Trump describes 'air armada' used to protect Iran rescue mission

[0:01] Thank you very much. [0:15] It's a great honor to be with you, and happy Easter. [0:30] We had a great Easter. [0:31] This is one of our better Easters, I think, in a lot of different ways. [0:35] I can say militarily it's been one of the best. [0:40] So good afternoon. [0:41] We have quite a bit to discuss. [0:43] We'll go into pretty good detail. [0:46] And we have the people that are most involved. [0:49] We'll give you exactitude. [0:52] And we're here today to celebrate the success of one of the largest, most complex, most harrowing combat searches. [1:01] I guess you would call it a search and rescue mission ever attempted by the military. [1:06] Generally, when planes are knocked down in war, especially when you're fighting a strong group, an evil group, [1:14] you can't really do this because essentially... [1:18] You have to send in 200 men to pick up one, and it's something that's usually not attempted as much as you want to attempt. [1:26] And bad things happen to that one or two, and in this case, we did two, and it might not have been attempted before, but we did. [1:35] And we had great talent, but we got a little luck, too, I would say, and we were helped by a lot of people, a lot of great people. [1:45] And it was an honor to be involved with it. [1:48] It's very historic. [1:50] This is a rescue that's very historic. [1:53] I'll go down to the books. [1:55] Late Thursday night, an American F-15 fighter jet went down deep inside enemy territory in Iran while participating in Operation Epic Fury, [2:06] where we're doing unbelievably well, well at a level that nobody's ever seen before. [2:11] The entire country could be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night. [2:18] Both members of the crew ejected from the aircraft and landed alive on Iranian soil. [2:25] I immediately was asked. [2:28] To make a decision. [2:31] I ordered the U.S. Armed Forces to do whatever was necessary to bring our brave warriors back home. [2:37] A risky decision because we could have ended up with 100 dead as opposed to one or two. [2:44] It's a hard decision to make. [2:46] But in the United States military, we leave no American behind. [2:50] We don't do it. [2:51] Within hours, our armed forces deployed 21 military aircraft into hostile airspace, [2:57] many flying at very low altitude, being shot by bullets. [3:01] You bring rifles into play when you're going that low. [3:06] But there are also certain advantages. [3:09] And in broad daylight over Iran for seven hours at times facing very, very heavy enemy fire, [3:17] we have a helicopter that's got a lot of bullets in it. [3:20] It's amazing. [3:21] We just realized how good those weapons are, our machines are. [3:27] Nobody has the equipment that we have. [3:30] Nobody has the military that we have. [3:32] Not even close. [3:33] We have the most powerful military. [3:35] Anywhere in the world by far. [3:38] The flight crews and war fighters aboard those aircraft took extraordinary risks [3:42] to rescue their fellow service members. [3:45] This first wave of search and rescue forces successfully located the pilot of the F-15. [3:51] And he was extracted from enemy territory by an HH-60 Jolly Green II helicopter. [3:59] Fabulous machine as our warriors faced gunfire at very close range. [4:04] It's amazing that when you look at the machinery, what happened, that nobody was even injured. [4:13] Meanwhile, the second crew member, a weapons system officer, highly respected colonel, [4:19] had landed a significant distance away from the pilot when you're going at those speeds. [4:24] Even if you go out two or three seconds later, it's miles. [4:28] It's miles and miles away because you're going fast. [4:33] He was injured quite badly and stranded in an area, [4:37] teeming with terrorists from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps rough group, [4:41] as well as besieged militia and local authorities. [4:47] Many, on top of everything else, they told the communities, actually, [4:54] withinside of Iran, the people of Iran, they were given a tremendous incentive to find this pilot. [5:01] Despite the peril, the officer followed his training and climbed into the treacherous mountain terrain [5:07] and started climbing toward a higher altitude, [5:12] something they were trained to do in order to evade capture. [5:17] They want to always go as far away from the site of the shoot-down. [5:23] You want to go as far away because they all head right to that site. [5:26] You want to be as far away as you can. [5:30] And he was injured, and he was an amazing, amazing thing. [5:34] He scaled cliff faces, bleeding rather profusely, [5:39] treated his own wounds and contacted American forces to transmit his location. [5:46] They have a very sophisticated beeper-type apparatus that is on them at all times. [5:54] And when they go out on these missions, they make sure they have lots of battery space [6:00] and they're in good shape. [6:02] And this one worked really well, amazingly, saved his life. [6:05] We immediately mobilized a massive operation to retrieve him [6:10] from the mountain. [6:12] The mountain hauled out, and he kept going higher and higher. [6:16] The mountain kept getting rougher and rougher and really very, very hard to find. [6:21] The second rescue mission involved 155 aircraft, [6:25] including four bombers, 64 fighters, 48 refueling tankers, [6:30] 13 rescue aircraft and more. [6:33] We were bringing them all over, and a lot of it was subterfuge. [6:38] We wanted to have them think he was in a different location [6:42] because they had a vast military force out there. [6:45] Thousands, thousands of people were looking. [6:48] So we wanted them to look in different areas. [6:50] So we were scattered all over like we were right on top of them. [6:54] We had seven different locations where they thought. [6:58] And they were very confused. [7:00] They said, well, wait a minute, they've got groups here, they've got groups there. [7:03] It's an amazing thing. [7:05] I was listening to these great people, these great generals. [7:10] General Raising Cane was amazing. [7:12] And Pete Hegseth was amazing. [7:13] But I listened to the whole thing. [7:15] It was pretty amazing. [7:17] So they had all these different sites where everybody thought he was located. [7:22] We think we have him over there because they have nine planes circling a little area [7:26] that's 25 miles down the coast. [7:29] So in a breathtaking show of skill and precision, lethality and force, [7:36] America's military descended on the area, the real area, engaged the enemy, [7:43] rescued the stranded officer, destroyed all threats, [7:46] and exited Iranian territory while taking no casualties of any kind. [7:52] The heroic F-15 weapons system officer had evaded capture on the ground in Iran [8:00] for almost 48 hours. [8:03] That's a long time when you're in tough shape and when you're bleeding. [8:07] It's a long time. [8:09] When we left, as you probably know, we had two large planes, old, pretty old planes. [8:16] They carried a lot. [8:17] We needed a lot more equipment going in than coming out, obviously, [8:20] because going in, we needed to be able to scale mountains. [8:24] And we had a lot of equipment. [8:27] But the sand was—it was sandy, wet sand. [8:31] So we thought there may be a problem taking off because of the weight of the plane. [8:36] And then we also had all the men jumping back onto the planes. [8:40] And they got pretty well bogged down. [8:42] And we had a contingency plan, which was unbelievable, [8:46] where lighter, faster aircraft came in. [8:48] And they took them out. [8:51] We blew up the old planes. [8:53] We blew them up to smithereens because we had equipment on the planes [8:57] that, frankly, we'd like to take, but I don't think it was worthwhile [9:00] spending another four hours there taking it off. [9:03] So we didn't want anybody to have—we have the best equipment anywhere in the world. [9:07] We didn't want anybody examining our anti-aircraft and other equipment. [9:13] So these were large planes that were old and pretty old. [9:17] And we blew them up. [9:18] And we had faster, lighter planes come in. [9:21] And they were able to land on the sand. [9:24] We needed the bigger planes because we had so much equipment that we needed. [9:27] We took three helicopters over there, which were very strongly used [9:30] and couldn't have lived without them. [9:32] They performed unbelievably well. [9:35] And if you'd see it, you wouldn't believe it. [9:37] They came off the plane. [9:38] And these guys had them—the rotors were off. [9:44] They rebuilt these helicopters in less than 10 minutes. [9:49] And that was one of the more amazing things. [9:51] These are helicopters. [9:53] Small, unbelievably powerful, but small—very small so it can get into certain areas. [10:02] And they got them off the plane, and they rebuilt all three of them in a matter of less than— [10:08] I would say less than 10 minutes. [10:10] It's pretty amazing what the genius of these people. [10:13] Who would think that? [10:14] You'd think it would take five days to build them. [10:16] And in some companies, it would take five days, and they wouldn't do it well. [10:20] But they served us well. [10:22] As Commander-in-Chief, I never forget the extraordinary risk taken [10:27] by the warriors that we send into battle. [10:30] And the genius—I mean, think of it. [10:32] Having a contingency of three planes waiting because we think the sand is so bad [10:37] that we probably won't be able to take off. [10:39] And the planes really got bogged. [10:42] The sand was—this was not much of a runway. [10:44] This was a farm, not a runway. [10:46] It was a farm, but it did the trick. [10:49] But to have a contingency as opposed to having to wait so long, [10:53] to wait two days. [10:54] Can you imagine? [10:55] Right in the middle. [10:56] This was central. [10:57] This was right—you would call it central casting if you were doing a movie for location. [11:04] And probably the toughest area of Iran where we'd be sitting there. [11:08] So these planes came in. [11:09] Those pilots came in so fast and so quick and got out of there. [11:13] Everybody got aboard and just got 15-minute intervals. [11:17] One load out. [11:19] One load out. [11:20] One load out. [11:22] It happened. [11:23] And we were watching. [11:24] And we said, that's amazing. [11:26] In many ways, I was almost more impressed by the contingency that we had [11:32] than the fact that, you know, we would have had a runway or decent soil. [11:37] But it was an amazing thing. [11:39] But we thank God for every single one of them and the talent. [11:43] The genius is not even talent. [11:45] It's genius. [11:46] It's the whole ballgame, every one of them. [11:48] If you look at what we did with Maduro, we went into a military compound, [11:54] a massive, with thousands and thousands of soldiers within a matter of minutes. [11:59] And he lived behind iron doors. [12:01] They were steel doors. [12:02] Broke them down so quickly. [12:04] And within almost minutes, he was in the back of these planes. [12:08] It was a similar group. [12:09] Incredible. [12:10] We have incredibly talented people. [12:12] And if the time comes, we move heaven and earth to bring them home safely. [12:17] We're going to bring