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Sean Spicer Full Press Conference | ABC News — Transcript

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  1. 0:08good afternoon everyone thanks for
  2. 0:10coming out to our first official
  3. 0:11briefing here in The Brady room uh I was
  4. 0:14going to start with a little recap of
  5. 0:15the inauguration but I think we've
  6. 0:16covered that pretty well
  7. 0:18um by the way just as I get started uh I
  8. 0:21know that Josh Earnest was voted the
  9. 0:23most popular press secretary by the
  10. 0:24Press Corps so after reading checking my
  11. 0:27Twitter feed I shot Josh an email last
  12. 0:30night letting him know that he can rest
  13. 0:31easy that his title is secure for at
  14. 0:33least the next few days
  15. 0:35uh let me Begin by saying that the
  16. 0:37president has been closely monitoring
  17. 0:38the severe weather in the Southeast he
  18. 0:40spoke by phone with Governor deal of
  19. 0:42Georgia yesterday and offered his
  20. 0:44condolences and support today president
  21. 0:46Trump is focused on fulfilling his
  22. 0:48pledge to pursue trade policies that put
  23. 0:50America first
  24. 0:51the president began his day with a
  25. 0:52breakfast with key U.S Business Leaders
  26. 0:55where the focus of the discussion was on
  27. 0:57job creation and growing our
  28. 0:58manufacturing base Business Leaders who
  29. 1:01attended included Michael Dell the
  30. 1:03founder and CEO of Dell Jeff fedig the
  31. 1:05CEO of Whirlpool Mark Fields the CEO of
  32. 1:08Ford Alex Gorski the CEO of Johnson and
  33. 1:11Johnson Marilyn Houston the CEO of
  34. 1:14Lockheed Martin Klaus kleinfield the CEO
  35. 1:17of arconic Andrew liveris the CEO of Dao
  36. 1:20Mario Lange the CEO of U.S steel Elon
  37. 1:23Musk of SpaceX and Tesla Kevin plank of
  38. 1:27Under Armor Mark Sutton of International
  39. 1:29Paper Wendell weeks the CEO of Corning
  40. 1:32Chief of Staff reince priebus Chief
  41. 1:35strategist Steve Bannon the vice
  42. 1:37president's Chief of Staff Josh pitcock
  43. 1:39and Senior advisor Stephen Miller the
  44. 1:42breakfast was an opportunity for the
  45. 1:44president to hear directly from
  46. 1:46America's Top Business Leaders about the
  47. 1:48challenges they're facing and take some
  48. 1:50suggestions about what policies and
  49. 1:52action can be taken to help them create
  50. 1:54jobs and grow our manufacturing base the
  51. 1:57meeting included a really great exchange
  52. 1:59of ideas that the and the president has
  53. 2:01decided to reconvene the group in a
  54. 2:03month and then have them meet on a
  55. 2:05quarterly basis as you know the
  56. 2:07president's vision is to negotiate fair
  57. 2:09trade deals that could create jobs
  58. 2:10increase American wages and reduce
  59. 2:13Americans trade deficit he's appointed a
  60. 2:16tough tough and smart number of trade
  61. 2:18experts who will fight on behalf of
  62. 2:21American workers with that vision in
  63. 2:23mind the president has already taken
  64. 2:24several steps today first he issued a
  65. 2:27presidential memorandum withdrawing the
  66. 2:29United States from the trans-pacific
  67. 2:31partnership TPP is a multilateral
  68. 2:34agreement that includes the United
  69. 2:35States and 11 other countries as the
  70. 2:38president has said many times this type
  71. 2:40of multinational agreement is not in our
  72. 2:42best interest and he's moving quickly to
  73. 2:44advance train policies that increase the
  74. 2:47competitiveness of the American worker
  75. 2:48and manufacturer this executive action
  76. 2:51ushers in a new era of U.S trade policy
  77. 2:53in which the Trump Administration will
  78. 2:55pursue bilateral trade opportunities
  79. 2:57with allies around the Grove this is a
  80. 3:00strong signal that the Trump
  81. 3:01Administration wants free and fair trade
  82. 3:04throughout the world Additionally the
  83. 3:07President issued a memorandum
  84. 3:08re-establishing the Mexico City policy
  85. 3:10stating that the United States will end
  86. 3:12the use of taxpayer dollars to fund
  87. 3:14abortions overseas along with coercive
  88. 3:17abortion and sterilation sterilization
  89. 3:19practices finally the President issued a
  90. 3:21memorandum outlining executive branch
  91. 3:24hiring this memorandum counters the
  92. 3:26dramatic expansion of the federal
  93. 3:28Workforce in recent years in particular
  94. 3:30it prevents filling vacant positions and
  95. 3:33creating new positions except when
  96. 3:35necessary to meet National or public
  97. 3:37security responsibilities it does not
  98. 3:40apply to military personnel and it
  99. 3:42ensures that the American taxpayers get
  100. 3:44effective and efficient government
  101. 3:46earlier in the day the president spoke
  102. 3:48with Egyptian president ellisisi they
  103. 3:51discussed ways to deepen the bilateral
  104. 3:52relationship and support Egypt's fight
  105. 3:54against terrorists and bolster Egypt's
  106. 3:56homegrown and historic economic reform
  107. 3:58program president Trump underscored the
  108. 4:01United States remained strongly
  109. 4:02committed to the bilateral relationship
  110. 4:04which has helped both countries overcome
  111. 4:06challenges in the region for decades the
  112. 4:09president committed to working
  113. 4:10continuing with military assistance to
  114. 4:12Egypt and working with Egypt to ensure
  115. 4:14that assistance most effectively
  116. 4:16supports the Egyptian military's fight
  117. 4:18against terrorism the President also
  118. 4:20commended president aliceisi for his
  119. 4:22courageous steps to address Egypt's
  120. 4:24economic challenges and offer to discuss
  121. 4:26ways the United States could support
  122. 4:27Egypt's economic reform program finally
  123. 4:30the two leaders discussed a visit to the
  124. 4:32United States in the future the
  125. 4:34president then had lunch with the vice
  126. 4:35president where they recapped this
  127. 4:37morning's meetings and discuss next
  128. 4:38steps they also had discussed plans to
  129. 4:41advance the president's legislative
  130. 4:42agenda to make America safer and more
  131. 4:45prosperous also today the Pres resident
  132. 4:47side designations for acting heads of
  133. 4:49executive departments and agencies to
  134. 4:51maintain continuity in those critical
  135. 4:53positions at three o'clock union leaders
  136. 4:56and front-line workers will meet with
  137. 4:57the president to discuss his pro-worker
  138. 5:00agenda attendees include Tom Flynn of
  139. 5:03the United Brotherhood of Carpenters
  140. 5:04Sean McGarvey president of the North
  141. 5:06American Building and construction
  142. 5:07trades Department Terry O'Sullivan
  143. 5:10General president of the Labor's
  144. 5:11International Union of America of North
  145. 5:13America
  146. 5:14Mark McManus the general president of
  147. 5:17the United Association Donald Mullins
  148. 5:19Steamfitters United Association Local
  149. 5:21602 Frank Spencer United Brotherhood
  150. 5:25Carpenters Doug McCarron General
  151. 5:27president United Brotherhood of
  152. 5:28Carpenters Mark Coles of Iron Workers
  153. 5:31Local five Joseph sellers Jr the general
  154. 5:34president of the sheet metal workers
  155. 5:36union smart Union Thelma M Mata the heat
  156. 5:39and frost insulators and Allied Workers
  157. 5:42Local 24 Mark yerkowski United
  158. 5:45Association local five Stephen Dodd the
  159. 5:48sheet metal workers union smart Union
  160. 5:50Gary messino the sheet metal workers
  161. 5:53union smart Union the president has been
  162. 5:55honored to receive tremendous support
  163. 5:57from Union working men and women on
  164. 5:59Election Day and he's dedicated to
  165. 6:01growing and deepening their support and
  166. 6:03he made it a priority to meet with these
  167. 6:05union workers on our working day one
  168. 6:07here in the White House the offshoring
  169. 6:10of American jobs and lack of economic
  170. 6:11growth in recent years has hit American
  171. 6:13workers particularly hard art and the
  172. 6:16president's top priority is to retain
  173. 6:17and attract American jobs which have
  174. 6:19already seen happening through his
  175. 6:21actions on Carrier Sprint General Motors
  176. 6:23and so many more
  177. 6:25at five o'clock the president will host
  178. 6:26a bicameral bipartisan meeting with
  179. 6:28leaders here at the White House that
  180. 6:30will include the vice president the
  181. 6:32Senate Majority Leader the Senate
  182. 6:33Majority Whip the Senate minority leader
  183. 6:35the Senate minority whip the house
  184. 6:37Speaker the House Majority Leader the
  185. 6:39house Democratic leader the house
  186. 6:41Democratic whip uh the white house chief
  187. 6:43of staff our chief strategist Chief of
  188. 6:45Staff to the vice president and Chiefs
  189. 6:47of Staff from those respective offices
  190. 6:49the purpose of the meeting is to get the
  191. 6:51president's agenda moving through
  192. 6:52Congress the American people are
  193. 6:54frustrated with the lack of progress
  194. 6:55here in Washington and the president
  195. 6:57wants no delay in addressing our most
  196. 6:59pressing issues he's taking every step
  197. 7:01opportunity
  198. 7:02to afford strong bonds with
  199. 7:04Congressional leaders on both sides of
  200. 7:06the aisle one of the other subjects
  201. 7:07that's sure to come up is the status of
  202. 7:09his nominees during this meeting it's
  203. 7:10important to note that at this point in
  204. 7:122009 President Obama had spot seven of
  205. 7:15his nominees confirmed on day one and
  206. 7:18five more in the first week as it stands
  207. 7:21today we have two Democrats even held up
  208. 7:24the confirmation of CIA director Mike
  209. 7:26Pompeo needlessly leaving one of our
  210. 7:28most important national security
  211. 7:29agencies without its top leader on day
  212. 7:32one it's time for Senate Democrats to
  213. 7:34stop playing political games with the
  214. 7:36core functions of government and to
  215. 7:38allow president Trump's unquestionally
  216. 7:40qualified and talented group of cabinet
  217. 7:42nominees to get to work on behalf of the
  218. 7:44American people rounding out today's
  219. 7:46schedule after the reception that I
  220. 7:49mentioned he will have dinner with uh we
  221. 7:51have a meeting with the house Speaker
  222. 7:52Paul Ryan they will discuss the
  223. 7:54Republican legislative agenda and
  224. 7:56strategy going forward early in the day
  225. 7:58the president nominated former New
  226. 8:00Mexico congresswoman Heather Wilson as
  227. 8:02the next Secretary of the Air Force she
  228. 8:04grew up in Keene New Hampshire and made
  229. 8:05history as part of the third U.S Air
  230. 8:08Force Academy class that included women
  231. 8:10she earned her master's degree in
  232. 8:12doctoral degrees as a Rhodes scholar at
  233. 8:14Oxford in England and then served as an
  234. 8:16Air Force officer in Europe during the
  235. 8:18Cold War and on the National Security
  236. 8:20Office under President George H.W bush
  237. 8:23as you know we are all about big
  238. 8:25viewerships and large audiences here so
  239. 8:28I want to tell you about an effort that
  240. 8:30we're undertaking here in the Press
  241. 8:31briefing room to offer up more access to
  242. 8:34a group of journalists from around the
  243. 8:35country beginning later this week I'm
  244. 8:37excited to announce that we're going to
  245. 8:39have four what we call Skype seats live
  246. 8:41here in the briefing room this will open
  247. 8:43up the briefing to journalists who live
  248. 8:45beyond 50 miles of the Washington DC
  249. 8:47area and and to organizations that don't
  250. 8:49currently have a hard pass as always any
  251. 8:51organization is welcome to apply for a
  252. 8:53day pass
  253. 8:54but we're excited to open up into the
  254. 8:56field and fold here a diverse group of
  255. 8:58journalists from around the country who
  256. 8:59may not have the convenience or funding
  257. 9:01to travel to Washington I think this can
  258. 9:03benefit us all by giving a platform to
  259. 9:05voices that are not necessarily based
  260. 9:08here in the Beltway looking ahead the
  261. 9:10president will have a breakfast uh
  262. 9:12tomorrow with the Auto industry
  263. 9:14including heads of GM Chrysler and Ford
  264. 9:16uh he looks forward to hearing their
  265. 9:18ideas on how we can work together to
  266. 9:20bring more jobs back to this industry in
  267. 9:22particular on Wednesday the president
  268. 9:24will host a swearing-in ceremony from
  269. 9:26Inlet from income from new Secretary of
  270. 9:29Homeland Security uh General James Kelly
  271. 9:33John Kelly and then on Friday he will do
  272. 9:35the same for secretary Mattis at the
  273. 9:37Department of Defense on Thursday he
  274. 9:40will travel to Philadelphia to attend
  275. 9:42the Republican House and Senate Retreat
  276. 9:44and on Friday he will welcome his first
  277. 9:46foreign head of state British prime
  278. 9:49minister May with that I look forward to
  279. 9:51taking your questions Daniel Halper new
  280. 9:54a post
  281. 10:01when will you start building on the
  282. 10:03border wall I think if the president has
  283. 10:04noted uh that this was a serious
  284. 10:06priority of his throughout the campaign
  285. 10:08he's already started to work with
  286. 10:10Congress on the on the Appropriations
  287. 10:11Avenue of that and so he is doing
  288. 10:13everything he can to direct agencies and
  289. 10:16Congress to commence with that work as
  290. 10:17soon as possible
  291. 10:19with Obamacare are you guys been forcing
  292. 10:21the Mandate or not you're forcing the
  293. 10:22Mandate yes yes Obamacare mandate Kelly
  294. 10:25I think look the president has made it
  295. 10:27clear that he's going to work with
