- 1 day ago
Date: April 8, 2026
Location: James S. Brady Press Briefing Room, Washington, D.C.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt took to the podium today to outline the administration’s legislative agenda for the second quarter of 2026, focusing heavily on economic resilience, border security metrics, and upcoming international summits.
1. Economic Outlook and "America First" Growth
Leavitt opened the briefing by highlighting the latest GDP figures, asserting that the administration's deregulation efforts have led to a "manufacturing renaissance."
Job Creation: Emphasis was placed on the surge in blue-collar sectors.
Inflation Control: Leavitt noted that the administration remains "laser-focused" on reducing energy costs as a primary driver for domestic price stability.
2. National Security and Border Policy
A significant portion of the briefing was dedicated to the ongoing implementation of tech-enhanced border surveillance.
Data Success: Leavitt reported a decrease in unauthorized crossings compared to the same period in 2025.
Infrastructure: She confirmed that the latest phase of the southern border technological wall is now operational, utilizing AI-driven detection systems.
3. International Relations and Trade
Looking ahead to the summer, Leavitt touched upon the President's upcoming travel itinerary.
"The President’s message to our global partners is clear: we seek fair and reciprocal trade. We are no longer interested in agreements that hollow out our industrial base while benefitting our competitors."
4. Press Q&A Highlights
The briefing grew spirited during the Q&A session, with reporters focusing on:
Energy Policy: When asked about the balance between fossil fuel production and green initiatives, Leavitt stated, "We are for energy dominance. We will use every resource at our disposal to ensure America never relies on hostile nations for its power again."
Tech Regulation: Addressing concerns over AI, she noted the administration is working on a framework that encourages innovation while protecting American intellectual property from foreign espionage.
Closing Statement: Leavitt concluded by reiterating the administration's commitment to "transparency through results," promising further updates on the national infrastructure overhaul by the end of the week.
Location: James S. Brady Press Briefing Room, Washington, D.C.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt took to the podium today to outline the administration’s legislative agenda for the second quarter of 2026, focusing heavily on economic resilience, border security metrics, and upcoming international summits.
1. Economic Outlook and "America First" Growth
Leavitt opened the briefing by highlighting the latest GDP figures, asserting that the administration's deregulation efforts have led to a "manufacturing renaissance."
Job Creation: Emphasis was placed on the surge in blue-collar sectors.
Inflation Control: Leavitt noted that the administration remains "laser-focused" on reducing energy costs as a primary driver for domestic price stability.
2. National Security and Border Policy
A significant portion of the briefing was dedicated to the ongoing implementation of tech-enhanced border surveillance.
Data Success: Leavitt reported a decrease in unauthorized crossings compared to the same period in 2025.
Infrastructure: She confirmed that the latest phase of the southern border technological wall is now operational, utilizing AI-driven detection systems.
3. International Relations and Trade
Looking ahead to the summer, Leavitt touched upon the President's upcoming travel itinerary.
"The President’s message to our global partners is clear: we seek fair and reciprocal trade. We are no longer interested in agreements that hollow out our industrial base while benefitting our competitors."
4. Press Q&A Highlights
The briefing grew spirited during the Q&A session, with reporters focusing on:
Energy Policy: When asked about the balance between fossil fuel production and green initiatives, Leavitt stated, "We are for energy dominance. We will use every resource at our disposal to ensure America never relies on hostile nations for its power again."
Tech Regulation: Addressing concerns over AI, she noted the administration is working on a framework that encourages innovation while protecting American intellectual property from foreign espionage.
Closing Statement: Leavitt concluded by reiterating the administration's commitment to "transparency through results," promising further updates on the national infrastructure overhaul by the end of the week.
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NewsTranscript
00:34Good afternoon, everybody. Good to see all of you here today. Before I discuss the ceasefire with Iran, I have
00:42a quick update from the First Lady of the United States. Yesterday marked the very first conviction under the Take
00:49It Down Act. Landmark legislation that First Lady Melania Trump played an instrumental role in getting passed that protects victims
00:57from non-consensual AI generation.
