President Trump's White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt provides daily White House Briefing. During the briefing the Leavitt spoke about tariffs, fears of a recession that President Trump has discussed in recent days and even the president going to look at Tesla's later in the afternoon.
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00:00This follows President Trump's roundtable yesterday with the technology CEO Council here at the White House
00:05Where he met with key leaders in the technology industry and last night
00:10President Trump also held an official swearing-in ceremony in the Oval Office for Sean Curran who is now the
00:1628th director of the United States Secret Service
00:19Sean demonstrated unbelievable bravery under gunfire in Butler, Pennsylvania
00:24this past July when an assassin tried to kill President Trump. As
00:29someone who got to know Sean personally throughout the campaign last year
00:33I can say unequivocally that there is nobody better suited for this important role and
00:39following the confirmation of Labor Secretary Laurie Chavez de Roemer last night
00:43The Senate has now confirmed 21 of President Trump's well-qualified
00:48cabinet-level nominees far outpacing the previous administration and
00:53Looking ahead tomorrow
00:54the president will welcome the Taoiseach Michal Martin of Ireland for the annual White House White House shamrock ceremony and
01:03Thursday President Trump will welcome the NATO Secretary General for a working meeting and lunch. On
01:09the economy, February's jobs report was good news for America
01:14particularly our manufacturing sector. The manufacturing sector gained
01:1910,000 new jobs in just one month under President Trump. This rebound was led by the automobile sector where we saw
01:269,000 new auto jobs created already. That is the most auto jobs added to the economy in 15 months
01:34This was a complete turnaround from the Biden administration where we were losing an average of
01:409,000 manufacturing jobs per month last year
01:43Reuters is out with a report that a number of companies are now looking at expanding their presence or bringing their businesses into America
01:50Because of President Trump's policies and just moments ago before coming out here. I saw another report by Reuters
01:57Revealing that Merck has opened a 1 billion dollar facility at its, North Carolina site
02:03This is just the latest pharmaceutical company to boost its US manufacturing in lieu of President Trump's tariffs
02:10This announcement follows Eli Lilly's plans to invest at least 27 billion to build four new
02:16Manufacturing plants here in the United States and Pfizer has also said it's considering moving their manufacturing
02:23overseas right here to the United States of America. As the president has said over and over again
02:29When we purchase products made in the USA the profits stay here the revenue stays here and most importantly the jobs
02:36Stay here and despite the globalist mainstream media's attempts to worry consumers
02:42President Trump will not repeat the trend of past American presidents who broke their promises to the American public and
02:48Smiled while they stuck a knife in the back of American workers and shipped their jobs overseas
02:54Our country has lost more than 5 million jobs in more than 90,000 factories due to devastating
03:01globalization over the last three decades alone
03:04North Carolina lost
03:06300,000 manufacturing jobs including 60% of its furniture manufacturing jobs in the years following NAFTA and in Michigan
03:14globalist policies destroyed
03:17250,000 jobs including 40% of the auto industry which again
03:21We know is clawing back because of President Trump's action already
03:25These are harrowing statistics that represent countless towns and families who have been completely destroyed
03:32But the America last globalist era is ending under President Trump
03:36He will no longer allow our country and our workers our hard-working American families to be ripped off
03:43on another very important issue for the president
03:47He continues to work hard to secure the border if you missed it yesterday
03:52CBP launched an enhanced home mobile app with a new feature the intent to depart which offers
03:58Unlawfully present aliens or those aliens whose parole has been revoked in
04:03Orderly and defined process to notify the US government of their intent to depart the country
04:09the CBP home app strengthens our mission to secure the border and
04:13provides illegal aliens with a straightforward way to leave now before facing much harsher consequences later a
04:21New report from Bloomberg just found that the number of aliens trying to reach our country by traveling through the jungle to Central America
04:28dropped a whopping
04:3199% last month and this follows the incredible news that illegal border crossings plummeted last month as well down
04:3994% at our southern border from last February under the Biden administration as
04:45President Trump made clear during his historic address to Congress
04:49we must finish this job and continue to carry out the largest deportation campaign in American history and
04:55That is why the president fully endorses the continuing resolution that is before Congress and was negotiated by Speaker Johnson
05:03He is encouraging all Republicans to vote
