Trump, Hegseth, Gen. Caine, CIA Chief Issue Stark Iran Warning in Fiery White House Briefing — AC1G

[0:13] It's a great honor to be with you, and happy Easter. [0:18] We had a great Easter. [0:19] This is one of our better Easters, I think, in a lot of different ways. [0:23] I can say militarily it's been one of the best. [0:28] So, good afternoon. [0:29] We have quite a bit to discuss. [0:31] We'll go into pretty good detail. [0:34] And we have the people that are most involved. [0:37] We'll give you exactitude. [0:40] And we're here today to celebrate the success of one of the largest, [0:44] most complex, most harrowing combat searches. [0:49] I guess you would call it a search and rescue mission. [0:52] Ever attempted by the military, generally when planes are knocked down in war, [0:57] especially when you're fighting a strong group, an evil group, [1:02] you can't really do this because you send in 200 men to pick up one. [1:09] And it's something that's usually not attempted as much as you want to attempt. [1:14] And bad things happen to that one or two. [1:16] And in this case, we did two. [1:19] And it might not have been... [1:20] It might not have been attempted before, but we did. [1:23] And we got... [1:24] We had great talent, but we got a little luck too, I would say. [1:28] And we were helped by a lot of people, a lot of great people. [1:33] And it was an honor to be involved with it. [1:36] It's very historic. [1:38] This is a rescue that's very historic. [1:41] It'll go down in the books. [1:42] Late Thursday night, an American F-15 fighter jet went down deep inside enemy territory in Iran [1:50] while participating in Operation Epic Fury. [1:54] We were doing unbelievably well, well at a level that nobody's ever seen before. [2:01] The entire country could be taken out in one night. [2:04] And that night might be tomorrow night. [2:06] Both members of the crew ejected from the aircraft and landed alive on Iranian soil. [2:14] I immediately was asked to make a decision. [2:19] I ordered the U.S. Armed Forces to do whatever was necessary to bring our brave warriors back home. [2:25] A risky decision, because we could have ended up with 100 dead. [2:29] As opposed to one or two. [2:32] It's a hard decision to make. [2:34] But in the United States military, we leave no American behind. [2:39] We don't do it. [2:40] Within hours, our armed forces deployed 21 military aircraft into hostile airspace. [2:45] Many flying at very low altitude, being shot by bullets. [2:49] You bring rifles into play when you're going that low. [2:54] But there are also certain advantages. [2:57] And in broad daylight over Iran for seven hours at times, [3:03] we have a very, very heavy enemy fire. [3:06] We have a helicopter that's got a lot of bullets in it. [3:09] It's amazing. [3:10] We just realized how good those weapons are, our machines are. [3:16] Nobody has the equipment that we have. [3:19] Nobody has the military that we have. [3:21] Not even close. [3:22] The most powerful military anywhere in the world by far. [3:25] The flight crews and war fighters aboard those aircraft took extraordinary risks [3:30] to rescue their fellow service members. [3:33] This first wave of search and rescue forces successfully located the pilot of the F-15. [3:40] And he was extracted from enemy territory by an HH-60 Jolly Green II helicopter. [3:47] A fabulous machine as our warriors faced gunfire at very close range. [3:52] It's amazing that when you look at the machinery, what happened, that nobody was even injured. [4:01] Meanwhile, the second crew member, a weapons system officer, a highly respected colonel, [4:07] had landed a significant distance away from the pilot when you're going at those speeds. [4:12] Even if you go out two or three seconds later, it's miles. [4:16] It's miles and miles away because you're going fast. [4:21] He was injured quite badly and stranded in an area teeming with terrorists [4:26] from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a rough group, [4:29] as well as besieged militia and local authorities, many on top of everything else. [4:39] He told the communities, actually withinside of Iran, the people of Iran, [4:45] they were given a tremendous incentive to find this pilot. [4:50] Despite the peril, the officer followed his training and climbed into the treacherous mountain terrain [4:56] and started climbing toward a higher altitude, something they were trained to do in order to evade capture. [5:05] They want to always go as far away from the site [5:10] of the shoot down. [5:12] They want to go as far away because they all head right to that site. [5:15] You want to be as far away as you can. [5:17] And he was injured and he was an amazing, amazing thing. [5:22] He scaled cliff faces, bleeding rather profusely, [5:27] treated his own wounds and contacted American forces to transmit his location. [5:33] They have a very sophisticated beeper type apparatus that is on them at all times. [5:43] And when they go out on these missions, they make sure they have lots of battery space [5:48] and they're in good shape. [5:51] And this one worked really well, amazingly saved his life. [5:54] We immediately mobilized a massive operation to