01:00sexually explicit images, cyber-stalking, and threats of violence. This is a huge achievement for the First Lady, and I
01:07know the President is very proud of his wife's efforts in getting this critical legislation passed to protect America's youth.
01:13So we thank the First Lady for her efforts, and we hope that others will report on this historic conviction
01:19yesterday.
01:19With respect to the two-week ceasefire announced by President Trump last night, this is a victory for the United
01:26States of America that the President and our incredible military made happen.
01:31From the very beginning of Operation Epic Fury, President Trump stated this would be a four- to six-week
01:38military operation to dismantle the military threat posed by the radical Islamic Iranian regime.
01:45Thanks to the unbelievable capabilities of America's war fighters, the United States has achieved and exceeded those core military objectives
01:54in just 38 days.
01:56The U.S. military destroyed Iran's defense industrial base, crushing the regime's ability to manufacture weapons that they and their
02:05proxies use to maim and kill Americans and terrorize the world.
02:09Iran's ability to build and stockpile ballistic missiles and long-range drones has also been set back by years compared
02:17to where it was six weeks ago prior to the launch of Operation Epic Fury.
02:21We destroyed the vast majority of Iran's ballistic missiles, launcher vehicles, and long-range attack drones through more than 450
02:30strikes on ballistic missiles
02:32and approximately 800 strikes on Iran's drone launching units and storage facilities.
02:38In total, more than 13,000 targets across Iran were struck. Again, this is in the matter of just 38
02:46days.
02:47Meanwhile, the Iranian Navy was completely annihilated. The United States destroyed more than 150 naval vessels in total, including 16
02:57entire classes of Iranian warships.
03:00Despite once being the largest undersea force in the Middle East, Iran now has zero submarine vessels.
03:09Ninety-seven percent of Iran's once massive inventory of more than 5,000 naval mines has also been targeted and
03:16destroyed.
03:17Iran's air forces are functionally and operationally irrelevant at this point, after the United States maintained total air dominance over
03:25their country for weeks on end.
03:27To underscore the significance of this, before Operation Epic Fury, the Iranian Air Force would fly between 30 to 100
03:36flights per day.
03:37Today, that number is zero.
03:40Iran's ability to fund and support its terrorist proxies has been greatly reduced.
03:45At this point, Iran can no longer distribute weapons to its proxies in the region.
03:50And most importantly, Iran will not be able to acquire nuclear weapons.
03:55Prior to the start of this successful operation, Iran was aggressively expanding its short-range ballistic missile arsenal.
04:02Through these weapons and its navy, Iran was attempting to build a military buildup around their country that would pose
04:09an imminent and existential threat to the United States military assets in the Middle East, our allies in the region,
04:15and ultimately, the free world.
04:17Iran was pursuing this dangerous and aggressive strategy for one reason, to hold the entire world hostage to its terrorist
04:25ambitions.
04:26The Iranians aim to use their expanded military capabilities as a shield around their country to continue achieving their ultimate
04:33goal internally, building nuclear bombs.
04:36But their murderous and evil plans have been blown up, quite literally and figuratively, along with their military, their nuclear
04:44program, and most of their senior leadership, including the former Supreme Leader Ayatollah al-Khamani.
04:50Their command and control structures were also massively disrupted after being struck more than 2,000 times.
04:57Many of their remaining leaders are paralyzed in fear and no longer enjoy the freedom to move around their country
05:03freely and meet openly.
05:05Thanks to the unmatched excellence of our warriors at the direction of the commander-in-chief, the world has just
05:11witnessed a historically swift and successful military triumph.
05:16President Trump started Operation Epic Fury with strategic military objectives, and the United States has clearly achieved them.
