Speaker 1 (00:00):
(silence)
Speaker 2 (00:00):
Red, white, blue. Chris, what are you here for? Chris has feedback. Where's he getting feedback on that? We're getting feedback.
Speaker 3 (00:00):
Do you want to hold them?
Speaker 2 (00:00):
No. That's bad.
Speaker 4 (00:00):
Yeah, that's bad.
Speaker 3 (00:00):
I love it.
Speaker 2 (00:00):
Somebody let me know when it's resolved. Audio check. Check, check. One, two. I think it's good. That's okay.
Speaker 3 (00:00):
Do you know what…? It was magically going back.
Speaker 2 (00:00):
Wait-
Speaker 4 (00:00):
Elliot, just started again. Some of these-
Speaker 2 (20:42):
Well, it's walk on back there. Kelly, you doing the briefing today?
Speaker 5 (20:47):
Just trying to facilitate the sound.
Speaker 4 (20:52):
Guys, are you happy in the back? It's fine right now. Don't touch anything.
Karoline Leavitt (25:09):
Good afternoon, everybody. It's great to see all of you on this very newsy day to say the least. I have a couple of updates for you this morning or this afternoon. As you know this morning the President spoke to President Putin of Russia. They spoke at length and the President released a statement following that conversation in great detail. I can also confirm that the President just recently got off the phone with President Zelensky of Ukraine. His truth is as follows, "I just spoke to President Zelensky of Ukraine. The conversation went very well. He, like President Putin, wants to make peace. We discussed a variety of topics having to do with the war, but mostly the meeting that is being set up on Friday in Munich where Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State, Marco Rubio will lead the delegation. I am hopeful that the results of that meeting will be positive. It is time to stop this ridiculous war where there has been massive and totally unnecessary death and destruction. God bless the people of Russia and Ukraine."
(26:11)
I myself just spoke to the President about these calls and he told me to tell all of you they were very good calls, they were very positive, and the administration is wholeheartedly committed to a peace deal to end once and for all the Russia-Ukraine war. More on that later. I'm sure you'll have more questions to ask. This week, the President has continued to deliver on his promises to the American people. According to new polling that was released at the beginning of this week by CBS News, an overwhelming 70% of Americans said that President Trump is following through on what he pledged to do during his historic campaign. The poll also revealed that Americans see President Trump as a tough, energetic, focused, and effective leader, fighting hard to improve their lives and our country.
(26:58)
And yesterday in particular was a truly special day for the United States of America. Thanks to the great leadership of President Trump and the strong and tough leadership of President Trump, Marc Fogel, an American teacher detained by Russia, was returned to American soil and met with the President here at the White House last night. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and the rest of President Trump's incredible national security team helped to negotiate the exchange that secured Marc Fogel's release. This event shows a good faith effort from Russia and it's a sign, as I just said, that we are moving in the right direction to end this brutal war. Malphine Fogel, Marc's 95-year-old mother, was understandably very worried that she would never see her son again after his arrest in 2021. Mrs. Fogel was actually slated to join President Trump on stage at the July 13th Butler, Pennsylvania to speak out for Marc and then the infamous assassination attempt against President Trump took place. But that day before the rally, President Trump promised Marc's mother that when he returned to the White House, he would bring her son home. God saved President Trump's life on that day in Butler, Pennsylvania, and now Marc Fogel is back home safely with his family as a result. God is good. The President also continues to bring back common sense to our government. This week he signed an EO to end the procurement and forced use of paper straws. Taxpayer dollars were wasted on these non-functional and massively unpopular products for no other reason than it made radical activists feel good about themselves. And on trade, President Trump continues to take bold action to protect America's critical steel and aluminum industries much like he did in his first term. And the President signed proclamations to close existing loopholes and exemptions to restore a true 25% tariff on steel and elevate the tariff on aluminum to 25% as well.