retrieve him from the mountain holdout. [6:02] And he kept going higher and higher. [6:04] The mountain kept getting rougher and rougher and really very, very hard to find. [6:08] The second rescue mission involved 155 aircraft, including four bombers, [6:15] 64 fighters, 48 refueling tankers, 13 rescue aircraft and more. [6:22] We were bringing them all over and a lot of it was subterfuge. [6:26] We wanted to have them think he was in a different location [6:30] because they had a vast military force out there. [6:33] Thousands, thousands of people were looking. [6:36] So we wanted them to look in different areas. [6:39] So we were scattered all over like we were right on top of them. [6:44] We had seven different locations [6:46] and they thought, and they were very confused. [6:48] They said, well, wait a minute, they've got groups here, they've got groups there. [6:51] It's an amazing thing. [6:53] I was listening to these great people, these great generals. [6:59] General Raisin Cane was amazing and Pete Hegseth was amazing. [7:03] But I listened to the whole thing. It was pretty amazing. [7:06] So they had all these different sites where everybody thought he was located. [7:11] We think we have him over there because they have nine planes circling a little area. [7:15] That's 25 miles down the coast. [7:19] So in a breathtaking show of skill and precision, lethality and force, [7:25] America's military descended on the area, the real area, [7:29] engaged the enemy, rescued the stranded officer, destroyed all threats, [7:34] and exited Iranian territory while taking no casualties of any kind. [7:42] The heroic F-15 weapons system officer had evaded capture on the ground in Iran [7:48] for almost 48 hours. That's a long time. [7:52] When you're in tough shape and when you're bleeding, it's a long time. [7:56] When we left, as you probably know, we had two large planes, [8:02] old, pretty old planes that carried a lot. [8:05] We needed a lot more equipment going in than coming out, obviously, [8:09] because going in, we needed to be able to scale mountains. [8:13] And we had a lot of equipment. [8:15] But the sand was, it was sandy, wet sand. [8:18] So we thought there may be a problem taking off because of the weight of the planes. [8:24] And then we also had all the men jumping back onto the planes. [8:28] And they got pretty well bogged down. [8:31] And we had a contingency plan, which was unbelievable, [8:34] where lighter, faster aircraft came in, and they took them out. [8:39] We blew up the old planes. [8:41] We blew them up to smithereens because we had equipment on the planes [8:45] that, frankly, we'd like to take, but I don't think it was worthwhile, [8:48] spending another four hours there taking it off. [8:51] So we didn't want anybody to have it. [8:53] We have the best equipment anywhere in the world. [8:55] We didn't want anybody examining our anti-aircraft and other equipment. [9:01] So these were large planes that were old and pretty old. [9:05] And we blew them up. [9:07] And we had faster, lighter planes come in. [9:10] And they were able to land on the sand. [9:12] We needed the bigger planes because we had so much equipment that we needed. [9:15] We took three helicopters over there, which were very strongly used [9:19] and couldn't have lived without them. [9:21] They performed unbelievably well. [9:23] And if you'd see it, you wouldn't believe it. [9:26] They got off the plane, and these guys had them. [9:29] The rotors were off. [9:33] They rebuilt these helicopters in less than 10 minutes. [9:38] And that was one of the more amazing things. [9:40] These are helicopters. [9:42] Small, unbelievably powerful, but very small so it can get into certain areas. [9:50] And they got them off the plane, and they rebuilt all three of them [9:55] in a matter of less than... [9:57] less than 10 minutes. [9:59] It's pretty amazing what the genius of these people. [10:02] Who would think that? [10:03] You'd think it would take five days to build them. [10:05] And in some companies, it would take five days. [10:07] And they wouldn't do it well. [10:10] But they served us well. [10:12] As Commander-in-Chief, I never forget the extraordinary risk taken [10:16] by the warriors that we send into battle and the genius. [10:20] I mean, think of it. [10:21] Having a contingency of three planes waiting because we think the sand is so bad [10:26] it probably won't be able to take off. [10:28] And the planes really got bogged. [10:30] The sand was... [10:31] This was not much of a runway. [10:33] This was a farm, not a runway. [10:35] It was a farm, but it did the trick. [10:37] But to have a contingency as opposed to having to wait two days. [10:42] Can you imagine right in the middle? [10:44] This was central. [10:45] This was right... [10:46] You would call it central casting if you were doing a movie for location. [10:51] And probably the toughest area of Iran where we'd be sitting there. [10:55] So these planes came in. [10:56] Those pilots came in so fast. [10:58] And so quick. [10:59] And got out of there. [11:00] Everybody got aboard and just got 15-minute intervals. [11:04] One load out. [11:06] One load out. [11:08] One load out. [11:09] It