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  • 5/19/2025
Karoline Leavitt holds a White House press briefing.
Transcript
00:00Good morning, everybody.
00:01Thank you for joining us early today.
00:03We have a very busy day, so we wanted to kick off
00:06the week right this morning after a great trip
00:08last week.
00:09It's good to see all of you back in Washington.
00:11This afternoon in the Rose Garden, President Trump,
00:14alongside First Lady Melania Trump, will sign
00:17the Take It Down Act into law.
00:19First Lady Melania Trump was instrumental in
00:21getting this important legislation passed.
00:24The Take It Down Act will protect victims of
00:26digital exploitation, hold Internet platforms
00:29accountable by requiring them to remove such
00:32imagery from their platforms, and provide
00:34justice for victims by allowing prosecutors to
00:37go after those who publish non-consensual,
00:42explicit images online.
00:44The First Lady met with members in the House and
00:46the Senate, survivors and their families, and
00:49advocates throughout the process to get this bill
00:52across the finish line.
00:53We are grateful for the First Lady's hard work
00:55and dedication to this issue.
00:57And moving forward, she will continue to champion
01:00the well-being of our nation's children through
01:02her Be Best agenda.
01:04I know the President looks forward to signing
01:06that bill into law later this afternoon, and we
01:08will see you all there.
01:09In other news, the One Big Beautiful Bill passed the
01:12House Budget Committee last night, bringing it
01:14one step closer to final passage.
01:17The One Big Beautiful Bill is perfectly named
01:19because it represents a once-in-a-generation
01:22opportunity to deliver on the Make America Great
01:25Again agenda responsible for President Trump's
01:27landslide victory on November 5th.
01:30The America First policies in this bill are the
01:32reason why Republicans currently have the
01:35majority in Congress right now.
01:37Passing this bill is what voters sent Republicans to
01:41Washington to accomplish.
01:43And that's why it's essential that every
01:45Republican in the House and the Senate unites
01:49behind President Trump and passes this popular and
01:52essential legislative package.
01:54This bill will be the single most pro-small
01:57business, pro-family, and pro-American worker
02:01legislation ever.
02:03This bill will give Americans the largest tax
02:05cuts in our nation's history.
02:08When Republicans pass the bill, Americans will be
02:10keeping more of their hard-earned money and
02:12taking home much bigger paychecks.
02:15The One Big Beautiful Bill will deliver some of
02:17President Trump's central campaign promises.
02:20No tax on tips for our hardworking waiters,
02:23waitresses, and service workers.
02:25No tax on overtime for our law enforcement
02:27officers, our firefighters, and all those
02:30who are Americans who are putting in extra hours to
02:33make ends meet.
02:34And a large tax deduction on interest payments for
02:37Americans who purchase American-made cars.
02:41Despite desperate Democrat lies, the biggest
02:43beneficiary of this tax cut will be working-class
02:47Americans and their families.
02:49Americans earning between $30,000 and $80,000 per
02:52year will pay about 15 percent less in taxes
02:56after this legislation is passed.
02:59And according to a brand-new paper from the
03:01White House Council of Economic Advisers, the
03:03average family with two children's take-home pay
03:06will be up to $13,000 higher because of the
03:10increase in wages and reductions in tax
03:13obligations.
03:14The CEA study also said that the average overtime
03:17worker receives a tax cut of roughly $2,000.
03:22Again, this is great news for our nurses, our
03:24police officers, and all those who work overtime to
03:27make ends meet across our country.
03:29Put simply, President Trump's One Big Beautiful
03:32Bill will be a boon for working-class America.
03:35This One Big Beautiful Bill is also pro-family.
03:38It will increase the child tax credit to $2,500 per
03:41child, establish optional savings account for
03:44newborn babies with a $1,000 credit added, and
03:48strengthen paid family leave.
03:50This bill also delivers historic tax relief to
03:53America's seniors by allowing middle- and
03:55low-income Social Security recipients to deduct an
03:58additional $4,000 in payments from their
04:01taxable income.
04:02If Democrats get their way and the Trump tax cuts are
04:05not extended, Americans will face the largest tax
04:08hike in history to the tune of $4 trillion.
04:12Republicans must not side with Democrats in helping
04:15them raise taxes.
