Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Briefs Members of the Media, Mar. 17, 2025

[0:03] Hello, everybody. Good afternoon. Happy Monday. Happy St. Patrick's Day. I see a lot of us are [0:10] very festive and now we're green. Peter Doocy, I like it. First, today I want to address the [0:16] devastating tornadoes and storms that have impacted many states throughout the South [0:21] and the Midwest. As of this morning, more than 40 innocent lives have been lost and many [0:27] communities have been totally destroyed. The President has been actively monitoring the [0:32] situation and the Trump administration is engaged with governors and local [0:36] officials to restore affected communities and livelihoods. Everyone impacted is in [0:42] our prayers and President Trump is fully prepared to assist state and local [0:47] officials as they recover from the horrific damage. The President has had a [0:52] very busy weekend making our country and the world a much safer place. President [0:58] Trump ordered decisive military action against the Houthi terrorists in Yemen. [1:02] These Houthi terrorists have engaged in piracy, violence and terrorism against [1:08] American ships for years under the Biden administration, costing billions of [1:14] dollars and putting innocent lives at risk. Joe Biden's pathetic weakness invited [1:19] these unacceptable attacks. But there's a new sheriff in town and his name is [1:24] Donald Trump and the world is officially on notice. America has a commander in [1:29] chief whose peace through strength approach is unwavering and should not be [1:33] tested. As the President said, no terrorist force will stop American [1:39] commercial and naval vessels from freely sailing throughout the world. Houthi [1:43] terrorists and their Iranian backers should not cross President Trump again. And the [1:48] President has made that clear today. On another important matter, President Trump [1:53] signed a proclamation invoking the Alien Enemies Act regarding the invasion of the [1:58] United States by the foreign terrorist organization, Tren de Aragua. At the [2:03] President's direction, the Department of Homeland Security carried out a [2:07] counterterrorism operation deporting nearly 200 violent Tren de Aragua terrorists, [2:12] which will save countless American lives. Thanks to the great work of the [2:17] Department of State, these heinous monsters were extracted and removed to El Salvador, [2:22] where they will no longer be able to pose any threats to the American public. Tren de [2:28] Aragua is one of the most ruthless terrorist gangs in the world. And they are [2:34] responsible for some of the most heinous crimes that have occurred in our [2:38] nation's history in recent years, including the savage murders of beautiful [2:43] Lakin Riley and Jocelyn Nungray. President Trump promised Lakin and Jocelyn's [2:49] families during his campaign that he would demand justice for their beautiful [2:54] girls. And that's exactly what he did. As the President acknowledged during his [2:59] inaugural address on January 20th, he pledged to invoke this act. And he has no [3:05] higher responsibility than to defend our country from threats and invasions. [3:10] President Trump will continue his historic efforts to seal the border and [3:14] prevent these illegal invaders from coming here in the first place. As the New [3:19] York Times is acknowledged over the weekend, President Trump's policies are [3:23] working. Here's how the Times summed it up. Illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico [3:29] border are down to their lowest level in decades. Once crowded migrant shelters are [3:35] empty. Instead of heading north, people stranded in Mexico are starting to return home in [3:40] bigger numbers. The border is almost unrecognizable from just a couple of years [3:45] ago when hundreds of thousands of people from around the world were crossing into [3:49] the United States every month in scenes of chaos and upheaval. This is the Trump [3:54] effect in action. And again, those are the words from the New York Times. We didn't [3:58] need a border security bill. We just needed President Trump. All of these actions [4:03] taken together are contributing to a wave of optimism about the direction of our [4:07] great country. According to brand new polling from NBC News, more registered voters say the [4:13] United States is heading in the right direction than at any point since early 2004. Americans [4:20] support President Trump's common sense approach that's getting our country back on track in [4:25] record time. Meanwhile, the president's critics can't say the same. That same new NBC poll [4:32] also found that the Democrat Party has reached an all-time low in popularity. It turns out when [4:39] you let your hatred of President Trump get in the way of doing what is best for America. The people [4:44] reject you. Who would have thought? Joining us today in our new media seat is Kelly Meyer. She [4:50] is a White House correspondent with NewsNation. NewsNation started in 2021 and is one of America's [4:56] fastest growing cable news networks with a focus on news for all of America. It's