President Trump Gaggles with Press Before Departing the White House, Apr. 16, 2026

[0:01] Mr. President, on the Pope, the Pope criticized people [0:10] who, quote, manipulate religion for political or [0:13] military games. [0:14] Do you think that he's talking about you, sir? [0:16] The President's very important that the Pope [0:17] understands, very, very important. [0:19] It'd be nice not to say it. [0:22] Iran killed 42,000 people that were totally unarmed. [0:26] They were protesters. [0:28] Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon if they [0:31] did. [0:31] Every country, including Italy, where he's [0:34] stationed, every single country in the world would [0:37] be in trouble. [0:38] So we're doing very well with respect to that. [0:42] Having to do with the whole situation on Iran, the [0:47] blockade is amazing. [0:48] It's holding up very strong, very powerfully. [0:52] And I think we're making a lot of progress in that. [0:54] But the Pope has to understand Iran, very [0:56] simple, Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. [0:59] The world would be in great danger. [1:00] Mr. President, would you meet with the Pope to [1:05] even out your differences, because Catholics are torn? [1:09] I don't think it's necessary. [1:10] Mr. President, you spoke with Prime Minister [1:14] Modi just a couple of days ago. [1:16] What was the conversation like? [1:18] What is it that is on the table now? [1:20] The President, I had a very good talk with him. [1:22] And he's a friend of mine from India. [1:25] And he's doing great. [1:27] We had a very good conversation. [1:28] The Press Press, President, are you considering [1:31] extending the ceasefire with Iran? [1:33] The President, with who? [1:34] The President, with Iran. [1:35] The President, we're doing very well, I can tell you. [1:39] Maybe it will happen before that. [1:40] I'm not sure it needs to be extended. [1:41] The Press Press, President, do you care? [1:43] The President, just so you know, Iran wants to make a deal. [1:45] And we're dealing very nicely with them. [1:49] We've got to have no nuclear weapons. [1:51] If we do, that's a big factor. [1:53] And they're willing to do things today [1:55] that they weren't willing to do two months ago. [1:57] Mr. President, do you have any news about Ukraine? [2:01] Do you have any news regarding peace in Ukraine? [2:03] Will Hezbollah stick to the ceasefire? [2:05] Are you confident about that? [2:06] The President, I think they will. [2:06] I think it's going to be, actually, it's very exciting, [2:09] because it's 48 years. [2:12] We're going to be meeting with Bibi Netanyahu, as you know, [2:15] and the President of Lebanon. [2:18] And I had a great talk with both of them today. [2:21] They're going to be having a ceasefire, [2:24] and that will include Hezbollah. [2:26] And I think it could be number 10 for me. [2:30] The Press Press, President, do you have any news regarding peace in Ukraine? [2:34] Do you have any news regarding peace in Ukraine? [2:38] The President, Ukraine is moving along. [2:39] I wish they could get along, frankly. [2:41] A lot of people are dying in Ukraine. [2:43] We'll see what happens. [2:44] There are things happening there. [2:45] We're focused so much right now on Iran, [2:48] seeing if we can get that completed. [2:50] And I think if you look, the stock market is good. [2:56] The oil prices are coming down. [2:58] And it's looking very good that we're going to make a deal with Iran. [3:01] And it's going to be a good deal. [3:03] It's going to be a deal with no nuclear weapons. [3:05] The Press Press, President, what is the next in-person round of negotiations on the war in Iran? [3:13] They're all important. [3:14] The Press Press Press at just about 30 days. [3:14] They're all important. [3:15] I mean, it's not a question of a round. [3:17] All of them important. [3:17] The Press Press at the next in-person camp. [3:18] The Press Press Press [3:19] Probably, maybe over the weekend. [3:20] There should put the next in-person fighterérique inbox. [3:20] Maybe over the weekend. [3:21] The Press Press, President, where you send him by thevy? [3:22] Maybe over there. [3:22] The? [3:23] Just so you understand. [3:24] The blockade has been incredible. [3:26] It's been, it's held. [3:27] They're not doing any business. [3:29] They're unable to do any business because of the blockade. [3:32] And so, the