  296. 10:28Congress to and part of the discussion
  297. 10:30that he's going to have tonight uh with
  298. 10:32with some of these leaders and then
  299. 10:33again with Paul Ryan is how we can work
  300. 10:36to implement both the repeal and replace
  301. 10:38aspects of this Jennifer Wishin
  302. 10:44the president could have taken today he
  303. 10:45chose to reinstate the Mexico City
  304. 10:47policy what message is he sending here
  305. 10:49does he see the elimination uh reduction
  306. 10:52of abortions as an American value and
  307. 10:55also here at home can pro-life Americans
  308. 10:57expect him to put his signature on
  309. 10:59legislation that will defund Planned
  310. 11:01Parenthood well I think the president
  311. 11:03it's no secret has made himself made it
  312. 11:05very clear that he's a pro-life
  313. 11:06president he wants to stand up for all
  314. 11:09Americans including The Unborn and I
  315. 11:11think the reinstatement of this policy
  316. 11:13is not just something that Echoes that
  317. 11:16value but respects taxpayer funding as
  318. 11:18well and ensures that we're standing up
  319. 11:19not just for for Life For Life For The
  320. 11:22Unborn but for also taxpayer funds that
  321. 11:26are being spent overseas to perform an
  322. 11:27action that is contrary to the values of
  323. 11:30this President
  324. 11:31um and and I think continue to further
  325. 11:33illustrate not just to the folks here in
  326. 11:35this country but around the world of
  327. 11:37what a value we place on life
  328. 11:39Jennifer Rodriguez
  329. 11:41Janet I'm sorry
  330. 11:51and uh when can we expect that to happen
  331. 11:54and also when can we expect the White
  332. 11:56House Spanish site to be back up
  333. 11:58okay two questions let me start with the
  334. 12:01the latter first uh as you know
  335. 12:04uh we we got the grow we hit the ground
  336. 12:06running on day one uh there was a lot to
  337. 12:08do and we had done a lot of work on the
  338. 12:09website to make sure uh that we were
  339. 12:11prepared to get as much information up
  340. 12:13as as fast as possible we are continuing
  341. 12:15to build out the website both in the
  342. 12:17area of the issue areas and then that
  343. 12:19area but but we've got the I.T folks
  344. 12:21working overtime right now uh to
  345. 12:23continue to get all of that up to speed
  346. 12:24and and trust me it's just going to take
  347. 12:26a little bit more time but we'll work in
  348. 12:28piece by piece to get that done on the
  349. 12:30dock a piece uh I think the president's
  350. 12:32been clear that he's going to prioritize
  351. 12:34the areas of dealing with the
  352. 12:36immigration system both building the
  353. 12:38wall and making sure that we address
  354. 12:39people who are in this country illegally
  355. 12:41first and foremost the president's been
  356. 12:43very very clear that we need to direct
  357. 12:45agencies to focus on those who are in
  358. 12:46this country illegally and have a record
  359. 12:48uh that uh a criminal record or pose a
  360. 12:52threat to the American people that's
  361. 12:54where the priority is going to be and
  362. 12:55then we're going to continue to work
  363. 12:57through the entire uh number of folks
  364. 13:00that are here legally but right now the
  365. 13:02clear focus is on that sure play firm
  366. 13:05and Fox Business I want to ask you two
  367. 13:07questions
  368. 13:10uh the president campaigned on the
  369. 13:12corporate tax cut rate of 15 and today
  370. 13:15when he met with the Business Leaders he
  371. 13:17had mentioned that the tax rate would
  372. 13:19drop to somewhere between 15 to 20
  373. 13:21percent is soon moving the goal post
  374. 13:23there in any way and my second question
  375. 13:25is on government spending there have
  376. 13:27been reports that you might be looking
  377. 13:29at 10 trillion dollars over the course
  378. 13:31of 10 years is that accurate and would
  379. 13:34you be willing to wrap up entitlements
  380. 13:36to get them well I think first
  381. 13:38um well I'll take the other one first on
  382. 13:40entitlements or on spending look I think
  383. 13:42you saw this with the hiring freeze
  384. 13:44there's been frankly to some degree a
  385. 13:46lack of respect for taxpayer dollars in
  386. 13:48this town for a long time and I think
  387. 13:49what the president's showing through the
  388. 13:51hiring freeze first and foremost today
  389. 13:53is that we've got to respect the
  390. 13:54American taxpayer they're sending us a
  391. 13:56ton of money they're working real hard
  392. 13:57some people are working two three jobs
  393. 13:59just to get by and to see money get
  394. 14:01wasted in Washington on a job that is
  395. 14:03duplicative is insulting to the hard
  396. 14:06work that they do to pay their taxes and
  397. 14:08I think that that comes in to your
  398. 14:10question in overall spending as well
  399. 14:13we've got to look at how we're spending
  400. 14:15the American people's tax department tax
  401. 14:17money and so what the work that the
  402. 14:18landing teams have been doing is going
  403. 14:21into these agencies and departments and
  404. 14:23talking about ways that we can create
  405. 14:25greater efficiencies
  406. 14:27eliminate duplicity and find maximize
  407. 14:30the tax dollar so it's not it's more of
  408. 14:33a question instead of just cutting it's
  409. 14:35about how do we spend and respect the
  410. 14:37American taxpayer dollar more than
  411. 14:39anyone more more going forward April
  412. 14:41Ryan about 15 to 20 sorry oh I'm sorry
  413. 14:44look the the president's a very
  414. 14:47successful businessman and negotiator uh
  415. 14:49he's going to sit down and work with
  416. 14:50Congress to get the best deal possible
  417. 14:52for American businesses so that they can
  418. 14:54hire more people and we can expand and
  419. 14:56we can grow the economy so he's going to
  420. 14:58work with Congress on that rate but he
  421. 15:00understands better than anybody how to
  422. 15:01negotiate a great deal and right now
  423. 15:03he's going to negotiate the best deal on
  424. 15:05on behalf of of the American worker and
  425. 15:07on behalf of the American businesses
  426. 15:09that are hiring them that was a lot of
  427. 15:11the focus that went on today
  428. 15:13talking to these companies and it was
  429. 15:14interesting the the meeting was only
  430. 15:16supposed to last an hour it overflowed
  431. 15:17another hour in the Oval Office and he
  432. 15:19kept asking them what ideas do you have
  433. 15:21to grow this economy what is preventing
  434. 15:24you from hiring people what regulations
  435. 15:26are stopping you uh from conducting more
  436. 15:29business what's what are the ways that
  437. 15:32we can give you more Market access into
  438. 15:33you know other other countries around
  439. 15:35the globe and I think that's what his
  440. 15:37focus is going to continue to be is how
  441. 15:39do we create a tax and Regulatory
  442. 15:41environment that grows the economy and
  443. 15:43benefits the American worker so it's not
  444. 15:45just about creating more jobs but it's
  445. 15:47also about lifting up those jobs through
  446. 15:49higher wages April Ryan Sean a couple of
  447. 15:52questions if you allow me to take them
  448. 15:53as well Elijah Cummings Maryland
  449. 15:56Congressman Democratic Maryland
  450. 15:58Congressman confirmed that President
  451. 16:01Donald Trump talked to him at the
  452. 16:02luncheon about the high price of
  453. 16:04prescription drugs what is this meeting
  454. 16:06and uh going to be said or is it coming
  455. 16:09up soon and will the president be
  456. 16:11meeting with the full body of the
  457. 16:13Congressional Black Caucus as well as
  458. 16:14the Hispanic caucus on issues related to
  459. 16:17those communities okay let's take one at
  460. 16:20a time uh I'm not I'm not aware of the
  461. 16:23conversation I'm sure you've heard the
  462. 16:25president last couple weeks talk about
  463. 16:27the price of pharmaceutical drugs and
  464. 16:29the need to get those prices down and
  465. 16:32bring manufacturing back in the
  466. 16:34pharmaceutical industry to benefit the
  467. 16:36country so it's an issue that's going to
  468. 16:37he's going to continue to work on he
  469. 16:39understands as we reform Health Care as
  470. 16:41we repeal and replace Obamacare the
  471. 16:43getting a hold of the cost of
  472. 16:45prescription drugs to give more people
  473. 16:47access to them but also to allow greater
  474. 16:49access in health greater plans and
  475. 16:51Healthcare that's going to be a key part
  476. 16:53of so he's gonna I mean that's gonna
  477. 16:54happen I think look you're seeing uh
  478. 16:56with respect to the other meetings it's
  479. 16:59day one working day one here
  480. 17:01um he's gonna start with the leadership
  481. 17:03he's going to have a great conversation
  482. 17:04with them but then I think you're going
  483. 17:06to see a variety of meetings the
  484. 17:08Congressional Black Caucus the Hispanic
  485. 17:09caucus small groups of meters he is you
  486. 17:12know he's someone who really enjoys that
  487. 17:14kind of conversation I think you're
  488. 17:16going to see a lot of meetings occur
  489. 17:18like the ones that you did today the
  490. 17:20Business Leaders coming in these union
  491. 17:21workers and it's interesting
  492. 17:23I've we the president was asking these
  493. 17:26folks today how many of you been here
  494. 17:27from the Oval Office three of them
  495. 17:29raised their hand
  496. 17:30we talked to some of these union leaders
  497. 17:31and we hear we didn't get a lot of
  498. 17:33attention and here we are in working day
  499. 17:35one
  500. 17:36and you've got the president reaching
  501. 17:38out to some of America's best Business
  502. 17:39Leaders and then some of the union
  503. 17:41workers and line workers and bringing
  504. 17:44them in and saying I want to listen to
  505. 17:45what's going on in your life what can we
  506. 17:48be doing to help you and I think that
  507. 17:50you're going to see a lot more of that a
  508. 17:52listening president who's engaged and
  509. 17:54trying to figure out what policies and
  510. 17:55actions that he can take that this
  511. 17:58government can take that he can work
  512. 17:59with Congress to make people's lives
  513. 18:02better to make their their security
  514. 18:03better to make their Economic Security
  515. 18:06better but you're going to see a lot of
  516. 18:07that that's who he is that's what he did
  517. 18:10during the transition and I think that's
  518. 18:11what he's going to do going forward he
  519. 18:13appreciates the ideas and opinions that
  520. 18:15come that come through the Oval Office
  521. 18:17or in small groups where he gets to
  522. 18:19share their perspective of their ideas
  523. 18:21or their opinions I think that's what
  524. 18:23he's going to continue to do later this
  525. 18:24afternoon
  526. 18:26I'm sorry April I'm sorry um I want to
  527. 18:29go back to what the gentleman said about
  528. 18:30the Mandate um the New York Post he said
  529. 18:33something about um the Obamacare now uh
  530. 18:35and the Mandate with the numbers that
  531. 18:38you talked about and it's been in the
  532. 18:40news from the inauguration day and the
  533. 18:42numbers Saturday do you believe that you
  534. 18:44have the mandate to be able to force
  535. 18:46through what you had talked about
  536. 18:48replacing portions of Obamacare that
  537. 18:52really subsidized the whole uh piece of
  538. 18:55it to help low-income people that uh
  539. 18:57Health Care well I think what we have is
  540. 19:00a is a mandate to to make Health Care
  541. 19:02More accessible and lower cost that's
  542. 19:06what the American people were promised
  543. 19:07under Obamacare and I think it's not a
  544. 19:09question about a mandate and it's also
  545. 19:10not about forcing anything it's about
  546. 19:12what's doing the right thing it's about
  547. 19:14providing people what they've been
  548. 19:16promised which is you you go around this
  549. 19:18country and you look market after market
  550. 19:20they're down to one plan that's not what
  551. 19:22the American people were promised not
  552. 19:23only that but in many cases you're
  553. 19:25seeing these the rates go up 10 15 20 30
  554. 19:2850 percent that's not what they were
  555. 19:30promised either and so I think what the
  556. 19:32president's doing and it's not just I
  557. 19:33think he's gotten bipartisan support for
  558. 19:35this to work with Congress and to take
  559. 19:37executive action where necessary to
  560. 19:40implement a Health Care system that
  561. 19:41provides more people Health Care truly
  562. 19:43allows them to keep the doctor in plan
  563. 19:45that they're signing up for lowers cost
  564. 19:47creates more competition
  565. 19:49so do I think he has a mandate sure but
  566. 19:52it's not just it's not about it's not on
  567. 19:54this issue I think that all leaders have
  568. 19:56a mandate from the American people to
  569. 19:58fix this system and make it better
  570. 20:00Julie Pace
  571. 20:03uh there's some discrepancy between what
  572. 20:06the Russians are saying and what the
  573. 20:07Pentagon is saying in terms of some
  574. 20:09potential joint action can you clarify
  575. 20:11that and generally is the president open
  576. 20:13to Joint action in Syria with the
  577. 20:15Russians on that instance I know it's
  578. 20:17still developing and I would refer you
  579. 20:18back to the Department of Defense I know
  580. 20:21that they're they're currently
  581. 20:22monitoring this and I would refer you
  582. 20:24back to them on that and I think I think
  583. 20:26that the president has been very clear
  584. 20:27that he's going to work with any country
