Sean Spicer Full Press Conference | ABC News — Transcript
Full transcript
- 0:08good afternoon everyone thanks for
- 0:10coming out to our first official
- 0:11briefing here in The Brady room uh I was
- 0:14going to start with a little recap of
- 0:15the inauguration but I think we've
- 0:16covered that pretty well
- 0:18um by the way just as I get started uh I
- 0:21know that Josh Earnest was voted the
- 0:23most popular press secretary by the
- 0:24Press Corps so after reading checking my
- 0:27Twitter feed I shot Josh an email last
- 0:30night letting him know that he can rest
- 0:31easy that his title is secure for at
- 0:33least the next few days
- 0:35uh let me Begin by saying that the
- 0:37president has been closely monitoring
- 0:38the severe weather in the Southeast he
- 0:40spoke by phone with Governor deal of
- 0:42Georgia yesterday and offered his
- 0:44condolences and support today president
- 0:46Trump is focused on fulfilling his
- 0:48pledge to pursue trade policies that put
- 0:50America first
- 0:51the president began his day with a
- 0:52breakfast with key U.S Business Leaders
- 0:55where the focus of the discussion was on
- 0:57job creation and growing our
- 0:58manufacturing base Business Leaders who
- 1:01attended included Michael Dell the
- 1:03founder and CEO of Dell Jeff fedig the
- 1:05CEO of Whirlpool Mark Fields the CEO of
- 1:08Ford Alex Gorski the CEO of Johnson and
- 1:11Johnson Marilyn Houston the CEO of
- 1:14Lockheed Martin Klaus kleinfield the CEO
- 1:17of arconic Andrew liveris the CEO of Dao
- 1:20Mario Lange the CEO of U.S steel Elon
- 1:23Musk of SpaceX and Tesla Kevin plank of
- 1:27Under Armor Mark Sutton of International
- 1:29Paper Wendell weeks the CEO of Corning
- 1:32Chief of Staff reince priebus Chief
- 1:35strategist Steve Bannon the vice
- 1:37president's Chief of Staff Josh pitcock
- 1:39and Senior advisor Stephen Miller the
- 1:42breakfast was an opportunity for the
- 1:44president to hear directly from
- 1:46America's Top Business Leaders about the
- 1:48challenges they're facing and take some
- 1:50suggestions about what policies and
- 1:52action can be taken to help them create
- 1:54jobs and grow our manufacturing base the
- 1:57meeting included a really great exchange
- 1:59of ideas that the and the president has
- 2:01decided to reconvene the group in a
- 2:03month and then have them meet on a
- 2:05quarterly basis as you know the
- 2:07president's vision is to negotiate fair
- 2:09trade deals that could create jobs
- 2:10increase American wages and reduce
- 2:13Americans trade deficit he's appointed a
- 2:16tough tough and smart number of trade
- 2:18experts who will fight on behalf of
- 2:21American workers with that vision in
- 2:23mind the president has already taken
- 2:24several steps today first he issued a
- 2:27presidential memorandum withdrawing the
- 2:29United States from the trans-pacific
- 2:31partnership TPP is a multilateral
- 2:34agreement that includes the United
- 2:35States and 11 other countries as the
- 2:38president has said many times this type
- 2:40of multinational agreement is not in our
- 2:42best interest and he's moving quickly to
- 2:44advance train policies that increase the
- 2:47competitiveness of the American worker
- 2:48and manufacturer this executive action
- 2:51ushers in a new era of U.S trade policy
- 2:53in which the Trump Administration will
- 2:55pursue bilateral trade opportunities
- 2:57with allies around the Grove this is a
- 3:00strong signal that the Trump
- 3:01Administration wants free and fair trade
- 3:04throughout the world Additionally the
- 3:07President issued a memorandum
- 3:08re-establishing the Mexico City policy
- 3:10stating that the United States will end
- 3:12the use of taxpayer dollars to fund
- 3:14abortions overseas along with coercive
- 3:17abortion and sterilation sterilization
- 3:19practices finally the President issued a
- 3:21memorandum outlining executive branch
- 3:24hiring this memorandum counters the
- 3:26dramatic expansion of the federal
- 3:28Workforce in recent years in particular
- 3:30it prevents filling vacant positions and
- 3:33creating new positions except when
- 3:35necessary to meet National or public
- 3:37security responsibilities it does not
- 3:40apply to military personnel and it
- 3:42ensures that the American taxpayers get
- 3:44effective and efficient government
- 3:46earlier in the day the president spoke
- 3:48with Egyptian president ellisisi they
- 3:51discussed ways to deepen the bilateral
- 3:52relationship and support Egypt's fight
- 3:54against terrorists and bolster Egypt's
- 3:56homegrown and historic economic reform
- 3:58program president Trump underscored the
- 4:01United States remained strongly
- 4:02committed to the bilateral relationship
- 4:04which has helped both countries overcome
- 4:06challenges in the region for decades the
- 4:09president committed to working
- 4:10continuing with military assistance to
- 4:12Egypt and working with Egypt to ensure
- 4:14that assistance most effectively
- 4:16supports the Egyptian military's fight
- 4:18against terrorism the President also
- 4:20commended president aliceisi for his
- 4:22courageous steps to address Egypt's
- 4:24economic challenges and offer to discuss
- 4:26ways the United States could support
- 4:27Egypt's economic reform program finally
- 4:30the two leaders discussed a visit to the
- 4:32United States in the future the
- 4:34president then had lunch with the vice
- 4:35president where they recapped this
- 4:37morning's meetings and discuss next
- 4:38steps they also had discussed plans to
- 4:41advance the president's legislative
- 4:42agenda to make America safer and more
- 4:45prosperous also today the Pres resident
- 4:47side designations for acting heads of
- 4:49executive departments and agencies to
- 4:51maintain continuity in those critical
- 4:53positions at three o'clock union leaders
- 4:56and front-line workers will meet with
- 4:57the president to discuss his pro-worker
- 5:00agenda attendees include Tom Flynn of
- 5:03the United Brotherhood of Carpenters
- 5:04Sean McGarvey president of the North
- 5:06American Building and construction
- 5:07trades Department Terry O'Sullivan
- 5:10General president of the Labor's
- 5:11International Union of America of North
- 5:13America
- 5:14Mark McManus the general president of
- 5:17the United Association Donald Mullins
- 5:19Steamfitters United Association Local
- 5:21602 Frank Spencer United Brotherhood
- 5:25Carpenters Doug McCarron General
- 5:27president United Brotherhood of
- 5:28Carpenters Mark Coles of Iron Workers
- 5:31Local five Joseph sellers Jr the general
- 5:34president of the sheet metal workers
- 5:36union smart Union Thelma M Mata the heat
- 5:39and frost insulators and Allied Workers
- 5:42Local 24 Mark yerkowski United
- 5:45Association local five Stephen Dodd the
- 5:48sheet metal workers union smart Union
- 5:50Gary messino the sheet metal workers
- 5:53union smart Union the president has been
- 5:55honored to receive tremendous support
- 5:57from Union working men and women on
- 5:59Election Day and he's dedicated to
- 6:01growing and deepening their support and
- 6:03he made it a priority to meet with these
- 6:05union workers on our working day one
- 6:07here in the White House the offshoring
- 6:10of American jobs and lack of economic
- 6:11growth in recent years has hit American
- 6:13workers particularly hard art and the
- 6:16president's top priority is to retain
- 6:17and attract American jobs which have
- 6:19already seen happening through his
- 6:21actions on Carrier Sprint General Motors
- 6:23and so many more
- 6:25at five o'clock the president will host
- 6:26a bicameral bipartisan meeting with
- 6:28leaders here at the White House that
- 6:30will include the vice president the
- 6:32Senate Majority Leader the Senate
- 6:33Majority Whip the Senate minority leader
- 6:35the Senate minority whip the house
- 6:37Speaker the House Majority Leader the
- 6:39house Democratic leader the house
- 6:41Democratic whip uh the white house chief
- 6:43of staff our chief strategist Chief of
- 6:45Staff to the vice president and Chiefs
- 6:47of Staff from those respective offices
- 6:49the purpose of the meeting is to get the
- 6:51president's agenda moving through
- 6:52Congress the American people are
- 6:54frustrated with the lack of progress
- 6:55here in Washington and the president
- 6:57wants no delay in addressing our most
- 6:59pressing issues he's taking every step
- 7:01opportunity
- 7:02to afford strong bonds with
- 7:04Congressional leaders on both sides of
- 7:06the aisle one of the other subjects
- 7:07that's sure to come up is the status of
- 7:09his nominees during this meeting it's
- 7:10important to note that at this point in
- 7:122009 President Obama had spot seven of
- 7:15his nominees confirmed on day one and
- 7:18five more in the first week as it stands
- 7:21today we have two Democrats even held up
- 7:24the confirmation of CIA director Mike
- 7:26Pompeo needlessly leaving one of our
- 7:28most important national security
- 7:29agencies without its top leader on day
- 7:32one it's time for Senate Democrats to
- 7:34stop playing political games with the
- 7:36core functions of government and to
- 7:38allow president Trump's unquestionally
- 7:40qualified and talented group of cabinet
- 7:42nominees to get to work on behalf of the
- 7:44American people rounding out today's
- 7:46schedule after the reception that I
- 7:49mentioned he will have dinner with uh we
- 7:51have a meeting with the house Speaker
- 7:52Paul Ryan they will discuss the
- 7:54Republican legislative agenda and
- 7:56strategy going forward early in the day
- 7:58the president nominated former New
- 8:00Mexico congresswoman Heather Wilson as
- 8:02the next Secretary of the Air Force she
- 8:04grew up in Keene New Hampshire and made
- 8:05history as part of the third U.S Air
- 8:08Force Academy class that included women
- 8:10she earned her master's degree in
- 8:12doctoral degrees as a Rhodes scholar at
- 8:14Oxford in England and then served as an
- 8:16Air Force officer in Europe during the
- 8:18Cold War and on the National Security
- 8:20Office under President George H.W bush
- 8:23as you know we are all about big
- 8:25viewerships and large audiences here so
- 8:28I want to tell you about an effort that
- 8:30we're undertaking here in the Press
- 8:31briefing room to offer up more access to
- 8:34a group of journalists from around the
- 8:35country beginning later this week I'm
- 8:37excited to announce that we're going to
- 8:39have four what we call Skype seats live
- 8:41here in the briefing room this will open
- 8:43up the briefing to journalists who live
- 8:45beyond 50 miles of the Washington DC
- 8:47area and and to organizations that don't
- 8:49currently have a hard pass as always any
- 8:51organization is welcome to apply for a
- 8:53day pass
- 8:54but we're excited to open up into the
- 8:56field and fold here a diverse group of
- 8:58journalists from around the country who
- 8:59may not have the convenience or funding
- 9:01to travel to Washington I think this can
- 9:03benefit us all by giving a platform to
- 9:05voices that are not necessarily based
- 9:08here in the Beltway looking ahead the
- 9:10president will have a breakfast uh
- 9:12tomorrow with the Auto industry
- 9:14including heads of GM Chrysler and Ford
- 9:16uh he looks forward to hearing their
- 9:18ideas on how we can work together to
- 9:20bring more jobs back to this industry in
- 9:22particular on Wednesday the president
- 9:24will host a swearing-in ceremony from
- 9:26Inlet from income from new Secretary of
- 9:29Homeland Security uh General James Kelly
- 9:33John Kelly and then on Friday he will do
- 9:35the same for secretary Mattis at the
- 9:37Department of Defense on Thursday he
- 9:40will travel to Philadelphia to attend
- 9:42the Republican House and Senate Retreat
- 9:44and on Friday he will welcome his first
- 9:46foreign head of state British prime
- 9:49minister May with that I look forward to
- 9:51taking your questions Daniel Halper new
- 9:54a post
- 10:01when will you start building on the
- 10:03border wall I think if the president has
- 10:04noted uh that this was a serious
- 10:06priority of his throughout the campaign
- 10:08he's already started to work with
- 10:10Congress on the on the Appropriations
- 10:11Avenue of that and so he is doing
- 10:13everything he can to direct agencies and
- 10:16Congress to commence with that work as
- 10:17soon as possible
- 10:19with Obamacare are you guys been forcing
- 10:21the Mandate or not you're forcing the