combination of having no Navy, [3:35] having no Air Force, having no anti-aircraft equipment, [3:39] they have nothing. [3:40] Everything is gone, including their leaders. [3:42] Now they have a new set of leaders, [3:44] and we find them very reasonable. [3:46] The Press, President, on the 20-year minimum [3:49] stop enriching uranium, would you like acceptable to you? [3:51] The President, would you like acceptable to you? [3:53] The Press, President, would you like acceptable to you? [3:54] The Press, President, would you like acceptable to you? [3:56] What we have is we have a statement, [3:59] a very powerful statement, [4:01] that they will not have — beyond 20 years — [4:04] that they will not have nuclear weapons. [4:06] That's beyond — there's no 20-year limit. [4:08] The Press, President, any updates on Greenland, [4:10] Mr. President? [4:11] The President, I think that Todd Blanche [4:18] is doing a very good job, from what I'm saying. [4:20] The Press, President, no? [4:22] The President, all I can say thus far, [4:23] I think Todd Blanche is doing a very good job. [4:25] The Press, President, would you be willing to extend [4:30] the same fire, or will the fighting return, [4:32] Mr. President? [4:33] The President, I would say the fighting — [4:34] if there's no deal, fight or resume. [4:35] The Press, President, okay. [4:36] And then on gas prices, how much longer will Americans [4:38] continue to see these high gas prices? [4:40] The President, well, they're not very high. [4:41] If you look at what they were supposed to be, [4:43] in order to get rid of a nuclear weapon, [4:45] with the danger that entails. [4:46] So the gas prices have come down very much [4:50] over the last three, four days. [4:51] The Press, President, the gas bill. [4:52] The President, I know, you know. [4:52] And that's what ABC says. [4:54] But the fact is that if you look at the stock markets up, [4:58] everything is doing really well. [5:00] And the big thing we have to do is we have to make sure [5:03] that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon. [5:05] Because if they do, you want to talk about problems, [5:07] you'd have problems. [5:08] So very important is that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon. [5:13] And they've agreed to that. [5:15] Iran has agreed to that. [5:16] And they've agreed to it very powerfully. [5:19] They've agreed to give us back the nuclear dust. [5:22] It's way underground because of the attack we made [5:24] with the B-2 bombers. [5:25] So, we have a lot of agreement with Iran. [5:28] And I think something is going to happen very positive. [5:30] The Press, President, is going to reach the back. [5:33] And what are you waiting on? [5:35] The President, a very complicated subject. [5:37] It's, I don't think we're waiting. [5:39] I think we're moving very fast. [5:40] It could happen pretty quickly. [5:42] The Press, President, how long do you sustain the blockade [5:49] on the Strait of Humor? [5:51] The what? [5:52] The Press, President, how long do you sustain, [5:53] keep the blockade on the Strait of Humor? [5:55] The President, we're doing very well with the blockade. [5:57] It's very routine for us. [5:59] The Navy is incredible. [6:01] And I think the blockade is doing very well. [6:03] It's, no ship is even thinking about entering. [6:06] That no ship is going past our Navy. [6:08] The Press, President, why are you fighting with the Pope? [6:11] And are you worried it's upsetting your eventual order [6:13] to go to the Pope? [6:14] The President, I have to do what's right. [6:15] The Pope has to understand that it's very simple. [6:18] I have nothing against the Pope. [6:19] His brother is MAGA all the way. [6:21] I like his brother, Louis. [6:22] The Press, President, why are you fighting with him? [6:23] The President, I'm not fighting with him. [6:25] The Pope made a statement. [6:26] He says Iran can have a nuclear weapon. [6:28] I say Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. [6:31] And if the Pope looked at the 42,000 people that were killed [6:35] over the last two or three months as a protester [6:38] with no weapons, no nothing. [6:40] I mean, if you take a look at that, [6:42] so I could disagree with the Pope. [6:43] I have a right to disagree with the Pope. [6:45] I have a right to disagree with the Pope. [6:47] The Press, President, what do you say to people who see that? [6:50] You