04:17The One Big Beautiful Bill also provides critical
04:19protections of Medicaid, which will strengthen and
04:22preserve the program for decades to come through
04:25common-sense efforts to eliminate waste, fraud,
04:28and abuse.
04:29Medicaid will no longer be used to pay for barbaric
04:32gender mutilation procedures on minor
04:34children, and the 1.4 million illegal aliens who
04:37are currently improperly receiving Medicaid benefits
04:40will be kicked off the program to preserve it for
04:43hardworking American citizens who need it.
04:46President Trump and Republicans are protecting
04:48Medicaid benefits for pregnant women, children,
04:51disabled individuals, low-income seniors and
04:54families, and the most vulnerable Americans in our
04:56society.
04:58And that's what Democrats are so angry about — basic
05:01Medicaid protections that will stop the funding of
05:04transgender insanity and illegal aliens from ripping
05:07off American taxpayers.
05:09As you all know, over his first four months in
05:11office, President Trump ended the previous
05:13administration's open border crisis and secured
05:16our homeland in record time, all using executive
05:20authority.
05:21Now Congress needs to act.
05:22The One Big Beautiful Bill is the most significant
05:25investment in our nation's Border Patrol and law
05:28enforcement agents in our nation's history.
05:31The bill ensures that President Trump's popular
05:33and successful border security measures are made
05:36permanent.
05:37Republicans have the backs of Border Patrol and ICE
05:39agents who were put through hell over the past four
05:42years and have quickly worked to secure our
05:44southern border.
05:46And that's why this bill gives them more resources
05:48to do their jobs, including a $10,000 much
05:51needed bonus to ICE agents and Border Patrol agents
05:54over the next four years.
05:56To provide those brave agents with desperately
05:58needed reinforcements on the ground, the bill
06:00allows for the hiring of thousands of new ICE
06:02personnel, customs officers, and Border Patrol
06:05agents.
06:06These significant hirings will empower President
06:08Trump to continue delivering on his promise
06:10to carry out the largest mass deportation in the
06:13history of our country.
06:15Again, that is a promise that Republicans made to
06:18American voters, it's a promise they were elected
06:20on, and it's a promise Republicans on Capitol Hill
06:22need to keep, secure our border.
06:25To supplement those efforts, the bill's funds
06:29will fund the completion of President Trump's
06:31signature border wall.
06:33As a result, 701 miles of primary wall, 900 miles of
06:37river barriers, 629 miles of secondary barriers, and
06:41141 miles of vehicle and pedestrian barriers will
06:45be constructed when this bill passes, along with
06:48cutting-edge technology to secure our homeland from
06:50dangerous, illegal alien invaders.
06:53This bill also advances our national security and
06:56defense interests by ensuring the United
06:58States military has the necessary resources to
07:00remain the strongest and most lethal fighting
07:03force in the world.
07:05The bill will provide resources for the
07:07construction of President Trump's Golden Dome to
07:09safeguard Americans from potential attacks, give
07:12the Coast Guard resources to build more modernized
07:14ships, and the Air Force resources to acquire
07:17better planes.
07:18If all of those incredible things were not enough, the
07:21big, beautiful bill also finally modernizes air
07:24traffic control in America, a bipartisan issue.
07:28The bill will allow President Trump to
07:29deliver on his promise to overhaul and update our
07:32air traffic control systems to keep Americans
07:35flying as safe and efficiently as possible.
07:38The previous administration failed to
07:39act and do this themselves, despite
07:41repeated warnings from the GAO, which has resulted
07:44in unacceptable delays at major airports like Newark
07:47that the Trump administration is
07:48working hard to address.
07:50When the one big, beautiful bill passes, we
07:52will replace the current antiquated system.
07:55The FAA will enhance safety in our skies,
07:57reduce delays, and power the future of air travel
08:00in the United States.
08:02That's just some of what this historic legislation
08:05will accomplish.
08:06It is absolutely essential that Republicans unite
08:09behind the one big, beautiful bill and
08:11deliver on President Trump's agenda.
08:13There is no time to waste.
08:15Americans gave Republicans a once-in-a-generation
08:18opportunity to course-correct our
08:20country over many wrongs over the past four years.