05:23As we mark this progress, we also remember and honor the 13 American heroes who laid down their lives in
05:30this noble effort.
05:31I know President Trump and our grateful nation honors their ultimate sacrifice, and we will never forget them. May God
05:38bless their families.
05:39The valiant efforts of all of our incredible service members created maximum leverage for the President of the United States,
05:47allowing he and his leadership team to engage in tough negotiations over the past couple of weeks that have now
05:53created an opening for a diplomatic solution in long-term peace in the Middle East.
05:59The President's maximum pressure and the leverage created by the success of Operation Epic Fury led to the Iranian regime
06:06asking for,
06:07and ultimately agreeing to, a ceasefire proposal with the United States.
06:12Iran could no longer tolerate being bombed or taking the gamble of what was to come following President Trump's 8
06:18p.m. deadline last night.
06:20Iran has agreed to open the Strait of Hormuz, and as the President said, we have received a proposal from
06:26the Iranians that has been determined to be a workable basis on which to negotiate.
06:30I've seen a lot of inaccurate coverage today from the media about these negotiations and these plans already.
06:37So let me be clear and correct the record.
06:39The Iranians originally put forward a 10-point plan that was fundamentally unserious, unacceptable, and completely discarded.
06:47It was literally thrown in the garbage by President Trump and his negotiating team.
06:52Many outlets in this room have falsely reported on that plan as being acceptable to the United States, and that
06:58is false.
06:59With the President's deadline fast approaching and the United States military completely decimating Iran with each passing hour,
07:06the regime acknowledged reality to the negotiating team.
07:09They put forward a more reasonable and entirely different and condensed plan to the President and his team.
07:15President Trump and the team determined the new modified plan was a workable basis on which to negotiate and to
07:22align it with our own 15-point proposal.
07:25The President's red lines, namely the end of Iranian enrichment in Iran, have not changed.
07:32And the idea that President Trump would ever accept an Iranian wish list as a deal is completely absurd.
07:39The President will only make a deal that serves in the best interests of the United States of America,
07:44and he as a negotiating team will focus on this effort over the next two weeks,
07:48so long as the Strait of Hormuz remains open with no limitations or delays.
07:54These extraordinarily sensitive and complex negotiations will take place behind closed doors over the course of the next two weeks.
08:01I would strongly advise the media against running with narratives that have no basis in fact.
08:06What Iran says publicly or feeds to all of you in the press is much different than what they communicate
08:11to the United States,
08:12the President and his team privately.
08:15Never underestimate President Trump's ability to successfully advance America's interests and broker peace.
08:21President Trump has a proven track record of achieving good deals on behalf of the United States and the American
08:27people,
08:28and he will only accept one that puts America first.
08:31With that, I will take your questions today. I'm sure you have a lot of them.
08:34In our new media seat, we have Shane Harris with the AMAC Newsline.
08:38Shane, thank you for being here. Why don't you kick us off?
08:40Yeah, thanks for having me, Caroline. Two questions for you.
08:42First, following the President's announcement of the ceasefire, if this is indeed the end of hostilities in Iran,
08:48what is the President's message to the American people about what was it achieved for our country through Operation Epic
08:53Fury?
08:54Sure. I think I just laid out a significant portion of that in my opening remarks.
08:58Six weeks ago, the President looked the American people in the eye directly,
09:01and he told them that he launched this operation to take out the imminent threat that was posed by Iran.
09:07And that threat has now been greatly destroyed.
09:10Their Navy, their missiles, their defense industrial base, and their desire and their plan to build a nuclear bomb inside
09:17their country
09:17is no longer going to be allowed, can no longer happen, thanks to the remarkable success of Operation Epic Fury
09:23over the course of the last 38 days.
09:25That has been absolutely achieved, and now we're moving into the next phase of this, which is a negotiating period,
09:30to put some fine points on this and to hopefully broker an agreement that can achieve long-term peace in
09:36the Middle East.