(28:58)
This administration believes these tariffs will protect our national security and put American workers first. And in the Oval Office yesterday with Elon Musk, President Trump took further action to make our federal government more efficient and effective. He signed an EO implementing the DOGE Workforce Optimization Initiative. Now agency heads will coordinate and consult with DOGE to significantly shrink the size of the federal workforce and limit hiring to essential positions only. The unaccountable bureaucracy will finally be reigned in. On another important matter, this morning, Senate Republicans continued to confirm President Trump's exceptionally qualified nominees, most recently Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, who will be joining us later at the White House for her swearing-in ceremony. It's imperative that the remainder of the President's Cabinet nominees are confirmed as quickly as possible. On another important matter this week, illegal alien criminals continue to be arrested and sent home as part of the ongoing mass deportation effort of the Trump administration.
(30:02)
Just this week, two planes with 190 Venezuelan illegal aliens arrived in the Venezuelan capital from Fort Bliss, Texas. Here are some of the criminal illegal aliens who were arrested in the country this past week. ICE Atlanta arrested a citizen of Nigeria who had been convicted of money laundering, ICE San Antonio arrested a citizen of Mexico who had been convicted of assault, ICE Denver arrested a citizen of Mexico who had been convicted of aggravated assault, and ICE Houston arrested a citizen of Mexico who had been convicted of aggravated assault. Now, before I take questions, I would like to address an extremely dishonest narrative that we've seen emerging over the past few days. Many outlets in this room have been fearmongering the American people into believing there is a constitutional crisis taking place here at the White House. I've been hearing those words a lot lately, but in fact, the real constitutional crisis is taking place within our judicial branch where district court judges and liberal districts across the country are abusing their power to unilaterally block President Trump's basic executive authority.
(31:11)
We believe these judges are acting as judicial activists rather than honest arbiters of the law, and they have issued at least 12 injunctions against this administration in the past 14 days, often without citing any evidence or grounds for their lawsuits. This is part of a larger concerted effort by Democrat activists and nothing more than the continuation of the weaponization of justice against President Trump. Quick newsflash to these liberal judges who are supporting their obstructionist efforts. 77 million Americans voted to elect this President and each injunction is an abuse of the rule of law and an attempt to thwart the will of the people. As the President clearly stated in the Oval Office yesterday, we will comply with the law in the courts, but we will also continue to seek every legal
Karoline Leavitt (32:00):
… remedy to ultimately overturn these radical injunctions and ensure President Trump's policies can be enacted. So here in our new media seat today we have Chris Pavlovski, an entrepreneur who has a strong passion for protecting freedom of speech. Chris started the video sharing platform Rumble in 2013 with a mission of protecting a free and open internet from censorship by big tech and governments around the globe. The platform has always been a place for independent creators to share their authentic opinions and that they have always included President Trump, in contrast to the way he was censored by other platforms in years past. Since its founding, Rumble has grown exponentially, recently marking 67 million monthly active users. It's a lot of users. If you're watching right now and interested in sitting in this seat, you can apply, WhiteHouse.gov/newmedia. With that, I will take your questions. And Chris, why don't you kick us off on this very busy news day.
Chris Pavlovski (32:58):
Karoline, thank you very much to you and President Trump. It's an honor to be sitting here in the new media seat for the White House press briefing and to be able to demonstrate why freedom of expression is so important. Rumble was the victim of censorship at the hands of multiple foreign governments. It's clear there are still many countries who oppose free speech and even target American companies. Can you describe what the administration will do to protect US interests and values worldwide?
Karoline Leavitt (33:26):
Sure. Well, thanks for the very important question. And I think that free speech and ending censorship both here at home and also abroad is an important part of President Trump's agenda. I think first, President Trump has led by example on this front as the leader of the free world, the President of the United States, with his show of access and transparency on a daily basis. The president takes questions from all of you almost every single day and really reveals what he's thinking and feeling. And I think that serves as a great example to the rest of the world. As for tangible actions that the President has signed, he did sign an executive order, I believe on day one, certainly within the first week of this administration, to restore free speech and stop government-sponsored censorship here at home. And the EO made it very clear that federal employees are not allowed to engage in any activity that would infringe upon the American people's right of free expression. So I think the President has led quite strongly on this.
(34:27)
And I would just add this is part of the reason we have a new media seat, to invite new voices into this room. Again, we're going to need to expand this room because so many people are interested, and we're very excited about that. It's a privilege to cover this White House, but we want all voices to be heard. So thanks for being us with here, Chris, and I hope you enjoy the briefing.