  585. 20:28that shares our interest in defeating
  586. 20:30Isis not just on the National Security
  587. 20:32front but on the economic front if we
  588. 20:34can work with someone to create greater
  589. 20:36Market access and super economic growth
  590. 20:37and allow U.S small businesses and
  591. 20:40companies to
  592. 20:42military actions with Russia and Syria I
  593. 20:44think if there's a way that we can
  594. 20:46combat Isis with any country whether
  595. 20:47it's Russia or anyone else and we have a
  596. 20:49shared National interest in that sure
  597. 20:51we'll take it thing is when he was at
  598. 20:53the CIA on Saturday he was talking about
  599. 20:55the U.S not taking oil during the Iraq
  600. 20:59War and said that there could be another
  601. 21:01chance for that what did he mean when he
  602. 21:03said that well I think what the
  603. 21:04president's been very clear about in
  604. 21:05foreign policy is too often the United
  605. 21:07States is going in with a lot of money a
  606. 21:09lot of Manpower and in many cases losing
  607. 21:12both uh loss of life and we want to make
  608. 21:15sure that our interests are protected
  609. 21:16and so if we're going in to a country
  610. 21:18for for a cause I think he wants to make
  611. 21:20sure that America is getting something
  612. 21:22out of it for the commitment and the
  613. 21:23sacrifice that we're making
  614. 21:24foreshadowing upcoming I don't think no
  615. 21:26I think he's he's been very clear from
  616. 21:29throughout the campaign that he is
  617. 21:31committed to making sure that America
  618. 21:33the American people the American
  619. 21:35taxpayer see some benefit and ensure
  620. 21:37that our interest overseas are not just
  621. 21:39create sending blank checks that we're
  622. 21:42doing something that either protects
  623. 21:43America or is in our economic interest
  624. 21:44John Roberts a couple of things if I
  625. 21:47could later this week it was executive
  626. 21:49actions does the president plan to take
  627. 21:52action to Greenlight if youstone XL and
  628. 21:55Dakota access pipelines and on TPP yeah
  629. 21:59John McCain says it was a serious
  630. 22:01mistake to do what the president did for
  631. 22:03America's economy and for our strategic
  632. 22:05position in the Asia Pacific why was TPP
  633. 22:08the right thing to do why was it the
  634. 22:10right why was it the right thing to do
  635. 22:12to to repeal TV oh I think I said it I
  636. 22:15mean because I think the multilation
  637. 22:17when you enter into these multinational
  638. 22:20agreements you're allowing any country
  639. 22:22no matter the size any one of those 12
  640. 22:24including us to basically have the same
  641. 22:26stature as the United States in the
  642. 22:27agreement
  643. 22:28so we're basically on par with some very
  644. 22:31small companies who are getting access
  645. 22:32to an amazing Market
  646. 22:34the United States and in return we're
  647. 22:37negotiating at the lowest common
  648. 22:38denominator and I think that when you
  649. 22:40look at big multinational agreements
  650. 22:42multilateral agreements they're not
  651. 22:44always in the best interest of the
  652. 22:45United States the beautiful thing about
  653. 22:46a bilateral agreement is that if any one
  654. 22:48of the two parties in the agreement
  655. 22:50decides at any time they want to get out
  656. 22:53of the agreement or they're not being
  657. 22:54treated fairly they can renegotiate it
  658. 22:55much easier in a multinational agreement
  659. 22:57that's not the case in many cases all of
  660. 23:00the other countries have to agree to an
  661. 23:02action or to let somebody out that's not
  662. 23:04putting the U.S interest first
  663. 23:07question about Keystone and Dakota
  664. 23:09access I'm not going to get in front of
  665. 23:10the president's executive actions but I
  666. 23:12will tell you that areas like Dakota and
  667. 23:14the Keystone Pipeline areas that we can
  668. 23:17Increase jobs increase economic growth
  669. 23:19and tap into America's energy Supply
  670. 23:21more that's something that he has been
  671. 23:24very clear about I think he talked about
  672. 23:25it not only on the campaign but around
  673. 23:27the Thanksgiving period he was talking
  674. 23:29about that that being a big priority
  675. 23:31that's one of those ones where I think
  676. 23:33that the energy sector and our natural
  677. 23:35resources are an area where I think the
  678. 23:37president is very very keen on making
  679. 23:40sure that we maximize our use of Natural
  680. 23:42Resources to America's benefit it's good
  681. 23:44for economic growth it's good for jobs
  682. 23:46and it's good for American Energy
  683. 23:48Jonathan Carl thank you for being here
  684. 23:50first briefing thank you
  685. 23:53um before I get to a policy question
  686. 23:54just a question about the nature of your
  687. 23:56job yeah is it your intention to always
  688. 23:59tell the truth from that Podium and will
  689. 24:02you pledge never to knowingly say
  690. 24:04something that is not factual it is it's
  691. 24:07an honor to do this and uh yes I believe
  692. 24:11that we have to be honest with the
  693. 24:12American people I think sometimes we can
  694. 24:14disagree with the facts there are
  695. 24:15certain things that
  696. 24:17um we may miss we may not fully
  697. 24:19understand when we come out but Our
  698. 24:20intention is never to lie to you
  699. 24:21Jonathan our job is to make sure that
  700. 24:24sometimes and you're in the same boat I
  701. 24:26mean there are times when you guys tweet
  702. 24:28something out or write a story and you
  703. 24:31publish a correction that doesn't mean
  704. 24:33that you were intentionally trying to
  705. 24:34deceive readers of the American people
  706. 24:36does it and I think we should be
  707. 24:38afforded the same opportunity there are
  708. 24:40times when we believe something to be
  709. 24:42true or we get something from an agency
  710. 24:44or we act in haste because the
  711. 24:46information available wasn't complete
  712. 24:48but our desire to communicate with the
  713. 24:50American people and make sure that you
  714. 24:51have the most complete story at the time
  715. 24:53and so we do it but again I I think that
  716. 24:56when you look net net
  717. 24:59we're going to do our best every time we
  718. 25:01can I'm going to come out here and tell
  719. 25:02you the facts as I know and if we make a
  720. 25:04mistake I'll do our best to correct it
  721. 25:06but I I don't I think that it's it's as
  722. 25:09I mentioned the other day it is a
  723. 25:10two-way street there are many mistakes
  724. 25:12that the media makes all the time
  725. 25:14they misreport something they don't
  726. 25:16report something they get a fact wrong I
  727. 25:18don't think that's always you know to
  728. 25:20turn around and say okay you are
  729. 25:21intentionally lying I think we all go
  730. 25:23try to do our best job and do it with a
  731. 25:26degree of Integrity that they're in our
  732. 25:29respective Industries you you have any
  733. 25:30corrections that you would like to make
  734. 25:32or clarifications
  735. 25:33well ask away Jonathan well you know I
  736. 25:36mean just for instance I don't want to
  737. 25:37get in and re-litigate the whole issue
  738. 25:38but like just take one like the issue of
  739. 25:40Metro ridership you made a statement
  740. 25:42about we did and at the time uh the
  741. 25:43information that was provided by the
  742. 25:45Inaugural Committee came from an outside
  743. 25:47agency that we reported on and I think
  744. 25:50knowing what we know now we can tell
  745. 25:51that ramada's numbers are different
  746. 25:54um but we were trying to provide numbers
  747. 25:55that we had been provided uh that wasn't
  748. 25:57like we made them up out of thin air and
  749. 25:59do you stand by your statement that was
  750. 26:01the most watched inaugural I think
  751. 26:03aggressive sure it was the most watched
  752. 26:04inaugural when you look at look you look
  753. 26:07at just the one network alone got 16.9
  754. 26:11million people online another couple of
  755. 26:13the networks there were tens of million
  756. 26:14people that watched that online never
  757. 26:16mind the the audience that was here 31
  758. 26:19million people watched it on television
  759. 26:20combined that with the tens of millions
  760. 26:22of people that watched it online on a
  761. 26:25device there's it's unquestionable
  762. 26:27I don't I don't and I don't see any
  763. 26:29numbers that dispute that when you add
  764. 26:31up attendance viewership or total
  765. 26:34audience includes of tablets phones uh
  766. 26:36on television
  767. 26:38I'd love to see any information that
  768. 26:39proves me that proves that otherwise
  769. 26:42do you dispute that
  770. 26:45well I I don't want to get into numbers
  771. 26:47I I do I mean I'm just saying if you're
  772. 26:50asking me a question about my Integrity
  773. 26:52I have a right to say if you add up the
  774. 26:54the network streaming numbers Facebook
  775. 26:56YouTube all of the various live
  776. 26:58streamings that that we have information
  777. 27:00on so far I don't think there's any
  778. 27:02question who's that it was the largest
  779. 27:04watch inauguration ever
  780. 27:07more than Ronald Reagan's in 1981. I'm
  781. 27:09pretty sure that Reagan didn't have
  782. 27:11YouTube Facebook or the internet yeah I
  783. 27:14think 41 million people watched his
  784. 27:1741 million watched his okay so let's
  785. 27:19just take the Nielsen ratings which are
  786. 27:2131 million and add it to CNN 16.9
  787. 27:24million
  788. 27:26that's a little higher
  789. 27:28so I'm just saying I'm not you're asking
  790. 27:30me for numbers there's just two entities
  791. 27:32together and and the the approach that
  792. 27:35you took on Saturday any second thoughts
  793. 27:37on that I think Jonathan look I I want
  794. 27:40this to huh I came out to read a
  795. 27:43statement and I did it we're here today
  796. 27:45I'm going to stay here as long as you
  797. 27:46want
  798. 27:47so uh I want to make sure that
  799. 27:52I think you guys might want to leave
  800. 27:55before I do
  801. 27:56um but look I I want to make sure that
  802. 27:58we have a healthy relationship we saw
  803. 27:59the other day that and I'm not trying to
  804. 28:01rehash history but you're asking the
  805. 28:03question so I'm going to answer it you
  806. 28:04know we had a tweet go out about Martin
  807. 28:06Luther King
  808. 28:08think about how racially charged that is
  809. 28:11and someone rushes out and says to the
  810. 28:13entire press Corps that the president of
  811. 28:16the United States has removed the bust
  812. 28:18from his office
  813. 28:20do you I mean think about what this
  814. 28:23signal hold on a replacement of an
  815. 28:24apology no no he actually applies to
  816. 28:26quote my colleagues
  817. 28:28that's the exact quote
  818. 28:30okay
  819. 28:31that quote that report got tweeted out
  820. 28:34around
  821. 28:35and to report where was the apology of
  822. 28:38the president of the United States where
  823. 28:39was the apology to millions of people
  824. 28:42who read that and thought how racially
  825. 28:44insensitive that was where was that
  826. 28:46apology
  827. 28:49okay I'm asking where was that apology
  828. 28:51and so I'm just saying that when you
  829. 28:54when things like that happen when John
  830. 28:56Lewis says that he's never approached
  831. 28:58never missed an inauguration
  832. 29:00and we find out actually he did under he
  833. 29:02skipped George W bushes
  834. 29:04that there are points at which we have a
  835. 29:06right to make sure that we correct the
  836. 29:07record I mean you're talking about
  837. 29:09integrity and you're talking about
  838. 29:11telling the truth and facts
  839. 29:14I don't know that it wasn't malicious at
  840. 29:15all and I'm not saying but there's a
  841. 29:17point at which we have a right to go out
  842. 29:19there and correct the record and I think
  843. 29:21that over and over again there is this
  844. 29:24attempt to
  845. 29:26go after this President and say well
  846. 29:28that can't be true and that's not right
  847. 29:30and the numbers weren't there and those
  848. 29:32will rushed to judgment every time and
  849. 29:34it's a two-way street we want to have a
  850. 29:36healthy and open dialogue with the Press
  851. 29:38Corps and with the American people about
  852. 29:40what he's doing to help this country and
  853. 29:42to unite it but at a time when he's
  854. 29:43trying to unite this and he keeps
  855. 29:45talking about uniting this nation
  856. 29:46bringing people together and then a
  857. 29:48tweet goes out in a pool report to what
  858. 29:50a few thousand people saying that he
  859. 29:52removed the bust of Martin Luther King
  860. 29:54how do you think that goes over
  861. 29:56did the media invent the feud between
  862. 29:59the president and the intelligence
  863. 30:00Community look I'm not I think that you
  864. 30:03saw from the response the other day he
  865. 30:05walked into the CIA people were hooting
  866. 30:07and hollering they gave him a five
  867. 30:08minute standing ovation that doesn't
  868. 30:10look like a relationship that's I mean
  869. 30:12that's a they were excited no no but I
  870. 30:15think there's a difference between
  871. 30:16having differences with intelligence
  872. 30:19leaders and leaders of that Community
  873. 30:21who had strong differences with then the
  874. 30:24people and the men and women who toil
  875. 30:26every single day in our intelligence
  876. 30:28community and it was reflected at the
  877. 30:30CIA I mean they came there they were so
  878. 30:33excited there was a thousand people that
  879. 30:35applied for 300 plus seats we ended up