09:37Yeah, and then second, what is the President's message to American seniors who have a much higher voter participation rate
09:43and they're likely to be a key swing vote in the midterm elections?
09:45Well, the President loves our seniors across the country.
09:49And as you know, the President signed the one big, beautiful bill, the Working Families Tax Cut, last year,
09:54which greatly reduced taxes on Social Security for our seniors.
09:58In fact, thanks to the Working Families Tax Cut, nearly 90 percent of seniors will no longer pay tax on
10:04their Social Security.
10:05That's a huge win for our seniors and also for our middle class and working families across the country
10:10with the no tax on tips provision and the no tax on overtime.
10:13Next week is Tax Week.
10:15You'll hear a lot from the President about how his policies have benefited the American people,
10:19and I'm proud to report that the President will be traveling next week to the great states of Nevada and
10:24Arizona
10:24to tout this historic accomplishment over the course of the next week.
10:28Thank you for being here, Shane.
10:29Gabe.
10:30Thank you, Caroline.
10:31Iranian state media is saying that Iran has now closed off the straightforward moves today
10:36in response to Israeli attacks on Lebanon.
10:38What's the White House response to that?
10:40And you just listed many military successes, I understand that.
10:44But strategically, how is the administration arguing that Iran does not have more economic leverage than now
10:52than it did before the start of the war?
10:54Sure.
10:55Well, with respect to the first reporting out of Iranian state media,
10:58the President was made aware of those reports before I came to the podium.
11:02That is completely unacceptable.
11:04And again, this is a case of what they're saying publicly is different privately.
11:07We have seen an uptick of traffic in the strait today, and I will reiterate the President's expectation
11:13and demand that the Strait of Hormuz is reopened immediately, quickly, and safely.
11:19That is his expectation.
11:20It has been relayed to him privately that that is what's taking place, and these reports publicly are false.
11:26Caroline, the President yesterday threatened that a whole civilization would die if a ceasefire deal wasn't reached,
11:32understanding that Iranian leaders have previously said death to America.
11:36But why is it appropriate for the President of the United States to use that kind of language when talking
11:41about civilian targets?
11:43And was the President mocking Islam by signing off his true social post over the weekend,
11:48praise be to Allah?
11:49Wouldn't that antagonize Muslim allies across the world?
11:53Well, I understand the questions about the President's rhetoric, but what the President cares most about is results.
11:58And in fact, his very tough rhetoric and his tough negotiating style is what has led to the result that
12:05you are all witnessing today.
12:06Iran publicly acknowledging last night that they have agreed or that they wanted this ceasefire with the United States
12:13because they no longer could tolerate being bombed by our very powerful and lethal military,
12:17and that they have committed to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which the President will hold them accountable
12:22for.
12:22And it's something the administration is closely monitoring in real time.
12:25So should the President not take his word seriously?
12:29The world should take his word very seriously in understanding that the President is always most interested in results.
12:36And it was the Iranians who backed down, not President Trump.
12:39He said that they would face very grave consequences, as you just laid out, by the 8 p.m. deadline
12:43if they did not agree to reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
12:46And what did they do last night?
12:48They agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
12:49Danny.
12:51Thanks, Connie.
12:52Would President Trump like to see Lebanon included in this peace deal?
12:55As you know, there have been increased Israeli strikes on Lebanon today with dozens of casualties there.
13:00Sure.
13:01Lebanon is not part of the ceasefire.
13:03That has been relayed to all parties involved in the ceasefire.
13:06As you know, Prime Minister Netanyahu put out a statement last night in support of the ceasefire,
13:11in support of the United States' efforts.
13:13And he's also assured the President they'll continue to be a helpful partner throughout the course of the next two
13:18weeks.
13:18Is there any thought, though, that the President might like to see Lebanon included at a future date,
13:23given that it seems to be causing or potentially undermining the Iran ceasefire?
