes coming in. [22:56] It became a much more difficult operation. [23:00] Because a leaker leaked that we have one, we've [23:04] rescued one, but there's another one out there that [23:07] we're trying to get. [23:09] So, actually, the country, Iran, put out a major [23:15] notice — you all saw it — offering a very big [23:19] award for anybody that captures the pilot. [23:21] So, in addition to a hostile, very talented, [23:25] very good, very evil military, we had millions [23:30] of people trying to get an award. [23:32] So, when you add that to it — but we have to find [23:36] that leaker, because that's a sick person. [23:38] Probably didn't realize the extent of how bad it [23:41] was. [23:42] I can't imagine that the person did. [23:43] But we're going to find out. [23:45] It's national security. [23:46] And the person that did the story will go to jail [23:51] if he doesn't say. [23:52] And that doesn't last long. [23:53] And I think everybody would understand that they've [23:55] put this mission at great risk. [23:57] They put that man at great risk, and they put the [23:59] hundreds of people that went in looking for him, [24:02] because everyone now knows that we're going in. [24:07] Over the past 37 days, America's armed forces have [24:10] carried out more than 10,000 combat flights over [24:14] Iran, unheard of, striking more than 13,000 targets. [24:18] The F-15 we lost last week was the first manned [24:22] aircraft downed by the enemy in this entire [24:25] operation. [24:26] There were thousands and thousands of flights. [24:28] They got lucky. [24:28] It was a lucky hit. [24:30] You know, eventually you get lucky. [24:33] But we got lucky, too, because we got both of [24:35] them back. [24:36] But it's a record that is unparalleled in the [24:38] history of military air operations. [24:41] Nobody has ever seen anything like it. [24:43] It's such an honor to be involved with it. [24:47] We were up late at night, and then we were waiting [24:51] for those contingent planes to come in. [24:55] And we said, come on, let's go get in, because [24:57] they're waiting out on this farm. [25:00] It's a farm without a runway, with wet, crummy [25:05] soil, sand, mostly sand, wet sand, and it eats [25:10] planes alive. [25:11] And we're waiting, and we're saying, I hope that [25:13] one can land and take off. [25:16] And they came in like magic. [25:17] Boom, boom, boom. [25:19] One after another. [25:19] It was like genius. [25:21] I'm so impressed by that, because we were a little [25:24] concerned. [25:24] We said, boy, if they don't get in and get up [25:28] fast, we're sitting in the middle. [25:29] And that's called Iran Prime. [25:32] Right, General? [25:33] That's where the office is. [25:34] That's where the office is. [25:34] The whole bed is. [25:36] And here we are, sitting there, waiting for a [25:38] plane. [25:39] But they came in so fast and so hard, and these [25:42] guys knew exactly what to do. [25:43] Let's go. [25:44] Come on, get in. [25:45] Let's go. [25:45] Pwah. [25:46] They came one right after another. [25:48] Not at the same time. [25:50] They don't want to come at the same time. [25:51] They had to come right after each other. [25:53] They didn't have any room. [25:54] There was barely any room to land. [25:56] Tiny little patch of very wet earth and sand. [26:02] So I just, I'm so proud of the people that I have [26:05] standing up here with me, and many others. [26:07] I mean, so many. [26:09] Steve Witkoff is over here. [26:10] He's doing fantastically. [26:11] Jared Kushner. [26:13] But the people that are here, the job they did is [26:16] amazing. [26:17] And I think I'm going to introduce the head of the [26:20] CIA, and he is a man who is central casting, okay? [26:26] If we cast a movie, he's going to play the head of [26:28] the CIA. [26:28] He's one of the few. [26:30] John Ratcliffe, he did a phenomenal job that night. [26:34] He did something that I don't know if you want to [26:36] talk about it. [26:36] If you want, you can. [26:37] I'm not sure he's supposed to. [26:38] I'm not going to talk about it. [26:39] But he really, the CIA was very responsible for [26:43] finding this little speck. [26:44] It's like they used an expression on one of the [26:47] shows the General was talking about. [26:49] It's like finding a needle in a haystack, finding [26:51] this pilot. [26:53] And the CIA was unbelievable. [26:55] And you may, if you can, you'll talk. [26:57] It might be classified, in which case I'd have to [27:00] put him in jail if he talks about it. [27:02] And I don't want to put him in jail. [27:04] He doesn't deserve that. [27:05] So, John, do you want to say a few words? [27:06] Thank you. [27:09] Mr. Thank you, Mr. President. [27:11] It's a privilege to be here with you today to [27:14] share what we can about this exceptional mission [27:18] and to recognize the ingenuity and bravery of [27:21] those who executed it, as well as the leadership and [27:24] resolve of the President who ordered it. [27:28] One thing that has been clear to me in this role is [27:30] that the flawless military operations that the [27:33] Department of War is known for are hostage to [27:37] flawless intelligence. [27:39] We saw that in the skies over Iran in Operation [27:43] Midnight Hammer. [27:44] Last summer, we witnessed it in Venezuela during [27:47] Operation Absolute Resolve. [27:49] We've seen it against the cartels in the Western [27:51] Hemisphere, and we're seeing it every day in [27:55] Operation Epic Fury, including this mission to [27:59] rescue an aviator buried deep behind enemy lines. [28:03] Because it is the unique tradition of the U.S. [28:06] Armed Forces that we leave no man or woman behind, [28:11] this was a no-fail mission. [28:13] That was the spirit in which the President put us [28:15] to work, and we were determined not to let the [28:18] President down or let him down or our airmen down. [28:22] As an agency, the CIA possesses unique [28:26] capabilities that only the President can deploy. [28:30] Some of these capabilities fall under covert action [28:32] authorities, and because covert means exactly that, [28:37] I'm not going to be able to tell you everything that [28:40] you want to know. [28:43] At the President's direction, we deployed both [28:45] human assets and exquisite technologies that no other [28:49] intelligence service in the world possesses to a [28:52] daunting challenge. [28:53] Comparable. [28:54] This was the first time in a decade that we've [28:56] been able to deploy a drone that was able to [28:59] track down an aviator in the middle of a desert. [29:02] This was also a race against the clock, as it [29:04] was critical that we locate the downed aviator [29:06] as quickly as possible, while at the same time [29:10] keeping our enemies misdirected. [29:14] For that reason, in addition to the human and [29:17] technical assets deployed by the President to find [29:20] our airmen, CIA executed a deception campaign to [29:25] confuse the Iranians, who were desperately hunting for our airmen. [29:28] On Saturday morning, we achieved our primary [29:33] objective by finding and providing confirmation that [29:37] one of America's best and bravest was alive and [29:41] concealed in a mountain crevice, still invisible to [29:45] the enemy, but not to the CIA. [29:49] That confirmation was relayed by Secretary [29:51] Hegseth to the President, and the operation quickly [29:54] moved to the execution phase. [29:57] Following the successful exfiltration on Saturday [30:00] night, our intelligence reflects that the Iranians' [30:04] were embarrassed and ultimately humiliated by the [30:07] success of this audacious rescue mission. [30:12] When the President asked me to lead the CIA, he made [30:16] it clear, get back to basics, no politics, no [30:19] agendas, tackle the hardest problems, and execute the [30:23] toughest missions. [30:25] This President is about results, and now that's [30:29] what his CIA is about, too. [30:32] The professionals at the agency and at the [30:34] Department of War deserve immense credit for their [30:39] execution during this daring mission. [30:41] Their skill, creativity, and courage are unmatched [30:45] on the battlefield wherever they step, but [30:49] none of that matters, and all of that is wasted [30:53] without a President with the political courage to [30:56] put them into action. [30:59] Mr. President, I've had the privilege of seeing [31:02] you act with political courage in the best [31:04] interest of the United States up close on a daily [31:06] basis, and I'm grateful that this successful [31:08] mission has given the American people a window [31:13] into that as well. [31:15] The Secretary and Chairman, [31:16] we'll tell you that our service members' [31:17] confidence is boosted by a Commander-in-Chief who has [31:22] their back the same way they have yours. [31:25] And I know that the confidence of CIA's [31:28] officers is boosted by the knowledge that their work [31:32] is informing a President who's not afraid to make [31:35] the hardest decisions when the stakes are highest. [31:40] And to the American people, your confidence [31:44] should be boosted by knowing that the [31:46] security of the nation is in the hands of a [31:48] President who's willing to take on [31:50] problems that have confounded both sides of [31:54] the political aisle for nearly half a century. [31:58] It is an honor to serve under a leader who just [32:00] proved that you can believe him when he says, [32:05] no matter what, we will leave no one behind. [32:09] We will come for you. [32:11] Thank you. [32:20] The President Well, John, thank you for the [32:21] collaboration of the CIA as well. [32:23] Incredible and ongoing partnership. [32:26] Ladies and gentlemen, fellow Americans, and [32:28] especially the brave warriors in our armed [32:30] forces, over this Easter weekend, the United States [32:34] military has once again proved why we possess the [32:37] greatest fighting force the world