part of a larger [5:02] ecosystem. Nextar, which is home to NewsNation, the political website The Hill, the broadcast network, [5:08] the CW, and local Nextar stations. With that, kick us off, please, Kelly. Thank you, Caroline. What [5:14] do you say to Americans who want safe, are concerned due process is being... The president is using every [5:24] lever of his executive authority and his constitutional authority within the bounds of the immigration laws [5:30] of our country to ensure that our streets are safer for law-abiding American citizens. And this [5:36] administration is focused on detaining, arresting, and deporting illegal criminal aliens. And as you [5:42] saw this past weekend, the president used his authority under the Alien Enemies Act to deport [5:47] foreign terrorists. Tren de Aragua is now a designated foreign terrorist organization. And as I said, [5:54] there were nearly 200 Tren de Aragua members who were sent to El Salvador this weekend. Countless lives will be [6:01] saved because of this action. And if you talk to the families, the Angel families, as I mentioned, [6:06] Blake and Riley and Jocelyn Nungere, they understand the grave cost of life at the hands of these illegal [6:14] terrorists. And the president is proud to deliver on that promise for them. And just to follow up on [6:19] that, this will be challenged later today in the courts. Does the president, you know, does this allow [6:26] him to defy the court order without having this, the checks and balances and the separation of power? [6:31] Uh, no. In fact, this administration acted within the confines of the law, again, within the president's [6:37] constitutional authority and under the authority granted to him under the Alien Enemies Act. We are [6:42] quite confident in that. Uh, and we are wholly confident that we are going to win this case in court. [6:47] Peter. Thank you, Caroline. If you guys can't send 200 Tren de Aragua terrorists at a time to El Salvador, [6:55] where are you going to send them instead? It's a very good question. Uh, you'd have to ask the [6:59] courts and the people on the left who are trying to fight this administration, uh, for doing, uh, [7:04] the, the business that this president sought out to do, which is to deport, um, these foreign terrorists. [7:09] And we're very grateful to President Bukele and to El Salvador for accepting these heinous monsters, uh, [7:15] where they will face justice. And, uh, if these guys are terrorists at war with the United States, [7:21] is President Trump considering anything more lethal to address them than just sticking them on a plane [7:26] somewhere else? Well, it sounded like you had a little bit of curiosity in the premise of your [7:30] question. So I want to address it. These are designated foreign terrorists. The president signed [7:36] a proclamation on February 20th, 2025, designating TDA as a foreign terrorist organization that was in [7:44] consultation with the attorney general and the secretary of treasury. Um, that was pursuant to eight U.S. [7:50] code 1189. The president has the right to do that. And I think nobody would argue that Trend de Aragua [7:56] should be designated a foreign terrorist organization. If you want to have that argument, [8:00] I'm happy to do it. These are heinous monsters, rapists, murderers, kidnappers, sexual assaulters, [8:07] predators who have no right to be in this country and they must be held accountable. And something [8:12] different. There is now a member of the European parliament from France who does not think the U.S. [8:17] represents the values of the Statue of Liberty anymore. They want the Statue of Liberty back. [8:23] So is President Trump going to send the Statue of Liberty back to France? Absolutely not. And, uh, [8:30] my advice to that unnamed low level French politician would be to remind them that it's only because of [8:37] the United States of America that, uh, the French are not speaking German right now. So they should be [8:42] very grateful, uh, to our great country. Kelly. Is the administration prepared to give the court what [8:49] it wants in terms of the time of the flights that departed that went to El Salvador and some of those [8:55] details that the judge is asking for in trying to determine the timing? Clearly the five named [9:01] individuals were not deported. That's right. But looking more broadly, wanting to know about [9:06] the timing of flights and so forth, uh, because the verbal order did say turn around the flights [9:11] if there's an issue. So is the administration prepared to provide that information? I'm prepared [9:15] to provide it right now. All of the planes that were subject to the written order, the judge's written [9:20] order, um, took off before the order was entered in the courtroom on Saturday. And the administration [9:27] will of course be happily answering all of those questions that the judge poses in court later today. [9:32] For people who have due process questions about making certain that there wasn't anyone who was swept [9:38] up who did not meet the criteria that you laid out, is there a way for the administration to provide [9:44] more detail about how