Trump on midterms, Middle East conflict and Stephen Miller’s new White House role

[0:00] We have Mar-a-Lago with a lot of different people having to do with Russia and having to do with [0:07] other things. The economy is incredible other than we lost about $3 trillion when they found [0:14] out that the Democrats did well in the election, rather surprisingly, but that's the way life goes. [0:22] It had to do with the fact that we won't let Iran have a nuclear weapon, so you always have to go [0:29] with that first. But we just had a very good meeting and we have a lot of good calls made [0:36] and we're doing very well. So we're working well with Russia, Ukraine. We're making a lot of progress. [0:41] We've made a lot of progress with Iran. We've taken out more oil now than we were before the war. [0:47] It's not a war. It can't be a war when for five months nobody is hurt, killed or anything else. [0:54] It's not a war. You know, in Russia, Ukraine, they lose 25,000 people a month. We haven't lost anybody [1:01] in seven months, so I don't think that's a war. Total control. But we're dealing with the Iranians. [1:07] We'll see how that all works out. Do you have any questions? [1:10] Yes, Mr. President, you're going to be working with Democrats a lot over the next two years. [1:14] What is an initiative or effort led by the Democrats that you think you could get behind? [1:18] I think a lot. I mean, I said before, immigration is one. Tax cuts or maybe [1:25] certain things having to do with taxes to make it more convenient and better. A lot of economic [1:30] development initiatives we can do. I think we could do a lot of things together, actually. [1:35] You know, a lot of them are about common sense also, and I think you'll see that. You can see [1:41] already some of the people that are elected want to meet and want to discuss things having to do with, [1:46] as an example, Texas, South Carolina, you know, et cetera. So I'm very much open to it. [1:51] Mr. President, there's people describing Stephen Miller as your wartime consigliere. [1:57] Do you agree with that characterization? Well, he's a great fighter. He's been with me right [2:02] from the beginning, 2015. He was with me from before 2016, 2015. And he's very loyal, smart. [2:10] He does a great job. He's been an MVP every year. He's been this great. So we're very happy with him. [2:16] Mr. President, Mr. President. He's gotten great reviews, I have to say. [2:19] Were you unhappy with your team because of the results of the election? [2:23] Not because of the election. It's just time. Sometimes you change. The election wasn't my [2:29] election. I wasn't on the ballot. If I was on the ballot, you saw the rallies. They were the biggest, [2:35] most powerful rallies in the history of midterm elections. We were, every arena was full, [2:41] and we had thousands and thousands of people outside that couldn't get in. We had to use the big [2:45] televisions, jumbotrons. They were unbelievable. They were unbelievable rallies. But I wasn't on the ballot. [2:52] I wish I was on the ballot. I think you would have had a much different outcome. [2:55] Do you expect more, do you expect more departures in the coming months? [2:59] Very little. We have a great, we have a great capital. [3:02] Mr. President, now when you first, [3:06] Washington Times, when you first struck Iran, rather, it was very popular with GOP voters. [3:12] But then you eventually pulled back as far as going into negotiations. Who persuaded you to do that? [3:18] Nobody. We hit Iran very hard. Look, if we didn't hit Iran, you wouldn't have Israel today. [3:25] Israel would be gone, would have been wiped off the face of the earth, and they know it, [3:29] the face of the earth. They know that. You wouldn't have, I believe, the Middle East, [3:34] because if you look, Iran just with regular missiles started hitting Qatar and Saudi Arabia, [3:40] UAE. Nobody thought that was going to happen. If they had nuclear, they would have used nuclear. [3:46] They would have obliterated the Middle East. They would have gone after Europe, [3:49] and they would have gone after some of our cities, because I know them very well. I deal with them [3:55] a lot, and I know that they're crazy. So we'll see what happens. We're dealing with them now. [4:01] They want to make a deal very badly. They have 300% inflation. The Navy's gone. Their airport, [4:05] everything's gone. And they want to make a deal. So we'll see if they make a deal. [4:09] Mr. President, do you want to make the deal really soon, or are you open to waiting? [4:13] Well, we have nobody getting hurt, nobody getting killed. You know, this is a war that [4:20] we may have been there for seven months, but we probably fought for three or four weeks, [4:24] really fought. And again, you look at World War I, that's a war. World War II, that's a war. You [4:30] look at Russia, Ukraine, that's a war. We're not fighting. We have the greatest blockade in military [4:37] history. Nothing comes through the Hormone Strait without our approval. Nothing is going to Iran. [4:45] No oil is going to Iran. Mr. President, you've got a couple of months before the new Congress [4:49] takes their seats. What are your priorities? What would you like to get done? What do you [4:54] think you need to get done before they step in? The Senate has to act. The Senate is getting [5:02] nothing passed. And it's just killing our country. And that means Democrats and Republicans. They're [5:08] just not getting anything done. So the Democrats voted a block. We could have the best bill in the [5:13] world for our country. They vote in a block. And we always have a few Republicans that obstruct. [5:21] And hopefully John Thune