Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Briefs Members of the Media, June 19, 2025

Good afternoon, everyone. President Trump's powerful efforts to secure our homeland are working. According to newly released numbers, last month Border patrol saw a 93% decrease of illegal aliens crossing the southwest border between ports of entry from May 2024 under Joe Biden, when they encountered more than 117,000 illegal aliens. And this particular statistic is absolutely astounding. In the month of May under the Trump administration, zero illegal aliens were released into our country by Border Patrol. Let me say that again. Not a single illegal alien was released into the interior of the United States of America last month under this administration. Let's contrast that to Joe Biden's failed leadership, where immigration officers were wasting their finite time and resources processing dangerous illegal aliens for release into the United States. President Trump immediately terminated that reckless Biden era practice that undermined the rule of law, jeopardized public safety and our national security, and diverted critical resources away from stopping deadly drugs and violent criminals from entering our country. That's the reason why not a single illegal alien was released into the interior of the United States in the month of May. And as a result, we now have a border that is reaching unprecedented levels of operational success. The efforts by President Trump to stop the illegal immigrant invasion and secure the border in this short amount of time represent one of the greatest achievements by a presidential administration in the history of our great country. With illegal entries being overwhelmingly halted, the Trump administration is dramatically ramping up efforts to arrest and deport all of the millions of criminal illegal aliens that Joe Biden let into our country. Over the past four years, President Trump has directed all of our ICE officers to do everything in their power to carry out the single largest mass deportation operation in history. Illegal criminals who are hiding in America's largest so called sanctuary cities will be increasingly targeted for removal. Radical Democrats will no longer be allowed to shelter illegals who threaten public safety as part of their cynical efforts to expand political power, drain the American taxpayer and artificially lower wages and steal American jobs. ICE officers are courageous heroes, upholding the rule of law and keeping our citizens safe. And they have the full and unwavering support of this president. In economic news, President Trump's pro growth agenda is delivering for the American worker. Through the first five months of the Trump administration, real blue collar wages are up nearly 2%. It's the strongest growth in nearly 60 years and a stark contrast from the negative wage growth seen during the first five months of the Biden administration. America is quickly returning to the successful formula of the first Trump administration. Low inflation and rising wages. Once the big beautiful bill is passed. This positive trend will only accelerate. Senate Republicans are continuing to push this critical legislation forward. The one big beautiful bill will drive growth and supercharge the American economy. The Council of Economic Advisers found that the one big beautiful bill will raise take home pay by nearly $14,000 a year for the average family of four. The CEA also found that the one big beautiful bill will increase wages as much as $11,000 for the average worker in America. The one big beautiful bill expands the child tax credit and makes it permanent for more than 40 million families with children. And the bill will deliver no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and substantial tax cuts for our incredible seniors. Simply put, the one big beautiful bill is a massive win for middle class Americans. When nearly 80 million Americans sent President Trump back to this White House, they were doing so expecting these popular policies to be enacted. Republicans in Congress have a mandate to deliver and President Trump demands they send this historic bill to his desk for signature. By Independence Day, July 4, the American people are fully behind President Trump. According to new brand new polling from Insider advantage, a clear 54% majority of Americans approve of the job President Trump is doing. That's because this president is keeping his promises and taking action every day to improve their lives. And passing this bill will help fulfill a number of President Trump's core campaign promises. Now, regarding the ongoing situation in Iran, I know there has been a lot of speculation amongst all of you in the media regarding the President's decision making and whether or not the United States will be directly involved in light of that news. I have a message directly from the president and I quote, based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks. That's a quote directly from the president for all of you today. So we'll kick it off for questions here in our new mediac, we have Eli Lake from the Free Press. Eli, go ahead. Great.

Thank you so much for having us.

Thank you.

From the Free Press. The decision to extend the, I guess, delay in enforcing the TikTok ban.

Sure.

Can you talk about how the White House understands its constitutional party in light of the Supreme Court's decision in January that said that the president had to enforce the ban?