08:23And Americans are counting on Republicans to work as
08:26hard as President Trump is in this White House every
08:28day on Capitol Hill, send this legislation to his
08:30desk as soon as possible for his signature.
08:34Here in our new media seat today, we have Liam
08:35Crosgrove, the White House correspondent for
08:37Zero Hedge.
08:38With that, Liam, please kick us off.
08:39The Press Thank you, Caroline.
08:41So, first question is on foreign policy.
08:43The President has made several moves towards
08:46peace in multiple fronts — India, Pakistan, with the
08:48Houthis, talking with Iran and talking with Putin.
08:52Biden didn't even talk to Putin for the entire span
08:54of the war, which is crazy considering two nuclear
08:57powers were engaged in a proxy war.
08:59So I do admire these moves by the current President,
09:02I'll be honest.
09:04However, as of today, we are still funding both
09:07Israel's and Ukraine's wars.
09:09So can Americans expect to finally be done financing
09:14foreign wars at some point?
09:16Would you consider that one of the President's goals?
09:18Ms. McEnany Well, I think I can summarize the
09:21President's foreign policy agenda with two words
09:24— America first.
09:25And that means putting the American people and the
09:27American taxpayer first.
09:29And that's why the President is moving as
09:30quickly as he possibly can and working overtime to
09:34end these conflicts in both Israel and in Gaza, and
09:37also the Russia-Ukraine war.
09:39As you all know, the President will be
09:40speaking with Putin at 10 o'clock.
09:43He plans to call President Zelensky when that call
09:45concludes.
09:46I spoke to the President about that call at 10
09:48o'clock.
09:49I don't want to get ahead of those very important
09:51conversations, but of course, you will hear
09:53directly from the President or me after those calls
09:55conclude today.
09:56So you can expect that.
09:57As for Israel and Gaza, the President continues to
10:01not only himself, but his national security team,
10:04engage in talks on both sides of this conflict.
10:07The President made it very clear to Hamas that he
10:10wanted to see all hostages released.
10:12And last week, when we were flying out of town,
10:15there was great news on that front with the return
10:17of Eden Alexander, who is the last remaining hostage
10:20in Gaza.
10:20So, to answer your question, the President
10:22is always thinking about the American people, the
10:24American taxpayer first.
10:25He wants these conflicts to end, not just to save
10:28money, but most importantly, to save lives.
10:30The Press.
10:32And my only other question for you is, so over the
10:34weekend, President Trump posted Truth Social, a
10:37video highlighting what most people call the
10:39Clinton body count, which is the strange number of
10:42suicides that seem to happen in Clinton circles.
10:45I have a headline here from the Washington Post
10:47that said, Trump Peddles False Conspiracy Theories
10:50Tying the Clintons to Several Deaths.
10:53So I just wanted to highlight real quick, this
10:55wasn't in Trump's video, but this is from the
10:56Arkansas Times.
10:58And it's the death of Mark Middleton, who was a
11:00former Clinton White House aide, who was found dead
11:03on a Clinton Foundation property.
11:05And I'll just quote from the Arkansas Times.
11:07Middleton apparently shot himself in the chest with
11:09a shotgun and also hung himself from a tree with
11:12an extension cord.
11:13So, I have no idea how somebody commits suicide
11:16that way, but if the Washington Post is here,
11:18maybe you can enlighten us as to how that was
11:20actually a suicide.
11:21So anyways, that's just a lead-in to my question
11:23about the most famous Clinton-related suicide,
11:26which is that of Jeffrey Epstein.
11:28There's still a lot of questions around that case.
11:31You've released phase one of the Epstein files.
11:34What was missing from that is any connection to his
11:36ties to intelligence agencies, and that's
11:38really the whole story.
11:39That not just trafficking young girls, but doing it
11:42on behalf of intelligence agencies, and even
11:44potentially as part of a blackmail ring with
11:47potential ties to the Israeli government.
11:49So, for phase two, when can we expect it?
11:52Will it have information pertaining to those
11:55aspects of the Epstein case?
11:56I know the Attorney General has committed to
11:59releasing those files.
12:00I would defer you to the Department of Justice
12:02on her timeline.
12:03But when she has made a promise in the past, she
12:05has kept it, and I'm certain that she will in
12:07this case as well.
12:08Rachel.