Chris Pavlovski (34:44):
Thank you.
Karoline Leavitt (34:45):
Sure. Jordan.
Jordan (34:46):
Thanks, Karoline. Data out this morning showed that consumer prices were up across a variety of goods. And just before that report though, President Trump called for lower interest rates. The Fed said it's holding rates steady to try and tamp down further inflation. So how would lowering rates help keep inflation in check for the American people?
Karoline Leavitt (35:05):
Sure. Well, first of all on the inflation point, we did receive those numbers and they were worse than expected, which tells us that the Biden administration indeed left us with a mess to deal with. It's far worse than I think anybody anticipated because unfortunately the previous administration was not transparent in where the economy truly was. We know people at this very podiums told the American people that inflation was transitory and that it would go away. That was not the case. And now the last report of the Biden administration, as revealed today, shows that inflation is still about 4.5% higher over the past three months. This is an indictment on the Biden administration's mismanagement of the inflation crisis and their lack of transparency in addressing it.
(35:48)
As for tackling inflation and interest rates, the President has made his position on this very clear. He wants interest rates to be lower, he wants inflation to be lower, and he believes that the whole of government economic approach that this administration is taking will result in lower inflation. I have said that from this podium many times. The President had record low interest rates and inflation rates in his first term. He believes that the economy can handle it and withstand it. And we're doing a lot to tackle the inflation effort on this front. It's a whole of government economic approach, and I've talked about what we're doing to tackle inflation quite a few times from this podium.
Jordan (36:28):
Do you know if the reciprocal tariffs, if that's going to come before Prime Minister Modi's visit tomorrow?
Karoline Leavitt (36:29):
I do believe it will come before the Prime Minister's visit tomorrow. And I will let the President discuss the details on the reciprocal tariff front. But this is something he believes strongly in. And it's very simple logic as to why the President wants to impose reciprocal tariffs. It's the golden rule which we all learned when we were growing up in school, treat others the way you want to be treated. And far too many nations around this world have been ripping off the United States of America for far too long, and that's why the President believes this will be a great policy that will benefit American workers and improve our national security. JJ.
JJ (37:01):
On DOGE and the fraud claims, Elon Musk in the Oval yesterday gave us some information on that. We're just wondering if there's some proof, evidence. Is the White House willing to share evidence of those fraud claims, or can Elon Musk come to the briefing room and share material evidence of what he's talking about?
Karoline Leavitt (37:16):
Sure. I would love for Elon Musk to come to the briefing room. That's why we had him go to the Oval Office yesterday, where I think he provided great answers. He was speaking in layman's terms, speaking common sense to all of you and the media, but also to Americans at home, but I would say especially to all of you in the media. Because I think it's a real fallacy that there's this alleged lack of transparency when it comes to DOGE. President Trump and Elon Musk have been incredibly transparent on what DOGE is doing. There is an X account with the DOGE handle. They are tweeting out what they are doing on a daily basis. They have a website where they are posting the receipts of the contracts that they are reviewing and the payments that they have stopped from going out the door, the secretaries of our departments have stopped from going out the door.
(38:00)
And I would also say that before it was Elon Musk making our government efficient and accountable, it was some unnamed bureaucrat that none of you knew. Elon Musk is the richest man in the world. He's also now one of the most highly scrutinized men in the world, alongside President Trump, because of what he's doing and the access that he is allowing. So there's great transparency. As for the actual receipts, we are happy to provide them. And I actually brought some today, because all of you know I love to bring the receipts. We have contracts upon contracts that we can send and provide this information to you. Let me be very clear, we are not trying to hide anything. We have been incredibly transparent and we will continue to be. These are screenshots of contracts that DOGE found across our government. This is a DEI contract, $36,000 for US Citizenship and Immigration Services. That is against the President's policies and his America First agenda. This is a $3.4 million contract, a Council for Inclusive Innovation at the US Patent and Trademark Office, Department of Commerce, another DEI contract that DOGE identified.