- 10:22Mandate yes yes Obamacare mandate Kelly
- 10:25I think look the president has made it
- 10:27clear that he's going to work with
- 10:28Congress to and part of the discussion
- 10:30that he's going to have tonight uh with
- 10:32with some of these leaders and then
- 10:33again with Paul Ryan is how we can work
- 10:36to implement both the repeal and replace
- 10:38aspects of this Jennifer Wishin
- 10:44the president could have taken today he
- 10:45chose to reinstate the Mexico City
- 10:47policy what message is he sending here
- 10:49does he see the elimination uh reduction
- 10:52of abortions as an American value and
- 10:55also here at home can pro-life Americans
- 10:57expect him to put his signature on
- 10:59legislation that will defund Planned
- 11:01Parenthood well I think the president
- 11:03it's no secret has made himself made it
- 11:05very clear that he's a pro-life
- 11:06president he wants to stand up for all
- 11:09Americans including The Unborn and I
- 11:11think the reinstatement of this policy
- 11:13is not just something that Echoes that
- 11:16value but respects taxpayer funding as
- 11:18well and ensures that we're standing up
- 11:19not just for for Life For Life For The
- 11:22Unborn but for also taxpayer funds that
- 11:26are being spent overseas to perform an
- 11:27action that is contrary to the values of
- 11:30this President
- 11:31um and and I think continue to further
- 11:33illustrate not just to the folks here in
- 11:35this country but around the world of
- 11:37what a value we place on life
- 11:39Jennifer Rodriguez
- 11:41Janet I'm sorry
- 11:51and uh when can we expect that to happen
- 11:54and also when can we expect the White
- 11:56House Spanish site to be back up
- 11:58okay two questions let me start with the
- 12:01the latter first uh as you know
- 12:04uh we we got the grow we hit the ground
- 12:06running on day one uh there was a lot to
- 12:08do and we had done a lot of work on the
- 12:09website to make sure uh that we were
- 12:11prepared to get as much information up
- 12:13as as fast as possible we are continuing
- 12:15to build out the website both in the
- 12:17area of the issue areas and then that
- 12:19area but but we've got the I.T folks
- 12:21working overtime right now uh to
- 12:23continue to get all of that up to speed
- 12:24and and trust me it's just going to take
- 12:26a little bit more time but we'll work in
- 12:28piece by piece to get that done on the
- 12:30dock a piece uh I think the president's
- 12:32been clear that he's going to prioritize
- 12:34the areas of dealing with the
- 12:36immigration system both building the
- 12:38wall and making sure that we address
- 12:39people who are in this country illegally
- 12:41first and foremost the president's been
- 12:43very very clear that we need to direct
- 12:45agencies to focus on those who are in
- 12:46this country illegally and have a record
- 12:48uh that uh a criminal record or pose a
- 12:52threat to the American people that's
- 12:54where the priority is going to be and
- 12:55then we're going to continue to work
- 12:57through the entire uh number of folks
- 13:00that are here legally but right now the
- 13:02clear focus is on that sure play firm
- 13:05and Fox Business I want to ask you two
- 13:07questions
- 13:10uh the president campaigned on the
- 13:12corporate tax cut rate of 15 and today
- 13:15when he met with the Business Leaders he
- 13:17had mentioned that the tax rate would
- 13:19drop to somewhere between 15 to 20
- 13:21percent is soon moving the goal post
- 13:23there in any way and my second question
- 13:25is on government spending there have
- 13:27been reports that you might be looking
- 13:29at 10 trillion dollars over the course
- 13:31of 10 years is that accurate and would
- 13:34you be willing to wrap up entitlements
- 13:36to get them well I think first
- 13:38um well I'll take the other one first on
- 13:40entitlements or on spending look I think
- 13:42you saw this with the hiring freeze
- 13:44there's been frankly to some degree a
- 13:46lack of respect for taxpayer dollars in
- 13:48this town for a long time and I think
- 13:49what the president's showing through the
- 13:51hiring freeze first and foremost today
- 13:53is that we've got to respect the
- 13:54American taxpayer they're sending us a
- 13:56ton of money they're working real hard
- 13:57some people are working two three jobs
- 13:59just to get by and to see money get
- 14:01wasted in Washington on a job that is
- 14:03duplicative is insulting to the hard
- 14:06work that they do to pay their taxes and
- 14:08I think that that comes in to your
- 14:10question in overall spending as well
- 14:13we've got to look at how we're spending
- 14:15the American people's tax department tax
- 14:17money and so what the work that the
- 14:18landing teams have been doing is going
- 14:21into these agencies and departments and
- 14:23talking about ways that we can create
- 14:25greater efficiencies
- 14:27eliminate duplicity and find maximize
- 14:30the tax dollar so it's not it's more of
- 14:33a question instead of just cutting it's
- 14:35about how do we spend and respect the
- 14:37American taxpayer dollar more than
- 14:39anyone more more going forward April
- 14:41Ryan about 15 to 20 sorry oh I'm sorry
- 14:44look the the president's a very
- 14:47successful businessman and negotiator uh
- 14:49he's going to sit down and work with
- 14:50Congress to get the best deal possible
- 14:52for American businesses so that they can
- 14:54hire more people and we can expand and
- 14:56we can grow the economy so he's going to
- 14:58work with Congress on that rate but he
- 15:00understands better than anybody how to
- 15:01negotiate a great deal and right now
- 15:03he's going to negotiate the best deal on
- 15:05on behalf of of the American worker and
- 15:07on behalf of the American businesses
- 15:09that are hiring them that was a lot of
- 15:11the focus that went on today
- 15:13talking to these companies and it was
- 15:14interesting the the meeting was only
- 15:16supposed to last an hour it overflowed
- 15:17another hour in the Oval Office and he
- 15:19kept asking them what ideas do you have
- 15:21to grow this economy what is preventing
- 15:24you from hiring people what regulations
- 15:26are stopping you uh from conducting more
- 15:29business what's what are the ways that
- 15:32we can give you more Market access into
- 15:33you know other other countries around
- 15:35the globe and I think that's what his
- 15:37focus is going to continue to be is how
- 15:39do we create a tax and Regulatory
- 15:41environment that grows the economy and
- 15:43benefits the American worker so it's not
- 15:45just about creating more jobs but it's
- 15:47also about lifting up those jobs through
- 15:49higher wages April Ryan Sean a couple of
- 15:52questions if you allow me to take them
- 15:53as well Elijah Cummings Maryland
- 15:56Congressman Democratic Maryland
- 15:58Congressman confirmed that President
- 16:01Donald Trump talked to him at the
- 16:02luncheon about the high price of
- 16:04prescription drugs what is this meeting
- 16:06and uh going to be said or is it coming
- 16:09up soon and will the president be
- 16:11meeting with the full body of the
- 16:13Congressional Black Caucus as well as
- 16:14the Hispanic caucus on issues related to
- 16:17those communities okay let's take one at
- 16:20a time uh I'm not I'm not aware of the
- 16:23conversation I'm sure you've heard the
- 16:25president last couple weeks talk about
- 16:27the price of pharmaceutical drugs and
- 16:29the need to get those prices down and
- 16:32bring manufacturing back in the
- 16:34pharmaceutical industry to benefit the
- 16:36country so it's an issue that's going to
- 16:37he's going to continue to work on he
- 16:39understands as we reform Health Care as
- 16:41we repeal and replace Obamacare the
- 16:43getting a hold of the cost of
- 16:45prescription drugs to give more people
- 16:47access to them but also to allow greater
- 16:49access in health greater plans and
- 16:51Healthcare that's going to be a key part
- 16:53of so he's gonna I mean that's gonna
- 16:54happen I think look you're seeing uh
- 16:56with respect to the other meetings it's
- 16:59day one working day one here
- 17:01um he's gonna start with the leadership
- 17:03he's going to have a great conversation
- 17:04with them but then I think you're going
- 17:06to see a variety of meetings the
- 17:08Congressional Black Caucus the Hispanic
- 17:09caucus small groups of meters he is you
- 17:12know he's someone who really enjoys that
- 17:14kind of conversation I think you're
- 17:16going to see a lot of meetings occur
- 17:18like the ones that you did today the
- 17:20Business Leaders coming in these union
- 17:21workers and it's interesting
- 17:23I've we the president was asking these
- 17:26folks today how many of you been here
- 17:27from the Oval Office three of them
- 17:29raised their hand
- 17:30we talked to some of these union leaders
- 17:31and we hear we didn't get a lot of
- 17:33attention and here we are in working day
- 17:35one
- 17:36and you've got the president reaching
- 17:38out to some of America's best Business
- 17:39Leaders and then some of the union
- 17:41workers and line workers and bringing
- 17:44them in and saying I want to listen to
- 17:45what's going on in your life what can we
- 17:48be doing to help you and I think that
- 17:50you're going to see a lot more of that a
- 17:52listening president who's engaged and
- 17:54trying to figure out what policies and
- 17:55actions that he can take that this
- 17:58government can take that he can work
- 17:59with Congress to make people's lives
- 18:02better to make their their security
- 18:03better to make their Economic Security
- 18:06better but you're going to see a lot of
- 18:07that that's who he is that's what he did
- 18:10during the transition and I think that's
- 18:11what he's going to do going forward he
- 18:13appreciates the ideas and opinions that
- 18:15come that come through the Oval Office
- 18:17or in small groups where he gets to
- 18:19share their perspective of their ideas
- 18:21or their opinions I think that's what
- 18:23he's going to continue to do later this
- 18:24afternoon
- 18:26I'm sorry April I'm sorry um I want to
- 18:29go back to what the gentleman said about
- 18:30the Mandate um the New York Post he said
- 18:33something about um the Obamacare now uh
- 18:35and the Mandate with the numbers that
- 18:38you talked about and it's been in the
- 18:40news from the inauguration day and the
- 18:42numbers Saturday do you believe that you
- 18:44have the mandate to be able to force
- 18:46through what you had talked about
- 18:48replacing portions of Obamacare that
- 18:52really subsidized the whole uh piece of
- 18:55it to help low-income people that uh
- 18:57Health Care well I think what we have is
- 19:00a is a mandate to to make Health Care
- 19:02More accessible and lower cost that's
- 19:06what the American people were promised
- 19:07under Obamacare and I think it's not a
- 19:09question about a mandate and it's also
- 19:10not about forcing anything it's about
- 19:12what's doing the right thing it's about
- 19:14providing people what they've been
- 19:16promised which is you you go around this
- 19:18country and you look market after market
- 19:20they're down to one plan that's not what
- 19:22the American people were promised not
- 19:23only that but in many cases you're
- 19:25seeing these the rates go up 10 15 20 30
- 19:2850 percent that's not what they were
- 19:30promised either and so I think what the
- 19:32president's doing and it's not just I
- 19:33think he's gotten bipartisan support for
- 19:35this to work with Congress and to take
- 19:37executive action where necessary to
- 19:40implement a Health Care system that
- 19:41provides more people Health Care truly
- 19:43allows them to keep the doctor in plan
- 19:45that they're signing up for lowers cost
- 19:47creates more competition
- 19:49so do I think he has a mandate sure but
- 19:52it's not just it's not about it's not on
- 19:54this issue I think that all leaders have
- 19:56a mandate from the American people to
- 19:58fix this system and make it better
- 20:00Julie Pace
- 20:03uh there's some discrepancy between what
- 20:06the Russians are saying and what the
- 20:07Pentagon is saying in terms of some
- 20:09potential joint action can you clarify
- 20:11that and generally is the president open
- 20:13to Joint action in Syria with the
- 20:15Russians on that instance I know it's
- 20:17still developing and I would refer you
- 20:18back to the Department of Defense I know