has ever known. [32:41] In two extraordinary combat search and rescue [32:44] operations deep inside enemy territory in Iran, [32:48] our warriors executed missions of breathtaking [32:51] skill, courage, and precision. [32:55] When our warriors are unleashed, as this [32:57] President has allowed them to be, they are unstoppable. [33:03] When American airmen were down behind enemy lines, [33:05] our forces and our President did not hesitate. [33:07] Special operators supported by elite air [33:10] crews and intelligence professionals moved [33:12] swiftly and decisively into treacherous mountain [33:15] terrain under the constant threat of Iranian forces [33:19] closing in. [33:20] Ultimately, it was an impotent Iranian threat. [33:24] And today, as the CIA director mentioned, Iran's [33:27] military, and we know this, is embarrassed and [33:30] humiliated, and they should be. [33:33] Now, these are not routine operations. [33:35] They were high-risk, high-stakes missions [33:37] conducted in the heart of enemy territory. [33:39] This was not just barely into Iran. [33:41] This was deep into Iran, involving coordinated [33:44] strikes to suppress threats, deception tactics [33:47] to protect our teams, and full synchronization [33:50] across air, ground, and special operations. [33:53] The Iranians are still asking themselves right [33:55] now, how did the Americans do this? [34:00] One downed airman evaded capture for more than a [34:03] day, scaling rugged ridges while hunted by the enemy. [34:08] When he was finally able to activate his emergency [34:11] transponder, his first message was simple, and it [34:15] was powerful. [34:17] He sent a message, God is good. [34:21] In that moment of isolation and danger, his faith and [34:25] fighting spirit shone through. [34:27] You see, shot down on a Friday, Good Friday, hidden [34:32] in a cave, a crevice, all of Saturday, and rescued on [34:39] Sunday, flown out of Iran as the sun was rising on [34:44] Easter Sunday, a pilot reborn, all home and [34:49] accounted for. [34:49] A nation rejoicing. [34:52] God is good. [34:55] Despite incoming fire and unforgiving conditions, our [34:59] troops brought every American home. [35:01] No American lives were lost. [35:03] We leave no man behind, and that is not luck. [35:07] It's the result of unmatched training, superior [35:09] technology, an unbreakable warrior ethos, and sheer [35:14] American grit. [35:16] Our special operators, pilots, and support crews [35:18] performed with near perfection under fire. [35:22] And they were lethal. [35:25] Just ask any Iranian soldier who dared attempt to [35:29] get anywhere near that pilot before or during that [35:33] mission. [35:34] Death from above. [35:37] Our troops turned a potential tragedy into a [35:39] resounding demonstration of American resolve and [35:41] capability. [35:42] That's what excellence in uniform looks like. [35:46] But make no mistake about it, none of this would [35:50] have been possible without the courageous leadership [35:53] and ironclad determination of President Donald J. [35:57] Trump. [35:59] From the moment our airmen went down, President Trump [36:01] made it clear we will leave no one behind. [36:05] The first mission, the first of two, was an audacious [36:09] daylight thunder run right up the middle. [36:12] It was authorized in less than two hours from that [36:16] pilot going down when we knew where he was. [36:20] And it was authorized in the middle of the night, [36:22] because anybody that's worked for this man knows [36:24] he's up in the middle of the night. [36:26] Authorized immediately, without hesitation, [36:28] audaciously. [36:30] The second mission, as soon as we knew where [36:32] that pilot was, and John was certainly helpful in [36:34] that, also executed immediately. [36:38] You know, I looked up at my screen when the final [36:40] mission was complete inside our SCIF, our secure [36:43] facility, and we have a running VTC, a running [36:46] coordination cell. [36:48] And the top of it read 45 minutes and 45 hours and [36:53] 56 minutes. [36:55] For 45 hours and 56 minutes, we held that call [36:59] open for coordination. [37:00] From the moment our pilots went down, our mission was [37:03] unblinking. [37:05] The call never dropped. [37:06] The meeting never stopped. [37:07] The planning never ceased. [37:11] The President demanded rapid, decisive action. [37:13] He backed our military with the full weight of [37:15] his resolve, refusing to let enemy propaganda or [37:18] tactical setbacks deter us. [37:20] His leadership ensured that every lethal and [37:24] non-lethal resource was brought to bear, that our [37:26] forces had the authorities and the support they [37:29] needed to succeed. [37:31] When the President says he has the backs of our [37:33] warfighters, he means it. [37:35] And it means a great deal. [37:37] And it's a big difference on the battlefield. [37:40] President Trump understands that peace [37:42] through strength is not a slogan. [37:45] It is a doctrine that saves American lives. [37:48] His unwavering commitment to rebuilding our military [37:51] and restoring the warrior spirit has paid dividends [37:54] in missions just like this one. [37:57] Under his command, America projects power with [38:00] confidence and brings our people home with victory. [38:04] And that continues today, by the way. [38:06] Per the President's direction, today, [38:08] will be the largest volume of strikes since [38:10] day one of this operation. [38:12] Tomorrow, even more than today. [38:15] And then Iran has a choice. [38:17] Choose wisely, because this President does not [38:21] play around. [38:23] You can ask Soleimani. [38:25] You can ask Maduro. [38:26] You can ask Khomeini. [38:29] To those heroes who planned and executed these [38:31] rescues, your nation stands in awe. [38:34] I stand in awe. [38:35] The Chairman stands in awe. [38:36] We all stand in awe of your professionalism and [38:39] bravery. [38:40] We serve for you. [38:41] You embody the very best of America. [38:44] To the rescued airmen and their families, [38:45] welcome home. [38:47] Your courage and endurance, the quiet [38:50] declaration of faith amid the storm inspires us all. [38:54] God is good every day. [38:58] And to our adversaries watching from Tehran, [39:02] let this be a clear message. [39:04] The United States military will go anywhere, [39:07] at any time, to protect our own and complete the mission. [39:12] We execute with precision. [39:14] We control the skies. [39:15] You see, we flew for seven hours. [39:18] In daylight. [39:20] Over Iran to get the first pilot. [39:22] And we flew seven hours in the middle of the night to [39:25] get the second. [39:27] And Iran did nothing about it. [39:31] We fight with honor. [39:32] And under President Trump's leadership, we win. [39:35] So God bless our troops. [39:36] God bless President Trump. [39:38] And God bless the United States of America. [39:40] Thank you. [39:44] The President Well, good afternoon, everyone. [39:46] Thank you, Mr. President. [39:47] Thank you, Mr. Secretary. [39:48] I know before I start, I know many of you want [39:51] specific details. [39:53] In these briefings, we will share what we can, [39:56] but I will retain what I must in the event that we [40:00] have to go do this again sometime. [40:02] And I cannot stress the importance, [40:04] as the President said, around operational security. [40:08] The Secretary and I will do a more detailed briefing [40:10] tomorrow morning, and we look forward to sharing [40:12] the details that we can. [40:14] On Thursday, 2 April, at 1010 p.m. [40:17] Eastern Time, 440 in the morning, local Iran time, [40:21] the Joint Personnel Recovery Center, which [40:23] handles the Central Command Area of [40:25] Responsibility, declared an isolated personnel [40:28] recovery event for a U.S. [40:30] Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle, callsign DUDE44, [40:34] which was down in hostile Iranian territory. [40:37] The pilot and weapons system officer had both [40:40] safely ejected and were isolated behind enemy [40:43] lines. [40:44] Following confirmation of active rescue beacons and [40:47] on the direction of the Secretary and by order of [40:50] the President, a rescue operation was launched [40:53] with the stated purpose of bringing both Americans [40:56] home safely. [40:58] As the Secretary said several hours later on the [41:00] morning, after positively locating the front-seater, [41:04] callsign DUDE44-ALPHA, and aware of an aggressive [41:08] ongoing search by the enemy, a U.S. [41:11] Central Command plan was approved by the Secretary [41:14] and the President. [41:16] Shortly thereafter, a U.S. [41:17] Air Force Combat Search and Rescue Task Force, [41:21] comprised of A-10 warthogs, in the [41:24] Sandy role, and I'll describe what that is in a [41:26] minute, HC-130 Combat King IIs, HH-60 Jolly Green II [41:32] Helicopters, and Air Force Special Warfare Airmen, [41:36] a package comprised of Combat Rescue Officers and [41:39] Para-Rescue Operators, audaciously penetrated [41:43] enemy territory in broad daylight to find, fix, and [41:48] recover DUDE44-ALPHA from behind enemy lines. [41:53] This was an incredibly successful operation. [41:54] It was an incredibly dangerous mission, an [41:57] incredibly dangerous undertaking, but a filled [42:02] promise made to every American warfighter that you [42:05] will not be left behind. [42:08] We will always come find you, and we will always [42:11] bring you home. [42:13] Over the next hours, the Search and Rescue Task [42:15] Force crossed the beach, entered into Iranian [42:18] airspace, protected by a fighter strike package, [42:22] and moved into the objective area all under [42:25] fire. [42:25] En route, as some of you have seen on social media, [42:29] the helicopters took gas off the C-130s and pressed [42:33] onward and forward up into the objective area. [42:37] While this was ongoing and out in front of them, the [42:40] sandy