happened. [11:10] And we were watching. [11:12] And we said, that's amazing. [11:14] In many ways, I was almost more impressed by the contingency that we had [11:20] than the fact that we would have had a runway or decent soil. [11:25] But it was an amazing thing. [11:27] But we thank God for every single thing. [11:29] We thank God for every single one of them. [11:31] And the talent, the genius. [11:33] It's not even talent. [11:34] It's genius. [11:35] It's the whole ballgame. [11:36] Every one of them. [11:37] If you look at what we did with Maduro, we went into a military compound, [11:42] a massive, with thousands and thousands of soldiers within a matter of minutes. [11:47] And he lived behind iron doors. [11:49] They were steel doors. [11:50] Broke them down so quickly. [11:52] And within almost minutes, he was in the back of these planes. [11:56] It was a similar group. [11:58] Incredible. [11:59] Incredibly talented people. [12:01] And if the time comes, we move heaven and earth to bring them home safely. [12:05] We're going to bring our people home safely. [12:07] I want to thank every member of the U.S. [12:10] Armed Forces involved in these historic operations. [12:13] They really were historic. [12:14] It's just not something that's done. [12:16] And you'd understand it. [12:18] Not that they don't want to do it. [12:20] But when you're going into areas, when you look at these helicopters, [12:23] when you look at the amount of bullets and everything else that they took, [12:26] when you go into these areas, you don't come out like we came out. [12:31] God was watching us. [12:33] Well, it was the Easter. [12:35] We were in Easter territory, I guess. [12:39] But God was watching us. [12:40] It's amazing. [12:41] Because when you look at the machinery, they took damage. [12:44] It tells you. [12:45] First thing I said is, these are unbelievable machines. [12:48] They flew back and not even much of a problem. [12:52] But these two extraordinary rescues, because it was two. [12:55] And as you probably know, we didn't talk about the first one for an hour. [13:00] Then somebody leaked something, which we'll hopefully find that leaked. [13:03] We're looking very hard to find that leaker. [13:06] And talked about there's somebody missing. [13:10] They basically said that we have one and there's somebody missing. [13:14] Well, they didn't know there was somebody missing until this leaker gave the information. [13:18] So whoever it was, we think we'll be able to find it out. [13:21] Because we're going to go to the media company that released it. [13:25] And we're going to say, national security, give it up or go to jail. [13:30] And we know who and you know who we're talking about. [13:35] Because some things you can't do. [13:37] Because when they did that, all of a sudden, the entire country of Iran knew that there was a pilot that was somewhere on their land that was fighting for his life. [13:50] And it also made it much more difficult for the pilots and for the people going in to search for him. [13:58] All of a sudden, they know that there's somebody out there. [14:01] They see all these planes coming in. [14:03] It became a much more difficult operation. [14:06] Because a leaker leaked. [14:09] We have one. [14:10] We've rescued one. [14:13] But there's another one out there that we're trying to get. [14:15] So actually, the country, Iran, put out a major notice, you all saw it, offering a very big award for anybody that captures the pilot. [14:28] So in addition to a hostile, very talented, very good, very evil military, we had millions of people trying to get an award. [14:39] So when you add that to it. [14:41] But we have to find that leaker. [14:43] Because that's a sick person. [14:46] Probably didn't realize the extent of how bad it was. [14:48] I can't imagine that the person did. [14:50] But we're going to find out. [14:52] It's national security. [14:54] And the person that did the story will go to jail if he doesn't say. [14:59] And that doesn't last long. [15:01] And I think everybody would understand that they put this mission at great risk. [15:04] They put that man at great risk. [15:06] And they put the hundreds of people that went in looking for him. [15:09] Because everyone now knows that we're going in. [15:13] Over the past 37 days, America's armed forces have carried out more than 10,000 combat flights over Iran, unheard of, striking more than 13,000 targets. [15:24] The F-15 we lost last week was the first manned aircraft downed by the enemy in this entire operation with thousands and thousands of flights. [15:34] They got lucky. [15:35] It was a lucky hit. [15:37] You know, eventually you get lucky. [15:40] But we got lucky, too, because we got both of them back. [15:43] But it's a record that is unparalleled in the history of military air operations. [15:48] Nobody's ever seen anything like it. [15:50] It's such an honor to be involved with it. [15:54] We were up late at night, and then we were waiting for those contingent planes to come in. [16:01] And we said, come on, let's go get in. [16:03] Because they're waiting out on this farm without a runway with wet, crummy soil, sand, mostly sand, wet sand. [16:15] And it eats planes