President Trump delivers address on Iran rescue and ultimatum

[0:00] PRESIDENT TRUMP SPEAKING AT THE WHITE HOUSE IN THIS NEWS CONFERENCE, LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE [0:05] THAT LIVE. THURSDAY NIGHT, AN AMERICAN F-15 FIGHTER JET WENT DOWN DEEP INSIDE ENEMY TERRITORY [0:11] IN IRAN WHILE PARTICIPATING IN OPERATION EPIC FURY, WHERE WE'RE DOING UNBELIEVABLY WELL, [0:19] WELL AT A LEVEL THAT NOBODY'S EVER SEEN BEFORE. THE ENTIRE COUNTRY COULD BE TAKEN OUT IN ONE [0:26] NIGHT, AND THAT NIGHT MIGHT BE TOMORROW NIGHT. BOTH MEMBERS OF THE CREW EJECTED FROM THE [0:33] AIRCRAFT AND LANDED ALIVE ON IRANIAN SOIL. I IMMEDIATELY WAS ASKED TO MAKE A DECISION. [0:41] I ORDERED THE U.S. ARMED FORCES TO DO WHATEVER WAS NECESSARY TO BRING OUR BRAVE [0:46] WARRIORS BACK HOME, A RISKY DECISION, BECAUSE WE COULD HAVE ENDED UP WITH A HUNDRED DEAD AS [0:52] OPPOSED TO ONE OR TWO. IT'S A HARD DECISION TO MAKE. BUT IN THE UNITED STATES MILITARY, [0:59] WE LEAVE NO AMERICAN BEHIND. WE DON'T DO IT. WITHIN HOURS, OUR ARMED FORCES DEPLOYED 21 [1:05] MILITARY AIRCRAFT INTO HOSTILE AIRSPACE, MANY FLYING AT VERY LOW ALTITUDE, BEING SHOT BY [1:11] BULLETS. YOU BRING RIFLES INTO PLAY WHEN YOU'RE GOING THAT LOW, BUT THERE ARE ALSO [1:18] CERTAIN ADVANTAGES. AND IN BROAD DAYLIGHT OVER IRAN FOR SEVEN HOURS AT TIMES FACING [1:25] VERY, VERY HEAVY ENEMY FIRE, WE HAVE A HELICOPTER THAT'S GOT A LOT OF BULLETS IN IT. IT'S A [1:31] HARD DECISION TO MAKE, BUT IT'S AMAZING. WE JUST REALIZED HOW GOOD THOSE WEAPONS ARE, [1:38] THOSE MACHINES ARE. NOBODY HAS THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE HAVE AND NOBODY HAS THE MILITARY THAT [1:44] WE HAVE. NOT EVEN CLOSE. THE MOST POWERFUL MILITARY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD BY FAR. THE [1:50] FLIGHT CREWS AND WARFIGHTERS ABOARD THOSE AIRCRAFT TOOK EXTRAORDINARY RISKS TO RESCUE THEIR [1:56] FELLOW SERVICE MEMBERS. THIS FIRST WAVE OF SEARCH AND RESCUE FORCES SUCCESSFULLY LOCATED THE [2:02] MILITARY. AND HE WAS EXTRACTED FROM ENEMY TERRITORY BY AN HH-60 JOLLY GREEN II HELICOPTER. [2:11] FABULOUS MACHINE AS OUR WARRIORS FACED GUNFIRE AT VERY CLOSE RANGE. IT'S AMAZING THAT WHEN YOU [2:20] LOOK AT THE MACHINERY, WHAT HAPPENED THAT NOBODY WAS EVEN INJURED. MEANWHILE, THE SECOND CREW [2:27] MEMBER, WEAPON SYSTEM OFFICER, HIGHLY RESPECTED COLONEL, HAD LANDED A SIGNIFICANT DISTANCE AWAY [2:33] FROM THE PILOT WHEN YOU'RE GOING AT THOSE SPEEDS. [2:35] AND IF YOU GO OUT TWO OR THREE SECONDS LATER, IT'S MILES AND MILES AWAY BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING FAST. [2:43] HE WAS INJURED QUITE BADLY AND STRANDED IN AN AREA TEAMING WITH TERRORISTS FROM THE ISLAMIC [2:49] REVOLUTIONARY GUARD CORE ROUGH GROUP AS WELL AS BESIEGED MILITIA AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES. [2:58] MANY ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE, THEY TOLD THE COMMUNITIES ACTUALLY WITHIN SIDE OF IRAN, [3:06] THE PEOPLE OF IRAN, THEY WERE GIVEN A TREMENDOUS INCENTIVE TO FIND THIS PILOT. [3:13] DESPITE THE PERIL, THE OFFICER FOLLOWED HIS TRAINING AND CLIMBED INTO THE TREACHEROUS [3:18] MOUNTAIN TERRAIN AND STARTED CLIMBING TOWARD A HIGHER ALTITUDE, SOMETHING THEY WERE TRAINED [3:24] TO DO IN ORDER TO EVADE CAPTURE. [3:28] THEY WANT TO ALWAYS GO AS FAR AWAY FROM THE SITE OF THE SHOOT DOWN. [3:35] THEY WANT TO GO AS FAR AWAY BECAUSE THEY ALL HEAD RIGHT TO THAT PILOT. [3:37] THEY WANT TO GO AS FAR AWAY AS YOU CAN. [3:40] AND HE WAS INJURED. [3:42] HE WAS AN AMAZING THING. [3:45] HE SCALED CLIP FACES, BLEEDING RATHER PROFUSELY, TREATED HIS OWN WOUNDS AND CONTACTED AMERICAN [3:53] FORCES TO TRANSMIT HIS LOCATION. [3:56] THEY HAVE A VERY SOPHISTICATED BEEPER TYPE APPARATUS THAT IS ON THEM AT ALL TIMES. [4:06] AND WHEN THEY GO OUT ON THESE MISSIONS, THEY MAKE SURE THEY HAVE SOMEBODY TO TAKE CARE [4:10] OF THEM. [4:11] THEY HAVE A LOT OF BATTERY SPACE, AND THEY'RE IN GOOD SHAPE. [4:13] AND THIS ONE WORKED REALLY WELL, AMAZINGLY, SAVED HIS LIFE. [4:17] WE IMMEDIATELY MOBILIZED A MASSIVE OPERATION TO RETRIEVE HIM FROM THE MOUNTAIN HOLDOUT, [4:25] AND HE KEPT GOING HIGHER AND HIGHER. [4:26] THE MOUNTAIN KEPT GETTING ROUGHER AND ROUGHER AND REALLY VERY, VERY HARD TO FIND. [4:32] THE SECOND RESCUE MISSION INVOLVED 155 AIRCRAFT, INCLUDING FOUR BOMBERS, 64 FIGHTERS, 48 REFUELING [4:40] TANKERS. [4:41] 13 RESCUE AIRCRAFT AND MORE. [4:44] WE WERE BRINGING THEM ALL OVER, AND A LOT OF IT WAS SUBTRAFUGE. [4:49] WE WANTED TO HAVE THEM THINK HE WAS IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION, BECAUSE THEY HAD A VAST MILITARY [4:54] FORCE OUT THERE, THOUSANDS, THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WERE LOOKING. [4:58] SO WE WANTED THEM TO LOOK IN DIFFERENT AREAS, SO WE WERE SCATTERED ALL OVER LIKE WE WERE [5:04] RIGHT ON TOP OF THEM. [5:06] WE HAD SEVEN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS WHERE THEY THOUGHT, AND THEY WERE VERY CONFUSED. [5:10] THEY SAID, WELL, WAIT A MINUTE. [5:11] THEY'VE GOT TO GO. [5:12] THEY'VE GOT GROUPS HERE. [5:12] THEY'VE GOT GROUPS THERE. [5:13] IT'S AN AMAZING THING. [5:16] I WAS LISTENING TO THESE GREAT PEOPLE, THESE GREAT GENERALS, GENERAL RAISENKANE, WHO'S [5:23] AMAZING, AND PETE HEGSETH WAS AMAZING. [5:25] BUT I LISTENED TO THE WHOLE THING. [5:27] IT WAS PRETTY AMAZING. [5:28] SO THEY HAD ALL THESE DIFFERENT SITES WHERE EVERYBODY THOUGHT HE WAS LOCATED. [5:33] WE THINK WE HAVE HIM OVER THERE, BECAUSE THEY HAVE NINE PLANES CIRCLING A LITTLE AREA THAT'S [5:38] 25 MILES DOWN THE COAST. [5:40] SO IN A BREATHTAKING SHOW OF SKILL AND PRECISION. [5:46] LETHALITY AND FORCE. [5:47] AMERICA'S MILITARY DESCENDED ON THE AREA, THE REAL