flight of A-10s and other remotely piloted [42:43] aircraft, drones, and other tactical aircraft, were [42:47] violently suppressing and engaging the enemy in a [42:50] close-in gunfight to keep them away from the front [42:53] seater and allow the pickup force and the [42:55] force to get into the objective area. [42:58] During this engagement, one of the sandy aircraft, [43:01] the one primarily responsible for [43:04] communicating with the downed pilot, was hit by [43:07] enemy fire. [43:09] This pilot continued to fight, continued the [43:12] mission, and then, upon exit, flew his aircraft [43:15] into another country and determined that the [43:18] airplane was not landable. [43:20] This was one of our A-10 sandy aircraft. [43:23] The pilot then made the decision to eject over a [43:26] friendly territory and was quickly and safely [43:29] recovered and is doing fine. [43:32] After picking up Dude 4-4 Alpha, the HH-60 Jolly [43:37] Greenfight was engaged by every single person in Iran [43:42] who had a small arms weapon. [43:44] And one of the aircraft, the trailing aircraft, [43:47] took several hits. [43:48] The crew sustained minor injury, and they are going [43:51] to be fine. [43:52] A note for those of you that do not know what a [43:55] sandy does. [43:56] Named after the A-10. [43:58] Named after the flight call sign that did this [44:00] very mission in Vietnam, flying A-1 Sky Raiders and [44:04] A-7 Corsairs. [44:06] A sandy has one mission. [44:09] Get to the survivor, bring the rescue force [44:12] forward, and put themselves between that [44:15] survivor on the ground and the enemy. [44:19] They are committed to this. [44:20] This is what they live for, and this is what [44:23] they've trained for over many, many years. [44:27] The A-10 force. [44:29] And the rescue force did fantastic, did a fantastic [44:33] job rescuing Dude 4-4 Alpha. [44:37] He was recovered Friday afternoon. [44:39] As I said, and the nation needs to know this, this [44:43] was an incredibly brave and courageous mission. [44:47] And a testament to the courage, skill, and [44:50] tenacity of the joint force and our leaders. [44:54] And especially a daylight option, having the guts to [44:57] try means so much to so many. [45:00] Meanwhile, the backseater, as the President and [45:04] the Secretary have said, had continued to work and [45:07] survive. [45:09] Through the hours of daylight, Dude 4-4 Bravo, [45:12] the backseater, evaded. [45:14] Using every means available, the efforts of [45:17] the United States military, the Central [45:19] Intelligence Agency, and others were attempting to [45:22] find and locate with precision Dude 4-4 Bravo, [45:27] the backseater. [45:28] A note on the backseater and the frontseater. [45:32] The single most important contributor to a [45:37] successful rescue operation is the spirit of [45:40] attack inside the heart of that downed aviator. [45:44] Their will to survive, their will to evade, [45:48] their will to recover is everything. [45:51] In this case, the backseater's absolute [45:53] commitment to surviving made much of our efforts [45:56] possible. [45:58] On Saturday, 4 April, after establishing [46:01] positive communications with the [46:03] backseater, we learned, as the President said, [46:06] that he was injured and actively evading enemy [46:09] forces. [46:10] And thanks to our interagency partners, we [46:13] were able to get eyes on his location and [46:16] positively ID him. [46:18] Throughout this entire time, the enemy force [46:20] continued to search for 4-4 Bravo, and the joint [46:23] force continued to strike them over and over and [46:27] over again, fighting off marginal weather in Iran [46:31] and the enemy's search for a second time on [46:34] Saturday. [46:35] At the recommendation of CENTCOM Commander and at [46:37] the approval of the Secretary and the [46:39] President, we launched a rescue task force to [46:42] recover dude 4-4 Bravo. [46:45] Again, this came to the President and the [46:47] Secretary for approval, this time with a much [46:50] larger force package, based on the time that [46:53] the enemy had to prepare to find 4-4 Bravo. [46:57] Again, this force was protected by A-10 warthogs [47:01] using the Sandy Call sign. [47:03] And this force had won. [47:04] They had one single mission, do everything [47:07] they can to bring an American home. [47:10] This meant having a plan, being prepared to execute [47:13] that plan, and more importantly, being [47:17] prepared for multiple simultaneous contingencies. [47:22] And because of this force's professionalism, grit, and [47:26] determination, fight off two enemies at the same [47:29] time, the enemy searching for 4-4 Bravo and [47:33] contingencies. [47:34] Which anyone who has done these types of missions [47:37] knows, we run into every single time. [47:41] The force fought off both of those enemies [47:44] incredibly well. [47:46] During the period of darkness on Saturday, and [47:48] as the Secretary said, into Easter Sunday, and [47:52] into the daylight, the force fought its way in [47:55] and rescued dude 4-4 Bravo. [47:59] They were protected overhead by an air [48:01] armada, including tactical drones, strike aircraft, [48:05] and others. [48:06] The force fought through multiple simultaneous [48:10] contingencies, something no other nation, no other [48:14] military can do, and safely returned dude 4-4 Bravo, [48:19] the backseater home, and all other Americans home [48:24] as well. [48:25] At midnight 12 local Eastern time, Easter Sunday, [48:30] more than 50 hours after the start of this [48:33] operation, the Joint Personnel Recovery Center [48:38] declared. [48:38] Dude 4-4 Bravo, both the front and backseater, [48:43] returned to friendly territory. [48:45] The courage demonstrated by both the pilot and the [48:49] weapons system officer while isolated, and them [48:52] invading the enemy cannot be overstated. [48:55] Their grit and warfighting tenacity is a direct result [48:59] of the absolute trust they have in our rescue [49:02] forces, their training, and their will to survive [49:05] and return. [49:07] They always knew that we would be ordered to go [49:09] get them, and they always knew that we would be [49:13] coming to get them. [49:14] These two operations reflect our nation's most [49:18] sacred obligation to our military service members. [49:21] We leave no one behind. [49:23] Bless you. [49:24] It also perfectly captures the first truth of [49:28] our special operations forces, that people are [49:31] more important than hardware. [49:34] That is the standard we live by, and the rescue [49:37] forces that execute these missions operate in the [49:40] United States under a clear motto, these things [49:44] we do that others may live. [49:47] Their actions were a direct embodiment of that [49:50] commitment to others, and I could not be more proud [49:55] of each and every one of them today. [49:59] As the Secretary said to our enemies, this [50:01] operation serves as a clear reminder of the [50:04] capability and will of America's joint force. [50:08] The United States of America will recover our [50:10] warfighters. [50:11] Anywhere in the world, under any conditions, when [50:15] we want to, we will always bring overwhelming skill [50:18] and firepower. [50:19] To every member of the joint force, our [50:22] interagency partners, the leadership at CENTCOM, [50:25] and our leaders at the department and above, [50:27] thank you. [50:28] I'm proud of each and every one of you, and [50:31] thankful to our deployed forces and their families. [50:35] And lastly, and most importantly, to Dude44, [50:40] welcome home. [50:41] Job well done. [50:42] Thank you. [50:48] Pretty amazing. [50:49] Pretty amazing. [50:51] And these two gentlemen have been, from day one, [50:55] they've been perfecto. [50:56] You know, I got to know General Kane in my first [51:01] term because he was able to take out ISIS in four [51:04] weeks instead of the four-year projection that [51:07] was given to me by other much lesser generals. [51:10] I said, you know, if I ever do this again, that's [51:12] going to be the head of my Joint Chiefs of Staff. [51:15] And we worked it that way, didn't we? [51:17] And he's amazing. [51:18] He took out ISIS. [51:19] He treated ISIS in four weeks. [51:22] I was told it would take four years. [51:23] I flew to Iraq to find out, with the greatest [51:27] equipment in the world, why would it take four years. [51:31] And he told me, sir, it won't. [51:34] It'll take four weeks and you'll have time left [51:36] over. [51:36] And that's exactly what happened. [51:37] So he's great. [51:39] And Pete, all I can say is that he was treated very [51:43] unfairly. [51:45] And now those same people that treated him unfairly, [51:47] that fought against him, they called me up saying, [51:49] what a great choice he was. [51:51] They said, well, what happened during his [51:54] nomination? [51:54] What happened to you? [51:56] I'm telling you, people that were not forum [51:58] senators, friends of mine, sir, I don't think [52:01] you're doing the right thing. [52:02] Now they're calling me up. [52:03] What a choice. [52:05] These two guys are fantastic. [52:07] And John Ratcliffe was incredible. [52:09] It was actually their genius that called us from [52:14] he was 40 miles away. [52:16] And he said, you know, we're seeing something [52:18] moving up in the mountain. [52:20] This is at night. [52:22] And they kept the camera on him for 45 minutes. [52:23] This is at night. [52:24] He wasn't moving. [52:25] And they said, you know, probably wrong, but we're [52:28] seeing something moving. [52:29] This is a vast mountain, vast, thick, with bushes, [52:36] trees. [52:36] He said, we see something moving 40 miles away. [52:39] It was the head of a human being. [52:43] I'm telling you, it's moving. [52:45] And then all of a sudden, 45 minutes later, he moved [52:48] a lot, stood up, and they said, we have him. [52:53] And that was really the beginning of