12:09The Press Thanks so much, Caroline.
12:11The President set a two-week deadline for
12:13Ukraine and Russia to negotiate a deal.
12:15That time is now up.
12:16Does the President intend to set a new deadline
12:18on this call with President Putin?
12:20And how much longer is he willing to get these talks?
12:22Ms. McEnany Yeah, I don't want to get ahead of the
12:24specifics of the conversation the President
12:26will be having with President Putin in less
12:28than an hour this morning.
12:29But he has made clear throughout the entirety of
12:31this conflict, since he inherited it from Joe Biden
12:33— don't forget, this is a war that began because
12:35of the previous administration's incompetence
12:37and weakness, and President Trump is working
12:39very hard to fix it — he has made it clear to both
12:42sides that he wants to see a peaceful resolution
12:44and a ceasefire as soon as possible.
12:46But as for specifics on a timeline, I won't get
12:49ahead of the President.
12:50The Press And just on the goals for this call, in
12:53particular, is the goal to get Putin to agree to a
12:55ceasefire?
12:56Is the goal to lead to some sort of in-person
12:58negotiations with Putin and the President?
13:00Ms. McEnany Well, I think, again, we'll see how the
13:02call goes.
13:03And the President has made it clear his goal is to
13:05see a ceasefire and to see this conflict come to an
13:07end.
13:08And he's grown weary and frustrated with both sides
13:10of the conflict.
13:11The President and his team have put an enormous
13:13amount of effort in solving this very complicated war
13:16that, again, began because of the last
13:18administration's weakness.
13:19Steve.
13:20The Press Does he still want to meet Putin
13:22personally?
13:23Ms. McEnany I think the President would certainly
13:25be open to that, but let's see how this call goes
13:27today.
13:27The Press The sanctions package, the President has
13:29been talking about that.
13:30You haven't imposed them yet, but is that still on
13:32the table?
13:33Ms. McEnany I think everything is on the
13:35table, yes.
13:36And, again, I won't get ahead of the President in
13:38any commitments or decisions, but certainly
13:40it's something he's been looking at and discussing.
13:42Elaine.
13:42The Press Hi, Kayleigh.
13:43I want to ask you about the House bill, budget bill.
13:45So, does the President agree with Republicans
13:47behind this bill that Medicaid work requirements
13:49should be implemented as soon as 2026?
13:52Ms. McEnany So, the President wants to
13:54preserve and protect Medicaid for Americans
13:57who this program was intended for.
13:59The most vulnerable in our society, pregnant women,
14:02low-income families, seniors, those who truly
14:05need these benefits.
14:07And it should be going to people who physically
14:10cannot work.
14:11We want to see abled-bodied Americans at
14:14least working 20 hours per week, whether that's
14:17part-time or full-time, whether that's even
14:19looking for work or volunteering for 20 hours
14:22a week if they are receiving Medicaid.
14:24These are common-sense provisions.
14:27These are common-sense changes that were
14:29actually introduced by former Democrat
14:31President Clinton.
14:32They've been supported by every Democrat President
14:34since, including the previous President, Joe Biden.
14:37But again, these are common-sense reforms to
14:40ensure that those that this program was intended
14:44for receive those benefits.
14:45The Press And then just a quick follow-up.
14:47Is the President okay with this bill adding
14:50to the deficit?
14:51Ms. McEnany This bill does not add to the deficit.
14:53In fact, according to the Council of Economic
14:56Advisors, this bill will save $1.6 trillion.
15:01And the President absolutely understands
15:03and hears the concerns of fiscal conservatives and
15:06of Americans who want to get our fiscal house in order.
15:09That's what the intention of this bill is.
15:11There's $1.6 trillion worth of savings in this bill.
15:14That's the largest savings for any legislation that
15:17has ever passed Capitol Hill in our nation's history.
15:21The next bill that even comes close was $800
15:23billion.
15:23That's less than half of the savings that we see
15:26in the one big, beautiful bill.
15:27And so the goal of this bill is to produce
15:30economic growth, to cut taxes, and to get our
15:34fiscal house in order.
15:35And this is the right step and the right direction
15:37towards doing that.
15:37Edward.
15:38The Press Yes, thanks.
15:39Ms. McEnany And then I'll go to you.