- 20:21that they're they're currently
- 20:22monitoring this and I would refer you
- 20:24back to them on that and I think I think
- 20:26that the president has been very clear
- 20:27that he's going to work with any country
- 20:28that shares our interest in defeating
- 20:30Isis not just on the National Security
- 20:32front but on the economic front if we
- 20:34can work with someone to create greater
- 20:36Market access and super economic growth
- 20:37and allow U.S small businesses and
- 20:40companies to
- 20:42military actions with Russia and Syria I
- 20:44think if there's a way that we can
- 20:46combat Isis with any country whether
- 20:47it's Russia or anyone else and we have a
- 20:49shared National interest in that sure
- 20:51we'll take it thing is when he was at
- 20:53the CIA on Saturday he was talking about
- 20:55the U.S not taking oil during the Iraq
- 20:59War and said that there could be another
- 21:01chance for that what did he mean when he
- 21:03said that well I think what the
- 21:04president's been very clear about in
- 21:05foreign policy is too often the United
- 21:07States is going in with a lot of money a
- 21:09lot of Manpower and in many cases losing
- 21:12both uh loss of life and we want to make
- 21:15sure that our interests are protected
- 21:16and so if we're going in to a country
- 21:18for for a cause I think he wants to make
- 21:20sure that America is getting something
- 21:22out of it for the commitment and the
- 21:23sacrifice that we're making
- 21:24foreshadowing upcoming I don't think no
- 21:26I think he's he's been very clear from
- 21:29throughout the campaign that he is
- 21:31committed to making sure that America
- 21:33the American people the American
- 21:35taxpayer see some benefit and ensure
- 21:37that our interest overseas are not just
- 21:39create sending blank checks that we're
- 21:42doing something that either protects
- 21:43America or is in our economic interest
- 21:44John Roberts a couple of things if I
- 21:47could later this week it was executive
- 21:49actions does the president plan to take
- 21:52action to Greenlight if youstone XL and
- 21:55Dakota access pipelines and on TPP yeah
- 21:59John McCain says it was a serious
- 22:01mistake to do what the president did for
- 22:03America's economy and for our strategic
- 22:05position in the Asia Pacific why was TPP
- 22:08the right thing to do why was it the
- 22:10right why was it the right thing to do
- 22:12to to repeal TV oh I think I said it I
- 22:15mean because I think the multilation
- 22:17when you enter into these multinational
- 22:20agreements you're allowing any country
- 22:22no matter the size any one of those 12
- 22:24including us to basically have the same
- 22:26stature as the United States in the
- 22:27agreement
- 22:28so we're basically on par with some very
- 22:31small companies who are getting access
- 22:32to an amazing Market
- 22:34the United States and in return we're
- 22:37negotiating at the lowest common
- 22:38denominator and I think that when you
- 22:40look at big multinational agreements
- 22:42multilateral agreements they're not
- 22:44always in the best interest of the
- 22:45United States the beautiful thing about
- 22:46a bilateral agreement is that if any one
- 22:48of the two parties in the agreement
- 22:50decides at any time they want to get out
- 22:53of the agreement or they're not being
- 22:54treated fairly they can renegotiate it
- 22:55much easier in a multinational agreement
- 22:57that's not the case in many cases all of
- 23:00the other countries have to agree to an
- 23:02action or to let somebody out that's not
- 23:04putting the U.S interest first
- 23:07question about Keystone and Dakota
- 23:09access I'm not going to get in front of
- 23:10the president's executive actions but I
- 23:12will tell you that areas like Dakota and
- 23:14the Keystone Pipeline areas that we can
- 23:17Increase jobs increase economic growth
- 23:19and tap into America's energy Supply
- 23:21more that's something that he has been
- 23:24very clear about I think he talked about
- 23:25it not only on the campaign but around
- 23:27the Thanksgiving period he was talking
- 23:29about that that being a big priority
- 23:31that's one of those ones where I think
- 23:33that the energy sector and our natural
- 23:35resources are an area where I think the
- 23:37president is very very keen on making
- 23:40sure that we maximize our use of Natural
- 23:42Resources to America's benefit it's good
- 23:44for economic growth it's good for jobs
- 23:46and it's good for American Energy
- 23:48Jonathan Carl thank you for being here
- 23:50first briefing thank you
- 23:53um before I get to a policy question
- 23:54just a question about the nature of your
- 23:56job yeah is it your intention to always
- 23:59tell the truth from that Podium and will
- 24:02you pledge never to knowingly say
- 24:04something that is not factual it is it's
- 24:07an honor to do this and uh yes I believe
- 24:11that we have to be honest with the
- 24:12American people I think sometimes we can
- 24:14disagree with the facts there are
- 24:15certain things that
- 24:17um we may miss we may not fully
- 24:19understand when we come out but Our
- 24:20intention is never to lie to you
- 24:21Jonathan our job is to make sure that
- 24:24sometimes and you're in the same boat I
- 24:26mean there are times when you guys tweet
- 24:28something out or write a story and you
- 24:31publish a correction that doesn't mean
- 24:33that you were intentionally trying to
- 24:34deceive readers of the American people
- 24:36does it and I think we should be
- 24:38afforded the same opportunity there are
- 24:40times when we believe something to be
- 24:42true or we get something from an agency
- 24:44or we act in haste because the
- 24:46information available wasn't complete
- 24:48but our desire to communicate with the
- 24:50American people and make sure that you
- 24:51have the most complete story at the time
- 24:53and so we do it but again I I think that
- 24:56when you look net net
- 24:59we're going to do our best every time we
- 25:01can I'm going to come out here and tell
- 25:02you the facts as I know and if we make a
- 25:04mistake I'll do our best to correct it
- 25:06but I I don't I think that it's it's as
- 25:09I mentioned the other day it is a
- 25:10two-way street there are many mistakes
- 25:12that the media makes all the time
- 25:14they misreport something they don't
- 25:16report something they get a fact wrong I
- 25:18don't think that's always you know to
- 25:20turn around and say okay you are
- 25:21intentionally lying I think we all go
- 25:23try to do our best job and do it with a
- 25:26degree of Integrity that they're in our
- 25:29respective Industries you you have any
- 25:30corrections that you would like to make
- 25:32or clarifications
- 25:33well ask away Jonathan well you know I
- 25:36mean just for instance I don't want to
- 25:37get in and re-litigate the whole issue
- 25:38but like just take one like the issue of
- 25:40Metro ridership you made a statement
- 25:42about we did and at the time uh the
- 25:43information that was provided by the
- 25:45Inaugural Committee came from an outside
- 25:47agency that we reported on and I think
- 25:50knowing what we know now we can tell
- 25:51that ramada's numbers are different
- 25:54um but we were trying to provide numbers
- 25:55that we had been provided uh that wasn't
- 25:57like we made them up out of thin air and
- 25:59do you stand by your statement that was
- 26:01the most watched inaugural I think
- 26:03aggressive sure it was the most watched
- 26:04inaugural when you look at look you look
- 26:07at just the one network alone got 16.9
- 26:11million people online another couple of
- 26:13the networks there were tens of million
- 26:14people that watched that online never
- 26:16mind the the audience that was here 31
- 26:19million people watched it on television
- 26:20combined that with the tens of millions
- 26:22of people that watched it online on a
- 26:25device there's it's unquestionable
- 26:27I don't I don't and I don't see any
- 26:29numbers that dispute that when you add
- 26:31up attendance viewership or total
- 26:34audience includes of tablets phones uh
- 26:36on television
- 26:38I'd love to see any information that
- 26:39proves me that proves that otherwise
- 26:42do you dispute that
- 26:45well I I don't want to get into numbers
- 26:47I I do I mean I'm just saying if you're
- 26:50asking me a question about my Integrity
- 26:52I have a right to say if you add up the
- 26:54the network streaming numbers Facebook
- 26:56YouTube all of the various live
- 26:58streamings that that we have information
- 27:00on so far I don't think there's any
- 27:02question who's that it was the largest
- 27:04watch inauguration ever
- 27:07more than Ronald Reagan's in 1981. I'm
- 27:09pretty sure that Reagan didn't have
- 27:11YouTube Facebook or the internet yeah I
- 27:14think 41 million people watched his
- 27:1741 million watched his okay so let's
- 27:19just take the Nielsen ratings which are
- 27:2131 million and add it to CNN 16.9
- 27:24million
- 27:26that's a little higher
- 27:28so I'm just saying I'm not you're asking
- 27:30me for numbers there's just two entities
- 27:32together and and the the approach that
- 27:35you took on Saturday any second thoughts
- 27:37on that I think Jonathan look I I want
- 27:40this to huh I came out to read a
- 27:43statement and I did it we're here today
- 27:45I'm going to stay here as long as you
- 27:46want
- 27:47so uh I want to make sure that
- 27:52I think you guys might want to leave
- 27:55before I do
- 27:56um but look I I want to make sure that
- 27:58we have a healthy relationship we saw
- 27:59the other day that and I'm not trying to
- 28:01rehash history but you're asking the
- 28:03question so I'm going to answer it you
- 28:04know we had a tweet go out about Martin
- 28:06Luther King
- 28:08think about how racially charged that is
- 28:11and someone rushes out and says to the
- 28:13entire press Corps that the president of
- 28:16the United States has removed the bust
- 28:18from his office
- 28:20do you I mean think about what this
- 28:23signal hold on a replacement of an
- 28:24apology no no he actually applies to
- 28:26quote my colleagues
- 28:28that's the exact quote
- 28:30okay
- 28:31that quote that report got tweeted out
- 28:34around
- 28:35and to report where was the apology of
- 28:38the president of the United States where
- 28:39was the apology to millions of people
- 28:42who read that and thought how racially
- 28:44insensitive that was where was that
- 28:46apology
- 28:49okay I'm asking where was that apology
- 28:51and so I'm just saying that when you
- 28:54when things like that happen when John
- 28:56Lewis says that he's never approached
- 28:58never missed an inauguration
- 29:00and we find out actually he did under he
- 29:02skipped George W bushes
- 29:04that there are points at which we have a
- 29:06right to make sure that we correct the
- 29:07record I mean you're talking about
- 29:09integrity and you're talking about
- 29:11telling the truth and facts
- 29:14I don't know that it wasn't malicious at
- 29:15all and I'm not saying but there's a
- 29:17point at which we have a right to go out
- 29:19there and correct the record and I think
- 29:21that over and over again there is this
- 29:24attempt to
- 29:26go after this President and say well
- 29:28that can't be true and that's not right
- 29:30and the numbers weren't there and those
- 29:32will rushed to judgment every time and
- 29:34it's a two-way street we want to have a
- 29:36healthy and open dialogue with the Press
- 29:38Corps and with the American people about
- 29:40what he's doing to help this country and
- 29:42to unite it but at a time when he's
- 29:43trying to unite this and he keeps
- 29:45talking about uniting this nation
- 29:46bringing people together and then a
- 29:48tweet goes out in a pool report to what
- 29:50a few thousand people saying that he
- 29:52removed the bust of Martin Luther King
- 29:54how do you think that goes over
- 29:56did the media invent the feud between
- 29:59the president and the intelligence
- 30:00Community look I'm not I think that you
- 30:03saw from the response the other day he
- 30:05walked into the CIA people were hooting
- 30:07and hollering they gave him a five
- 30:08minute standing ovation that doesn't
- 30:10look like a relationship that's I mean
- 30:12that's a they were excited no no but I
- 30:15think there's a difference between
- 30:16having differences with intelligence