can't have, look, nothing, I have no disagreement [6:56] with the fact the Pope can say what he wants. [6:59] And I want him to say what he wants. [7:01] But I can disagree. [7:03] I think that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. [7:06] If they do, the whole world would be in jeopardy. [7:08] The Middle East will be blown up [7:09] and the whole world will be in jeopardy. [7:11] We're very close to making a deal. [7:13] That would be a great thing. [7:15] The Pope has to understand Iran has killed [7:17] more than 42,000 people over the last few months. [7:21] Think of it, protesters without guns, without anything. [7:24] They were totally unarmed protesters. [7:27] The Pope has to understand that. [7:29] This is the real world. [7:30] It's a nasty world. [7:32] But as far as the Pope and saying what he wants, [7:34] he can do that. [7:35] Now, I know the Pope's brother. [7:37] He is a big MAGA person. [7:38] He's got MAGA all over his house. [7:40] His name is Louis. [7:41] He's actually a great guy. [7:43] And I'm sure the Pope is a great guy. [7:44] I haven't met him. [7:46] But I disagree with the Pope. [7:47] If the Pope would allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon, [7:52] you can't do that. [7:53] The Pressinger Martin, [7:54] The President, [7:57] The President, [7:59] The President, [8:00] The President, [8:01] Yeah. [8:05] It's very exciting. [8:06] With Lebanon, it's very exciting. [8:07] I think we're going to have a deal. [8:09] We're going to have a meeting, first time in 44 years. [8:12] And Lebanon will be meeting with Israel, [8:15] and they're probably going to do it at the White House. [8:17] The Press, President, when do you think they will? [8:20] The Press, President, over the next week or two. [8:21] The Press, President, over the next week. [8:22] And do you think this agreement can reach without Hezbollah? [8:24] The President, I do. I think they're going to. [8:26] I think we will have an agreement between Lebanon, [8:29] and they're going to take care of Hezbollah. [8:32] But they're going to be working on Hezbollah right now. [8:34] But we'll have an agreement between Israel, [8:37] very importantly, and Lebanon. [8:38] The Press, President, will you support our Lebanese army as well? [8:40] The President, I would. I would. Yeah. [8:42] The Press, President, has Hezbollah agreed to the ceasefire? [8:47] I mean, how do you even do that? [8:48] The President, they're all agreeing. [8:49] It's a very nice little package for about a week. [8:53] And we're not going to have lots of bombs dropping. [8:56] And we're going to see if we can make peace [8:57] between Lebanon and Israel. [8:59] The Press, President, because there was a group of bishops [9:02] that did put out a statement saying, [9:03] the Pope isn't nearly exercising his opinion. [9:06] He's preaching the Gospel. [9:07] I mean, what do you say to people that view this as an attack [9:09] on the Catholic Church? The President, I want them to preach the Gospel. [9:10] I'm all about the Gospel. [9:11] But I also know that you cannot let a certain country, [9:15] which is a very mean-spirited country, have a nuclear weapon. [9:19] If they did, they would use it. [9:20] And I think they'd use it quickly, [9:22] and they would kill many millions of people. [9:24] So, you know, the Pope could disagree with me on that, [9:27] but certainly we're allowed to have that. [9:29] I'm all about the Gospel. [9:31] I'm about it as much as anybody can be. [9:33] But I can't allow, as President of the United States of America, [9:37] I can't allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. [9:40] And here's the story. They won't have. [9:42] They've already agreed not to have. That's good news. [9:45] And I think the Pope will be very happy. [9:47] The Press, President, [9:49] that the Federal Reserve should wait and see about this Iran war [9:53] before lowering interest rates. Do you agree with that? [9:55] The President, I don't agree. I think we should have lower interest rates. [9:58] The Press, President, Iran is going to execute [10:00] four and more protesters accordingly, [10:02] including the first woman protester. [10:04] What do you tell Iran, sir? [10:05] The President, I'll tell that to the Pope. [10:06] President Trump, what do you say? [10:08] Tell that to the Pope. [10:09] President Trump, you have that Iran is going to win. [10:11] The