13:28Again, this will continue to be discussed, I am sure, between the President and Prime Minister Netanyahu,
13:34the United States and Israel, and all of the parties involved.
13:36But at this point in time, they're not included in the ceasefire deal.
13:39Jeff.
13:40The Press.
13:41Caroline, will the U.S. take part in talks with Iran and Islamabad on Friday?
13:46I can announce that the President is dispatching his negotiating team, led by the Vice President of the United States,
13:53J.D. Vance, Special Envoy Whitcoff, and Mr. Kushner to Islamabad for talks this weekend.
13:58The first round of those talks will take place on Saturday morning, local time.
14:02And we know we look forward to those in-person meetings.
14:05The Press.
14:05And what role does the President see for the U.S. in monitoring or helping with the Strait of Hormuz
14:10going forward?
14:11I think the President commented on that this morning.
14:14We're going to continue to monitor it very, very closely.
14:17We will be helpful in any way that we can, but we fully expect Iran to do this,
14:21and the President has made that quite clear as well.
14:23It's, again, as his statement said last night,
14:26this ceasefire is subject to the safe reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
14:30Again, this was just determined last night.
14:32We understand things take time, but that's the President's expectation,
14:35and he will hold everyone to it.
14:39Sure, in the green blazer.
14:40The Press.
14:40Thank you, Caroline.
14:42And then in front of you.
14:43But, Andrew, you can go ahead.
14:44The Press.
14:44All right.
14:45You're not wearing a green blazer.
14:47I am actually wearing a green blazer.
14:48It's a little brown to me, but go ahead.
14:51Fair enough.
14:54So, regarding the President's rhetoric,
14:56when the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003,
14:59George W. Bush said in a message to the Iraqi people
15:04that the military campaign was directed, quote,
15:07against the lawless men who rule your country and not against you.
15:11Yesterday, the President threatened to destroy Iran's civilization,
15:16the entire civilization.
15:17Not the Iranian government, but the Iranian civilization.
15:22The Iranian people.
15:23The U.S. has been a moral leader for most of its history
15:27by fighting wars against other governments, not against civilizations.
15:34How can the President claim that America can ever have the moral high ground
15:39if he's threatening to destroy civilizations and not casting wars as fights against other governments?
15:47Andrew, I think you should take a look at the actions of this President over the course of the past
15:51six weeks,
15:51and the actions of our brave men and women in our United States military,
15:55who have essentially taken out the military of a rogue Islamic regime that has chanted death to America for 47
16:04years,
16:05that has killed and maimed thousands of American soldiers over the course of the last five decades.
16:10The President absolutely has the moral high ground over the Iranian terrorist regime,
16:15and for you to even suggest otherwise is, frankly, insulting.
16:18The Press, with all due respect, Caroline, with all due respect there is
16:22The Press, just given what we've seen in Lebanon today and the increased attacks from Israel,
16:28I mean, is there any concern that Netanyahu is trying to kill the ceasefire?
16:33The President spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu last night,
16:36and in that private conversation, Prime Minister Netanyahu relayed exactly what he said to the world publicly,
16:41that he supports the President and Israel remains a key ally and partner to the United States.
16:46They've been a tremendous partner over the course of the past six weeks,
16:49and we thank them for their heroic efforts as well.
16:52And the President had that conversation last night,
16:55and that was relayed to the world publicly as well.
16:59Reagan, go ahead.
16:59Thank you, Caroline. I have a question for you on Iran,
17:02and then a question on the Dignity Act as well.
17:05On Iran, it's been reported that the ceasefire was struck
17:08after the involvement of two unlikely factors, J.D. Vance and China.
17:12What role did those parties play in striking a deal?
17:16Well, Vice President Vance has played a very significant and a key role in this since the very beginning.
17:21Of course, he's the President's right-hand man.
17:23He is the Vice President of the United States.
17:25He's been involved in all of these discussions.