that was determined, who the individuals were that met, uh, this, um, deportation order? [9:52] Yes, I can assure the American people that, uh, Customs and Border Patrol and ICE and the Department of [9:57] Homeland Security are sure about the identities of the individuals who were on these planes. [10:02] uh, in the threat that they pose to our homeland. They take this incredibly seriously. They are [10:07] putting their lives on the line, um, to deport these designated terrorists from our country, [10:12] and they should be trusted to do that. And that's exactly what the American people elected this [10:16] President to do. Go ahead. Thanks, Caroline. Just to follow up on that then. So you're saying [10:20] definitively you can, that the administration can prove everyone that was put on those flights in El [10:25] Salvador, who's either, remember, Trenderagua, MS-13, or some other entity? [10:30] Yeah. We've already provided the breakdown in the effort of transparency about the 261 illegal aliens [10:36] who were deported. Um, 137 of those were deported under the Alien Enemies Act. 101 of those were [10:42] Venezuelans removed, uh, via Title 8, which as you know are just regular immigration proceedings. Um, [10:48] and 23 of them were MS-13 Salvadorian gang members. There were also two MS-13 ringleaders as part of that [10:56] group of 23 who President Bukele particularly expressed his gratitude for their return so he [11:02] can demand justice in his home country. Jennifer. What criteria though, other than, say, tattoos [11:09] or maybe being in the wrong place at the wrong time, are you, are they using to determine that [11:15] someone is actually a member of one of these organizations? Intelligence and the men and women on [11:20] the ground in the interior of our country, uh, who are finally being allowed to do their jobs. Their [11:25] hands were tied under the previous administration. And as I said, they take their jobs very seriously. [11:31] They should be trusted and respected by the American public, um, with this operation. And of course, [11:37] as I said to Kelly, the administration will provide, um, all details to the questions that the court poses. [11:42] Jennifer. More follow up on that. Can you say how much the U.S. is paying El Salvador to imprison these, [11:49] these Venezuelans? And then a different question on Russia. I was wondering if you could give us an [11:54] update on the ceasefire negotiations. And is there anything you can share on the list that Putin gave, [12:00] passed along to President Trump for the things he's requesting? Sure. To your first question, [12:04] it was approximately $6 million, um, to El Salvador, uh, for the detention of these foreign terrorists. [12:11] And I would point out that is pennies on the dollar in comparison to, uh, the cost of life, [12:17] uh, and the cost it would impose on the American taxpayer to house these terrorists in maximum [12:22] security prisons here in the United States of America. And I would, uh, echo the message of our [12:27] Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who expressed his gratitude to President Bukele and El Salvador's [12:32] government, uh, for their cooperation in this deal. As for Russia, as you know, [12:37] the President announced last night on Air Force One on his return from his very, uh, busy weekend in [12:42] Florida, uh, that he will be speaking to President Putin tomorrow. I won't get ahead of those negotiations, [12:48] but I can say we are on the 10th yard line of peace, and we've never been closer to a peace deal than we [12:53] are in this moment. And the President, as you know, um, is determined to get one done. [12:59] Sure. Caitlin, I have two questions for you. One on the flights, but, but first on the President's [13:03] post overnight, uh, saying that he is, that the pardons that were issued by President Biden [13:08] preemptively to the 26th committee, that they're now null and void. Have attorneys here at the White [13:15] House told President Trump that he is the legal authority to undo a pardon simply because it was [13:20] signed by auto pen, as, as he said? The President was begging the question that I think a lot of [13:26] journalists in this room should be asking about whether or not the former President of the United [13:30] States, who I think we can all finally agree was cognitively impaired. I know it took people some [13:35] time to finally admit that, but we all know that to be true, as evidenced by his disastrous debate [13:41] performance against President Trump during the campaign. I digress on that. Um, but the President [13:46] was raising the point that did the President even know about these pardons? Uh, was his legal signature [13:53] used without his consent or knowledge? And that's not just the President or me raising those questions, [13:59] Caitlin. According to the New York Post, there are Biden officials from the previous White House [14:03] who raised those questions and wondered if the President was even consulted about his legally [14:08] binding signature being signed onto documents. And so I think it's a question that everybody in this [14:14] room should be looking