Sure. Well, as all of you know, because the president put it out on his truth social today, he did sign an executive order to extend TikTok the TikTok ban for 90 days. So in the effort to make a deal. And the White House counsel and the Department of Justice have reviewed this executive order and I can get it for you. I think it's on our website by now. If it's not, my team will now put it up immediately and you can read the language in that executive order. And the White House Counsel's office and the Department of Justice strongly believe in the legal rationale for this executive order. They wouldn't have the President's pen hit it if they didn't. And the political reasoning for this of course, is because the President made a promise to keep TikTok on. There are 100 million Americans who use this app. It's wildly popular. He also wants to protect Americans data and privacy concerns on this app and he believes we can do both things at the same time. So, so he is making an extension so we can get this deal done.

Can I get a follow up?

Mr. Sure.

A few weeks ago, Tucker Carlson reported on a meeting between the President, Mark Levin and others of the White House. Is there a leak investigation and can you say who else was in that meeting?

Ms. I'm not aware of a leak investigation at this time. I for one do not reveal details about the President's private meetings without his permission to do so. But certainly the President does not like when people leak. He takes that very seriously. This entire administration takes that seriously and that's why you've seen as at agencies, some of the cabinet secretaries have been given the authority by the president to let go of staff who are engaged in such leaks, especially those that risk American national security. Sure.

Go ahead, Caroline. Thank you. So Rhino warmonger Lindsey Graham, he recently called on the US to go all in.

That's quite the lead to a question, right?

What's your message to everyday Trump support? Not the Tucker Carlsons or other big names, but everyday Trump supporters, grassroots who voted for President Trump to stop the wars, rejected this in the primary, going into another war with voting against Nikki Haley and they want to see non U S involvement in this war. What's your message?

Ms. Trust in President Trump. President Trump has incredible instincts and President Trump kept America and the world safe in his first term as president in implementing a peace through strength foreign policy agenda. And with respect to Iran, nobody should be surprised by the President's position that Iran absolutely cannot obtain a nuclear weapon. He's been unequivocally clear about this for decades, not just as president, not just as a presidential candidate, but also as a private citizen. In fact, I have some quotes for you in 2011, President Trump said America's primary goal with Iran must be to destroy its nuclear ambitions. We cannot allow this radical regime to acquire a nuclear weapon that they will either use or hand off to terrorists. In 2015, the President said the problem is that Iran poses an existential threat to Israel, our Middle Eastern allies and the United States. And of course, the president has repeated that in his first term as president and his second term as president as well. That's why he was adamantly opposed to the disastrous Iranian nuclear agreement that was implemented by President Obama. And and it's why he has given great latitude and given a lot of effort to achieving a diplomatic solution. But he's been very clear. Iran went for 60 days when he gave them that 60 day warning without coming to the table. On day 61, Israel took action against Iran. And as I just told you from the president directly, he will make a decision within two weeks.

A follow up?

Sure. Go ahead, Natalie. Thanks, Caroline. Can you confirm whether Steve Witkoff has been in touch with the Iranian foreign minister and does Witkoff plan to go to Geneva tomorrow for talks? Ms. I am not tracking that on Mr. Witkoff's travel schedule, but I can certainly check in with him to be sure. As for correspondence between the United States and the Iranians, I can confirm that correspondence has continued. As you know, we were engaged with six rounds of negotiations with them in both indirect and direct ways. Thanks, Kenneth. Just to clarify the President's statement just now, when he says that he'll make a decision in the next two weeks, is he saying that if Iran does not come back to the negotiating table within the next two weeks, that the president will strike?

Ms.

The president is saying that he will make a decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks, very clear and direct. And is he seeing any signs of progress? He obviously is holding out hope for negotiations, but is he seeing any inklings of progress that give him that hope that talks are still possible? Ms. Well, that's why he said in the statement that I just read for all of you, based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future. He will make that decision within the next two weeks. So what makes him think there's still a substantial chance is my question. Ms. I'm not going to get into the reasoning and the rationale. The President believes that, but that's his position and he will make a decision within the next two weeks. Caroline.