AREA, ENGAGED THE ENEMY, RESCUED [5:54] THE STRANDED OFFICER, DESTROYED ALL THREATS, AND EXITED IRANIAN TERRITORY WHILE TAKING [6:01] NO CASUALTIES OF ANY KIND. [6:04] THE HEROIC F-15 WEAPON SYSTEM OFFICER HAD EVADED CAPTURE ON THE GROUND IN IRAN FOR ALMOST [6:13] 48 HOURS. [6:14] THAT'S A LONG TIME WHEN YOU'RE IN TOUGH SHAPE AND WHEN YOU'RE BLEEDING. [6:17] IT'S A LONG TIME. [6:19] WHEN WE LEFT, AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, WE HAD TWO LARGE PLANES, PRETTY OLD PLANES. [6:27] IT CARRIED A LOT. [6:27] WE NEEDED A LOT MORE EQUIPMENT GOING IN THAN COMING OUT, OBVIOUSLY, BECAUSE GOING IN, WE [6:33] NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO SCALE MOUNTAINS. [6:36] AND WE HAD A LOT OF EQUIPMENT. [6:38] BUT THE SAND WAS, IT WAS SANDY, WET SAND. [6:42] SO WE THOUGHT THERE MAY BE A PROBLEM TAKING OFF BECAUSE OF THE WEIGHT OF THE PLANE. [6:46] AND THEN WE ALSO HAD ALL THE MEN JUMPING. [6:49] BACK ON TO THE PLANES. [6:51] AND THEY GOT PRETTY WELL BOGGED DOWN. [6:53] AND WE HAD A CONTINGENCY PLAN, WHICH WAS UNBELIEVABLE, WHERE LIGHTER, FASTER AIRCRAFT CAME IN. [7:00] AND THEY TOOK THEM OUT. [7:01] WE BLEW UP THE OLD PLANES. [7:03] WE BLEW THEM UP TO SMITHEREENS BECAUSE WE HAD EQUIPMENT ON THE PLANES THAT, FRANKLY, [7:08] WE'D LIKE TO TAKE, BUT I DON'T THINK IT WAS WORTH WELL SPENDING ANOTHER FOUR HOURS THERE [7:12] TAKING IT OFF. [7:13] SO WE DIDN'T WANT ANYBODY TO HAVE THE BEST EQUIPMENT ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. [7:17] WE DIDN'T WANT ANYBODY EXAMINING OUR. [7:19] ANTI-AIRCRAFT AND OTHER EQUIPMENT. [7:23] SO THESE WERE LARGE PLANES THAT WERE OLD AND PRETTY OLD. [7:27] AND WE BLEW THEM UP. [7:29] AND WE HAD FASTER, LIGHTER PLANES COME IN. [7:33] AND THEY WERE ABLE TO LAND ON THE SAND. [7:35] WE NEEDED THE BIGGER PLANES BECAUSE WE HAD SO MUCH EQUIPMENT THAT WE NEEDED. [7:37] WE TOOK THREE HELICOPTERS OVER THERE, WHICH WERE VERY STRONGLY USED AND COULDN'T HAVE [7:42] LIVED WITHOUT THEM. [7:43] THEY PERFORMED UNBELIEVABLY WELL. [7:46] AND IF YOU'D SEE IT, YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE IT. [7:48] THEY CAME OFF THE PLANE. [7:49] AND THESE GUYS HAD THEM, THE ROTORS WERE OFF. [7:55] THEY REBUILT THESE HELICOPTERS IN LESS THAN TEN MINUTES. [8:00] AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE MORE AMAZING THINGS. [8:02] THESE ARE HELICOPTERS. [8:05] SMALL, UNBELIEVABLY POWERFUL. [8:08] BUT SMALL, VERY SMALL, SO IT CAN GET INTO CERTAIN AREAS. [8:12] AND THEY GOT THEM OFF THE PLANE. [8:15] AND THEY REBUILT ALL THREE OF THEM IN A MATTER OF LESS THAN, I WOULD SAY LESS THAN TEN MINUTES. [8:21] IT'S PRETTY AMAZING. [8:22] THE GENIUS OF THESE PEOPLE. [8:25] WHO WOULD THINK THAT? [8:25] YOU'D THINK IT WOULD TAKE FIVE DAYS TO BUILD THEM. [8:28] AND IN SOME COMPANIES IT WOULD TAKE FIVE DAYS. [8:30] AND THEY WOULDN'T