something [52:56] incredible. [52:57] We had an idea where he was, but not specifically. [53:00] And it's a big mountain. [53:01] So I want to thank the CIA, too. [53:05] I don't think they get enough credit for the [53:07] great job they've done. [53:09] Yes, please. [53:09] The Press Thank you very much, Mr. President, for [53:12] this great opportunity. [53:16] Country, it has super army. [53:18] You make a difference, Mr. President. [53:20] Thank you for your greatest leadership. [53:23] I have two quick questions, Mr. President. [53:27] What was your reaction when you learned that [53:30] Kurdistan region had resumed? [53:32] Resumed exporting oil to the international market [53:36] with your support as United States of America? [53:39] The President Well, I expected that. [53:41] We've gotten along with the Kurds for a long time, [53:44] so I expected that. [53:46] The Press Another question. [53:47] What would be your reaction if the Iranian [53:52] people rise up against their regime during a [53:56] case fire, Mr. President? [53:58] The President Well, they should do it. [53:59] But again, the consequences are great. [54:01] I mean, they were told. [54:02] You if you protest, you will be shot immediately. [54:05] You saw what happened to the young wrestler. [54:08] He was a great champion, by the way. [54:09] He's a great wrestler, one of the top in the world. [54:12] And he and his two friends were hung. [54:16] And all they did was say a little bit about liberty. [54:19] They wanted liberty and they were violently [54:22] executed. [54:23] But the number is up to probably 45,000 people [54:27] were killed. [54:27] So, you know, when somebody stays in a house, [54:30] when they know if they walk out of the house to [54:31] protest, they'll be immediately shot and killed. [54:34] And they issued that. [54:36] You know, that was publicly issued. [54:37] It's not a secret. [54:39] That's why so many people say, oh, well, why are [54:41] you doing this? [54:41] We can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon. [54:45] You know, we got regime change. [54:48] We do. [54:49] We deal with a much different regime than [54:50] before. [54:51] We're dealing with different people. [54:53] They're smarter. [54:55] I think they're sharper and far less radical. [54:59] We have regime change. [55:01] But we didn't do this for the regime change. [55:03] We did it for the fact. [55:05] And my. [55:06] My view is very simple. [55:07] I saw somebody said, oh, he doesn't have a plan. [55:10] I have the best plan of all, but I'm not going to [55:11] tell you what my plan is. [55:13] You know, they want me to say, here's my plan. [55:15] We're going to attack at 947 in the morning and [55:18] then we're going to do this. [55:19] And then we're going to. [55:20] And if you don't do that, they say, I have a plan. [55:22] These people know what the plan is. [55:24] Everybody here knows what the plan is. [55:26] But it's very unfair to say, you know, because I [55:30] don't mind being insulted. [55:31] I've been insulted for many years by the by the [55:34] fake news, but you can't. [55:36] It's so bad. [55:37] And for the people that are so proud, you just [55:39] are too great. [55:41] And John Ratcliffe, three unbelievable people. [55:44] They have a plan. [55:45] Every every single thing has been thought out by [55:47] all of us. [55:49] But I can't reveal the plan to the media. [55:52] So, you know, but we're just thrilled by the [55:55] success of this operation. [55:56] Yes, please. [55:57] The Press Thank you, Mr. President. [55:58] You've said Iranians would be mad if you stopped [56:00] these attacks. [56:01] But why would they want you to blow up their [56:03] infrastructure to cut off their power? [56:05] Wouldn't that be punishing Iranians for the actions of [56:08] the regime? [56:09] The President They would be willing just they [56:10] would be and it's suffering. [56:12] They would be willing to suffer that in order to [56:14] have freedom. [56:16] The Iranians have and we've had numerous [56:19] intercepts. [56:20] Please keep bombing bombs that are dropping near [56:23] their homes. [56:24] Please keep bombing. [56:26] Do it. [56:27] And these are people that are living where the bombs [56:30] are exploding. [56:31] And when we leave and we're not hitting those [56:34] areas, they're saying, please come back, come [56:35] back, come back. [56:37] These are the people. [56:39] I don't know what they do. [56:41] All I can tell you is they want freedom. [56:43] They have lived in a world that you know nothing [56:46] about. [56:47] It's a violent, horrible world where, if you [56:51] protest, you are shot. [56:53] Remember the great woman protest where they had [56:55] 400,000, 500,000 women and they were all enthused [56:58] and they were going to protest and everybody [57:01] said, oh, the regime is going to come to an end. [57:03] And then all of a sudden, boom, boom, five, six, [57:10] different areas. [57:11] A woman would go down right between the eyes. [57:13] They had snipers. [57:14] They had five snipers. [57:15] That's all it took. [57:17] And those four or 500,000 women said, oh, my God, [57:21] what's that? [57:22] Oh, look over there. [57:23] What's that? [57:24] A woman shot right between the eyes. [57:28] And after five or six of them go down, then you [57:31] start hearing the purr through the vast number of [57:35] people. [57:37] And then they said, oh, my God, who would do that? [57:41] And they're incredible people. [57:43] But they've lived so horribly. [57:45] They've lived. [57:46] They've lived so horribly. [57:46] You know, Iran was a great country. [57:48] If you go back 25 years ago or so, the Persian [57:52] people, they're incredible, smart, [57:55] brilliant, actually. [57:56] And I know so many. [57:58] I know, coming from New York, originally, I know [58:01] so many people from Iran. [58:02] They're incredible people, incredible energy [58:04] and very, very brilliant people. [58:07] And but when you're standing in a group and [58:10] protesting and you have a woman, in the case of a [58:12] woman, remember the Great Woman March. [58:14] Everybody was like, oh, this is the end of the [58:16] country. [58:16] And then snipers selectively picked. [58:21] Every single one was shot right between the eyes [58:24] from a long distance. [58:25] They were on top of buildings. [58:27] Nobody even knew where they were, where they're [58:28] coming from. [58:29] This wasn't like a machine gun, which is also very [58:31] bad. [58:32] They've done that, too. [58:33] They did that recently. [58:34] This was snipers sitting on the top of buildings, [58:39] aiming and hitting women. [58:41] And when they see people go down and all of a [58:43] sudden there's a riot in the reverse direction and [58:47] they never came out again. [58:48] And a lot of the news doesn't talk about that. [58:51] They talk about, oh, women's rights. [58:54] You want to see women's rights? [58:55] You're not going to see it there. [58:57] It's amazing when I see some of the stupid people [58:59] like, you know, AOC plus three, all that group. [59:02] They talk about, oh, freedom for Iran. [59:06] They don't tell you the real facts. [59:07] Women, men, gays. [59:11] How about gays for Iran? [59:14] They kill the gays. [59:15] They throw them off buildings. [59:17] So I wonder what what's going on. [59:19] I can only say this. [59:20] They want us to keep bombing, even if it [59:25] jeopardized because their life is in much greater danger. [59:28] They want freedom for Iran. [59:29] But it's very hard for them to protest. [59:31] I actually tell them, I said, don't go out. [59:33] I fully understand. [59:34] Nobody in this room would go out. [59:36] I don't think there's any. [59:36] Because, frankly, it's not a question of bravery. [59:39] We're all brave, right? [59:40] You're brave. [59:40] I'm brave. [59:41] We're all brave. [59:42] But we're also intelligent. [59:45] If you have people shooting at you, expert [59:48] shots with the best rifles you can get, and hitting [59:52] you right between the eyes every single time, and [59:55] you're looking here, and you're seeing, and you're [59:56] looking here, you're out of there. [59:58] I don't care who it is. [59:59] The Press Please. [1:00:01] The Press Mark Meredith, Fox News. [1:00:02] The President I know that. [1:00:04] The Press Oh, thank you. [1:00:04] How would I know that? [1:00:05] The President Go ahead. [1:00:06] The Press America's watching. [1:00:07] The President Good job. [1:00:07] The Press No, can we go back to the weekend? [1:00:10] First off, was everyone on board with the operation? [1:00:13] Or were there people that were trying to talk you [1:00:14] out of going through with the operation this weekend? [1:00:16] The President Not everybody was on board. [1:00:18] The Press Somebody else within your? [1:00:19] The President No, there was military people, very [1:00:21] professional, that preferred not to talk to you. [1:00:22] Not doing it. [1:00:24] These two were totally on board, which was very [1:00:27] important. [1:00:27] They weren't. [1:00:28] I would've had a little difficulty. [1:00:30] But, no, there were military people that said [1:00:32] you just don't do this. [1:00:34] You don't go into the heart of a very powerful [1:00:38] military. [1:00:38] You know, this is, hey, you have countries and [1:00:40] countries. [1:00:41] You have some countries where the military is not [1:00:43] there. [1:00:44] So this whole thing is militarized like nobody [1:00:47] has ever seen before. [1:00:48] Half the people are wearing uniforms. [1:00:51] And we had people within the military. [1:00:54] Usually, it's not done. [1:00:56] That's one of the reasons. [1:00:57] You know, I was surprised. [1:00:58] Somebody said it's the only time it's ever been [1:01:00] done. [1:01:01] I said, that's not possible. [1:01:02] But it is possible because you're going into [1:01:05] hundreds of thousands of soldiers along the path. [1:01:09] I