President Trump Gaggles with Press On Air Force One, Apr. 3, 2025

Hello everybody.

How are you?

Mr. Mr. President, nice to see you. Hello. I haven't seen you in a while. 5 million for $5 million. This could be yours. That was the first of the cards. See that? Do you know what that card is? Gold card.

Card.

It's the gold card, the trump card. Gold card.

Who's the first buyer?

Me. I'm the first. I don't know, but I'm the first buy. Be out in about less than two weeks.

Probably pretty exciting, right?

Ready for some questions?

Anybody want to buy one? Okay, let's go.

First, we'd love to get your reaction, sir, to what's going on in the financial markets today.

Well, I mean, it's to be expected where this is a patient that was very sick. We really inherited a terrible economy as you know, with a lot of problems, including loss of manufacturing and plants closed up all over the country. You know, we've lost 90,000 plants since NAFTA. If you think of that 90,000, it's not even believable. And about 6 million jobs.

So it's a sick.

It was a sick patient. It went through an operation on liberation day.

And it's going to be, it's going to be a booming country, a very booming country.

It's going to be amazing, actually.

See it because we have trillions of dollars committed to come in. Trillions.

Sir, can I ask you, when you say that it was an operation and the patient's healthy now, does that mean you see us as kind of towards the high water mark in terms of how.

The operation's over and now we let it settle in? You see, the plants are starting to construction already. We have many plants. Indiana, massive auto plan, the Honda. And we have so many, so many plants. And they'll be under construction and as they start to build, you're going to see a lot of construction jobs and you're going to see a lot of jobs.

When they open, does that mean chips.

And pharma tariffs are not on the.

Table starting very soon? The chips are starting very soon. The pharma is going to be starting to come in I think at a level that you haven't really seen before. We are looking at pharma right now. Pharmaceuticals, it's a separate category. And we'll be announcing that sometime in the near future, not too distant future. That's under review right now.

Are you negotiating with partners?

Currently what we have is we have a set of tariffs based on what they've been charging us, that's reciprocal. And those tariffs have come in and Every country has called us. That's the beauty of what we do. We put ourselves in the driver's seat. If we would have asked some of these country, almost most of these countries to do us a favor, they would have said no. Now they'll do anything for us, but we have tariffs, they've been set and it's going to make our country very rich.

Are you open to deals with these countries if they're calling you?

Well, it depends. If somebody said that we're going to give you something that's so phenomenal, as long as they're giving us something that's good. For instance, with TikTok as an example, we have a situation with TikTok where China will probably say we'll approve a deal, but will you do something on the tariff? The tariffs give us great power to negotiate, always have. I've used them very well in the first administration, as you saw. But now we're taking it to a whole new level because it's a worldwide situation and it's very exciting to see. And what it's done is driven a lot of great companies to our country. And you're going to see construction starting all over. I already got a couple of calls from Lee Zeldin from Environmental. He's got some big plans to approve, like really big plans.

How long will it take to get manufacturing, American manufacturing, to where you would like to see it?

Let's say it's a two year process. You know, they start a plant and they're big plants. We're giving them approval to also, in many cases to build the electric facility with it. So you have electric generation and a plant and they're big plants. Now the good news, there's a lot of money for them and they can build them fast, but they're still very big plants. So I'd always say it would take a year and a half to two years.

Mr. President, I'm curious.

You've already started summer.

President, have you been following the New.

York City mayor's race and specifically Andrew Cuomo is now the front runner according to the bulls. How do you feel about that? Do you think you could have a good relationship with the Mayor Andrew Cuomo?

Well, I've always gotten along with it. We had our ins and outs a little bit. We did a great job for him. Remember, we built the convention center rooms for them. We didn't use them, unfortunately. And we sent the mercy ship, we sent the magnificent hospital ship and they didn't use it. But we always had a pretty good relationship.

You Gonna make an endorsement in that race.

It's not something I'm thinking about yet. Is he thinking about running on Russia, Ukraine?

There's a Russian envoy in town for some meetings. Can you give us an update on how that's going?

We do. We have an envoy from Russia. We're talking about it. We'd like to see that stop as soon as possible because thousands of people are being killed a week. Soldiers mostly soldiers, Ukrainian soldiers and Russian soldiers. And you're losing 2,000, 3,000 sometimes a week. So we're spearheading the drive to get it done. Europe has not been successful in dealing with President Putin, but I think I will be successful.

About the nsc, how many staffers were let go and why? Your National Security Council. How many staffers?

There were some. There were some. Always. We're going to let go of people, people that we don't, or people that we don't think can do the job or people that may have loyalties to somebody else. You'll always, you'll always have that.

So you mentioned Netanyahu recently. Israel has now talked about staying in Gaza, doing long term occupation. Has anything changed in regard to the U. S Gaza, Israel plans?

I spoke to him today as a matter of fact, and I think he's going to be coming to our country sometime in the not too distant future, maybe next week and we'll speak about Israel, we'll speak about what's going on. That's another thing we'd like to get solved and I think we will get it. I think he very well may be coming next month.