(39:05)
I can continue to go through these. Oh, I love this one. 57,000 bucks for climate change in Sri Lanka. What is this doing to continue the interests of the American people? Absolutely nothing. These are the line items across the federal government that DOGE is identifying daily. They're moving very fast. There's a lot of paper that we can show you, but we're happy to do it. This administration has been more than transparent about what DOGE is doing. And here's one of their tweets that they posted, about the mine, I believe this is in Pennsylvania, where the federal employee retirement system is being processed. Did anybody know this was even happening in our country before Elon Musk talked about it in the Oval Office yesterday? A lot of Americans didn't. So we are providing transparency and accessibility on a daily basis when it comes to DOGE. And I also have a DOGE daily report, if anybody would like it, on all of the things that they are identifying and finding. We're happy to provide this information to you. We're talking about it every single day.
JJ (40:03):
Are all those things you just mentioned fraud or are they waste or are they just contrary to the President's policies?
Karoline Leavitt (40:09):
I would argue that all of these things are fraudulent, they are wasteful, and they are an abuse of the American taxpayer's dollar. This is not what the government should be spending money on. It's contrary to the President's priorities and agenda. And again, we can continue to provide you the receipts for all of the fraud, waste, and abuse. And if anybody in here wants to argue that the federal government is not fraudulent in some capacity, be my guest, because I think the American people watching at home would beg to differ.
Mary (40:37):
Karoline.
Karoline Leavitt (40:37):
Mary.
Mary (40:40):
Hey. More on the judges. Does the White House believe the courts have the authority to issue these nationwide injunctions?
Karoline Leavitt (40:47):
We believe that the injunctions that have been issued by these judges have no basis in the law and have no grounds. And we will, again, as the President said very clearly yesterday, comply with these orders. But it is the administration's position that we will ultimately be vindicated and the President's executive actions that he took were completely within the law, they were constitutional. And we look forward to the day where he can continue to implement his agenda. And I would just add it's our view that this is the continuation of the weaponization of justice that we have seen against President Trump. He fought it for two years on the campaign trail. It won't stop him now. Brian.
Brian (41:23):
Yes. I want to go back to DOGE just for a second. Earlier, the subcommittee headed by Chairman Marjorie Taylor Greene, her and her staff discovered $2.7 trillion in improper payments to Medicare, Medicaid overseas to people who should not have gotten it. Some of this room might've missed that press conference. Can you elaborate on what the President is thinking at this point?
Karoline Leavitt (41:48):
Well, again, that's another example. There's a very long list of the fraud, waste, and abuse that DOGE is identifying on a daily basis. Elon Musk also talked about yesterday about social security payments that are going out the door for people who are no longer with us unfortunately. I would say that is certainly fraud. There's also a lot of contracts they've identified that, just as a hypothetical example, are a million bucks, but only 500,000 went out the door. So where's the rest of that cash? And so those are the things that DOGE is working on every single day. And I would just remind everybody in this room, this is what President Trump campaigned on doing. He's delivering on a promise that 77 million people elected him to do. James.
James (42:29):
Thank you very much, Karoline. Two foreign policy questions, if I may.
Karoline Leavitt (42:32):
Sure.
James (42:33):
First, the statement that was released after this morning's phone calls identified Mr. Witkoff as the special envoy who will be part of the delegation that undertakes to resolve the Russian-Ukraine war. I had thought that that individual was General Kellogg, and so can you clear that up?
Karoline Leavitt (42:52):
Sure, I'd be happy to. As you mentioned, the President in his Truth following the phone call with Vladimir Putin said that he has asked Secretary of State Rubio, the Director of the CIA, John Ratcliffe, our National Security Advisor here at the White House, Michael Watts, and Steve Witkoff to lead the negotiations. As for General Keith Kellogg, he remains a critical part of this team and this effort. He's played a tremendous role in getting the negotiations to this point. And he is very much still part of the Trump administration.
James (43:19):
The other subject is Iran. I took note of President Trump's comments in his Super Bowl interview with our colleague, Bret Baier, to the effect that he wants to do a deal with Iran. However, that interview appeared after the Supreme Leader of Iran, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had already ruled out any additional negotiations with the United States. So kind of a two-part question. A, what gives the President any confidence that Iran will come to the table? And B, more fundamentally, why is the President interested in doing a deal with Iran instead of doing everything he can perhaps short of US military intervention to try and hasten the end of what many of his own supporters regard as an evil regime?