Lebanese people love you, though. [10:13] The President, did you just hear that? [10:14] Iran is going to execute four people, including one? [10:17] President Trump, the Lebanese loves you so much. [10:19] When you visit Lebanon. [10:20] The President, do you extend a ceasefire? [10:21] What makes you extend that? [10:22] The President, I don't know if we're going to have to, [10:24] but if we need to, I would do that. [10:25] The Press, President Trump, [10:27] wait, that's important. Sorry. [10:28] What are you telling the airlines and the oil companies [10:31] about the way you're going to open up this trade-off? [10:33] The President, if you look at the oil [10:34] and if you look at the price we're paying, [10:37] it's about half what people thought it would be [10:39] if you did what I had to do. [10:40] We had to take this journey to the Middle East [10:43] in order to get rid of a nuclear weapon. [10:45] There would have been, if we didn't hit them [10:46] with the B-2 bombers or if I didn't kill [10:49] the Barack Hussein-Obama deal, [10:51] the nuclear deal, which was a disaster, [10:53] we would have had nuclear weapons [10:55] exploding in the Middle East and beyond. [10:58] I believe I've been able to stop that. [11:00] I think we have a very successful negotiation [11:03] going on right now. [11:05] And I think it'll be, if it happens, [11:07] it'll be announced fairly soon. [11:09] And that'll give us free oil, free Hormuz Strait. [11:14] Everything will be nice. [11:15] And I think your oil price will go down to lower [11:17] than what it was before. [11:19] And I think a lot of good things will happen. [11:21] The Press, President Trump, [11:23] just for clarity, you're willing to extend the ceasefire [11:25] that there is no deal? [11:26] The Press, President Trump, [11:27] I don't know that we'll have to. [11:28] Ideally, we'll have to. [11:28] But if I needed to, I would do. [11:30] The Press, President Trump, [11:31] the Lebanese people love you so much. [11:32] What do you say? [11:32] The Lebanese people love you so much. [11:34] What's your message for them? [11:35] And you will visit Lebanon after this deal? [11:37] The President Trump, I will do that. [11:39] At the right time, I would certainly go there. [11:41] The Press, President Trump, [11:42] you know, Putin doesn't want to stop it. [11:44] Apparently, he keeps bombing Ukraine. [11:46] Do you think this war has a potential [11:48] to go on for years more? [11:50] The President Trump, [11:50] well, it should have been. [11:51] It should have never started. [11:52] If I were President, the war in Ukraine [11:54] never would have started with Russia. [11:57] But it's going on. [11:58] Hopefully, it'll get over soon. [11:59] The Press, President Trump, [12:00] said she had no link to Jeffrey Epstein. [12:03] The President Trump, [12:04] The First Lady, Melania Trump. [12:05] The President Trump, [12:05] The President Trump, [12:06] The First Lady, Melania Trump, [12:07] The President Trump, [12:07] Why did she come out and say that last week? [12:08] The President Trump, [12:08] Because the fake news was saying she did. [12:09] And she had none. [12:10] And I think that's been proven. [12:12] It bothered her that the fake news [12:15] was being fake news. [12:16] That's all. [12:16] She just wanted to clarify. [12:17] The Press, President Trump, [12:18] who's taking care of Hezbollah? [12:19] Do you think that they are destroying the deal [12:21] that you are trying to make a video? [12:22] We're going to see how it all works out. [12:24] But they'll be working and coordinating. [12:27] If you know, you know Lebanon, right? [12:29] So they'll be working with Hezbollah. [12:31] The Press, President Trump, [12:32] Are you still interested in acquiring Iranian oil? [12:35] The President Trump, [12:36] Are you still interested [12:37] in acquiring Iranian oil after the fall? [12:39] The President Trump, [12:39] Well, we'll see. [12:40] I mean, we have a very good relationship [12:42] with Iran right now, [12:43] as hard as it is to believe. [12:45] And I think it's a combination [12:47] of about four weeks of bombing [12:50] and a very powerful blockade. [12:51] The blockade is maybe more powerful [12:54] than the bombing, [12:55] if you want to know the truth. [12:56] The Press, President Trump, [12:57] Are you going to make the Arab countries [12:58] pay a portion of all of the costs [13:01] that are going to make that? [13:02] I think they're going to make that contribution. [13:04] The Press, President Trump, [13:05] I think the Arab countries, [13:07] because we've done a lot, [13:08] I think they'd make a contribution [13:10] toward the cost. [13:11] The Press, President Trump, [13:12] not been involved. [13:14] The Press, President Trump, [13:15] is that the deal of Lebanon [13:16] that the defense on Iran? [13:18] The President Trump, [13:19] not been involved. [13:20] The Press, President Trump, [13:21] is that the deal of Lebanon [13:21] that defense on Iran? [13:22] The Press, President Trump, [13:23] do you have any Iranian affairs [13:24] without any conditions [13:25] if you make a deal? [13:26] The President Trump, [13:26] we're going to see what happens. [13:27] But I think we're very close [13:28] to making a deal with Iran. [13:30] You'll be the first to know. [13:32] But I think we have a chance. [13:33] And if that happens, oil goes way down. [13:36] Prices go way down. [13:38] Inflation goes way down. [13:40] And you're going to have, [13:41] much more importantly than even that, [13:43] you won't have nuclear holocaust. [13:45] Thank you. [13:46] The Press, President Trump, [13:47] is it happening now? [13:47] The Press, President Trump, [13:48] Mr. President, [13:49] the President? [13:56] The President Trump, [13:56] well, possibly. [13:56] But I think a deal could be reached. [13:58] Possibly. [13:59] I would be foolish not to. [14:01] I mean, if we're close to a deal, [14:02] what extent? [14:03] Yeah, I would do that. [14:04] But we're close to a deal. [14:05] We're getting along very well [14:06] with the new Iranian leaders. [14:08] It really is its regime chain. [14:10] These are people that are a lot different [14:13] than we were dealing with [14:14] at the beginning. [14:15] As you know, [14:15] they're no longer around. [14:16] They're no longer with us. [14:18] But we have a very good relationship, [14:21] and I think there's a very good chance [14:23] we're going to make a deal. [14:24] Also, Israel and Lebanon, [14:26] I think there's a good chance [14:27] that they'll make a good deal. [14:28] So, the President, [14:30] when are they coming here to the White House? [14:31] The Press, President Trump, [14:32] when are they coming here to the White House? [14:33] The President Trump, [14:34] I think it's terrible. [14:36] The Press, President, [14:37] are you going to extend [14:38] any cabinet amendment? [14:41] The President Trump, [14:41] well, I have a great relationship, [14:43] as you know, with the presidency, [14:45] and I look forward to being there. [14:46] And we have a very special relationship. [14:48] So, I look forward to being in China. [14:50] The Press, President Trump, [14:51] thank you. [14:52] Mr. President, [14:53] you imposed sanctions on Rwanda [14:55] because they keep violating the Washington [14:57] of Rwanda. [14:57] The President Trump, [14:58] Yeah, I do. [14:59] The Press, President Trump, [15:00] just said he don't care about sanctions, [15:01] and he said he will not withdraw from Congo. [15:04] His troops will continue in Congo. [15:06] What is your reaction to that? [15:07] The President Trump, [15:08] we're going to look into it very strongly, [15:09] but they do have very big sanctions. [15:10] Mr. President, there was a G20 meeting [15:13] in Washington today. [15:15] Why did you invite Poland [15:16] instead of South Africa? [15:18] Well, Poland's a great country. [15:20] We like it a lot. [15:21] We're friends with Poland. [15:23] The President is doing a great job. [15:25] So, we invited him. [15:26] Mr. President, would you agree [15:27] that I raised the cost of my bill name? [15:28] Mr. President, I saw your trip social post [15:32] about Bruce Blakeman in New York. [15:34] He's being denied up to $7 million [15:36] of public campaign funds in New York [15:38] by partisan Democrats. [15:40] Have you seen that? [15:41] And what's your reaction to it? [15:42] The President, I can just tell you this. [15:44] Bruce Blakeman is running for governor. [15:46] He will be a great governor if he wins. [15:48] I don't know that he wins or not, [15:49] because it's New York. [15:50] And, you know, people cheat on elections [15:52] and a lot of other things. [15:53] But Bruce Blakeman is a great, great gentleman. [15:58] As you know, he comes from Nassau County, [16:00] which is a Democrat