Karoline Leavitt (00:00):
I think the President has made it astoundingly clear that the reason for these tariffs, and I just talked a lot about this on Fox News, is the illegal surge of deadly drugs and of human beings that we have seen trafficked over the southern border and the northern border, hence the tariffs on Canada. The President is making it very clear to both Canada and Mexico that the United States is no longer going to be a dumping ground for illegal deadly drugs and illegal human beings. You saw President Sheinbaum already conceding and putting 10,000 troops, permanent troops I would add, not temporary, Mexican soldiers on the southern border to deter some of that illegal migration. The President will continue to have these negotiations. I won't get ahead of him. He's also going to make sure that Secretary Bessent, soon to be Secretary Lutnick, and Secretary Rubio are deeply involved in these negotiations as well. Steve?
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Karoline.
Steve (00:52):
When will he speak to the President of China and what will be the agenda?
Karoline Leavitt (00:56):
Sure. Well, he said in the Oval Office it'll happen in the next couple of days. I don't have a schedule yet, but I can check with NSC and let you guys know, and we'll obviously provide a readout of that call either via White House statement like we do or via Truth Social like we do sometimes as well. Caitlin?
Caitlin (01:11):
Can you confirm that Elon Musk is a special government employee?
Karoline Leavitt (01:13):
Yes.
Caitlin (01:14):
What kind of security clearance does he have?
Karoline Leavitt (01:16):
I can confirm he's a special government employee. I can also confirm that he has abided by all applicable federal laws. As for his security clearance, I'm not sure, but I can check back with you.
Caitlin (01:26):
Did he pass a background check, do you know?
Karoline Leavitt (01:28):
I don't know about the security clearance, but I can check.
Caitlin (01:30):
Do you know about anyone who's on his team that was at USAID this weekend or the Treasury Department, whether they also have security clearance?
Karoline Leavitt (01:36):
I don't, no, but again, I can check on that for you. Sure.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
I want to ask about the hostage deal. We saw people coming out of Gaza alive as Trump managed to get this deal done.
Karoline Leavitt (01:45):
Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
It was very emotional for people in Israel. Prime Minister Netanyahu is coming here tomorrow. He might not want to go through with the second phase of the deal. What do you think President Trump would like to happen?
Karoline Leavitt (01:58):
Well, I'm not so sure that's true. The ceasefire was extended because of the work of President Trump and his Presidential envoy, Steve Witkoff, who has proven to be an incredibly effective negotiator, and the President in this entire administration are committed to having all of the hostages come home. As you've seen, his team is working very, very hard to do that.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
We already saw one American hostage coming back home-
Karoline Leavitt (02:21):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
And another one will be back home soon.
Karoline Leavitt (02:24):
Yes, we hope so.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Karoline.
Karoline Leavitt (02:26):
Sure.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
Karoline, the President is a keen watcher of the financial markets. How much did Wall Street's fall this morning have an impact on his decision in regards to the Mexico tariffs issue?
Karoline Leavitt (02:38):
It had no decision. What impacted the delay on the tariffs was the President of Mexico committing to putting 10,000 permanent soldiers on the U.S.-Mexican border. The President cares about American lives, and as I just said on television, there's a lot of talk about the markets. There's a lot of talk about the cost of goods. This administration is wholeheartedly committed to bringing down the cost of living in this country. You see that through deregulation, through the energy actions this President has taken and also through his commitment to cutting taxes.
(03:07)
But when it comes to the cost of an American life, I think for those of us who have children, there's not enough money in the world to bring back the lives that have been lost because of the illegal drug and border crisis. The President is committed to ensuring that Canada, and Mexico, and China understand that the United States is not going to be a dumping ground for illegal fentanyl that is killing young people in this country. It's the leading cause of death amongst those aged 18 to 34. That's the President's number one priority is protecting American lives.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
Karoline.
Speaker 4 (03:36):
Can you talk more about the first call that President Trump had with Prime Minister Trudeau this morning? What were some areas for potential negotiations and any bottlenecks in the call?
Karoline Leavitt (03:47):
Yeah, I hate to be coy, but just because I believe they're on the phone right now, I'll have to go in and check. I don't want to get ahead of the discussions or the conversations, but in the effort of transparency, we will either provide a readout or you'll hear from the President directly.
Speaker 5 (04:00):
Karoline, what do you say to Americans who understand the President's negotiating strategy and understand the goals that he's trying to achieve with tariffs, but are worried they're going to get caught in the middle of this and feel the pain potentially in the short-term or in the long term?
Karoline Leavitt (04:13):
Well, they won't get caught in the middle if they just comply with what the United States is asking for, which are very simple measures to work with us when it comes to border security, to cooperate with the repatriation of their nation's citizens. You saw President Trump effectively utilize tariffs when he was negotiating with Colombia last weekend, as well. Ultimately, they conceded and agreed to the deportation flights that many of them have landed in the last week.
Speaker 6 (04:38):
Karoline.
Karoline Leavitt (04:38):
Karen.
Karen (04:38):
Do you know if Mr. Musk took the same oath that you and other senior advisors to the President took about adhering to the Constitution, following the law, do you know if he took that oath?
Karoline Leavitt (04:47):
I don't know the answer to that question, but like I told Caitlin, I can get back to you guys on that.
Karen (04:51):
Do you know what expertise he has in the areas of global health or humanitarian aid to be able to assess what's happening in USAID?
Karoline Leavitt (05:00):
First of all, Elon Musk is a once-in-a-generation business leader. He is an entrepreneur. He serves as a great ally and a friend to the President. I think Elon Musk also has a little bit of common sense, and I think the American people really appreciate that when it comes to the federal government because it seems like all common sense has been lost in this city. That's what you see when you look at USAID. I know Secretary Rubio made some comments about how he will be acting as the director over that agency.
(05:27)
Here's the reason why Elon Musk and others have been taking a look. Because if you look at the waste and abuse that has run through USAID over the past several years, these are some of the insane priorities that that organization has been spending money on: $1.5 million to advance DEI in Serbia's workplaces, 70,000 for a production of a DEI musical in Ireland, 47,000 for a transgender opera in Colombia, 32,000 for a transgender comic book in Peru. I don't know about you, but as an American taxpayer, I don't want my dollars going towards this crap. I know the American people don't either. That's exactly what Elon Musk has been tasked by President Trump to do, to get the fraud, waste, and abuse out of our federal government. Thank you, guys.