our people home safely. [12:19] I want to thank every member of the U.S. Armed Forces involved in these historic operations. [12:24] They really were historic. [12:25] It's just not something that's done. [12:28] And you'd understand it. [12:29] Not that they don't want to do it. [12:31] But when you're going into areas, when you look at these helicopters, [12:34] when you look at the amount of bullets and everything else that they took, [12:37] when you go into these areas, you don't come out like we came out. [12:42] God was watching us. [12:44] Well, it was the Easter. [12:47] We were in the Easter territory, I guess. [12:50] But God was watching us. [12:51] Amazing. [12:52] Because when you look at the machinery, they took damage. [12:56] It tells you. [12:57] First thing I said is, these are unbelievable machines. [13:00] They flew back and not even much of a problem. [13:04] But these two extraordinary rescues, because it was two. [13:07] And as you probably know, we didn't talk about the first one for an hour. [13:11] And then somebody leaked something, which we'll hopefully find that leaker. [13:15] We're looking very hard to find that leaker. [13:18] And talked about there's somebody missing. [13:22] They basically said that we have one and there's somebody missing. [13:26] Well, they didn't know there was somebody missing until this leaker gave the information. [13:29] So whoever it was, we think we'll be able to find it out. [13:33] Because we're going to go to the media company that released it. [13:37] And we're going to say, national security, give it up or go to jail. [13:43] And we know who and you know who we're talking about. [13:47] Because some things you can't do. [13:49] Because when they did that, all of a sudden, the entire country of Iran knew that there was a pilot [13:56] that was somewhere on their land that was fighting for his life. [14:02] But it also made it much more difficult for the pilots and for the people going in to search for him. [14:09] All of a sudden, they know that there's somebody out there. [14:13] They see all these planes coming in. [14:15] It became a much more difficult operation. [14:18] Because a leaker leaked that we have one, we've rescued one. [14:23] But there's another one out there that we're trying to get. [14:28] So actually, the country, Iran, put out a major notice. [14:33] You all saw it. [14:35] They're offering a very big award for anybody that captures the pilot. [14:40] So in addition to a hostile, very talented, very good, very evil military, [14:46] we had millions of people trying to get an award. [14:51] So when you add that to it, but we have to find that leaker because that's a sick person. [14:57] Probably didn't realize the extent of how bad it was. [15:00] I can't imagine that the person did. [15:02] But we're going to find out. [15:03] It's national security. [15:06] And the person that did the story will go to jail. [15:09] And he doesn't say. [15:10] And that doesn't last long. [15:12] And I think everybody would understand that they put this mission at great risk. [15:15] They put that man at great risk, and they put the hundreds of people that went in looking for him [15:20] because everyone now knows that we're going in. [15:24] Over the past 37 days, America's armed forces have carried out more than 10,000 combat flights over Iran unheard of, [15:34] striking more than 13,000 targets. [15:37] The F-15 we lost last week [15:39] was the first manned aircraft downed by the enemy in this entire operation [15:44] with thousands and thousands of flights. [15:46] They got lucky. [15:47] It was a lucky hit. [15:48] You know, eventually you get lucky. [15:51] But we got lucky, too, because we got both of them back. [15:54] But it's a record that is unparalleled in the history of military air operations. [15:59] Nobody's ever seen anything like it. [16:01] It's such an honor to be involved with it. [16:05] We were up late at night, and then we were waiting for those contingent planes to come in. [16:13] And we said, come on, let's go get in, because they're waiting out on this farm without a runway [16:21] with wet, crummy soil, sand, mostly sand, wet sand, and it eats planes alive. [16:29] And we're waiting, and we're saying, I hope that one can land and take off. [16:33] And they came in like magic, boom, boom, boom, one after another. [16:38] It was like genius. [16:39] I'm so impressed by that because we were a little concerned. [16:42] We said, boy, if they don't get in and get up fast, we're sitting in the middle. [16:47] And that's called Iran Prime, right, General? [16:51] That's where the whole bed is. [16:54] And here we are sitting there waiting for a plane. [16:57] But they came in so fast and so hard, and these guys knew exactly what to do. [17:01] Let's go. Come on. Get in. Let's go. [17:04] They came one right after another, not at the same time. [17:07] They don't want to come at the same time. [17:09] They had to come right after each other. They didn't have any room. [17:11] There was barely any room to land. [17:13] Tiny little patch of very wet earth and sand. [17:19] So I just, I'm so proud of the people that I have standing up here with me [17:24] and many others that worked. [17:26] I mean, so many. [17:27] Steve Witkoff's over here. He's doing fantastically. [17:30] Jared Kushner. [17:31] But the people that are here, the job they did is amazing. [17:35] And I think I'm going to introduce the head of the CIA. [17:38] And he is a man who, he's central casting, okay? [17:43] If we cast a movie, he's going to play the head of the CIA. [17:46] He's one of the few. [17:47] John Ratcliffe, he did a phenomenal job that night. [17:51] He did something that I don't know if you want to talk about it. [17:54] If you want, you can. [17:55] I'm not sure he's supposed to. [17:56] I'm not going to talk about it. [17:57] But he really, the CIA was very responsible for finding this little speck. [18:02] It's like they used an expression on one of the shows the general was talking about. [18:06] It's like finding a needle in a haystack, finding this pilot. [18:10] And the CIA was unbelievable. [18:13] And you may, if you can, you'll talk. [18:15] It might be classified, in which case I'd have to put him in jail if he talks about it. [18:19] And I don't want to put him in jail. [18:21] He doesn't deserve that. [18:23] So, John, do you want to say a few words? [18:25] Thank you. [18:28] Thank you, Mr. President. [18:29] It's a privilege to be here with you today to share what we can about this exceptional mission [18:35] and to recognize the ingenuity and bravery of those who executed it, [18:40] as well as the leadership and resolve of the president who ordered it. [18:45] One thing that has been clear to me in this role is that the flawless military operations [18:51] that the Department of War is known for are hostage to flawless intelligence. [18:56] We saw that in the skies over Iran in Operation Midnight Hammer last summer. [19:02] We witnessed it in Venezuela during Operation Absolute Resolve. [19:07] We've seen it against the cartels in the Western Hemisphere, [19:10] and we're seeing it every day in Operation Epic Fury, [19:14] including this mission to rescue an aviator buried deep behind enemy lines. [19:20] Because it is the unique tradition of the U.S. Armed Forces that we leave no man or woman behind, [19:28] this was a no-fail mission. [19:32] That was the spirit in which the president put us to work, [19:35] and we were determined not to let him down or our airmen down. [19:41] As an agency, the CIA possesses unique capabilities that only the president can deploy. [19:47] Some of these capabilities fall under covert action authorities, [19:52] and because covert means exactly that, I'm not going to be able to tell you everything that you want to know. [20:01] At the president's direction, we deployed both human assets [20:05] and exquisite technologies that no other intelligence service in the world possesses [20:10] to a daunting challenge comparable to hunting for a single grain of sand in the middle of a desert. [20:18] This was also a race against the clock, [20:21] as it was critical that we locate the downed aviator as quickly as possible [20:26] while at the same time keeping our enemies misdirected. [20:31] For that reason, in addition to the human and technical assets [20:36] deployed by the president to find our airmen, [20:38] CIA executed a deception campaign to confuse the Iranians [20:44] who were desperately hunting for our airmen. [20:47] On Saturday morning, we achieved our primary objective [20:52] by finding and providing confirmation that one of America's best and bravest [20:57] was alive and concealed in a mountain crevice, [21:00] still invisible to the enemy, but not to the CIA. [21:06] That confirmation was relayed by Secretary Hegseth to the president, [21:11] and the operation quickly moved to the execution point. [21:14] Following the successful exfiltration on Saturday night, [21:18] our intelligence reflects that the Iranians were embarrassed [21:23] and ultimately humiliated by the success of this audacious rescue mission. [21:28] When the president asked me to lead the CIA, he made it clear, [21:34] get back to basics, no politics, no agendas, [21:37] tackle the hardest problems and execute the toughest missions. [21:41] This president is about results, and now that's what his CIA is about too. [21:49] The professionals at the agency and at the Department of War [21:54] deserve immense credit for their flawless execution during this daring mission. [21:59] Their skill, creativity and courage are unmatched on the battlefield wherever they step. [22:05] But none of that matters, and all of that is wasted [22:12] without a president with the political courage to put them into action. [22:16] Mr. President, I've had the privilege of seeing you act with political courage [22:22] in the best interest of the United States up close on a daily basis, [22:24] and I'm grateful that this successful mission [22:27] has given the American people a window into that as well. [22:33] The secretary and chairman will tell you that our service members' confidence [22:37] is boosted by a commander in chief who has their back the same way they have yours. [22:44] And I know that the confidence of CIA's officers [22:47] is boosted by the knowledge that their work is informing a president [22:51] who's not afraid to make the hardest decisions when the stakes are highest. [22:57] And to the American people, [22:59] your confidence should be boosted by knowing that the security of the nation [23:05] is in the hands of a president who's willing to take on problems [23:10] that have confounded both sides of the political aisle for nearly half a century. [23:15] It is an honor to serve under a leader who just proved that you can believe him [23:21] when he says, no matter what, we will leave no one behind. [23:26] We will come for you. Thank you. [23:29] Well, John, thank you for the collaboration of the CIA as well. [23:41] Incredible and ongoing partnership. [23:42] Ladies and gentlemen, fellow Americans, [23:46] and especially the brave warriors in our armed forces, [23:49] over this Easter weekend, the United States military has once again proved [23:53] why we possess the greatest fighting force the world has ever known. [23:58] In two extraordinary combat search and rescue