DO IT WELL. [8:32] BUT THEY SERVED US WELL. [8:33] AS COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, I NEVER FORGET THE EXTRAORDINARY RISK TAKEN BY THE WARRIORS THAT WE SEND INTO BATTLE. [8:41] AND THE GENIUS. [8:42] I MEAN, THINK OF IT. [8:43] HAVING A CONTINGENCY OF THREE PLANES WAITING BECAUSE WE THINK THE SAND IS SO BAD THAT WE PROBABLY WON'T BE ABLE TO TAKE OFF. [8:49] AND THE PLANES REALLY GOT IT. [8:52] IT GOT BOGGED. [8:53] THE SAND WAS, THIS WAS NOT MUCH OF A RUNWAY. [8:56] THIS WAS A FARM, NOT A RUNWAY. [8:57] IT WAS A FARM, BUT IT DID THE TRICK. [9:01] BUT TO HAVE A CONTINGENCY AS OPPOSED TO HAVING TO WAIT TWO DAYS, CAN YOU IMAGINE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE? [9:06] THIS WAS CENTRAL. [9:07] THIS WAS RIGHT, YOU WOULD CALL IT CENTRAL CASTING IF YOU WERE DOING A MOVIE FOR LOCATION. [9:13] AND PROBABLY THE TOUGHEST AREA OF IRAN WHERE WE'D BE SITTING THERE. [9:17] SO THESE PLANES CAME IN. [9:19] THOSE PILOTS CAME IN SO FAST AND SO QUICK AND GOT OUT OF THERE. [9:22] EVERYBODY GOT ABOARD AND JUST GOT 15-MINUTE INTERVALS, ONE LOAD OUT, ONE LOAD OUT, ONE LOAD OUT. [9:31] IT HAPPENED. [9:33] AND WE WERE WATCHING, AND WE SAID, THAT'S AMAZING. [9:36] IN MANY WAYS, I WAS ALMOST MORE IMPRESSED BY THE CONTINGENCY THAT WE HAD THAN THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, [9:45] IF WE WOULD HAVE HAD A RUNWAY OR DECENT SOIL, BUT IT WAS AN AMAZING THING. [9:49] BUT WE THANK GOD FOR EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM AND THE TALENT. [9:53] THE GENIUS IS NOT EVEN TALENT. [9:55] IT'S GENIUS. [9:56] IT'S THE WHOLE BALL GAME, EVERY ONE OF THEM. [9:59] IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT WE DID WITH MADURO, WE WENT INTO A MILITARY COMPOUND, A MASSIVE, [10:05] WITH THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF SOLDIERS, AND WITHIN A MATTER OF MINUTES. [10:09] AND HE LIVED BEHIND IRON DOORS. [10:11] THERE WERE STEEL DOORS, BROKE THEM DOWN SO QUICKLY. [10:14] AND WITHIN ALMOST MINUTES, HE WAS IN THE BACK OF THESE PLANES. [10:18] IT WAS A SIMILAR GROUP, INCREDIBLE. [10:20] WE HAVE INCREDIBLY TALENTED PEOPLE. [10:22] AND IF THE TIME COMES, WE MOVE HEAVEN AND EARTH TO BRING THEM HOME SAFELY. [10:28] WE'RE GOING TO BRING OUR PEOPLE HOME SAFELY. [10:30] I WANT TO THANK EVERY MEMBER OF THE U.S. ARMED FORCES INVOLVED IN THESE HISTORIC OPERATIONS. [10:35] THEY REALLY WERE HISTORIC. [10:36] IT'S JUST NOT SOMETHING THAT'S DONE. [10:39] AND YOU'D UNDERSTAND IT, NOT THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO DO IT, BUT WHEN YOU'RE GOING INTO [10:43] AREAS, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE HELICOPTERS, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF BULLETS AND [10:47] EVERYTHING ELSE THAT THEY TOOK, WHEN YOU GO INTO THESE AREAS, YOU DON'T COME OUT LIKE [10:52] WE CAME