Thanks, Caroline. President Trump has said previously in regard to Russia. He's used this phrase about two weeks several times in terms of like we expect like a two week deadline and then you give another two week deadline. How can we be sure that he's going to stick to this one on making a decision on Iran?

Well, in those deadlines, as you've seen in respect to Russia, Ukraine, might I add, these are two very different complicated global conflicts, as you know, that the president inherited from our previous incompetent president in the weakness of the previous administration. And the President has spoken, spent a tremendous amount of time and effort cleaning up these crises that were caused by the last administration's just complete dereliction of duty on the world stage and American weakness. Now we have American strength again with respect to Russia and Ukraine. Because of that American strength and the President's leadership, we have seen these two sides engage in direct negotiations. And the last time the president said two weeks, you saw Russia and Ukraine have direct negotiations for the first time in years. And so the president is always interested in a diplomatic solution to the problems and the global conflicts in this world. Again, he is a peacemaker in chief. He is the peace through strength president. And so if there's a chance for diplomacy, the president's always going to grab it, but he's not afraid to use strength as well. I will add. Francesca. Thanks, Caroline. What exactly would a deal with Iran need to entail? No enrichment of a uranium, and it would absolutely not. Iran is absolutely not able to to achieve a nuclear weapon. The President has been very clear about that. And by the way, the deal that special envoy Witkoff proposed to the Iranians was both realistic and acceptable within its terms. And that's why the President sent that deal to them. Just to follow up on what you told Natalie, are the talks that the United States is currently having with Iran direct or are those through intermediaries? And if so, which countries are acting as the individual intermediary? Right now out of respect for the ongoing discussions and negotiations, I am not going to get into the details of them. We've provided you confirmation for now. Go ahead. Sure. And then behind you too. Thanks.

Sorry.

On the topic of negotiations and talks, does the President have any hopes or.

Specific expectations for the talks tomorrow between European foreign secretaries and their Iranian counterpart?

Well, certainly the entire world is on the President's side when it comes to the fact that Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon. This is something that pretty much all of humanity, except for the Iranian terrorist regime themselves agree upon. And so the President expects that Europe will deliver that message directly to the Iranians.

Why does President Trump believe that this.

90 day extension on TikTok will provide more Runway, perhaps than the previous extensions.

That haven't led to a divestment deal?

Ms. Because it's more time, more time to make a good deal. Simple question. Dasha, thank you so much. I know things are going day by day. Right now. The president wants maximum optionality. Is the possibility of the US Getting involved in regime change in Iran at all on the table at this point? And then I have one on Tiki as well. Sure. The president's top priority right now is ensuring that Iran cannot obtain a nuclear weapon in providing peace and stability in the Middle east and on Medicaid. Caroline, the Senate put forward Medicaid provisions, particularly a lower cap on state provider taxes that hospitals have said would lead to mass closures, particularly in rural communities. Is the president willing to sign a bill that includes those provisions that Republican senators like Josh Hawley say will lead to hospital closures? Ms. Out of respect for the ongoing discussions that the White House is very much actively involved in with our friends in the United States Senate, I won't comment on that specific provision. Look, the bill hasn't been sent to the president's desk yet. There's more room for change. The president, for one, I will reiterate, has been very clear on his priorities with respect to Medicaid. He wants to see waste, fraud and abuse ridden from the system to protect it for taxpaying citizens who deserve of those much needed benefits. He wants to prioritize the sick, the needy, the poor in this country who deserve those benefits, not the 1.4 million illegal aliens who are receiving them. And he wants to make sure this one big, beautiful bill kicks those illegal aliens off of this program to preserve it and protect it and strengthen it for the American people. And the president has been very clear in that message to his friends in the Senate. Jackie, thank you. Caroline. Sure. Logistically, if the Iranians are getting, does that mean they found a way to get to the White House? Ms. I am not going to get into hypotheticals, but as you heard from the president yesterday, they have expressed interest in doing so. Philip, there's a lot pressure on the president to come to the aid of Israel. There's a lot of pressure on him to finish the job with force. How is he balancing the concern that if he doesn't choose to do that, that it would send a message to Xi Jinping about the US Commitment to Taiwan? Well, the president enjoys a very respectful and cordial relationship with China's president he has long maintained that even in his first term. And China and the United States share many strategic interests, both in terms of economics and also, of course, global affairs and foreign policy as well. However, when it comes to balancing these different viewpoints, the president is balancing a lot of viewpoints, and he is listening not just to other world leaders, but to to his advisors and to people here in the country and the American people, too. And I think that's what makes this president such a great leader, is his ability to listen and make a good decision on behalf of the American public based on his instincts and his experience. Don't forget, this is a president who was here before and the world was a much more peaceful and stable place when he left office than when he came back in after the past four years of complete incompetence by the previous president. Philip, go ahead.