- 30:19leaders and leaders of that Community
- 30:21who had strong differences with then the
- 30:24people and the men and women who toil
- 30:26every single day in our intelligence
- 30:28community and it was reflected at the
- 30:30CIA I mean they came there they were so
- 30:33excited there was a thousand people that
- 30:35applied for 300 plus seats we ended up
- 30:37taking in 400 people that doesn't sound
- 30:40like a huge Feud they were excited they
- 30:42were clapping they were cheering when he
- 30:43walked in and to see reports that made
- 30:46it sound like there was some you know
- 30:47fence mending that had needed to happen
- 30:49that sure didn't look that way when you
- 30:50walked in I'm going to move on yeah
- 30:53Sean can I ask what is the U.S strategic
- 30:56interest in moving the mus Embassy from
- 30:59Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and also in the
- 31:02chat with President Assisi today was the
- 31:05status of the Muslim Brotherhood
- 31:07discussed well I think the readout I
- 31:09just gave you the readout on the call
- 31:10with President Assisi and I think that
- 31:12that speaks for itself what was
- 31:13discussed uh and then I'm sorry the
- 31:16first part what is the U.S strategic
- 31:18interest in moving the embassy as I've
- 31:21noted yesterday through several press
- 31:22inquiries we haven't there's no
- 31:23decisions we're at the very early stages
- 31:25of that decision-making process yeah
- 31:36questions of what a trade deal might
- 31:38look like is there going to be a joint
- 31:39news conference and is Donald Trump
- 31:41going to get a state visit back to the
- 31:43UK later in the year well look uh we're
- 31:45here on working day one we're excited
- 31:47that prime minister May is coming on
- 31:49Friday we look forward to it I'm sure
- 31:51that there'll be the discussion of trade
- 31:53uh we'll come up to the the degree to
- 31:55which I don't know yet uh and I'm sure
- 31:57we'll have an opportunity to brief you
- 31:58out I don't believe we have any plans
- 32:00right now for a joint press conference
- 32:01but that's something that our team will
- 32:03be working out with prime minister May
- 32:04and and we'll keep you updated on that
- 32:07yeah one America news after the
- 32:09executive order was drawn in the U.S
- 32:12from the TPP what specific steps will
- 32:15president Trump take to expand U.S trade
- 32:17opportunities abroad well again I think
- 32:19when he talks to prime minister May he's
- 32:21going to have a great conversation about
- 32:22the potential for greater trade uh with
- 32:25the UK I mentioned earlier when he met
- 32:27with these manufacturers this morning
- 32:29that was you know right up there at the
- 32:31top of that list how can we get greater
- 32:33Market access what are the specific
- 32:35challenges that these manufacturers are
- 32:38facing getting Market access into
- 32:40countries around the globe and that's an
- 32:42important issue so it's not it's it's
- 32:44not just other countries but within
- 32:46existing
- 32:47uh trade deals we can figure out is
- 32:50there a trade dispute that can be
- 32:51settled to WTO is there a revision to
- 32:54one of the existing trade option trade
- 32:56treaties that we have now but there's a
- 32:57lot that can be timed um other things
- 32:59that Congress can can update
- 33:02um to make sure that we're importing and
- 33:04exporting more to benefit American
- 33:05businesses
- 33:08thanks thanks John for you at talk Media
- 33:11news has the president or will the
- 33:13president have a chat even an informal
- 33:16chat with the Prime Minister before in
- 33:18fact she comes here uh there are no
- 33:19plans for that now uh it's always
- 33:21possible he's been having a tremendous
- 33:23number of calls I think the number is
- 33:25well over 80 now of people that have
- 33:27talked to him congratulated him prior to
- 33:30being elected he's had we read out the
- 33:32other day he's met with both Canada and
- 33:33Mexico I think he's talked uh prime
- 33:36minister Netanyahu yesterday president
- 33:38Assisi today I think there's there's
- 33:39going to continue to be a robust number
- 33:41of of world leaders there's a you know a
- 33:44tremendous excitement I think in the
- 33:46Diplomatic Corps and at the world leader
- 33:48level of people who are excited that
- 33:50President Trump and this Administration
- 33:52want to engage in um there's a lot of
- 33:55times when he's talking to these folks
- 33:56and they're saying I have not heard from
- 33:57anyone in years and I think that there
- 33:59is a genuine excitement to re-engage the
- 34:02United States especially in the area of
- 34:04trade and other economic interests but
- 34:06also in the area of National Security
- 34:08the big one and it's the first so
- 34:11I'm sorry I said needless to say this is
- 34:13the big one and it's the first special
- 34:15relationship
- 34:17ppv was done on arrival going to
- 34:19Congress so why is this executive order
- 34:21anything more than symbolic and when
- 34:23will president Trump start negotiating
- 34:26those bilateral deals would be 11 other
- 34:28countries in the Asia Pacific because it
- 34:30takes some time and that could be some
- 34:31would say giving China you know room to
- 34:34make an inroad well first I would argue
- 34:37that bilateral deals are what mostly
- 34:38what China's been engaging in and that's
- 34:40something that I just said that we're
- 34:42going to engage you know the president's
- 34:43going to look to countries to engage
- 34:45with
- 34:45um
- 34:46most of them we have existing trade
- 34:48agreements with or a good chunk of them
- 34:50we have existing trade agreements to get
- 34:51to begin with this was an expansion of
- 34:54that and in some areas it allowed
- 34:55whether it was the service industry
- 34:56financial services uh additional Market
- 34:58access but I think that this is this is
- 35:01not a deal that was in our country's
- 35:03best interest the president could have
- 35:04come into office a president could have
- 35:06come into office and renegotiated it and
- 35:08sent people back to the drawing board it
- 35:11hadn't gone to Congress yet because it
- 35:12wasn't finalized I think this President
- 35:14pulling out of the agreement is is not
- 35:16just about this one agreement but I
- 35:18think it's symbolic both here in America
- 35:21and around the world of a new era of
- 35:23trade policy one that's going to put
- 35:25American workers first and foremost and
- 35:28one that assures the rest of the world
- 35:30that the way that we negotiate bilateral
- 35:33agreements is going to ensure that we we
- 35:34have we get something out of these deals
- 35:36as I mentioned to John a minute ago I
- 35:38mean the the problem with multilateral
- 35:40agreements is that often we it becomes
- 35:42the lowest common denominator on so many
- 35:43things and for the U.S what already has
- 35:45low tariffs and other service industry
- 35:48benefits for countries uh you know we've
- 35:51got to be able to make sure we're going
- 35:52out and fighting for the American worker
- 35:53Jennifer
- 36:00we'll have further updates on trade
- 36:03issues later this week Jennifer
- 36:06so like you still need
- 36:10a question I believe there's an action
- 36:12that has to be taken under the the
- 36:14provision of NAFTA where you set you
- 36:17send notice to the other countries the
- 36:19other two countries
- 36:20um the exact nature of how that's
- 36:22described I don't know but it is there
- 36:25is a trigger within NAFTA uh one of the
- 36:27sections allows the the president of the
- 36:29United States to notify them that we
- 36:32intend to do that
- 36:35will there still be a North American
- 36:37trade block or something different or
- 36:39again I think part of it is is that he's
- 36:41already spoken to both the president of
- 36:43Mexico and prime minister Canada about
- 36:46his desire to to renegotiate and I think
- 36:49as he meets with both of these
- 36:51individuals over the next 30 days or so
- 36:53that's going to be a topic now if they
- 36:55come in and express a willingness uh to
- 36:58do that you could negotiate it within
- 37:00the current parameters and update it
- 37:02through uh through the existing
- 37:04structure if they don't and he decides
- 37:06to to pull out then we would have to go
- 37:08back to the drawing table in the future
- 37:09tomorrow
- 37:12gets a question this time
- 37:16just to follow up on the China question
- 37:18China actually has a regional agreement
- 37:21called the regional comprehensive
- 37:22economic partnership and now Japan and
- 37:24Australia two of our great allies are
- 37:26talking about joining that just does
- 37:28President Trump see a national security
- 37:31component to these trade deals and is he
- 37:33concerned now China will write the rules
- 37:35for Asia Pacific trade well I think he
- 37:38has been very very clear about
- 37:41China's place in the in the geopolitical
- 37:44landscape both economically and Diplomat
- 37:46and National security-wise so he
- 37:49understands the need that's part of the
- 37:50reason that trade is important bilateral
- 37:52trade it provides a check on a lot of
- 37:55this but again I he's always going to be
- 37:57fighting for the interest of the country
- 37:59and the American worker so what how we
- 38:01engage in with whom is going to be
- 38:03decided on whether or not we can get a
- 38:05deal that benefits our country
- 38:06economically and uh in terms of National
- 38:08Security that there are things that we
- 38:10can do economic or economically that
- 38:13actually end up also benefiting us from
- 38:16a national security standpoint because
- 38:18of the economic relationship that exists
- 38:20between the two countries
- 38:24no you earned it
- 38:27really simple what is the average
- 38:30National
- 38:31what's the average
- 38:34are you talking about whether or not we
- 38:35include the full I mean the Bureau of
- 38:38Labor Statistics puts it out no no it's
- 38:40not a question of what I accept I mean
- 38:42there are ways that you can put out full
- 38:43employment
- 38:44right but I'm saying that so there's a
- 38:46reason that we put out several versions
- 38:48of that one is that the illustrative
- 38:51nature of of how you count the
- 38:53unemployed whether or not they're
- 38:55long-term unemployed or whether or not
- 38:56they're still seeking a job but there's
- 38:58a reason that you put out several of
- 39:00these statistics it's so that economists
- 39:02can view them and decide look at
- 39:04different Landscapes on what on on how
- 39:07to how to make economic policy
- 39:09during the campaign he at one point from
- 39:11Trump of 42 I just want to well again
- 39:13where we're starting but but again part
- 39:15of it is his economic team is going to
- 39:17look at a multitude of statistics and
- 39:19drive economic policies his goal is
- 39:20obviously to get as many Americans
- 39:22working together that's his ultimate
- 39:23goal is when he sees people that are
- 39:25hurting that haven't had wages lifted up
- 39:27that are unemployed they can't save for
- 39:30their kids future that are having
- 39:32trouble with their health care costs
- 39:33that's what he really cares about it's
- 39:35not just a number to him it's about is
- 39:37someone getting by are their wages going
- 39:39up can they find a better job do they
- 39:42have access to education whether it's
- 39:44higher education college or a vote
- 39:46technical of a votech kind of school so
- 39:49that they can train for the skills of
- 39:51The Next Century those are the kind of
- 39:53things the president he's not focused on
- 39:55statistics as much as he is on whether
- 39:57or not the American people are doing
- 39:59better as a whole and whether or not a
- 40:00family and it was interesting I know
- 40:02when we talked about carrier at one
- 40:03point someone said well that's a
- 40:04thousand jobs when you talk about those
- 40:06thousand jobs and their families during
- 40:08the holiday season I would beg to differ
- 40:10that those people were unbelievably
- 40:12ecstatic that the president the vice
- 40:14president intervened and so every one of
- 40:17these meetings that you saw happen at
- 40:18Trump Tower and then now it's all about
- 40:20you know whether it's 2 000 jobs or 20
- 40:23000 jobs that's that's the focus
- 40:25it's making sure that we have that small
- 40:28businesses have greater opportunity to
- 40:30be successful that American workers can