15:40You're awesome.
15:40The Press I want to get the President's reaction
15:42to Moody's downgrading the credit rating of the
15:46United States.
15:46Ms. McEnany Sure.
15:47Well, look, the President talked about this over
15:50the weekend.
15:50The Secretary of Treasury also talked about it.
15:53When you look at the world, the world has
15:55confidence in the United States of America and our
15:57economy once again.
15:59The President, just last week, secured trillions of
16:02dollars in investments from countries in the
16:04Middle East.
16:04We have seen trillions of dollars of investments
16:07flowing into our economy since the President took
16:10office.
16:10That is because America or people around the world
16:14have confidence in the United States of America.
16:16And if you also just look at the raw economic data
16:18that we're seeing, last week, when we were out of
16:20town, inflation dropped once again.
16:22Oil prices are dropping.
16:23Gas prices are dropping.
16:25The President has added nearly a half million jobs
16:27to the American economy already.
16:29So there's a lot of optimism in this economy,
16:31and the President disagrees with that
16:33assessment.
16:33The Press And I want to ask you one more thing, if I
16:34could.
16:35On your Middle East trip, the United Arab Emirates
16:37is getting some of the most advanced AI chips, and
16:40there's agreements there.
16:41The UAE is the newest member of BRICS.
16:43Is there a concern from the President that those chips
16:45and the technology will pass through to China,
16:47India, Russia, and Iran?
16:50Ms. McEnany Part of going to the Middle East was to
16:52ensure that the United States — that this part
16:54of the region, our Gulf partners, know that the
16:57United States of America is there for them again,
16:59and that they should be investing in the United
17:01States, not in China.
17:02And these AI agreements, particularly the one the
17:05Secretary of Commerce signed in the UAE, has
17:08security guarantees to ensure that China is not
17:11getting the advantage, but the United States is
17:13getting the advantage when it comes to AI, and that
17:15the UAE and the U.S.
17:17are working hand-in-hand together to invest in
17:20this space.
17:20So, read the agreements.
17:22There are security guarantees, and this was a
17:24great trip for the country, no doubt.
17:26Go ahead.
17:27Thanks, Caroline.
17:27Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel has said today
17:31that Israel will take control of all of Gaza.
17:34Is that a goal that President Trump is
17:37comfortable with or that he supports?
17:39I'll have to talk to the President about those
17:41comments as they just came, I believe, from the
17:43Prime Minister this morning, and I'll let him
17:46speak on that.
17:46The President has made it very clear he wants to
17:48see this conflict in the region end.
17:51He wants all hostages to be released.
17:52He was pleased that Eden Alexander was returned
17:56home safely to his loving family.
17:58The President spoke with Eden directly while we
18:01were traveling to the Middle East last week.
18:03As for the Prime Minister's comments, I'll
18:05let the President himself respond to those.
18:08Sure.
18:08I'll make two questions.
18:10One, how involved does the President intend to be
18:13directly in talking to House members about the
18:15bill over the next couple of weeks or the next week?
18:17Sure.
18:18Well, over the weekend, the President was in
18:20direct conversation and communication with the
18:22Speaker of the House.
18:23He's been very involved.
18:25He always is.
18:25He's willing to pick up the phone when he is
18:28asked to.
18:29So he'll continue to be very engaged in this
18:31process with both House members and his friends
18:33on the Senate side as well.
18:34And on former President Biden's cancer diagnosis,
18:37the President put out a very, you know, nice
18:40message on Truth Social.
18:41Has he talked to President Biden directly?
18:44Does he intend to call?
18:45What does he intend to say directly?
18:47Not to my knowledge.
18:48I don't believe they have spoken, but I'm sure the
18:50President would be open to doing that.
18:52I spoke to him last night about the former
18:54President's cancer diagnosis, and the
18:56statement that he put out was the initial reaction
18:59he had with me on the phone as well.
19:01Peter.
19:02A follow-up on former President Biden.
19:05White House doctors may have missed the early
19:08stages of his prostate cancer.
19:10So is President Trump worried about the quality
19:13of care that Presidents get here?
19:16Not as far as President Trump is concerned.
19:19The White House physician we have here is
19:22phenomenal, and the team of physicians that take
19:24care of the President, particularly at Walter
19:26Reed Medical Center, are great.