mean, look at some of the helicopters, how they [1:01:11] got hit. [1:01:13] So, yeah, there were people within the [1:01:14] military that said it's a wise. [1:01:16] And don't forget, how many men did you send [1:01:18] altogether, approximately, for the operation? [1:01:21] The President I'd love to keep that a secret. [1:01:23] The President Okay, well, we are. [1:01:25] But I will tell you, the number, I'll keep it a [1:01:29] secret, but it was hundreds and hundreds of [1:01:32] these people. [1:01:33] That's pretty good. [1:01:34] Is he central? [1:01:35] Is he central casting? [1:01:37] But hundreds of people went into this journey. [1:01:41] Hundreds of people could have been killed. [1:01:42] Forget about the equipment. [1:01:43] A lot of equipment. [1:01:44] Nobody cares. [1:01:45] Hundreds of people could have been killed. [1:01:48] So we had people that were within the military that [1:01:51] said, this is not a wise. [1:01:52] And I understood that. [1:01:53] But I decided to do it. [1:01:55] The Press Well, sir, why isn't there a [1:01:56] president? [1:01:56] The President Was there a point that they were [1:01:57] going to that you were thinking there's too much [1:02:00] on the line and somebody was saying, maybe we abort [1:02:02] this now and wait? [1:02:03] I mean, given the resource, like the [1:02:05] general said, it seemed like there was so much [1:02:07] on the line here. [1:02:08] You must have been thinking this could have [1:02:09] completely changed. [1:02:10] The President So, the first one, which was, in [1:02:13] many ways, as dangerous as the second, I guess it [1:02:16] gets, because we're flying over daylight. [1:02:19] You know, we're the best at the world at night. [1:02:21] We have goggles at nobody. [1:02:23] We have goggles. [1:02:23] I've tried them, and they're unbelievable. [1:02:25] I see better with the goggles at night with it [1:02:28] than I see without them during daylight. [1:02:30] I mean, daylight today, we have a beautiful day. [1:02:33] You see just as well with goggles. [1:02:36] In many ways, it's enhanced. [1:02:38] So we have the best in the world. [1:02:40] So it's much safer for us to for us to do it at [1:02:42] night, whereas other people, no other country [1:02:45] has that capability. [1:02:46] They don't have the they don't have that particular [1:02:48] piece of equipment like we do. [1:02:50] But when I was told flying and in daylight, I [1:02:55] think we flew seven hours over. [1:02:57] And that's a long time over unbelievably hostile [1:03:01] territory where they have nothing but weapons. [1:03:04] We took out their anti-aircraft, which is [1:03:06] great. [1:03:07] We took out their radar, which is great. [1:03:09] We took out a lot. [1:03:10] But they still have, you know, what hit this one [1:03:12] was a shoulder, handheld shoulder missile, [1:03:15] heat-seeking missile. [1:03:16] So it's not like, you know, they're totally [1:03:19] whatever. [1:03:20] But but and they have probably a little luck [1:03:24] because you got to get lucky. [1:03:25] But they shot it and it got sucked in right by [1:03:28] the engine. [1:03:29] But these guys were out of there. [1:03:30] They were great. [1:03:31] The timing was great. [1:03:32] But no, I was told that this is a very dangerous [1:03:36] mission. [1:03:37] And they didn't say it's a foolish mission. [1:03:39] They said, you know, we're going to be [1:03:40] sacrificing hundreds of people do this. [1:03:43] This is I mean, you have tankers that are flying [1:03:45] over this area so that because the flight was so [1:03:48] long, they had to refuel. [1:03:50] It's a very dangerous mission. [1:03:52] I just felt it was worth it. [1:03:54] If you would have told me that we would have been [1:03:56] successful, gotten both and nobody was even, [1:03:59] essentially, injured, I would have said that would [1:04:01] be impossible. [1:04:02] Yeah, please. [1:04:03] The Press Thank you very much. [1:04:04] The President Thank you, sir. [1:04:05] The Press Thank you, sir. [1:04:06] The President We'll come back to you. [1:04:07] The Press Okay, thank you. [1:04:07] The Press Given that you are now dealing, you say, [1:04:09] with a more reasonable, less extreme leadership in [1:04:14] Iran, what does that mean for the protesters, for [1:04:17] the human rights movement in that country after this [1:04:19] conflict? [1:04:20] What's your expectation? [1:04:20] The President Well, I think positive. [1:04:21] Yeah, if they assume control, if we do [1:04:24] something and they assume control, I think it's very [1:04:25] positive. [1:04:26] A big step. [1:04:27] I don't think you'd see the radicalization of the [1:04:29] radicalization that you have seen in the last. [1:04:32] Look what happened. [1:04:33] I mean, women are being executed because they're [1:04:35] not properly clothed, they say. [1:04:38] They're not properly clothed, and they execute [1:04:40] the women. [1:04:41] They absolutely, they shoot them right on the [1:04:43] street. [1:04:45] No, you have a much different group of people. [1:04:47] Now, I'm not saying we are dealing with them. [1:04:52] Essentially, they have until 8 o'clock tomorrow [1:04:54] night, Eastern Time. [1:04:56] But we are dealing with them. [1:04:57] I think it's going well. [1:04:58] Mr. Witkoff is here. [1:05:00] And J.D. [1:05:01] is involved in the dealing. [1:05:03] Mr. Witkoff is sitting right here, and I think [1:05:05] it's going fine. [1:05:06] But we'll have to see. [1:05:07] You have to understand, we've been dealing with [1:05:09] these people for 47 years. [1:05:13] I'm standing here with a much more powerful Iran, [1:05:18] as of a month ago. [1:05:19] Not anymore. [1:05:20] Right now, they are decapitated. [1:05:22] But I'm standing here a month ago with a much more [1:05:25] powerful Iran than it was at any point during 47 years. [1:05:29] This should have been handled by seven [1:05:32] presidents, a lot of presidents. [1:05:35] And those presidents are saying now, every one of [1:05:37] them, to their friends, we should have done this a [1:05:40] long time ago. [1:05:41] So it's not something I like doing. [1:05:43] It's very dangerous. [1:05:44] And we're getting them at the height of their [1:05:47] strength. [1:05:48] If I didn't terminate the Barack Hussein Obama Iran [1:05:52] nuclear deal, they would have had a — don't [1:05:55] forget, that was a path to a nuclear weapon. [1:05:57] Remember this. [1:05:58] He chose Iran over Israel. [1:06:01] Pure and simple. [1:06:02] How? [1:06:03] How Israel can vote for a Democrat is — if you're [1:06:07] Jewish, in New York City or anyplace else in this [1:06:11] country, and how you can vote for a Democrat is [1:06:14] unbelievable, because he chose Iran, a very hostile [1:06:19] Iran — remember when he filled up a 757 with cash? [1:06:22] Billions of dollars of cash. [1:06:25] And he sent it over to them. [1:06:26] Then they gave them tens of billions of dollars. [1:06:29] He chose Iran over Israel and, really, the Arab world. [1:06:33] If you look, because, you know, the other — [1:06:35] Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE — I mean, you take a look. [1:06:40] I mean, I can add Kuwait, and I can add Bahrain, and [1:06:43] you can add others. [1:06:45] He chose such an unlikely candidate, nobody could [1:06:49] believe it. [1:06:50] Frankly, if you're going to choose between Iraq and [1:06:53] Iran, he should have chosen — he should have [1:06:55] befriended Iraq. [1:06:57] He went in the exact opposite direction of all [1:07:01] thinking, and he made a terrible mistake. [1:07:03] But that was a road — [1:07:05] to a nuclear weapon. [1:07:07] And when I terminated that, everyone said, [1:07:09] Oh, he terminated it. [1:07:11] It was one of the best things we ever did, [1:07:12] because he had a road to a nuclear weapon. [1:07:14] And it was going to — it was a very short-term deal. [1:07:18] You know, countries don't do 10-year deals. [1:07:20] Countries do hundreds of years. [1:07:22] You don't do a 10-year deal. [1:07:23] For a country, you need — this isn't you're a [1:07:25] landlord and you're renting a store on a [1:07:28] certain street, and you give somebody a [1:07:30] five-year or a 10-year lease. [1:07:31] This is a country. [1:07:32] It was a short-term deal. [1:07:34] It was ready to expire. [1:07:36] I terminated it before it expired. [1:07:38] It took a lot of heat, and it was one of the best [1:07:40] things I ever did, because he would have had a [1:07:41] nuclear weapon. [1:07:42] Then he would have had another nuclear weapon, [1:07:44] had those beautiful B-2 bombers not gone in eight [1:07:47] months ago, and obliterated that site. [1:07:50] And, by the way, the word is obliteration. [1:07:52] CNN said, Well, maybe it wasn't complete. [1:07:55] It was so complete that they still haven't been [1:07:57] able to get it. [1:07:58] It was obliteration. [1:07:59] But if we didn't hit them, that was a courageous [1:08:03] decision, too, because we had all those planes flying [1:08:06] it at night. [1:08:06] With very little cover. [1:08:09] Unbelievable stealth planes. [1:08:11] And they were able to do their job. [1:08:13] If we didn't do that, Iran would have had a nuclear [1:08:17] weapon at a high level, either one of those two [1:08:20] instances. [1:08:21] And if they did, in my opinion, I told this to [1:08:24] Bibi Netanyahu yesterday, Israel would have been [1:08:28] extinguished. [1:08:30] Large portions of the Middle East would have [1:08:33] been extinguished, whether it's Saudi Arabia, Qatar, [1:08:36] UAE, or others. [1:08:38] And you saw that with thousands of missiles [1:08:40] raining down upon them. [1:08:41] They didn't think they were going to be hit. [1:08:43] They thought they'd be watching us fight. [1:08:45] And all of a sudden, UAE got hit by 1,500 missiles. [1:08:50] He would have taken them out also. [1:08:52] And they were powerful. [1:08:54] If I didn't come along and terminate the Obama deal, [1:08:58] which was terrible, the Iran nuclear