into, because certainly that would propose perhaps criminal or illegal behavior [14:21] if staff members were signing the President of the United States autograph without his consent. [14:25] Is on the record talking about issuing preemptive pardons to these people? [14:30] But was he aware of the of his signature being used on every single pardon? That's a question [14:34] you should ask the Biden White House. But is there any evidence on that, that he wasn't aware of? [14:38] You're a reporter. You should find out. Sean. [14:40] Okay, on the flights. I have a question on the timeline of the flights. You keep talking [14:43] about the judge's written order, which hit the docket Saturday night at about 7 26 p.m., [14:48] but he issued a verbal order before that at about 6 45 and 6 48 p.m. based on the court hearing, [14:54] a verbal order from the bench. Does the White House feel the need to comply with a verbal order [15:00] from this judge? Again, as I said, all of the planes subject to the written order of this judge [15:06] departed U.S. soil, U.S. territory before the judge's written order. But what about the verbal order, [15:12] which of course carries the same legal weight as a written order, and said for the planes to turn [15:16] around if they were in the air? Well, there's actually questions about whether a verbal order [15:20] carries the same weight as a legal order, as a written order. And our lawyers are [15:25] determined to ask and answer those questions in court. Sean. Hey, so on Friday, the President [15:31] suggested at length that it should be illegal to criticize judges. But he has repeatedly criticized [15:36] judges who rule against him. And Elon Musk is calling for impeachment of judges who have opposed [15:42] the administration. So how are those two things not in conflict? [15:45] Ms. I have not heard the President talk about impeaching judges. I know you mentioned Mr. [15:49] Musk's tweet, but I have not heard the President of the United States ask that. Mary. [15:53] The Press. Hey, thanks, Caroline. I wanted to ask about this video that I saw this morning set [15:57] to the tune of, I believe, closing time about deportations of illegal migrants. What's the strategy [16:03] behind the White House's videos they've been putting out on this? And can you kind of talk us through [16:08] the thinking on these videos? Ms. Sure. I think the White House and our entire [16:12] government clearly is leaning into the message of this President. And we are unafraid to double down [16:18] and to take responsibility and ownership of the serious decisions that are being made. [16:23] The President was elected with an overwhelming mandate to launch the largest mass deportation [16:29] campaign in American history. And that's exactly what he is doing. And to this very day, we are now, [16:34] I think, 56 or seven days into the administration, by my count. The President still receives an [16:41] overwhelming public support for the policies that he is enacting. So we are unafraid to message [16:48] effectively what the President is doing on a daily basis to make our community safer. And the specific [16:54] video you referenced, I think it sums up our immigration policy pretty well. You don't have to go [16:58] home, but you can't stay here. Go ahead. Thanks, Caroline. I have two questions. First, [17:03] will President Trump put sanctions on Russia if the talks on Tuesday don't go as hoped? And secondly, [17:09] have any illegal immigrants self-deported through CBP Home yet? Ms. To your first question, [17:14] it's something the President has floated, and certainly he's willing to do if necessary. I [17:18] don't have anything to read out, and I would never get ahead of the President on such a serious decision. [17:22] To your second question about the CBP Home app, I would have to check in with the Department of [17:27] Homeland Security. But it's a great question, and we're very proud to repurpose this app, [17:32] which the Biden administration abused, to facilitate the mass illegal entry of [17:37] illegal immigrants into our country. It was like a fast pass at Disneyland. [17:41] That's not happening under this administration. We are encouraging illegal immigrants to actively [17:46] self-deport, to maybe save themselves from being in one of these fun videos. [17:51] Thank you. After President Trump strafebombed the Houthis yesterday, he said that if they retaliate, [18:01] he was going to personally hold Iran accountable for them. Holding them accountable, [18:07] what would that look like? Ms. Well, I would defer you to what the [18:10] President put out this morning, John, where he said very clearly, I will read it, [18:14] Let nobody be fooled. The hundreds of attacks being made by Houthi, the sinister mobsters and [18:19] thugs based in Yemen, who are hated by the Yemeni people, are all created by Iran. Any further attack [18:26] or retaliation by the Houthis will be met with great force, and there is no guarantee that the force [18:31] will stop there. Iran has played the innocent victim of rogue terrorists from which they've lost [18:36] control, but they haven't lost control. They are dictating every