19:28The President had his physical recently, as you
19:30know.
19:31He had perfect results.
19:32He's in very good shape.
19:33I think those of you who traveled to the Middle
19:35East with us last week can attest to the
19:37President's endurance.
19:38And, by the way, I will add, we returned home
19:41from a very long and tiring trip last week.
19:44And on Saturday, where was the President?
19:47In the Oval Office, working all day.
19:49He doesn't stop.
19:49He doesn't quit.
19:50He's in great health, and he trusts his physicians.
19:52Two more things.
19:54Putin ghosted everybody at these peace talks last
19:57week.
19:58As President Trump phones him today to try to
20:00figure out an end to the Ukraine war, does he
20:02think that Putin is the good guy or the bad guy?
20:07I'll let the President speak on that
20:08conversation later.
20:09He's made his feelings about both sides of this
20:14war quite clear throughout it.
20:15He wants to see it end.
20:16Annie, go ahead.
20:17The Press.
20:17The last one.
20:18What does President Trump mean when he says that
20:21Taylor Swift is no longer hot?
20:23Look, he is speaking about Taylor Swift's political
20:28views and how perhaps it has impacted the support
20:31of the American public for her work.
20:33And I will leave it at that.
20:34Annie, go ahead.
20:35Thanks so much, Helen.
20:37I'm just going back one more time to the White
20:39House Medical Office, because there seems to be
20:41some question about this with regard to President
20:44Biden's screening.
20:45Can you say whether or not President Trump is
20:47screening for prostate cancer as part of his
20:49physical?
20:50To the best of my understanding, he is.
20:52But we can certainly check in with the White House
20:54physician and go back and look at that physical
20:56report.
20:56And then just one other question.
20:58Recently, Stephen Miller at the White House made
21:01some comments about considering suspending
21:05habeas corpus.
21:07And I'm curious if there's any update on how the
21:09White House is exploring that option to enact the
21:12President's agenda.
21:13I don't have any update at this time, but I can
21:15check in with our Deputy Chief of Staff.
21:17Mary Margaret.
21:18Go ahead.
21:18Thanks, Caroline.
21:19Given the ongoing revelations about former
21:22Presidents' mental acuity and how staff and media
21:25covered that up, especially with the release
21:28of this book, two days, I think.
21:31Is there any interest in further scrutiny of Kevin
21:33O'Connor, the former President's physician?
21:36I'll let the President speak on that.
21:38I spoke to the President again about the former
21:40President's health diagnosis last night, and
21:43he wanted to extend his warmest wishes to the
21:45former President and his family.
21:47But as for any further action, I'll let the
21:50President speak on that first.
21:51Michelle.
21:52And looking at Vice President Vance's meeting
21:53with Zelensky, can you share any more
21:54information on that?
21:56My understanding was it was a good meeting, a
21:59productive meeting, and we're grateful that the
22:01Vice President did it and that he also went to the
22:05Pope's first mass in Rome.
22:06I also have an update on that.
22:08The Vice President passed along a letter to the Pope
22:11from the President and from the First Lady,
22:13extending their warm wishes and inviting them to the
22:15White House as soon as they possibly can come.
22:18Michelle.
22:18On Iran, Steve Whitkoff said yesterday that
22:21continued enrichment is a red line for the U.S.
22:24The Iranian Foreign Minister says that's
22:25going to continue no matter what.
22:27How committed is the U.S.
22:28to that red line, and what's the next step for
22:30the next round of talks?
22:30We are 100 percent committed to that red line.
22:33The President, Special Envoy Whitkoff, Secretary
22:36Rubio have made that incredibly clear, not
22:38just to the American public, but also in those
22:41discussions that Special Envoy Whitkoff has had
22:43directly with the Iranians.
22:44And the next round of talks?
22:46I don't have an update for you, but we can get one.
22:49To the back row.
22:50Go ahead.
22:51Thank you, Caroline.
22:51You're welcome.
22:52South Africa's President says he's going to come
22:54to the White House to meet with President Trump
22:55on Wednesday.
22:56What are the President's expectations for that trip?
22:59And South Africa's President recently said
23:01he believes the folks that have been resettled here
23:03recently are cowards running away from problems
23:06in South Africa.
