00:08Well, John, thank you for the collaboration of the CIA as well.
00:11Incredible and ongoing partnership.
00:14Ladies and gentlemen, fellow Americans, and especially the brave warriors in our armed forces,
00:19over this Easter weekend, the United States military has once again proved why we possess
00:25the greatest fighting force the world has ever known.
00:29In two extraordinary combat search and rescue operations deep inside enemy territory in Iran,
00:36our warriors executed missions of breathtaking skill, courage, and precision.
00:43When our warriors are unleashed, as this president has allowed them to be, they are unstoppable.
00:51When American airmen were down behind enemy lines, our forces and our president did not hesitate.
00:56Special operators supported by elite air crews and intelligence professionals moved swiftly
01:01and decisively into treacherous mountain terrain under the constant threat of Iranian forces closing in.
01:08Ultimately, it was an impotent Iranian threat.
01:12And today, as the CIA director mentioned, Iran's military, and we know this, is embarrassed and humiliated.
01:19And they should be.
01:21Now, these are not routine operations.
01:24They were high-risk, high-stakes missions conducted in the heart of enemy territory.
01:28This was not just barely into Iran.
01:30This was deep into Iran.
01:32Involving coordinated strikes to suppress threats, deception tactics to protect our teams,
01:37and full synchronization across air, ground, and special operations.
01:42The Iranians are still asking themselves right now, how did the Americans do this?
01:48One downed airman evaded capture for more than a day, scaling rugged ridges while hunted by the enemy.
01:56When he was finally able to activate his emergency transponder, his first message was simple, and it was powerful.
02:05He sent a message, God is good.
02:09In that moment of isolation and danger, his faith and fighting spirit shone through.
02:16You see, shot down on a Friday, good Friday, hidden in a cave, a crevice, all of Saturday, and rescued
02:26on Sunday.
02:28Flown out of Iran as the sun was rising on Easter Sunday.
02:34A pilot reborn, all home and accounted for, a nation rejoicing.
02:41God is good.
02:44Despite incoming fire and unforgiving conditions, our troops brought every American home.
02:50No American lives were lost.
02:52We leave no man behind.
02:53And that is not luck.
02:55It's the result of unmatched training, superior technology, an unbreakable warrior ethos, and sheer American grit.
03:04Our special operators, pilots, and support crews performed with near perfection under fire.
03:11And they were lethal.
03:13Just ask any Iranian soldier who dared attempt to get anywhere near that pilot before or during that mission.
03:22Death from above.
03:25Our troops turned a potential tragedy into a resounding demonstration of American resolve and capability.
03:31That's what excellence in uniform looks like.
03:34But make no mistake about it, none of this would have been possible without the courageous leadership and ironclad determination
03:43of President Donald J. Trump.
03:47From the moment our airmen went down, President Trump made it clear we will leave no one behind.
03:53The first mission, the first of two, was an audacious daylight thunder run right up the middle.
04:01It was authorized in less than two hours from that pilot going down when we knew where he was.
04:09And it was authorized in the middle of the night because anybody that's worked for this man knows he's up
04:13in the middle of the night.
04:14Authorized immediately, without hesitation, audaciously.
04:18The second mission, as soon as we knew where that pilot was, and John was certainly helpful in that, also
04:25executed immediately.
04:27You know, I looked up at my screen when the final mission was complete inside our SCIF, our secure facility.
04:32And we have a running VTC, a running coordination cell.
04:36And the top of it read 45 minutes and 45 hours and 56 minutes.
04:43For 45 hours and 56 minutes, we held that call open for coordination.
04:48From the moment our pilots went down, our mission was unblinking.
04:53The call never dropped.
04:55The meeting never stopped.
04:56The planning never ceased.
04:59The President demanded rapid, decisive action.
05:02He backed our military with the full weight of his resolve, refusing to let enemy propaganda or tactical setbacks deter
05:08us.
05:09His leadership ensured that every lethal and non-lethal resource was brought to bear, that our forces had the authorities
05:16and the support they needed to succeed.
05:20When the President says he has the backs of our warfighters, he means it.
05:24And it means a great deal, and it's a big difference on the battlefield.
05:29President Trump understands that peace through strength is not a slogan.
05:33It is a doctrine that saves American lives.
05:36His unwavering commitment to rebuilding our military and restoring the warrior spirit has paid dividends in missions just like this
05:45one.
05:46Under his command, America projects power with confidence and brings our people home with victory.
05:53And that continues today, by the way.
05:55Per the President's direction, today will be the largest volume of strikes since day one of this operation.
06:00Tomorrow, even more than today.
06:03And then Iran has a choice.
06:05Choose wisely, because this President does not play around.
06:11You can ask Soleimani.
06:13You can ask Maduro.
06:14You can ask Khomeini.
06:17To those heroes who planned and executed these rescues, your nation stands in awe.
06:22I stand in awe.
06:23The Chairman stands in awe.
06:25We all stand in awe of your professionalism and bravery.
06:28We serve for you.
06:29You embody the very best of America.
06:32To the rescued airmen and their families, welcome home.
06:35Your courage and endurance, the quiet declaration of faith amid the storm inspires us all.
06:43God is good every day.
06:46And to our adversaries watching from Tehran, let this be a clear message.
06:51The United States military will go anywhere at any time to protect our own and complete the mission.
07:00We execute with precision.
07:02We control the skies.
07:04You see, we flew for seven hours in daylight over Iran to get the first pilot.
07:10And we flew seven hours in the middle of the night to get the second.
07:15And Iran did nothing about it.
07:19We fight with honor.
07:21And under President Trump's leadership, we win.
07:23So God bless our troops.
07:25God bless President Trump.
07:27And God bless the United States of America.
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