Karoline Leavitt (44:07):
Well, the President has made it very clear that he will never allow Iran to have nuclear capabilities. That is a red line that he has drawn and he will not allow that to happen. But you asked why President Trump wants to make a deal. I would remind you he's the master of the art of the deal. He is America's dealmaker in chief. He leads from a position of securing peace through strength. And I think time and time again, already in just four weeks, we have seen the President being able to negotiate successful deals with our partners, our adversaries all around this world. The release of Marc Fogel just last night is something that I think speaks to the President's dealmaking ability. This is something that the Biden administration allegedly tried to do for three and a half years. I think you all should go back and ask some of those Biden administration officials what they even tried to do and why weren't they successful. Because for three and a half years, Marc Fogel sat in a Russian prison, and it took President Trump three weeks to get him back on American soil. There's nobody better at making deals than Donald Trump.
Speaker 6 (45:10):
Karoline.
Karoline Leavitt (45:10):
Phil Wegmann.
Phil Wegmann (45:11):
Thank you. Two foreign policy questions. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has said after the war that he wants NATO membership or nuclear weapons. We heard Defense Secretary Hegseth say that NATO membership was unrealistic. What's the President's view on the other option, on a nuclear Ukraine?
Karoline Leavitt (45:29):
I have not talked to President Trump about Ukraine's NATO membership or their nuclear capabilities. I would leave it to him to discuss. But I will tell you again that Secretary Rubio and also the Vice President, JD Vance, will be meeting directly with President Zelenskyy in Munich on Friday. And I'm sure they will provide a readout of that conversation and that discussion.
Phil Wegmann (45:50):
And then the second question, given that this administration has called on Europe to take more responsibility for their own defense, I'm wondering, will the EU or any other European nation other than Ukraine be involved in these peace talks?
Karoline Leavitt (46:06):
I don't have any European nations who are involved currently to read out for you. Certainly the President has employed a very strong team or deployed a very strong team to continue these negotiations. And the fact that he was on the phone with both President Putin and President Zelenskyy today shows that he's very much involved in this effort as well.
Phil Wegmann (46:24):
And then just a follow-up, I guess.
Karoline Leavitt (46:25):
Sure.
Phil Wegmann (46:26):
Should we expect the President to negotiate in person with Zelenskyy and Putin?
Karoline Leavitt (46:32):
I don't have anything to read out on that for you today. Maggie, good to see you.
Maggie (46:35):
Thanks, Karoline. Thanks for taking the question. You talked about the transparency with DOGE and Elon Musk's press availability yesterday. There is a conflict of interest law in place that says that people who have personal interests can't interact with government entities that could touch on those. Has President Trump signed a waiver for Elon Musk? Does such a thing exist? If it does, will you guys release it in the interest of transparency that he's committed to?
Karoline Leavitt (47:01):
I have not seen the law that you are referring to. What I can tell you is that Elon Musk is, I've confirmed before, is a special government employee. He is filing the proper financial disclosure and he is complying with all applicable federal laws. As you also heard, Elon address this directly yesterday and the alleged conflict of interest. And he said everything he's doing is very public. And if you all perceive a conflict of interest, you're welcome to bring that up. And as the President said, if he feels like Elon is engaging in something that's a conflict of interest, he will tell Elon not to do that. And Elon also said yesterday that before he moves forward with anything, he consults with the President of the United States. So we're very confident with the ethics and the guardrails that have been put in place here. Kaitlan.
Kaitlan Collins (47:47):
Thanks, Karoline. I have a few things for you, but on the commitment by President Trump, he said that he and President Putin agreed to visit each other's respective nations. Are there any preconditions that President Trump has that President Putin must do before
Kaitlan Collins (48:00):
… if he goes and meets with him, withdrawing some forces, withdrawing all forces, anything like that?
Karoline Leavitt (48:04):
Not that I'm aware of. That doesn't mean they don't exist, but I was just talking with the president and our national security team. I wasn't made aware of any conditions, but if they exist, I'm happy to provide those.
Kaitlan Collins (48:13):
And on the president himself, he styles himself as this master negotiator. He is now deploying these negotiations saying that they start immediately. We did hear from the Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth though today saying that NATO membership is not realistic for Ukraine and neither is returning to pre-2014 borders. Aren't they giving away bargaining chips before these negotiations have even started?