Thank you. Caroline, two quick questions. When the president says Iran is very close to a nuclear weapon, is he relying on US Intelligence or intelligence sharing from an ally to make that assessment?

Ms. It is a fact, and the United States government maintains this fact, that Iran has never been closer to obtaining a nuclear weapon.

And then if the US Were to take some type of military action, would the president go go to Congress to seek war authority?

Ms. I'm not going to engage in hypotheticals. I gave you the statement from the president. He'll make a decision within two weeks.

Thank you, Carolyn.

Sure. Go ahead. Thanks, Caroline. MARY and then, Elizabeth, two questions, one on Iran and then the second on something Chairman Crockett said this morning. So given that we know the Iranian government did order an operative to assassinate the president, is there concern that Iran might respond with nontraditional military ways to to some kind of strike on Iran, such as another assassination attempt? And has the Department of Justice looked into this last attempt on the President's life? Ms. I believe secret Service and the FBI have looked into the two assassination attempts that took place against the president, both of which were sad days in our nation's history. So I would defer you to the Department of Justice on where those investigations stand. But as for your question regarding Iranian retaliation, I'm not going to engage in hypotheticals again, but I can assure the American public and the world that this administration is prepared and ready to defend American interests and assets, not just in the region, but here on our homeland as well. Thank you, Elizabeth. And then really quick on Jasmine Crockett. She said, I believe that Trump supporters are mentally ill, before calling for bipartisan support against the president. Can you respond to that, especially Considering she's a rising star in the Democrat Party right now. She is a rising star. It's quite something to behold, actually. I hope that she continues to be a rising star for the Republican Party at least. I think it's incredibly derogatory to accuse nearly 80 million Americans of mental illness. The last time I checked, Jasmine Crockett couldn't dream of winning such a majority of the public as President Trump did. And the America first movement, which President Trump has built, is filled of hardworking patriots, the forgotten men and women, business owners, law enforcement officers, nurses and teachers. And middle America, as we all know, you know, from where you all grew up outside of this beltway. That's who makes up this president's movement. And Jasmine Crockett should go to a Trump rally sometime and she can see it for herself. Jennifer, one on North Korea and one on China. On North Korea, they launched some rockets into the air ocean today. What does the White House make of that? Do you read any meaning into that timing of that launch? And then on China, are you. Do you have any reaction to Xi Jinping's offer of getting intervening in Iran diplomatically? And are you seeing any signs that China would get involved militarily to support Iran? I don't believe we're seeing any signs of that at this moment in time. As for Xi Jinping's offer, I will leave it to the president to respond to that himself. As for your question about North Korea, we are monitoring the situation. The Trump administration is in close contact with our new South Korean counterparts as we work together to deter our adversaries and preserve a free and open Indo Pacific. And no matter where, our adversaries and our allies alike know that President Trump will not tolerate threats against our interests on his watch, even as he works to resolve the wars that he inherited. Alex, go ahead and then I'll come to you. Thank you.

Is the president concerned about the economy?

Economy?

If farms and hotels, et cetera, struggle to find workers?

