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Press Secretary Sean Spicer gives first White House briefing — Transcript

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0:00good afternoon everyone thanks for
0:01coming out to our first official
0:03briefing here in The Brady room uh I was
0:05going to start with a little recap of
0:06the inauguration but I think we've
0:08covered that pretty well um by the way
0:11just as I get started uh I know that
0:13Josh Ernest was voted the most popular
0:15press secretary by the Press Corps so
0:17after reading checking my Twitter feed I
0:20shot Josh an email last night letting
0:21him know that he can rest easy that his
0:23title is secure for at least the next
0:25few
0:26days uh let me Begin by saying that the
0:28president has been closely monitor the
0:30severe weather in the Southeast he spoke
0:32by phone with Governor deal of Georgia
0:33yesterday and offered his condolences
0:36and support today president Trump is
0:38focused on fulfilling his pledge to
0:40pursue trade policies that put America
0:42First the president began his day with a
0:44breakfast with key us Business Leaders
0:47where the focus of the discussion was on
0:48job creation and growing our
0:50manufacturing base Business Leaders who
0:52attended included Michael Dell the
0:54founder and CEO of Dell Jeff fig the CEO
0:57of World poool Mark Fields the CEO of
1:00board Alex Gorski the CEO of Johnson and
1:02Johnson Marilyn Houston the CEO of
1:05locked Martin clus kleinfield the CEO of
1:08arconic Andrew liveris the CEO of Da
1:12Mario longi the CEO of us steel Elon
1:15Musk of SpaceX and Tesla Kevin plank of
1:18Under Armour Mark Sutton of
1:20International Paper Wendell weeks the
1:23CEO of Corning Chief of Staff RS Prius
1:26uh Chief strategist Steve Bannon the
1:28vice president's uh chief of staff Josh
1:30pitock and Senior advi advisor Steven
1:33Miller the breakfast uh was an
1:35opportunity for the president to hear
1:36directly from America's Top Business
1:38Leaders about the challenges they're
1:40facing and take some suggestions about
1:42what policies and action can be taken to
1:44help them create jobs and grow our
1:47manufacturing base the meeting included
1:49a really great exchange of ideas that
1:52the and the president has decided to
1:53reconvene the group in a month and then
1:55have them meet on a quarterly basis as
1:58you know the president's vision is to
1:59negotiate fair trade deals that create
2:01jobs increase American wages and reduce
2:04American trade deficit he's appointed a
2:07trough tough and smart number of trade
2:10experts who will fight on behalf of
2:12American workers with that vision in
2:14mind the president has already taken
2:16several steps today first he issued a
2:18presidential me memorandum withdrawing
2:21the United States from the trans-pacific
2:22partnership TPP is a multilateral
2:25agreement that includes the United
2:27States and 11 other countries as a
2:29president has said many times this type
2:31of multinational agreement is not in our
2:33best interest and he's moving quickly to
2:36advance training policies that increase
2:38the competitiveness of the American
2:39worker and manufacturer this executive
2:42action ushers in a new era of us trade
2:44policy in which the Trump Administration
2:46will pursue bilateral trade
2:48opportunities with allies around the
2:50globe this is a strong signal that the
2:52Trump Administration wants free and fair
2:55trade throughout the world additionally
2:58the President issued a memorandum re
2:59establishing the Mexico City policy
3:02stating that the United States will end
3:03the use of taxpayer dollars to fund
3:06abortions overseas along with coercive
3:08abortion and steril sterilization
3:10practices finally the President issued a
3:13memorandum of outlining executive branch
3:15hiring uh this memorandum counters the
3:18dramatic expansion of the federal
3:19Workforce in recent years in particular
3:22it prevents filling vacant positions and
3:24creating new positions except when
3:26necessary to meet National or public
3:29security responsibilities it does not
3:31apply to P military personnel and it
3:33ensures that the American taxpayers get
3:36effective and efficient government
3:38earlier in the day the president spoke
3:39with Egyptian president Lisi they
3:42discussed ways to deepen the bilateral
3:44relationship and support Egypt's fight
3:45against terrorists and bolster Egypt's
3:47homegrown and historic economic reform
3:49program president Trump underscored the
3:52United States remain strongly committed
3:54to the bilateral relationship which has
3:56helped both countries overcome
3:57challenges in the region for decades
4:00the president committed to working
4:01continuing you with military assistance
4:03to Egypt and working with Egypt to
4:05ensure that assistance most effectively
4:07supports the Egyptian military's fight
4:09against terrorism the President also
4:11commended president Ali for his
4:13courageous steps to address Egypt's
4:15economic challenges and offered to
4:17discuss ways the United States could
4:19support Egypt's economic reform program
4:21finally the two leaders dis discussed a
4:23visit to the United States in the future
4:25the president then had lunch with the
4:26vice president where they recap this
4:28morning's meetings and discussed next
4:30steps they also had uh discussed plans
4:32to advance the president's legislative
4:34agenda to make America safer and more
4:36prosperous also today the president
4:38signed designations for acting heads of
4:41executive departments and agencies to
4:42maintain continuity in those critical
4:45positions at 3:00 union leaders and
4:47Frontline workers will meet with the
4:49president to discuss his pro-worker
4:51agenda attendees include Tom Flynn of
4:54the United Brotherhood of Carpenters
4:56Shawn McGarvey president of the North
4:58American Building and construction
4:59trades Department Terry O Sullivan
5:01General president of the labor
5:03International Union of America of North
5:05America Mark mcmanis the general
5:08president of the United Association
5:10Donald Mullins Steamfitters United
5:12Association loc Local 602 Frank Spencer
5:15United Brotherhood Carpenters Doug
5:17McCarron General president United
5:19Brotherhood of Carpenters Mark koh's of
5:22Iron Workers Local five Joseph sers Jr
5:25the general president of the sheet metal
5:26workers unions smart Union Thelma M Mata
5:30the heat and frost insulators and Allied
5:33Workers Local 24 Mark jurowski United
5:36Association local five Steven Dodd the
5:40sheet metal workers unions smart Union
5:43Gary MSO the sheet metal workers union
5:45smart Union the president has been
5:47honored to receive tremendous support
5:49from Union working men and women on
5:51Election Day and he's dedicated to
5:52growing and deepening their support and
5:55he made it a priority to meet with these
5:56union workers on our working day one
5:59here here in the White House the
6:00offshoring of American jobs and lack of
6:02economic growth in recent years has hit
6:04American workers particularly hard and
6:07the president's top priority is to
6:08retain and attract American jobs which
6:11have already seen happening through his
6:12actions on Carrier Sprint General
6:14mortors and so many more at 5:00 the
6:17president will host a Bic Camal
6:18bipartisan meeting with leaders here at
6:20the White House with that will include
6:22the vice president the Senate Majority
6:24Leader the Senate Majority Whip the
6:26Senate minority leader the Senate
6:27minority whip the house speaker the
6:29House Majority Leader the house
6:31Democratic leader the house Democratic
6:33whip uh the white house chief of staff
6:35our chief strategist Chief of Staff to
6:37the vice president and Chiefs of Staff
6:39from those respective offices the
6:41purpose of the meeting is to get the
6:42president's agenda moving through
6:44Congress the American people are
6:45frustrated with the lack of progress
6:47here in Washington and the president
6:48wants no delay in addressing our most
6:50pressing issues he's taking every step
6:53opportunity to forward strong bonds with
6:55Congressional leaders on both sides of
6:57the aisle one of the other subjects that
6:59sure to up as the status of his nominees
7:01during this meeting it's important to
7:02note that at this point in 2009
7:04President Obama had F seven of his
7:07nominees confirmed on day one and five
7:10more in the first week as it stands
7:12today we have two uh Democrats even held
7:15up the confirmation of CIA director Mike
7:17Pompeo needlessly leaving one of our
7:19most important national security
7:21agencies without its top leader on day
7:23one it's time for Senate Democrats to
7:26stop playing political games with the
7:27core functions of government and to
7:29allow ow president Trump's
7:30unquestionably qualified and talented
7:32group of cabinet nominees to get to work
7:35on behalf of the American people
7:37rounding out today's schedule uh after
7:39the L the reception that I mentioned he
7:41will have dinner with uh or he have a
7:43meeting with the house Speaker Paul Ryan
7:45they will discuss the Republican
7:46legislative agenda and strategy going
7:48forward early in the day the president
7:50nominated former New Mexico
7:51congresswoman Heather Wilson as the next
7:53secretary of the Air Force she grew up
7:55in keing New Hampshire and made history
7:57as part of the third us Air Force
7:59Academy class that included women she
8:02earned her master's degree and doctoral
8:04degrees as a road scholar at Oxford in
8:06England and then served as an Air Force
8:08officer in Europe during the Cold War
8:10and on the National Security Office
8:12under President George HW Bush uh as you
8:15know we are all about big viewerships
8:18and large audiences here so I want to
8:20tell you about an effort that we're
8:21undertaking here in the Press briefing
8:23room to offer up more access to a group
8:25of journalists from around the country
8:27beginning later this week I'm excited to
8:29announce that we're going to have four
8:31what we call Skype seats live here in
8:33the briefing room this will open up the
8:35briefing to journalists who live beyond
8:3650 miles of the Washington DC area and
8:39and to organizations that don't
8:40currently have a hard pass as always any
8:43organization is welcome to apply for a
8:44day pass but we're excited to open up
8:47into the field and fold here a diverse
8:49group of journalists from around the
8:50country who may not have the convenience
8:52or funding to travel to Washington I
8:54think this can benefit us all by giving
8:56a platform to to voices that are not
8:58necessarily based here in the Beltway
9:00looking ahead the president will have a
9:02breakfast uh tomorrow with the Auto
9:05industry including heads of GM Chrysler
9:07and Ford uh he looks forward to hearing
9:09their ideas and how we can work together
9:11to bring more jobs back to this industry
9:14in particular and Wednesday the
9:15president will host a swearing in
9:17ceremony from in from income from new
9:20Secretary of Homeland Security uh
9:23General James uh Kelly John Kelly and
9:25then on Friday he will do the same for
9:27secretary Mattis at the department of
9:29Defense on Thursday he will uh travel to
9:32Philadelphia to attend the Republican
9:34House and Senate Retreat and on Friday
9:36he will welcome his first foreign Head
9:39of State uh British prime minister May
9:42with that I look forward to taking your
9:43questions Daniel Halper New York Post
9:47hey John thank you uh when will the when
9:50you guys commence the building of the
9:51border wall when we left when will you
9:53start building on the border wall I
9:55think the president has noted uh that
9:57this was a serious priority of his
9:59throughout the campaign uh he has
10:00already started to work with Congress on
10:02the on the Appropriations Avenue of that
10:04uh and so he is doing everything he can
10:05to direct agencies and Congress to