23:07Does the White House have a response to that?
23:09So, I did see the South African President put out
23:11that statement.
23:12I want to confirm on our end with our Secretary of
23:14State and National Security Advisor, and we'll get
23:16back to you on that.
23:17Monica.
23:18Thanks, Caroline.
23:19You mentioned the President and the First
23:20Lady are signing a historic Take It Down
23:22Act this afternoon.
23:23I'm curious to know, what are some of the
23:25repercussions or consequences for these
23:26online platforms or perpetrators that will
23:28comply with the act?
23:30Well, what this bill does, it takes the initial
23:32step to ensure that prosecutors are able to
23:35take down — that's why it's called the Take It
23:37Down Act — platforms that are allowing this
23:40sexually explicit content on their platform.
23:43So, it gives them more leeway to go after them
23:45as they see fit.
23:46But as for specific repercussions, I would
23:48defer you to the Department of Justice of how
23:50they plan to implement this bill once it is
23:52signed later today.
23:54Brian.
23:54Yes, thank you.
23:56You said in your opening statement, you talked
23:57about this MAGA baby savings account.
24:00Exactly how would that work?
24:03Who would be eligible for it?
24:04I'm assuming women would be eligible for that.
24:08Yes.
24:08So, one of the provisions in the One Big
24:11Beautiful bill, as I said, this is a very pro-family
24:14piece of legislation.
24:15Not only does it increase the child tax credit,
24:18but it also includes MAGA baby savings accounts
24:22for children that are born before January 1st,
24:252024, under eight years old, U.S.
24:28citizens, and have at least one parent with a
24:30valid Social Security number.
24:33And when this tax provision becomes law, the
24:36child, if the parents seek to do this, will be set
24:39up with a savings account.
24:41Essentially, it's a 401K for a newborn baby.
24:44And child's relatives, their parents, can
24:48contribute up to $5,000 per year of after-tax
24:51dollars annually to that account.
24:54And then later in the baby's life, at age 25,
24:57savings account holders can withdraw up to the
25:00full balance of the account.
25:01Upon reaching 30, the account holders can
25:03access the full balance of the account for any
25:06purpose desired.
25:07So, it's a great initiative for new parents,
25:10new mothers who want to set up the savings account
25:12for their children.
25:13Weijia.
25:14The Press.
25:14Thank you, Caroline.
25:15President Trump and his top economic aides have
25:17repeatedly said that Americans will not pay
25:20the cost of tariffs.
25:21In fact, last week, Lutnick said people have
25:24to drop the, quote, silly arguments that consumers
25:27would pay the cost.
25:29But over the weekend, as you know, the President
25:32posted that Walmart should eat the tariffs and not
25:35charge the valued customer anything.
25:37I'll be watching, and so will your customers.
25:40So, does he acknowledge that if companies don't
25:43absorb the full cost, Americans will have to pay?
25:46Ms. Sanders Well, first of all, the CEO of Walmart
25:49made those comments about the tariffs on an
25:51earnings call, where CEOs, I believe, are legally
25:54obligated to give the most dire warnings and
25:57forecasts to their investors and stakeholders.
26:00The reality is, as the President has always
26:02maintained, Chinese producers will be
26:04absorbing the cost of these tariffs.
26:06And that is why China was so quick to hustle to the
26:09negotiating table with the United States of America.
26:11They need our markets.
26:12They need our consumers.
26:14And I would, again, point you to the inflation
26:16report that came out last week, showing that
26:18inflation is declining, in large part because energy
26:22prices are dropping across the board in this country
26:24because of the President's robust energy agenda that
26:28he has taken since January 20th.
26:30So, the President is committed to ensuring that
26:32prices remain low for American consumers, and he
26:35maintains the position that foreign countries will
26:37absorb these tariffs.
26:38Jennifer.
26:39The Press What does he mean by,
26:40I'll be watching, to Walmart?
26:41Ms. Sanders He'll be watching, seeing what
26:43they're doing.
26:44Jennifer.
26:44The Press On the gift plane from Qatar, three
26:47things.
26:47Is there a timeline for the U.S.
26:49receiving that plane?
26:51Do you know how long it will take to retrofit the
26:53plane to presidential standards?