  880. 30:37taking in 400 people that doesn't sound
  881. 30:40like a huge Feud they were excited they
  882. 30:42were clapping they were cheering when he
  883. 30:43walked in and to see reports that made
  884. 30:46it sound like there was some you know
  885. 30:47fence mending that had needed to happen
  886. 30:49that sure didn't look that way when you
  887. 30:50walked in I'm going to move on yeah
  888. 30:53Sean can I ask what is the U.S strategic
  889. 30:56interest in moving the mus Embassy from
  890. 30:59Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and also in the
  891. 31:02chat with President Assisi today was the
  892. 31:05status of the Muslim Brotherhood
  893. 31:07discussed well I think the readout I
  894. 31:09just gave you the readout on the call
  895. 31:10with President Assisi and I think that
  896. 31:12that speaks for itself what was
  897. 31:13discussed uh and then I'm sorry the
  898. 31:16first part what is the U.S strategic
  899. 31:18interest in moving the embassy as I've
  900. 31:21noted yesterday through several press
  901. 31:22inquiries we haven't there's no
  902. 31:23decisions we're at the very early stages
  903. 31:25of that decision-making process yeah
  904. 31:36questions of what a trade deal might
  905. 31:38look like is there going to be a joint
  906. 31:39news conference and is Donald Trump
  907. 31:41going to get a state visit back to the
  908. 31:43UK later in the year well look uh we're
  909. 31:45here on working day one we're excited
  910. 31:47that prime minister May is coming on
  911. 31:49Friday we look forward to it I'm sure
  912. 31:51that there'll be the discussion of trade
  913. 31:53uh we'll come up to the the degree to
  914. 31:55which I don't know yet uh and I'm sure
  915. 31:57we'll have an opportunity to brief you
  916. 31:58out I don't believe we have any plans
  917. 32:00right now for a joint press conference
  918. 32:01but that's something that our team will
  919. 32:03be working out with prime minister May
  920. 32:04and and we'll keep you updated on that
  921. 32:07yeah one America news after the
  922. 32:09executive order was drawn in the U.S
  923. 32:12from the TPP what specific steps will
  924. 32:15president Trump take to expand U.S trade
  925. 32:17opportunities abroad well again I think
  926. 32:19when he talks to prime minister May he's
  927. 32:21going to have a great conversation about
  928. 32:22the potential for greater trade uh with
  929. 32:25the UK I mentioned earlier when he met
  930. 32:27with these manufacturers this morning
  931. 32:29that was you know right up there at the
  932. 32:31top of that list how can we get greater
  933. 32:33Market access what are the specific
  934. 32:35challenges that these manufacturers are
  935. 32:38facing getting Market access into
  936. 32:40countries around the globe and that's an
  937. 32:42important issue so it's not it's it's
  938. 32:44not just other countries but within
  939. 32:46existing
  940. 32:47uh trade deals we can figure out is
  941. 32:50there a trade dispute that can be
  942. 32:51settled to WTO is there a revision to
  943. 32:54one of the existing trade option trade
  944. 32:56treaties that we have now but there's a
  945. 32:57lot that can be timed um other things
  946. 32:59that Congress can can update
  947. 33:02um to make sure that we're importing and
  948. 33:04exporting more to benefit American
  949. 33:05businesses
  950. 33:08thanks thanks John for you at talk Media
  951. 33:11news has the president or will the
  952. 33:13president have a chat even an informal
  953. 33:16chat with the Prime Minister before in
  954. 33:18fact she comes here uh there are no
  955. 33:19plans for that now uh it's always
  956. 33:21possible he's been having a tremendous
  957. 33:23number of calls I think the number is
  958. 33:25well over 80 now of people that have
  959. 33:27talked to him congratulated him prior to
  960. 33:30being elected he's had we read out the
  961. 33:32other day he's met with both Canada and
  962. 33:33Mexico I think he's talked uh prime
  963. 33:36minister Netanyahu yesterday president
  964. 33:38Assisi today I think there's there's
  965. 33:39going to continue to be a robust number
  966. 33:41of of world leaders there's a you know a
  967. 33:44tremendous excitement I think in the
  968. 33:46Diplomatic Corps and at the world leader
  969. 33:48level of people who are excited that
  970. 33:50President Trump and this Administration
  971. 33:52want to engage in um there's a lot of
  972. 33:55times when he's talking to these folks
  973. 33:56and they're saying I have not heard from
  974. 33:57anyone in years and I think that there
  975. 33:59is a genuine excitement to re-engage the
  976. 34:02United States especially in the area of
  977. 34:04trade and other economic interests but
  978. 34:06also in the area of National Security
  979. 34:08the big one and it's the first so
  980. 34:11I'm sorry I said needless to say this is
  981. 34:13the big one and it's the first special
  982. 34:15relationship
  983. 34:17ppv was done on arrival going to
  984. 34:19Congress so why is this executive order
  985. 34:21anything more than symbolic and when
  986. 34:23will president Trump start negotiating
  987. 34:26those bilateral deals would be 11 other
  988. 34:28countries in the Asia Pacific because it
  989. 34:30takes some time and that could be some
  990. 34:31would say giving China you know room to
  991. 34:34make an inroad well first I would argue
  992. 34:37that bilateral deals are what mostly
  993. 34:38what China's been engaging in and that's
  994. 34:40something that I just said that we're
  995. 34:42going to engage you know the president's
  996. 34:43going to look to countries to engage
  997. 34:45with
  998. 34:45um
  999. 34:46most of them we have existing trade
  1000. 34:48agreements with or a good chunk of them
  1001. 34:50we have existing trade agreements to get
  1002. 34:51to begin with this was an expansion of
  1003. 34:54that and in some areas it allowed
  1004. 34:55whether it was the service industry
  1005. 34:56financial services uh additional Market
  1006. 34:58access but I think that this is this is
  1007. 35:01not a deal that was in our country's
  1008. 35:03best interest the president could have
  1009. 35:04come into office a president could have
  1010. 35:06come into office and renegotiated it and
  1011. 35:08sent people back to the drawing board it
  1012. 35:11hadn't gone to Congress yet because it
  1013. 35:12wasn't finalized I think this President
  1014. 35:14pulling out of the agreement is is not
  1015. 35:16just about this one agreement but I
  1016. 35:18think it's symbolic both here in America
  1017. 35:21and around the world of a new era of
  1018. 35:23trade policy one that's going to put
  1019. 35:25American workers first and foremost and
  1020. 35:28one that assures the rest of the world
  1021. 35:30that the way that we negotiate bilateral
  1022. 35:33agreements is going to ensure that we we
  1023. 35:34have we get something out of these deals
  1024. 35:36as I mentioned to John a minute ago I
  1025. 35:38mean the the problem with multilateral
  1026. 35:40agreements is that often we it becomes
  1027. 35:42the lowest common denominator on so many
  1028. 35:43things and for the U.S what already has
  1029. 35:45low tariffs and other service industry
  1030. 35:48benefits for countries uh you know we've
  1031. 35:51got to be able to make sure we're going
  1032. 35:52out and fighting for the American worker
  1033. 35:53Jennifer
  1034. 36:00we'll have further updates on trade
  1035. 36:03issues later this week Jennifer
  1036. 36:06so like you still need
  1037. 36:10a question I believe there's an action
  1038. 36:12that has to be taken under the the
  1039. 36:14provision of NAFTA where you set you
  1040. 36:17send notice to the other countries the
  1041. 36:19other two countries
  1042. 36:20um the exact nature of how that's
  1043. 36:22described I don't know but it is there
  1044. 36:25is a trigger within NAFTA uh one of the
  1045. 36:27sections allows the the president of the
  1046. 36:29United States to notify them that we
  1047. 36:32intend to do that
  1048. 36:35will there still be a North American
  1049. 36:37trade block or something different or
  1050. 36:39again I think part of it is is that he's
  1051. 36:41already spoken to both the president of
  1052. 36:43Mexico and prime minister Canada about
  1053. 36:46his desire to to renegotiate and I think
  1054. 36:49as he meets with both of these
  1055. 36:51individuals over the next 30 days or so
  1056. 36:53that's going to be a topic now if they
  1057. 36:55come in and express a willingness uh to
  1058. 36:58do that you could negotiate it within
  1059. 37:00the current parameters and update it
  1060. 37:02through uh through the existing
  1061. 37:04structure if they don't and he decides
  1062. 37:06to to pull out then we would have to go
  1063. 37:08back to the drawing table in the future
  1064. 37:09tomorrow
  1065. 37:12gets a question this time
  1066. 37:16just to follow up on the China question
  1067. 37:18China actually has a regional agreement
  1068. 37:21called the regional comprehensive
  1069. 37:22economic partnership and now Japan and
  1070. 37:24Australia two of our great allies are
  1071. 37:26talking about joining that just does
  1072. 37:28President Trump see a national security
  1073. 37:31component to these trade deals and is he
  1074. 37:33concerned now China will write the rules
  1075. 37:35for Asia Pacific trade well I think he
  1076. 37:38has been very very clear about
  1077. 37:41China's place in the in the geopolitical
  1078. 37:44landscape both economically and Diplomat
  1079. 37:46and National security-wise so he
  1080. 37:49understands the need that's part of the
  1081. 37:50reason that trade is important bilateral
  1082. 37:52trade it provides a check on a lot of
  1083. 37:55this but again I he's always going to be
  1084. 37:57fighting for the interest of the country
  1085. 37:59and the American worker so what how we
  1086. 38:01engage in with whom is going to be
  1087. 38:03decided on whether or not we can get a
  1088. 38:05deal that benefits our country
  1089. 38:06economically and uh in terms of National
  1090. 38:08Security that there are things that we
  1091. 38:10can do economic or economically that
  1092. 38:13actually end up also benefiting us from
  1093. 38:16a national security standpoint because
  1094. 38:18of the economic relationship that exists
  1095. 38:20between the two countries
  1096. 38:24no you earned it
  1097. 38:27really simple what is the average
  1098. 38:30National
  1099. 38:31what's the average
  1100. 38:34are you talking about whether or not we
  1101. 38:35include the full I mean the Bureau of
  1102. 38:38Labor Statistics puts it out no no it's
  1103. 38:40not a question of what I accept I mean
  1104. 38:42there are ways that you can put out full
  1105. 38:43employment
  1106. 38:44right but I'm saying that so there's a
  1107. 38:46reason that we put out several versions
  1108. 38:48of that one is that the illustrative
  1109. 38:51nature of of how you count the
  1110. 38:53unemployed whether or not they're
  1111. 38:55long-term unemployed or whether or not
  1112. 38:56they're still seeking a job but there's
  1113. 38:58a reason that you put out several of
  1114. 39:00these statistics it's so that economists
  1115. 39:02can view them and decide look at
  1116. 39:04different Landscapes on what on on how
  1117. 39:07to how to make economic policy
  1118. 39:09during the campaign he at one point from
  1119. 39:11Trump of 42 I just want to well again
  1120. 39:13where we're starting but but again part
  1121. 39:15of it is his economic team is going to
  1122. 39:17look at a multitude of statistics and
  1123. 39:19drive economic policies his goal is
  1124. 39:20obviously to get as many Americans
  1125. 39:22working together that's his ultimate
  1126. 39:23goal is when he sees people that are
  1127. 39:25hurting that haven't had wages lifted up
  1128. 39:27that are unemployed they can't save for
  1129. 39:30their kids future that are having
  1130. 39:32trouble with their health care costs
  1131. 39:33that's what he really cares about it's
  1132. 39:35not just a number to him it's about is
  1133. 39:37someone getting by are their wages going
  1134. 39:39up can they find a better job do they
  1135. 39:42have access to education whether it's
  1136. 39:44higher education college or a vote
  1137. 39:46technical of a votech kind of school so
  1138. 39:49that they can train for the skills of
  1139. 39:51The Next Century those are the kind of
  1140. 39:53things the president he's not focused on
  1141. 39:55statistics as much as he is on whether
  1142. 39:57or not the American people are doing
  1143. 39:59better as a whole and whether or not a
  1144. 40:00family and it was interesting I know
  1145. 40:02when we talked about carrier at one
  1146. 40:03point someone said well that's a
  1147. 40:04thousand jobs when you talk about those
  1148. 40:06thousand jobs and their families during
  1149. 40:08the holiday season I would beg to differ
  1150. 40:10that those people were unbelievably
  1151. 40:12ecstatic that the president the vice
  1152. 40:14president intervened and so every one of
  1153. 40:17these meetings that you saw happen at
  1154. 40:18Trump Tower and then now it's all about
  1155. 40:20you know whether it's 2 000 jobs or 20
  1156. 40:23000 jobs that's that's the focus
  1157. 40:25it's making sure that we have that small
  1158. 40:28businesses have greater opportunity to
  1159. 40:30be successful that American workers can
  1160. 40:32have their wages lifted up that the
  1161. 40:33benefits that they receive in terms of
  1162. 40:35health care and education are something
  1163. 40:37that that provide them the support that
  1164. 40:39they need but that's what this is all
  1165. 40:41about I think for too often in
  1166. 40:43Washington we get our heads wrapped
  1167. 40:44around a number in a statistic and we