- 40:32have their wages lifted up that the
- 40:33benefits that they receive in terms of
- 40:35health care and education are something
- 40:37that that provide them the support that
- 40:39they need but that's what this is all
- 40:41about I think for too often in
- 40:43Washington we get our heads wrapped
- 40:44around a number in a statistic and we
- 40:46look at and we forget the faces and the
- 40:48families and the businesses that are
- 40:50behind those numbers and so I think
- 40:52that's where his head's at is trying to
- 40:54look at those people that come to his
- 40:55rallies that have come to his events
- 40:57that he's met with in person that are
- 40:59struggling and say Mr Trump I'm working
- 41:00as hard as I can
- 41:02I'm working two jobs I'm doing
- 41:04everything by the rules and I keep
- 41:06getting screwed that's what he's
- 41:08fighting for is that man or woman out
- 41:10there that's doing everything they can
- 41:12write but can't catch a break and I
- 41:15think he addressed that in his inaugural
- 41:16speech when he talked about shifting
- 41:18power outside of Washington DC back to
- 41:21the American people because for too long
- 41:23it's been about stats tomorrow and it's
- 41:25been about what number are we looking at
- 41:27as opposed to what face are we looking
- 41:28at yeah David two questions the one on
- 41:32back on Doc I was just curious about the
- 41:34message from this Administration from
- 41:35the White House to young people who may
- 41:37qualify and not yet have their
- 41:39connections should they
- 41:40enroll uh going forward and those who
- 41:43are in the program now seek um well I
- 41:46think yeah what what the what those
- 41:48people should know is that the
- 41:49president's laid out a list of
- 41:50priorities and the priorities are
- 41:52focused on making sure that people who
- 41:54can do harm or have done harm and have a
- 41:56criminal record are the focus and as he
- 41:59said throughout the campaign we've got a
- 42:01series of individuals who've got to
- 42:02figure out people who have overstayed
- 42:04their visas people have committed crime
- 42:05and we're going to go through that in a
- 42:07very systematic and methodical way so
- 42:09for now that's not the focus is going to
- 42:11be on people who've done harm to our
- 42:13country yes
- 42:21scientists are saying that we're getting
- 42:22dangerously close to the point where
- 42:23human civilization is being threatened
- 42:25how does President Trump plan to address
- 42:27this well I think
- 42:30I think he's going to meet with his team
- 42:31and figure out what policies are best
- 42:33for the environment
- 42:35um but I think that there's one of the
- 42:37things that he talked about during the
- 42:38campaign is there's a balance and he's
- 42:40trying to make sure that we use our
- 42:42resources appropriately that we maximize
- 42:44things to make sure that we don't do so
- 42:46at the detriment of economic growth and
- 42:48job creation so there's a balance and I
- 42:50don't think it's an either or situation
- 42:51we can ensure that we're doing things
- 42:53that are smart for the environment and
- 42:55smart for our longevity as well as
- 42:57making sure that we're doing things that
- 42:59that create economic growth and job
- 43:00creation yes sir yeah Sean what
- 43:09and a follow-up after that okay
- 43:12I have the story polite of you
- 43:14um
- 43:15I think he has a healthy respect for the
- 43:17First Amendment
- 43:19um and he
- 43:20this is you know this is what makes our
- 43:22country so beautiful is it a one day you
- 43:24can inaugurate a president on the next
- 43:25day people can occupy the same space to
- 43:28protest something but he's also
- 43:30cognizant to the fact that a lot of
- 43:33these people were there to protest an
- 43:36issue of concern to them and not against
- 43:37anything I remember this morning Debbie
- 43:39Dingle was on television and you know
- 43:42she's talking about let me just I don't
- 43:44want to inaccurately quote her I know
- 43:46Jonathan's a stickler for that
- 43:48um she said different women were there
- 43:51for different reasons but they were all
- 43:52there to make sure that their core
- 43:53American values are going to be
- 43:54protected and I think many people like
- 43:57me were there for positive reasons and I
- 43:59think the president shares Debbie
- 44:00dingle's views that there were people
- 44:02that came to the mall as they do all the
- 44:04time sometimes in smaller numbers and so
- 44:07I think he reaches out to him in the way
- 44:10that he started on the night that he won
- 44:11the election on the way that he did on
- 44:14inauguration day by sending a message
- 44:16that talks about fighting for them but
- 44:18more importantly I think the president's
- 44:19going to show through action and through
- 44:21success
- 44:22that he's fighting for them and fighting
- 44:24for every American one of the things
- 44:26that we've seen so often in this town is
- 44:28a lot of soaring rhetoric about how much
- 44:30people care
- 44:31and I think the president is going to
- 44:33show through deed in action and success
- 44:35that he wants to fight for People's
- 44:37Health Care he wants to have a better
- 44:39education system he wants a stronger
- 44:41America he wants to go in and fix our
- 44:43inner cities he wants to make sure that
- 44:45our infrastructure our roads and our
- 44:47bridges so I think more than anything
- 44:49showing people through action indeed and
- 44:51success is where he's going to prove the
- 44:53American people how much he cares to
- 44:55unite Us and how much he cares to make
- 44:57this America better and safer on the
- 45:00other side of this another group that's
- 45:02coming I forgot you did ask I did I did
- 45:04it that's polite for remembering
- 45:06um another group and just to follow up
- 45:08on cbn's question a moment ago you know
- 45:10when we have the March for Life here in
- 45:11Washington you've said that this is a
- 45:13pro-life president what concrete
- 45:14promises is he making we haven't heard a
- 45:17lot about what that policy is going to
- 45:20look like it's day one yeah but you've
- 45:22had a lot of time to make those promises
- 45:23I know but look I I think what should
- 45:26their expectations their expectations
- 45:28should be that he's going to stand up
- 45:29and value Life Born or unborn same as he
- 45:33said throughout the last year and a half
- 45:34that he's going to stand up and protect
- 45:36life promote it and instill policies uh
- 45:39that promote life that promote adoption
- 45:41that help support young women that help
- 45:43support funding of of agencies and
- 45:46clinics that support Women's Health I
- 45:49think that's what he's going to talk
- 45:50about is supporting all of life the born
- 45:52The Unborn throughout life making sure
- 45:54that we have health care that can
- 45:56support the American people and the
- 45:58American families that's that's what
- 46:00he's going to fight for and that's what
- 46:01he's going to be clear on Anita
- 46:04okay
- 46:06um the first one with the Congressional
- 46:08meeting today and also at The Retreat
- 46:10you said talking about his legislative
- 46:12agenda besides Health Care can you give
- 46:14us one two or three
- 46:16uh legislative things that he wants to
- 46:19get through right away so not the
- 46:20executive actions legislation right uh
- 46:22immigration is obviously going to be
- 46:24high on that list uh tax reform
- 46:26regulatory reform is three and four
- 46:29everyone is not a overhaul though not
- 46:31what well I think he's going to work
- 46:33with Congress to get the Appropriations
- 46:34process
- 46:40policies to make sure that what we have
- 46:43now doesn't happen again and so it's it
- 46:45is it is working with them it's it's a
- 46:47comprehensive look at how we're keeping
- 46:50people out of this country that
- 46:51shouldn't be here the people who are
- 46:53coming to visit are leaving when they're
- 46:54supposed to
- 46:55um to make sure that we're tailoring
- 46:56immigration policies that make sure that
- 46:59we're not you know an open door for
- 47:01anyone to just walk in that the people
- 47:02who are here to visit our country safely
- 47:04or to come here to bring jobs or to
- 47:06support our economy are coming in but I
- 47:08think we have to do immigration smartly
- 47:09and that's what he's looking at
- 47:11the second one I'm sorry you're right
- 47:14um
- 47:19well the president has the president
- 47:21spoken to any of the intelligence
- 47:22agencies about the investigation into
- 47:25the Russian connections and will he
- 47:27allow that to go on uh he I don't
- 47:30believe he has spoken to anyone
- 47:31specifically about that and I don't know
- 47:33that we he has not made any indication
- 47:34that he would stop an investigation of
- 47:36any sort yes sir
- 47:38clarification you said you're willing to
- 47:40work with anybody to defeats in the
- 47:42Islamic State group
- 47:43um does that include Bashir Allah said
- 47:45well I I think I think what it's gonna
- 47:48what we're doing we're we're going to
- 47:50smartly do this I mean let's be clear
- 47:52what part of it is to make sure that
- 47:53they have America's interest in in what
- 47:56they're doing and who they are so we're
- 47:57not going to get together with people
- 47:58under the guise of defeating Isis if
- 48:00that's not truly their guys or if
- 48:02they're not so let's let's not take that
- 48:05too far thank you yeah well the
- 48:08president release documents showing that
- 48:10he has left his businesses
- 48:12I believe we have oh
- 48:17but yeah he has he has resigned from the
- 48:19company as he said he would before uh
- 48:22before he took office Don and Eric are
- 48:24fully in charge of the company he's
- 48:25taken extraordinary steps to ensure that
- 48:27that's happened
- 48:32alignment to the political priorities uh
- 48:35what will be the message for the
- 48:36Hispanic community in the U.S
- 48:39um
- 48:40one of the priorities has been the war
- 48:44what what would be the relation between
- 48:47this Administration and the Hispanic
- 48:50community in the U.S well I think his
- 48:52relationship with the Hispanic Community
- 48:53is going to be great I think he's I mean
- 48:55as I said I I think that whether it's
- 48:57jobs or education or Health Care
- 48:59um the president's committed to uniting
- 49:01all Americans and working towards a
- 49:03better safer more secure more prosperous
- 49:06America that benefits everybody and I
- 49:08think if you know whether regardless of
- 49:10your background that's something that
- 49:12he's committed to yeah
- 49:14times does Mr Trump directs Tillerson
- 49:17that the U.S should try and prevent
- 49:18China from accessing the islands into
- 49:20South China Sea where it's building
- 49:22runways and other kinds of facilities I
- 49:25think areas in the South China Sea that
- 49:26are part of international waters and
- 49:28international activities I think the us
- 49:29is going to make sure that we protect
- 49:30our interests there so it's a question
- 49:33of
- 49:34um if those islands are in fact in
- 49:36international waters and not part of
- 49:38China proper then yeah we're going to
- 49:39make sure that we defend
- 49:42um International territories from being
- 49:43taken over by one country
- 49:45that is
- 49:47with China from actually look I think I
- 49:49I asked answer the question I think as
- 49:52we develop further we'll have more
- 49:54information on that John Gizzy thank you
- 49:56Sean hold on
- 49:58I'll get to you I promise we are and uh
- 50:01well first day in the job thank you
- 50:03um very simply uh there was an earlier
- 50:05question about
- 50:08U.S embassy there
- 50:10uh and a lot of talk about executive
- 50:12orders is this something the president
- 50:14can accomplish by executive order I I it
- 50:17is but I think as I know to John it's
- 50:19very early in this process we're at the
- 50:21beginning stages of this decision-making
- 50:23process and his team's going to continue
- 50:25to consult with stakeholders as we get
- 50:27there yes ma'am
- 50:30so I
- 50:35expect then an executive order today to
- 50:37renegotiate NAFTA or will he wait till
- 50:40he meets with President next week and on
- 50:43the other um the other question I had is
- 50:46um he didn't mention Latin America at
- 50:48all in his uh except you know in his
- 50:50inauguration speech does he plan to
- 50:52visit Latin America this year