operations deep inside enemy territory in Iran, [24:05] our warriors executed missions of breathtaking skill, courage, and precision. [24:12] When our warriors are unleashed, [24:15] as this president has allowed them to be, [24:17] they are unstoppable. [24:20] When American airmen were down behind enemy lines, [24:23] our forces and our president did not hesitate. [24:26] Special operators supported by elite air crews and intelligence professionals [24:30] moved swiftly and decisively into treacherous mountain terrain [24:33] under the constant threat of Iranian forces closing in. [24:37] Ultimately, it was an impotent Iranian threat. [24:43] And today, as the CIA director mentioned, [24:45] Iran's military, and we know this, [24:47] is embarrassed and humiliated. [24:50] And they should be. [24:52] Now, these are not routine operations. [24:54] They were high-risk, high-stakes missions [24:56] conducted in the heart of enemy territory. [24:58] This was not just barely into Iran. [25:00] This was deep into Iran. [25:02] Involving coordinated strikes to suppress threats, [25:05] deception tactics to protect our teams, [25:07] and full synchronization across air, ground, and special operations. [25:12] The Iranians are still asking themselves right now, [25:14] how did the Americans do this? [25:17] One downed airman evaded capture for more than a day, [25:22] scaling rugged ridges while hunted by the enemy. [25:25] When he was finally able to activate his emergency transponder, [25:30] his first message was simple, and it was powerful. [25:35] He sent a message, God is good. [25:38] In that moment of isolation and danger, [25:41] his faith and fighting spirit shone through. [25:45] You see, shot down on a Friday, good Friday, [25:49] hidden in a cave, a crevice, [25:52] all of Saturday, and rescued on Sunday. [25:56] Flown out of Iran as the sun was rising on Easter Sunday. [26:03] A pilot reborn, all home and accounted for, [26:07] a nation rejoicing, God is good. [26:12] Despite incoming fire and unforgiving conditions, [26:16] our troops brought every American home. [26:19] No American lives were lost. [26:21] We leave no man behind, and that is not luck. [26:24] It's the result of unmatched training, superior technology, [26:28] an unbreakable warrior ethos, and sheer American grit. [26:33] Our special operators, pilots, and support crews [26:36] performed with near perfection under fire. [26:40] And they were lethal. [26:42] Just ask any Iranian soldier who dared attempt [26:46] to get anywhere near that pilot before or during that mission. [26:51] Death from above. [26:54] Our troops turned a potential tragedy into a resounding demonstration [26:58] of American resolve and capability. [26:59] That's what excellence in uniform looks like. [27:03] But make no mistake about it. [27:07] None of this would have been possible without the courageous leadership [27:11] and ironclad determination of President Donald J. Trump. [27:16] From the moment our airmen went down, [27:19] President Trump made it clear we will leave no one behind. [27:23] The first mission, the first of two, [27:26] was an audacious daylight thunder run right up the middle. [27:31] It was authorized in less than two weeks. [27:33] Two hours from that pilot going down when we knew where he was. [27:37] And it was authorized in the middle of the night. [27:40] Because anybody that's worked for this man knows he's up in the middle of the night. [27:43] Authorized immediately, without hesitation, audaciously. [27:48] The second mission, as soon as we knew where that pilot was, [27:51] and John was certainly helpful in that, [27:55] also executed immediately. [27:57] You know, I looked up at my screen when the final mission was complete [27:59] inside our SCIF, our secure facility. [28:03] And we have a running VTC, a running coordination cell. [28:06] And at the top of it read, [28:08] 45 hours and 56 minutes. [28:14] For 45 hours and 56 minutes, [28:16] we held that call open for coordination. [28:19] From the moment our pilots went down, [28:21] our mission was unblinking. [28:23] The call never dropped. [28:24] The meeting never stopped. [28:26] The planning never ceased. [28:29] The President demanded rapid, decisive action. [28:32] He backed our military with the full weight of his resolve, [28:34] refusing to let enemy propaganda or tactical setbacks deter us. [28:38] His leadership ensured that every lethal and nonlethal resource [28:44] was brought to bear, that our forces had the authorities [28:47] and the support they needed to succeed. [28:49] When the President says he has the backs of our warfighters, [28:52] he means it. [28:54] And it means a great deal. [28:56] And it's a big difference on the battlefield. [28:59] President Trump understands that peace through strength [29:01] is not a slogan. [29:04] It is a doctrine that saves American lives. [29:07] His unwavering commitment to rebuilding our military [29:09] and restoring the warrior spirit has paid dividends [29:12] in missions just like this one. [29:15] Under his command, America projects power with confidence [29:18] and brings our people home with victory. [29:22] And that continues today, by the way. [29:25] Per the President's direction, today will be the largest volume [29:27] of strikes since day one of this operation. [29:30] Tomorrow, even more than today. [29:32] And then Iran has a choice. [29:35] Choose wisely. [29:36] Because this President does not play around. [29:40] You can ask Soleimani. [29:43] You can ask Maduro. [29:44] You can ask Khomeini. [29:46] To those heroes who planned and executed these rescues, [29:49] your nation stands in awe. [29:51] I stand in awe. [29:53] The Chairman stands in awe. [29:55] We all stand in awe of your professionalism and bravery. [29:58] We serve for you. [29:59] You embody the very best of America. [30:01] To the rescued airmen and their families, welcome home. [30:04] Your courage and endurance, the quiet declaration of faith [30:09] amid the storm inspires us all. [30:12] God is good every day. [30:17] And to our adversaries watching from Tehran, [30:20] let this be a clear message. [30:23] The United States military will go anywhere at any time [30:26] to protect our own and complete the mission. [30:29] We execute with precision. [30:32] We control the skies. [30:34] You see, we flew for seven hours in daylight over Iran [30:38] to get the first pilot. [30:40] And we flew seven hours in the middle of the night [30:44] to get the second. [30:45] And Iran did nothing about it. [30:48] We fight with honor. [30:50] And under President Trump's leadership, we win. [30:53] So God bless our troops, God bless President Trump, [30:56] and God bless the United States of America. [30:58] Thank you. [31:02] Well, good afternoon, everyone. [31:04] Thank you, Mr. President. [31:05] Thank you, Mr. Secretary. [31:06] I know before I start, I know many of you want specific details [31:11] in these briefings. [31:12] We will share what we can, but I will retain what I must [31:16] in the event that we have to go do this again sometime. [31:20] And I cannot stress the importance, [31:22] as the President said, around operational security. [31:25] The Secretary and I will do a more detailed briefing [31:28] tomorrow morning, and we look forward to sharing [31:30] the details that we can. [31:31] On Thursday, 2 April, at 10.10 p.m. Eastern Time, [31:36] 4.40 in the morning, local Iran time, [31:39] the Joint Personnel Recovery Center, [31:41] which handles the Central Command Area of Responsibility, [31:44] declared an isolated personnel recovery event [31:47] for a U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle. [31:50] Call sign DUDE44, which was done [31:52] in hostile Iranian territory. [31:55] The pilot and weapons system officer had both safely ejected [31:59] and were isolated behind enemy lines. [32:02] Following confirmation of active rescue beacons [32:05] and on the direction of the Secretary [32:07] and by order of the President, a rescue operation was launched [32:10] with the stated purpose of bringing both Americans home safely. [32:15] As the Secretary said several hours later on the morning, [32:19] after positively locating the front-seater, [32:22] call sign DUDE44-ALPHA, and aware of an aggressive [32:27] ongoing search by the enemy, a U.S. Central Command plan [32:31] was approved by the Secretary and the President. [32:34] Shortly thereafter, a U.S. Air Force Combat Search [32:37] and Rescue Task Force, comprised of A-10 Warthogs [32:41] in their Sandy role, and I'll describe what that is [32:44] in a minute, HC-130 Combat King IIs, HH-60 Jolly Green II [32:50] helicopters, and Air Force Jolly Green II helicopters, [32:51] and Air Force Special Warfare Airmen, [32:54] a package comprised of combat rescue officers [32:57] and pararescue operators, audaciously penetrated [33:01] enemy territory in broad daylight to find, fix, [33:06] and recover DUDE44-ALPHA from behind enemy lines. [33:10] This was an incredibly dangerous mission, [33:15] an incredibly dangerous undertaking, [33:19] but a filled promise made to every American [33:22] warfighter that you will not be left behind. [33:25] We will always come find you, and we will always [33:29] bring you home. [33:30] Over the next hours, the Search and Rescue Task Force [33:33] crossed the beach, entered into Iranian airspace, [33:37] protected by a fighter strike package, and moved [33:40] into the objective area, all under fire. [33:43] En route, as some of you have seen on social media, [33:47] the helicopters took gas off the C-130s and pressed [33:51] onward and forward. [33:52] While this was ongoing and out in front of them, [33:55] the Sandy flight of A-10s and other remotely piloted [33:58] aircraft, drones, and other tactical aircraft, [34:01] were violently suppressing and engaging the enemy [34:04] in a close-in gunfight to keep them away from the [34:07] front-seater and allow the pickup force to get into [34:10] the objective area. [34:11] During this engagement, one of the Sandy aircraft, [34:14] the one primarily responsible for communicating [34:18] with the enemy in the area of Iran, [34:20] was shot down by a fighter jet. [34:22] This pilot continued to fight, continued the mission, [34:25] and then, upon exit, flew his aircraft into another [34:28] country and determined that the airplane was not [34:31] landable. [34:32] This was one of our A-10 Sandy aircraft. [34:34] The pilot then made the decision to eject over [34:37] friendly territory and was quickly and safely [34:40] recovered and is doing fine. [34:42] After picking up a dude 448, he was able to get [34:45] back into the airspace. [34:47] He was able to get back into the airspace, [34:49] and he was able to get back into the airspace. [34:52] The dude 44 alpha, the HH-60 Jolly Greenfight, [34:56] was engaged by every single person in Iran who had [35:00] a small arms weapon. [35:02] And one of the aircraft, the trailing aircraft, [35:05] took several hits. [35:06] The crew sustained minor injury, [35:08] and they are going to be fine. [35:11] A note for those of you that do not know what a Sandy does. [35:15] Named after the flight call sign that did this very [35:18] mission in Vietnam, flying A-1 Sky Raiders and [35:22] A-7 Corsairs. [35:24] A Sandy has one mission. [35:26] Get to the survivor, bring the rescue force forward, [35:31] and put