Karoline Leavitt (48:35):
Again, I haven't talked to the president about Ukraine's NATO membership and he appointed several individuals to negotiate on his behalf. He's directly involved in these negotiations as well and I'm sure if you ask him that question in the near future when you're able to, he'll give you an answer. I just don't want to get ahead of him on it.
Kaitlan Collins (48:51):
And final thing for you, which White House official made the decision to bar the AP reporter from the Oval Office and the Diplomatic Reception Room last night?
Karoline Leavitt (48:59):
Well, first of all, let me just set the record straight. It is a privilege to cover this White House. It's a privilege to be the White House Press Secretary and nobody has the right to go into the Oval Office and ask the President of the United States questions. That's an invitation that is given and there are hundreds of outlets on this campus, many of you in this room who don't have the privilege of being part of that pool every single day and getting to ask the president questions. We reserve the right to decide who gets to go into the Oval Office and you all have credentials to be here, including the Associated Press who is in this briefing room today.
Kaitlan Collins (49:33):
But isn't it retaliatory in nature is the argument because the reason that the AP was barred, which they said was because they're not using the phrase Gulf of America, they're using Gulf of Mexico in line with their standards. And so the question here is, is this setting of precedent that this White House will retaliate against reporters who don't use the language that you guys believe reporters should use? And how does that align with the First Amendment commitment that you were just talking about?
Karoline Leavitt (49:55):
I was very upfront in my briefing on day one that if we feel that there are lies being pushed by outlets in this room, we are going to hold those lies accountable. And it is a fact that the body of water off the coast of Louisiana is called the Gulf of America. And I'm not sure why news outlets don't want to call it that, but that is what it is. The Secretary of Interior has made that the official designation and the geographical identification name server. And Apple has recognized that, Google has recognized that. Pretty much every other outlet in this room has recognized that body of water as the Gulf of America and it's very important to this administration that we get that right, not just for people here at home but also for the rest of the world. Sure.
Speaker 7 (50:37):
Thank you Karoline. The prisoner exchange with Russia coming at the same time as the president is now announcing negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, the timing of that is hard to ignore. Was Ukraine discussed as part of this prisoner swap?
Karoline Leavitt (50:50):
I was not involved in those discussions, so I can't comment on whether that came up or not. What I can say is that this was a very good deal for the United States of America and for the rest of the world. As you know, we have confirmed that the Russian who will be returning home very soon, Alexander Vinnik was a non-violent crypto criminal and as part of this exchange, he has forfeited more than $100 million that he obtained in that illegal crime. And in exchange, of course, we got Marc Fogel who is a middle school teacher who kissed the American soil, but kissed the ground last night when he returned to the United States of America. It was a great deal and a great day for our country and I think everybody, regardless of political affiliation, agrees with that.
Speaker 7 (51:37):
Was Russia made aware ahead of time of the parameters that the administration and Secretary Hegseth was going to be announcing today?
Karoline Leavitt (51:43):
The NATO parameters?
Speaker 7 (51:45):
Yes.
Karoline Leavitt (51:45):
I'm not sure. You'd have to ask Secretary Hegseth and the Defense Department on that since he announced them. Jackie.
Speaker 8 (51:51):
Thank you Karoline. Just to be clear, so when we're listening for a shift in position on US policy, should we only listen to the president and maybe not the Secretary of Defense because what he outlined today would represent a shift in US policy?
Karoline Leavitt (52:04):
I'm not saying that. I'm just saying I speak for the President of the United States behind this podium and I will let him discuss that. Weijia.
Speaker 8 (52:10):
Will you tell us any more about the next hostage releases? I understand that Americans coming out today.
Karoline Leavitt (52:15):
Yeah. Sure, I'm glad you asked. It speaks to president Trump's deal making ability and we can confirm the safe release of one American and two individuals from Belarus, one of whom worked for Radio Liberty. Out of respect for the privacy of these individuals at their request, we have no further details to announce on their identities, but we can confirm that one American was released today and it's a remarkable victory on the heels of Marc Fogel returning to America last night.