10:08commence with that work as soon as
10:09possible what
10:10about you guys enforcing the Mandate
10:13enforcing the Mandate
10:16yes I think look the president has made
10:18it clear that he's going to work with
10:19Congress to and part of the discussion
10:21that he's going to have tonight uh with
10:24with some of these leaders and then
10:25again with Paul Ryan is how we can work
10:27to implement the both the appeal and
10:29replace aspects of this Jennifer
10:38wish what message is he sending here
10:40does he see the elimination reduction of
10:44abortions as an American value and also
10:47here at home can pro-life Americans
10:49expect him to put his signature on
10:51legislation that will defund planed
10:52Parenthood well I think the president
10:55it's no secret has made himself made it
10:57very clear that he's a pro-life
10:58president he wants to stand up for all
11:00Americans including The Unborn and I
11:02think the reinstatement of this policy
11:05um is not just something that Echoes
11:07that value but respects taxpayer funding
11:09as well and ensures that we're standing
11:11up not just for uh for Life For Life Of
11:14The Unborn but for also taxpayer funds
11:17that are being spent overseas to perform
11:19an action that is contrary to the values
11:21of this President um and and I think
11:24continue to further illustrate not just
11:25to the folks here in this country but
11:27around the world of what a value we
11:29place on life Jennifer Rodriguez Jan
11:33Janet I'm sorry thank you what did Mr
11:36mean when he said that he would work
11:37through Congress to get a special
11:40something we don't know what it is for
11:41Daka recipients and uh when can we
11:44expect that to happen and also when can
11:46we expect the White House Spanish site
11:48to be back up that's okay two questions
11:51let me start with the the ladder first
11:53uh as you know uh we we got the we hit
11:57the ground running on day one uh there
11:58was a a lot to do and we had done a lot
12:00of work on the website to make sure uh
12:02that we were prepared to get as much
12:04information up as as fast as possible we
12:06are continuing to build out the website
12:08both in the area the issue areas and
12:10then that area but but we've got the it
12:12folks working overtime right now uh to
12:14continue to get all of that up to speed
12:16and and trust me it's just going to take
12:18a little bit more time but we're working
12:19piece by piece to get that done on the
12:21DACA piece uh I think the president's
12:23been clear that he was going to
12:25prioritize um the areas of dealing with
12:27the immigration system both building the
12:29wall and making sure that we address
12:31people who are in this country illegally
12:33first and foremost the president's been
12:34very very clear that we need to direct
12:36agencies to focus on those who are in
12:38this country illegally and have a record
12:40uh that uh a criminal record or pose a
12:44threat to the American people that's
12:45where the priority is going to be and
12:47then we're going to continue to work
12:48through the entire um number of folks
12:51that are here legally but right now the
12:53clear focus is on that Blake Burman Fox
12:57Business I want to ask you two questions
12:59um back two questions uh money related
13:02uh the president campaigned on the
13:04corporate tax cut rate of 15% and today
13:06when he met with the Business Leaders he
13:08had mentioned that the tax rate would
13:10drop to somewhere between 15 to 20% is
13:14he moving the goal poost there in any
13:15way and my second question is on
13:18government spending there have been
13:19reports that um you might be looking at
13:2110 trillion doll over the course of 10
13:23years is that accurate and would you be
13:26willing to wrap up entitlements to get
13:28there well I think first um well I'll
13:30take the other one first on on
13:31entitlements or on spending look I think
13:34you saw this with the hiring freeze uh
13:36there's been frankly to some degree a
13:37lack of respect for taxpayer dollars in
13:39this town for a long time and I think
13:41what the president is showing through
13:42the hiring freeze first and foremost
13:44today is that we've got to respect the
13:46American taxpayer they're sending us a
13:47ton of money they're working real hard
13:49some people are working two three jobs
13:51just to get by and to see money get
13:53wasted in Washington on a job that is
13:55duplicative um is insulting to the hard
13:57work that they do to pay their tax taxes
13:59and I think that that comes in to your
14:02question in overall spending as well
14:04we've got to look at how we're spending
14:06the American people's tax tax money and
14:08so what the work that the landing teams
14:11have been doing is going into these
14:13agencies and departments and talking
14:15about ways that we can create greater
14:17efficiencies eliminate duplicity um and
14:21find maximize the tax dollar so it's not
14:24it's more a question instead of uh just
14:26cutting it's about how do we spend and
14:27respect the American Tax dollar more
14:30than anyone more more going forward
14:32April
14:34Ryan oh I'm sorry look you the the the
14:37president is a very successful
14:38businessman and negotiator uh he's going
14:40to sit down and work with Congress to
14:42get the best deal possible for American
14:44businesses so that they can hire more
14:46people and we can expand and we can grow
14:48the economy um so he's going to work
14:50with Congress on that rate but he
14:51understands better than anybody how to
14:53negotiate a great deal and right now
14:55he's going to negotiate the best deal on
14:56on behalf of the American worker on
14:59behalf of the American businesses that
15:00are hiring them um that was a lot of the
15:02focus that went on today talking to
15:05these companies and it was interesting
15:06the the meeting was only supposed to
15:07last an hour it overflowed another hour
15:09in the Oval Office and he kept asking
15:11them what ideas do you have to grow this
15:14economy what is preventing you from
15:16hiring people what regulations are
15:18stopping you uh from conducting more
15:21business what's what are the ways that
15:23we can give you more Market access into
15:25you know other other countries around
15:27the globe and I think that's what is
15:29focus is going to continue to be is how
15:30do we create a tax and Regulatory
15:32environment that grows the economy and
15:35benefits the American worker so it's not
15:36just about creating more jobs but it's
15:38also about lifting up those jobs through
15:40higher wages April Ryan SE I have couple
15:43questions if you allow me to take I will
15:46um Elijah cumings um Maryland
15:48Congressman Democratic Maryland
15:49Congressman confirmed that uh president
15:52Donald Trump talked to him at the lunch
15:54about the high price of prescription
15:56drugs when is this meeting and going to
15:59be set or is it coming up soon and will
16:02the president be meeting with the full
16:04body of the Congressional Black Caucus
16:05as well as the Hispanic caucus on issues
16:08uh related to those communities okay uh
16:11let's take one at a time um I'm not I'm
16:14not aware of the conversation uh I'm
16:16sure you've heard the president last
16:17couple weeks talk about the price of
16:19pharmaceutical drugs and the need to get
16:22those prices down and bring
16:24manufacturing back in the pharmaceutical
16:26industry to benefit the country so it's
16:27an issue that's going to he's going to
16:29continue to work on he understands as we
16:31reform Healthcare as we repeal and
16:33replace Obamacare the getting a hold of
16:36the cost of prescription drugs to give
16:38more people access to them but also to
16:40allow greater access and health greater
16:42plans in healthare that's going to be a
16:44key part of so he's going to I mean
16:45that's going to happen I think look
16:47you're seeing uh with respect to the
16:48other meetings it's day one working day
16:51one here um he's going to start with the
16:54leadership he's going to have a great
16:55conversation with them but then I think
16:57you're going to see a variety of me the
16:59Congressional Black Caucus the Hispanic
17:01caucus small groups of of meters he is
17:04you know he's someone who really enjoys
17:06that kind of conversation I think you're
17:07going to see a lot of meetings occur
17:09like the ones that you did today the
17:11Business Leaders coming in these union
17:12workers and it's interesting I've we the
17:16president was asking these folks today
17:17how many of you have been in the Oval
17:19Office three of them raised their hand
17:21we talked to some of these union leaders
17:23and we hear we didn't get a lot of
17:25attention and here we are in working day
17:27one and you've got the presid presid
17:29reaching out to some of America's best
17:30Business Leaders and then some of the
17:33union workers and line workers and
17:35bringing them in and saying I want to
17:36listen to what's going on in your life
17:38what can we be doing to help you and I
17:41think that you're going to see a lot
17:42more of that a listening president who's
17:44engaged in trying to figure out what
17:46policies and actions that he can take
17:49that this government can take that he
17:50can work with Congress to make people's
17:53lives better to make their their
17:54security better to make their Economic
17:57Security better but you're going to see
17:58a lot of that that's who he is that's
18:01what he did during the transition and I
18:02think that's what he's going to do going
18:03forward he appreciates the ideas and
18:06opinions that come that come through the
18:08Oval Office or in small groups where he
18:10gets to share their perspective of their
18:13ideas or their opinions I think that's
18:14what he's going to continue to do later
18:15this afternoon Julie Pace I'm sorry
18:19April I'm sorry um I want to go back to
18:21what the gentleman said about the
18:22Mandate um the New York Post gentleman
18:24he said something about um the Obamacare
18:26now uh in the Mandate with the numbers
18:29that uh you talked about and it's been
18:31in the news from the inauguration day
18:33and the numbers Saturday do you believe
18:35that you have the mandate to be able to
18:37force through what you had talked about
18:40replacing portions of Obamacare um that
18:43really subsidize the whole uh piece of
18:46it to help lowincome people get uh
18:49Health Care well I think what we have is
18:51a is a mandate to to make healthc care
18:54more accessible and lower cost that's
18:57what the American people were promised
18:58under Obamacare and I think it's not a
19:00question about a mandate and it's also
19:02not about forcing anything it's about
19:04what's doing the right thing it's about
19:06providing people what they've been
19:07promised which is you you go around this
19:10country and you look market after market
19:11they're down to one plan that's not what
19:13the American people were promised not
19:15only that but in many cases you're
19:16seeing these the rates go up 10 15 20 30
19:2050% that's not what they were promised
19:22either and so I think what the
19:23president's doing and it's not just I
19:25think he's gotten bipartisan support for
19:27this to work with Congress and to take
19:29executive action where necessary to
19:31implement a Health Care system that
19:33provides more people healthare truly
19:35allows them to keep the doctor and plan
19:36that they're signing up for lowers cost
19:39creates more
19:40competition so do I think he has a
19:42mandate sure but it's not just it's not
19:44about it's not on this issue I think
19:46that all leaders have a mandate from the
19:48American people to fix this system and
19:50make it better Jil Pace I've got two
19:53foreign policy topics I want to get you
19:55uh there's some discrepancy between what
19:57the Russians are saying and what the
19:58Pentagon is saying in terms of some