Benjamin, follow up on your earlier comment about TikTok. You said that the Chinese might be willing to agree to approve that sale in exchange for tariff relief. Is that something that you floated to them or you've heard from them or.

I'm just using that as an example. Let's say we had a problem with TikTok and let's say China wasn't going to approve. We could use tariffs in order to get it approved. You know, you give them something in return.

What's the update on the deal negotiations we have?

We're very close to a deal with a very good group of people or TikTok.

And then do the last minute bids kind of throw things into disarray for you or do you have your strategy completely locked up on who's going to last minute which on acquiring TikTok?

No, I think, I think, I think that China maybe will call and say, well, we're upset with the tariffs and maybe they want to get something a little bit in order to get TikTok approved. Who knows? I have no knowledge of that. But that's the kind of thing that we know.

Can you give us any update on the Palestinian relocation plan? Are we talking to any countries that.

We'Re going to try and solve the Gaza problem? It's been a problem for many years, for many, many decades. It's been a big problem. We have I met with, as you know, a lot of the hostages. It's a terrible situation. But if you notice, hostages are being release now and that's happened only since I got involved. So we have hostages being released. Quite a few, actually.

You're still committed to the relocation?

I'd like to get as many hostages as we can. And then Gaza. Gaza is a very, very important thing. It's been under siege for many, many years. It's a shame. It's a shame. A lot of people die in Gaza. Gaza has been a place. We have had a lot of people die. A lot of bad things happen in Gaza. We'll see what we can do for dinner tonight.

Can you tell us about it? Who's going to be there?

Any leaders? So dinner tonight is sort of a. I have a couple of them actually, but a lot of it's based around charity, et cetera, and we raise a lot of money for charities and also have they having one of the big golf tournament, professional golf tournament, they live. And that'll take place over the next few days at Doral from I guess tomorrow till they have, I think they have a pro app right now. But I'll be speaking tonight. I think I'm making a speech to the players, great players, some of the best players in the world. And ultimately hopefully the two, the two tours are going to merge. That would be good. I'm involved in that too. But hopefully we're going to get the two tourists to merge. You have the PGA Tour, you have the Lift Tour, and I think having them merge would be a great thing.

About the tariffs, do you have any message for the American, far American businesses that might feel the impact of any reciprocal tariffs coming from the eu, for example, or from other countries?

It's going to all work out. Remember, there are no tariffs if you build your plant or you build your product, make your product in the US and so a lot of people, I mean, there's going to be a transition period because they're going to be building instead of paying tariffs to some other place and. But there are no tariffs. If you think there are no Tariffs. All you have to do is build, make your product in the United States. And a lot of people are doing that. They're moving, like the auto companies I know, to two of the four or five that are really active and they've already started moving their parts, making things out of Mexico, out of Canada and into the United States.

So do you have a sense of how long Elon Musk's mission will last and when he will depart?

Well, Elon is fantastic. And I think it's, you know, he's a patriot and I think it's a shame what they're doing with his car company and a great car. It's a great car, great product, and it tells you what a patriot he is. He's amazing. No, I mean, as long as he'd like. I like. I like smart people and he's a smart person. I also like him personally. When he endorsed me, that's when I really got to know him. I knew him a little bit before that, but not much. And then he endorsed me. And it was a very strong embracing endorsement, as we all know. And I would say Elon will stay for a certain period of time and that he's going to want to get.

Back to his businesses full time.

But he's done a fantastic job. We found hundreds of. Think of it just hundreds of. We've had billions of dollars of fraud and abuse and waste, and they're still going. I mean, they're going strong. They're finding. They found something today that's horrible. It's horrible. So what they found. You'll find out very soon. What they found is incredible. And I give him a lot of credit. He's got some very smart people with them. Do you think he can fix it?

And they're working very closely with our.

Secretaries and the people that are the heads of Ukraine.

Do you think he would appoint him to another position? Position once it's 130 days.

I think Elon's great, but he also has a company to run or a number of companies to run that he can do this, that he can find the time. He loves the country.

That's why he does it. But we're in no rush.

But they'll be appointed which time Elon's going to have to leave.

So you mentioned auto companies.

A specific date on when he's out.

I would make a few months.

Even when Elon leaves and goes back to being CEO, will Doge stick around in some kind of capacity?

Yeah, it'll still Doge.

Doge yourself? Yeah, at Some point. Just so you understand, I don't want.

To get it wrong, I want Elon.

To stay as long as possible.

Number one, I like him. Number two, he's doing a great job. Number three, he is a patriot. That's why he's doing this. And he's, you know, it's very costly for him, but. So I want him to stay as long as possible, but there'll be a point where he's going to have to leave, and when he does, the secretaries will take totally over and those will stay active.

We have a lot of smart people.

A lot of those people, I believe, are going to go into the agencies and they'll work on it.

From the incident you mentioned auto companies.

That you've been speaking with.

Have you spoken to any executives today?

Yeah.

Who?

I don't want to say who, but.

I speak to a lot of the auto executives, but we have much more than autos. We have chips coming in, we have steel coming in, steel factories. The steel factories are opening up and expanding at levels that people have not seen.