area, [16:01] and he wins by a landslide all the time. [16:04] And if Bruce Blakeman gets in, [16:06] your taxes are going to go way down, [16:08] and a lot of good things are going to happen, [16:10] including cleanliness and all of the things [16:13] that you want to see. [16:15] I know him very well. [16:16] He's been a great leader, [16:17] a great executive in Nassau County. [16:21] Even though it's largely Democrat, [16:23] he wins in a landslide. [16:24] Everybody loves him. [16:25] He's a very talented guy, very great politician. [16:29] And I think he probably has a chance. [16:31] If Bruce Blakeman gets in, [16:33] your taxes are going way down. [16:35] And you know what else is going down? [16:36] Crime. [16:37] President Trump, there are these 10 missing scientists [16:41] with access to classified stuff, [16:43] nuclear material, aerospace. [16:45] They've all gone missing or turned up dead [16:47] in the last couple of months. [16:48] Based on what you've been briefed, [16:50] what do you think is happening here? [16:52] And do you think that this is connected [16:53] or totally random? [16:55] Well, I hope it's random. [16:57] But we're going to know in the next week and a half. [16:59] I just left a meeting on that subject. [17:01] So, pretty serious stuff. [17:03] But we're going to be, hopefully, I don't know, [17:06] coincidence, if you want it, whatever you want to call it. [17:08] But some of them were very important people. [17:11] And we're going to look at it over the next short term. [17:13] The Pressure it's impossible that some foreign adversary [17:17] is in the United States to open these people up. [17:20] Well, you know, Biden had open borders. [17:21] It wasn't very hard to get here. [17:23] But we've gotten many of them out. [17:25] You know, we've caught many, many people, [17:27] many, many very bad people, [17:28] including thousands of murderers [17:31] that we've taken out of our country, [17:33] thousands of drug lords [17:35] that we've taken out of our country, [17:36] hundreds of thousands of prisoners [17:38] that were let into the U.S. [17:40] that we've taken out of our country. [17:42] As far as the scientists are concerned, [17:44] we'll probably have a pretty good answer [17:45] over the next week. [17:46] And with the peace talks in Iran. [17:48] Does it have to be a big deal all at once, [17:51] or would you accept a little deal to start? [17:55] Well, I have a little deal. [17:56] I can make a little deal. [17:57] I want to get it done and get back to keep going with low. [18:02] You know, our pricing is doing great. [18:04] As soon as the war is over, [18:06] we're going to be lower than we were two or three years ago. [18:08] So I want to get back to that. [18:10] I want — we had to do something. [18:12] We had to make sure that Iran never gets a nuclear weapon. [18:15] And we're at that. [18:16] They've agreed to that. [18:17] They've totally agreed to that. [18:18] They've agreed to almost everything. [18:20] So maybe, if they can get to the table, [18:24] there's a difference. [18:24] They agree they've got to get to the table with a pen. [18:28] We'll have that over with. [18:30] And then we can focus on our great economy. [18:32] And also, you know, I inherited the highest prices [18:36] in the history of our country. [18:37] The worst inflation in the history of our country. [18:40] I'll get it down to a very low number. [18:41] We had it to a very low number, and it's still low. [18:45] But the most important thing right now [18:47] is to make sure Iran can never have a nuclear weapon. [18:50] The Press Press, would you ever go to Pakistan [18:53] to seal the deal yourself? [18:54] The President, I would go to Pakistan, yeah. [18:56] Pakistan has been great. [18:57] They've been so good. [18:58] Islamabad, I'll be — I might go. [19:01] Yeah. [19:02] The Press Press, the first lady — [19:03] The President, if the deal is signed in Islamabad, [19:04] I might go. [19:05] The field marshal has been great. [19:07] The prime minister has been really great in Pakistan. [19:11] So I might go. They want me to go. [19:12] The Press Press, the first lady last week called on Congress [19:15] to further look into and uncover the truth [19:18] on the Epstein files, the Epstein saga. [19:21] Do you believe that there should be a public hearing [19:23] for more of these Epstein survivors? [19:25] The President, I'm okay