OUT. [10:52] GOD WAS WATCHING US. [10:54] WELL, IT WAS THE EASTER, WE WERE IN EASTER TERRITORY, I GUESS, BUT GOD WAS WATCHING US. [11:02] AMAZING. [11:03] BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE MACHINERY, THEY TOOK DAMAGE. [11:07] TELLS YOU, FIRST THING I SAID IS THESE ARE UNBELIEVABLE MACHINES, HOW THEY FLEW BACK [11:11] AND NOT EVEN MUCH OF A PROBLEM. [11:14] BUT THESE TWO EXTRAORDINARY RESCUES, BECAUSE IT WAS TWO, AND AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, WE DIDN'T [11:19] TALK ABOUT THE FIRST ONE FOR AN HOUR, AND THEN SOMEBODY LEAKED SOMETHING. [11:24] WHICH? [11:25] WE'LL HOPEFULLY FIND THAT LEAKER. [11:26] WE'RE LOOKING VERY HARD TO FIND THAT LEAKER. [11:28] AND TALKED ABOUT THERE'S SOMEBODY MISSING. [11:33] THEY BASICALLY SAID THAT WE HAVE ONE AND THERE'S SOMEBODY MISSING. [11:37] WELL, THEY DIDN'T KNOW THERE WAS SOMEBODY MISSING UNTIL THIS LEAKER GAVE THE INFORMATION. [11:41] SO WHOEVER IT WAS, WE THINK WE'LL BE ABLE TO FIND IT OUT, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO GO [11:44] TO THE MEDIA COMPANY THAT RELEASED IT, AND WE'RE GOING TO SAY NATIONAL SECURITY, GIVE [11:52] IT UP OR GO TO JAIL. [11:53] AND WE KNOW WHO, AND YOU KNOW WHO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. [11:57] BECAUSE SOME THINGS YOU CAN'T DO. [12:00] BECAUSE WHEN THEY DID THAT, ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE ENTIRE COUNTRY OF IRAN KNEW THAT THERE [12:05] WAS A PILOT THAT WAS SOMEWHERE ON THEIR LAND THAT WAS FIGHTING FOR HIS LIFE, AND IT ALSO [12:13] MADE IT MUCH MORE DIFFICULT FOR THE PILOTS AND FOR THE PEOPLE GOING IN TO SEARCH FOR [12:19] HIM. [12:20] ALL OF A SUDDEN, THEY KNOW THAT THERE'S SOMEBODY OUT THERE. [12:23] THEY SEE ALL THESE PLANES COMING IN. [12:25] IT BECAME A MUCH MORE DIFFICULT OPERATION. [12:28] BECAUSE A LEAKER... [12:29] A LEAKER LEAKED THAT WE HAVE ONE, WE'VE RESCUED ONE, BUT THERE'S ANOTHER ONE OUT THERE THAT [12:36] WE'RE TRYING TO GET. [12:38] SO ACTUALLY, THE COUNTRY, IRAN, PUT OUT A MAJOR NOTICE, YOU ALL SAW IT, OFFERING A [12:46] VERY BIG AWARD FOR ANYBODY THAT CAPTURES THE PILOT. [12:50] SO IN ADDITION TO A HOSTILE, VERY TALENTED, VERY GOOD, VERY EVIL MILITARY, WE HAD MILLIONS [12:59] OF PEOPLE TRYING TO GET AN AWARD. [13:01] SO... [13:03] WHEN YOU ADD THAT TO IT, BUT WE HAVE TO FIND THAT LEAKER, BECAUSE THAT'S A SICK PERSON. [13:07] PROBABLY DIDN'T REALIZE THE EXTENT OF HOW BAD IT WAS. [13:10] I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT THE PERSON DID. [13:12] BUT WE'RE GOING TO FIND OUT. [13:14] IT'S NATIONAL SECURITY. [13:15] AND THE PERSON THAT DID THE STORY WILL GO TO JAIL IF HE DOESN'T SAY. [13:21] AND THAT DOESN'T LAST LONG. [13:22] AND I THINK EVERYBODY WOULD UNDERSTAND IT. [13:24] THEY PUT THIS MISSION AT GREAT RISK. [13:26] THEY PUT THAT MAN AT GREAT RISK, AND THEY