  1168. 40:46look at and we forget the faces and the
  1169. 40:48families and the businesses that are
  1170. 40:50behind those numbers and so I think
  1171. 40:52that's where his head's at is trying to
  1172. 40:54look at those people that come to his
  1173. 40:55rallies that have come to his events
  1174. 40:57that he's met with in person that are
  1175. 40:59struggling and say Mr Trump I'm working
  1176. 41:00as hard as I can
  1177. 41:02I'm working two jobs I'm doing
  1178. 41:04everything by the rules and I keep
  1179. 41:06getting screwed that's what he's
  1180. 41:08fighting for is that man or woman out
  1181. 41:10there that's doing everything they can
  1182. 41:12write but can't catch a break and I
  1183. 41:15think he addressed that in his inaugural
  1184. 41:16speech when he talked about shifting
  1185. 41:18power outside of Washington DC back to
  1186. 41:21the American people because for too long
  1187. 41:23it's been about stats tomorrow and it's
  1188. 41:25been about what number are we looking at
  1189. 41:27as opposed to what face are we looking
  1190. 41:28at yeah David two questions the one on
  1191. 41:32back on Doc I was just curious about the
  1192. 41:34message from this Administration from
  1193. 41:35the White House to young people who may
  1194. 41:37qualify and not yet have their
  1195. 41:39connections should they
  1196. 41:40enroll uh going forward and those who
  1197. 41:43are in the program now seek um well I
  1198. 41:46think yeah what what the what those
  1199. 41:48people should know is that the
  1200. 41:49president's laid out a list of
  1201. 41:50priorities and the priorities are
  1202. 41:52focused on making sure that people who
  1203. 41:54can do harm or have done harm and have a
  1204. 41:56criminal record are the focus and as he
  1205. 41:59said throughout the campaign we've got a
  1206. 42:01series of individuals who've got to
  1207. 42:02figure out people who have overstayed
  1208. 42:04their visas people have committed crime
  1209. 42:05and we're going to go through that in a
  1210. 42:07very systematic and methodical way so
  1211. 42:09for now that's not the focus is going to
  1212. 42:11be on people who've done harm to our
  1213. 42:13country yes
  1214. 42:21scientists are saying that we're getting
  1215. 42:22dangerously close to the point where
  1216. 42:23human civilization is being threatened
  1217. 42:25how does President Trump plan to address
  1218. 42:27this well I think
  1219. 42:30I think he's going to meet with his team
  1220. 42:31and figure out what policies are best
  1221. 42:33for the environment
  1222. 42:35um but I think that there's one of the
  1223. 42:37things that he talked about during the
  1224. 42:38campaign is there's a balance and he's
  1225. 42:40trying to make sure that we use our
  1226. 42:42resources appropriately that we maximize
  1227. 42:44things to make sure that we don't do so
  1228. 42:46at the detriment of economic growth and
  1229. 42:48job creation so there's a balance and I
  1230. 42:50don't think it's an either or situation
  1231. 42:51we can ensure that we're doing things
  1232. 42:53that are smart for the environment and
  1233. 42:55smart for our longevity as well as
  1234. 42:57making sure that we're doing things that
  1235. 42:59that create economic growth and job
  1236. 43:00creation yes sir yeah Sean what
  1237. 43:09and a follow-up after that okay
  1238. 43:12I have the story polite of you
  1239. 43:14um
  1240. 43:15I think he has a healthy respect for the
  1241. 43:17First Amendment
  1242. 43:19um and he
  1243. 43:20this is you know this is what makes our
  1244. 43:22country so beautiful is it a one day you
  1245. 43:24can inaugurate a president on the next
  1246. 43:25day people can occupy the same space to
  1247. 43:28protest something but he's also
  1248. 43:30cognizant to the fact that a lot of
  1249. 43:33these people were there to protest an
  1250. 43:36issue of concern to them and not against
  1251. 43:37anything I remember this morning Debbie
  1252. 43:39Dingle was on television and you know
  1253. 43:42she's talking about let me just I don't
  1254. 43:44want to inaccurately quote her I know
  1255. 43:46Jonathan's a stickler for that
  1256. 43:48um she said different women were there
  1257. 43:51for different reasons but they were all
  1258. 43:52there to make sure that their core
  1259. 43:53American values are going to be
  1260. 43:54protected and I think many people like
  1261. 43:57me were there for positive reasons and I
  1262. 43:59think the president shares Debbie
  1263. 44:00dingle's views that there were people
  1264. 44:02that came to the mall as they do all the
  1265. 44:04time sometimes in smaller numbers and so
  1266. 44:07I think he reaches out to him in the way
  1267. 44:10that he started on the night that he won
  1268. 44:11the election on the way that he did on
  1269. 44:14inauguration day by sending a message
  1270. 44:16that talks about fighting for them but
  1271. 44:18more importantly I think the president's
  1272. 44:19going to show through action and through
  1273. 44:21success
  1274. 44:22that he's fighting for them and fighting
  1275. 44:24for every American one of the things
  1276. 44:26that we've seen so often in this town is
  1277. 44:28a lot of soaring rhetoric about how much
  1278. 44:30people care
  1279. 44:31and I think the president is going to
  1280. 44:33show through deed in action and success
  1281. 44:35that he wants to fight for People's
  1282. 44:37Health Care he wants to have a better
  1283. 44:39education system he wants a stronger
  1284. 44:41America he wants to go in and fix our
  1285. 44:43inner cities he wants to make sure that
  1286. 44:45our infrastructure our roads and our
  1287. 44:47bridges so I think more than anything
  1288. 44:49showing people through action indeed and
  1289. 44:51success is where he's going to prove the
  1290. 44:53American people how much he cares to
  1291. 44:55unite Us and how much he cares to make
  1292. 44:57this America better and safer on the
  1293. 45:00other side of this another group that's
  1294. 45:02coming I forgot you did ask I did I did
  1295. 45:04it that's polite for remembering
  1296. 45:06um another group and just to follow up
  1297. 45:08on cbn's question a moment ago you know
  1298. 45:10when we have the March for Life here in
  1299. 45:11Washington you've said that this is a
  1300. 45:13pro-life president what concrete
  1301. 45:14promises is he making we haven't heard a
  1302. 45:17lot about what that policy is going to
  1303. 45:20look like it's day one yeah but you've
  1304. 45:22had a lot of time to make those promises
  1305. 45:23I know but look I I think what should
  1306. 45:26their expectations their expectations
  1307. 45:28should be that he's going to stand up
  1308. 45:29and value Life Born or unborn same as he
  1309. 45:33said throughout the last year and a half
  1310. 45:34that he's going to stand up and protect
  1311. 45:36life promote it and instill policies uh
  1312. 45:39that promote life that promote adoption
  1313. 45:41that help support young women that help
  1314. 45:43support funding of of agencies and
  1315. 45:46clinics that support Women's Health I
  1316. 45:49think that's what he's going to talk
  1317. 45:50about is supporting all of life the born
  1318. 45:52The Unborn throughout life making sure
  1319. 45:54that we have health care that can
  1320. 45:56support the American people and the
  1321. 45:58American families that's that's what
  1322. 46:00he's going to fight for and that's what
  1323. 46:01he's going to be clear on Anita
  1324. 46:04okay
  1325. 46:06um the first one with the Congressional
  1326. 46:08meeting today and also at The Retreat
  1327. 46:10you said talking about his legislative
  1328. 46:12agenda besides Health Care can you give
  1329. 46:14us one two or three
  1330. 46:16uh legislative things that he wants to
  1331. 46:19get through right away so not the
  1332. 46:20executive actions legislation right uh
  1333. 46:22immigration is obviously going to be
  1334. 46:24high on that list uh tax reform
  1335. 46:26regulatory reform is three and four
  1336. 46:29everyone is not a overhaul though not
  1337. 46:31what well I think he's going to work
  1338. 46:33with Congress to get the Appropriations
  1339. 46:34process
  1340. 46:40policies to make sure that what we have
  1341. 46:43now doesn't happen again and so it's it
  1342. 46:45is it is working with them it's it's a
  1343. 46:47comprehensive look at how we're keeping
  1344. 46:50people out of this country that
  1345. 46:51shouldn't be here the people who are
  1346. 46:53coming to visit are leaving when they're
  1347. 46:54supposed to
  1348. 46:55um to make sure that we're tailoring
  1349. 46:56immigration policies that make sure that
  1350. 46:59we're not you know an open door for
  1351. 47:01anyone to just walk in that the people
  1352. 47:02who are here to visit our country safely
  1353. 47:04or to come here to bring jobs or to
  1354. 47:06support our economy are coming in but I
  1355. 47:08think we have to do immigration smartly
  1356. 47:09and that's what he's looking at
  1357. 47:11the second one I'm sorry you're right
  1358. 47:14um
  1359. 47:19well the president has the president
  1360. 47:21spoken to any of the intelligence
  1361. 47:22agencies about the investigation into
  1362. 47:25the Russian connections and will he
  1363. 47:27allow that to go on uh he I don't
  1364. 47:30believe he has spoken to anyone
  1365. 47:31specifically about that and I don't know
  1366. 47:33that we he has not made any indication
  1367. 47:34that he would stop an investigation of
  1368. 47:36any sort yes sir
  1369. 47:38clarification you said you're willing to
  1370. 47:40work with anybody to defeats in the
  1371. 47:42Islamic State group
  1372. 47:43um does that include Bashir Allah said
  1373. 47:45well I I think I think what it's gonna
  1374. 47:48what we're doing we're we're going to
  1375. 47:50smartly do this I mean let's be clear
  1376. 47:52what part of it is to make sure that
  1377. 47:53they have America's interest in in what
  1378. 47:56they're doing and who they are so we're
  1379. 47:57not going to get together with people
  1380. 47:58under the guise of defeating Isis if
  1381. 48:00that's not truly their guys or if
  1382. 48:02they're not so let's let's not take that
  1383. 48:05too far thank you yeah well the
  1384. 48:08president release documents showing that
  1385. 48:10he has left his businesses
  1386. 48:12I believe we have oh
  1387. 48:17but yeah he has he has resigned from the
  1388. 48:19company as he said he would before uh
  1389. 48:22before he took office Don and Eric are
  1390. 48:24fully in charge of the company he's
  1391. 48:25taken extraordinary steps to ensure that
  1392. 48:27that's happened
  1393. 48:32alignment to the political priorities uh
  1394. 48:35what will be the message for the
  1395. 48:36Hispanic community in the U.S
  1396. 48:39um
  1397. 48:40one of the priorities has been the war
  1398. 48:44what what would be the relation between
  1399. 48:47this Administration and the Hispanic
  1400. 48:50community in the U.S well I think his
  1401. 48:52relationship with the Hispanic Community
  1402. 48:53is going to be great I think he's I mean
  1403. 48:55as I said I I think that whether it's
  1404. 48:57jobs or education or Health Care
  1405. 48:59um the president's committed to uniting
  1406. 49:01all Americans and working towards a
  1407. 49:03better safer more secure more prosperous
  1408. 49:06America that benefits everybody and I
  1409. 49:08think if you know whether regardless of
  1410. 49:10your background that's something that
  1411. 49:12he's committed to yeah
  1412. 49:14times does Mr Trump directs Tillerson
  1413. 49:17that the U.S should try and prevent
  1414. 49:18China from accessing the islands into
  1415. 49:20South China Sea where it's building
  1416. 49:22runways and other kinds of facilities I
  1417. 49:25think areas in the South China Sea that
  1418. 49:26are part of international waters and
  1419. 49:28international activities I think the us
  1420. 49:29is going to make sure that we protect
  1421. 49:30our interests there so it's a question
  1422. 49:33of
  1423. 49:34um if those islands are in fact in
  1424. 49:36international waters and not part of
  1425. 49:38China proper then yeah we're going to
  1426. 49:39make sure that we defend
  1427. 49:42um International territories from being
  1428. 49:43taken over by one country
  1429. 49:45that is
  1430. 49:47with China from actually look I think I
  1431. 49:49I asked answer the question I think as
  1432. 49:52we develop further we'll have more
  1433. 49:54information on that John Gizzy thank you
  1434. 49:56Sean hold on
  1435. 49:58I'll get to you I promise we are and uh
  1436. 50:01well first day in the job thank you
  1437. 50:03um very simply uh there was an earlier
  1438. 50:05question about
  1439. 50:08U.S embassy there
  1440. 50:10uh and a lot of talk about executive
  1441. 50:12orders is this something the president
  1442. 50:14can accomplish by executive order I I it
  1443. 50:17is but I think as I know to John it's
  1444. 50:19very early in this process we're at the
  1445. 50:21beginning stages of this decision-making
  1446. 50:23process and his team's going to continue
  1447. 50:25to consult with stakeholders as we get
  1448. 50:27there yes ma'am
  1449. 50:30so I
  1450. 50:35expect then an executive order today to
  1451. 50:37renegotiate NAFTA or will he wait till
  1452. 50:40he meets with President next week and on
  1453. 50:43the other um the other question I had is
  1454. 50:46um he didn't mention Latin America at
  1455. 50:48all in his uh except you know in his
  1456. 50:50inauguration speech does he plan to
  1457. 50:52visit Latin America this year
  1458. 50:55um so on the first part uh I think we'll
  1459. 50:57have further announcements on trade
  1460. 50:59throughout the week
  1461. 51:00um I don't I think we're down with