themselves between that survivor on the [35:34] ground and the enemy. [35:36] They are committed to this. [35:38] This is what they live for, and this is what they've [35:41] trained for over many, many years. [35:44] The A-10 force and the rescue force did fantastic, [35:50] did a fantastic job rescuing dude 44. [35:53] 44 alpha. [35:54] He was recovered Friday afternoon. [35:57] As I said, and the nation needs to know this, [36:00] this was an incredibly brave and courageous mission. [36:04] And a testament to the courage, skill, [36:07] and tenacity of the joint force and our leaders. [36:12] And especially a daylight option, [36:14] having the guts to try means so much to so many. [36:18] Meanwhile, the backseater, as the president and [36:22] the secretary have said, had continued to work hard [36:25] and work and survive. [36:27] Through the hours of daylight, dude 44 Bravo, [36:30] the backseater, evaded. [36:32] Using every means available, the efforts of the [36:36] United States military, the Central Intelligence [36:39] Agency, and others were attempting to find and [36:42] locate with precision dude 44 Bravo, the backseater. [36:47] A note on the backseater and the frontseater. [36:51] The single most important contributor to a [36:55] successful rescue operation is the spirit of attack [36:59] inside the heart of that downed aviator. [37:03] Their will to survive, their will to evade, [37:06] their will to recover is everything. [37:09] In this case, the backseater's absolute commitment [37:12] to surviving made much of our efforts possible. [37:17] On Saturday, 4 April, after establishing positive [37:20] communications with the backseater, we learned, [37:23] as the president said, that he was injured and [37:26] actively evading enemy forces. [37:29] And thanks to our interagency partners, we were [37:32] able to get eyes on his location and positively [37:35] ID him. [37:36] Throughout this entire time, the enemy force [37:39] continued to search for 44 Bravo, and the joint [37:42] force continued to strike them over and over and [37:45] over again. [37:46] Fighting off marginal weather in Iran and the [37:49] enemy's search for a second time on Saturday, at [37:53] the recommendation the CENTCOM commander and at [37:55] the approval of the secretary and the president, [37:58] we launched a rescue task force to recover dude 44 [38:01] Bravo. [38:02] Again, this came to the president and the secretary [38:05] for approval, this time with a much larger force [38:08] package, based on the time that the enemy had to [38:11] prepare to find 44 Bravo. [38:14] Again, this force was protected by A-10 warthogs [38:19] using the Sandy Call sign. [38:21] And this force had one single mission, do [38:24] everything they can to bring an American home. [38:28] This meant having a plan, being prepared to execute [38:31] that plan, and more importantly, being prepared [38:35] for multiple simultaneous contingencies. [38:40] And because of this force's professionalism, [38:43] grit, and determination, fight off two enemies at [38:47] the same time, the enemy searching for 44 Bravo [38:51] and contingencies, which anyone who has done these [38:54] types of missions knows, we run into every single [38:59] time. [39:00] The force fought off both of those enemies [39:02] incredibly well. [39:03] During the period of darkness on Saturday, and [39:06] as the secretary said, into Easter Sunday, and [39:09] into the daylight, the force fought its way in [39:13] and rescued dude 44 Bravo. [39:16] They were protected overhead by an air armada, [39:20] including tactical drones, strike aircraft, and [39:24] others. [39:25] The force fought through multiple simultaneous [39:28] contingencies, something no other nation, no other [39:32] military can do, and safely returned dude 44 Bravo, [39:37] the backseater, home, and all other Americans home [39:41] as well. [39:42] At midnight 12 local Eastern time, Easter Sunday, [39:48] more than 50 hours after the start of this operation, [39:52] the Joint Personnel Recovery Center declared dude 44 Bravo [39:57] both the front and backseater returned to friendly [40:02] territory. [40:03] The courage demonstrated by both the pilot and the [40:07] weapons system officer while isolated and them [40:10] invading the enemy cannot be overstated. [40:13] Their grit and war fighting tenacity is a direct [40:17] result of the absolute trust they have in our rescue [40:20] forces, their training, and their will to survive [40:23] and return. [40:24] They always knew that we would be ordered to go get [40:27] them, and they always knew that we would be coming [40:31] to get them. [40:32] These two operations reflect our nation's most sacred [40:36] obligation to our military service members. [40:39] We leave no one behind. [40:41] Bless you. [40:42] It also perfectly captures the first truth of our special [40:46] operations forces, that people are more important than [40:50] hardware. [40:51] That is the standard we live by, and the rescue forces [40:56] that executed these missions are the ones that will [40:57] continue to do so. [40:59] These missions operate under a clear motto, these things [41:03] we do that others may live. [41:06] Their actions were a direct embodiment of that [41:09] commitment to others, and I could not be more proud of [41:14] each and every one of them today. [41:18] As the secretary said to our enemies, this operation [41:21] serves as a clear reminder of the capability and will [41:25] of America's joint force. [41:26] The United States of America will continue to serve [41:28] and cover our war fighters anywhere in the world, [41:31] under any conditions, when we want to. [41:34] We will always bring overwhelming skill and firepower. [41:37] To every member of the joint force, our interagency [41:40] partners, the leadership at CENTCOM, and our leaders [41:44] at the department and above, thank you. [41:46] I'm proud of each and every one of you, and thankful [41:49] to our deployed forces and their families. [41:53] And lastly, and most importantly, to DUDE 4-4, [41:57] welcome home. [41:58] Job well done. [41:59] Thank you. [42:00] Pretty amazing. [42:06] Pretty amazing. [42:07] And these two gentlemen have been, from day one, [42:11] they've been perfecto. [42:12] You know, I got to know General Cain in my first [42:15] term because he was able to take out ISIS in four [42:19] weeks instead of the four-year projection that was [42:22] given to me by other much lesser generals. [42:25] And I said, you know, if I ever do this again, that's [42:28] going to be the head of my Joint Chiefs of Staff, and [42:31] we worked it that way, didn't we? [42:34] It's amazing. [42:35] He took out ISIS. [42:36] We defeated ISIS in four weeks. [42:38] I was told it would take four years. [42:40] I flew to Iraq to find out, with the greatest [42:43] equipment in the world, why would it take four years. [42:46] And he told me, sir, it won't. [42:48] It'll take four weeks, and you'll have time left [42:52] over. [42:53] And that's exactly what happened. [42:55] So he's great. [42:56] And Pete, all I can say is that he was treated very [42:59] unfairly. [43:00] And now those same people that treated him unfairly [43:03] are here. [43:04] Thank you. [43:05] He said, well, what happened during his [43:07] nomination? [43:08] What happened to you? [43:09] I'm telling you, people that were not for him, [43:12] senators, friends of mine, sir, I don't think you're [43:15] doing the right thing, now they're calling me up. [43:18] What a choice! [43:19] These two guys are fantastic. [43:21] And John Ratcliffe was incredible. [43:24] It was actually their genius that called us from [43:27] — he was 40 miles away — and he said, you know, [43:30] we're seeing something moving up in Iraq, and [43:34] now we need to do something about it. [43:36] something moving up in the mountain. [43:38] This is at night. [43:40] And they kept the camera on him for 45 minutes. [43:43] He wasn't moving. [43:44] And they said, you know, probably wrong, but we're [43:47] seeing something moving. [43:48] This is a vast mountain, vast, thick, with bushes, [43:54] trees. [43:55] He said, we see something moving 40 miles away. [43:57] It was the head of a human being, I'm telling you. [44:02] It's moving. [44:04] And then, all of a sudden, 45 minutes later, he [44:06] moved a lot, stood up, and they said, we have him. [44:11] And that was really the beginning of something [44:14] incredible. [44:15] We had an idea where he was, but not specifically. [44:18] And it's a big mountain. [44:20] So I want to thank the CIA, too. [44:23] I don't think they get enough credit for the [44:26] great job they've done. [44:27] Yes, please. [44:28] The Press Thank you very much, Mr. President, for [44:31] this great opportunity. [44:34] Country, it has a super army. [44:37] You make a difference, Mr. President. [44:39] Thank you for your greatest leadership. [44:42] I have two quick questions, President. [44:45] What was your record? [44:46] What was your reaction when you learned that [44:48] Kurdistan region had resumed exporting oil to [44:52] the international market with your support as [44:56] United States of America? [44:57] President Trump Well, I expected that. [44:59] We've gotten along with the Kurds for a long time, [45:02] so I expected that. [45:03] The Press Another question. [45:05] What would be your reaction if the Iranian [45:11] people rise up against their regime during a [45:15] case fire, Mr. President? [45:16] President Trump Well, they should do it. [45:17] But again, the consequences are great. [45:20] I mean, they were told, if you protest, you will be [45:22] shot immediately. [45:24] You saw what happened to the young wrestler. [45:26] He was a great champion, by the way. [45:28] He was a great wrestler, one of the top in the [45:29] world. [45:31] And he and his two friends were hung. [45:34] And all they did was say a little bit about liberty. [45:37] They wanted liberty, and they were violently [45:40] executed. [45:42] But the number is up to probably 45,000 people [45:45] were killed. [45:46] So, you know, when somebody stays in a house, [45:48] when they know if they walk out of the house to [45:50] protest, they'll be immediately shot and killed. [45:53] And they issued that. [45:54] You know, that was publicly issued. [45:56] It's not a secret. [45:57] That's why so many people say, oh, well, why are [45:59] you doing this? [46:00] We can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon. [46:04] You know, we got regime change. [46:06] We do. [46:07] We're dealing with a much different regime than [46:09] before. [46:09] We're dealing with different people. [46:11] They're smarter. [46:13] I think they're sharper and far less radical. [46:18] We have regime change. [46:19] But we didn't do anything. [46:21] We didn't do this for regime change. [46:22] We did it for the fact. [46:23] And my view is very simple. [46:26] I saw somebody said, oh, he doesn't have a plan. [46:28] I have the best plan of all. [46:29] But I'm not going to tell you what my plan is. [46:31] You know, they want me to say, here's my plan. [46:33] We're going to attack at 947 in the morning, and [46:36] then we're going to do this. [46:37] And then we're going to. [46:38] And if you don't do that, they say, I have a plan. [46:41] These people know what the plan is. [46:42] Everybody