alive. [16:17] And we're waiting, and we're saying, I hope that one can land and take off. [16:22] And they came in like magic. [16:24] Boom, boom, boom. [16:25] One after another. [16:26] It was like genius. [16:27] I'm so impressed by that. [16:30] Because we were a little concerned. [16:31] We said, boy, if they don't get in and get up fast, we're sitting in the middle. [16:36] And that's called Iran Prime. [16:38] Right, General? [16:39] That's where the whole bet is. [16:42] And here we are sitting there waiting for a plane. [16:46] But they came in so fast and so hard. [16:48] And these guys knew exactly what they needed. [16:50] They said, let's go. [16:51] Come on, get in. [16:52] Let's go. [16:53] They came one right after another. [16:55] Not at the same time. [16:57] They don't want to come at the same time. [16:59] They had to come right after each other. [17:00] They didn't have any room. [17:01] There was barely any room to land. [17:03] Tiny little patch of very wet earth and sand. [17:09] So I just, I'm so proud of the people that I have standing up here with me and many others that worked. [17:14] I mean, so many. [17:15] Steve Witkoff is over here. [17:17] He's doing fantastically. [17:18] Jared Kushner. [17:20] But the people that are here. [17:22] I mean, it is amazing. [17:23] And I think I'm going to introduce the head of the CIA. [17:27] And he is a man who, he's central casting, okay? [17:32] If we cast a movie, he's going to play the head of the CIA. [17:35] He's one of the few. [17:37] John Ratcliffe. [17:38] He did a phenomenal job that night. [17:41] He did something that I don't know if you want to talk about it. [17:43] If you want, you can. [17:44] I'm not sure he's supposed to. [17:45] I'm not going to talk about it. [17:46] But he really, the CIA was very responsible for finding this little speck. [17:51] It's like they used an expression on one of the shows. [17:54] General was talking about. [17:55] It's like finding a needle in a haystack, finding this pilot. [18:00] And the CIA was unbelievable. [18:02] And you may, if you can, you'll talk. [18:04] It might be classified, in which case I'd have to put him in jail if he talks about it. [18:08] And I don't want to put him in jail. [18:10] He doesn't deserve that. [18:12] So, John, do you want to say a few words? [18:13] Thank you. [18:16] Thank you, Mr. President. [18:17] It's a privilege to be here with you today to share what we can about this exceptional mission and to recognize the ingenuity and bravery of those [18:27] who executed it, as well as the leadership and resolve of the President who ordered it. [18:33] One thing that has been clear to me in this role is that the flawless military operations that the Department of War is known for are hostage to flawless intelligence. [18:45] We saw that in the skies over Iran in Operation Midnight Hammer last summer. [18:51] We witnessed it in Venezuela during Operation Absolute Resolve. [18:55] We've seen it against the cartels in the Western Hemisphere. [18:59] And we're seeing it every day in Operation Epic Fury, including this mission to rescue an aviator buried deep behind enemy lines. [19:10] Because it is the unique tradition of the U.S. Armed Forces that we leave no man or woman behind, this was a no-fail mission. [19:19] That was the spirit in which the President put us to work, and we were determined not to let him down or our airmen down. [19:27] As an agency, the CIA possesses unique capabilities that only the President can deploy. [19:34] Some of these capabilities fall under covert action authorities. [19:40] And because covert means exactly that, I'm not going to be able to tell you everything that you want to know. [19:49] At the President's direction, we deployed both human assets and exquisite technologies that no other intelligence service in the world possesses [19:58] to a daunting challenge, comparable to hunting for a single grain of sand in the middle of a desert. [20:07] This was also a race against the clock. [20:09] As it was critical that we locate the downed aviator as quickly as possible, while at the same time keeping our enemies misdirected. [20:20] For that reason, in addition to the human and technical assets deployed by the President to find our airmen, [20:27] the CIA executed a deception campaign to confuse the Iranians who were desperately hunting for our airmen. [20:35] On Saturday morning, we achieved our primary objective by finding and providing confirmation [20:44] that one of America's best and bravest was alive and concealed in a mountain crevice, still invisible to the enemy, but not to the CIA. [20:55] That confirmation was relayed by Secretary Hegseth to the President, and the operation quickly moved to the execution phase. [21:04] Following the successful exfiltration on Saturday night, our intelligence reflects that the Iranians were embarrassed [21:11] and ultimately humiliated by the success of this audacious rescue mission. [21:19] The President asked me to lead the CIA. He made it clear. Get back to basics. No politics. No agendas. [21:27] Tackle the hardest problems and execute the toughest missions. [21:32] This President is about results. And now, that's what his CIA is