PUT THE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE THAT WENT IN LOOKING [13:30] FOR HIM, BECAUSE EVERYONE NOW KNOWS THAT WE'RE... [13:34] GOING IN. [13:35] OVER THE PAST 37 DAYS, AMERICA'S ARMED FORCES HAVE CARRIED OUT MORE THAN 10,000 COMBAT FLIGHTS [13:43] OVER IRAN, UNHEARD OF, STRIKING MORE THAN 13,000 TARGETS. [13:47] THE F-15 WE LOST LAST WEEK WAS THE FIRST MANNED AIRCRAFT DOWNED BY THE ENEMY IN THIS [13:53] ENTIRE OPERATION, WITH THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF FLIGHTS. [13:57] THEY GOT LUCKY. [13:57] IT WAS A LUCKY HIT. [13:59] YOU KNOW, EVENTUALLY YOU GET LUCKY. [14:01] BUT WE GOT LUCKY, TOO, BECAUSE WE GOT BOTH OF THEM BACK. [14:05] BUT IT'S A RECORD THAT IS UNPARALLELED IN THE HISTORY OF MILITARY AIR OPERATIONS. [14:10] NOBODY'S EVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT. [14:12] IT'S SUCH AN HONOR TO BE INVOLVED WITH IT. [14:16] WE WERE UP LATE AT NIGHT, AND THEN WE WERE WAITING FOR THOSE CONTINGENT PLANES TO COME [14:23] IN, AND WE SAID, COME ON, LET'S GO GET IN, BECAUSE THEY'RE WAITING OUT ON THIS FARM WITHOUT [14:30] A RUNWAY, WITH WET, CRUMMY SOIL, SAND, MOSTLY SAND, WET SAND. [14:38] AND IT EATS PLANES. [14:39] IT'S ALIVE. [14:40] AND WE'RE WAITING, AND WE'RE SAYING, I HOPE THAT ONE CAN LAND AND TAKE OFF. [14:44] AND THEY CAME IN LIKE MAGIC. [14:46] BOOM, BOOM, BOOM. [14:47] ONE AFTER ANOTHER. [14:48] IT WAS LIKE GENIUS. [14:50] I'M SO IMPRESSED BY THAT. [14:52] BECAUSE WE WERE A LITTLE CONCERNED. [14:53] WE SAID, BOY, IF THEY DON'T GET IN AND GET UP FAST, WE'RE STITTING IN THE MIDDLE. [14:58] AND THAT'S CALLED IRAN PRIME, RIGHT, GENERAL? [15:02] THAT'S WHERE THE WHOLE BED IS. [15:04] AND HERE WE ARE SITTING THERE WAITING FOR A PLANE. [15:08] BUT THEY CAME IN SO FAST AND SO HARD. [15:10] THESE GUYS KNEW EXACTLY WHAT TO DO. [15:12] LET'S GO. [15:13] COME ON. [15:13] GET IN. [15:14] LET'S GO. [15:14] POI. [15:15] THEY CAME ONE RIGHT AFTER ANOTHER. [15:17] NOT AT THE SAME TIME. [15:19] THEY DON'T WANT TO COME AT THE SAME TIME. [15:20] THEY HAD TO COME RIGHT AFTER EACH OTHER. [15:22] THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY ROOM. [15:22] THERE WAS BARELY ANY ROOM TO LAND. [15:25] TINY LITTLE PATCH OF VERY WET EARTH AND SAND. [15:30] SO I JUST, I'M SO PROUD OF THE PEOPLE THAT I HAVE STANDING UP HERE WITH ME AND MANY OTHERS [15:35] THAT WORKED. [15:36] I MEAN, SO MANY. [15:38] STEVE WITKOFF'S OVER HERE. [15:39] HE'S DOING FANTASTICALLY. [15:40] JARED KUSHNER. [15:42] BUT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE, THE JOB THEY DID IS AMAZING. [15:46] AND I THINK I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE THE HEAD OF THE CIA. [15:49] AND HE IS A MAN WHO, HE'S CENTRAL CASTING, OKAY? [15:54] IF WE CAST A MOVIE, HE'S GOING TO PLAY THE HEAD OF THE CIA. [15:57] HE'S ONE OF THE FEW. [15:59] JOHN