here knows what the plan is. [46:45] But it's very unfair to say, you know, because I [46:48] don't mind being insulted. [46:50] I've been insulted for many years by [46:51] the fake news. [46:53] But you can't. [46:54] It's so bad for the people that are so [46:57] pro-Yugoslavia. [46:58] Two great and John Ratcliffe. [47:00] Three unbelievable people. [47:02] They have a plan. [47:03] Every single thing has been thought out by all [47:06] of us. [47:08] But I can't reveal the plan to the media. [47:11] So, you know. [47:12] But we're just thrilled by the success of this [47:14] operation. [47:15] Yes, please. [47:15] The Press Thank you, Mr. President. [47:16] You've said Iranians would be mad if you stopped [47:19] these attacks. [47:20] But why would they want you to blow up their [47:21] infrastructure? [47:22] To come back? [47:23] To cut off their power? [47:24] Wouldn't that be punishing Iranians for the [47:26] actions of the regime? [47:27] The President They would be willing to. [47:28] They would be. [47:29] And it's suffering. [47:30] They would be willing to suffer that in order to [47:32] have freedom. [47:34] The Iranians have, you know, we've had numerous [47:37] intercepts. [47:38] Please keep bombing. [47:40] Bombs that are dropping near their homes. [47:43] Please keep bombing. [47:45] Do it. [47:46] And these are people that are living where the bombs [47:48] are exploding. [47:49] And when we leave and we're not hitting those [47:52] areas, they're saying, please come back. [47:54] Come back. [47:54] Come back. [47:55] These are the people. [47:58] I don't know what they do. [47:59] All I can tell you is they want freedom. [48:02] They have lived in a world that you know nothing [48:05] about. [48:05] It's a violent, horrible world where, if you [48:09] protest, you are shot. [48:11] Remember the great woman protest where they had [48:13] 400,000, 500,000 women, and they were all enthused [48:17] and they were going to protest. [48:18] And everybody said, oh, the regime is going to [48:21] come to an end. [48:21] And then, all of a sudden, boom, boom, five, two, [48:24] three, two, two, two, two, two, two, two, two, two, two, [48:25] three, two, two, two, two, two, two, two, two, two, two, [48:27] three. [48:28] Six different areas. [48:30] A woman would go down. [48:31] Right between the eyes, they had snipers. [48:33] They had five snipers. [48:34] That's all it took. [48:36] And those four or 500,000 women said, oh, my God, [48:39] what's that? [48:40] Oh, look over there, what's that? [48:43] A woman shot right between the eyes. [48:46] And after five or six of them go down, then you [48:49] start hearing the purr through the vast number of [48:54] people. [48:56] And then they said, oh, my God. [48:58] Who would do that? [49:00] And they're incredible people. [49:02] But they've lived so horribly. [49:03] They've lived so horribly. [49:05] You know, Iran was a great country, [49:06] if you go back 25 years ago or so. [49:10] The Persian people, they're incredible, smart, [49:13] brilliant, actually. [49:15] And I know so many. [49:16] I know, coming from New York, originally, [49:18] I know so many people from Iran. [49:20] They're incredible people, incredible energy, [49:23] and very, very brilliant people. [49:26] But when you're standing in a group and protesting, [49:29] and you have a woman — in the case of the woman, [49:31] you remember the Great Woman March. [49:32] Everybody was like, oh, this is the end of the country. [49:36] And then snipers selectively picked. [49:39] Every single one was shot right between the eyes, [49:42] from a long distance. [49:43] They were on top of buildings. [49:45] Nobody even knew where they were, where they're coming from. [49:48] This wasn't like a machine gun, which is also very bad. [49:50] They've done that, too. [49:51] They did that recently. [49:53] This was snipers sitting on the top of buildings, [49:58] aiming and hitting women. [50:00] And when they see people go down, [50:01] and all of a sudden, [50:02] there's a riot. [50:03] There's a riot in the reverse direction. [50:05] And they never came out again. [50:07] And a lot of the news doesn't talk about that. [50:10] They talk about, oh, women's rights. [50:12] You want to see women's rights? [50:13] You're not going to see it there. [50:15] It's amazing when I see some of the stupid people, [50:18] like, you know, AOC Plus 3, all that group. [50:20] They talk about, oh, freedom for Iran. [50:24] They don't tell you the real facts. [50:26] Women, men, gays. [50:29] How about gays for Iran? [50:33] They kill the gays. [50:34] They throw them off buildings. [50:35] So, I wonder what's going on. [50:37] I can only say this. [50:40] They want us to keep bombing, [50:42] even if it jeopardizes, [50:44] because their life is in much greater danger. [50:46] They want freedom for Iran. [50:48] But it's very hard for them to protest. [50:49] I actually tell them, I said, don't go out. [50:51] I fully understand. [50:53] Nobody in this room would go out. [50:54] I don't think there's any. [50:55] Because, frankly, it's not a question of bravery. [50:57] We're all brave, right? [50:58] You're brave. [50:59] I'm brave. [50:59] We're all brave. [51:00] But we're also intelligent. [51:03] If you have people shooting at you, expert shots, [51:07] with the best rifles you can get, [51:09] and hitting you right between the eyes every single time, [51:13] and you're looking here and you're seeing, [51:15] and you're looking here, you're out of there. [51:17] I don't care who it is. [51:18] The Press Thank you. [51:20] Mark Meredith, Fox News. [51:21] The President I know that. [51:22] The President Oh, thank you. [51:23] Go ahead. [51:24] The Press America's watching. [51:25] The President No, Joe, can we go back to the weekend? [51:28] First off, was everyone on board with the operation? [51:31] Or were there people that were trying to talk you out [51:33] of going through with the operation this weekend? [51:34] The President Not everybody was on board. [51:36] The Press Somebody else within your team? [51:37] The President There were military people, [51:39] very professional, that preferred not doing it. [51:42] These two were totally on board, [51:44] which was very important. [51:47] If they weren't, I would have had a little difficulty. [51:49] But, no, there were military people that said, [51:51] you just don't do this. [51:52] You don't go into the heart of a very powerful military. [51:57] You know, this is, hey, you have countries and countries. [51:59] You have some countries where military is not their [52:02] strong suit. [52:03] This whole thing is militarized like nobody's [52:05] ever seen before. [52:06] Half the people are wearing uniforms. [52:09] And we had people within the military. [52:13] Usually, it's not done. [52:14] That's one of the reasons. [52:15] You know, I was surprised. [52:16] Somebody said it's the only time it's ever been done. [52:18] I said, that's not possible. [52:20] But it is possible because you're going into [52:23] hundreds of thousands of soldiers along the path. [52:27] I mean, look at some of the helicopters, how they [52:30] got hit. [52:31] So, yeah, there were people within the military [52:33] that said it's a wise. [52:35] And don't forget, how many men did you send [52:36] altogether, approximately, for the operation? [52:40] The President I'd love to keep that [52:41] a secret, Mr. President. [52:42] The President Okay, well, we'll get to that. [52:44] But I will tell you, the number, I'll keep it a [52:47] secret, but it was hundreds. [52:49] And hundreds of these people, that's pretty [52:52] good, is he central, is he central casting? [52:55] But hundreds of people went into this journey. [52:59] Hundreds of people could have been killed. [53:01] Forget about the equipment, a lot of [53:02] equipment, nobody cares. [53:04] Hundreds of people could have been killed. [53:07] So, we had people that were within the military [53:09] that said, this is not a wise. [53:11] And I understood that, but I decided to do it. [53:13] The Press Was there a point that they were [53:16] going to, that you were thinking, there's too much [53:18] on the line, and somebody was saying, maybe we abort [53:20] this now and wait? [53:22] I mean, given the resource, like the [53:23] General said, it seemed like there was so much [53:25] on the line here. [53:26] You must have been thinking this could have [53:27] completely changed the next three years. [53:29] The President So, the first one, which was, in [53:31] many ways, as dangerous as the second, I guess it [53:35] gets, because we're flying over daylight. [53:38] You know, we're the best at the world at night. [53:40] We have goggles that nobody wears. [53:41] We have goggles. [53:42] I've tried them, and they're unbelievable. [53:44] I see better with the goggles at night than I see [53:47] without them during daylight. [53:48] I mean, daylight today, we have a beautiful day. [53:52] You see just as well with goggles. [53:54] In many ways, it's enhanced. [53:56] So, we have the best in the world. [53:58] So, it's much safer for us to do it at night, whereas [54:02] other people, no other country has that capability. [54:04] They don't have the, they don't have that particular [54:06] piece of equipment like we do. [54:08] But when I was told, flying, and in daylight, [54:13] I think we flew seven hours over Iran, and [54:16] that's a long time, over unbelievably hostile [54:19] territory, where they have nothing but weapons. [54:23] We took out their anti-aircraft, which is [54:24] great. [54:25] We took out their radar, which is great. [54:27] We took out a lot, but they still have, you know, [54:29] what hit this one was a shoulder, hand-held [54:32] shoulder missile, heat-seeking missile. [54:34] So, it's not like, you know, they're totally [54:37] whatever, but, but, and they had probably a [54:41] little luck, because you got to get lucky, but [54:44] they shot it. [54:45] And it got sucked in right by the engine. [54:47] But these guys were out of there. [54:48] They were great. [54:49] Their timing was great. [54:51] But, no, I was told that this is a very dangerous [54:54] mission. [54:55] I understand. [54:56] They didn't say it's a foolish mission. [54:57] They said, you know, we're going to be [54:58] sacrificing hundreds of people to do this. [55:01] This is, I mean, you have tankers that are flying [55:04] over this area so that they could, because the [55:06] flight was so long, they had to refuel. [55:08] It's a very dangerous mission. [55:11] I just felt it was worth it. [55:12] If you would have told me that we would have been [55:14] successful, gotten both, and nobody was even [55:17] essentially injured, I would have said that would [55:20] be impossible. [55:20] Yeah, please. [55:21] The Press Thank you, Mr. President. [55:22] Thank you very much. [55:23] The President Thank you, sir. [55:24] The Press Well, I'll come back to you. [55:25] The Press Okay, thank you. [55:25] The Press Given that you are now dealing, you say, [55:28] with a more reasonable, less extreme leadership in [55:32] Iran, what does that mean for the protesters, for [55:35] the human rights movement in that country after this [55:38] conflict? [55:38] What's your expectation? [55:39] The President Well, I think it's positive. [55:40] Yeah, if they assume control, if we do [55:42] something and they assume control, I think it's very [55:44] positive. [55:45] It's a big step. [55:46] I don't think you'd see the radicalization that you [55:49] have seen in the last. [55:51] Look what happened. [55:51] I mean, women are being executed because they're [55:54] not properly clothed, they say. [55:57] They're not properly clothed. [55:58] And they execute the women. [55:59] They absolutely, they shoot them right on the [56:01] street. [56:03] No, you have a much different group of people. [56:05] Now, I'm not saying we are dealing with them. [56:10] Essentially, they have until 8 o'clock tomorrow [56:13] night, Eastern Time. [56:15] But we are dealing with them. [56:16] I think it's going well. [56:17] Mr. Witkoff is here, and J.D.'s involved in the [56:20] dealing. [56:21] Mr. Witkoff is sitting right here, and I think [56:24] it's going fine. [56:24] But we'll have to see. [56:26] You have to understand, we've been dealing with [56:28] these people for 47 years. [56:31] I'm standing here with a much more powerful Iran, [56:36] as of a month ago, not anymore. [56:38] Right now, they are decapitated. [56:40] But I'm standing here a month ago with a much more [56:44] powerful Iran than it was at any point during 47 years. [56:47] This should have been handled by seven presidents, [56:51] a lot of presidents. [56:53] And those presidents are saying now, every one of [56:56] them, to their friends, we should have done this a [56:58] long time ago. [56:59] So, it's not something I like doing. [57:02] It's very dangerous, and we're getting them at the [57:04] height of their strength. [57:06] If I didn't terminate the Barack Hussein Obama Iran [57:10] nuclear deal, they would have had a, don't forget, [57:13] that was a path to a nuclear weapon. [57:15] Remember this. [57:16] He chose Iran over Iran. [57:19] Israel. Pure and simple. How Israel can vote for a Democrat is, if you're Jewish in New York City [57:27] or anyplace else in this country, and how you can vote for a Democrat is unbelievable. Because [57:33] he chose Iran, a very hostile Iran. Remember when he filled up a 757 with cash? Billions of dollars [57:42] of cash. And he sent it over to them. Then they gave them tens of billions of dollars. He chose [57:48] Iran over Israel. And really, the Arab world, if you look, because the other Saudi Arabia, [57:55] Qatar, UAE, I mean, you take a look. I mean, I can add Kuwait, and I can add Bahrain, [58:01] and you can add others. He chose such an unlikely candidate. Nobody could believe it. Frankly, [58:09] if you're going to choose between Iraq and Iran, he should have chosen he should have befriended [58:14] Iraq. He went in the exact opposite direction of all thinking. [58:20] And he made a choice. [58:21] a terrible mistake. But that was a road to a nuclear weapon. And when I terminated that, [58:27] everyone said, oh, he terminated it. It was one of the best things we ever did, [58:31] because he had a road to a nuclear weapon. And it was going to it was a very short-term deal. [58:36] You know, countries don't do 10-year deals. Countries do hundreds of years. [58:40] You don't do a 10-year deal. For a country, you need — this isn't you're a landlord, [58:44] you're renting a store on a certain street, and you give somebody a 5-year or 10-year lease. [58:49] This is a country. It was a short-term deal. It was ready to expire. I terminated it before it [58:56] expired. It took a lot of heat. And it was one of the best things they ever did, because he would [58:59] have had a nuclear weapon. Then he would have had another nuclear weapon, had those beautiful B-2 [59:04] bombers not gone in eight months ago, and obliterated that site. And, by the way, [59:09] the word is obliteration. CNN said, well, maybe it wasn't complete. It was so complete that they [59:15] still haven't been able to get it. It was obliteration. But if we didn't hit [59:19] that, we wouldn't have been able to get it. But if we didn't hit that, we wouldn't have been able to [59:20] get it. But if we didn't hit that, we wouldn't have been able to get it. But if we didn't hit that, [59:20] we wouldn't have been able to get it. But if we didn't hit that, we wouldn't have been able to get [59:20] it. But if we didn't hit that, we wouldn't have been able to get it. That was a courageous [59:21] decision, too, because we had all those planes flying in at night with very little cover, [59:27] unbelievable stealth planes. And they were able to do their job. If we didn't do that, [59:33] Iran would have had a nuclear weapon at a high level, either one of those two instances. [59:39] And if they did, in my opinion, I told this to Bibi Netanyahu yesterday, [59:45] Israel would have been extinguished. Large portions of the Middle East would have been [59:51] extinguished. [59:52] Whether it's Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, or others. And you saw that with thousands of missiles [59:59] raining down upon them. They didn't think they were going to be hit. They thought they'd be [1:00:02] watching us fight. And all of a sudden, UAE got hit by 1,500 missiles. He would have taken them [1:00:09] out also. And they were powerful. If I didn't come along and terminate the Obama deal, which [1:00:16] was terrible, the Iran nuclear deal was a road to a nuclear weapon, a big one, unlimited, legally, [1:00:23] I terminated it without even much thought. It was so easy. I terminated that. And then the B-2 bombers. [1:00:32] And I did one other thing. I had killed Qasem Soleimani, who was an evil genius. [1:00:40] And the reason I did it, I heard he was going to knock out five of our military bases. And [1:00:48] had he lived, I believe we would be fighting perhaps a different Iran right now, because he's [1:00:56] never — he's never been killed. He's never been killed. He's never been killed. He's never been [1:00:58] killed. He's never been killed. He's never been killed. He's never been killed. He's never been [1:00:58] replaced. You know? And I also — I did one other, but this one was not picked up. Osama bin Laden. [1:01:05] If you read my book, I said you got to take him out one year before the World Trade Center came [1:01:09] down. So I wish you'd read the book. But you — as a president, to be a good president, I believe you [1:01:19] have to have good instincts. And a lot of this is instinct. Yeah, please. [1:01:22] Q Mr. President, last week, you suggested that Europe should take the lead on reopening [1:01:31] the Strait of Hormuz. [1:01:32] Has circumstances changed now that you're issuing a direct 48-hour — I mean, 48-hour [1:01:38] ultimatum? And secondly, would a new ceasefire include Israel, or would it just be between [1:01:43] Iran and the U.S.? [1:01:43] THE PRESIDENT. I can't talk about ceasefire. But I can tell you that we have an active, [1:01:49] willing participant on the other side. They would like to be able to make a deal. I can't say any [1:01:54] more than that if I get it right for you. [1:01:55] Q Mr. President, thank you so much. [1:01:58] Q You've listed the goals — [1:01:59] THE PRESIDENT. Excuse me. [1:02:00] Q Please, go ahead. [1:02:01] THE PRESIDENT. Thank you, Mr. President. [1:02:02] Q Who are you with? Who are you with? [1:02:03] Q My name is Diakur. I'm with the largest Kurdish media outlet, Ruda Media Network. [1:02:08] It's based in Iran. [1:02:09] THE PRESIDENT. Go ahead. [1:02:10] Q Mr. President, you said before that you don't want the Kurdish forces to enter Iran [1:02:15] and be harmed. Do you still want them to stay away? Or what role do you expect them to play [1:02:20] now? [1:02:21] THE PRESIDENT. I'd rather have them stay away. I'd rather have them stay away, because I [1:02:25] think they bring with them some problems and some difficulties. And I don't think — they [1:02:29] bring death, I mean, you know, to themselves. But I'd rather have them stay away. [1:02:31] Q And then — [1:02:32] THE PRESIDENT. Go ahead. [1:02:33] Q Thank you, Mr. President, for the question. Deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure [1:02:42] violate the Geneva Convention of Conventions and international law — [1:02:46] THE PRESIDENT. Who are you with? Who are you with? [1:02:47] Q I'm with The New York Times. Zolan from The New York Times. [1:02:49] THE PRESIDENT. The failing — [1:02:50] Q Are you concerned — [1:02:51] THE PRESIDENT. The failing — [1:02:52] Q Are you concerned — [1:02:53] THE PRESIDENT. There's been circulation way down at The New York Times. What's going [1:02:54] on? [1:02:55] Q Are you concerned that your threat to bomb power plants and bridges amount to a crime [1:02:58] site? [1:02:59] THE PRESIDENT. No, not at all. No, I'm not. I hope I don't have to do it. But, again, [1:03:02] I just said, 47 years they've been negotiating. [1:03:05] They're great negotiators. [1:03:06] Q But why would that — [1:03:07] THE PRESIDENT. And because they're not going to have a nuclear weapon. And if somebody [1:03:12] that takes my place someday is weak and ineffective, which possibly that will happen, because we [1:03:18] had numerous presidents that were weak, ineffective, and afraid of Iran, we're never going to [1:03:24] let Iran have a nuclear weapon. And if you think it's okay for people that are sick [1:03:30] of mind, that are tough, smart, and sick — really sick — [1:03:36] Q [1:03:37] THE PRESIDENT. — from a policy standpoint, from a standpoint — any which way you want [1:03:43] to say, mentally, these are disturbed people. If you think I'm going to allow them — and [1:03:48] powerful and rich — to have a nuclear weapon, you can tell your friends at The New York [1:03:54] Times, not going to happen. [1:03:55] Q It is a means-violating international law. [1:04:00] THE PRESIDENT. Quiet, quiet, quiet, quiet. You no longer have credibility at The New [1:04:03] York Times, because The New York Times said, oh, Trump won't win the election, and I won [1:04:07] in a landslide. [1:04:08] I won every swing state. The New York Times said, oh, Trump won't win the election. The [1:04:12] New York Times has no credibility. The credibility they have is it used to be all the news that's [1:04:18] fit to print. A great — the old gray lady, it was great. But they're running on past [1:04:23] fumes, and you can't keep doing that. You have to be able to give the correct news. [1:04:28] And people like you, who I know, are fake. You're fake. Go ahead, please. [1:04:32] Q Mr. President, your messaging on the war has moved from the war is coming to an end [1:04:38] to we're going to be bombed. [1:04:39] THE PRESIDENT. [1:04:40] Q Right. [1:04:41] Q And we've heard a range of those kind of messages. [1:04:42] THE PRESIDENT. [1:04:43] Q Sure. [1:04:44] Q So are you — so which is it? Are you winding this down? [1:04:45] THE PRESIDENT. [1:04:46] Q I can't tell you. [1:04:47] Q Or are you escalating it? [1:04:48] THE PRESIDENT. [1:04:49] Q I can't tell you. I don't know. I can't tell you. It depends what they do. This is [1:04:51] a critical period. They have a period of, well, till tomorrow at 8 o'clock. I gave them [1:04:58] an extension. They asked for an extension of seven days, right? I said, Steve, give [1:05:03] them 10 days. Ten days is up actually today. So I gave them 11, I guess, indirectly. I [1:05:11] thought it was inappropriate the day after Easter. I want to be a nice person. [1:05:17] They have till tomorrow. Now, we will see what happens. I