about too. [21:39] The professionals at the agency and at the Department of War deserve immense credit for their flawless execution during this daring mission. [21:47] Their skill, creativity, and courage are unmatched on the battlefield wherever they stand. [21:53] But none of that matters, and all of that is wasted without a President with the political courage to put them into action. [22:04] Mr. President, I've had the privilege of seeing you act with political courage in the best interest of the United States up close on a daily basis, [22:14] and I'm grateful that this successful mission has given the American people a window into that as well. [22:21] The Secretary and Chairman will tell you that our service members' confidence is boosted by a Commander-in-Chief who has their back, [22:28] the same way they have yours. [22:32] And I know that the confidence of CIA's officers is boosted by the knowledge that their work is informing a President who's not afraid to make the hardest decisions when the stakes are highest. [22:45] And to the American people, your confidence should be boosted by knowing that the security of the nation is in the hands of a President who's willing to take on problems that have confounded both sides of the political aisle for nearly half a century. [23:03] It is an honor to serve under a leader who just proved that you can believe him when he says, [23:10] no matter what, we will leave no one behind. We will come for you. Thank you. [23:27] Well, John, thank you for the collaboration of the CIA as well. Incredible and ongoing partnership. [23:33] Ladies and gentlemen, fellow Americans, and especially the brave warriors in our armed forces, [23:38] over this Easter weekend, the United States military has once again proved why we possess the greatest fighting force the world has ever known. [23:47] In two extraordinary combat search and rescue operations deep inside enemy territory in Iran, [23:55] our warriors executed missions of breathtaking skill, courage, and precision. [24:02] When our warriors are unleashed as this President has allowed them to be, they are unstoppable. [24:10] When American airmen were down behind enemy lines, our forces and our President did not hesitate. [24:15] Special operators supported by elite air crews and intelligence professionals moved swiftly and decisively [24:20] into treacherous mountain terrain under the constant threat of Iranian forces closing in. [24:26] Ultimately, it was an impotent Iranian threat. [24:30] And today, as the CIA director mentioned, Iran's military, and we know this, is embarrassed and humiliated, and they should be. [24:38] Now, these are not routine operations. They were high-risk, high-stakes missions conducted in the heart of enemy territory. [24:46] This was not just barely into Iran. This was deep into Iran, involving coordinated strikes, [24:51] to suppress threats, deception tactics to protect our teams, and full synchronization across air ground and special operations. [24:59] The Iranians are still asking themselves right now, how did the Americans do this? [25:07] One downed airman evaded capture for more than a day, scaling rugged ridges while hunted by the enemy. [25:14] When he was finally able to activate his emergency transponder, his first message was simple, and it was powerful. [25:22] He sent a message, [25:25] God is good. [25:28] In that moment of isolation and danger, his faith and fighting spirit shone through. [25:34] You see, shot down on a Friday, good Friday, hidden in a cave, a crevice, all of Saturday, and rescued on Sunday. [25:47] Flown out of Iran as the sun was rising on Easter Sunday. [25:52] A pilot reborn, all home and accounted for, a nation rejoicing. [25:59] God is good. [26:02] Incoming fire and unforgiving conditions, our troops brought every American home. [26:07] No American lives were lost, we leave no man behind, and that is not luck. [26:13] It's the result of unmatched training, superior technology, an unbreakable warrior ethos, and sheer American grit. [26:21] Our special operators, pilots, and support crews performed with near perfection under fire. [26:29] And they were lethal. [26:31] Just ask any Iranian soldier who dared attempt to get anywhere near that pilot before or during that mission. [26:40] Death from above. [26:44] Our troops turned a potential tragedy into a resounding demonstration of American resolve and capability. [26:49] That's what excellence in uniform looks like. [26:53] But make no mistake about it, none of this would have been possible without the courageous leadership and ironclad determination of President Donald J. Trump. [27:05] From the moment our airmen went down, President Trump made it clear we will leave no one behind. [27:11] The first mission, the first of two, was an audacious daylight thunder run right up the middle. [27:19] It was authorized in less than two hours from that pilot going down when we knew where he was. [27:25] And it was authorized in the middle of the night. [27:29] Because anybody that's worked for this man knows he's up in the middle of the night. [27:32] Authorized immediately, without hesitation, audaciously. [27:35] The second mission. [27:38] As soon as we knew where