  1462. 51:02executive orders for the day but as I
  1463. 51:05always say stand by uh but we do not
  1464. 51:08have any intention to have additional
  1465. 51:10executive orders today but I believe
  1466. 51:12there could be some additional ones
  1467. 51:13throughout the week on trade and we'll
  1468. 51:15have further updates for you on there
  1469. 51:17and then the second part plans to travel
  1470. 51:20to Latin America given that he
  1471. 51:25I didn't think he left them out I think
  1472. 51:27he was focused on this country our our
  1473. 51:30American workers I don't think he got
  1474. 51:31into detail in any countries uh that I'm
  1475. 51:34aware of that I can recall
  1476. 51:36uh but I also think that we're here on
  1477. 51:38the work first working day we're
  1478. 51:40announcing Theresa May coming this
  1479. 51:42Friday we're excited to have the Prime
  1480. 51:43Minister here as I said we've already
  1481. 51:45talked about setting up a meeting with
  1482. 51:47Canada and Mexico he's talked to prime
  1483. 51:50minister Netanyahu about having him come
  1484. 51:52over and then as I mentioned president
  1485. 51:54al-sisi so we'll get there we've got a
  1486. 51:57lot of calls to return there's a lot of
  1487. 51:58excitement throughout the world and a
  1488. 52:00lot of people who are really excited
  1489. 52:01both to come here and have the president
  1490. 52:03visit them yes sir
  1491. 52:07The Log Cabin
  1492. 52:15Republican president Obama barring
  1493. 52:16anti-lgbt LGBT work with discrimination
  1494. 52:19among Federal contractors the president
  1495. 52:21has said he's going to rescind the
  1496. 52:22executive orders from President Obama
  1497. 52:24that are unconstitutional but will he
  1498. 52:25maintain this executive order barring
  1499. 52:27anti-algia I don't know on that one as
  1500. 52:29I'll have to get back to you on that one
  1501. 52:30I don't know that we've gotten that far
  1502. 52:32in the list of executive orders but I'd
  1503. 52:33be glad to get back to you
  1504. 52:36again it's not I just don't know the
  1505. 52:38answer I'll try to get back to you on
  1506. 52:39that one yes sir
  1507. 52:42on immigration the chief of staff I
  1508. 52:46think had said over the weekend seemed
  1509. 52:47to suggest that an executive order
  1510. 52:50shutting down the DACA program has been
  1511. 52:53is that officially ruled out as you guys
  1512. 52:55go forward and does the does the
  1513. 52:58president support action in Congress
  1514. 53:01that would essentially permanently
  1515. 53:03establish those protections yeah I think
  1516. 53:05I don't have anything further on the
  1517. 53:07executive action front but what I can I
  1518. 53:08think I've asked and answered the the
  1519. 53:10DACA piece of this in terms of his
  1520. 53:12priorities right now
  1521. 53:13I think that we'll have to we don't have
  1522. 53:16anything in front of us right now to
  1523. 53:18sign on that so give us a little bit of
  1524. 53:20time we'll see what Congress moves
  1525. 53:21forward with and then I'm sure we'll
  1526. 53:23have a further readout on both the the
  1527. 53:24executive order piece on the legislation
  1528. 53:26yes sir
  1529. 53:29I don't know I'll have to get back to
  1530. 53:31you on that one right now or I think the
  1531. 53:33best thing to do would probably contact
  1532. 53:34the Department of State yes sir in the
  1533. 53:35back
  1534. 53:36regarding access to
  1535. 53:38American company International markets
  1536. 53:41will the president try to improve the
  1537. 53:43access to the largest market in the
  1538. 53:44world the European one by taking up ttip
  1539. 53:47negotiations or by any other means well
  1540. 53:49look I don't I think he's going to
  1541. 53:51increase Market access wherever he can
  1542. 53:53um he's in the con he's in the process
  1543. 53:55of reviewing all of our current trade
  1544. 53:57agreements and looking at potential
  1545. 53:59bilateral options going forward we
  1546. 54:01whether it's in the EU or in the Asia
  1547. 54:03Pacific Arena or in the Middle East he's
  1548. 54:05going to figure out where we can expand
  1549. 54:06U.S market access and that's I think
  1550. 54:09what today's decision really starts to
  1551. 54:12show is that it's not about
  1552. 54:15multilateral agreements under a trump
  1553. 54:17Administration it's about bilateral
  1554. 54:19agreements where we can figure out
  1555. 54:20country to Country how can we fight for
  1556. 54:23the American worker gain them access to
  1557. 54:25another Market that's going to benefit
  1558. 54:26our large and small business who want to
  1559. 54:28sell additional goods and services yes
  1560. 54:33um why did the president choose the
  1561. 54:34British prime minister as the first
  1562. 54:36foreign leader for him to meet and can
  1563. 54:39we take from that that he intends to
  1564. 54:41make the relationship even closer I
  1565. 54:44think we've always had that special
  1566. 54:45relationship with Britain uh and and
  1567. 54:48he's gonna and that reflects in in his
  1568. 54:51first visit and the prime minister's
  1569. 54:52first visit here he's had a great
  1570. 54:54conversation with her and he looks
  1571. 54:56forward to having her here but we can
  1572. 54:58always be closer yes ma'am
  1573. 55:00uh Jane who is final news what kind of
  1574. 55:03relationship is Trump looking for to
  1575. 55:06build with China after he was drawn from
  1576. 55:08TPP and on taiwan's issue what kind of
  1577. 55:11stance he's going to make on Cross
  1578. 55:13regulations
  1579. 55:14um what's the last part please
  1580. 55:16yeah
  1581. 55:18well I think
  1582. 55:19on China he understands what a big
  1583. 55:22Market that is for for U.S goods and
  1584. 55:23services when he met with the head of
  1585. 55:25Alibaba a couple weeks ago that that was
  1586. 55:27part of the point there's a huge Market
  1587. 55:29issue there but in a large in many cases
  1588. 55:31it's it's not a two-way street there's
  1589. 55:33so many Chinese businesses and
  1590. 55:35individuals frankly who can have ease of
  1591. 55:37access in the United States to sell
  1592. 55:39their goods or services and I think that
  1593. 55:42whether or not you're talking about the
  1594. 55:43financial services or the banking you
  1595. 55:45know the other service Industries or our
  1596. 55:47manufacturing goods and services or some
  1597. 55:50of the IP problems that we have with
  1598. 55:51China that it's it really is not a
  1599. 55:53two-way street and so he understands the
  1600. 55:55market that China has and our desire to
  1601. 55:58further penetrate that market but he
  1602. 56:00also recognizes there's a lot of
  1603. 56:01concerns with how we are treated
  1604. 56:03entering into China's market and we need
  1605. 56:06to to review that yes ma'am I think
  1606. 56:08we're going to have further we'll have
  1607. 56:09further updates on that yes ma'am
  1608. 56:11Jessica Stone from cgtn welcome thank
  1609. 56:14you um question following on what she
  1610. 56:16was asking about TPP you know part of
  1611. 56:19the thinking of TPP was to encircle
  1612. 56:22China
  1613. 56:23economically and I wonder if the
  1614. 56:25president has thought a little bit about
  1615. 56:27what kind of bilateral relationships in
  1616. 56:29the region the trade relationships would
  1617. 56:30accomplish a similar goal and secondly I
  1618. 56:33heard you talking about NAFTA and a
  1619. 56:35trigger but I didn't hear you say you
  1620. 56:36had triggered the trigger we have not
  1621. 56:38triggered the trigger hasn't happened uh
  1622. 56:41but again I think we have an exist
  1623. 56:42existing relationships with many of the
  1624. 56:44countries that were part of the 12
  1625. 56:46Nation makeup of TPP and I think we're
  1626. 56:49going to continue to explore how we can
  1627. 56:50in some cases strengthen those
  1628. 56:51relationships or look for bilateral
  1629. 56:53agreements with Nations that we didn't
  1630. 56:55have one uh through TPP yes sir
  1631. 56:58yeah Sean um
  1632. 57:00congratulations thank you
  1633. 57:02[Music]
  1634. 57:05um Social Security and infrastructure on
  1635. 57:07Social Security uh the president will be
  1636. 57:09meeting tonight with Congressional
  1637. 57:10leaders
  1638. 57:11what's he gonna do given his campaign
  1639. 57:13promise on not touching Social Security
  1640. 57:15when Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell send
  1641. 57:18them a bill that includes in a funding
  1642. 57:20package various cuts at Social Security
  1643. 57:22and on infrastructure has it fallen off
  1644. 57:24the radar screen or is it going to be to
  1645. 57:26stay a priority for the president so on
  1646. 57:28Social Security he's going to talk to
  1647. 57:29them I think he's been very clear what
  1648. 57:31his priority is in terms of preserving
  1649. 57:32and protecting this really important
  1650. 57:34benefit to our seniors
  1651. 57:36he understands I mean the
  1652. 57:39Mr Trump's employed so many people over
  1653. 57:41the years he understands the struggle
  1654. 57:43that people have later in life to
  1655. 57:45continue to make ends meet and I think
  1656. 57:47that he is keenly aware of how important
  1657. 57:50this program is to so many people in
  1658. 57:53their later years and so he's going to
  1659. 57:55continue to fight to make sure that
  1660. 57:56that's a program that is preserved and
  1661. 57:58protected and then on the
  1662. 58:02give me instructions infrastructure of
  1663. 58:04course yes that definitely and he's
  1664. 58:05continued to bring that up he talked
  1665. 58:07with the business Executives today about
  1666. 58:09how so many of our airports that are so
  1667. 58:11important to our Commerce system getting
  1668. 58:13planes to land in and out roads and
  1669. 58:15their ability to truck things across the
  1670. 58:16country even our freight system that if
  1671. 58:19our infrastructure is not strong it
  1672. 58:21inhibits our ability to have free
  1673. 58:23Commerce it inhibits it drives up the
  1674. 58:25cost of of of goods and services when
  1675. 58:27someone's got to take a different route
  1676. 58:29or is limited in the opportunities that
  1677. 58:31they have because a Runway might be
  1678. 58:32closed or it can't be expanded or a rail
  1679. 58:35line breaks down or or you know highways
  1680. 58:37just not the wear and Terry puts on
  1681. 58:39trucks or shutdowns so infrastructure
  1682. 58:42continues to be a huge priority form yes
  1683. 58:44sir yeah uh two questions uh the
  1684. 58:46National Security Council the Staffing
  1685. 58:48of the National Security Council when do
  1686. 58:50you expect to have that those positions
  1687. 58:53filled we've got many of them filled
  1688. 58:55interview of the morph I'd have to get
  1689. 58:56back to you on the number but it's
  1690. 58:57actually fairly robust right now there
  1691. 58:59are a lot of holdovers but General Flynn
  1692. 59:02has been been working diligently with KT
  1693. 59:04McFarland his deputy and others to make
  1694. 59:06sure that that's filled out ready to go
  1695. 59:08he's had countless meetings with
  1696. 59:11counterparts and had several folks
  1697. 59:13detailed over but it's a very very
  1698. 59:15robust effort from day one John Carl's
  1699. 59:19question so are you retracting your
  1700. 59:21claim on Saturday that it was the
  1701. 59:23largest crowd in person that's not what
  1702. 59:26I said well you said this was the
  1703. 59:28largest audience to ever witness an
  1704. 59:29inauguration period both in person and
  1705. 59:32around the globe right to witness and
  1706. 59:36around the globe yes in total total
  1707. 59:38audience it was audience but not simply
  1708. 59:41in person but that right but again I
  1709. 59:44didn't say in person both in person and
  1710. 59:46around the globe to witness it
  1711. 59:49you're saying those together
  1712. 59:50that no that's actually what I said
  1713. 59:53it's not what I I don't know how you can
  1714. 59:55interpret it differently that's
  1715. 59:56literally what I said
  1716. 59:58to witness it in person and around the
  1717. 1:00:00globe total audience yes
  1718. 1:00:05but but not but you're saying here just
  1719. 1:00:08to clarify you're not saying and you
  1720. 1:00:10weren't saying on Saturday that it was
  1721. 1:00:11the largest inaugural crowd in person I
  1722. 1:00:13am not I am saying that it was the total
  1723. 1:00:15largest audience
  1724. 1:00:18witnessed in person and around the globe
  1725. 1:00:21yes sir
  1726. 1:00:31that senior leadership we're not among
  1727. 1:00:34those hooting and hollering and that
  1728. 1:00:36there were some 40 people who were in
  1729. 1:00:38the first front rows who were brought in
  1730. 1:00:41by Trump and Pence and Pompeo I'd like
  1731. 1:00:44to give you a chance to respond to that
  1732. 1:00:45reporting I don't think that's accurate
  1733. 1:00:46at all in fact I think if you listen to
  1734. 1:00:48the audio of it you can hear the
  1735. 1:00:50excitement that exists there there were
  1736. 1:00:52some people that had to be off camera
  1737. 1:00:53for obvious reasons but I think when you
  1738. 1:00:55looked at the number of people that were
  1739. 1:00:57there the audio alone tells tell you
  1740. 1:01:00know speaks volumes to what had happened
  1741. 1:01:01I don't I don't think that there's any
  1742. 1:01:04question about that
  1743. 1:01:05people in the front who were seen on
  1744. 1:01:07camera those were CIA employees I
  1745. 1:01:08honestly I don't have a seating chart I
  1746. 1:01:11think we had a very small footprint
  1747. 1:01:12going over there I don't know exactly
  1748. 1:01:14who went over but I don't know maybe 10
  1749. 1:01:17people at most Sarah was a 10. we're in
  1750. 1:01:21our we're in the travel going over
  1751. 1:01:24so 10 of 400.