05:06Yes
05:06On this clean CR which freezes funding at current levels and will prevent the Democrats from getting their long-awaited government
05:14shutdown voting against the CR will hurt the American people and kill the incredible momentum that President Trump has built over the past
05:2351 days and
05:25Lastly before I take questions, I would like to commend the Washington Post who I believe is in the room today
05:31According to a new report from Axios. The Washington Post is overhauling their newsroom structure
05:36It appears that the mainstream media including the post is finally learning
05:40That's having disdain for more than half of the country who supports this president does not help you sell newspapers
05:46It's not a very good business model. And that's why we have people in our new media seat
05:51And today we have Sargar Annetty who is the host of breaking points a popular political YouTube news and podcast show
05:58That has racked up nearly 1 billion views on YouTube several hundred million podcast downloads since its launch in June 2021
06:05He's also a former member of the White House Correspondents Association, but is now a part of the thriving independent media
06:12We're very happy to have you with us here today. Why don't you kick off our briefing? Thank you
06:16Really really appreciate you having me Caroline a couple of questions for you
06:20If I may first is first on this stock market. So currently it's the 25th anniversary
06:26Today of the dot-com bubble crash
06:28There's a lot of concern for a lot of Americans right now about the state of the economy
06:32President Trump has refused to rule out a recession secretary
06:35Lutnick however has told us there will not be one
06:38So can the White House just tell and assure Americans today that there's not going to be a recession
06:42Well, there's a lot to unpack there
06:44so let me start by saying that first of all when it comes to the stock market the numbers that we see today the numbers
06:49We saw yesterday the numbers we saw see we'll see tomorrow are a snapshot of a moment in time
06:54And as President Trump has said and I'm here to echo the remarks of this president of this White House
06:59We are in a period of economic transition
07:02We are in a period of transition from the mess that was created under Joe Biden in the previous administration
07:09Joe Biden left this country in an economic disaster
07:13Several statistics to point out the delinquency rate on credit card loans increased
07:1863% under Joe Biden hitting a near 12-year high under Joe Biden all net job growth went to foreign-born
07:25Americans real wages declined by one and a half percent under Joe Biden and as we all know in this administration
07:32Continues to combat prices soared more than 20%
07:36Under Joe Biden because of his reckless spending and economic policies
07:39So we are in a period of transition from that economic nightmare under a president who had no idea what he was doing
07:45Never held the private sector job in his life into a golden age of American manufacturing
07:51Under a businessman and a dealmaker-in-chief and President Donald J
07:55Trump who will be implementing is implementing the formula that we know works
08:00Look at President Trump's results in his first term if people are looking for certainty
08:05They should look at the record of this president
08:07That's why the American people
08:09Reelected him back to this office and look at everything that President Trump has already done and his team has already done in just 51
08:16Days the massive efforts to deregulate tax cuts which we need Congress to pass the Trump economic
08:23Agenda the Trump tax cuts which will unleash economic growth and the president also addressed this directly
08:29I will point out as well
08:30When you look at what he said on Air Force One
08:33And he said he wants the American people to have so much money in their pockets. They don't even know what to do with it
08:38That's the intent of this administration and we're working very hard every day on that goal second question on the CR
08:44President Trump came out today in a primary challenge against congressman Thomas Massey congressman Massey's been a supporter of Doge
08:50He's been a supporter of make America healthy again
08:53What kind of message is this White House sending against a congressman who's sticking up for principles that he's long held?
08:59In the chamber and voting against continuing resolution and spending
09:03I think the president has made it very clear that he believes it's critical for
09:07Conservatives and Republicans and frankly all members of Congress to get behind this continuing
09:13Resolution to keep the government funded the president wants to continue the momentum that he has built over the last 51 days
09:20In order to keep the government funded we got to keep moving with these deportations
09:24And he believes that everybody needs to get on board with this bill. He's been active in this process
09:28He's been making calls to get this over the finish line and we're urging every
09:32Republican and Democrats to to do what's right for the American public to prevent a government shutdown last question here on Mahmoud Khalil
09:39Does the administration believe that it needs to charge a green card holder with a crime to be eligible for deportation?