that pilot was, and John was certainly helpful in that, also executed immediately. [27:44] You know, I looked up at my screen when the final mission was complete inside our SCIF, our secure facility. [27:49] And we have a running VTC, a running coordination cell. [27:54] And the top of it read 45 hours and 56 minutes. [28:01] For 45 hours and 56 minutes, we held that call open for coordination. [28:06] From the moment our pilots went down, our mission was unblinking. [28:12] The call never dropped, the meeting never stopped, the planning never ceased. [28:17] The President demanded rapid, decisive action. [28:20] He backed our military with the full weight of his resolve, refusing to let enemy propaganda or tactical setbacks deter us. [28:27] His leadership ensured that every lethal and non-lethal resource was brought to bear, [28:33] that our forces had the authorities and the support they needed to succeed. [28:38] When the President says he has the backs of our war fighters, he means it. [28:42] And it means a great deal, and it's a big difference on the battlefield. [28:47] President Trump understands that peace through strength is not a slogan. [28:52] It is a doctrine that saves American lives. [28:55] His unwavering commitment to rebuilding our military and restoring the warrior spirit has paid dividends in missions just like this one. [29:03] Under his command, America projects power with confidence and brings our people home with victory. [29:11] And that continues today, by the way. [29:13] Per the President's direction, [29:15] we've had the largest volume of strikes since day one of this operation. [29:18] Tomorrow, even more than today. [29:20] And then Iran has a choice. [29:23] Choose wisely. [29:24] Because this President does not play around. [29:28] You can ask Soleimani, you can ask Maduro, you can ask Khomeini. [29:34] To those heroes who planned and executed these rescues, your nation stands in awe. [29:40] I stand in awe. [29:41] The Chairman stands in awe. [29:43] We all stand in awe of your professionalism and bravery. [29:46] We serve for you. [29:47] You embody the very best of America. [29:51] Your rescued airmen and their families welcome home. [29:54] Your courage and endurance, the quiet declaration of faith amid the storm inspires us all. [30:01] God is good every day. [30:05] And to our adversaries watching from Tehran, let this be a clear message. [30:11] The United States military will go anywhere, at any time, to protect our own and complete the mission. [30:17] We execute with precision. [30:21] We control the skies. [30:22] You see, we flew for seven hours. [30:25] We flew in daylight over Iran to get the first pilot. [30:30] And we flew seven hours in the middle of the night to get the second. [30:34] And Iran did nothing about it. [30:38] We fight with honor. [30:39] And under President Trump's leadership, we win. [30:42] So God bless our troops. [30:43] God bless President Trump. [30:45] And God bless the United States of America. [30:51] Well, good afternoon, everyone. [30:53] Thank you, Mr. President. [30:54] Thank you, Mr. Secretary. [30:55] A note before I start. [30:57] I know many of you want specific details in these briefings. [31:01] We will share what we can, but I will retain what I must in the event that we have to go do this again sometime. [31:09] And I cannot stress the importance, as the President said, around operational security. [31:15] The Secretary and I will do a more detailed briefing tomorrow morning, and we look forward to sharing the details that we can. [31:21] On Thursday, 2 April, at 10.10 p.m. Eastern Time, 4.40 in the morning, local Iran time, the Joint Personnel Recovery Center, [31:29] which handles the Central Command Area of Responsibility, declared an isolated personnel recovery event for a U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle, [31:38] callsign Dude 4-4, which was down in hostile Iranian territory. [31:43] The pilot and weapons system officer had both safely ejected and were isolated behind enemy lines. [31:50] Following confirmation of active rescue beacons and on the direction of the Secretary and by order of the President, a rescue operation was launched, [31:59] with the stated purpose of bringing both Americans home safely. [32:03] As the Secretary said, several hours later on the morning, after positively locating the front-seater, callsign Dude 4-4 Alpha, [32:13] and aware of an aggressive ongoing search by the enemy, a U.S. Central Command plan was approved by the Secretary and the President. [32:22] Shortly thereafter, a U.S. Air Force Combat Search and Rescue Task Force, comprised of A-10 Warthogs, [32:30] in their Sandy role, and I'll describe what that is in a minute, [32:33] HC-130 Combat King IIs, HH-60 Jolly Green II helicopters, and Air Force Special Warfare Airmen, [32:42] a package comprised of Combat Rescue Officers and Para-Rescue Operators, [32:47] audaciously penetrated enemy territory in broad daylight to find, fix, and recover Dude 4-4 Alpha from behind enemy lines. [32:58] This was an incredible event. [33:01] An incredibly dangerous mission. [33:04] An incredibly dangerous undertaking. [33:07] But a filled promise made to every American