can finally get him to act. I mean, the Senate has to act. The biggest problem [5:28] we have. It's a roadblock. It's you send things to the Senate when you want it to die. So they have [5:34] to get together, Schumer and John Thune or whoever is going to be representing the Democrats. [5:41] They've got to have to get things done. The Senate, the Senate is killing our country. [5:48] Nothing is getting through the Senate. And you know what? Our voters saw that, [5:53] and that's one of the problems we had. In my opinion, the biggest. The Save America Act didn't get [5:58] passed. All of these things didn't happen. And I mean, think of it. Save America. It's the simplest [6:03] thing in the world. So the Senate has to. Now the Democrats voted against it unanimously. So they [6:09] voted against voter ID and proof of citizenship. That's Save America. And how do you do that? You [6:16] do that because I guess you want to cheat. But the Republicans should have passed it. So with John Thune, [6:23] who's a good man, but he's got to get things done. Do you still think he's the appropriate leader for [6:29] Republicans in the Senate? It's going to be up to the Republicans. They choose. I don't choose. [6:32] They choose. Get involved if they choose. It's a very strong custom, and it's going to be happening, [6:40] I guess, next week. They've got to put John or whoever it is, they've got to get things done. [6:46] We have many judges and many other people waiting for approval. They can't get anything done in the Senate. [6:52] President, there were reports of strikes near Iran today in Keshem Island. Do you know what? [6:58] Strikes near Keshem Island in Iran with the U.S.? I don't want to talk about it. We do minor strikes, [7:03] but they knocked out. They built a little bit of an anti-aircraft device, [7:09] and we knocked it out in about 15 minutes, maybe five. Because how does the Republican Party [7:14] now rebuild after such devastating losses? We have a great party. [7:18] We had a bad election because of a few things. One thing was not getting things approved in the [7:24] Senate. One thing was we had a higher oil press than we had before, still lower than Biden, [7:30] and still lower than Obama. And what we did is something very significant. We ended [7:37] Iran having a nuclear weapon. They did nothing. And yet, all right. Now, [7:40] the oil is coming down very rapidly. Unfortunately, when it was learned that the Democrats won that [7:49] particular interim and just the midterm election, just so you understand, presidents always lose them. [7:56] I don't know why, but they lose them all the time. There were a lot bigger losses than this. [8:00] But when they learned about the midterms, the stock market lost $3 trillion. That's the most in history. [8:10] So in other words, the markets all over the world, when they heard that the Democrats won that [8:15] election, the market dropped $3 trillion, the highest amount in history. But it'll level off, [8:23] and we'll do great. Mr. President, Wall Street Journal reported that the White House sent a letter to [8:29] a lot of conservative groups warning them that the White House is monitoring their statements, [8:34] the press statements, TV appearances. Why is it important for the White House to make that warning? [8:38] I haven't heard that. I mean, I'd like to see it. I haven't heard that. I don't know. I mean, [8:42] maybe somebody said something, but I know nothing about it. [8:44] Should the White House be monitoring? [8:46] Who are you? [8:47] I'm Frank, we're down here to the same PR. [8:49] I'm going to explain the conversations you're having with Russia. Does anything [8:54] feel different this time? Is there anything you're doing? [8:57] Russia and Ukraine, for the first time, I think, want to settle. [9:02] We have meetings. I've had phone calls today. I'm having some tomorrow. [9:06] They're having a meeting on Monday and Tuesdays, you know? But they, I think they want to settle. [9:11] Is this the call? Do you have a... [9:13] I think it's going to be a very big settlement. Is there anything... [9:15] I think it's going to involve all of Europe. It's going to be a very big settlement. [9:18] Is there anything you're making for Russia to come to the table that you haven't done before? [9:21] Well, I do all the time. I'm friends with everybody, and I do all the time. [9:25] I'd like to see the killing stop. And, you know, they lost 25,000, mostly soldiers, last month, [9:32] between the two of them. Between Russia and Ukraine. And it shouldn't happen. It's very sad. [9:39] 25,000 souls. Very sad. [9:42] We have a meeting coming up with Jijing King. [9:44] That's called a war. Not a world where you go six months and nobody's even wounded. [9:50] All we are is maybe an occupier. It could be an occupier. [9:55] Because, you know, we do. We control the harmless trade. [9:58] We're taking out more oil now than we have at any time in the history of the harmless trade. [10:04] You have a meeting coming up with Jijing King. [10:06] Will you talk with him about detained Americans that are still being held? [10:11] I do. And I do talk to him about that a lot. And we've done well. [10:15] As you know, Russia just released one that we wanted very badly. [10:18] And we're talking about detainees or people that they oftentimes say are spies and they put them in jail. [10:28] Yeah, we talked to him about a lot. We've had the best record in history on that. [10:32] We get a lot of them back. We got one back, as you know, last week. It was a great thing. [10:37] Thank you very much, everybody. We'll see you during the weekend. Thank you. [10:40] Thank you. [10:41] Thank you very much. [10:41] Thank you very much.