09:47Well, in fact secretary Rubio
09:51Reserves the right to revoke the visa of Mahmoud Khalil and I'm glad you brought this up
09:56Under the Immigration and Nationality Act the Secretary of State has the right to revoke
10:01a green card or a visa for individuals who serve
10:05At our adversarial to the foreign policy and national security interests of the United States of America and Mahmoud Khalil
10:12Was an individual who was given the privilege of coming to this country to study at one of our nation's finest
10:20universities and colleges
10:22And he took advantage of that opportunity of that privilege by siding with terrorists
10:27Hamas terrorists who have killed innocent men women and children
10:31This is an individual who organized group protests that not only disrupted
10:37College campus classes and harassed Jewish American students and made them feel unsafe on their own college campus
10:43But also distributed pro Hamas propaganda flyers with the logo of Hamas
10:49That is what the behavior and activity that this individual engaged in and I have those flyers on my desk
10:56They were provided to me by the Department of Homeland Security
10:58I thought about bringing them into this briefing room to share with all of you
11:01But I didn't think it was worth the dignity of this room to bring that pro Hamas propaganda
11:07But that's what this individual distributed on the campus of Columbia University. And this administration is not going to tolerate
11:13Individuals having the privilege of studying in our country and then siding with pro-terrorist organizations that have killed
11:20Americans we have a zero tolerance policy for siding with terrorists period Peter Doocy. Thank you
11:28So you said that the Dow dropping and dropping and dropping is a period of transition
11:32You're sure nobody here at the White House short of the Dow
11:37No, I don't think so. Okay
11:39But is there any concern here that it's gonna be harder to ask?
11:44Certain federal workers to retire if they look at their retirement accounts and they're getting robbed every day
11:52Well, I'm glad you brought up workers because that's exactly who President Trump is looking out for with his America first
11:58trade
11:59policy and his America first economic agenda
12:02And if you look at there's great indication to be optimistic about where the economy stands and the American people
12:10Investors CEOs small business owners
12:12But most importantly workers should bet on President Trump because his tariff policies what he envisions is reciprocity
12:19Fair trade practices where American workers are put first and are no longer ripped off by foreign countries all over this world
12:26President Trump says he's gonna buy a Tesla today
12:30Did he buy it? And when is the last time he drove a car?
12:34That's a very good question
12:35I have heard the president remark that he misses being able to drive that luxury of driving his own vehicle
12:41Although the Beast is nice, but he is going to be viewing a Tesla that is making its way to the White House complex
12:47Now I can confirm
12:49Perhaps the press pool today will have an opportunity to witness this very exciting moment later this afternoon
12:55but
12:56Tesla a Tesla is on its way here now, and we'll see if the president likes it when he checks it out
13:02So they're bringing him a Tesla to look at and if he likes it, he's just gonna buy it. You know, he's intent on he's
13:09Definitely going to buy one, but he'll take a look at it when it gets here later this afternoon
13:14Full market price Kelly. Can we talk about Canada?
13:19What is the status of President Trump having a conversation with Mark Carney?
13:23We have seen the president use the term governor to refer to Justin Trudeau
13:28Will that moniker also go to mr. Carney going forward and is the decision to increase?
13:34The tariffs is that based on a specific economic metric that he looked at is an impulse
13:40How would you describe his reaction to Canada? The president has not yet spoken to. Mr
13:45Carney not let till not since I checked which was just moments ago
13:50But certainly his phone is always open to two leaders who wish to speak with him as for the tariffs
13:57The president made his position on this quite clear with the statement that he put out
14:02And it was a retaliatory statement due to the escalation of rhetoric that we've seen out of Ontario, Canada
14:08The president saw the premier Doug Ford make an egregious and insulting comment
14:14Threatening to shut down electricity for the American people for hard-working American families
14:20He made that threat the president saw that and has an obligation and a responsibility
14:25to respond
14:27accordingly
14:28And in represent the interests of the American people so he has made the decision to add a 25% tariff
14:34So now steel and aluminum tariffs will come into effect tomorrow at the rate of 50% and our steel and aluminum
14:41Industries have actually applauded these tariffs because again, they know it's going to grow their industry here
14:47It's going to allow them to export more steel that is made right here in the United States with American workers
14:55Your words here, but that's what many Canadian leaders have said about the actions president Trump has taken toward Canada
15:01And what do you think the timeline is for speaking to?