warfighter that you will not be left behind. [33:14] We will always come find you, and we will always bring you home. [33:19] Over the next hours, the Search and Rescue Task Force crossed the beach, entered into Iranian airspace, [33:25] protected by a fighter strike package, and moved into the objective area, [33:30] all under fire. [33:33] En route, as some of you have seen on social media, the helicopters took gas off the C-130s [33:39] and pressed onward and forward up into the objective area. [33:43] While this was ongoing, and out in front of them, the Sandy flight of A-10s, [33:48] and other remotely piloted aircraft, drones, and other tactical aircraft, [33:53] were violently suppressing and engaging the enemy in a close-in gunfight to keep them away from the front-seater, [34:00] and allow the pickup force to get into the objective area. [34:04] During this engagement, one of the Sandy aircraft, [34:07] the one primarily responsible for communicating with the downed pilot, was hit by enemy fire. [34:14] This pilot continued to fight, continued the mission, [34:19] and then upon exit, flew his aircraft into another country and determined that the airplane was not landable. [34:26] This was one of our A-10 Sandy aircraft. [34:29] The pilot then made the decision to eject over friendly territory, [34:34] and was quickly and safely recovered, and is doing fine. [34:39] After picking up Dude 4-4 Alpha, [34:42] the HH-60 Jolly Greenfight was engaged by every single person in Iran who had a small arms weapon. [34:50] And one of the aircraft, the trailing aircraft, took several hits. [34:54] The crew sustained minor injury, and they are going to be fine. [34:58] A note for those of you [35:00] that do not know what a Sandy does. [35:04] Named after the flight call sign that did this very mission in Vietnam, [35:08] flying A-1 Sky Raiders and A-7 Corsairs, [35:12] a Sandy has one mission. [35:15] Get to the survivor, bring the rescue force forward, [35:19] and put themselves between that survivor on the ground and the enemy. [35:24] They are committed to this. [35:26] This is what they live for, and this is what they've trained for [35:30] over many, many years. [35:33] The A-10 force and the rescue force did fantastic, [35:37] did a fantastic job rescuing Dude 4-4 Alpha. [35:41] He was recovered Friday afternoon. [35:46] As I said, and the nation needs to know this, [35:49] this was an incredibly brave and courageous mission, [35:53] and a testament to the courage, skill, and tenacity of the joint force and our leaders. [36:01] And especially a daylight option, having the guts to try means so much to so many. [36:07] Meanwhile, the backseater, as the President and the Secretary have said, [36:12] had continued to work and survive. [36:15] Through the hours of daylight, Dude 4-4 Bravo, the backseater, evaded. [36:20] Using every means available, the efforts of the United States military, [36:25] the Central Intelligence Agency, and others, [36:28] were attempting to find and locate with precision [36:31] Dude 4-4 Bravo, the backseater. [36:34] A note on the backseater and the frontseater. [36:39] The single most important contributor to a successful rescue operation [36:46] is the spirit of attack inside the heart of that downed aviator. [36:50] Their will to survive, their will to evade, [36:54] their will to recover is everything. [36:57] In this case, the backseater's absolute commitment to surviving [37:02] made much of our efforts possible. [37:05] On Saturday, 4 April, after establishing positive communications with the backseater, [37:11] we learned, as the President said, that he was injured and actively evading enemy forces. [37:17] And thanks to our interagency partners, [37:20] we were able to get eyes on his location and positively ID him. [37:24] Throughout this entire time, the enemy force continued to search for 4-4 Bravo, [37:29] and the joint force continued to strike them [37:32] over and over and over again. [37:35] Fighting off marginal weather in Iran and the enemy's search, [37:39] for a second time on Saturday, [37:41] at the recommendation of the CENTCOM commander [37:44] and at the approval of the Secretary and the President, [37:46] we launched a rescue task force to recover Dude 4-4 Bravo. [37:51] Again, this came to the President and the Secretary for approval, [37:55] this time with a much larger force package, [37:58] based on the time that the enemy had to prepare to find 4-4 Bravo. [38:02] Again, this force was protected by A-10 Warthogs using the Sandy Call sign. [38:09] And this force had one single mission, [38:12] do everything they can to bring an American home. [38:16] This meant having a plan, being prepared to execute that plan, [38:20] and, more importantly, being prepared for multiple, simultaneous contingencies. [38:28] And because of this force's professionalism, grit, and determination, [38:34] we fought off two enemies at the same time, [38:37] the enemy searching for 4-4 Bravo and contingencies, [38:41] which anyone who has done these types of missions knows [38:44] we run into every single time. [38:48] The force fought off both of those enemies incredibly well. [38:52] During the period of darkness on Saturday, [38:54] and