move, giving them the weapons, [18:42] supplying them with money, and highly sophisticated military equipment, and even so-called intelligence. [18:48] Every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon from this point forward as being a shot fired [18:53] from the weapons and leadership of Iran, and Iran will be held responsible and suffer the consequences, [18:59] and those consequences will be dire. That is a statement from the President of the United States [19:03] just moments ago. I have nothing additional to share, but our message to Iran is you better [19:09] take this President seriously, and I think the Houthis learned that the hard way this past weekend. [19:13] As I said in my opening remarks, there's a new sheriff in town, and this President is not just going to [19:18] sit on his hands and allow terrorists to launch attacks on commercial vessels in U.S. naval ships. [19:25] Those actions will not be tolerated. Sure, Edward. [19:28] Yeah, thanks. Carolyn, on the economy, so a down week last week in economy, you know, [19:35] you've been very vocal as well as other Cabinet members about how we're in a transition and about [19:39] how, you know, this economic transition and there's a plan, a long-term plan for tariffs on this. [19:45] How concerned is the President that the markets and Americans, for lack of a better term, [19:49] will freak out over these tariffs and be concerned about a long-term plan? [19:52] Sure. I think I've been asked this question and answered this question respectfully, Edward. [19:57] We are in a period of transition. The President has made that clear. He also has made his belief [20:03] in tariffs and what they will do for our great country clear, restoring wealth back to our country. [20:08] And if you look at the President's first-term economic formula, massive deregulation, tax cuts, [20:13] lowering the cost of living with an energy boom, which the American people can expect soon. [20:19] Wall Street and Main Street should both be assured by what President Trump did in his first term. [20:24] It's the exact same formula. In fact, I would argue it's even better this time around. And if you look [20:28] at some of the economic indicators in the last week, the latest CPI report last week beat expectations. [20:34] Inflation is cooling. Core inflation dropped for the first time in four months. The national average [20:39] of the price of gas is down 42 cents from one year ago. And there was also a new report out this [20:44] morning about wholesale egg prices. They continue to fall. A dozen eggs are now three dollars and ten cents [20:51] cheaper since January 24th. First, that's a 47 percent decrease overall. So I think the American [20:58] people do have great reason to be optimistic about this economy. And as I've said repeatedly, [21:02] it continues to be true. The administration has a whole of government effort to fix the economic [21:07] mess created by Biden. So the President pointed to that April 2nd [21:11] tariff deadline, so to speak. Is the tariff back and forth sort of done now? Is we're just all looking [21:18] towards April 2nd? Well, I think the President would tell you that all options are always on the [21:22] table. And he's always ready to respond if he feels the United States is being unfairly treated by our [21:29] allies and also our competitors around the world. But yes, the April 2nd day is a big day for the [21:35] country, as the President has said. Reciprocal tariffs will go into effect. We'll have more details on [21:40] that as the date nears. But our entire trade team, Secretary Lutnik, Secretary Besant, the Vice [21:46] President has been quite involved in these talks and discussions as well about what that will look [21:51] like. And the President, as you always do, you will hear from him directly on it. Deborah Saunders, [21:57] how are you? Good. Thanks. Pardon attorney OJ is no, but I want to know, is the administration [22:15] dedicated to restoring gun rights to felons who serve their times? I ask this because I've talked to [22:20] people who are pardoned. They felt that was important. Of course, this isn't necessarily for a [22:24] pardon. What is the President's thinking on this issue? After you've served your sentence, [22:29] should you have gun rights? It's an important question. It is one [22:32] I have not spoken to the President about with on his views, but I will take it to him this afternoon. [22:37] I will tell him you asked and we will get you an answer. You're welcome. Jonathan. [22:42] Thanks a lot, Caroline. Administration complying with judges' orders. I want to ask about an [22:50] administration spokesperson who is the Borders are, Tom Homan. He was on Fox News. We love Tom [22:56] Homan. And he was talking about the deportations and he said the following. He said, we're not [23:01] stopping. I don't care what the judges think, which seems to me, just reading that, that you don't care [23:09] what orders come from the federal bench. Is that the case? Can you clarify that, please? Well, I think, [23:16] since you just quoted Tom, I'll quote Tom. He said, I don't care what the judges think, [23:20] but I can assure you that