  1752. 1:01:26a lot of people the people were in the
  1753. 1:01:27front row so those were CIA employees
  1754. 1:01:30some so
  1755. 1:01:32we're not I'm sure we seated I don't I I
  1756. 1:01:35can't say I'm not really sure why this
  1757. 1:01:37matters I mean 10 people didn't yell
  1758. 1:01:39that loud
  1759. 1:01:43yeah they were there's not this Rift
  1760. 1:01:44between the intelligence community and
  1761. 1:01:46the president because senior authorities
  1762. 1:01:49within the intelligence community
  1763. 1:01:53the notion that people within the CIA
  1764. 1:01:55all I can do is tell you to listen to
  1765. 1:01:57the tape alone I think you can hear a
  1766. 1:01:59lot of that yes
  1767. 1:02:01a couple questions if I could I know
  1768. 1:02:03you've been out here for a while uh has
  1769. 1:02:04the president formerly requested over
  1770. 1:02:07um Pentagon advice on how he could
  1771. 1:02:09change the campaign against the Islamic
  1772. 1:02:10State uh I think he has ordered it uh
  1773. 1:02:13he's gonna as I mentioned he'll be at
  1774. 1:02:15the Department of Defense on Friday to
  1775. 1:02:16swear in uh General Mattis as the next
  1776. 1:02:19secretary well to you know
  1777. 1:02:21go through the ceremony of that uh he is
  1778. 1:02:23obviously the Secretary of Defense uh
  1779. 1:02:25and so
  1780. 1:02:27um
  1781. 1:02:28you know at that time he will continue
  1782. 1:02:29to have conversations about what he
  1783. 1:02:31wants from from them and The Joint
  1784. 1:02:33Chiefs
  1785. 1:02:35yes and I don't I don't mean to be the
  1786. 1:02:38dead horse on the issue of the U.S
  1787. 1:02:40embassy in Israel right can you uh at
  1788. 1:02:43the end of the president's
  1789. 1:02:45first four years so it means at the end
  1790. 1:02:48of the next four years will the United
  1791. 1:02:49States Embassy be in Jerusalem well I I
  1792. 1:02:52think I've answered it twice now I we
  1793. 1:02:54are at the early stages in this
  1794. 1:02:56decision-making process
  1795. 1:02:57it's when and how I I there's a reason
  1796. 1:03:00you go through a decision-making process
  1797. 1:03:02and that's what we're in the process of
  1798. 1:03:04starting right now so I just don't want
  1799. 1:03:05to get ahead of it would if it was
  1800. 1:03:07already a decision that we wouldn't be
  1801. 1:03:09going through a process
  1802. 1:03:10okay I just answered the thanks Julie
  1803. 1:03:13Jim
  1804. 1:03:14uh congratulations and uh thanks for
  1805. 1:03:17taking the question um getting back to
  1806. 1:03:19uh Saturday at the CIA and your
  1807. 1:03:22statement here at the podium why make
  1808. 1:03:24this crowd side issue a crowd size issue
  1809. 1:03:27something to talk about at all and why
  1810. 1:03:30get into it um
  1811. 1:03:31did it bother the president that much
  1812. 1:03:33that he felt that you needed to come out
  1813. 1:03:36here and straighten that out for us and
  1814. 1:03:38why did he choose the CIA as the venue
  1815. 1:03:40uh to talk about that
  1816. 1:03:44um so two things one I just got to hand
  1817. 1:03:45a note all of the people were not no no
  1818. 1:03:47one in the front row was Trump they were
  1819. 1:03:49all CIA
  1820. 1:03:50that's what you asked the first three
  1821. 1:03:52rounds okay I'll find out who the other
  1822. 1:03:55two were I'm sorry I just got you the
  1823. 1:03:57front row give me a second I'll get the
  1824. 1:03:58second the third we're gonna get to the
  1825. 1:04:00fourth and fifth or okay so let me see
  1826. 1:04:02what I can do
  1827. 1:04:03um
  1828. 1:04:04look I think one of the things that
  1829. 1:04:06happened Jim was that he kept hearing
  1830. 1:04:09about this riff that existed
  1831. 1:04:11um he talked about it a couple weeks ago
  1832. 1:04:12after his briefing how proud he is and
  1833. 1:04:14how much he respects the intelligence
  1834. 1:04:16community and I think when he walked
  1835. 1:04:19into that and he saw it he wanted to
  1836. 1:04:21make sure that people knew that what
  1837. 1:04:23you're hearing on television or in
  1838. 1:04:25reports about this Rift
  1839. 1:04:27I I have the utmost respect for you I
  1840. 1:04:29honor your service I'm proud of what
  1841. 1:04:31you're doing and the sacrifices that
  1842. 1:04:33you're making and I think that he wanted
  1843. 1:04:35them to know that you see and hear all
  1844. 1:04:37this stuff on TV about this Rift that
  1845. 1:04:39so-called exists and clearly it doesn't
  1846. 1:04:42matter like don't believe what you're
  1847. 1:04:43hearing know that I I have a tremendous
  1848. 1:04:46amount of respect for you I appreciate
  1849. 1:04:48everything that you're doing and I think
  1850. 1:04:49that's why you wanted to do it is to
  1851. 1:04:51make sure that they understand they
  1852. 1:04:52heard firsthand how much he respects
  1853. 1:04:54them how much he wanted to dispel the
  1854. 1:04:56myth that there was a quote unquote Rift
  1855. 1:04:58but in terms of the crowd size issue why
  1856. 1:05:01bring that up at the CIA and why did you
  1857. 1:05:03come out Saturday afternoon to talk
  1858. 1:05:04about that did he tell you Sean I'm
  1859. 1:05:06upset about this I want you to come I'm
  1860. 1:05:08not going to get into conversations that
  1861. 1:05:09I have with the president but I will
  1862. 1:05:10tell you that it's not it's not just
  1863. 1:05:13about a crowd size it's about this
  1864. 1:05:15constant you know he's not going to run
  1865. 1:05:17then if he runs he's going to drop out
  1866. 1:05:19then if he runs he can't win there's no
  1867. 1:05:20way he can win Pennsylvania there's no
  1868. 1:05:21way he can win Michigan then if he won
  1869. 1:05:23it's oh we didn't there's this constant
  1870. 1:05:25theme to undercut cut the enormous
  1871. 1:05:28support that he has and I think it's
  1872. 1:05:30just unbelievably frustrating when
  1873. 1:05:33you're continually told it's not big
  1874. 1:05:35enough it's not good enough you can't
  1875. 1:05:36win hold on let me just because I think
  1876. 1:05:39it's important he's gone out there and
  1877. 1:05:41defied the odds over and over and over
  1878. 1:05:44again and he keeps getting told what he
  1879. 1:05:46can't do by this narrative that's out
  1880. 1:05:49there and he exceeds it every single
  1881. 1:05:50time and I think there's an overall
  1882. 1:05:53frustration when you open when you turn
  1883. 1:05:55on the television over and over again
  1884. 1:05:56and get told that there's this narrative
  1885. 1:05:58that you didn't win you weren't going to
  1886. 1:06:00run you can't pick up this state that's
  1887. 1:06:02not you know that that's a Fool's errand
  1888. 1:06:04to go to Pennsylvania why is he in
  1889. 1:06:06Michigan how silly they'll never vote
  1890. 1:06:08former Republican hasn't won that state
  1891. 1:06:09since Ada and then he goes and he does
  1892. 1:06:11it and then what's the next narrative
  1893. 1:06:12well it must have been because of this
  1894. 1:06:14he didn't win that and then oh people
  1895. 1:06:16aren't attending your thing or John
  1896. 1:06:18Lewis is is the first person to skip his
  1897. 1:06:20inauguration not true and over and over
  1898. 1:06:22again the MLK bust I think over and over
  1899. 1:06:25again there's this constant attempt to
  1900. 1:06:28undermine his credibility and the
  1901. 1:06:30movement that he represents and it's
  1902. 1:06:32frustrating for not just him but I think
  1903. 1:06:34so many of us that are trying to work to
  1904. 1:06:37get this message out and it's and so I
  1905. 1:06:39mentioned this to Jonathan but part of
  1906. 1:06:40this is a two-way street like we we want
  1907. 1:06:44to we want to have a healthy dialogue
  1908. 1:06:46not just with you but with the American
  1909. 1:06:47people because he's fighting for jobs
  1910. 1:06:49he's fighting to make this country safer
  1911. 1:06:51but when you're constantly getting told
  1912. 1:06:52that can't be true we doubt that you can
  1913. 1:06:55do this this won't happen and that's the
  1914. 1:06:58narrative when you turn on television
  1915. 1:06:59every single day it's a little
  1916. 1:07:01frustrating and I think that for those
  1917. 1:07:03people around him a senior team
  1918. 1:07:05especially but so many of the other
  1919. 1:07:07folks that are either here in the
  1920. 1:07:08administration that gave up their time
  1921. 1:07:10during the transition they left a job to
  1922. 1:07:12work for three or four weeks because
  1923. 1:07:13they're so committed to having his
  1924. 1:07:15nominees get through it's a little
  1925. 1:07:17demoralizing to turn on the TV day after
  1926. 1:07:19day and here can't do this this guy's
  1927. 1:07:22not going to get confirmed no way
  1928. 1:07:23they're going to go through
  1929. 1:07:26the conversation that happens in
  1930. 1:07:27Washington no it's not I I think being
  1931. 1:07:29president of the United States no I I
  1932. 1:07:32look I've been doing this a long time
  1933. 1:07:33you've been doing this too I've never
  1934. 1:07:35seen it like this Jim I I've never and
  1935. 1:07:37again I'm not I I'm not looking to to go
  1936. 1:07:41back and forth but you're asking for an
  1937. 1:07:42explanation and I think that it's
  1938. 1:07:44important to understand that whether
  1939. 1:07:46it's it's the president himself
  1940. 1:07:48the vice president the senior team the
  1941. 1:07:51volunteers or the people who are out
  1942. 1:07:53there just you know in America that
  1943. 1:07:55voted for him or walked the streets or
  1944. 1:07:57put up a sign
  1945. 1:07:58that to constantly told no no no no and
  1946. 1:08:02no watch him go yes yes yes every time
  1947. 1:08:04and to come up to the next hurdle and
  1948. 1:08:05see someone put a block up gets a little
  1949. 1:08:07frustrating and I think that we are and
  1950. 1:08:10and so
  1951. 1:08:11you see this historic thing and he
  1952. 1:08:13stands there at the Capitol and I was
  1953. 1:08:14not that close but you know on the
  1954. 1:08:16platform and you look out and you all
  1955. 1:08:18you're you're it's an amazing view
  1956. 1:08:21and it's just so many people who got in
  1957. 1:08:24long lines who had to go around all this
  1958. 1:08:26different stuff to get in and that was
  1959. 1:08:28for the first time that we did have to
  1960. 1:08:29go through fencing
  1961. 1:08:31um that far out and and and then to hear
  1962. 1:08:35well look at this shot and it's not that
  1963. 1:08:37it wasn't that big it's a little
  1964. 1:08:38demoralizing because when you're sitting
  1965. 1:08:40there and you're looking out and you
  1966. 1:08:41you're in awe of just how awesome that
  1967. 1:08:44view is and how many people are there
  1968. 1:08:45and you go back and you turn on the
  1969. 1:08:47television and you see shots of
  1970. 1:08:49comparing this and that I mean you know
  1971. 1:08:52and then you look at the stuff that's
  1972. 1:08:53happening the nominees that get put out
  1973. 1:08:55the Democrats stopping there are two
  1974. 1:08:58cabinet officials ladies and gentlemen
  1975. 1:08:59that are taking their office today he
  1976. 1:09:01visited the CIA in a director that was
  1977. 1:09:04considered a consensus candidate wasn't
  1978. 1:09:06approved where's the story and I think
  1979. 1:09:10that so it isn't that you've got bigger
  1980. 1:09:12fish to fry like why worry about a
  1981. 1:09:14couple of tweets about crowds because
  1982. 1:09:16it's not because that's what I'm saying
  1983. 1:09:18you're minimizing the point here Jim
  1984. 1:09:19it's not about one tweet it's not about
  1985. 1:09:22one picture it's about a constant theme
  1986. 1:09:26it's about sitting here every time and
  1987. 1:09:29being told no well we don't think he can
  1988. 1:09:31do that he'll never accomplish that he
  1989. 1:09:34can't win that it won't be the biggest
  1990. 1:09:35it's not going to be that good the
  1991. 1:09:37crowds aren't that big he's not that
  1992. 1:09:39successful The Narrative and the the
  1993. 1:09:41default narrative is always negative and