as the Secretary said, into Easter Sunday and into the daylight, [38:59] the force fought its way in and rescued Dude 4-4 Bravo. [39:04] They were protected overhead by an air armada, [39:09] including tactical drones, strike aircraft, and others. [39:13] The force fought through multiple simultaneous contingencies, [39:17] something no other nation, no other military can do, [39:22] and safely returned Dude 4-4 Bravo, the backseater, home, [39:27] and all other Americans home as well. [39:32] At midnight 12 local Eastern Time, Easter Sunday, [39:36] more than 50 hours after the start of this operation, [39:41] the Joint Personnel Recovery Center declared Dude 4-4 Bravo, [39:47] both the front and backseater, returned to friendly territory. [39:51] The courage demonstrated by both the pilot and the weapons system officer [39:56] while isolated and them invading the enemy cannot be overstated. [40:02] Their grit and warfighting tenacity is a direct result of the absolute trust they have [40:08] in our rescue forces, their training, and their will to survive and return. [40:13] They always knew that we would be ordered to go get them, [40:17] and they always knew that we would be coming to get them. [40:21] These two operations reflect our nation's most sacred obligation [40:25] to our military service members. [40:27] We leave no one behind. Bless you. [40:30] It also perfectly captures the first truth of our Special Operations Forces, [40:36] that people are more important than hardware. [40:40] That is the standard we live by, [40:42] and the rescue forces that execute these missions operate under a clear motto, [40:48] these things we do that others may live. [40:53] Their actions were a direct embodiment of that commitment to others, [40:58] and I could not be more proud of each and every one of them today. [41:05] As the Secretary said to our enemies, [41:07] this operation serves as a clear reminder of the capability and will of America's joint force. [41:14] The United States of America will recover our warfighters anywhere in the world, [41:19] under any conditions, when we want to. [41:22] We will always bring overwhelming skill and firepower. [41:25] To every member of the joint force, our interagency partners, [41:29] the leadership at CENTCOM, and our leaders at the department and above, thank you. [41:34] I'm proud of each and every one of you, [41:37] and thankful to our deployed forces and their families. [41:41] And lastly, and most importantly, to Dude44, welcome home. [41:47] Job well done. Thank you. [41:49] Pretty amazing. Pretty amazing. [41:56] And these two gentlemen have been, from day one, they've been perfecto. [42:03] You know, I got to know General Kane in my first term, [42:08] because he was able to take out ISIS in four weeks, [42:11] instead of the four-year projection that was given to me by other, [42:15] much lesser generals. [42:17] I said, you know, if I ever do this again, [42:19] that's going to be the head of my Joint Chiefs of Staff. [42:21] And we worked it that way, didn't we? [42:23] It's amazing. He took out ISIS. [42:25] We defeated ISIS in four weeks. [42:28] I was told it would take four years. [42:30] I flew to Iraq to find out, with the greatest equipment in the world, [42:34] why would it take four years? [42:36] And he told me, sir, it won't. [42:40] It'll take four weeks, and you'll have time left over. [42:43] And that's exactly what happened. [42:45] He's great. And Pete, all I can say is that he was treated very unfairly. [42:50] And now those same people that treated him unfairly, [42:53] that fought against him, that called me up, [42:55] said, what a great choice he was. [42:57] I said, well, what happened during his nomination? [43:01] What happened to you? [43:03] I'm telling you, people that were not forum senators, [43:06] friends of mine, sir, I don't think you're doing the right thing, [43:09] now they're calling me up. What a choice. [43:11] These two guys are fantastic. [43:13] And John Ratcliffe was incredible. [43:15] It was actually their genius that called us from, [43:20] he was 40 miles away, and he said, you know, [43:24] we're seeing something moving up in the mountain. [43:26] This is at night. [43:29] And they kept the camera on him for 45 minutes. [43:31] He wasn't moving. [43:33] And they said, you know, probably wrong, [43:35] but we're seeing something moving. [43:37] This is a vast mountain, vast, thick, with bushes, trees. [43:43] He said, we see something moving, 40 miles away. [43:46] He was the head of a human being, I'm telling you. [43:50] It's moving. [43:52] And then all of a sudden, 45 minutes later, [43:54] he moved a lot, stood up, and they said, we have him. [43:59] And that was really the beginning of something incredible. [44:03] We had an idea where he was, but not specifically. [44:06] That's a big mountain. [44:08] So I want to thank the CIA, too. [44:11] I don't think they get enough credit [44:14] for the great job they've done. [44:16] Yes, please. [44:18] Thank you very much, Mr. President, [44:20] for this great opportunity. [44:23] A country, it has a super army. [44:25] You make a difference, Mr. President. [44:27] Thank you for your greatest leadership.