deal was a [1:09:01] road to a nuclear weapon, a big one, unlimited. [1:09:04] Legally, I terminated it without even much thought. [1:09:08] It was so easy. [1:09:09] I terminated that. [1:09:12] And then the B-2 bombers. [1:09:13] And I did one other thing. [1:09:15] I had killed Qasem Soleimani, who was an [1:09:20] evil genius. [1:09:22] And the reason I did it, I heard he was going to knock [1:09:24] out five of our military bases. [1:09:28] And had he lived, I believe we would be [1:09:32] fighting, perhaps, a different Iran right now. [1:09:36] Because he's never been replaced, you know? [1:09:41] And I also, I did one other, but this one was [1:09:43] not picked up. [1:09:44] And I'm going to say it again. [1:09:47] Osama bin Laden. [1:09:48] If you read my book, I said, you got to take him [1:09:49] out one year before the World Trade Center came [1:09:51] down. [1:09:52] So I wish you'd read the book. [1:09:53] But you, as a President, to be a good President, I [1:10:00] believe you have to have good instincts. [1:10:02] And a lot of this is instinct. [1:10:03] Yeah, please. [1:10:04] The Press Thank you so much for taking my [1:10:06] question today, Mr. President. [1:10:07] The President Last week, you suggested that Europe [1:10:11] should take the lead on reopening the Strait of [1:10:13] Hormuz. [1:10:14] Has circumstances changed now that you're issuing a [1:10:16] direct report? [1:10:17] The President I mean, 48-hour ultimatum. [1:10:21] And secondly, would a new ceasefire include Israel, [1:10:24] or would it just be between Iran and the U.S.? [1:10:25] The President I can't talk about ceasefire. [1:10:27] But I can tell you that we have an active, willing [1:10:31] participant on the other side. [1:10:33] They would like to be able to make a deal. [1:10:35] I can't say any more than that, but I do have a [1:10:37] feeling. [1:10:37] The Press You've listed the goals. [1:10:39] The President You've listed the goals. [1:10:40] The Press Thank you, Mr. President. [1:10:41] The President Who you with? [1:10:42] Who you with? [1:10:43] The President My name is Diyar Khurda. [1:10:44] I'm with the largest Kurdish media outlet, [1:10:46] Ruda. [1:10:46] The Press Thank you, Mr. President. [1:10:47] The Press Thank you, Mr. President. [1:10:48] The President I'm with the largest media network. [1:10:49] It's based in Iran. [1:10:50] The President Go ahead. [1:10:51] The Press Mr. President, you said before that you [1:10:54] don't want the Kurdish forces to enter Iran and be [1:10:56] harmed. [1:10:57] Do you still want them to stay away? [1:10:59] Or what role do you expect them to play now? [1:11:02] The President I'd rather have them stay away. [1:11:05] I'd rather have them stay away because I think they [1:11:07] bring with them some problems and some [1:11:09] difficulties. [1:11:10] And I don't think they bring death. [1:11:12] I mean, you know, to themselves. [1:11:13] But I'd rather have them stay away. [1:11:15] The Press Thank you. [1:11:19] Thank you, Mr. President, for the question. [1:11:21] Deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure [1:11:24] violate the Geneva Conventions and [1:11:26] international law. [1:11:27] The President Who are you with? [1:11:28] Who are you with? [1:11:28] The Press I'm with The New York Times. [1:11:29] Zolan from The New York Times. [1:11:30] The Press Are you concerned? [1:11:31] The President The failing. [1:11:32] The Press Are you concerned? [1:11:33] The President There's been circulation way down at [1:11:34] The New York Times. [1:11:35] What's going on? [1:11:36] The Press Are you concerned that your threat [1:11:37] to bomb power plants and bridges amount to war crimes? [1:11:39] The President No, not at all. [1:11:40] No, I'm not. [1:11:41] I hope I don't have to do it. [1:11:43] But, again, I just said, 47 years they've been [1:11:46] negotiating with these people. [1:11:47] They're great negotiators. [1:11:48] The Press Why would that act not by the [1:11:50] intervention? [1:11:51] The President They're not going to have a [1:11:51] nuclear weapon. [1:11:53] And if somebody that takes my place someday is weak [1:11:56] and ineffective, which possibly that will happen [1:11:59] because we had numerous Presidents that were weak, [1:12:02] ineffective, and afraid of Iran, we're never going [1:12:05] to let Iran have a nuclear weapon. [1:12:08] And if you think it's okay for people that are sick [1:12:12] of mind, that are tough, smart, and sick, really [1:12:17] sick, ideolo- you know, from a policy standpoint, [1:12:21] from a standpoint-any which way you want to [1:12:25] say-mentally, these are disturbed people. [1:12:28] If you think I'm going to allow them, and powerful [1:12:30] and rich, to have a nuclear weapon, you can [1:12:34] tell your friends at The New York Times, not going [1:12:36] to happen. [1:12:37] The Press Quiet, quiet, quiet, quiet. [1:12:43] You no longer have credibility, The New York [1:12:45] Times, because The New York Times said, Oh, Trump [1:12:48] won't win the election. [1:12:49] And I won in a landslide. [1:12:50] I won every swing state. [1:12:51] New York Times said, Oh, Trump won't win the [1:12:53] election. [1:12:54] The New York Times has no credibility. [1:12:56] The credibility they have is it used to be all the [1:12:59] news that's fit to print. [1:13:00] A great-the old gray lady, it was great. [1:13:02] But they're running on past fumes, and you can't [1:13:05] keep doing that. [1:13:06] You have to be able to give the correct news. [1:13:09] And people like you, who I know, are fake. [1:13:12] You're fake. [1:13:13] Go ahead, please. [1:13:14] The Press Your messaging on the war has [1:13:17] moved from the war is coming to an end to we're [1:13:20] going to be bombing Iran to the Stone Ages. [1:13:22] And we've heard a range of those kind of messages. [1:13:25] So are you-so which is it? [1:13:27] Are you winding this down or are you escalating it? [1:13:28] The President I can't tell you. [1:13:30] I don't know. [1:13:30] I can't tell you. [1:13:31] It depends what they do. [1:13:32] This is a critical period. [1:13:34] They have a period of, well, until tomorrow at [1:13:37] 8 o'clock. [1:13:39] I gave them an extension. [1:13:40] They asked for an extension of seven days, [1:13:42] right? [1:13:43] I said, Steve, give them 10 days. [1:13:48] Ten days is up, actually, today. [1:13:50] So I gave them 11, I guess, indirectly. [1:13:52] I thought it was inappropriate the day after [1:13:54] Easter. [1:13:55] I want to be a nice person. [1:13:57] But they have until tomorrow. [1:14:00] Now, we'll see what happens. [1:14:02] I can tell you they're negotiating, we think, in [1:14:04] good faith. [1:14:05] We're going to find out. [1:14:06] We're getting the help of some incredible countries [1:14:09] that want this to be ended because it affects them [1:14:13] also. [1:14:14] A lot of people are affected by this. [1:14:16] But we're giving them-we're giving them [1:14:19] until tomorrow, 8 o'clock Eastern Time. [1:14:22] And after that, they're going to have no bridges. [1:14:26] They're going to have no power plants. [1:14:29] Stone Ages. [1:14:30] Stone Ages, yeah. [1:14:31] Stone Ages. [1:14:32] CNN fake news. [1:14:34] The Press Are you willing to make a deal that [1:14:39] does not include reopening the Strait of Hormuz, or [1:14:42] is that now a top priority? [1:14:44] The President I would say it's a very big [1:14:45] priority because, see, that's one thing that's a [1:14:49] little different than other things. [1:14:51] We can bomb the hell out of them. [1:14:52] We can knock them out for a loop. [1:14:54] But to close the Strait, all you need is one [1:14:57] terrorist that somehow has a truck loaded with, [1:15:01] because you can carry them in trucks, large [1:15:03] trucks, a water mine. [1:15:06] Drop them in the water. [1:15:08] And now you tell people that own ships that cost [1:15:10] a billion dollars to, don't worry about the mine. [1:15:13] You can do that even just by saying, we put mines [1:15:15] in the water. [1:15:16] So it's not like the rest. [1:15:18] We can knock out their military. [1:15:19] We already have. [1:15:20] We've knocked out their Navy. [1:15:22] We've knocked out their Air Force completely. [1:15:24] We've knocked out 158 ships in three days. [1:15:28] We've knocked out even their mine droppers. [1:15:29] They don't have any mine droppers anymore, but they [1:15:32] put them on other boats and they could drop them. [1:15:34] I'm not even sure they have any mines yet, by [1:15:36] the way. [1:15:36] I'm not sure. [1:15:37] I'm personally they say there might be eight. [1:15:40] I don't know. [1:15:40] I don't know. [1:15:41] I think there might be none because they're very [1:15:44] good bullshit artists. [1:15:45] That's why for 47 years they've been bullshitting [1:15:47] other presidents and they haven't done the job. [1:15:51] And people are living in hell. [1:15:53] You live in that country. [1:15:54] They're living in hell. [1:15:56] No, I think that 47 years of this stuff is long [1:16:01] enough there. [1:16:03] At the weekend. [1:16:03] At the weekend. [1:16:04] I think that's the biggest point they've ever [1:16:06] been. [1:16:07] They have no Navy. [1:16:07] They have no Air Force. [1:16:08] They have no anti-aircraft weaponry. [1:16:10] They have no radar. [1:16:11] They have no communication. [1:16:13] In fact, the biggest problem we have in our [1:16:14] negotiation is that they can't communicate. [1:16:18] I said to Steve, what are they saying? [1:16:19] Sir, they can't communicate. [1:16:21] They have no method of communication. [1:16:24] So we're doing we're communicating like they [1:16:26] used to communicate 2000 years ago with children [1:16:29] bringing a note back and forth. [1:16:31] They have no communication. [1:16:33] But all I want to see. [1:16:35] Is I want to have a safe world. [1:16:37] And you're not going to have a safe world. [1:16:39] Israel will be gone. [1:16:41] The Middle East will be gone. [1:16:43] And