20:00potential joint action can you clarify
20:02that and generally is the president open
20:04to Joint action in Syria with the
20:07Russians on that instance I know it's
20:09still developing and I would refer you
20:10back to the Department of Defense um I
20:12know that they're they're currently
20:14monitoring this and I would refer you
20:15back to them on that and I think
20:16generally open I think that the
20:18president has been very clear that he's
20:19going to work with any country that
20:20shares our interest in defeating Isis
20:23not just on the National Security front
20:24but on the economic front if we can work
20:26with someone to create greater Market
20:27access and spur econ growth and allow us
20:30small businesses and companies to just
20:32on this idea of doing joint military
20:34actions with Russia and Syria I think if
20:36there's a way that we can combat Isis
20:38with any country whether it's Russia or
20:39anyone else and we have a shared
20:41National interest in that sure we'll
20:42take it and then the second thing is
20:44when he was at the CIA on Saturday he
20:46was talking about the US not taking oil
20:49during the Iraq War and said that there
20:51could be another chance for that what
20:53did he mean when he said that well I
20:54think what the president's been very
20:56clear about in foreign policy is too
20:57often the United unit States is going in
21:00with a lot of money a lot of Manpower
21:02and in many cases losing both uh loss of
21:05life U and we want to make sure that our
21:07interests are protected and so if we're
21:08going in to a country for for a cause I
21:11think he wants to make sure that
21:12America's getting something out of it
21:14for the commitment and the sacrifice
21:15that we're making was he foreshadowing
21:17upcoming I don't think no I think he's
21:18he's been very clear from throughout the
21:21campaign that he is committed to making
21:23sure that America uh the American people
21:26and the American taxpayer see some
21:28benefit and ensure that our interests
21:29overseas are not just create sending
21:32blank checks that we're doing something
21:33that either protects America or is in
21:35our economic interest John Roberts uh
21:37couple of things if I could later this
21:39week in his executive actions uh does
21:41the president plan to take action to
21:44Greenlight the Keystone XL and Dakota
21:46access pipelines and on TPP John McCain
21:51says it was a serious mistake to do what
21:53the president did for America's economy
21:55and for a strategic position in the Asia
21:57Pacific why was TPP the right thing to
22:00do why why was it the right thing why
22:02was it the right thing to do to to to
22:05repeal TP oh I think I said it I mean
22:07because I think the multinational when
22:09you enter into these multinational
22:11agreements you're allowing any country
22:13no matter of the size any one of those
22:1512 including us to basically have the
22:17same stature as the United States in the
22:19agreement so we're basically on par with
22:22some very small companies who are
22:23getting access to an amazing Market the
22:26United States and and in return we're
22:28negotiating at the lowest common
22:29denominator and I think that when you
22:31look at big multinational agreements
22:34multilateral agreements they're not
22:35always in the best interest in the
22:36United States the beautiful thing about
22:38b a bilateral agreement is that if any
22:40one of the two parties in the agreement
22:42decides at any time uh they want to get
22:44out of the agreement or they're not
22:45being treated fairly they can
22:46renegotiate it much easier in a
22:48multinational agreement that's not the
22:50case in many cases all of the other
22:52countries have to agree to an action or
22:54to let somebody out that's not putting
22:56the US interest first and on the
22:59question about Keystone and Dakota
23:00access I'm not going to get in front of
23:02the president's executive actions but I
23:03will tell you that areas like Dakota and
23:06the Keystone Pipeline areas that we can
23:08U Increase jobs increase economic growth
23:11and tap into America's energy Supply
23:13more uh that's something that he has
23:15been very clear about I think he talked
23:16about it not only on the campaign but uh
23:18around the Thanksgiving period he was
23:20talking about that that being a big
23:22priority that's one of those ones where
23:24I think that the energy sector and our
23:26natural resources are an area where I
23:28think the president is very very keen on
23:31making sure that we maximize our use of
23:33Natural Resources to America's benefit
23:35it's good for economic growth it's good
23:37for jobs and it's good for American
23:39Energy Jonathan Carl thank you for being
23:42here first briefing great to see you
23:43thank you um before I get to a policy
23:45question just a question about the
23:47nature of your job yeah is it your
23:49intention to always tell the truth from
23:51that Podium and will you pledge never to
23:54knowingly say something that is not
23:57factual it is it's an honor to do this
24:00and uh yes I believe that we have to be
24:03honest with the American people I think
24:05sometimes we can disagree with the facts
24:06there are certain things that um we may
24:09miss we may not fully understand when we
24:11come out but Our intention is never to
24:12lie to you Jonathan um our job is to
24:15make sure that sometimes and you're in
24:17the same boat I mean there are times
24:19when you guys tweet something out or
24:21write a story and you publish a
24:23correction that doesn't mean that you
24:24were intentionally trying to deceive
24:26readers of the American people does it
24:28and I think we should be afforded the
24:30same opportunity there are times when we
24:32believe something to be true or we get
24:34something from an agency uh or we act in
24:36haste because the information available
24:39wasn't complete but our desire to
24:40communicate with the American people and
24:42make sure that you have the most
24:43complete story at the time and so we do
24:45it but again I I think that when you
24:47look net net um we we're going to do our
24:51best every time we can I'm going to come
24:53out here and tell you the facts as I
24:54know and if we make a mistake I'll do
24:56our best to correct it uh but I I don't
24:59I think that it's a it's as I mentioned
25:01the other day it is a two-way street
25:02there are many mistakes that the media
25:04makes all the time they misreport
25:06something they don't report something
25:08they get a fact wrong I don't think
25:10that's always an in you know to to turn
25:11around and say okay you are
25:12intentionally lying I think we all go
25:15try to do our best job and do it with a
25:17degree of Integrity that that in our
25:20respective Industries do you have any
25:22corrections that you would like to make
25:23or clarifications of what you Saturday
25:25well ask away Jonathan well you know I
25:27mean just for instance I don't want
25:28again and relitigate the whole issue but
25:30like just take one like the issue of
25:31Metro ridership you made a statement
25:33about did and at the time uh the
25:35information that I was provided by the
25:36inaro committee came from an outside
25:38agency that we reported on and I think
25:41knowing what we know now we can tell
25:43that wada's numbers are different um but
25:45we were trying to provide numbers that
25:47we had been provided uh that wasn't like
25:49we made them up out of thin air and do
25:51you stand by your statement that that
25:52was the most watched inaugural
25:54addressing sure it was the most watched
25:56inaugural when you look at look
25:58you look at just the one network alone
26:01got 16.9 million people online another
26:04couple of the networks there were tens
26:05of million people that watch that online
26:07never mind the the the audience that was
26:09here 31 million people watched it on
26:11television combine that with the tens of
26:13millions of people that watched it
26:15online on a device there's it's
26:18unquestionable I don't I don't and I
26:20don't see any numbers that that dispute
26:22that when you add up attendance
26:24viewership or total audience includ of
26:26tablets phones uh
26:28television I'd love to see any
26:30information that proves proves that
26:32otherwise and
26:34then do you dispute that well I I don't
26:37want to get into to numbers I I I do I
26:40mean I'm just saying if you're asking me
26:42a question about my Integrity I have a
26:44right to say if you add up the the
26:46network streaming numbers Facebook
26:48YouTube all of the various live
26:50streamings that that we have information
26:52on so far I don't think there's any
26:54question it was that that it was the
26:55largest watched inauguration ever more
26:58than Ronald Reagan in 1981 I'm pretty
27:01sure that Reagan didn't have YouTube
27:03Facebook or the internet yeah I think 41
27:06million people watched his 41 million
27:09watched his okay so let's just take the
27:11neelon ratings which are 31 million and
27:13add it to CNN 16.9
27:17million that's a little higher so I'm
27:20just saying I'm not you're asking me for
27:22numbers there's just two entities
27:23together and and and the the the
27:26approach that you took on Saturday any
27:29thoughts on that I think Jonathan look I
27:31I I want this to huh I came out to read
27:34a statement and I did it we're here
27:36today I'm going to stay here as long as
27:37you want so uh I want to make sure
27:44that I think you guys might want to
27:46leave before I do um but look I I want
27:49to make sure that we have a healthy
27:50relationship we saw the other day that
27:52and I'm not trying to rehash history but
27:54you're asking the question so I'm going
27:55to answer it you know we had a tweet go
27:57out about Martin Luther King think about
28:00how racially charged that is and someone
28:03rushes out and says to the entire press
28:06Corp that the president of the United
28:08States has removed the bust from his
28:11office do you I mean think about what
28:14the signal hold on and apologize no no
28:17he actually apprised to quote my
28:19colleagues that's the exact
28:21quote okay that quote that report got
28:25tweeted out around and to report where
28:28was the apology to the president of the
28:29United States where was the the apology
28:32to millions of people who read that and
28:34thought how racially insensitive that
28:36was where was that apology you accept it
28:39his apology
28:40though okay I'm asking where was that
28:42apology and so I'm just saying that when
28:45you when things like that happen when
28:47John Lewis says that he's never approach
28:50never missed an inauguration and we find
28:52out actually he did under he skipped
28:54George W Bush's that there are points at
28:57which we have a right to make sure that
28:58we correct the record I mean you're
29:00talking about integrity and you're
29:02talking about telling the truth and
29:04facts I don't know that it wasn't
29:06malicious at all and I'm not saying but
29:08there's a point at which we have a right
29:10to go out there and correct the record
29:12and I think that over and over again
29:14there is this attempt
29:17to go after this President and say well
29:20that can't be true and that's not right
29:22and the numbers weren't there and
29:23there's a rush to judgment every time
29:26and it's a two-way street we want to
29:27have a healthy and open dialogue with
29:29the Press Corps and with the American
29:30people about what he's doing to help
29:32this country and to unite it but at a
29:34time when he's trying to unite this and
29:36he keeps talking about uniting this
29:37nation bringing people together and then
29:40a tweet goes out in a pool report to
29:42what a few thousand people saying that
29:43he remove the bust of Martin Luther King
29:46how do you think that goes over Sean did
29:48did the media invent the feud between
29:50the president and the intelligence look