17:27And as I just announced, he'll be leading this new phase of negotiations in Islamabad later this week.
17:34With respect to China, there were conversations that took place between top levels of our government and China's government.
17:43The President has great respect for President Xi and a great working relationship with him and with that country.
17:49And he looks forward to visiting China in just a few weeks.
17:54And on the Dignity Act, it's getting a fresh push through Congress.
17:58It would give some illegal immigrants in the country a path to citizenship.
18:02What's the White House's position on this legislation?
18:04And would the President sign it if it made it to his desk?
18:07Yes.
18:07Honestly, Reagan, I haven't spoken to the President about the legislation.
18:10But I will have that conversation and we'll get you our formal position on it as soon as we can.
18:14You're welcome.
18:15Go ahead.
18:16The Press.
18:16The Press.
18:17The Press.
18:17The President suggested in Truth in Truth this morning that he would support Jalon and U.S.
18:20Aran adventure to charge tolls for ships going through the strait.
18:24Does the President believe that the U.S. should earn revenue from the strait if we're going forward?
18:30MS. It's something, it's an idea the President has floated, as you know,
18:33and it's something that will continue to be discussed over the course of the next two weeks.
18:37But the immediate priority of the President is the reopening of the strait without any limitations,
18:42whether in the form of tolls or otherwise.
18:45The Press. And on the highly enriched uranium, has Iran given the administration any indication
18:50that it would simply turn over the enriched uranium? Or is this an expectation the President
18:56has that he would have to send in ground troops in order to do that?
18:59MS. This is on the top of the priority list for the President and his negotiating team
19:03as they head into this next round of discussions. And as I said in my opener, that is a red
19:08line
19:08that the President is not going to back away from. And he's committed to ensuring that takes place.
19:14We hope it will be through diplomacy.
19:16The Press. But have they given any indication that they would turn it over?
19:18MS. They have.
19:19The Press. They are?
19:19MS. Yes. Trevor.
19:21The latest news out of Iran is that the air defenses have been
19:25activated in several cities, including Isfahan, and that explosions have been heard in Isfahan.
19:29Who is bombing Iran right now?
19:31MS. Were those reports just as of a few minutes ago?
19:34The Press. Yeah.
19:35MS. Okay. So obviously, I'll have to go back and check with the national security team.
19:39I'm standing out here with all of you. But I will do that, and we will get you an answer.
19:42Okay?
19:42The Press. And just on the civilization question that we've been talking about.
19:46MS. And I would just add to that point. Again, I haven't seen these reports. I'm not verifying them.
19:50Not that I don't trust you, Trevor, but I want to go back and check with the experts here at
19:54the White House.
19:54MS. I would just say, and I would echo what the Vice President said this morning.
19:57This is a fragile truce. Ceasefires are fragile by nature. We've seen this with respect to the 12-day
20:03war with Iran and Israel last year. It takes time sometimes for these ceasefires to be fully
20:08effectuated. And one of the results of Operation Epic Fury was we completely dismantled Iran's
20:14Command and Control Center, which makes it difficult for them to pass messages up and down the chain.
20:19And so we understand that. I would caution a little bit of patience. But of course,
20:24we want to see the ceasefire effectuated and abided by by all parties as quickly as possible.
20:29The Press. And the American presidential
20:31administrations, going back to Ronald Reagan, have said this formulation about nuclear war,
20:36that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. Is that still the view of this
20:40administration, given the President's comments about civilization?
20:43MS. I have no change in our view on that policy.
20:47I'm just given the gravity of what he said yesterday. What was your understanding of what
20:53he meant when he said, I'm this civilization is going to be eliminated?
20:58MS. I think it was a very, very strong threat from the President of the United States
21:02that led the Iranian regime to cave to their knees and ask for a ceasefire and
21:07agree to reopening the Strait of Hormuz. So it was a very strong threat that led to results. And as
21:12the
21:12Secretary of War stated at the Pentagon this morning, it was not an empty threat by any means.