then they're coming for Europe. [1:16:45] And I have to tell you, I'm very disappointed in [1:16:47] NATO. [1:16:48] Very. [1:16:49] I think that NATO, I think it's a mark on NATO [1:16:52] that will never disappear. [1:16:53] Never disappear in my mind. [1:16:55] You know, they're coming to see me on Wednesday. [1:16:56] They're going to say, oh, we'll do this. [1:16:58] We'll do that. [1:16:59] Now they all of a sudden want to send things, you [1:17:01] know. [1:17:02] But they said it loud and clear at the beginning. [1:17:04] When I spoke to UK of all, I would have said they [1:17:06] would have been there. [1:17:07] First, because they've been the oldest. [1:17:10] And I say, yeah, I'd love to have a little help. [1:17:12] He said, no, sir, we'd rather wait till you win. [1:17:15] I said, I don't need help after we win. [1:17:18] They have two old, broken aircraft carriers. [1:17:20] Barely work. [1:17:21] I said, I guess we can use them. [1:17:22] Who the hell knows? [1:17:23] I called the general. [1:17:24] He didn't even want to. [1:17:25] He said, we don't really need them. [1:17:27] We got we got the SS Abraham Lincoln, sir. [1:17:30] We don't need them. [1:17:31] You know, we have in terms of technology, we had [1:17:34] one day a hundred and one missiles going at [1:17:38] 1,700 miles an hour aimed at the Abraham Lincoln. [1:17:43] Hundred and one missiles out of a hundred and one [1:17:45] missiles. [1:17:47] One hundred and one missiles were shot down. [1:17:50] Unbelievable technology. [1:17:53] Ten years ago, five years ago, I don't know if that [1:17:55] would have been possible. [1:17:57] But ten years ago, that wouldn't have been that [1:17:59] wouldn't have been possible. [1:18:01] A hundred and one missiles heading to a ship that's [1:18:05] not that far off the coast. [1:18:08] And out of the hundred and one missiles, we shot down [1:18:11] all 101. [1:18:12] We have weaponry. [1:18:14] The Patriots are unbelievable. [1:18:16] We have weaponry. [1:18:18] That's unbelievable. [1:18:18] Yeah. [1:18:19] Go ahead, please. [1:18:24] The Press Thank you, Mr. President. [1:18:26] You said earlier today during the egg roll that [1:18:28] you would like to take Iran's oil, but Americans [1:18:32] want U.S. [1:18:32] forces home. [1:18:33] The President Correct. [1:18:34] The Press What's that tradeoff? [1:18:34] The President If I had my choice, if I had my [1:18:36] choice, yeah, because I'm a businessman first. [1:18:40] With Venezuela, as you know, the war was over in [1:18:44] about 45 minutes. [1:18:46] And we have great people running Venezuela. [1:18:49] Very good people. [1:18:49] I mean, the relationship is good. [1:18:52] And we are a partner with Venezuela. [1:18:55] And we've taken hundreds of millions of barrels. [1:18:58] Hundreds of millions. [1:19:00] Over a hundred million barrels already is in [1:19:04] Houston, refined and out. [1:19:07] And paid for that war many, many times over. [1:19:09] Many times. [1:19:10] And, you know, the old days, to the victim. [1:19:13] Okay? [1:19:14] You know that. [1:19:15] To the to the winner. [1:19:18] Belong the spoils. [1:19:19] Go the spoils. [1:19:21] And I've said, why don't we use it? [1:19:23] To the victor. [1:19:24] Go the spoils. [1:19:25] And we don't have that. [1:19:26] We haven't had that in this country probably in a [1:19:28] hundred years, because even the Second World War. [1:19:30] You look at the Second World War. [1:19:32] We didn't have it with the Second World. [1:19:33] We helped rebuild all those countries. [1:19:35] We rebuilt Germany. [1:19:36] How about Germany telling us? [1:19:39] Germany telling us that, well, it's not their war. [1:19:43] We had nothing to do with it. [1:19:44] They wanted me to go and tell them everything I was [1:19:47] doing. [1:19:48] We didn't know anything about it. [1:19:49] Well, if I would have told them, they would have [1:19:51] leaked it and we wouldn't have been nearly as [1:19:53] successful, possibly. [1:19:54] Right? [1:19:55] But to the victor belong the spoils. [1:19:57] So we haven't heard. [1:19:59] We haven't heard that in, I think, maybe hundreds of [1:20:03] years. [1:20:04] Now, with Venezuela and we just so you understand [1:20:07] the people of Venezuela, they say if I ran for [1:20:09] president of Venezuela, I'm pulling higher than [1:20:13] anybody has ever pulled in Venezuela. [1:20:15] So after I'm finished with this, I can go to [1:20:17] Venezuela. [1:20:18] I will quickly learn Spanish. [1:20:19] It won't take too long. [1:20:20] I'm good at language. [1:20:21] And I will go to Venezuela. [1:20:23] I'm going to run for president. [1:20:25] But we're very happy with the president-elect that [1:20:27] we have right now. [1:20:28] The people that are running it. [1:20:32] If you remember Bush with Iraq, they fired the [1:20:35] generals, they fired the police, they fired the [1:20:37] people that worked in their equivalent of the [1:20:40] White House. [1:20:41] They fired everybody. [1:20:42] And you know what they had? [1:20:43] They had a mess. [1:20:44] And you know what happened? [1:20:45] ISIS formed. [1:20:46] Those generals and those soldiers got together. [1:20:49] The police got together. [1:20:50] They all got together. [1:20:51] They formed ISIS. [1:20:52] Not going to happen with us. [1:20:54] So Venezuela has been an incredible, it's been an [1:20:57] incredible situation. [1:20:59] We went in. [1:21:00] We were very successful. [1:21:01] Military power like nobody has ever seen. [1:21:04] The general, Venezuelan general, said, I was on [1:21:07] that site. [1:21:08] I said, I've never seen ferocity like that. [1:21:11] I've been doing this for 40 years. [1:21:12] He said, I've never seen anything. [1:21:14] They hit us from 17 different. [1:21:16] It was, they were all set. [1:21:19] They saw that big, beautiful aircraft [1:21:21] carrier, the Ford in that case. [1:21:23] And planes were pouring off it at 1 o'clock in the [1:21:26] morning. [1:21:27] So typically, when you see that late at night, [1:21:30] you know, you could be in trouble. [1:21:32] Right? [1:21:33] And we were all ready. [1:21:35] They had their equipment. [1:21:36] It was Russian. [1:21:38] And they had Chinese equipment. [1:21:39] It was all set. [1:21:40] They were going to give us a fight, he said. [1:21:43] And then they came and they came at speeds like [1:21:46] we've never seen. [1:21:47] And they came at 17 different angles. [1:21:50] The general and his people, that was a lot of [1:21:52] angles. [1:21:53] They hit him from every angle. [1:21:54] He said. [1:21:55] We knew it was over in three minutes. [1:21:59] We were waiting for him. [1:22:01] Their equipment didn't work. [1:22:03] And there's a reason it didn't work. [1:22:04] Someday we'll explain that to people. [1:22:07] They pressed the button. [1:22:08] Nothing happened. [1:22:09] They pressed it again and again. [1:22:10] Nothing happened. [1:22:12] And he said, we knew this whole thing was over in [1:22:14] three minutes. [1:22:15] We've never seen any. [1:22:16] He used the word ferocity, the ferocity of these [1:22:20] planes from 17 different angles. [1:22:22] And it was over. [1:22:23] They went inside. [1:22:24] And remember, that was on a military. [1:22:26] It was a military base with thousands of soldiers. [1:22:28] And those soldiers looked and they said, get the [1:22:31] hell out of here. [1:22:32] Thousands. [1:22:32] We didn't have thousands. [1:22:33] We had like 200 people. [1:22:36] So we have a great military. [1:22:39] And I'll tell you what, somehow this rescue [1:22:42] captured the world's attention, more so than [1:22:45] normally. [1:22:46] You're talking about two people. [1:22:48] But this rescue captured the world's attention. [1:22:52] But we did it in Venezuela. [1:22:53] That was amazing. [1:22:55] And now we have a very bad man in prison. [1:22:57] And going to trial. [1:22:58] I mean, he released, aside from the drugs, which he [1:23:02] was terrible, Maduro released hundreds of [1:23:06] thousands of people from jails into our country. [1:23:10] Drug dealers, murderers. [1:23:12] The worst people in the world were released into [1:23:14] our country because we had a stupid president who [1:23:18] probably didn't know. [1:23:19] And we had a border czar who never went to the [1:23:21] border and never once called our great border [1:23:24] patrol agents, right? [1:23:25] Not once, Kamala. [1:23:26] She never called the border patrol. [1:23:29] She said, how are we doing? [1:23:29] I used to call the border patrol guys every day. [1:23:31] You can ask them. [1:23:32] Paul, ask any one of them. [1:23:34] Brandon, ask them all the time. [1:23:37] How are we doing? [1:23:37] How are we doing? [1:23:38] And we now, I'm proud to say, have a totally sealed [1:23:41] border. [1:23:41] Nine months, nobody has come in through our border. [1:23:43] And nobody even tries because they know they're [1:23:45] not going to get through. [1:23:46] So we don't have caravans anymore. [1:23:47] So maybe one or two more and we'll be done. [1:23:51] The Presser. [1:23:53] The Presser. [1:23:54] The Presser. [1:23:55] The Presser. [1:23:56] The Presser. [1:23:56] The Presser. [1:23:57] The Presser. [1:23:58] The Presser. [1:23:59] The Presser. [1:23:59] The Presser. [1:24:00] The Presser. [1:24:01] The Presser. [1:24:02] The Presser. [1:24:03] The Presser. [1:24:03] The Presser. [1:24:04] The Presser. [1:24:05] The Presser. [1:24:06] The Presser. [1:24:07] The Presser. [1:24:08] The Presser. [1:24:08] The Presser. [1:24:09] The Presser. [1:24:10] The Presser. [1:24:11] The Presser. [1:24:11] The Presser. [1:24:12] The Presser. [1:24:13] The Presser. [1:24:14] The Presser. [1:24:14] The Presser. [1:24:15] The Presser. [1:24:16] The Presser. [1:24:17] The Presser. [1:24:18] The Presser. [1:24:18] The Presser. [1:24:19] The Presser. [1:24:20] The Presser. [1:24:21] The Presser. [1:24:22] The Presser. [1:24:23] The Presser. [1:24:23] The Presser. [1:24:24] The Presser. [1:24:25] The