the administration is complying with the court order. And as I've said [23:25] repeatedly from this podium, all of the flights that were subject to the judge's written order [23:30] departed before the written order. And we are prepared to make that case in court later this [23:36] afternoon. Reagan. And then, if I could, on Russia, the President, as you pointed out, Caroline, [23:40] made some remarks on Air Force One coming back from Florida. And he seemed to indicate that the [23:45] conversation tomorrow concerns essentially dividing up assets, dividing up territory [23:52] associated with the war in Ukraine. Has President Zelenskyy given President Trump that authority? [23:59] Is that what is going to take place tomorrow? Well, as you know, the President and his entire [24:04] national security team have been engaged directly with President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainians team. [24:11] And that has been part of the discussion between the President's team and the Ukrainians. As for [24:17] where those lines will be drawn or any specifics, I am not going to get into that from this podium. [24:21] It would be unwise for me to get ahead of the President's call with President Putin tomorrow. But [24:27] again, I can assure you in the effort of transparency, as this President always does, [24:31] you will hear from him or one of us directly after that phone call tomorrow. Reagan. [24:35] I think you've got to focus on the judicial branch right now. The President has about 40 [24:41] judicial appointments that he could make at this moment. Do you have an update on what the timeline [24:47] would look like for those judicial appointments? And does the President have a list of potential [24:51] nominees that he's been making? I do not have an update on a timeline, nor do I have a list, [24:55] but I can certainly have our team gather that for you and provide it. You're welcome. [24:59] Can I ask Caroline? Sure. Go ahead. [25:01] The President is visiting the Kennedy Center this afternoon to attend a board meeting. [25:09] A question about what happened a few weeks ago. The Kennedy Center got bomb threats targeting a [25:15] performance by Shingyuan Performing Arts, which is an American company showcasing China before [25:20] communism. This company has been targeted, unfortunately, by the CCP for years. I'm wondering [25:25] if this administration has a response to this, and also as the President is putting an emphasis on [25:32] arts and culture. What's the administration's message to potentially foreign state actors who [25:37] are trying to disrupt that in the U.S.? Don't disrupt it. This administration will take that very [25:42] seriously and hold you accountable. We obviously condemn any violence or threats of violence against [25:47] American institutions. And the President will be traveling to the Kennedy Center later this afternoon. [25:52] I look forward to going with him. As you know, he is now the chairman of the board of the Kennedy [25:57] Kennedy Center, where he hopes to restore arts and culture that embrace American tradition, [26:03] don't disparage it, as we have unfortunately seen over the past several years. The President will be [26:07] doing a tour of the center. In his business developer mind, I'm sure he will make some recommendations on [26:13] how the center itself can be improved, but also will be discussing perhaps some future plays and [26:20] musicals and, you know, theatrical programs that the center will be hosting under his new leadership [26:26] and the board's new leadership. Daniel. Will the President be discussing with Putin tomorrow the [26:34] future of Volodymyr Zelenskyy? Sort of a follow-up to John's question. Again, I've been asked and [26:38] answered this question now. I'm not going to get ahead of the President's discussion tomorrow, but [26:42] after the phone call takes place, I can certainly provide a readout. Daniel. Caroline, thank you so much. [26:47] You mentioned earlier in the briefing that you guys are at the 10-yard line of peace. Given the [26:51] amount of progress that you've made in such a short amount of time, is that an indictment of the [26:56] previous administration's foreign policy stance? And is it just more proof that you need to talk to [27:00] people to sort of get things done? I think so. I think the previous administration is the reason [27:05] this war began. As President Trump often says, this war would have never started if he were still in [27:10] office. It only started because of the incompetence and the weakness of the previous administration. [27:15] And President Trump is very proud of the progress that he and his team have made in such a short [27:19] amount of time. And hopefully tomorrow that progress will move forward. Sure. [27:25] Thanks. There have been some media reports just in the last few hours that the administration has [27:30] decided to withdraw from the International Center for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression Against [27:36] Ukraine, which is designed to hold Putin accountable for war crimes. Are you able to confirm that? And if that [27:44] has occurred, why has that occurred? I'm