Also, can you tell us a little.

Bit about your meeting with Laura Loomer and Mike Waltz today and how that came about?

Laura Loomer is a very good patron. She is a very strong person. And I saw her yesterday for a little while. She makes recommendations of things, of people, and sometimes I listen to those recommendations like I do with everybody. I listen to everybody and then I make a decision. But I saw her yesterday. She was at the ceremony. And, yes, she'll always have something to say, usually very constructive.

What did she recommend?

She recommended certain people for jobs.

Adding to the administration, not firing.

Well, she'll recommend that, too, but yesterday she recommends some people for jobs.

Could she have anything to do with the NSC aides who were ousted?

No, no, not at all.

Do you know how many, Sir? Do you know how many from the nsc? Was it five? A dozen?

I really don't know there.

Who did Laura recommend hiring?

Well, I don't want to say that, but she's. She's recommended some good people over the years. She's been. She's been in the party a long time. She's done a good job.

Do you trust your National Security staff is doing what you want them to do?

We've done very well. We've had big success with the hooties, as you probably know. Nobody's been able to do it like us. And they were shooting the boats out of the water. They were sinking ships. That's what they were doing. They get A big charge out of sinking ships. And unfortunately, they're associated with Iran very closely, so they have to stop that. But we've hit them very hard, and we've been hitting them very hard.

Did you talk to Congresswoman Luna about her resolution to get maternity, about her resolution to allow proxy voting for new mothers?

Did you see?

I did.

I did. And I would say this. I guess there's two sides to it, right? It's a little controversial. I don't know why it's controversial. I think she's great. Anna. I think that. And I'm going to let the speaker make the decision. But I like the idea of being able to. If you're having a baby, I think you should be able to call in and vote. I'm in favor of that, but I understand some people aren't. I'm not involved in the issue, but I did. I spoke to Ana yesterday, and she and some people feel strongly about it, and I would agree with it.

Yeah.

So you mentioned Iran. They have come out and said if they're going to sit down with the US they want to use an intermediary. And I believe the US wanted direct talks. Would you still be willing to talk to them by an intermediary?

Better if we have direct talks. I think it goes faster and you understand the other side a lot better than if you go through intermediaries. They want to use. They wanted to use intermediaries. I don't. I don't think that's necessarily true anymore. I think they're concerned. I think they feel vulnerable, and I don't want them to feel that way. And I think they want to meet Iran. They're talking about Iran.

You said you don't think they want to use intermediaries anymore. Did they send another letter? Did the UAE let you know about this?

I know for a fact. I think they'd like to have direct talks.

Can you say anything about what the letter said from Iran?

No, I just think they. I'm just telling you, I think they want to have. Forget about letters. I think they want to have direct.

Talks on Pete Hexenth in this IG investigation. Do you want to weigh in on that?

What is it?

There's an IG investigation into the Secretary of Defense's use of the Signal app.

Oh, is that. You're bringing that up again? Don't bring that up again. Your editors, probably. That's such a wasted story. So what else?

Chinese farmland. Do you have some plans for Chinese ownership of farmland in the US all the time.

And Look, I have a very good relationship with China and with the president, who have a lot of respect for President Xi. So, you know, we look at that all the time. Farmland. It's been an issue for years. It's been. People have talked to about it for years. But I have a lot of respect for China and I have a lot of respect for President Xi.

When's the last time you talked to President Xi?

I speak to him. Doesn't matter when, but I speak to him.

Have you talked to Zelensky recently?

Not too long ago, yeah.

How did that go?

Good. I think he's ready to make a deal.

No progress, though, other than that?

I think a lot of progress. No, he's. He's ready to make a deal, and I think that President Putin is ready to make a deal. And then you'll stop the killing of thousands of young people a week.

Did Kimitriev say that to your counter? His counterparts in the us? Who K D? The Russian negotiator that's in Washington right now.

I don't talk about specific people. I just will tell you that there's a lot of good conversation going on about Ukraine, Russia.

Have you given your approval for the UK's deal over the Chagos island that Prime Minister Starmer and you discussed talking.

To the Prime Minister about it, and we'll see how that turns out. Good dialogue. And I think he was very happy about how we treated them on tariffs.

A lot of people were upset about how the Daily Mail. A lot of people were upset today about how their 401ks were doing. Do you have investments?

Were you looking at them?

Are you worried? I think our markets are going to boom. Got to give it a little chance. But we're taking in jobs and we're taking in industry. We're taking in trillions of dollars. I think. I think our markets are going to boom. Try to give it a little bit of time, but they already started construction on numerous plants. Soon it'll be many, many plants all over the country. They're going.

So you got to give.

You got to give that. You got to give that a little. I haven't checked my 401, thank you.

Very much on the Fed. A lot of money markets are now priced in more.

But one thing I like is interest rates going down. I see that happening. And interest. You know, what's beautiful is interest rates go down. I like. I like groceries going down. I like eggs going down. If you look. And very importantly, the gasoline prices are going down. So a lot of good things are happening. Thank you very much. Thank you for your time, Mr. President.