- 50:55um so on the first part uh I think we'll
- 50:57have further announcements on trade
- 50:59throughout the week
- 51:00um I don't I think we're down with
- 51:02executive orders for the day but as I
- 51:05always say stand by uh but we do not
- 51:08have any intention to have additional
- 51:10executive orders today but I believe
- 51:12there could be some additional ones
- 51:13throughout the week on trade and we'll
- 51:15have further updates for you on there
- 51:17and then the second part plans to travel
- 51:20to Latin America given that he
- 51:25I didn't think he left them out I think
- 51:27he was focused on this country our our
- 51:30American workers I don't think he got
- 51:31into detail in any countries uh that I'm
- 51:34aware of that I can recall
- 51:36uh but I also think that we're here on
- 51:38the work first working day we're
- 51:40announcing Theresa May coming this
- 51:42Friday we're excited to have the Prime
- 51:43Minister here as I said we've already
- 51:45talked about setting up a meeting with
- 51:47Canada and Mexico he's talked to prime
- 51:50minister Netanyahu about having him come
- 51:52over and then as I mentioned president
- 51:54al-sisi so we'll get there we've got a
- 51:57lot of calls to return there's a lot of
- 51:58excitement throughout the world and a
- 52:00lot of people who are really excited
- 52:01both to come here and have the president
- 52:03visit them yes sir
- 52:07The Log Cabin
- 52:15Republican president Obama barring
- 52:16anti-lgbt LGBT work with discrimination
- 52:19among Federal contractors the president
- 52:21has said he's going to rescind the
- 52:22executive orders from President Obama
- 52:24that are unconstitutional but will he
- 52:25maintain this executive order barring
- 52:27anti-algia I don't know on that one as
- 52:29I'll have to get back to you on that one
- 52:30I don't know that we've gotten that far
- 52:32in the list of executive orders but I'd
- 52:33be glad to get back to you
- 52:36again it's not I just don't know the
- 52:38answer I'll try to get back to you on
- 52:39that one yes sir
- 52:42on immigration the chief of staff I
- 52:46think had said over the weekend seemed
- 52:47to suggest that an executive order
- 52:50shutting down the DACA program has been
- 52:53is that officially ruled out as you guys
- 52:55go forward and does the does the
- 52:58president support action in Congress
- 53:01that would essentially permanently
- 53:03establish those protections yeah I think
- 53:05I don't have anything further on the
- 53:07executive action front but what I can I
- 53:08think I've asked and answered the the
- 53:10DACA piece of this in terms of his
- 53:12priorities right now
- 53:13I think that we'll have to we don't have
- 53:16anything in front of us right now to
- 53:18sign on that so give us a little bit of
- 53:20time we'll see what Congress moves
- 53:21forward with and then I'm sure we'll
- 53:23have a further readout on both the the
- 53:24executive order piece on the legislation
- 53:26yes sir
- 53:29I don't know I'll have to get back to
- 53:31you on that one right now or I think the
- 53:33best thing to do would probably contact
- 53:34the Department of State yes sir in the
- 53:35back
- 53:36regarding access to
- 53:38American company International markets
- 53:41will the president try to improve the
- 53:43access to the largest market in the
- 53:44world the European one by taking up ttip
- 53:47negotiations or by any other means well
- 53:49look I don't I think he's going to
- 53:51increase Market access wherever he can
- 53:53um he's in the con he's in the process
- 53:55of reviewing all of our current trade
- 53:57agreements and looking at potential
- 53:59bilateral options going forward we
- 54:01whether it's in the EU or in the Asia
- 54:03Pacific Arena or in the Middle East he's
- 54:05going to figure out where we can expand
- 54:06U.S market access and that's I think
- 54:09what today's decision really starts to
- 54:12show is that it's not about
- 54:15multilateral agreements under a trump
- 54:17Administration it's about bilateral
- 54:19agreements where we can figure out
- 54:20country to Country how can we fight for
- 54:23the American worker gain them access to
- 54:25another Market that's going to benefit
- 54:26our large and small business who want to
- 54:28sell additional goods and services yes
- 54:33um why did the president choose the
- 54:34British prime minister as the first
- 54:36foreign leader for him to meet and can
- 54:39we take from that that he intends to
- 54:41make the relationship even closer I
- 54:44think we've always had that special
- 54:45relationship with Britain uh and and
- 54:48he's gonna and that reflects in in his
- 54:51first visit and the prime minister's
- 54:52first visit here he's had a great
- 54:54conversation with her and he looks
- 54:56forward to having her here but we can
- 54:58always be closer yes ma'am
- 55:00uh Jane who is final news what kind of
- 55:03relationship is Trump looking for to
- 55:06build with China after he was drawn from
- 55:08TPP and on taiwan's issue what kind of
- 55:11stance he's going to make on Cross
- 55:13regulations
- 55:14um what's the last part please
- 55:16yeah
- 55:18well I think
- 55:19on China he understands what a big
- 55:22Market that is for for U.S goods and
- 55:23services when he met with the head of
- 55:25Alibaba a couple weeks ago that that was
- 55:27part of the point there's a huge Market
- 55:29issue there but in a large in many cases
- 55:31it's it's not a two-way street there's
- 55:33so many Chinese businesses and
- 55:35individuals frankly who can have ease of
- 55:37access in the United States to sell
- 55:39their goods or services and I think that
- 55:42whether or not you're talking about the
- 55:43financial services or the banking you
- 55:45know the other service Industries or our
- 55:47manufacturing goods and services or some
- 55:50of the IP problems that we have with
- 55:51China that it's it really is not a
- 55:53two-way street and so he understands the
- 55:55market that China has and our desire to
- 55:58further penetrate that market but he
- 56:00also recognizes there's a lot of
- 56:01concerns with how we are treated
- 56:03entering into China's market and we need
- 56:06to to review that yes ma'am I think
- 56:08we're going to have further we'll have
- 56:09further updates on that yes ma'am
- 56:11Jessica Stone from cgtn welcome thank
- 56:14you um question following on what she
- 56:16was asking about TPP you know part of
- 56:19the thinking of TPP was to encircle
- 56:22China
- 56:23economically and I wonder if the
- 56:25president has thought a little bit about
- 56:27what kind of bilateral relationships in
- 56:29the region the trade relationships would
- 56:30accomplish a similar goal and secondly I
- 56:33heard you talking about NAFTA and a
- 56:35trigger but I didn't hear you say you
- 56:36had triggered the trigger we have not
- 56:38triggered the trigger hasn't happened uh
- 56:41but again I think we have an exist
- 56:42existing relationships with many of the
- 56:44countries that were part of the 12
- 56:46Nation makeup of TPP and I think we're
- 56:49going to continue to explore how we can
- 56:50in some cases strengthen those
- 56:51relationships or look for bilateral
- 56:53agreements with Nations that we didn't
- 56:55have one uh through TPP yes sir
- 56:58yeah Sean um
- 57:00congratulations thank you
- 57:02[Music]
- 57:05um Social Security and infrastructure on
- 57:07Social Security uh the president will be
- 57:09meeting tonight with Congressional
- 57:10leaders
- 57:11what's he gonna do given his campaign
- 57:13promise on not touching Social Security
- 57:15when Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell send
- 57:18them a bill that includes in a funding
- 57:20package various cuts at Social Security
- 57:22and on infrastructure has it fallen off
- 57:24the radar screen or is it going to be to
- 57:26stay a priority for the president so on
- 57:28Social Security he's going to talk to
- 57:29them I think he's been very clear what
- 57:31his priority is in terms of preserving
- 57:32and protecting this really important
- 57:34benefit to our seniors
- 57:36he understands I mean the
- 57:39Mr Trump's employed so many people over
- 57:41the years he understands the struggle
- 57:43that people have later in life to
- 57:45continue to make ends meet and I think
- 57:47that he is keenly aware of how important
- 57:50this program is to so many people in
- 57:53their later years and so he's going to
- 57:55continue to fight to make sure that
- 57:56that's a program that is preserved and
- 57:58protected and then on the
- 58:02give me instructions infrastructure of
- 58:04course yes that definitely and he's
- 58:05continued to bring that up he talked
- 58:07with the business Executives today about
- 58:09how so many of our airports that are so
- 58:11important to our Commerce system getting
- 58:13planes to land in and out roads and
- 58:15their ability to truck things across the
- 58:16country even our freight system that if
- 58:19our infrastructure is not strong it
- 58:21inhibits our ability to have free
- 58:23Commerce it inhibits it drives up the
- 58:25cost of of of goods and services when
- 58:27someone's got to take a different route
- 58:29or is limited in the opportunities that
- 58:31they have because a Runway might be
- 58:32closed or it can't be expanded or a rail
- 58:35line breaks down or or you know highways
- 58:37just not the wear and Terry puts on
- 58:39trucks or shutdowns so infrastructure
- 58:42continues to be a huge priority form yes
- 58:44sir yeah uh two questions uh the
- 58:46National Security Council the Staffing
- 58:48of the National Security Council when do
- 58:50you expect to have that those positions
- 58:53filled we've got many of them filled
- 58:55interview of the morph I'd have to get
- 58:56back to you on the number but it's
- 58:57actually fairly robust right now there
- 58:59are a lot of holdovers but General Flynn
- 59:02has been been working diligently with KT
- 59:04McFarland his deputy and others to make
- 59:06sure that that's filled out ready to go
- 59:08he's had countless meetings with
- 59:11counterparts and had several folks
- 59:13detailed over but it's a very very
- 59:15robust effort from day one John Carl's
- 59:19question so are you retracting your
- 59:21claim on Saturday that it was the
- 59:23largest crowd in person that's not what
- 59:26I said well you said this was the
- 59:28largest audience to ever witness an
- 59:29inauguration period both in person and
- 59:32around the globe right to witness and
- 59:36around the globe yes in total total
- 59:38audience it was audience but not simply
- 59:41in person but that right but again I
- 59:44didn't say in person both in person and
- 59:46around the globe to witness it
- 59:49you're saying those together
- 59:50that no that's actually what I said
- 59:53it's not what I I don't know how you can
- 59:55interpret it differently that's
- 59:56literally what I said
- 59:58to witness it in person and around the
- 1:00:00globe total audience yes
- 1:00:05but but not but you're saying here just
- 1:00:08to clarify you're not saying and you
- 1:00:10weren't saying on Saturday that it was
- 1:00:11the largest inaugural crowd in person I
- 1:00:13am not I am saying that it was the total
- 1:00:15largest audience
- 1:00:18witnessed in person and around the globe
- 1:00:21yes sir
- 1:00:31that senior leadership we're not among
- 1:00:34those hooting and hollering and that
- 1:00:36there were some 40 people who were in
- 1:00:38the first front rows who were brought in
- 1:00:41by Trump and Pence and Pompeo I'd like
- 1:00:44to give you a chance to respond to that
- 1:00:45reporting I don't think that's accurate
- 1:00:46at all in fact I think if you listen to
- 1:00:48the audio of it you can hear the
- 1:00:50excitement that exists there there were
- 1:00:52some people that had to be off camera
- 1:00:53for obvious reasons but I think when you
- 1:00:55looked at the number of people that were
- 1:00:57there the audio alone tells tell you
- 1:01:00know speaks volumes to what had happened
- 1:01:01I don't I don't think that there's any
- 1:01:04question about that
- 1:01:05people in the front who were seen on
- 1:01:07camera those were CIA employees I
- 1:01:08honestly I don't have a seating chart I
- 1:01:11think we had a very small footprint
- 1:01:12going over there I don't know exactly
- 1:01:14who went over but I don't know maybe 10
- 1:01:17people at most Sarah was a 10. we're in
- 1:01:21our we're in the travel going over
- 1:01:24so 10 of 400.