not able to confirm it because I have not heard that. [27:49] I will caution. I know there have been many inaccurate and misleading reports from Reuters lately, [27:54] so I would caution anybody taking that seriously. But I can check in and get back to you. [27:59] Rachel. Is it the President's belief that the Justice Department should be investigating members of [28:04] the January 6th Select Committee? Is he directing the DOJ to do that? As the President made it very clear in [28:09] his address on Friday. I believe some of you were there. I was there. He made his vision for what he [28:14] would like to see of the Department of Justice very clear. But he said that he has appointed great [28:19] people in Attorney General Pam Bondi and also in our FBI Director Kash Patel to do what they think is [28:25] best for our justice system and to stop the weaponization of justice that we saw under the previous [28:30] administration against not just President Trump, but his supporters as well. We want to restore the [28:35] Department of Justice to an institution that focuses on fighting law and order and crime and [28:40] putting real criminals behind bars, not targeting Americans because of their religion or their [28:45] political speech. We saw that under the previous administration and it's unacceptable to this [28:49] President. And just to follow up really quickly on just Homan's comments from earlier. A few weeks [28:53] ago in the Oval Office, the President said he will always abide by the courts. We heard what Tom Homan said [28:57] earlier today. So I'm only asking just to be clear for the American people. It is the administration's belief [29:03] that they were that that you feel like you were bound to comply by the judge's orders. We are [29:07] complying with the judge's orders. A question on the storm. Sure. What role does the President see [29:11] for FEMA with these storms? He's talking about getting rid of FEMA, states handling their own [29:15] disasters. Is he planning to change that the federal government responds to these storms? There hasn't [29:19] been a change yet. That doesn't mean there couldn't be in the future. But as of right now, the President, [29:24] the entire administration are actively monitoring the storms, as I said. In fact, before I came down here, [29:29] there was an email note in my inbox from the Department of Homeland Security on what they [29:33] are actually doing state by state across the board. So rest assured, Secretary Nome and her team is on [29:38] it. And I would defer you to the Department of Homeland Security for any further details. [29:41] One more question. The President referenced power plants with a conversation with Vladimir Putin. [29:46] What is he referring to with power plants? What does that mean? [29:49] There's a power plant that is on the border of Russia and Ukraine that was up for discussion with [29:54] the Ukrainians, and he will address it in his call with Putin tomorrow. [29:56] The nuclear plant. Correct. Yes. Do you have a question? [30:01] Yes. Okay. [30:03] I wanted to ask you if you would be releasing more granular data about the people who were [30:07] sent to El Salvador this week. Particularly, will you be releasing their names? [30:13] I don't believe so because of the privacy concerns at this point in time. That doesn't mean we won't [30:18] eventually. I would defer you to the Department of Homeland Security for more details on the individuals on [30:23] the flights. But we have been incredibly transparent in giving you the breakdown of the numbers. [30:27] And also some of the crimes committed by these heinous criminals and individuals, [30:31] kidnapping, sexual abuse of a child, robbery, aggravated assault on a police officer. [30:37] I would remind everybody in this room that Trende Aragua is a foreign terrorist organization [30:42] operating within the United States of America because the previous administration allowed them [30:46] to invade our country. These are monsters who tortured, raped, and murdered 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungre. [30:52] They murdered 22-year-old nursing student Lakin Riley. They led a multi-state sex trafficking [30:59] operation involving smuggling women into the United States, holding them in stash houses in Louisiana, [31:04] Florida, New Jersey, Texas, and Virginia, and forcing them into prostitution. They kidnapped and [31:10] murdered a 33-year-old woman in Texas. They sexually and physically assaulted a woman and her daughter [31:15] in Wisconsin. They conducted a mass shooting in Illinois. They peddled untraceable ghost guns across [31:21] New York City, took over an Aurora, Colorado apartment complex where they kidnapped and tortured [31:26] victims. And by the way, many of you in the mainstream media said that didn't happen. It turned [31:30] out that it did. And because of the effective immigration policies of this administration, [31:35] those foreign terrorists were detained and they are no longer operating on American soil. And we have [31:40] President Trump to thank for that. We'll see you guys later at the Kennedy Center. Thanks so much. [31:43] Thanks very much.