26:55And thirdly, has the intelligence community,
26:58security folks, have they weighed in on whether that
27:01plane can actually be secured to presidential
27:03standards?
27:04Ms. Sanders I'm glad you brought up this question
27:06because I was watching the American press spew a lot
27:09of misinformation about the plane donation last
27:12week when we were abroad.
27:13Let's be very clear.
27:15The government of Qatar, the Qatari family, has
27:18offered to donate this plane to the United States
27:22Air Force, where that donation will be accepted
27:25according to all legal and ethical obligations.
27:28It will be retrofitted to the highest of standards
27:32by the Department of Defense and the United
27:34States Air Force.
27:35This plane is not a personal donation or a
27:38gift to the President of the United States.
27:40And everyone who wrote that last week should go
27:42and correct their stories because this is a donation
27:44to our country and to the United States Air Force.
27:47As for a timeline, because it is the United
27:49States Air Force that is accepting the plane, I
27:51would defer you to them for specifics because the
27:54President, frankly, has nothing to do with it.
27:56It's the Air Force's project to take on.
27:59Sure.
28:00Elizabeth.
28:00The Press Thanks so much, Caroline.
28:01Did the President call fiscal conservatives who
28:04are hesitant to vote for the big, beautiful bill?
28:06And if so, what did they say?
28:08What did he say?
28:08Ms. Sanders I don't reveal the President's private
28:11discussions unless he gives me the liberty to,
28:13but he has been engaged in this process.
28:15He spoke to the Speaker of the House, and he will
28:18continue to make those phone calls if it's
28:20necessary for him.
28:21Sure.
28:22The Press Thank you, Caroline.
28:23Ms. Sanders I'll go to both of you.
28:24Go ahead.
28:25The Press Thank you.
28:25Any updates on Greenland?
28:26Will the President be making any trips?
28:28And do we have any details you can share with us?
28:30Ms. Sanders I don't have any future foreign trips
28:32to read out for you.
28:33We just returned home from one.
28:35But the President maintains the reasoning
28:39for Greenland's strategic purposes in the Arctic,
28:42and he continues to remain committed to the idea
28:45of obtaining Greenland in whatever means we can to
28:50advance our national security interests in the region.
28:52Sure.
28:53The Press Thank you, Caroline.
28:54I have a question.
28:55Was Lebanon part of the discussion during
28:57the Middle East tour?
28:58And did you meet with any Lebanese representatives?
29:00Ms. Sanders To my knowledge, the President
29:03did not meet with any representatives from Lebanon,
29:06although he did talk about the election that they
29:08recently had there and how he hopes that Lebanon
29:11can come to a more peaceful place in their country
29:14and that we drive out Hezbollah – Iranian-backed
29:16Hezbollah proxies in Lebanon to ensure peace
29:19and prosperity in that country and also for the
29:21greater Middle Eastern region.
29:23And I would just add to that before I wrap up,
29:25because the President's call will begin in a few minutes.
29:28The President's historic tour to the Middle East
29:29last week truly reset our foreign policy agenda
29:34in that region.
29:35I think, actually, in fact, The Washington Post
29:37had a headline, President Trump Remakes U.S.
29:40Foreign Policy in the Middle East.
29:42And that's absolutely true.
29:44He took a courageous and bold step to lift
29:46sanctions on Syria.
29:47He strengthened our ties with our Gulf partners.
29:50And he put Iran into a very difficult position
29:53because the United States of America is back.
29:56And I will summarize the President's trip with an
29:58anecdote that I heard directly from a member of
30:01one of the foreign delegations.
30:02I asked him how hopeful their country was when
30:05they learned President Trump won the election.
30:07And he told me, when President Trump won the
30:10election, it was like the lights turned on
30:12in a dark room.
30:14For the past four years, to the rest of the world,
30:16America was dark.
30:17We were unresponsive.
30:18We did not pick up the phone.
30:19We did not return calls.
30:21All of that has changed under the leadership of
30:23this President.
30:24And I think the world saw that last week with this
30:26historic and wildly successful trip.
30:29And the work continues.
30:30The President will be speaking to President
30:31Putin at 10 a.m., and we'll have a readout for
30:33you after that call.
30:34And we'll see you in the Rose Garden at 3 o'clock.
30:36Thanks, guys.

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