can tell you, they're negotiating, [1:05:22] we think, in good faith. We're going to find out. We're getting the help of some incredible [1:05:27] countries that want this to be ended, because it affects them also. A lot of people are [1:05:33] affected by this. [1:05:34] But we're giving them — we're giving them till tomorrow, 8 o'clock Eastern time. And [1:05:41] after that, they go home. [1:05:42] They're going to have no bridges. [1:05:44] They're going to have no power plants. [1:05:48] Stone ages, yeah. Stone ages. [1:05:54] CNN fake news. [1:05:54] The Press Are you willing to make a deal [1:05:57] that does not include reopening the Strait of Hormuz, [1:06:00] or is that now a top priority? [1:06:02] The President I would say it's a very big priority [1:06:04] because, see, that's one thing [1:06:07] that's a little different than other things. [1:06:09] We can bomb the hell out of them. [1:06:11] We can knock them out for a loop. [1:06:13] But to close the Strait, all you need is one terrorist [1:06:17] that somehow has a truck loaded with, [1:06:20] because you can carry them in trucks, large trucks, [1:06:22] a water mine, drop them in the water, [1:06:26] and now you tell people that own ships [1:06:28] that cost a billion dollars to, [1:06:30] don't worry about the mine. [1:06:31] You can do that even just by saying, [1:06:33] we put mines in the water. [1:06:35] So it's not like the rest. [1:06:37] We can knock out their military. [1:06:38] We already have. We've knocked out their Navy. [1:06:40] We've knocked out their Air Force completely. [1:06:42] We've knocked out 158 ships in three days. [1:06:46] We've knocked out even their mine droppers. [1:06:48] They don't have any. [1:06:48] They don't have any mine droppers anymore, [1:06:50] but they put them on other boats, [1:06:51] and they could drop them. [1:06:52] I'm not even sure they have any mines yet, by the way. [1:06:54] I'm not sure. [1:06:56] Personally, they say there might be eight. [1:06:58] I don't know. I don't know. [1:06:59] I think there might be none [1:07:02] because they're very good bullshit artists. [1:07:03] That's why, for 47 years, [1:07:05] they've been bullshitting other presidents, [1:07:07] and they haven't done the job. [1:07:09] And people are living in hell. [1:07:11] You live in that country. They're living in hell. [1:07:14] No, I think that 47 years of this stuff is long enough. [1:07:20] They're at the weakest point they've ever been. [1:07:24] They have no Navy. They have no Air Force. [1:07:26] They have no anti-aircraft weaponry. [1:07:29] They have no radar. They have no communication. [1:07:31] In fact, the biggest problem we have in our negotiation [1:07:34] is that they can't communicate. [1:07:36] I said to Steve, what are they saying? [1:07:38] Sir, they can't communicate. [1:07:40] They have no method of communication. [1:07:42] So we're doing, we're communicating [1:07:44] like they used to communicate 2,000 years ago [1:07:46] with children, bringing a note back and forth. [1:07:50] They have no communication. [1:07:52] But all I want to see is I want to have a safe world. [1:07:55] And you're not going to have a safe world. [1:07:57] Israel will be gone. [1:08:00] The Middle East will be gone. [1:08:01] And then they're coming for Europe. [1:08:03] And I have to tell you, I'm very disappointed in NATO, very. [1:08:07] I think that NATO, I think it's a mark on NATO [1:08:11] that will never disappear, never disappear in my mind. [1:08:13] You know, they're coming to see me on Wednesday. [1:08:15] They're going to say, oh, we'll do this, we'll do that. [1:08:17] Now they all of a sudden want to send things, you know. [1:08:20] But they said it loud and clear at the beginning [1:08:22] when I spoke to UK of all. [1:08:24] I would have said they would have been the first [1:08:25] because they've been, they're the oldest. [1:08:28] And I say, yeah, I'd love to have a little help. [1:08:31] He said, no, sir, we'd rather wait till you win. [1:08:34] I said, I don't need help after we win. [1:08:36] They have two old broken aircraft carriers, barely work. [1:08:39] I said, I guess we can use them. [1:08:41] Who the hell knows? [1:08:42] I called the general, he didn't even want to. [1:08:43] He said, we don't really need them. [1:08:45] We got, we got the SS Abraham Lincoln, sir. [1:08:48] We don't need them. [1:08:50] Do you know, we have in terms of technology, [1:08:52] we had one day 101 missiles [1:08:55] going at 2,700 miles an hour, [1:08:58] aimed at the Abraham Lincoln, 101 missiles. [1:09:03] Out of 101 missiles, 101 missiles were shot down. [1:09:09] Unbelievable technology. [1:09:11] 10 years ago, five years ago, [1:09:13] I don't know if that would have been possible. [1:09:15] But 10 years ago, that wouldn't have been, [1:09:18] that wouldn't have been possible. [1:09:20] 101 missiles heading to a ship [1:09:23] that's not that far off the coast. [1:09:27] And out of the 101 missiles, [1:09:29] we shot down all 101. [1:09:31] We have weaponry. [1:09:33] The Patriots are unbelievable. [1:09:34] We have weaponry that's unbelievable. [1:09:37] Yeah. [1:09:41] Go ahead, please. [1:09:43] The Press Thank you, Mr. President. [1:09:44] You said earlier today during the egg roll [1:09:47] that you would like to take Iran's oil, [1:09:49] but Americans want U.S. forces home. [1:09:51] The President Correct. [1:09:52] The Press What's that tradeoff? [1:09:53] The President If I had my choice, [1:09:54] if I had my choice, yeah, [1:09:56] because I'm a businessman first. [1:09:58] With Venezuela, as you know, [1:10:01] the war was over in about 45 minutes. [1:10:05] And we have great people running Venezuela, [1:10:07] very good people. [1:10:08] I mean, the relationship is good. [1:10:10] And we are a partner with Venezuela. [1:10:13] And we've taken hundreds of millions of barrels, [1:10:17] hundreds of millions. [1:10:19] Over 100 million barrels already is in Houston, [1:10:23] refined and out, and paid for that war many, [1:10:27] many times over, many times over. [1:10:29] You know the old days, to the victim, okay? [1:10:32] You know that. [1:10:34] To the, to the winner belong the spoils. [1:10:37] Go the spoils. [1:10:39] And I've said, why don't we use it? [1:10:41] To the victor, go the spoils. [1:10:43] And we don't have that. [1:10:44] We haven't had that in this country probably in 100 years, [1:10:47] because even the Second World War. [1:10:48] You look at the Second World War. [1:10:51] We didn't have it with the Second World. [1:10:52] We helped rebuild all those countries. [1:10:54] We rebuilt Germany. [1:10:55] How about Germany telling us? [1:10:57] Germany telling us that, well, it's not their war. [1:11:01] We had nothing to do with it. [1:11:03] They wanted me to go and tell them everything I was doing. [1:11:06] We didn't know anything about it. [1:11:07] Well, if I would have told them, [1:11:09] they would have leaked it, and we wouldn't have been [1:11:11] nearly as successful, possibly, right? [1:11:14] But to the victor belong the spoils. [1:11:16] So we haven't heard, we haven't heard that in, [1:11:20] I think, maybe hundreds of years. [1:11:22] Now, with Venezuela, and we, just so you understand, [1:11:25] the people of Venezuela, they say if I ran for [1:11:28] president of Venezuela, I'm polling higher than [1:11:31] anybody has ever polled in Venezuela. [1:11:33] So after I'm finished with this, I can go to Venezuela. [1:11:36] I will quickly learn Spanish. [1:11:38] It won't take too long. [1:11:39] I'm good at language. [1:11:40] And I will go to Venezuela. [1:11:41] I'm going to run for president. [1:11:43] But we're very happy with the president-elect that [1:11:46] we have right now, the people that are running it. [1:11:50] If you remember Bush with Iraq, they fired the [1:11:54] generals, they fired the police, they fired the [1:11:56] people that worked in their equivalent of the [1:11:58] White House. [1:11:59] They fired everybody. [1:12:00] And you know what they had? [1:12:01] They had a mess. [1:12:02] And you know what happened? [1:12:03] ISIS formed. [1:12:05] Those generals and those soldiers got together. [1:12:07] The police got together. [1:12:08] They all got together. [1:12:09] They formed ISIS. [1:12:10] Not going to happen with us. [1:12:12] So Venezuela has been an incredible, it's been an [1:12:16] incredible situation. [1:12:17] We went in. [1:12:18] We were very successful. [1:12:20] Military power like nobody has ever seen. [1:12:22] The general, Venezuelan general, said, I was on [1:12:26] that site. [1:12:26] I said, I've never seen ferocity like that. [1:12:29] I've been doing this for 40 years. [1:12:31] He said, I've never seen anything. [1:12:32] They hit us from 17 different. [1:12:34] It was, they were all set. [1:12:37] They saw that big, beautiful aircraft [1:12:39] carrier, the Ford in that case, and planes were [1:12:42] pouring off it at 1 o'clock in the morning. [1:12:45] So typically, when you see that late at night, you [1:12:48] know, you could be in trouble, right? [1:12:51] And we were all ready. [1:12:54] They had their equipment. [1:12:55] It was Russian. [1:12:56] And they had Chinese equipment. [1:12:57] It was all set. [1:12:58] They were going to give us a fight, he said. [1:13:01] And then they came. [1:13:03] And they came at speeds like we've never seen. [1:13:05] And they came at 17 different angles. [1:13:08] The general and his people, that was a lot of [1:13:10] angles. [1:13:11] They hit him from every angle. [1:13:13] He said, we knew it. [1:13:15] It was over in three minutes. [1:13:17] We were waiting for him. [1:13:19] Their equipment didn't work. [1:13:21] And there's a reason it didn't work. [1:13:22] Someday we'll explain that to people. [1:13:25] They pressed the button. [1:13:26] Nothing happened. [1:13:27] They pressed it again and again. [1:13:29] Nothing happened. [1:13:30] And he said, we knew this whole thing was over in [1:13:32] three minutes. [1:13:33] We've never seen any. [1:13:34] He used the word ferocity, the ferocity of these [1:13:38] planes from 17 different angles. [1:13:40] And it was over. [1:13:41] They went inside. [1:13:43] And remember, that was on a military base with [1:13:44] thousands of soldiers. [1:13:45] And those soldiers looked. [1:13:47] And they said, get the hell out of here. [1:13:50] Thousands. [1:13:51] We didn't have thousands. [1:13:52] We had like 200 people. [1:13:54] So, we have a great military. [1:13:57] And I'll tell you what. [1:13:58] Somehow, this rescue captured the world's [1:14:02] attention, more so than normally. [1:14:04] You're talking about two people. [1:14:06] But this rescue captured the world's attention. [1:14:10] But we did it in Venezuela. [1:14:12] That was amazing. [1:14:13] And now we have a very bad man in prison and going [1:14:16] to trial. [1:14:17] I mean, he. [1:14:17] He released, aside from the drugs, which he was [1:14:21] terrible, Maduro released hundreds of thousands of [1:14:25] people from jails into our country. [1:14:28] Drug dealers, murderers, the worst people in the [1:14:31] world were released into our country because we had [1:14:34] a stupid president who probably didn't know. [1:14:37] And we had a border czar who never went to the [1:14:39] border and never once called our great border [1:14:42] patrol agents, right? [1:14:43] Not once, Kamala. [1:14:45] She never called