RATCLIFFE, HE DID A PHENOMENAL JOB THAT NIGHT. [16:03] HE DID SOMETHING THAT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT. [16:05] IF YOU WANT, YOU CAN. [16:06] I'M NOT SURE HE'S SUPPOSED TO. [16:07] I'M NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT IT. [16:08] BUT HE REALLY, THE CIA WAS VERY RESPONSIBLE. [16:11] FALSE. [16:12] THEY DID A GREAT JOB FINDING THIS LITTLE SPEC. [16:13] IT'S LIKE THEY USED AN EXPRESSION ON ONE OF THE SHOWS A GENERAL [16:16] WAS TALKING ABOUT. [16:18] IT'S LIKE FINDING A NEEDLE IN A HAY STACK FINDING THIS PILOT. [16:22] AND THE CIA WAS UNBELIEVABLE. [16:24] AND YOU MAY, IF YOU CAN, YOU'LL TALK, IT MIGHT BE CLASSIFIED, IN [16:28] WHICH CASE I'D HAVE TO PUT HIM IN JAIL IF HE TALKS ABOUT IT. [16:30] AND I DON'T WANT TO PUT HIM IN JAIL. [16:32] HE DOESN'T DESERVE THAT. [16:34] SO, JOHN, DO YOU WANT TO SAY A FEW WORDS? [16:35] THANK YOU. [16:36] THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. [16:39] IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE WITH YOU TODAY TO SHARE WHAT WE CAN [16:44] ABOUT THIS EXCEPTIONAL MISSION AND TO RECOGNIZE THE INGENUITY [16:48] AND BRAVERY OF THOSE WHO EXECUTED IT, AS WELL AS THE [16:52] LEADERSHIP AND RESOLVE OF THE PRESIDENT WHO ORDERED IT. [16:57] ONE THING THAT HAS BEEN CLEAR TO ME IN THIS ROLE IS THAT THE [17:00] FLAWLESS MILITARY OPERATIONS THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF WAR IS [17:03] KNOWN FOR ARE HOSTAGE TO FLAWLESS INTELLIGENCE. [17:07] WE SAW THAT IN THE SKIES OVER IRAN IN OPERATIONS THAT [17:12] HAPPENED IN VENEZUELA DURING OPERATION MIDNIGHT HAMMER LAST [17:15] SUMMER. [17:15] WE WITNESSED IT IN VENEZUELA DURING OPERATION ABSOLUTE [17:19] RESOLVE. [17:19] WE'VE SEEN IT AGAINST THE CARTELS IN THE WESTERN [17:22] HEMISPHERE, AND WE'RE SEEING IT EVERY DAY IN OPERATION EPIC FURY, [17:26] INCLUDING THIS MISSION TO RESCUE AN AVIATOR BURIED DEEP BEHIND [17:32] ENEMY LINES. [17:33] BECAUSE IT IS THE UNIQUE TRADITION OF THE U.S. ARMED [17:36] FORCES THAT WE LEAVE NO MAN OR WOMAN BEHIND, THIS WAS A NO-FAIL [17:42] MISSION. [17:43] THAT WAS THE SPIRIT IN WHICH THE PRESIDENT PUT US TO WORK. [17:44] AND WE WERE DETERMINED NOT TO LET HIM DOWN OR OUR AIRMEN DOWN. [17:51] AS AN AGENCY, THE CIA POSSESSES UNIQUE CAPABILITIES THAT ONLY THE [17:56] PRESIDENT CAN DEPLOY. [17:57] SOME OF THESE CAPABILITIES FALL UNDER COVERT ACTION [18:01] AUTHORITIES, AND BECAUSE COVERT MEANS EXACTLY THAT, I'M NOT [18:06] GOING TO BE ABLE TO TELL YOU EVERYTHING THAT YOU WANT TO [18:08] KNOW. [18:09] AT THE PRESIDENT'S DIRECTION, WE DEPLOYED BOTH HUMAN ASSETS AND [18:16] EXQUISITE TECHNOLOGIES THAT NO OTHER INTELLIGENCE SERVICE IN [18:19] THE WORLD POSSESSED. [18:20] WE DEPLOYED THEM TO A DAUNTING CHALLENGE, COMPARABLE TO [18:24] HUNTING FOR A SINGLE GRAIN OF SAND IN THE MIDDLE OF A