15:03Mr. Carney because normally the president a sitting president speaks to a close ally very quickly when there's new leadership
15:10Well, the president is again responding to the fact that Canada has been ripping off the United States of America in
15:18hard-working Americans for decades
15:20If you look at the rates of tariffs across the board that Canadians have been imposing on the American people and our workers here
15:27It is egregious. In fact, I have a handy-dandy chart here that shows not just Canada
15:33But the rate of tariffs across the board if you look at Canada since you brought it up
15:37American cheese and butter nearly
15:40300% tariff you look at India
15:44150% tariff on American alcohol you think that's helping Kentucky bourbon be exported into India
15:49I don't think so hundred percent tariff on agricultural products from India. Look at Japan tariffing rice
15:57700%
15:58President Trump believes in reciprocity and it is about dang time that we have a president who actually looks out for the interests of American
16:06businesses and workers and all he's asking for at the end of the day are fair and balanced trade practices and unfortunately
16:13Canada has not been treating us
16:16Very fairly at all over the past several decades to the woman in the purple because I saw you were making a face at my previous
16:23Answer, so what's going on?
16:25I
16:28Have a couple of questions
16:30At the core of pro-palestinian protests on college campuses and elsewhere
16:35It's a demand to end the war in Gaza a goal that this administration actually supports and has pursued
16:40So why did why has not has this not been acknowledged or highlighted even because these colleges in these protests have again
16:49put out
16:50Hamas propaganda the flyers that have been distributed a call for violence the flyers that have been distributed have the logo of an
16:59Organization that has held Americans hostage that murdered innocent babies that murdered men women and children
17:06They are a designated foreign terrorist organization and we are not going to tolerate
17:12non-citizens foreigners who come here on a visa
17:15Engaging in such behavior siding with terrorists and the Secretary of State reserves the authority to revoke
17:23the the green card or the visa of an individual who serves as an
17:28Who it actually it says right here reasonable grounds to believe that the aliens presence or activities in the United States would have potentially serious
17:36Adverse foreign policy consequences to the United States and I think siding with Hamas makes that quite clear
17:43Secretary Rubio
17:44exercised that authority and we fully believe that we are going to move forward with more arrests as President Trump previewed in his statement yesterday and
17:53Thanks
17:54So are there conversations between the administration and the Canadians?
17:58Going on over this tariff because the Ontario premier says the next step is to cut off electricity
18:03to the US and the president put out a statement after seeing those comments and said that it would be
18:09There would be grave consequences imposed on Canada if they think about shutting off electricity for the United States of America
18:16and our citizens and the president is also
18:20Determined to ensure that we are depending on American
18:23Electricity not the electricity production of foreign nations including our allies in Canada as for conversations
18:30There is continued correspondence between the president's team particularly Secretary Lutnick and the Canadians as well
18:39How do you sell to the American people then after they're looking at what's happening in the markets this week and say that the tariff
18:45Policy long term is something good
18:47Well, just think about what the tariff policy long term will do for our country
18:51I think many of us probably grew up in small towns
18:55I know at least I did in the Main Street in my small town
18:57Looks a heck of a lot worse than it probably did decades ago before I was alive at least my parents and grandparents
19:03Tell me so and I know many Americans feel that same way what the president
19:08Envisions for this country is for the United States of America to be a manufacturing superpower
19:13Where there are American factories and businesses owned by Americans producing goods that we are exporting to the rest of the world
19:20Those revenues will stay here. It will increase wages for people here in our great country
19:25It will ensure our national security and it will boost the morale of the American people to have thriving industries again
19:32Think about Detroit, Michigan
19:34Think about North Carolina as I mentioned that used to have a thriving furniture industry that no longer exists because of the globalist trade
19:41policies of previous and past
19:43administrations and the American people gave the president and a tremendous opportunity to restore American greatness and
19:51Restore our manufacturing dominance and he's intent on doing just that John
19:55The president's message to Republicans to support this continuing resolution is their outreach to Democrats because what we've seen
20:04Since the beginning of the fiscal year is that in order to get a continuing resolution?