the border patrol. [1:14:47] She never said, how are we doing? [1:14:48] We call the border patrol guys every day. [1:14:50] You can ask them, Paul. [1:14:51] Ask any one of them. [1:14:53] Brandon. [1:14:53] Ask them all the time. [1:14:55] How are we doing? [1:14:55] How are we doing? [1:14:56] And we now, I'm proud to say, have a totally sealed [1:14:59] border. [1:14:59] Nine months, nobody has come in through our border. [1:15:01] And nobody even tries, because they know they're [1:15:03] not going to get through. [1:15:04] So we don't have caravans anymore. [1:15:05] So maybe one or two more and we'll be done. [1:15:09] The Press.: Mr. President, are you allowed to or are [1:15:14] you willing to end this conflict with Iran charging [1:15:16] tolls for passengers through the street? [1:15:20] The President.: Us charging tolls? [1:15:21] The Press.: Iran. [1:15:21] The President.: Iran. [1:15:21] The Press.: Iran. [1:15:23] The President.: What about us charging tolls? [1:15:24] The Press.: Is that something you're considering? [1:15:26] The President.: I'd rather do that than let them [1:15:27] have them running. [1:15:28] Why shouldn't we? [1:15:29] We're the winner. [1:15:30] We won. [1:15:31] Okay? [1:15:32] They are militarily defeated. [1:15:34] The only thing they have is the psychology of, oh, [1:15:36] we're going to drop a couple of mines in the [1:15:39] water, all right? [1:15:40] No, we, I mean, we have a concept where we'll charge [1:15:42] tolls. [1:15:43] Okay? [1:15:44] I thought you meant us. [1:15:45] The Press.: Mr. President. [1:15:46] The President.: Your question, your question [1:15:48] would have been more accurate if you said us. [1:15:51] Go ahead. [1:15:51] The Press.: Thank you very much. [1:15:52] Just to clarify, in order for Iran to successfully [1:15:56] meet your deadline tomorrow, do they have to [1:15:58] make a deal, open the strait, or both? [1:16:01] The President.: We have to have a deal that's [1:16:03] acceptable to me. [1:16:05] And part of that deal is going to be we want free [1:16:07] traffic of oil and everything else. [1:16:09] The Press.: Mr. President, thank you very much. [1:16:15] You've said, glory be to God, in this conflict. [1:16:18] Do you believe that God supports the United States' [1:16:20] actions in this war? [1:16:21] The President.: I do, because God is good. [1:16:23] The Press.: And have you sought his direction? [1:16:24] The President.: Because God is good. [1:16:25] And God wants to see people taken care of. [1:16:28] God doesn't like what's happening. [1:16:30] I don't like what's happening. [1:16:31] Everyone says, I enjoy it. [1:16:32] I don't enjoy this. [1:16:33] I don't enjoy it. [1:16:34] These two guys don't enjoy it. [1:16:35] You know, people say, oh, boy, they're so tough. [1:16:38] They don't want, they don't like, I don't like [1:16:40] seeing people killed. [1:16:41] I've ended eight wars. [1:16:43] Nobody's ever done it. [1:16:45] The person who won the Nobel Prize came to me and [1:16:48] said, you deserve the Nobel Prize. [1:16:50] She announced that. [1:16:51] When they announced, they said, it goes to Maria. [1:16:54] She's a great person, really a good person. [1:16:57] No, no, no. [1:16:59] This is ridiculous. [1:17:00] They gave me the Nobel Prize. [1:17:02] President Trump ended eight wars. [1:17:04] I could go over every one of them, including India [1:17:06] and Pakistan, where the Prime Minister of [1:17:08] Pakistan said President Trump saved from 30 to 50 [1:17:13] million lives. [1:17:15] That makes me much happier than what we're [1:17:17] doing right now. [1:17:19] That makes me much happier. [1:17:20] We have one more to end, by the way. [1:17:21] The Press.: Mr. President, you called the [1:17:28] yesterday in your Truth Social, you called the [1:17:30] Iranians crazy bastards. [1:17:32] The President.: True. [1:17:33] The Press.: What is your response to critics who [1:17:35] say that it is? [1:17:36] The President.: I don't care about critics. [1:17:37] The Press.: What is your response to critics who [1:17:38] say that it is your mental health that should [1:17:40] perhaps be examined as this war continues? [1:17:42] The President.: Well, I haven't heard that. [1:17:43] But if that's the case, you're going to have to [1:17:45] have more people like me, because our country was [1:17:48] being ripped off on trade, on everything, for many [1:17:52] years until I came along. [1:17:54] So if that's the case, you're going to have to [1:17:55] have more people. [1:17:56] Dashie, go ahead. [1:17:57] Dashie, go ahead. [1:17:58] The Press.: But you said that very little is off [1:18:00] limits in Iran as far as targeting, including power [1:18:03] plants, bridges. [1:18:04] You've mentioned those. [1:18:04] The President.: Very little is off limits. [1:18:06] The Press.: Are there certain kinds of civilian [1:18:07] targets, though? [1:18:08] I'm thinking schools or hospitals that you would [1:18:09] say is off limits. [1:18:10] The President.: I don't want to tell you that. [1:18:11] I don't want to tell you that. [1:18:12] We have a plan, because of the power of our [1:18:16] military, where every bridge in Iran will be [1:18:21] decimated by 12 o'clock tomorrow night, where [1:18:25] every power plant in Iran will be out of business, [1:18:30] burning, exploding, and never to be used again. [1:18:33] I mean, complete demolition. [1:18:35] By 12 o'clock. [1:18:36] And it will happen over a period of four hours if we [1:18:39] wanted to. [1:18:40] We don't want that to happen. [1:18:42] We may even get involved with helping them rebuild [1:18:45] their nation. [1:18:46] And you know what? [1:18:47] If that's the case, the last thing we want to do is [1:18:49] start with power plants, which are among the most [1:18:51] expensive thing, and bridges. [1:18:54] You saw the bridge. [1:18:54] The bridge went. [1:18:56] We were very close to a deal. [1:18:58] And then I got a call from Mr. Witkoff, Mr. Kushner, [1:19:04] and J.D., saying, I think they're breaking the deal. [1:19:08] I said, tell them that's okay. [1:19:10] Don't worry about it. [1:19:12] But tell them to look out their window and watch. [1:19:14] And within 45 minutes, I gave the order to knock [1:19:18] out the biggest bridge. [1:19:20] I gave the order to knock out the biggest bridge in, [1:19:23] I believe, the Middle East, but the biggest [1:19:24] bridge in Iran. [1:19:26] And within 10 minutes after I gave that order, [1:19:29] that bridge was over. [1:19:32] So, do I want to do that? [1:19:35] No. [1:19:35] Do I want to destroy their infrastructure? [1:19:38] No. [1:19:38] It will take them a hundred years. [1:19:40] Right now, if we left today, it would take them [1:19:46] 20 years to rebuild their country, and it would never [1:19:48] be as good as it was. [1:19:49] And the only way they're going to be able to rebuild [1:19:51] their country is to utilize the genius of the [1:19:54] United States of America. [1:19:55] The Press I voiced your displeasure with NATO in [1:20:01] the past. [1:20:02] Is there a danger to the U.S. [1:20:04] not being the de facto of the leader of the alliance [1:20:07] and then other powers within the alliance then [1:20:10] getting the decision-making when it [1:20:11] comes to wars and nuclear weapons? [1:20:13] The President Yeah, no, it's not a danger. [1:20:14] NATO's, look, we went to NATO. [1:20:17] I didn't ask very strongly. [1:20:19] I just said, hey, if you want to help, great. [1:20:21] No, no, no, we will not help. [1:20:22] I said, that's all right. [1:20:23] You don't want to help? [1:20:25] Because I've always said NATO's a paper tiger. [1:20:28] See, NATO's a paper tiger. [1:20:30] Putin's not afraid of NATO. [1:20:32] Putin's afraid of us, very afraid of us. [1:20:35] And he's explained it to me a lot of times. [1:20:36] I got to know him very well. [1:20:38] I know him very well. [1:20:40] NATO's a paper tiger. [1:20:41] NATO is us. [1:20:43] And when we needed them, but we didn't need them, [1:20:45] by the way. [1:20:45] We didn't need them, obviously, because they [1:20:48] haven't helped at all. [1:20:50] Just the opposite. [1:20:51] They've actually gone out of their way not to help. [1:20:53] They didn't even want to give us landing strips. [1:20:56] Think of it. [1:20:57] And it's not just NATO. [1:20:58] You know who else didn't help us? [1:21:00] South Korea didn't help us. [1:21:02] You know who else didn't help us? [1:21:03] Australia didn't help us. [1:21:05] You know who else didn't help us? [1:21:07] Japan. [1:21:09] We've got 50,000 soldiers in Japan to protect them [1:21:13] from North Korea. [1:21:14] We have 45,000 soldiers in South Korea to [1:21:19] protect us from Kim Jong-un, who I get along [1:21:22] with very well, as you know. [1:21:23] Do you notice he said very nice things about me? [1:21:25] He used to call Joe Biden a mentally retarded person. [1:21:29] Okay? [1:21:30] So don't tell me about your stuff. [1:21:33] Joe Biden, he said he's a mentally retarded person. [1:21:35] He was so nasty to Joe Biden. [1:21:37] It was terrible. [1:21:38] But to me, he likes Trump. [1:21:40] And do you notice how nice things are with North Korea? [1:21:42] It's very nice. [1:21:44] But we have 45,000 people, soldiers, in harm's way, [1:21:48] and right next to Kim. [1:21:50] Kim Jong-un with a lot of nuclear weapons. [1:21:52] Forty-five, which should have never happened, [1:21:55] if a certain president, I'm not going to mention [1:21:57] this president because I happen to like him, [1:21:59] believe it or not. [1:22:00] But if a certain president did his job, [1:22:03] Kim Jong-un would not have nuclear weapons right now. [1:22:05] But they're all afraid to do their job properly. [1:22:08] But just to conclude and just to finish, [1:22:12] Japan didn't help us. [1:22:13] Australia didn't help us. [1:22:15] South Korea didn't help us. [1:22:17] And then you get to NATO. [1:22:18] NATO didn't help us. [1:22:19] There were some countries that did. [1:22:21] Now, countries that have been good. [1:22:23] Now, you could also say they're got to be a little bit more [1:22:25] involved because they're in the territory. [1:22:27] But Saudi Arabia has been excellent. [1:22:29] Qatar has been excellent. [1:22:31] UAE has been excellent. [1:22:33] Bahrain, Kuwait. [1:22:34] I mean, Kuwait did shoot down three of our planes. [1:22:37] The only planes, really, that we lost it with. [1:22:40] Friendly fire, they call it. [1:22:41] I call it unfriendly fire. [1:22:44] They unfortunately didn't know how to use our great patriots. [1:22:50] The pilots said, what kind of a missile is coming at us? [1:22:52] Patriot. Boom. [1:22:54] Got out because they know a patriot never misses. [1:22:57] So they had beautiful patriots. [1:23:00] There were planes heading in their direction. [1:23:02] Unfortunately, they decided to shoot those planes. [1:23:05] They were our planes. [1:23:06] So, you know, NATO is a paper tiger. [1:23:11] Now, he's coming to see me on Wednesday, as you know. [1:23:13] He's a wonderful guy. [1:23:15] Secretary General is great. [1:23:18] And Mark Rutte, he's a great person. [1:23:21] But he's got — and, you know, it all began with, [1:23:24] if you want to know the truth, Greenland. [1:23:27] We want Greenland. [1:23:28] They don't want to give it to us. [1:23:29] And I said, bye-bye. [1:23:31] Okay, thank you very much, everybody. [1:23:33] Thank you.