Presser. [1:24:26] The Presser. [1:24:26] The Presser. [1:24:27] The Presser. [1:24:28] The Presser. [1:24:29] The Presser. [1:24:32] The Press Thank you very much. [1:24:34] Just to clarify, in order for Iran [1:24:37] to successfully meet your deadline tomorrow, [1:24:39] do they have to make a deal, open the strait, or vote? [1:24:43] The President We have to have a deal [1:24:44] that's acceptable to me. [1:24:46] And part of that deal is going to be, [1:24:48] we want free traffic of oil and everything else. [1:24:51] The Press Mr. President, [1:24:56] thank you very much. [1:24:57] You've said, glory be to God, in this conflict. [1:25:00] Do you believe that God supports the United States [1:25:02] actions in this war? [1:25:03] And have you sought his direction? [1:25:04] The President I do, because God is good. [1:25:05] Because God is good. [1:25:06] And God wants to see people taken care of. [1:25:09] God doesn't like what's happening. [1:25:11] I don't like what's happening. [1:25:13] Everyone says, I enjoy it. [1:25:14] I don't enjoy this. [1:25:15] I don't enjoy it. [1:25:15] These two guys don't enjoy it. [1:25:17] You know, people say, oh, boy, they're so tough. [1:25:19] They don't want — they don't like — I don't [1:25:21] like seeing people killed. [1:25:22] I've ended eight wars. [1:25:24] Nobody has ever done it. [1:25:27] The person who won the Nobel Prize came to me [1:25:29] and said, you deserve the Nobel Prize. [1:25:31] She announced that. [1:25:32] When they announced, they said, [1:25:33] it goes to Maria. [1:25:35] She's a great person. [1:25:36] Really a good person. [1:25:38] She said, no, no, no. [1:25:40] This is ridiculous. [1:25:42] They gave me the Nobel Prize. [1:25:43] President Trump ended eight wars. [1:25:45] I could go over every one of them, including India [1:25:48] and Pakistan, where the Prime Minister of [1:25:50] Pakistan said President Trump saved from 30 to 50 [1:25:54] million lives. [1:25:56] That makes me much happier than what we're doing [1:25:59] right now. [1:26:00] That makes me much happier. [1:26:01] We have one more to end, by the way. [1:26:03] The Press. [1:26:04] The Press. [1:26:08] The Press. [1:26:09] The Press. [1:26:09] The Press. [1:26:10] The President Afternoon You called the [1:26:10] — yesterday, on your Truth Social, you called [1:26:11] the Iranians crazy bastards. [1:26:13] The President True. [1:26:14] The Press. [1:26:14] The Press. [1:26:15] The President What is your response to critics who [1:26:17] say that — The President I don't care [1:26:18] about critics. [1:26:19] The President What is your response to critics [1:26:20] who say that it is your mental health that should [1:26:21] perhaps be examined as this war continues? [1:26:23] The President Well, I haven't heard that, but if [1:26:25] that's the case, you're going to have to have more [1:26:27] people like me because our country was being ripped [1:26:30] off on trade, on underground — on [1:26:32] everything for many years until I came along. [1:26:35] So if that's the case, you're going to have to [1:26:36] have more people. [1:26:37] The Press. [1:26:38] And you said that very little is off-limits in [1:26:42] Iran as far as targeting, including power plants, [1:26:45] bridges. [1:26:46] You've mentioned those. [1:26:46] The President Very little is off-limits. [1:26:47] The Press Are there certain kinds of civilian [1:26:49] targets, though? [1:26:50] I'm thinking schools or hospitals that you would [1:26:51] say is off-limits. [1:26:52] The President I don't want to tell you that. [1:26:52] I don't want to tell you that. [1:26:53] We have a plan, because of the power of our [1:26:58] military, where every bridge in Iran will be [1:27:02] decimated by 12 o'clock tomorrow night, where [1:27:07] every power plant in Iran will be out of business, [1:27:11] burning, exploding, and never to be used again. [1:27:15] I mean, complete demolition by 12 o'clock. [1:27:18] And it'll happen over a period of four hours, if [1:27:20] we want it to. [1:27:21] We don't want that to happen. [1:27:23] We may even get involved with helping them rebuild [1:27:26] their nation. [1:27:28] And you know what? [1:27:29] If that's the case, the last thing we want to do [1:27:31] is start with power plants, which are among the most [1:27:33] expensive thing, and bridges. [1:27:35] You saw the bridge. [1:27:36] The bridge went. [1:27:37] We want it. [1:27:37] We're very close to a deal. [1:27:40] And then I got a call from Mr. Witkoff, Mr. [1:27:44] Kushner, and J.D., saying, I think they're [1:27:49] breaking the deal. [1:27:50] I said, tell them that's okay. [1:27:52] Don't worry about it. [1:27:53] But tell them to look out their window and watch. [1:27:55] And within 45 minutes, I gave the order to knock [1:27:59] out the biggest bridge. [1:28:01] I gave the order to knock out the biggest bridge in, [1:28:04] I believe, the Middle East, but the biggest [1:28:06] bridge in Iran. [1:28:07] And within 10 minutes after I gave that [1:28:10] order, that bridge was over. [1:28:13] So, do I want to do that? [1:28:16] No. [1:28:17] Do I want to destroy their infrastructure? [1:28:19] No. [1:28:20] It will take them 100 years to rebuild. [1:28:23] Right now, if we left today, it would take them [1:28:27] 20 years to rebuild their country, and it would [1:28:29] never be as good as it was. [1:28:31] And the only way they're going to be able to [1:28:32] rebuild their country is to utilize the genius of [1:28:35] the United States of America. [1:28:37] The Press- Mr. President, you voiced your displeasure [1:28:42] with NATO in the past. [1:28:44] Is there a danger to the U.S. [1:28:45] not being the de facto of the leader of the alliance [1:28:48] and then other powers within the alliance then [1:28:51] getting the decision-making when it [1:28:53] comes to wars and nuclear weapons? [1:28:54] The President No, it's not a danger. [1:28:56] NATO's — look, we went to NATO. [1:28:59] I didn't ask very strongly. [1:29:00] I just said, hey, if you want to help, great. [1:29:02] No, no, no, we will not help. [1:29:04] I said, that's all right. [1:29:05] You don't want to help? [1:29:06] Because I've always said NATO is a paper tiger. [1:29:09] See, NATO is a paper tiger. [1:29:12] Putin is not afraid of NATO. [1:29:13] Putin is afraid of us. [1:29:14] Very afraid of us. [1:29:16] And he's explained it to me a lot of times. [1:29:18] I got to know him very well. [1:29:19] I know him very well. [1:29:21] NATO is a paper tiger. [1:29:23] NATO is us. [1:29:24] And when we needed them — oh, we didn't need them, [1:29:27] by the way. [1:29:28] We didn't need them, obviously, because they [1:29:30] haven't helped at all. [1:29:31] Just the opposite. [1:29:32] They've actually gone out of their way not to help. [1:29:35] They didn't even want to give us landing strips. [1:29:38] Think of it. [1:29:39] And it's not just NATO. [1:29:40] You know who else didn't help us? [1:29:41] South Korea didn't help us. [1:29:43] You know who else didn't help us? [1:29:44] Australia didn't help us. [1:29:47] You know who else didn't help us? [1:29:49] Japan. [1:29:51] We've got 50,000 soldiers in Japan to protect them [1:29:55] from North Korea. [1:29:56] We have 45,000 soldiers in South Korea to protect us [1:30:01] from Kim Jong-un, who I get along with very well, [1:30:04] as you know. [1:30:05] Do you notice he said very nice things about me? [1:30:07] He used to call Joe Biden a mentally retarded person. [1:30:11] Okay? [1:30:11] So don't tell me about your stuff. [1:30:15] Joe Biden, he said he's a mentally retarded person. [1:30:17] He was so nasty to Joe Biden. [1:30:18] It was terrible. [1:30:20] But to me, he likes Trump. [1:30:21] And do you notice how nice things are with North Korea? [1:30:24] It's very nice. [1:30:25] But we have 45,000 people, soldiers, in harm's way, [1:30:30] and right next to Kim Jong-un with a lot of [1:30:32] nuclear weapons. [1:30:34] Forty-five — which should have never happened if a [1:30:37] certain President — I'm not going to mention this [1:30:39] President because I happen to like him, believe it [1:30:41] or not — but if a certain President did his job, Kim [1:30:44] Jong-un would not have nuclear weapons right now. [1:30:47] But they're all afraid to do their job properly. [1:30:50] But just to conclude and just to finish, Japan [1:30:54] didn't help us. [1:30:55] Australia didn't help us. [1:30:56] South Korea didn't help us. [1:30:58] And then you get to NATO. [1:30:59] NATO didn't help us. [1:31:01] There were some countries that did. [1:31:02] Now, countries that have been good — now, you could [1:31:05] also say they're got to be a little bit more involved [1:31:07] because they're in the territory — but Saudi [1:31:09] Arabia has been excellent. [1:31:11] Qatar has been excellent. [1:31:13] UAE has been excellent. [1:31:15] Bahrain, Kuwait — I mean, Kuwait did shoot down [1:31:17] three of our planes. [1:31:18] The only planes, really, that we lost were friendly [1:31:22] fire, they call it. [1:31:23] I call it unfriendly fire. [1:31:25] They unfortunately didn't know how to use our great [1:31:30] patriots. [1:31:32] The pilots said, what kind of a missile is coming at [1:31:34] us? [1:31:34] Patriot. [1:31:35] Boom, they got out because they know a [1:31:37] patriot never misses. [1:31:39] So they had beautiful patriots. [1:31:41] There were planes heading in their direction. [1:31:44] Unfortunately, they decided to shoot those [1:31:46] planes. [1:31:47] They were our planes. [1:31:48] So, you know, NATO is a paper tiger. [1:31:53] He's coming to see me on Wednesday, as you know. [1:31:55] He's a wonderful guy. [1:31:57] The Secretary General is great. [1:31:59] And Mark Rutte, he's a great person. [1:32:02] But he's got — and, you know, it all began with, [1:32:06] if you want to know the truth, Greenland. [1:32:08] We want Greenland. [1:32:10] They don't want to give it to us. [1:32:11] And I said, bye-bye. [1:32:13] Okay, thank you very much, everybody. [1:32:15] Thank you.