29:52I'm not I think that you saw from the
29:55response the other day he walked into
29:57the CIA people were hooting and
29:59hollering they gave them a f minute
30:00standing ovation that doesn't look like
30:02a relationship that's I mean that's a
30:04they they were excited media invention
30:07but I think there's a difference between
30:08having differences with intelligence
30:10leaders and leaders of that Community
30:12who had strong differences with than the
30:15people and the men and women who toil
30:17every single day in our intelligence
30:19community and it was reflected at the
30:21CIA I mean they came there they were so
30:24excited there was a thousand people that
30:26applied for 300 plus seats we ended up
30:29taking in 400 people that doesn't sound
30:31like a huge Feud they were excited they
30:33were clapping they were cheering when he
30:35walked in and to see reports that made
30:37it sound like there was some you know
30:39fence mending that need to happen that
30:41sure didn't look that way when you
30:42walked in I'm going to move on yeah Sean
30:45can I ask what is the US strategic
30:47interest in moving the US Embassy from
30:51Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and also in the
30:53chat with uh president Al today was the
30:56uh status of the Muslim Brotherhood
30:58discussed well I think the readout I
31:00just gave you the readout on on the call
31:02with president of CC and I think that
31:03that speaks for itself what was
31:05discussed uh and then I'm sorry the
31:07first part first part what is the US
31:09strategic interest in moving the embassy
31:11from as I noted yesterday through
31:13several press inquiries we haven't
31:14there's no decisions we at the very
31:16early stages of that decision-making
31:18process yeah yeah John from BBC will
31:22there be a detailed discussion when uh
31:24prime minister May comes on Friday on
31:26the potential parameters of what a trade
31:28deal might look like is there going to
31:30be a joint news conference and is Donald
31:32Trump going to get a state visit back to
31:34the UK later in the year well look uh
31:36we're here on working day one we're
31:38excited that uh prime minister May is
31:40coming on Friday we look forward to it
31:42I'm sure that there'll be the discussion
31:43of trade uh will come up to the the
31:46degree to which I don't know yet uh and
31:48I'm sure we'll have an opportunity to
31:49brief you out I don't believe we have
31:51any plans right now for a joint press
31:53conference but that's something that our
31:54team will be working out with prime
31:55minister May and and we'll keep you up
31:57to on that yeah Amer news after the
32:01executive order withdrawing the us from
32:04the TPP what specific steps will
32:06president Trump take to expand us trade
32:08opportunities abroad well again I I
32:10think when he talks to prime minister
32:11May he's going to have a great
32:12conversation about the potential for
32:15greater trade uh with the UK he I
32:18mentioned earlier when he met with these
32:19manufacturers this morning that was you
32:22know right up there at the top of that
32:23list how can we get greater Market
32:25access what are the specific challenges
32:28that these manufacturers are facing
32:30getting Market access in the countries
32:32around the globe and that's an important
32:34issue so it's not it's it's not just
32:36other countries but within
32:38existing uh trade deals we can figure
32:41out is there a trade dispute that can be
32:43settled at the WTO is there a revision
32:45to one of the existing trade opt trade
32:47treaties that we have now but there's a
32:49lot that can be done um there things
32:51that Congress can can update um to make
32:54sure that we're importing and exporting
32:55more to benefit American businesses
33:00thanks thanks John CHR at talk meting
33:02news has the president or will the
33:04president have a a a chat even an
33:07informal chat with the Prime Minister
33:08before in fact she comes here uh there
33:11are no plans for that now uh it's always
33:13possible he's been having a tremendous
33:15number of calls I think the number is
33:17well over 80 now of people that have uh
33:19talked to him congratulated him prior to
33:21being elected he's had we read out the
33:23other day he's met with both Canada and
33:25Mexico I think he's talked uh Mr
33:27Netanyahu yesterday president CCE today
33:30I think there's there's going to
33:31continue to be a robust number of of
33:33world leaders there's a you know a
33:35tremendous excitement I think in the
33:37Diplomatic core and at the world leader
33:39level of people who are excited that
33:41President Trump and this Administration
33:43want to engage um there's a lot of times
33:46when he's talking to these folks and
33:47they're saying I have not heard from
33:49anyone in years and I think that there
33:51is a genuine excitement to re-engage the
33:53United States especially in the area of
33:55trade and other economic interests but
33:57also in the area of National Security
33:59need to say this is the big one and it's
34:01the
34:02first sorry I it needless to say this is
34:04the big one and it's the first
34:07relationship PP was de onal going to
34:11Congress so why is this executive order
34:13anything more than symbolic and when
34:14will president Trump start negotiating
34:17those bilateral deals with the 11 other
34:19countries in the Asia Pacific because it
34:21takes some time and that could be some
34:23would say giving China you know room to
34:25make an inroad well first first I would
34:28argue that bilateral deals are what
34:29mostly what China's been engaging in um
34:31and that's something that I just said
34:33that we're going to engage you know the
34:34president's going to look through
34:35countries to engage with TPP country
34:38most of them we have existing trade
34:39agreements with or a good chunk of them
34:41we have existing trade agreements to get
34:42to begin with um this was an expansion
34:45of that and in some areas it allowed
34:46whether it was the service industry
34:48financial services uh additional Market
34:50access but I think that this is this is
34:53not a deal that was in our our country's
34:54best interest the president could have
34:56come into office a president could have
34:58come into office and renegotiated it and
35:00and sent people back to the drawing
35:01board uh it hadn't gone to Congress yet
35:03because it wasn't finalized I think this
35:05President pulling out of the agreement
35:07is is not just about this one agreement
35:09but I think it's symbolic both here in
35:12America and around the world of a new
35:14era of trade policy one that's going to
35:16put American workers first and foremost
35:19um and one that assures the rest of the
35:21world that the way that we negotiate
35:23bilateral agreements is going to ensure
35:25that we we have we get something out of
35:27these deals as I mentioned to John a
35:29minute ago I mean the the the problem
35:30with multilateral agreements is that
35:32often we be it becomes the lowest common
35:34denominator on so many things and for
35:35the us we already has low tariffs um and
35:38other service industry um benefits for
35:41countries um you know we've got to be
35:43able to make sure we're going out and
35:44fighting for the American worker
35:45Jennifer you're not going to renegotiate
35:47to be clear we pulled out of TPP no but
35:50of all the existing I'm not there we'll
35:52have further updates on trade issues
35:55later this week Jennifer does the
35:56administration feel like you still need
35:58an executive order to um remove yourself
36:00from Napa or what's thead that's a great
36:02question I believe there's an action
36:04that has to be taken under the the
36:06provision of NAFTA where you set you
36:08send notice to the other countries the
36:10other two countries um the exact nature
36:13of how that's described I don't know but
36:15it is there is a trigger within NAFTA uh
36:18one of the sections allows the the
36:20president of the United States to notify
36:22them that we intend to do
36:25that hold on will there still be a North
36:28American trade block or something
36:30different or what's again I think part
36:31of it is that he's already spoken to
36:33both the president of Mexico and prime
36:36minister of Canada about his desire to
36:39to renegotiate and I think as he meets
36:41with both of these individuals over the
36:43next 30 days or so that's going to be a
36:45topic now if they come in and express a
36:47willingness uh to do that you could
36:50negotiate it within the current
36:51parameters and update it through uh
36:54through the existing structure if they
36:56don't any decides to to pull out then we
36:59would have to go back to the drawing
37:00table in a future Mar that thatti
37:03trigger be sign make sure Mara get a
37:05question this time every time um just to
37:08follow up on the China question China
37:10actually has a regional agreement called
37:12the regional comprehensive economic
37:14partnership and now Japan and Australia
37:16two of our great allies are talking
37:18about joining that just does does
37:20President Trump see a national security
37:22component to these trade deals and is he
37:24concerned that now China will write the
37:26rules for asia-pacific trade well I
37:29think he has been very very clear about
37:32um China's place in the in the
37:35geopolitical landscape both economically
37:37and Diplomat and and National Security
37:39wise so he understands the need that's
37:41part of the reason that trade is
37:43important bilateral trade it provides a
37:45check on a lot of this uh but again I
37:47he's always going to be fighting for the
37:49interest of the country and the American
37:51worker so what how we engage and with
37:54whom is going to be decided on whether
37:55or not we can get a deal that benefits
37:57our country economically and uh in terms
37:59of National Security that there are
38:01things that we can do e econom or
38:04economically that actually end up also
38:06benefiting us from a national security
38:09standpoint because of the economic
38:10relationship that exists between the two
38:12countries follow on MAR gets a follow up
38:16no you earned itk just really simple
38:20what is the average national
38:22unemployment rate what's the average I
38:24me what's the overall unemployment are
38:26you talking about whether or not we
38:27include the full I'm just asking I mean
38:29the Bureau of Labor Statistics puts it
38:30out you accept no no no it's not a
38:32question of what I accept I mean there
38:33are ways that you can put out full
38:34employment I know the difference right
38:36but I'm saying that that so there's a
38:38reason that we put out several versions
38:39of that one is that the illustrative
38:42nature of of how you count the
38:44unemployed whether or not they're
38:46long-term unemployed or whether or not
38:48they're still seeking a job but there's
38:50a reason that you put out several of
38:51these statistics it's so that economists
38:53can view them and decide look at
38:55different Landscapes on what on on how
38:58to how to make Economic Policy except
39:00those different ones during the campaign
39:01he at one point Trump at one point said
39:02it was 42% I just want to clear on where
39:05we're starting but but but again part of
39:07it is his economic team is going to look
39:08at a multitude of statistics and drive
39:10economic policies his goal is obviously
39:12to get as many Americans working
39:13together that's his ultimate goal is
39:16when he sees people that are hurting
39:17that haven't had wages lifted up that
39:19are unemployed that can't save for their
39:21kids' future that are having a trouble
39:23with their health care cost that's what
39:25he really cares about it's not just a
39:26number to him it's about can is someone
39:29getting by are their wages going up can
39:31they find a better job do they have
39:33access to education whether it's higher