The president is always concerned about the economy. That's on his mind every day. He wakes up. He checks the markets. He checks wage growth. As I pointed out, it's a record high today for middle class and American workers. So the president is always wanting to ensure that we have a strong and robust economy for the American people and worker. And we do. As for the specific concerns regarding jobs, look, the president has made it very clear we need to remove public safety threats from the interior of our country. And that remains the focus and the priority of this administration when it comes to deportations. No matter where somebody works, if they're an illegal alien, rapist or murderer that was allowed into this country in the past four years by this administration, the American people want those types of criminals to be deported from our country, and that's what the president is backing ICE to do.

Thanks. There was an apparent skirmish between the Chinese and the Philippines in the South China Sea. Just curious if you had any reaction to that and if the steps you're taking towards the Middle east right now are reducing your capacity to deal with that situation.

Ms. I believe that happened as I was preparing and coming out here, so we'll get you a response to that. Certainly we have one, and our teams are always monitoring situations all around the globe.

Okay. And then one more just on Iran. Just over the past 24 hours, we've seen some Israeli strikes on Natanz, Isfahan and Kondaab nuclear facilities. Is there any assessment just of how effective or what the result of those strikes will be?

What I can share is that the IDF and Israel, I think, have exceeded a lot of people's expectations in their ability to really hinder Iran's nuclear facilities, but also they've taken out key people in the Iranian regime's leadership as well. So this is something, of course, we are monitoring and watching every day. And the President was just in an intelligence briefing. He continues to be briefed by his National Security Council, and he will throughout the duration of this war in conflict. And he also remains in constant communication with our Israeli counterparts, most notably Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Kristen? Thank you, Caroline. We have heard from a number of US Officials who say that Iran doesn't want to make a deal, that they are just stringing the United States along. What is to say that they are not going to continue to do so if we don't, if we continue to give them extensions now two weeks before 60 days? Ms. Look, Iran is in a very weak and vulnerable position because of the strikes and the attacks from Israel. And with respect to the president's statement, I shared that with all of you, and he has been very direct and clear. Iran can and should make a deal. We sent a deal to them that was practical, that was realistic, or they will face grave consequences. Why is Steve Witkoff not participating in the talks this week? Ms. I can ask Mr. Witkoff why he is not.

Does the president object if Israel attempts its own operation against Fordo in the next two weeks?

I won't decide that for the president, nor will I share that here. I'll let him speak to that and.

Then just another one. Iran is apparently warning Europeans that if it's struck by the US it may withdraw from the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty. That would result in throwing out inspectors and taking the program dark. What does the president think of the value of having Iran as a full signatory of that treaty?

Ms. Well, that's reckless rhetoric, but I understand the Europeans are meeting with the Iranians tomorrow, so we'll see how that meeting goes.

Just one more on Juneteenth. Does the president plan to commemorate the holiday today or make any comment on it?

Ms. I'm not tracking his signature on a proclamation today. I know this is a federal holiday. I want to thank all of you for showing up to work. We are certainly here. We're working 247 right now. Nikki, go ahead. Actually, that was my question. Will he plan to mark Juneteenth in any way either today or with an event later on, maybe next week? Ms. Sure. I just answered that question for you. Go ahead.

Thank you very much.

Caroline.

The fact that this president is giving some time and space with the diplomacy, another two weeks, does it mean that the president is trying his best to avoid a direct conflict with Iran?

I think the president has made it clear he always wants to pursue diplomacy, but believe me, the president is unafraid to use strength if necessary. And Iran and the entire world should know that the United States military is the strongest and most lethal fighting force in the world, and we have capabilities that no other country on this planet planet possesses. Caroline Owen.

Caroline, good afternoon. The Supreme Court, as you know, has upheld Tennessee's ban on transgender medical procedures for minors, puberty blockers, hormone therapy, et cetera. The White House reaction to that, please.