Speaker 8 (52:43):
Anything on who the US might be releasing in exchange?
Karoline Leavitt (52:47):
I don't have details on that at this moment.
Speaker 8 (52:48):
Are we releasing anyone in exchange?
Karoline Leavitt (52:49):
I don't have details on that at this moment. I do know that these three individuals have been released and are on their way home to their respective countries. Weijia.
Speaker 9 (52:57):
Karoline, thank you so much. Can you explain how President Trump envisions the war in Russia and Ukraine coming to an end? Does he expect Ukraine to hand over all the territory in question?
Karoline Leavitt (53:09):
Again, these negotiations are ongoing. I will allow the president to divulge any red lines that he may set, but I think as deals in the past have come to fruition, the president has proven one of the things that makes him a very effective negotiator is not revealing what he's anticipating from both sides. But he is at the forefront of these negotiations in addition to the very qualified individuals who he's tasked with speaking to both President Putin and President Zelensky.
Speaker 9 (53:37):
And speaking of deals, a meeting with the President of the United States offers any foreign leader credibility. Was it part of the prisoner swap with Fogel that President Trump agreed to meet with Putin?
Karoline Leavitt (53:50):
Again, I was already asked this question. I said I was not made aware of that, but we can certainly get you an answer on that. I'll check in with the NSC. Sure, Monica.
Speaker 10 (53:59):
Thanks Karoline. It's clear that this administration is dedicated to both truth and transparency. We know that with DOGE, but we also know that because this administration recently announced it's going to declassify the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr., JFK and RFK. I'm wondering, is it likely that we're going to see more information regarding the assassination attempts on the president's life while he was on the campaign trail?
Karoline Leavitt (54:22):
In regards to the assassination of the individuals you mentioned, President Trump signed that executive order directing the respective agencies to do it. I know that that process continues and is ongoing. He's committed to transparency and the declassification of these very important files that I think many Americans are not only interested in learning about, but also have the right to know about.
(54:42)
As for the two heinous assassination attempts on the president's life, he's spoken to this publicly. I've spoken to him about it privately and as he said publicly to all of you, he feels he has a right to know about further information about the individuals who tried to kill him, tried to take his life. And so if and when we get that information, I'll leave it up to the president to decide whether or not he would like to reveal it. But I believe in the effort of transparency that we've seen consistently from this president, he certainly will. Daniel.
Speaker 11 (55:14):
Thanks Karoline. I wanted to ask you about the $59 million that FEMA sent to New York City migrant hotels. Secretary Kristi Noem just put out a statement saying that she clawed back the full payment that FEMA activists unilaterally gave to NYC migrant hotels. She wrote, " Mark my words, there will not be a single penny spent that goes against the interests and safety of the American people." What does the response of the Trump administration send to any federal bureaucrats that are thinking about obstructing the president's agenda?
Karoline Leavitt (55:42):
They will be held accountable. The president is signing executive orders daily and he expects all officials across the administration, regardless if they are a political appointee or if they are a career bureaucrat, to adhere to the will of the American people and the 77 million Americans who re-elected President Trump. He's here for a reason and he is focused every day on implementing his administration's goals and sending 59 million bucks to a migrant hotel to house illegal immigrants when there are still people in North Carolina and California who have not received FEMA funding is not something that this administration is going to tolerate. Deanna.
Speaker 12 (56:18):
Thank you so much, Karoline. One on New York and one Russia please. On New York, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander is accusing DOGE of clawing back $80 million that was intended for New York City FEMA funding. Wondering if you've heard about that figure, if that figure is accurate and why that money was taken back?
Karoline Leavitt (56:37):
I have not heard about that figure. DOGE is moving very quickly, but I can get the receipts and gladly send them to you. I know that a story is likely of great interest to the New York Post. Josh.
Speaker 12 (56:48):
And one on Russia please.
Karoline Leavitt (56:48):
Sure.
Speaker 12 (56:50):
Is President Trump waiting for a kind of signal or an action from Putin to go to Russia? And just would he be willing to go to Ukraine in the future?
Karoline Leavitt (57:00):
I don't have any decisions to make on the president's potential visit to Russia or any in-person meeting at this time. John.