39:36education college or a vot technical of
39:39a votech kind of school so that they can
39:41train for the skills of The Next Century
39:43um those are the kind of things the
39:44president he's not focused on statistics
39:47as much as he is on whether or not the
39:48American people are doing better as a
39:50whole and whether or not a family and it
39:52was interesting I know when we talked
39:53about carrier at one point someone said
39:55well that's a thousand jobs you talk
39:57about those thousand jobs in their
39:58families uh during the holiday season I
40:01would beg to differ that those people
40:02were unbelievably ecstatic that the
40:04president the vice president intervened
40:07and so every one of these meetings that
40:08you saw happen at Trump Tower and then
40:10now it's all about you know whether it's
40:132,000 jobs or 20,000 jobs that's that's
40:16the focus it's making sure that we have
40:19that small businesses have greater
40:20opportunity to be successful that
40:22American workers can have their wages
40:24lifted up that the benefits that they
40:26receive in terms of healthcare and
40:27education are something that that
40:29provide them the support that they need
40:32but that's what this is all about I
40:33think for too often in Washington we get
40:35our heads wrapped around a number and a
40:36statistic and we look at and we forget
40:39the faces and the families and the
40:41businesses that are behind those numbers
40:43and so I think that's where his head's
40:44at is trying to look at those people
40:46that come to his rallies that have come
40:48to his events that he's met with in
40:49person that are struggling and say Mr
40:51Trump I'm working as hard as I can I'm
40:54working two jobs I'm doing everything by
40:56the rules and I keep getting screwed
40:59that's what he's fighting for is that
41:00man or woman out there that's doing
41:02everything they can right but can't
41:05catch a break and I think he addressed
41:07that in his inaugural speech when he
41:08talked about shifting power outside of
41:11Washington DC back to the American
41:13people because for too long it's been
41:15about stats Mara and it's been about
41:17what number are we looking at as opposed
41:18to what face are we looking at yeah
41:21David uh two questions one on back on
41:23DACA I was just curious about the
41:25message from this Administration from
41:26the White House to young people who may
41:29qualify and not yet have the protection
41:30should they enroll uh going forward and
41:34those who are in the program now seek um
41:36renew I think yeah what what the what
41:39those people should know is that the
41:40president's laid out a list of
41:41priorities and the priorities are
41:43focused on making sure that people who
41:45can do harm or have done harm and have a
41:48criminal record are the focus and as he
41:50said throughout the campaign we've got a
41:52series of individuals that we've got to
41:54figure out people who have overstated
41:55their visas people have committed crime
41:57and we're going to go through that in a
41:58very systematic and methodical way so
42:00for now that's not the focus is going to
42:02be on people who have done harm to our
42:04country yes thank you thank you KH uh
42:072016 was the hottest year on record and
42:09the last three years have been the
42:10hottest three years on record scientists
42:13are saying that we're getting
42:13dangerously close to the point where
42:15human civilization is being threatened
42:17how does President Trump plan to address
42:19this well I think I think he's going to
42:22meet with his team and figure out what
42:23policies are best for the environment um
42:26but I think that there's one of the
42:28things that he talked about during the
42:30campaign is there's a balance and he's
42:32trying to make sure that we use our
42:33resources appropriately that we maximize
42:36things to make sure that we don't do so
42:37at the detriment of economic growth and
42:39job creation so there's a balance and I
42:41don't think it's an either or situation
42:43we can ensure that we're doing things
42:44that are smart for the environment and
42:46smart for our longevity as well as
42:48making sure that we're doing things that
42:50that create economic growth and job
42:52creation yes sir yeah Sean what is the
42:54president's message to the millions of
42:56people here in Washington and around the
42:58country who were protesting on Saturday
43:01and a follow up after that okay I had
43:04this very polite of you um I think he
43:07has a healthy respect for the First
43:09Amendment um and he this is you know
43:13this is what makes our country so
43:14beautiful is that on one day you can
43:16inaugurate a president on the next day
43:17people can occupy the same space to
43:20protest something um but he's also
43:22cognizant to the fact that a lot of
43:24these people were there um to protest an
43:27issue of concern to them and not against
43:29anything I remember this morning Debbie
43:31Dingle was on television and you know
43:34she's talking about let me just I don't
43:35want to inaccurately quote her I know
43:37Jonathan's a stickler for that um he
43:40said different women were there for
43:42different reasons but they were all
43:43there to make sure that their core
43:45American values are going to be
43:46protected and I think many people like
43:48me were there for positive reasons and I
43:50think the president shares Debbie
43:52dingle's views that there were people
43:53that came to the mall as they do all the
43:56time sometimes smaller numbers and how
43:58reach out to them I think he reaches out
43:59to him in the way that he started on the
44:02night that he won the election on the
44:04way that he did on inauguration day by
44:07sending a message that talks about
44:08fighting for them but more importantly I
44:10think the president's going to show
44:11through action and through success that
44:14he's fighting for them and fighting for
44:15every American one of the things that
44:18we've seen so often in this town is a
44:19lot of soaring rhetoric about how much
44:21people care and I think the president is
44:24going to show through deed and action
44:25and success that he wants to fight for
44:28People's Health Care he wants to have a
44:30better education system he wants a
44:32stronger America he wants to go in and
44:34fix our in our cities he wants to make
44:36sure that our infrastructure our roads
44:38and our bridges so I think more than
44:40anything showing people through action
44:42and deed and success is where he's going
44:43to prove to the American people how much
44:46he cares to unite Us and how much he
44:48cares to make this America better and
44:50safer follow up on the other side of
44:52this another group that's coming I forg
44:54you did ask I did thank you for
44:56remembering
44:57um another group and this to follow up
44:59on cbn's question a moment ago you know
45:01when we have the March for Life here in
45:03Washington you've said that this is a
45:04pro lifee president what concrete
45:06promises is he making we haven't heard a
45:08lot about what that policy is going to
45:11look like it's day one yeah but you've
45:13had a lot of time to make those promises
45:15I know but look I I think what should
45:17their expectations be there should their
45:19expectation should be that he's going to
45:20stand up and value Life Born or unborn
45:23same as he said throughout the last year
45:25and a half that he's going to stand up
45:27and protect life promote it and instill
45:29policies uh that promote life that
45:31promote adoption that help support young
45:33women that help support funding of of
45:36agencies and clinics that support
45:39Women's Health I think that's what he's
45:41going to talk about is supporting all of
45:42life the born The Unborn throughout life
45:45making sure that we have health care
45:47that can support the American people and
45:49the American families that's that's what
45:51he's going to fight for and that's what
45:52he's going to be clear on I need I have
45:55two questions put it there right now um
45:58first one with the Congressional meeting
46:00today and also at The Retreat you said
46:02talking about his legislative agenda
46:04besides Healthcare can you give us one
46:06two or
46:07three uh legislative things that he
46:10wants to get through right away so not
46:11the executive actions legislation right
46:14uh immigration is obviously going to be
46:15high on that list uh tax reform
46:17regulatory reform it's three and four
46:20immigration is not a overhaul though not
46:23what well I think he's got to work with
46:24Congress to get the Appropriations
46:26process going um but it's not it's not
46:28just building the wall that's through
46:29the Appropriations process is how do we
46:31enact policies to make sure that what we
46:34have now doesn't happen again and so
46:36it's it is it is working with them it's
46:38it's it's a comprehensive look at how
46:40we're keeping people out of this country
46:42that shouldn't be here the people who
46:44are come to visit are leaving when
46:45they're supposed to um to make sure that
46:47we're tailoring immigration policies
46:49that make sure that we're not you know
46:51an open door for anyone to just walk in
46:53that the people who are here to visit
46:54our country safely or to come here to to
46:57bring jobs or to support our economy are
46:59coming in but I think we have to do
47:00immigration smartly and that's what he's
47:01looking at and now I had I had a second
47:04one I'm sorry you're right um uh I
47:07haven't heard that you all that you have
47:09said or someone else has said
47:10specifically will the president has the
47:12president spoken to any of the
47:13intelligence agencies about the
47:15investigation into the Russian
47:17connections and will he allow that to go
47:19on uh he I don't believe he has spoken
47:22to anyone specifically about that and I
47:24don't know that we he has not made any
47:25indication that he would stop an
47:27investigation of any sort yes sir thanks
47:29Sean clarification you said you're
47:31willing to work with anybody to defeat
47:33the Islamic State group um does that
47:35include Basher Al Assad well I I think I
47:38think what it's going to what we're
47:40doing we're we are going to smartly do
47:42this I mean let's be clear what part of
47:44it is to make sure that they have
47:45America's interest in in what they're
47:47doing and who they are so we're not
47:48going to get together with people under
47:50the guys of defeating Isis if that's not
47:52truly their guys or if they're not so
47:55let let's let's not take that too far
47:57thank you yeah will the president
48:00release documents showing that he has
48:02left his businesses I believe we have oh
48:06is
48:07he they're not public at this time but
48:09yeah he has he has resigned from the
48:11company as he said he would before uh
48:14before he took office Don and Eric are
48:15fully in charge of the company he's
48:17taken extraordinary steps to ensure that
48:19that's happened yeah president is taking
48:22motion this first days Alig to the
48:25political priorities what would be the
48:27message for the Hispanic community in
48:29the US uh take it into consideration
48:32that one of the priorities has been the
48:35war what would be the relation between
48:38this Administration and the uh Hispanic
48:41community in the US well I think his
48:43relationship with the Hispanic Community
48:44is going to be great I think he's I mean
48:46as I said I I think that whether it's
48:48jobs or education or Health Care um the
48:51president's committed to uniting all
48:52Americans and working towards a better
48:55safer more secure more prosperous
48:57America that benefits everybody and I
48:59think if you know whether regardless of
49:01your background um that's something that
49:03he's committed to yeah financial times
49:06does Mr Trump agree with Rex Tillerson
49:08that the US should try and prevent China