21:18The Pentagon had a target list that they were ready to hit go on at 8 p.m. last night,
21:24if the Iranian regime had not agreed to open the Strait, which they did. And I think that's
21:28something we should all be grateful for.
21:29The Press. Does he say the United States is a moral leader in the world, given that he's
21:32MS. I was asked this exact same question by your colleague, Andrew, in the back. And I think,
21:35again, the insinuation by anyone in this room that Iran somehow has the moral high ground over the United
21:41States of America is insulting, considering the atrocities that they have committed against our
21:49people and our military over the past five decades. John. John, go ahead.
21:55The Press. Thanks a lot, Caroline. Two questions for you. One has to do with a statement,
21:59a joint statement put out this morning by some of America's European allies, our NATO allies. And in
22:05that joint statement, they said, regarding the Strait of Hormuz,
22:07our governments will contribute to ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
22:14What's the administration's reaction to that joint statement? Does that smooth things over when the
22:19President meets with NATO Secretary General a little bit later this afternoon?
22:23MS. I have a direct quote from the President of the United States on NATO,
22:26and I will share it with all of you. They were tested and they failed. And I would add,
22:31it's quite sad that NATO turned their backs on the American people over the course of the last six
22:35weeks when it's the American people who have been defunding their defense. As you know,
22:39President Trump will be meeting with Secretary Ruta in a couple of hours here at the White House,
22:43and I know he looks forward to having a very frank and candid conversation with him.
22:47The Press. And then secondly, in regards to this conflict, 38 days, as you pointed out,
22:52President Trump has said that there's been regime change. Has that regime change led to more freedoms
22:59for the Iranian people? MS. I think that's a question that's being asked a little bit too early,
23:04John, and we hope that is the case. But it's something that has yet to be seen.
23:09The Press. Carolyn, on this question of tolling by the Iranians in the Strait of Hormuz,
23:16I've heard you talk about a number of red lines that the President has in this negotiation,
23:20but I haven't heard you say that Iranian tolling in the Strait of Hormuz is a red line. Would it
23:25be
23:25acceptable to the United States at the end of all this if the Iranians are able to charge tolls in
23:31the Strait of Hormuz? MS. I think the President was very clear and simplistic in his language last
23:36night in his Truth Social post, where he said that this ceasefire is subject to the free, safe,
23:41and immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. That's very plain language, and it should be taken at
23:47face value. The Press. The Press.
23:48The Press. Carolyn, go ahead. Without limitation, including tolls, yes.
23:52A quick follow-up on the atonement. Why would the U.S. allow Iran to collect tolls
23:58in the Strait of Hormuz? That's not something that we've opposed for a number of years now?
24:02MS. Again, that's not something we've said that we've definitively accepted. The joint
24:07venture is something that was proposed by the President, but he was very clear in his statement
24:11last night. He wants to see the Strait reopened immediately without limitation, and that's something
24:16we're going to hold them to.
24:17The Press. Carolyn, and a second question on family and friends in Iran. I, myself,
24:22am Iranian and I've been talking to them through the blackout. One of my family members yesterday
24:26said goodbye to me. So, what message should we be sending Iranians when they message me saying,
24:32what should they be doing right now? How should they stay safe? Because they really don't know what to do.
24:38MS. I think the President's main priority and my main priority as his spokeswoman is to
24:43make sure that clear messages are sent to the American people, of course, which is my job today.
24:48With respect to the Iranian people, the President, you know, has taken out the imminent threat that
24:53was posed by their military to the United States, to our allies in the region, to our forces in the
24:58region. And of course, as the President has long said, he hopes that Iran will be a country of peace,
25:05of prosperity, and we're moving into this next round of negotiations to hopefully come to an agreement
25:10agreement with this new regime that will create long-term stability in the Middle East.