with it. [19:26] I think we've had a lot of public hearings. [19:27] I'm okay with it. [19:28] But I understand that the women didn't want to go under oath. [19:32] That's what I heard. [19:33] That the women, the victims for whatever, [19:37] they refused to go under oath, [19:38] which was a little surprising. [19:40] Melania felt strongly about it because she was accused of — [19:45] that I met her through Epstein, [19:46] but it turned out to be totally false. [19:47] It was a false arrest. [19:48] The Press Press, the President, [19:50] don't ceasefire also include Iraq and the region. [19:57] The President, are we talking about the one with Lebanon? [20:00] The Press Press, the whole thing. [20:02] So we just made a deal with Lebanon. [20:04] As of two hours from now, [20:06] we have a ceasefire with Israel and Lebanon, [20:09] and that'll be great. [20:10] And they'll be meeting, probably coming to the White House, [20:13] over the next four or five days. [20:15] The Press Press, the President, [20:16] and that'll be the first time they've met in 44 years, [20:20] which is pretty un-neighborly when considering they're neighbors. [20:23] But there's a really good chance that that'll work out [20:25] with Lebanon and Israel. [20:28] I met with — through the telephone, [20:31] with the President of Lebanon, [20:33] who's a really good guy, highly respected, and with Bibi. [20:36] And I think there's a chance we'll be meeting right here [20:40] in the not-do-this. [20:40] Have the Epstein survivors received justice? [20:43] Do you think the Epstein survivors are able to keep justice? [20:47] Israel and Lebanon have tried to make peace before. [20:49] What's going to be the difference this time? [20:51] Me. I'm the big. Big difference. Me. [20:54] So, Australia — [20:55] Australia has announced — [20:56] The Press Press, the President, about taxes. [20:58] States like Virginia, North Carolina, and New York, [21:01] Democratic states, are looking at raising taxes. [21:03] Is that going to take away from the tax cuts that do that? [21:06] The President is, no, because, you know, [21:07] no tax on tips. [21:08] I'm going over no tax on tips today. [21:11] That's why I'm going to Nevada. [21:12] I'm going to Arizona. [21:13] But this is sort of a no tax on tips. [21:15] What's happening is people are finding out [21:18] that in their tax returns, [21:20] they're getting a big refund, [21:21] much bigger than they thought. [21:23] So it's no tax on tips, [21:24] no tax on Social Security, [21:26] no tax on overtime. [21:27] I think it's — [21:28] Wait, wait, wait, wait. [21:29] I think it's going to be amazing. [21:31] The Press Press, the President, [21:32] the President? [21:32] If you look at what they're doing in New York, [21:34] in California, [21:35] they're raising taxes, [21:37] and they're driving people out. [21:38] It's a shame. [21:39] Australia has just announced [21:41] that it's increasing its defense spending to 3 percent. [21:44] You've been asking for 3.5 percent. [21:47] Are you satisfied with that? [21:48] No, we're going to see what happens. [21:49] But on defense spending, look, [21:52] we built the greatest military anywhere in the world. [21:54] There's nobody even close. [21:55] All you have to do is take a look at the blockade. [21:58] Nobody's ever seen anything like it. [22:00] That blockade is the best thing to — [22:03] and I'll tell you something. [22:04] I think the blockade has been more powerful than the bombs. [22:08] The bombs were powerful, and it weakened them. [22:11] They have no Navy. [22:11] They have no Air Force. [22:12] They have no anything. [22:13] They have no leaders. [22:15] But their new leaders, [22:16] the ones that have replaced them, [22:18] it's a regime change. [22:19] They are much more, I think, frankly, [22:22] more intelligent and more moderate. [22:24] But we have a real chance to make a deal very soon with Iran. [22:28] But just on Australia, the increase in the defense — [22:31] You're right in Nevada, Mr. President. [22:32] On Australia, Mr. President, [22:34] you asked for 3.5 percent increase, [22:36] like 5 percent you did with NATO. [22:38] Australia has only gone to 3 percent. [22:41] Are you satisfied with that decision? [22:43] Would you consider a viewing defense to it? [22:44] Well, I'm not happy with Australia because they were not — [22:45] Why specifically? [22:46] Because they were not there