49:10from accessing the islands in the South
49:12China Sea where it's building runways
49:14and other kinds of facilities I think
49:16areas in the South China Sea that are
49:18part of international waters and
49:19international activities I think the us
49:21is going to make sure that we protect
49:22our interests there so um it's a
49:24question of um if those those islands
49:27are in fact in international waters and
49:29not part of China proper then yeah we're
49:31going to make sure that we defend um
49:33International territories from being
49:35taken over by one country is that answer
49:38would you prevent China from actually
49:39reaching I'm not I think I I I as
49:42answered the question um I think as we
49:44develop further we'll have more
49:45information on that John Gizzy thank you
49:47Sean thank you Sean I'll get to you I
49:50promise yeah and uh welcome to your
49:52first day in the job thank you um very
49:55simply uh there was an earlier question
49:57about Jerusalem and putting the US
50:00Embassy there uh and a lot of talk about
50:03executive orders is this something the
50:05president can accomplish by executive
50:08order I I it is but I think as I noted
50:10John it's very early in this process
50:12where at the beginning stages of this
50:14decision-making process um and his
50:16team's going to continue to consult with
50:17stakeholders as we get there yes ma'am
50:19was Lo thank you Sean and welcome here
50:22um so I have a follow up on the
50:24housekeeping question about NAFTA we not
50:27to expect then an executive order today
50:29to renegotiate NAA or will he wait till
50:31he meets with President Pano next week
50:34and on the other um the other question I
50:36had is um he didn't mention Latin
50:38America at all in his uh accept you know
50:41in his inauguration speech does he plan
50:43to visit Latin America this year um so
50:47on the first part uh I think we'll have
50:49further announcements on trade
50:50throughout the week um I don't happen to
50:53I think we're done with executive orders
50:54for the day but as I always say standby
50:58um but I we do not have any intention to
51:00have additional executive orders today
51:03um but I believe there could be some
51:04additional ones throughout the week on
51:05trade um and we'll have further updates
51:07for you on there and then the second
51:09part if he plans to travel to Latin
51:11America given that he uh left them out
51:14of his inauguration speak well I don't
51:16think he he I didn't think he left them
51:18out I think he was focused on this
51:20country our our American workers I don't
51:22think he got into detail in any
51:24countries uh that I'm aware of that I
51:26can call uh but I also think that we're
51:29here on the work first working day we're
51:31announcing Teresa may coming this Friday
51:34we're excited to have the Prime Minister
51:35here uh as I said we've already talked
51:37about setting up a meeting with Canada
51:39and Mexico uh he's talked to prime
51:41minister Netanyahu about having him come
51:43over um and then as I mentioned
51:45president lce so we'll get there we
51:48we've got a lot of calls to return
51:49there's a lot of excitement throughout
51:51the world and a lot of people who are
51:52really excited both to come here and
51:54have the president visit them yes sir
51:56sir uh last week umt writes the law
51:59Cabin Republicans the gay Republican
52:01group delivered a white paper to the
52:03Trump team urging the president to
52:04maintain an executive order from
52:06President Obama barrowing anti-lgbt
52:09anti-lgbt workplace discrimination among
52:11Federal contractors president has said
52:13he's going to resend the executive
52:14orders from President Obama they're
52:15unconstitutional will he maintain this
52:17executive order barring anti-gp I I
52:19don't know on that one as I I'll have to
52:21get back to you on that one I don't know
52:22that we've gotten that far in the list
52:24of executive orders but I'd be glad to
52:25get back to you we send them again I
52:28it's not I just don't know the answer
52:30I'll try to get back to you on that one
52:31yes sir
52:33uh on uh immigration um the chief of
52:37staff I think had said over the weekend
52:38seemed to suggest um that an executive
52:41order uh shutting down the DACA program
52:44had been ruled out is that officially
52:46ruled out as you guys go forward and
52:48does the and does the president support
52:51action in Congress that would
52:53essentially permanently establish those
52:55protection yeah I I think I don't have
52:57anything further on the executive action
52:58front but what I can I I think I've
53:00asked and answered the the the DACA
53:02piece of this in terms of his priorities
53:03right now legislation I think that we'll
53:06have to we don't have anything in front
53:08of us right now to sign on that so give
53:10us a little bit of time we'll see what
53:12Congress moves forward with and then I'm
53:14sure we'll have a further read out on
53:15both the the executive order piece on on
53:17the legislation yes sir the status of
53:19the refugee resettlement program I don't
53:21know I'll have to get back to you on
53:22that one right now or I think the best
53:24thing to do would probably contact the
53:25Department of State yes sir in the back
53:28regarding regarding access to access for
53:30American companies to International
53:32markets will the president try to
53:34improve the access to the largest market
53:35in the world the European one by taking
53:38up ttip negotiations or by any other
53:40means well look I don't I think he's
53:42going to increase Market access wherever
53:44he can um he's in the con he's in the
53:46process of reviewing all of our current
53:48trade agreements and looking at
53:50potential bilateral options going
53:52forward we whether it's in the EU or in
53:54the asia-pacific arena or in the Middle
53:56East he's going to figure out where we
53:57can expand US market access um and
54:00that's I think what today's decision
54:03really starts to show is that it's not
54:05about multilateral agreements under a
54:08trump Administration it's about
54:09bilateral agreements where we can figure
54:11out country to Country how can we fight
54:14for the American worker gain them access
54:16to another Market that's going to
54:17benefit our large and small businesses
54:19who want to sell additional goods and
54:20services yes Sky um why did the
54:24president choose the British prime
54:26minister as the first foreign leader for
54:29him to meet and can we take from that
54:31that he intends to make the relationship
54:34even closer I think we've always had
54:36that special relationship with Britain
54:39uh and and he's going to and that
54:40reflects in in his first visit and the
54:43prime minister's first visit here he's
54:45had a great conversation with her uh and
54:47he looks forward to having her here but
54:49uh we can always be closer yes ma'am uh
54:52Jane with sign news what kind of
54:54relationship is Trump looking for to
54:57build with China after he withraw from
54:59TPP and on taiwan's issue what kind of
55:02stance he's going to make on Cross trade
55:05relations what's the last part please
55:07Taiwan cross trade relations well I I
55:10think on China he understands what a big
55:13Market that is for for us goods and
55:15services when he met with the head of
55:16Alibaba a couple weeks ago um that that
55:18was part of the point there's a huge
55:20Market issue there but in a large in
55:22many cases it's it's not a two-way
55:23street there's so many Chinese
55:25businesses and individuals frankly who
55:28can have ease of access in the United
55:30States to sell their goods or services
55:32and I think that whether or not you're
55:33talking about the financial services or
55:36the banking you know the the other
55:37service Industries or our manufacturing
55:39goods and services um or some of the IP
55:42problems that we have with China that
55:43it's it really is not a two-way street
55:45and so he understands the market that
55:47China has um and and our desire to
55:49further penetrate that market but he
55:51also recognizes there's a lot of
55:53concerns with how we are treated
55:55entering into China market and we need
55:57to to review that yes ma'am I think
55:59we're going to have further we have
56:00further updates on that yes ma'am
56:02Jessica St from cgtn welcome um question
56:07following on what she was asking about
56:08TPP you know part of the the thinking of
56:11TPP was to encircle China um
56:15economically and I wonder if the
56:17president has thought a little bit about
56:18what kind of bilateral relationships in
56:20the region and trade relationships would
56:22accomplish a similar goal and secondly I
56:24heard you talking about NAFTA and
56:26trigger but I didn't hear you say you
56:27had triggered the trigger we have not
56:29triggered the trigger hasn't happened uh
56:32but again I think we have an exist
56:34existing relationships with many of the
56:35countries that were part of the 12
56:37Nation makeup of TPP and I think we're
56:40going to continue to explore how we can
56:42in some cases strengthen those
56:43relationships or look for bilateral
56:45agreements with Nations that we didn't
56:47have one uh through TPP yes sir yeah
56:50Sean um congratulations Bob weer um a
56:54riter and Main Street Radio Network
56:56um Social Security and infrastructure on
56:59Social Security uh president will be
57:01meeting tonight with Congressional
57:02leaders what's he going to do given his
57:04campaign promise on not touching Social
57:06Security when Paul Ryan and Mitch
57:08McConnell sent him a bill that includes
57:10in a funding package uh various Cuts in
57:13Social Security and on infrastructure
57:15has it fallen off the radar screen or is
57:16it going to be stay a priority for the
57:18president so on Social Security he's
57:20going to talk to them I think he's been
57:21very clear what his priority is in terms
57:23of preserving and protecting um this
57:25really important benefit to our seniors
57:28um he understands I
57:29mean Mr Trump's employed so many people
57:32over the years he understands the
57:34struggle that people have later in life
57:36to continue to make ends meet and I
57:38think that he is a keen keenly aware of
57:41how important this program is to so many
57:43people um in their later years and so
57:45he's going to continue to fight to make
57:47sure that that's a program that is
57:49preserved and protected um and then on
57:53the give me infastructure infrastructure
57:55of course yes that definitely and he's
57:57continued to bring that up he talked
57:58with the business Executives today about
58:00how so many of our airports that are so
58:02important to our Commerce system getting
58:04planes to land in and out roads and
58:06their ability to truck things across the
58:08country even our freight system that if
58:10our infrastructure is not strong it
58:12inhibits our ability to have free
58:14Commerce it inhibits it drives up the
58:16cost of of of goods and services when
58:19someone's got to take a different route
58:20or is limited in the opportunities that
58:22they have because a Runway might be
58:24closed or it can't be expanded or a rail
58:26line breaks down or or you know highway
58:28is just not um the the wear and Terry
58:30puts on trucks or or shut down so
58:32infrastructure continues to be a huge
58:34priority for him yes sir yeah uh uh two
58:37questions uh the National Security
58:39Council the Staffing of the National
58:40Security Council when do you expect to
58:42have that those positions filled uh and
58:45we've got many of them filled many of
58:47them are I have to back you on the
58:48number but it's it's actually fairly
58:49robust right now uh there were a lot of
58:51holdovers uh but General Flynn has been
58:54working diligently with KT McFarland his
58:56deputy and others to make sure that
58:58that's filled out ready to go um he's