Speaker 13 (57:09):
Thanks, Karoline. Two questions. One on foreign policy, one on domestic policy. Following up on the president's call that he had with President Putin, does the president view Russia, does he view President Putin as an ally, as a partner, as a competitor, or as an adversary?
Karoline Leavitt (57:25):
I believe this nation views Putin and Russia as a great competitor in the region, at times an adversary. But as the president has said as well, he enjoys having good diplomatic relationships with leaders around the world, finding that common ground. Also, calling them out when they are wrong and leading from a position of peace through strength. That's the president's greatest strength and we've seen that again time and time again.
Speaker 13 (57:51):
And then as you pointed out in your statement regarding the confirmation of Tulsi Gabbard, there was one Republican who voted against the nomination of Tulsi Gabbard. It was Senator Mitch McConnell. Similarly, how does the administration view Senator McConnell? Can he be a partner in the president's legislative agenda? Are you disappointed that he voted against not only Tulsi Gabbard, but also Pete Hegseth to be the defense secretary?
Karoline Leavitt (58:14):
I think we're greatly disappointed in any Republican who chooses willfully to vote against the president's exceptionally qualified cabinet nominees and picks to lead his America first administration. Not a single Democrat swayed from voting against President Biden's nominees, and we know how many of them turned out. They turned out to be atrocious at their jobs, leaving America much worse than they were when they took the oath of office. And so I've said it repeatedly from this podium. I addressed it at the beginning of my remarks. We expect all Republicans to vote, to stay tough and strong, vote for president Trump's nominees so we can get to work and continue to work very hard to implement this president's agenda. Sure.
Speaker 14 (58:55):
Thank you. Thank you, Karoline. On South Korea. South Korea is currently in a chaotic situation. How does President Trump react to the current chaotic situation in South Korea? Secondly, if South Korea needed help from United States, what role do you think the US will play?
Karoline Leavitt (59:22):
Sure. I haven't spoken to the president about this ongoing situation in South Korea. I would defer you to his previous statements and I can also see if I can get you something new from the National Security Council who I'm very confident, the officials that are focused on South Korea are on this. I just haven't spoken to them about it, but I'm happy to provide that for you. Yes.
Speaker 15 (59:40):
Thank you, Karoline. Does Elon Musk have power of the presidency?
Karoline Leavitt (59:44):
Absolutely not. That's a ridiculous question.
Speaker 15 (59:47):
I ask that question because the Democrats have been hurling insults at Elon Musk, hurling attacks, calling him president Musk. Most recently, Jamie Raskin, the congressman, took it a step further calling for Musk's impeachment, saying that he somehow usurped the power of the presidency. What's your response?
Karoline Leavitt (01:00:03):
It's utterly ridiculous. Elon Musk addressed this in the Oval Office yesterday. The president addressed it as well. Elon Musk is serving at the pleasure of the president. Just like everybody else on this team, he takes directives directly from the President of the United States, and I think some of the comments that you refer to are nothing more than a failed attempt from the media and from Democrats to try to sow division in this White House.
(01:00:27)
We saw them do it in the first term. We're not going to let them do it in the second term. This is a unified team who is working at the pleasure of the president to do what's right for the American people. I have one more quick housekeeping note before I leave you all today. The president wanted me to share with all of you that he had a wonderful meeting with King Abdullah of Jordan yesterday. They discussed many things, including the Gaza Strip and its future at great length. The King would much prefer that the Palestinians stay in place with the additional land to be used for new development, which would greatly create jobs at levels never seen before. But the president feels it would be much better and more majestic if these Palestinians could be moved to safer areas.
(01:01:07)
I would just add to that that the president remains wholeheartedly committed to seeing peace in the Middle East, and our Arab partners in the region have been tasked with coming up with a peace plan to present to the president. That is ongoing. King Abdullah mentioned that yesterday. He also committed to accepting 2000 sick children from the Gaza Strip, which the president called a beautiful gesture. So the administration continues to work with our Arab partners in the region. We stand closely with our ally Israel and the president has presented this big, new, bold idea to secure peace in the Middle East, and he's not going to waver from that. And we look forward to seeing that goal of this administration achieved as well. Thank you very much everybody, and we'll see you very soon. Have a great day.