25:15MS. We have said that they should stay inside of their homes and also take back their country. So,
25:20how — there's a contradiction there. So, how do you address that?
25:24MS. Again, we're moving into this next round of negotiations with the remnants of the regime and
25:29those that we are speaking with now to hopefully reach a place of peace long-term for the region,
25:34and that includes the Iranian people as well. In the blue. Go ahead.
25:39The Press. The White House issued — posted a statement from the Iranian government that
25:44passage in the strait will be coordinated with Iran's armed forces. As of today, who controls
25:50the state of strait apartments? MS. Again, this — these statements were put out 12 hours ago.
25:55We expect that the strait will be opened immediately. As I've said earlier, we have seen an uptick
26:01in traffic in the strait, and it's something that we are monitoring minute by minute,
26:05hour by hour, as the days go on.
26:07The Press. I'm asking you a few questions.
26:08Who controls the strait right now?
26:10MS. Thank you, Caroline. Two questions. One, on the deportations of Iranian officials,
26:14and then on the negotiations, are there still security concerns about vice president's demands
26:19being part of these peace talks — Steve Wyckoff, Jerry Kushner — and then two,
26:24given the ongoing deportation of General Soleimani's niece, does the Trump administration plan to
26:29deport more relatives or people in the families of Iranian officials that are in the U.S.?
26:34MS. Certainly. Anyone who is here fraudulently — I understand one of the individuals who
26:39their visa was revoked by Secretary Rubio and they were deported by ICE — they had a fraudulent
26:44asylum claim. That's against the laws of the United States. So anyone who is here illegally or
26:49fraudulently is subject to our nation's immigration laws and will be removed from our country. And I know
26:54this continues to be a top priority for the State Department working in conjunction with the
26:59Department of Homeland Security. With respect to the safety of the Vice President, we fully trust
27:04the United States Secret Service to do their job to keep the Vice President and the President's
27:08negotiating team safe. They do a tremendous job, and we fully trust them to do that.
27:13The Press, Caroline.
27:13MS. In the back. Go ahead.
27:14The Press, Caroline. The President has said Cuba is next. What's the message to the American
27:19people regarding Cuba? And what can Cubans expect in relation to this statement?
27:23MS. Well, look, I think when President Trump said that — and he later clarified after
27:27making that statement — that he meant the Cuban regime is bound to fall. The country is very weak.
27:33They're in a very weak position economically, obviously, financially. The Cuban people are fed
27:39up with their government, as they should be. And these talks and discussions continue to happen at
27:45the highest level of our government. I don't have any updates or announcements for you with respect to
27:49Cuba policy today, though.
27:51MS. Thank you, Caroline. Secretary Hexas said this morning that U.S. troops
27:55would be sticking around. Can you expound upon that, what we should expect from U.S. troops in
28:01theater for the next two weeks and beyond?
28:03MS. I would defer you to the Pentagon for any specifics on assets that have been
28:08in place in the Middle East. But take the Secretary at his word, and also the President has reiterated
28:14this as well in his own words, that we're not going to move anything immediately. Again, this is a two
28:19-week
28:19ceasefire, where we hope at the end and we expect at the end we'll have a good agreement between the
28:24United States and Iran. But in the meantime, we're going to ensure that our military is always at the
28:28ready of the Commander-in-Chief. I'll take a couple more. In the back, sure.
28:33Thank you. Thank you very much.
28:35MS. On NATO. I'll take your question. Go ahead.
28:36The Press. Thank you, Caroline. On NATO, can you tell me, is the United States still
28:40considering withdrawing from NATO? Is that still a possibility?
28:43MS. It's something the President has discussed, and I think it's something the President will be
28:47discussing in a couple of hours with Secretary General Ruta. And perhaps you'll hear directly
28:51from the President following that meeting later this afternoon. Thank you, everyone.
29:42the Press. Thank you, Caroline.
29:47You
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