  1994. 1:09:45it's demoralizing and I think that when
  1995. 1:09:47you sit here and you realize the
  1996. 1:09:48sacrifice the guy made of leaving a very
  1997. 1:09:51very successful business because he
  1998. 1:09:53really cares about this country and he
  1999. 1:09:55wants to despite your partisan
  2000. 1:09:57differences he cares about making this
  2001. 1:09:59country better for everybody he wants to
  2002. 1:10:01make it safer for everybody and so when
  2003. 1:10:03you wake up every day and that's what
  2004. 1:10:05you're seeing over and over again and
  2005. 1:10:06you're not seeing stories about the
  2006. 1:10:09cabinet folks that he's putting or the
  2007. 1:10:11success that he's having trying to keep
  2008. 1:10:12American jobs here yeah it is a little
  2009. 1:10:15disappointing so I just it's you know
  2010. 1:10:19always going to be positive it's no it's
  2011. 1:10:20not and sometimes we'll make mistakes I
  2012. 1:10:22promise you that but it's not always got
  2013. 1:10:24to be negative Jim some days we do do
  2014. 1:10:27the right thing some days we are we are
  2015. 1:10:30successful
  2016. 1:10:31so it's not it's part of this is saying
  2017. 1:10:34when we're right say we're right when
  2018. 1:10:37we're wrong say we're wrong but it's not
  2019. 1:10:39always wrong and negative
  2020. 1:10:41there are things there's a lot of things
  2021. 1:10:43that he's done already a lot of amazing
  2022. 1:10:45people he's appointed a lot of success
  2023. 1:10:47that he's have it and it would be once
  2024. 1:10:49night once in a while for someone just
  2025. 1:10:51to say
  2026. 1:10:52report it straight up here he appointed
  2027. 1:10:54this person here's their background not
  2028. 1:10:56why they're not going to get nominated
  2029. 1:10:58not why it's not going to happen so
  2030. 1:11:01hold on what one last thing hold on
  2031. 1:11:05I can't I know we're getting really into
  2032. 1:11:07like facts so uh just to be clear there
  2033. 1:11:10were no Trump or White House folks
  2034. 1:11:12sitting down they were all in the CIA
  2035. 1:11:14two of us so not in rows one through
  2036. 1:11:17anything from what I'm told
  2037. 1:11:20I appreciate Julie's effort but I wanted
  2038. 1:11:22her I've got Hallie John you got one
  2039. 1:11:25shot give me a second
  2040. 1:11:27yeah if you don't mind first one on
  2041. 1:11:28Russia um the administration was asked
  2042. 1:11:30about multiple interactions between
  2043. 1:11:31National Security advisor Mike Flynn and
  2044. 1:11:34uh a Russian Ambassador I believe you at
  2045. 1:11:36the time the administration at times
  2046. 1:11:37said it the calls were related to
  2047. 1:11:39setting up a discussion right between
  2048. 1:11:41President Trump and Vladimir Putin were
  2049. 1:11:44those conversations about anything else
  2050. 1:11:45other than setting up that discussion
  2051. 1:11:47and why has that discussion not yet
  2052. 1:11:49happened between the president and
  2053. 1:11:50President Putin so there's been one call
  2054. 1:11:53I talked to uh General Flynn about this
  2055. 1:11:55again last night one call talks about
  2056. 1:11:58four subjects one was the uh loss of
  2057. 1:12:02life that occurred in the plane crash
  2058. 1:12:03that took their military choir two was
  2059. 1:12:06Christmas and holiday greetings
  2060. 1:12:08um three was to facilitate or to talk
  2061. 1:12:11about a conference in Syria on Isis and
  2062. 1:12:13four was to set up a to talk about after
  2063. 1:12:16the inauguration setting up a call
  2064. 1:12:18between President Putin and president
  2065. 1:12:20Trump
  2066. 1:12:21um that I don't believe that that has
  2067. 1:12:23been set up yet because the call was to
  2068. 1:12:25say after they did follow up I'm sorry
  2069. 1:12:28two days ago about how to facilitate
  2070. 1:12:30that call once again so there have been
  2071. 1:12:32a total of two calls
  2072. 1:12:34with the Ambassador and general Flynn
  2073. 1:12:37and the second call came I think it's
  2074. 1:12:39now three days ago that was to say once
  2075. 1:12:41he gets into office can we set up that
  2076. 1:12:43call it hasn't to my knowledge has not
  2077. 1:12:45occurred yet any other conversations
  2078. 1:12:47between General Flynn and Russian
  2079. 1:12:48members of the government not that I'm
  2080. 1:12:50aware of and when I say that what I'm
  2081. 1:12:52saying is during the transition I asked
  2082. 1:12:53General Flynn that whether or not there
  2083. 1:12:55were any other conversations beyond the
  2084. 1:12:57Ambassador and he said no and then one
  2085. 1:12:59more follow-up on Julie's question from
  2086. 1:13:00earlier on a statement that the
  2087. 1:13:01president made on Saturday can you and I
  2088. 1:13:03just want to clarify your answer here
  2089. 1:13:04yeah can you unequivocally state that
  2090. 1:13:06this Administration will not send more
  2091. 1:13:08troops into Iraq to as the president has
  2092. 1:13:10put it take the oil
  2093. 1:13:12I'm not going to talk about what we may
  2094. 1:13:14or may not do I think the president's
  2095. 1:13:15been very clear that he doesn't
  2096. 1:13:16telegraphed forward what taking options
  2097. 1:13:19off the table that's not a good
  2098. 1:13:20negotiating skill that's not how he
  2099. 1:13:22works there's a reason he's been
  2100. 1:13:23successful at negotiating is because he
  2101. 1:13:25does it in a way that doesn't Telegraph
  2102. 1:13:26to people what he's going to take on or
  2103. 1:13:28off the table
  2104. 1:13:29Jeff Mason
  2105. 1:13:30where's the president's thinking now on
  2106. 1:13:33the Supreme Court
  2107. 1:13:35naming some nominees and then the
  2108. 1:13:37follow-up we get two
  2109. 1:13:40narrowing down okay
  2110. 1:13:43um and at the end of the Obama
  2111. 1:13:44Administration the number of prisoners
  2112. 1:13:46in Guantanamo Bay was reduced to about
  2113. 1:13:4840 right and what did the president's
  2114. 1:13:50plans for that prison so uh on the first
  2115. 1:13:52I I think that in the next week or so we
  2116. 1:13:55should have an update on a nominee for
  2117. 1:13:57the Supreme Court
  2118. 1:13:58um
  2119. 1:14:00it does I I think we'll have a
  2120. 1:14:02nomination within the next couple weeks
  2121. 1:14:04he continues to make that a priority of
  2122. 1:14:06his
  2123. 1:14:07um on gitmo
  2124. 1:14:08um I think you're going to see further
  2125. 1:14:10action I don't want to get ahead of the
  2126. 1:14:11president but this is something that has
  2127. 1:14:13been discussed and is it is in his
  2128. 1:14:16current decision-making process
  2129. 1:14:17um how he wants to handle that yeah if I
  2130. 1:14:20could just list one more you said that
  2131. 1:14:22the president disagreed with the
  2132. 1:14:24characterization of a rift with the
  2133. 1:14:26intelligence Community that's right do
  2134. 1:14:28dispute though his tweet about comparing
  2135. 1:14:30an intelligence Community to Nazi
  2136. 1:14:31Germany I no I think how what he was
  2137. 1:14:33talking about was the process not the
  2138. 1:14:35people and that's a very different thing
  2139. 1:14:37Shane
  2140. 1:14:40he made a whole list of uh day one
  2141. 1:14:43promises uh he called it a contract with
  2142. 1:14:45the American voters a bunch of them are
  2143. 1:14:47not going to get done today because she
  2144. 1:14:48said he's done with making executive
  2145. 1:14:49orders
  2146. 1:14:51uh labeling China
  2147. 1:14:52currency manipulator imposing
  2148. 1:14:54Congressional term limits proposing that
  2149. 1:14:56I want to ask you why not pursue all
  2150. 1:14:58those on day one as he promised in a
  2151. 1:15:00contract with the voters well I think he
  2152. 1:15:02is we're going to continue to sequence
  2153. 1:15:04those out I think part of it is to make
  2154. 1:15:06sure that we don't spend our entire day
  2155. 1:15:07signing executive orders and bringing
  2156. 1:15:09you in there's a way that we can do this
  2157. 1:15:11to make sure that we're getting all of
  2158. 1:15:13those things that he promised the
  2159. 1:15:14American people done in short haste and
  2160. 1:15:17doing it in a way that doesn't just Jam
  2161. 1:15:19them out in a fire hose and I think part
  2162. 1:15:21of this is to ensuring that we sequence
  2163. 1:15:23these that gives the American people the
  2164. 1:15:25proper the issue the proper attention
  2165. 1:15:27that they deserve because part of it is
  2166. 1:15:30that when if we put them all out on one
  2167. 1:15:32day they lose they get lost in The Ether
  2168. 1:15:35I think and I think he made these
  2169. 1:15:36promises and pledges to the American
  2170. 1:15:38people because they're important to him
  2171. 1:15:40so
  2172. 1:15:43on that day one list though that's his
  2173. 1:15:45intention yeah he's very clear about
  2174. 1:15:46that yes sir
  2175. 1:15:52not gonna no decision has been made at
  2176. 1:15:54this time on that Kristen Welker
  2177. 1:15:56uh one on Obamacare has he finished his
  2178. 1:16:00plan on Obamacare when will the Americas
  2179. 1:16:02clarify
  2180. 1:16:05I know he's going to meet with the
  2181. 1:16:06leaders of Mexico and Canada has he
  2182. 1:16:09started to have discussions with them
  2183. 1:16:10currently about negotiating that yeah so
  2184. 1:16:13yeah
  2185. 1:16:14um on Obamacare I think he's going to
  2186. 1:16:15continue the discussion tonight
  2187. 1:16:17um with with speaker Ryan in particular
  2188. 1:16:19at the meeting that he's going to have
  2189. 1:16:20after the reception
  2190. 1:16:21um when it comes to
  2191. 1:16:23um the the I'm sorry the other part was
  2192. 1:16:26NAFTA
  2193. 1:16:28um there's he discussed
  2194. 1:16:31um
  2195. 1:16:31on the phone with both leaders his
  2196. 1:16:34desire to reform it but obviously uh his
  2197. 1:16:37goal was to have that discussion when
  2198. 1:16:39they come in person and I think I
  2199. 1:16:40mentioned yesterday the foreign minister
  2200. 1:16:41of Mexico is going to come on the 25th
  2201. 1:16:4326th to sort of uh set the table and
  2202. 1:16:46have some of those meetings ahead of
  2203. 1:16:48um uh president pinonitis uh meeting
  2204. 1:16:51here
  2205. 1:16:57well again he's been in this is his
  2206. 1:17:00first working day I think it's been
  2207. 1:17:02pretty busy and robust not just today
  2208. 1:17:03but in the two and a half other days
  2209. 1:17:05that we had and I think you're gonna see
  2210. 1:17:08um a lot more come come out but you know
  2211. 1:17:11there's a lot of things that have to get
  2212. 1:17:12done and a lot of things that we're
  2213. 1:17:14working on as a staff to get them
  2214. 1:17:15prepared he's going to continue to have
  2215. 1:17:16very very robust weeks thank you guys I
  2216. 1:17:19appreciate it this was a good first one
  2217. 1:17:24go ahead
  2218. 1:17:28thank you
  2219. 1:17:41and most of those people were supporting
  2220. 1:17:43president uh
  2221. 1:17:45foreign
  2222. 1:17:56Fortune companies to and from India and
  2223. 1:18:00he said that
  2224. 1:18:02which companies are supporting so my
  2225. 1:18:04question is that where do we go as far
  2226. 1:18:06as us India and U.S Asia U.S India
  2227. 1:18:09business relations
  2228. 1:18:11thank you for the question
  2229. 1:18:14um
  2230. 1:18:14I I think that whether it's India or
  2231. 1:18:18other countries throughout the globe
  2232. 1:18:19today as I mentioned I mean the goal is
  2233. 1:18:20to figure out uh countries and markets
  2234. 1:18:23that we want to access that benefit the
  2235. 1:18:24American worker help us grow
  2236. 1:18:26manufacturing the services industry and
  2237. 1:18:28so that's one area that will continue to
  2238. 1:18:30work with prime minister thereon but
  2239. 1:18:31we've we've got a very robust agenda
  2240. 1:18:33thank you guys it's been a pleasure God
  2241. 1:18:35bless see you tomorrow
  2242. 1:18:38organization
  2243. 1:18:56thank you
  2244. 1:18:59[Music]
  2245. 1:19:08[Music]
  2246. 1:19:16[Music]

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