That'S a huge victory for America's children, and it's obviously something this administration believes strongly in, that young minor children should not be allowed to be subjected to chemical castration and mutilation. The president himself has taken very strong orders or has signed very strong executive orders on this, and we are grateful for Tennessee's efforts to protect our children. And we are grateful the Supreme Court ruled on the side of the law, but also on the side of protecting America's innocent children. Elizabeth, go ahead. Sorry I skipped you earlier. Thank you so much. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced new vetting procedures on student visas. Will this serve as a model for vetting other foreign visas? Ms. For all foreign visas, yes. As you know, the president signed an executive order. I think it was one of the first he signed in the first week to strengthen our vetting requirements in our vetting system here in the United States for all visas. He directed the secretary of state to do that. There was a pause in some of that vetting, as you all know, recently, especially with respect to students from some certain countries. But the vetting has continued and it's stronger than ever before. As for specifics on how the vetting process has been has changed, I would defer you to the Department of State. As you know, they're in charge of things like that. Thank you.

To what extent is this two week delay with Iran the result of interventions by the likes of Tucker Carlson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, or the entreaties of European leaders who want a de escalation?

Look, the president hears all voices across the country and he makes decisions based on his instincts and he has always said diplomacy is his first option.

And is he still planning to attend the NATO summit next week?

He is, yes. We will be departing from Washington on Monday morning and hopefully we'll see some of you there. Akela, thanks.

Caroline.

Oil prices have been spiking over the last week. Is the president watching the oil market and is that factoring into his decision making in the Middle East? Ms. Again, as I said to I think Alex's question previously, the president is always watching and this administration is doing more than any in history to bring oil prices and gas prices here at home down for the American public. They have been plummeting since President Trump's inauguration because of the executive action and the federal action this administration has taken on the home front. But yes, of course, he's paying attention and monitoring that. But as for whether it's weighing into his decision, there's a number of factors that of course, are and as I said, he will make that decision in the next two weeks. Can't reiterate that enough. Weija. Caroline, thank you. With regard to a potential deal, Iran has said it will not negotiate under duress, does the president believe there should be a cease fire in these next two weeks as the US tries to broker a deal? Ms. That's not what he said in the statement he dictated to me. So I won't get ahead of the president or add anything additional to the statement that he gave me the liberty to share with all of you and then just to follow up on how close Iran is to a nuclear weapon, can you clarify, when the president said a few weeks away, did he mean obtaining enough enriched uranium to start building a weapon, or did he mean Iran is a few weeks away from completing the production of a weapon? I'm glad you asked that. Weija. It's an important question, and it's one, frankly, the media has been getting wrong. Let's be very clear. Iran has all that it needs to achieve a nuclear weapon. All they need is a decision from the supreme leader to do that. And it would take a couple of weeks to complete the production of that weapon, which would, of course, pose an existential threat not just to Israel, but to the United States and to the entire world. And that is something that the entire world, including countries like Russia, is in agreement with, that Iran should not and cannot obtain a nuclear weapon. And that's why the president believes that. And he's believed that, again, not just his political career, but frankly his entire life. Michael. So it looks like it's the former, just to be clear. Correct. They have the components. Correct. Thank you, Michael.

Caroline, as we look forward to this NATO summit next week, Spain right now is threatening not to oblige the President's request for all NATO countries to spend at least 5% of their GDP. Does the President take issue with this with Spain right now?

Ms. I didn't see Spain's comments. I'll make sure the president sees them. And I can assure you he wants to see all European countries pay their fair share and meet that 5% threshold. It's only fair considering the American taxpayers have given a significant chunk of money to the tune of billions of dollars to support our mutual interests and our assured defense. So I will let him speak to that. But he's made his priorities for our European allies quite clear, including Spain.

Thank you, Caroline. One last question. When it comes to the president's position on foreign policy in general, is there a phrase that the White House has coined? Is there a Trump doctrine? Does the president like to talk about this? Anyone here in the White House talking about this? And if so, if there's is something akin to a Trump Doctrine, how would you define it?

America first, always. And with that, I think I'll leave you. I know there's a lot of news in the world right now. As you know, our team is always here to answer your questions. And the president, I am sure, will take more questions from you guys at some point this week, as he always does in the effort of transparency. I appreciate your being here on a federal holiday. And we'll see you later. Thank you, Caroline.