when we asked them to be there. [22:48] So Australia — [22:49] What did you ask for? [22:50] Australia was another one. [22:51] They were not there having to do with Hormuz, the Hormuz Spence. [22:54] What do you mean by that? [22:55] Are you still friendly with Albanese? [22:56] I'm not happy. [22:57] I'm not happy. [22:58] But why specifically? [22:59] Do you still have a good relationship with the [23:01] Australian Prime Minister? [23:02] What message do you think the ceasefire in Lebanon sends [23:05] to the U.K. and other European allies who chose not to get [23:08] involved in the war? [23:09] Well, you know, we spend trillions and trillions of dollars [23:13] on NATO. [23:14] And when I ask them to get involved in a much smaller situation, [23:19] which is Hormuz and Iran, they weren't there for us. [23:23] Remember what I said. [23:25] They weren't there. [23:26] None of them. [23:26] They weren't there. [23:28] So we were there in Ukraine. [23:29] I mean, we shouldn't have been. [23:30] It would have never happened if I were President. [23:32] But nevertheless, when they've had problems over the years, [23:35] we were there. [23:36] When we asked them to get involved on a very minor skirmish [23:40] by comparison to what it could be, they weren't there. [23:43] So I don't think they'd be there for a large skirmish. [23:45] And therefore, I think they've got themselves a problem. [23:52] Do your policies, like no tax on chips, no tax on overtime, [23:55] show that the Democrat Party is no longer the party of [23:58] the working class and the Republican Party, [24:00] under your leadership, actually? [24:02] The President's I love this question. [24:03] This is the greatest guy. [24:04] Look how handsome he is. [24:06] What a great guy he is. [24:07] Yes, the Democrats don't know what they're doing. [24:10] They want to tax everybody out of business. [24:12] They want men playing in women's sports. [24:15] They don't want voter ID. [24:17] They don't know what they're doing. [24:19] We've had an unbelievable run. [24:22] And the people getting their tax returns, [24:24] and they're coming back, and they're ending up getting [24:26] $5,000, $6,000, $7,000 more than they thought possible. [24:29] Mr. President, Mr. President, Mr. President. [24:31] Do you think the Pope was being disrespectful to you, sir? [24:36] The who? [24:37] The Pope. [24:38] Do you think he was being disrespectful to you? [24:40] I don't think about it that way. [24:42] The Pope has to understand that Iran cannot have [24:45] a nuclear weapon, and the Pope has to understand [24:48] that you can't let a country kill 42,000 protesters, [24:52] totally unarmed protesters. [24:55] You can't do that. [24:56] So the Pope, you know, I know his brother. [24:59] His brother is MAGA all the way. [25:01] You know that. [25:01] Louis is a great guy. [25:04] But the Pope has to understand you're not allowed [25:05] to kill 42,000 protesters who are totally unarmed. [25:09] And you cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon, [25:13] or the entire world could be gone. [25:16] And, you know, when the Pope realizes that, [25:18] I think we'll have a different understanding. [25:20] The Press Press, Mr. President, [25:23] does energy dominance mean that Europeans [25:25] should be buying more gas and oil from the United States? [25:28] The President, well, they should be buying more from us. [25:30] And what they should be doing is using the North Sea. [25:32] I can tell you, UK, I've been telling that [25:35] to your Prime Minister, UK should open up the North Sea. [25:38] It's one of the greatest in the world. [25:41] And they should use it instead of buying oil [25:43] from Norway and other places that use the same source. [25:47] They should use it. [25:48] And they're not doing it. [25:49] They're doing windmills and windmills. [25:51] Windmills do one thing. [25:52] You know what they do? [25:53] Put you out of business. [25:54] The Press Press, did you recently talk to Mr. [25:57] Erdogan or the regional leaders about the peace deal [26:00] or the peace talks about Iran? [26:02] The President, we're dealing with everybody. [26:03] We're dealing with all of the leaders [26:04] on many different subjects. [26:06] We're very close to a deal with Iran. [26:08] Thank you. [26:09] The President… [26:11] The President… [26:13] The President… [26:14] … [26:15] He's there for killing his wife.