- 1:01:26a lot of people the people were in the
- 1:01:27front row so those were CIA employees
- 1:01:30some so
- 1:01:32we're not I'm sure we seated I don't I I
- 1:01:35can't say I'm not really sure why this
- 1:01:37matters I mean 10 people didn't yell
- 1:01:39that loud
- 1:01:43yeah they were there's not this Rift
- 1:01:44between the intelligence community and
- 1:01:46the president because senior authorities
- 1:01:49within the intelligence community
- 1:01:53the notion that people within the CIA
- 1:01:55all I can do is tell you to listen to
- 1:01:57the tape alone I think you can hear a
- 1:01:59lot of that yes
- 1:02:01a couple questions if I could I know
- 1:02:03you've been out here for a while uh has
- 1:02:04the president formerly requested over
- 1:02:07um Pentagon advice on how he could
- 1:02:09change the campaign against the Islamic
- 1:02:10State uh I think he has ordered it uh
- 1:02:13he's gonna as I mentioned he'll be at
- 1:02:15the Department of Defense on Friday to
- 1:02:16swear in uh General Mattis as the next
- 1:02:19secretary well to you know
- 1:02:21go through the ceremony of that uh he is
- 1:02:23obviously the Secretary of Defense uh
- 1:02:25and so
- 1:02:27um
- 1:02:28you know at that time he will continue
- 1:02:29to have conversations about what he
- 1:02:31wants from from them and The Joint
- 1:02:33Chiefs
- 1:02:35yes and I don't I don't mean to be the
- 1:02:38dead horse on the issue of the U.S
- 1:02:40embassy in Israel right can you uh at
- 1:02:43the end of the president's
- 1:02:45first four years so it means at the end
- 1:02:48of the next four years will the United
- 1:02:49States Embassy be in Jerusalem well I I
- 1:02:52think I've answered it twice now I we
- 1:02:54are at the early stages in this
- 1:02:56decision-making process
- 1:02:57it's when and how I I there's a reason
- 1:03:00you go through a decision-making process
- 1:03:02and that's what we're in the process of
- 1:03:04starting right now so I just don't want
- 1:03:05to get ahead of it would if it was
- 1:03:07already a decision that we wouldn't be
- 1:03:09going through a process
- 1:03:10okay I just answered the thanks Julie
- 1:03:13Jim
- 1:03:14uh congratulations and uh thanks for
- 1:03:17taking the question um getting back to
- 1:03:19uh Saturday at the CIA and your
- 1:03:22statement here at the podium why make
- 1:03:24this crowd side issue a crowd size issue
- 1:03:27something to talk about at all and why
- 1:03:30get into it um
- 1:03:31did it bother the president that much
- 1:03:33that he felt that you needed to come out
- 1:03:36here and straighten that out for us and
- 1:03:38why did he choose the CIA as the venue
- 1:03:40uh to talk about that
- 1:03:44um so two things one I just got to hand
- 1:03:45a note all of the people were not no no
- 1:03:47one in the front row was Trump they were
- 1:03:49all CIA
- 1:03:50that's what you asked the first three
- 1:03:52rounds okay I'll find out who the other
- 1:03:55two were I'm sorry I just got you the
- 1:03:57front row give me a second I'll get the
- 1:03:58second the third we're gonna get to the
- 1:04:00fourth and fifth or okay so let me see
- 1:04:02what I can do
- 1:04:03um
- 1:04:04look I think one of the things that
- 1:04:06happened Jim was that he kept hearing
- 1:04:09about this riff that existed
- 1:04:11um he talked about it a couple weeks ago
- 1:04:12after his briefing how proud he is and
- 1:04:14how much he respects the intelligence
- 1:04:16community and I think when he walked
- 1:04:19into that and he saw it he wanted to
- 1:04:21make sure that people knew that what
- 1:04:23you're hearing on television or in
- 1:04:25reports about this Rift
- 1:04:27I I have the utmost respect for you I
- 1:04:29honor your service I'm proud of what
- 1:04:31you're doing and the sacrifices that
- 1:04:33you're making and I think that he wanted
- 1:04:35them to know that you see and hear all
- 1:04:37this stuff on TV about this Rift that
- 1:04:39so-called exists and clearly it doesn't
- 1:04:42matter like don't believe what you're
- 1:04:43hearing know that I I have a tremendous
- 1:04:46amount of respect for you I appreciate
- 1:04:48everything that you're doing and I think
- 1:04:49that's why you wanted to do it is to
- 1:04:51make sure that they understand they
- 1:04:52heard firsthand how much he respects
- 1:04:54them how much he wanted to dispel the
- 1:04:56myth that there was a quote unquote Rift
- 1:04:58but in terms of the crowd size issue why
- 1:05:01bring that up at the CIA and why did you
- 1:05:03come out Saturday afternoon to talk
- 1:05:04about that did he tell you Sean I'm
- 1:05:06upset about this I want you to come I'm
- 1:05:08not going to get into conversations that
- 1:05:09I have with the president but I will
- 1:05:10tell you that it's not it's not just
- 1:05:13about a crowd size it's about this
- 1:05:15constant you know he's not going to run
- 1:05:17then if he runs he's going to drop out
- 1:05:19then if he runs he can't win there's no
- 1:05:20way he can win Pennsylvania there's no
- 1:05:21way he can win Michigan then if he won
- 1:05:23it's oh we didn't there's this constant
- 1:05:25theme to undercut cut the enormous
- 1:05:28support that he has and I think it's
- 1:05:30just unbelievably frustrating when
- 1:05:33you're continually told it's not big
- 1:05:35enough it's not good enough you can't
- 1:05:36win hold on let me just because I think
- 1:05:39it's important he's gone out there and
- 1:05:41defied the odds over and over and over
- 1:05:44again and he keeps getting told what he
- 1:05:46can't do by this narrative that's out
- 1:05:49there and he exceeds it every single
- 1:05:50time and I think there's an overall
- 1:05:53frustration when you open when you turn
- 1:05:55on the television over and over again
- 1:05:56and get told that there's this narrative
- 1:05:58that you didn't win you weren't going to
- 1:06:00run you can't pick up this state that's
- 1:06:02not you know that that's a Fool's errand
- 1:06:04to go to Pennsylvania why is he in
- 1:06:06Michigan how silly they'll never vote
- 1:06:08former Republican hasn't won that state
- 1:06:09since Ada and then he goes and he does
- 1:06:11it and then what's the next narrative
- 1:06:12well it must have been because of this
- 1:06:14he didn't win that and then oh people
- 1:06:16aren't attending your thing or John
- 1:06:18Lewis is is the first person to skip his
- 1:06:20inauguration not true and over and over
- 1:06:22again the MLK bust I think over and over
- 1:06:25again there's this constant attempt to
- 1:06:28undermine his credibility and the
- 1:06:30movement that he represents and it's
- 1:06:32frustrating for not just him but I think
- 1:06:34so many of us that are trying to work to
- 1:06:37get this message out and it's and so I
- 1:06:39mentioned this to Jonathan but part of
- 1:06:40this is a two-way street like we we want
- 1:06:44to we want to have a healthy dialogue
- 1:06:46not just with you but with the American
- 1:06:47people because he's fighting for jobs
- 1:06:49he's fighting to make this country safer
- 1:06:51but when you're constantly getting told
- 1:06:52that can't be true we doubt that you can
- 1:06:55do this this won't happen and that's the
- 1:06:58narrative when you turn on television
- 1:06:59every single day it's a little
- 1:07:01frustrating and I think that for those
- 1:07:03people around him a senior team
- 1:07:05especially but so many of the other
- 1:07:07folks that are either here in the
- 1:07:08administration that gave up their time
- 1:07:10during the transition they left a job to
- 1:07:12work for three or four weeks because
- 1:07:13they're so committed to having his
- 1:07:15nominees get through it's a little
- 1:07:17demoralizing to turn on the TV day after
- 1:07:19day and here can't do this this guy's
- 1:07:22not going to get confirmed no way
- 1:07:23they're going to go through
- 1:07:26the conversation that happens in
- 1:07:27Washington no it's not I I think being
- 1:07:29president of the United States no I I
- 1:07:32look I've been doing this a long time
- 1:07:33you've been doing this too I've never
- 1:07:35seen it like this Jim I I've never and
- 1:07:37again I'm not I I'm not looking to to go
- 1:07:41back and forth but you're asking for an
- 1:07:42explanation and I think that it's
- 1:07:44important to understand that whether
- 1:07:46it's it's the president himself
- 1:07:48the vice president the senior team the
- 1:07:51volunteers or the people who are out
- 1:07:53there just you know in America that
- 1:07:55voted for him or walked the streets or
- 1:07:57put up a sign
- 1:07:58that to constantly told no no no no and
- 1:08:02no watch him go yes yes yes every time
- 1:08:04and to come up to the next hurdle and
- 1:08:05see someone put a block up gets a little
- 1:08:07frustrating and I think that we are and
- 1:08:10and so
- 1:08:11you see this historic thing and he
- 1:08:13stands there at the Capitol and I was
- 1:08:14not that close but you know on the
- 1:08:16platform and you look out and you all
- 1:08:18you're you're it's an amazing view
- 1:08:21and it's just so many people who got in
- 1:08:24long lines who had to go around all this
- 1:08:26different stuff to get in and that was
- 1:08:28for the first time that we did have to
- 1:08:29go through fencing
- 1:08:31um that far out and and and then to hear
- 1:08:35well look at this shot and it's not that
- 1:08:37it wasn't that big it's a little
- 1:08:38demoralizing because when you're sitting
- 1:08:40there and you're looking out and you
- 1:08:41you're in awe of just how awesome that
- 1:08:44view is and how many people are there
- 1:08:45and you go back and you turn on the
- 1:08:47television and you see shots of
- 1:08:49comparing this and that I mean you know
- 1:08:52and then you look at the stuff that's
- 1:08:53happening the nominees that get put out
- 1:08:55the Democrats stopping there are two
- 1:08:58cabinet officials ladies and gentlemen
- 1:08:59that are taking their office today he
- 1:09:01visited the CIA in a director that was
- 1:09:04considered a consensus candidate wasn't
- 1:09:06approved where's the story and I think
- 1:09:10that so it isn't that you've got bigger
- 1:09:12fish to fry like why worry about a
- 1:09:14couple of tweets about crowds because
- 1:09:16it's not because that's what I'm saying
- 1:09:18you're minimizing the point here Jim
- 1:09:19it's not about one tweet it's not about
- 1:09:22one picture it's about a constant theme
- 1:09:26it's about sitting here every time and
- 1:09:29being told no well we don't think he can
- 1:09:31do that he'll never accomplish that he
- 1:09:34can't win that it won't be the biggest
- 1:09:35it's not going to be that good the
- 1:09:37crowds aren't that big he's not that
- 1:09:39successful The Narrative and the the