DESERT. [18:30] THIS WAS ALSO A RACE AGAINST THE CLOCK, AS IT WAS CRITICAL THAT [18:34] WE LOCATE THE DOWNED AVIATOR AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, WHILE AT [18:38] THE SAME TIME KEEPING OUR ENEMIES MISDIRECTED. [18:42] FOR THAT REASON, IN ADDITION TO THE HUMAN AND TECHNICAL ASSETS [18:48] DEPLOYED BY THE PRESIDENT TO FIND OUR AIRMEN, CIA EXECUTED A [18:52] DECEPTION CAMPAIGN. [18:53] THE DEFENSE ADMINISTRATION OF THE UNITED STATES DECIDED TO [18:57] CONFUSE THE IRANIANS, WHO WERE DESPERATELY HUNTING FOR OUR [19:01] AIRMEN. [19:02] ON SATURDAY MORNING, WE ACHIEVED OUR PRIMARY OBJECTIVE BY FINDING [19:07] AND PROVIDING CONFIRMATION THAT ONE OF AMERICA'S BEST AND [19:11] BRAVEST WAS ALIVE AND CONCEALED IN A MOUNTAIN CREVICE, STILL [19:16] INVISIBLE TO THE ENEMY, BUT NOT TO THE CIA. [19:21] THAT CONFIRMATION WAS RELAYED BY SECRETARY HEGSETH TO THE [19:25] UNITED STATES. [19:27] FOLLOWING THE SUCCESSFUL EXFILTRATION ON SATURDAY NIGHT, [19:31] OUR INTELLIGENCE REFLECTS THAT THE IRANIANS WERE EMBARRASSED [19:35] AND ULTIMATELY HUMILIATED BY THE SUCCESS OF THIS AUDACIOUS RESCUE [19:39] MISSION. [19:42] WHEN THE PRESIDENT ASKED ME TO LEAD THE CIA, HE MADE IT CLEAR. [19:46] GET BACK TO BASICS. [19:47] NO POLITICS. [19:48] NO AGENDAS. [19:49] TACKLE THE HARDEST PROBLEMS AND EXECUTE THE TOUGHEST MISSIONS. [19:54] THIS PRESIDENT IS ABOUT RESULTS, AND NOW THAT'S WHAT HIS CIA IS [19:58] ABOUT TOO. [19:59] THE PROFESSIONALS AT THE AGENCY AND AT THE DEPARTMENT OF WAR [20:04] DESERVE IMMENSE CREDIT FOR THEIR FLAWLESS EXECUTION DURING [20:08] THIS DARING MISSION. [20:09] THEIR SKILL, CREATIVITY, AND COURAGE ARE UNMATCHED ON THE [20:13] BATTLEFIELD WHEREVER THEY STEP. [20:15] BUT NONE OF THAT MATTERS. [20:19] AND ALL OF THAT IS WASTED WITHOUT A PRESIDENT WITH THE [20:23] POLITICAL COURAGE TO PUT THEM INTO ACTION. [20:26] MR. PRESIDENT, I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF SEEING YOU ACT WITH [20:32] POLITICAL COURAGE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE UNITED STATES UP [20:34] CLOSER. [20:35] I'M GRATEFUL THAT THIS SUCCESSFUL MISSION HAS GIVEN [20:38] THE AMERICAN PEOPLE A WINDOW INTO THAT AS WELL. [20:41] THE SECRETARY AND CHAIRMAN WILL TELL YOU THAT OUR SERVICE IS [20:45] FULL. [20:46] ALL RIGHT, GUYS, YOU JUST LISTEN IN TO PRESIDENT TRUMP [20:50] THERE AND WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS GIVE AN UPDATE ON OPERATION [20:54] EPIC FURY. [20:55] WE KNOW THAT THE TENSIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST ARE ESCALATING [21:00] AHEAD OF TRUMP'S DEADLINE TO REOPEN THE STRAIT OF HORMOOS. [21:06] WE KNOW THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP MAKING NEW THREATS TOWARD IRAN. [21:10] THAT DEADLINE IS TOMORROW. [21:12] SO, AGAIN, WE JUST HEARD FROM THE PRESIDENT THERE AND WHITE [21:16] HOUSE OFFICIALS.