59:00had countless meetings with counterparts
59:03uh and had several folks detailed over
59:06but it's a very very uh robust effort
59:08from day one follow up to John John
59:10Carl's question um so are you retracting
59:12your claim on Saturday that it was the
59:14largest crowd in person for an
59:17inauguration well you said that this was
59:19the largest audience to ever witness an
59:21inauguration period both in person and
59:24around the globe right to both in the
59:27globe yes in toal total audience it was
59:30in total audience but not simply in
59:33person but that's right but again I
59:35didn't say in person both in person and
59:38around the globe to witness it you're
59:40you're saying those together that no
59:42that's actually what I said it's not
59:45what I I don't know how you can
59:46interpret it differently that's
59:48literally what I said to witness it in
59:51person and around the globe total
59:53audience yes but not in person
59:56hold on but but but not but you're
59:58saying here just to clarify you're not
1:00:01saying and you weren't saying on
1:00:02Saturday that it was the largest
1:00:03inaugural crowd in person I am not I am
1:00:06saying that it was the total largest
1:00:09audience witnessed in person and around
1:00:12the globe yes sir CBS just go back to
1:00:16one
1:00:17other are telling CBS News those with
1:00:20knowledge of who is in the room in the
1:00:22lobby of the CIA that senior leadership
1:00:25were not among those hooting and
1:00:26hollering and that there were some 40
1:00:29people who were in the first front rows
1:00:31who were uh brought in by Trump and
1:00:34Pence and Pompeo I'd like to give you a
1:00:36chance to respond to that reporting I
1:00:37don't think that's accurate at all in
1:00:38fact I think if you listen to the audio
1:00:40of it you can hear the excitement that
1:00:42exists there there were some people that
1:00:44had to be off camera for obvious reasons
1:00:46but I think when you looked at the
1:00:47number of people that were there the
1:00:49audio alone tells tell you know speaks
1:00:51volumes to what had happened um I don't
1:00:54I don't think that there's any question
1:00:55about that so the people in the in the
1:00:57front who were seat on camera those were
1:00:58CIA employees I I honestly I don't have
1:01:01a seating chart um I think we had a very
1:01:03small foot print going over there I
1:01:05don't know exactly who went over but I I
1:01:07don't know maybe 10 people most Sarah
1:01:10was it 10 we're in our we're in the
1:01:13travel going over so 10 or 400 but the
1:01:18people the people were in the front rows
1:01:19those were CIA employees some prob some
1:01:23some so some we not I'm sure we seated I
1:01:26don't I I can't say I look I'm not
1:01:28really sure why this matters I mean 10
1:01:30people didn't yell that loud just but
1:01:32you know youting and holling yeah they
1:01:35were there's not this Rift between the
1:01:36intelligence community and the president
1:01:38cuz senior authorities within the
1:01:40intelligence Community are telling CBS
1:01:42news that they're uncomfortable with
1:01:43that portrayal and and the notion that
1:01:45people within the CIA were reporting I
1:01:47all I can do is tell you to listen to
1:01:49the tape alone I think you can hear a
1:01:50lot of that yes Sean a couple questions
1:01:54if I I could I know You' here for a
1:01:55while has the president formerly
1:01:56requested or received um Pentagon advice
1:01:59on how he could change the campaign
1:02:01against the Islamic State uh I think he
1:02:03has ordered it uh he's going to as I
1:02:05mentioned he'll be at the Department of
1:02:07Defense on Friday to swear in uh General
1:02:09Mattis as the next secretary well to you
1:02:12know go through the ceremony of that uh
1:02:14he is obviously the Secretary of Defense
1:02:16uh and so um you know at that time he
1:02:20will continue to have conversations
1:02:22about what he wants from from them and
1:02:24The Joint Chiefs
1:02:27follow yes I I don't I don't mean to
1:02:29beat a dead horse on the issue of the US
1:02:31Embassy in Israel can you uh at the end
1:02:35of the president's first four years
1:02:38assum at the end of the next four years
1:02:40will the United States Embassy be in
1:02:42Jerusalem well I I think I've answered
1:02:44it twice now I we are at the early
1:02:46stages in this decision-making process
1:02:48it's not whether it's when and how I I
1:02:51there's a reason you go through a
1:02:52decision-making process and that's what
1:02:54we're in the process of starting right
1:02:56now so I just don't want to get ahead of
1:02:58it would if it was already a decision
1:03:00that we wouldn't going through a process
1:03:02okay I I just answered the thanks Julie
1:03:04Jim uh first of all congratulations and
1:03:07uh thanks for taking the question um
1:03:09getting back to uh Saturday at the CIA
1:03:12and and your statement here at the
1:03:14podium why make uh this crowds side
1:03:17issue or crowd siiz issue something to
1:03:19talk about at all and why get into it um
1:03:23did it bother the president that much
1:03:25that he felt that you needed to come out
1:03:27here and straighten that out for us and
1:03:30and why did he choose the CIA as the
1:03:32venue uh to talk about that um so two
1:03:36things one I just got handed a note all
1:03:37of the people were not no no one in the
1:03:39front row was Trump they were all CIA
1:03:41row that's what you asked first three
1:03:44rows okay I'll find out who the other
1:03:46two were I'm sorry I just got you the
1:03:48front row give me a second I'll get the
1:03:49second and the third you we going to get
1:03:51to the fourth or fifth or okay so let me
1:03:53see what I can do um
1:03:56look I think one of the things that
1:03:58happened Jim was that he kept hearing
1:04:00about this riff that existed um he
1:04:03talked about it a couple weeks ago after
1:04:04his briefing how proud he is and how
1:04:06much he respects the intelligence
1:04:08community and I think when he walked
1:04:11into that and he saw it he wanted to
1:04:13make sure that people knew that what
1:04:14you're hearing on television or in
1:04:16reports about this Rift I I I have the
1:04:19utmost respect for you I honor your
1:04:21service I'm proud of what you're doing
1:04:23and the sacrifices that you're making
1:04:25and I think that he wanted them to know
1:04:27that you see and hear all this stuff on
1:04:29TV about this Rift that so-called exists
1:04:32and clearly it doesn't matter like don't
1:04:34believe what you're hearing know that I
1:04:36I I have a tremendous amount of respect
1:04:38for you I appreciate everything that
1:04:40you're doing and I think that's why you
1:04:41wanted to do it is to make sure that
1:04:43they understand they heard firsthand how
1:04:45much he respects them how much he wanted
1:04:47to dispel the myth that there was a
1:04:49quote unquote Rift but but in terms of
1:04:51the crowd size issue why bring that up
1:04:53at the CIA and why did you come out
1:04:55Saturday afternoon to talk about that
1:04:56did he tell you Sean I'm upset about
1:04:58this I want you to come out I'm not
1:05:00going to get into conversations that I
1:05:01have with the president but I will tell
1:05:02you that it's not it's not just about a
1:05:04crowd size it's about this constant you
1:05:07know he's not going to run then if he
1:05:09runs he's going to drop out then if he
1:05:10runs he can't win there's no way he can
1:05:12win Pennsylvania there's no way he can
1:05:13win Michigan then if you won it's oh he
1:05:15didn't there is this constant theme to
1:05:18undercut the enormous support that he
1:05:20has and I think it's just unbelievably
1:05:23frustrating when you're continually told
1:05:26it's not big enough it's not good enough
1:05:27you can't win hold on let me because I I
1:05:31think it's important he's gone out there
1:05:33and defied the odds over and over and
1:05:35over again and he keeps getting told
1:05:37what he can't do by this narrative
1:05:40that's out there and he exceeds it every
1:05:41single time and I think there's an
1:05:44overall frustration when you open when
1:05:46you turn on the television over and over
1:05:47again and get told that there's this
1:05:49narrative that you didn't win you
1:05:51weren't going to run you can't pick up
1:05:53this state that's not you know that
1:05:54that's a fool Aaron to go to
1:05:56Pennsylvania why is he in Michigan how
1:05:58silly they'll never vote for him a
1:06:00republican hasn't won that state since
1:06:0188 and then he goes and he does it and
1:06:03then what's the next narrative well it
1:06:04must have been because of this he didn't
1:06:06win that and then oh people aren't
1:06:08attending your thing or John Lewis is is
1:06:10the first person to skip his
1:06:11inauguration not true and over and over
1:06:14again the MLK bust I I think over and
1:06:16over again there's this constant attempt
1:06:19to undermine his credibility and the
1:06:22movement that he represents and it's
1:06:23frustrating for not just him but I think
1:06:26so many of us that are trying to work to
1:06:28get this message out and and it's and
1:06:30and so I mentioned this to Jonathan but
1:06:31part of this is a two-way street like we
1:06:35we want it we want to have a healthy
1:06:37dialogue not just with you but with the
1:06:38American people because he's fighting
1:06:40for jobs he's fighting to make this
1:06:41country safer but when you're constantly
1:06:43getting told that can't be true we doubt
1:06:46that you can do this this won't happen
1:06:48and that's the narrative when you turn
1:06:50on television every single day it's a
1:06:52little frustrating and I think that for
1:06:54those people around him his senior team
1:06:56especially but so many of the other
1:06:58folks that are either here in the
1:06:59administration they gave up their time
1:07:01during the transition they left a job to
1:07:04work for three or four weeks because
1:07:05they're so committed to having his
1:07:07nominees get through it's a little
1:07:09demoralizing to turn on the TV day after
1:07:11day and here can't do this this guy's
1:07:13not going to get confirmed no way
1:07:14they're going to go through it isn't
1:07:16that just part of the the conversation
1:07:18that happens in Washington that comes
1:07:20with being president of the United
1:07:21States and looking at the White House no
1:07:23I I look I've been doing this a long
1:07:24time you've been doing this too I've
1:07:26never seen it like this Jim I I've never
1:07:29and again I'm not I I'm not looking to
1:07:32to go back and forth but you're asking
1:07:33for an explanation and I think that it's
1:07:35important to understand that whether
1:07:37it's it's the president himself the vice
1:07:40president the senior team the volunteers
1:07:44or the people who are out there just you
1:07:46know in America that voted for them or
1:07:47walked the streets or put up a sign that
1:07:50to constantly told no no no and to watch
1:07:53him go yes yes yes every time and to
1:07:56come up to the next hurtle and see
1:07:57someone put a block up gets a little
1:07:59frustrating and I think that we are and
1:08:01and so you see this historic thing and
1:08:04he stands there at the capital and I was
1:08:06not that close but you know on the
1:08:08platform and you look out and you all
1:08:10you're you're it's an amazing view and
1:08:12it's just so many people who got in long
1:08:15lines who had to go around all this
1:08:17different stuff to get in and that was
1:08:19for the first time that we did have to
1:08:21go through fencing um that far out and
1:08:25and then to hear well look at this shot
1:08:27and it's not that it wasn't that big
1:08:29it's a little demoralizing because when
1:08:31you're sitting there and you're looking
1:08:32out and you you're in awe of just how
1:08:34awesome that view is and how many people
1:08:36are there and you go back and you turn
1:08:38on the television and you see shots of