- 1:09:41default narrative is always negative and
- 1:09:45it's demoralizing and I think that when
- 1:09:47you sit here and you realize the
- 1:09:48sacrifice the guy made of leaving a very
- 1:09:51very successful business because he
- 1:09:53really cares about this country and he
- 1:09:55wants to despite your partisan
- 1:09:57differences he cares about making this
- 1:09:59country better for everybody he wants to
- 1:10:01make it safer for everybody and so when
- 1:10:03you wake up every day and that's what
- 1:10:05you're seeing over and over again and
- 1:10:06you're not seeing stories about the
- 1:10:09cabinet folks that he's putting or the
- 1:10:11success that he's having trying to keep
- 1:10:12American jobs here yeah it is a little
- 1:10:15disappointing so I just it's you know
- 1:10:19always going to be positive it's no it's
- 1:10:20not and sometimes we'll make mistakes I
- 1:10:22promise you that but it's not always got
- 1:10:24to be negative Jim some days we do do
- 1:10:27the right thing some days we are we are
- 1:10:30successful
- 1:10:31so it's not it's part of this is saying
- 1:10:34when we're right say we're right when
- 1:10:37we're wrong say we're wrong but it's not
- 1:10:39always wrong and negative
- 1:10:41there are things there's a lot of things
- 1:10:43that he's done already a lot of amazing
- 1:10:45people he's appointed a lot of success
- 1:10:47that he's have it and it would be once
- 1:10:49night once in a while for someone just
- 1:10:51to say
- 1:10:52report it straight up here he appointed
- 1:10:54this person here's their background not
- 1:10:56why they're not going to get nominated
- 1:10:58not why it's not going to happen so
- 1:11:01hold on what one last thing hold on
- 1:11:05I can't I know we're getting really into
- 1:11:07like facts so uh just to be clear there
- 1:11:10were no Trump or White House folks
- 1:11:12sitting down they were all in the CIA
- 1:11:14two of us so not in rows one through
- 1:11:17anything from what I'm told
- 1:11:20I appreciate Julie's effort but I wanted
- 1:11:22her I've got Hallie John you got one
- 1:11:25shot give me a second
- 1:11:27yeah if you don't mind first one on
- 1:11:28Russia um the administration was asked
- 1:11:30about multiple interactions between
- 1:11:31National Security advisor Mike Flynn and
- 1:11:34uh a Russian Ambassador I believe you at
- 1:11:36the time the administration at times
- 1:11:37said it the calls were related to
- 1:11:39setting up a discussion right between
- 1:11:41President Trump and Vladimir Putin were
- 1:11:44those conversations about anything else
- 1:11:45other than setting up that discussion
- 1:11:47and why has that discussion not yet
- 1:11:49happened between the president and
- 1:11:50President Putin so there's been one call
- 1:11:53I talked to uh General Flynn about this
- 1:11:55again last night one call talks about
- 1:11:58four subjects one was the uh loss of
- 1:12:02life that occurred in the plane crash
- 1:12:03that took their military choir two was
- 1:12:06Christmas and holiday greetings
- 1:12:08um three was to facilitate or to talk
- 1:12:11about a conference in Syria on Isis and
- 1:12:13four was to set up a to talk about after
- 1:12:16the inauguration setting up a call
- 1:12:18between President Putin and president
- 1:12:20Trump
- 1:12:21um that I don't believe that that has
- 1:12:23been set up yet because the call was to
- 1:12:25say after they did follow up I'm sorry
- 1:12:28two days ago about how to facilitate
- 1:12:30that call once again so there have been
- 1:12:32a total of two calls
- 1:12:34with the Ambassador and general Flynn
- 1:12:37and the second call came I think it's
- 1:12:39now three days ago that was to say once
- 1:12:41he gets into office can we set up that
- 1:12:43call it hasn't to my knowledge has not
- 1:12:45occurred yet any other conversations
- 1:12:47between General Flynn and Russian
- 1:12:48members of the government not that I'm
- 1:12:50aware of and when I say that what I'm
- 1:12:52saying is during the transition I asked
- 1:12:53General Flynn that whether or not there
- 1:12:55were any other conversations beyond the
- 1:12:57Ambassador and he said no and then one
- 1:12:59more follow-up on Julie's question from
- 1:13:00earlier on a statement that the
- 1:13:01president made on Saturday can you and I
- 1:13:03just want to clarify your answer here
- 1:13:04yeah can you unequivocally state that
- 1:13:06this Administration will not send more
- 1:13:08troops into Iraq to as the president has
- 1:13:10put it take the oil
- 1:13:12I'm not going to talk about what we may
- 1:13:14or may not do I think the president's
- 1:13:15been very clear that he doesn't
- 1:13:16telegraphed forward what taking options
- 1:13:19off the table that's not a good
- 1:13:20negotiating skill that's not how he
- 1:13:22works there's a reason he's been
- 1:13:23successful at negotiating is because he
- 1:13:25does it in a way that doesn't Telegraph
- 1:13:26to people what he's going to take on or
- 1:13:28off the table
- 1:13:29Jeff Mason
- 1:13:30where's the president's thinking now on
- 1:13:33the Supreme Court
- 1:13:35naming some nominees and then the
- 1:13:37follow-up we get two
- 1:13:40narrowing down okay
- 1:13:43um and at the end of the Obama
- 1:13:44Administration the number of prisoners
- 1:13:46in Guantanamo Bay was reduced to about
- 1:13:4840 right and what did the president's
- 1:13:50plans for that prison so uh on the first
- 1:13:52I I think that in the next week or so we
- 1:13:55should have an update on a nominee for
- 1:13:57the Supreme Court
- 1:13:58um
- 1:14:00it does I I think we'll have a
- 1:14:02nomination within the next couple weeks
- 1:14:04he continues to make that a priority of
- 1:14:06his
- 1:14:07um on gitmo
- 1:14:08um I think you're going to see further
- 1:14:10action I don't want to get ahead of the
- 1:14:11president but this is something that has
- 1:14:13been discussed and is it is in his
- 1:14:16current decision-making process
- 1:14:17um how he wants to handle that yeah if I
- 1:14:20could just list one more you said that
- 1:14:22the president disagreed with the
- 1:14:24characterization of a rift with the
- 1:14:26intelligence Community that's right do
- 1:14:28dispute though his tweet about comparing
- 1:14:30an intelligence Community to Nazi
- 1:14:31Germany I no I think how what he was
- 1:14:33talking about was the process not the
- 1:14:35people and that's a very different thing
- 1:14:37Shane
- 1:14:40he made a whole list of uh day one
- 1:14:43promises uh he called it a contract with
- 1:14:45the American voters a bunch of them are
- 1:14:47not going to get done today because she
- 1:14:48said he's done with making executive
- 1:14:49orders
- 1:14:51uh labeling China
- 1:14:52currency manipulator imposing
- 1:14:54Congressional term limits proposing that
- 1:14:56I want to ask you why not pursue all
- 1:14:58those on day one as he promised in a
- 1:15:00contract with the voters well I think he
- 1:15:02is we're going to continue to sequence
- 1:15:04those out I think part of it is to make
- 1:15:06sure that we don't spend our entire day
- 1:15:07signing executive orders and bringing
- 1:15:09you in there's a way that we can do this
- 1:15:11to make sure that we're getting all of
- 1:15:13those things that he promised the
- 1:15:14American people done in short haste and
- 1:15:17doing it in a way that doesn't just Jam
- 1:15:19them out in a fire hose and I think part
- 1:15:21of this is to ensuring that we sequence
- 1:15:23these that gives the American people the
- 1:15:25proper the issue the proper attention
- 1:15:27that they deserve because part of it is
- 1:15:30that when if we put them all out on one
- 1:15:32day they lose they get lost in The Ether
- 1:15:35I think and I think he made these
- 1:15:36promises and pledges to the American
- 1:15:38people because they're important to him
- 1:15:40so
- 1:15:43on that day one list though that's his
- 1:15:45intention yeah he's very clear about
- 1:15:46that yes sir
- 1:15:52not gonna no decision has been made at
- 1:15:54this time on that Kristen Welker
- 1:15:56uh one on Obamacare has he finished his
- 1:16:00plan on Obamacare when will the Americas
- 1:16:02clarify
- 1:16:05I know he's going to meet with the
- 1:16:06leaders of Mexico and Canada has he
- 1:16:09started to have discussions with them
- 1:16:10currently about negotiating that yeah so
- 1:16:13yeah
- 1:16:14um on Obamacare I think he's going to
- 1:16:15continue the discussion tonight
- 1:16:17um with with speaker Ryan in particular
- 1:16:19at the meeting that he's going to have
- 1:16:20after the reception
- 1:16:21um when it comes to
- 1:16:23um the the I'm sorry the other part was
- 1:16:26NAFTA
- 1:16:28um there's he discussed
- 1:16:31um
- 1:16:31on the phone with both leaders his
- 1:16:34desire to reform it but obviously uh his
- 1:16:37goal was to have that discussion when
- 1:16:39they come in person and I think I
- 1:16:40mentioned yesterday the foreign minister
- 1:16:41of Mexico is going to come on the 25th
- 1:16:4326th to sort of uh set the table and
- 1:16:46have some of those meetings ahead of
- 1:16:48um uh president pinonitis uh meeting
- 1:16:51here
- 1:16:57well again he's been in this is his
- 1:17:00first working day I think it's been
- 1:17:02pretty busy and robust not just today
- 1:17:03but in the two and a half other days
- 1:17:05that we had and I think you're gonna see
- 1:17:08um a lot more come come out but you know
- 1:17:11there's a lot of things that have to get
- 1:17:12done and a lot of things that we're
- 1:17:14working on as a staff to get them
- 1:17:15prepared he's going to continue to have
- 1:17:16very very robust weeks thank you guys I
- 1:17:19appreciate it this was a good first one
- 1:17:24go ahead
- 1:17:28thank you
- 1:17:41and most of those people were supporting
- 1:17:43president uh
- 1:17:45foreign
- 1:17:56Fortune companies to and from India and
- 1:18:00he said that
- 1:18:02which companies are supporting so my
- 1:18:04question is that where do we go as far
- 1:18:06as us India and U.S Asia U.S India
- 1:18:09business relations
- 1:18:11thank you for the question
- 1:18:14um
- 1:18:14I I think that whether it's India or
- 1:18:18other countries throughout the globe
- 1:18:19today as I mentioned I mean the goal is
- 1:18:20to figure out uh countries and markets
- 1:18:23that we want to access that benefit the
- 1:18:24American worker help us grow
- 1:18:26manufacturing the services industry and
- 1:18:28so that's one area that will continue to
- 1:18:30work with prime minister thereon but
- 1:18:31we've we've got a very robust agenda
- 1:18:33thank you guys it's been a pleasure God
- 1:18:35bless see you tomorrow
- 1:18:38organization
- 1:18:56thank you
- 1:18:59[Music]
- 1:19:08[Music]
- 1:19:16[Music]
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