1:08:40comparing this and that I mean you know
1:08:43and then you look at the stuff that's
1:08:44happening the nominees that get put out
1:08:46the Democrats stopping there are two
1:08:49cabinet officials ladies and gentlemen
1:08:51that are taking their office today he
1:08:53visited the CIA and a director that was
1:08:55was considered a consensus candidate
1:08:57wasn't approved where's the story and I
1:09:01think that so criticism that you've got
1:09:03bigger fish to fry like why worry about
1:09:05a couple of tweets about crowd sizes not
1:09:08because that's what I'm saying you're
1:09:09minimizing the point here Jim it's not
1:09:12about one tweet it's not about one
1:09:15picture it's about a constant theme it's
1:09:18about sitting here every time and being
1:09:21told no well we don't think he can do
1:09:23that he'll never accomplish that he
1:09:25can't win that it won't be the biggest
1:09:27it's not going to be that good the
1:09:28crowds aren't that big he's not that
1:09:30successful The Narrative and the the the
1:09:33default narrative is always negative and
1:09:36it's demoralizing and I think that when
1:09:38you sit here and you realize the
1:09:39sacrifice the guy made of leaving a very
1:09:42very successful business because he
1:09:44really cares about this country and he
1:09:46wants to despite your partisan
1:09:48differences he cares about making this
1:09:50country better for everybody he wants to
1:09:53make it safer for everybody and so when
1:09:54you wake up every day and that's what
1:09:56you're seeing over and over again and
1:09:58you're not seeing stories about the the
1:10:01cabinet folks that he's poting or the
1:10:02success that he's having trying to keep
1:10:04American jobs here yeah it is a little
1:10:06disappointing so I just it's you know
1:10:10not always going to be positive no it's
1:10:12not and sometimes we'll make mistakes I
1:10:13promise you that but it's not always got
1:10:16to be negative Jim some days we do do
1:10:18the right thing some days we are we are
1:10:22successful so it's not it's part of the
1:10:25this is saying when we're right say
1:10:27we're right when we're wrong say we're
1:10:29wrong but it's not always wrong and
1:10:32negative there are things there's a lot
1:10:34of things that he's done already a lot
1:10:36of amazing people he's appointed a lot
1:10:38of success that he's having and it would
1:10:40be once nice once in a while for someone
1:10:42just to say report it straight up he he
1:10:45appointed this P person here's their
1:10:47background not why they're not going to
1:10:49get nominated not why it's not going to
1:10:51happen
1:10:54so one last thing hold on I can't I know
1:10:58we're getting really into like facts so
1:11:00uh just to be clear there were no Trump
1:11:02or White House folks sitting down they
1:11:04were all in the CIA to us so not in rows
1:11:08one through anything from what I'm
1:11:11told I appreciate Julie's effort but I
1:11:13wanted I've got John you got one so Sean
1:11:17aou a couple of questions for you if you
1:11:19don't mind first one on Russia um the
1:11:20administration was asked about multiple
1:11:22interactions between National Security
1:11:23adviser Mike Flynn and uh a Russian
1:11:26Ambassador I believe you at the time the
1:11:28administration at the time said it the
1:11:29calls were related to setting up a
1:11:31discussion between President Trump and
1:11:34Vladimir Putin were those conversations
1:11:36about anything else other than setting
1:11:38up that discussion and why has that
1:11:39discussion not yet happened between the
1:11:41president president pu so there's been
1:11:43one call I talked to U General Flynn
1:11:46about this again last night one call
1:11:49talks about four subjects one was the uh
1:11:53loss of life that occurred in the plane
1:11:54crash that took their military choir two
1:11:57was Christmas and holiday greetings um
1:12:00three was to facilitate or to talk about
1:12:03a conference in Syria on Isis and four
1:12:05was to set up a to talk about after the
1:12:08inauguration setting up a call between
1:12:10President Putin and president Trump um
1:12:13that I don't believe that that has been
1:12:15set up yet because the call was to say
1:12:18after they did follow up I'm sorry two
1:12:19days ago about how to facilitate that
1:12:22call once again so there have been a
1:12:24total of two calls calls with the
1:12:26Ambassador and general Flynn and the
1:12:29second call came I think it's now 3 days
1:12:31ago that was to say once he gets into
1:12:33office can we set up that call it hasn't
1:12:36to my knowledge has not occurred yet any
1:12:38other conversations between General
1:12:39Flynn and Russian members of the
1:12:40government not that I'm aware of and
1:12:42when I say that what I'm saying is
1:12:44during the transition I asked General
1:12:45Flynn that whether or not there were any
1:12:47other conversations beyond the
1:12:48Ambassador and he said no and then one
1:12:50more follow up on Julie's question from
1:12:51earlier on a statement that the
1:12:52president made on Saturday can you and I
1:12:54just want to clarify your answer here
1:12:56can you unequivocally state that this
1:12:57Administration will not send more troops
1:13:00into Iraq to as the president has put it
1:13:02take the oil I'm not going to talk about
1:13:04what we may or may not do I think the
1:13:06president's been very clear that he
1:13:07doesn't Telegraph forward what taking
1:13:10options off the table that's not a good
1:13:11negotiating skill that's not how he
1:13:13works there's a reason he's been
1:13:14successful at negotiating is because he
1:13:16does it in a way that doesn't Telegraph
1:13:18to people what he's going to take honor
1:13:19off the table Jeff Mason uh where's the
1:13:23president's thinking now on the Supreme
1:13:24Court is closer to to naming some
1:13:27nominees um and in a followup
1:13:29to a nominee narrowing down his nominees
1:13:33I should have said okay um and at the
1:13:35end of the Obama Administration the
1:13:37number of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay
1:13:38was reduced to about 40 right what are
1:13:40the president's plans for that prison so
1:13:43uh on the first I I think that in the
1:13:45next week or so we should have an update
1:13:47on a nominee for the Supreme Court um
1:13:50that a nomination it it does I I think
1:13:53we'll have a nomination within the next
1:13:55couple weeks um he continues to make
1:13:57that a priority of his um on GMO um I
1:14:00think you're going to see further action
1:14:02I don't want to get ahead of the
1:14:03president but this is something that has
1:14:04been discussed and is it is in his
1:14:07current decision-making process um how
1:14:09he wants to handle that follow the CIA
1:14:11issue if I can just last one more you
1:14:13said that the president disagreed with
1:14:15the characterization of a rift with the
1:14:17intelligence Community right do do you
1:14:19dispute though his tweet about comparing
1:14:21intelligence Community to Nazi Germany I
1:14:23no I think how what he was talking about
1:14:25was the process not the people and
1:14:27that's a very different thing Shane I
1:14:29want to ask three months ago then
1:14:31candidate Trump was in Gettysburg and he
1:14:32made a whole list of uh day one promises
1:14:35uh he called it a contract with the
1:14:36American voters a bunch of them are not
1:14:38going to get done today because you said
1:14:39he's done with making executive orders
1:14:42uh labeling China uh a currency
1:14:44manipulator imposing Congressional term
1:14:46limits or opposing that I want to ask
1:14:48you why not pursue all those on day one
1:14:50as he promised in a contract with the
1:14:52voters well I think he is we're going to
1:14:54continue to sequence those out I think
1:14:56part of it is to make sure that we don't
1:14:58spend our entire day signing executive
1:15:00orders and bringing you in there's a way
1:15:02that we can do this to make sure that
1:15:03we're getting all of those things that
1:15:05he promised the American people done in
1:15:07short haste uh and doing it in a way
1:15:09that doesn't just Jam them out in a fire
1:15:11hose and I think part of this is to
1:15:13ensuring that we sequence these that
1:15:15gives the American people the proper the
1:15:18issue the proper attention that they
1:15:20deserve because part of it is that when
1:15:22if we put them all out on one day um
1:15:24they they lose they get lost in The
1:15:26Ether I think and I think he made these
1:15:28promises and pledges to the American
1:15:30people because they're important to him
1:15:32um so he still plans to do everything on
1:15:35that day one list though that's his
1:15:36intention yeah he's very clear about
1:15:38that yes sir is the president going to
1:15:39shake up the leadership of cfpb before
1:15:42the director's term is up I'm not going
1:15:44to no decision has been made at this
1:15:45time on that Kristen Welker thank you
1:15:47very much Sean uh one on Obamacare has
1:15:50he finished his plan on Obamacare when
1:15:52will the American people see that and
1:15:54then on can you just clarify I know he's
1:15:57going to meet with the leaders of Mexico
1:15:59and Canada has he started to have
1:16:00discussions with them currently about
1:16:03reating
1:16:04that um on Obamacare I think he's going
1:16:06to continue the discussion tonight um
1:16:09with with speaker Ryan in particular at
1:16:10the meeting that he's going to have
1:16:11after the reception um when it comes to
1:16:15um the the I'm sorry the other part was
1:16:18NAFTA NAA um there there's he he
1:16:21discussed um on the phone with both
1:16:24leaders
1:16:25his desire to reform it but obviously uh
1:16:28his goal was to have that discussion
1:16:30when they come in person and I think I
1:16:31mentioned yesterday the foreign minister
1:16:33of Mexico is going to come on the 25th
1:16:3426th to sort of uh set the table and
1:16:37have some of those meetings ahead of um
1:16:40of President pinetta's uh meeting
1:16:45here now that he's officially in office
1:16:48don't they Des well again he's been this
1:16:51is his first working day I think it's
1:16:53been pretty busy and robust not just
1:16:54today but in the two and a half other
1:16:56days that we had and I think you're
1:16:58going to see um a lot more come come out
1:17:01but you know there's a lot of things
1:17:03that have to get done and a lot of
1:17:04things that we're working on as a staff
1:17:06to get him prepared he's going to
1:17:07continue to have very very robust weeks
1:17:09thank you guys I appreciate it this was
1:17:11a good first
1:17:15one go
1:17:19ahead
1:17:20congratulations conat theid who made
1:17:23history coming from the business
1:17:25my question last two days I have gone to
1:17:28number of balls Asian balls including
1:17:30Asian ameran and Indian ameran balls and
1:17:33most of those people were supporting
1:17:35president um um for his actions and also
1:17:39trade and but most important cross the
1:17:42street from us India Business Council
1:17:45mes AI he represent 500 Fortune
1:17:49companies to and from India and he said
1:17:53that his companies supporting so my
1:17:56question is that where do we go as far
1:17:57as us India and US Asia us India bus
1:18:01relations are concerned I like I go
1:18:03thank you for the question
1:18:05um I I think that whether it's India uh
1:18:09or other countries throughout the globe
1:18:10today as I mentioned I mean the goal is
1:18:12to figure out uh countries and markets
1:18:14that we want to access that benefit the
1:18:16American worker help us grow
1:18:17manufacturing the services industry um
1:18:20and so that's one area that we'll
1:18:21continue to work with prime minister
1:18:22there on but we've we've got a very
1:18:23robust agenda thank you guys it's been a
1:18:25pleasure God bless see you
1:18:30tomorrow will it be long I think it's
1:18:33open right
1:18:34now long

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