20:09You need bipartisan support and you need compromise. Well right now
20:13We are focused on House Republicans and on the house because that's the first step as you know, John
20:18And so the president has engaged in correspondence with House Republicans
20:22Whipping votes and getting them to a yes, which I
20:25Understand has been pretty successful this morning thus far
20:28And so again, the president is encouraging Republicans, especially but again
20:32As I said all members of Congress to vote to continue funding this government
20:38So we can continue the business of the American people which elected President Trump to do
20:42Financial markets we've seen this decline
20:45Yesterday we see it today as well
20:47It seems that the read on the president's policies and is one in which they do not have confidence
20:54In his trade tariffs policy
20:56They do not have confidence in what the president said to Fox News over the weekend that he didn't rule out the idea of a
21:02Recession. What is your read in terms of the decline that we've seen over the last week and a half in financial markets?
21:09Well, I think there's actually a lot of reason to be confident in the fact that the president has not made a decision
21:15There's actually a lot of reason to be confident and many people do feel confident
21:18Just look at the nearly two trillion dollars in private investment that this president has secured
21:24Look at the comments made by the CEO of Apple one of the biggest companies in this world
21:29Who said that he is bullish on the future of American innovation under the leadership of President Trump?
21:36Look at CEO confidence according to the conference board measure of CEO confidence in q1
21:422025 under the leadership of this president
21:44It jumped to its highest level in three years from cautious optimism to confident optimism
21:50If you again look at the two trillion dollars in investments from some of the biggest companies in the world
21:55Look at the jobs report last Friday as I also cited in my opening remarks Fox Business reported that Trump sees a
22:03Manufacturing boom in first fulls jobs report of his second term
22:07Look at the auto jobs that have already poured back into America
22:10We added 9,000 new auto jobs. Those are sticky jobs. Those are good paying jobs
22:15That's 9,000 American families who will now be able to live the American dream because of the policies of this administration
22:22You also look at small business optimism the NFIB put out a report this morning small business optimism
22:29Continues to be far higher than it ever was under the previous administration
22:33There's a lot of reason to be optimistic and again the American people
22:37CEOs and people on Wall Street and on Main Street should bet on this president. He is a deal maker
22:43He is a businessman and he's doing what's right for our country. He wants to restore wealth to the United States of America
22:50Michael good to see you
22:52Two questions if I may
22:55Will the administration be providing any relief to states affected by the Ontario power terror?
23:00Well, the president has made it very clear that Canada would be very wise not to shut off electricity
23:07For the American people and we hope that that does not happen as for what would happen if that does take place
23:13I'll leave it to the president to make those decisions
23:16Share the Justice Department's concern over rising egg prices and possible collusion of big
23:24Well, we definitely we definitely do share the concerns of the American people when it comes to the price of eggs
23:31However, good news. The average cost of a dozen eggs is actually down since secretary Rollins and President Trump announced their plan
23:39It's down $1.85
23:40So that's good news on the cost of eggs and as we know under the Biden administration egg prices went up
23:4722%
23:48This is another example of an economic mess that President Trump inherited and the Secretary of Agriculture and the president are focused on fixing
23:56Secretary Rollins put out a five-point plan a four-point plan rather to address this crisis and she has been honest and realistic
24:04With the American people as this administration always is it will take about three to six months to get the egg supply back to where?
24:11It should be but she's focused and this administration is focused on doing that every day
24:17Just back on the markets
24:18You said that what we're seeing this week right now in Wall Street is a snapshot of a moment in time
24:23But does the president think he bears any responsibility for the turmoil in the stock market this week?
24:28Look, the president is unwavering in his commitment to restore American manufacturing and global dominance
24:35And I think he doubled down on that this morning with his new statement and the tariffs that will be implemented tomorrow on steel and aluminum
24:43And he has said recently. He's not looking at the market
24:46He said you can't really watch the start to the stock market
24:50Election day have been erased in the S&P 500 at what point how far do stocks have to fall before the president?
24:56Considers it a factor and and changes course again
24:59as I just said the president will look out for Wall Street and for Main Street just like he did in his first term and
25:04People on Wall Street and Main Street should bet on this president. He's doing what's right for this country Nick good to see you
25:13Is the president prepared like what we saw the congressman Massey to
25:18Pressure other Republican lawmakers into supporting this continuing resolution
25:23Well, he is very much as I said engaged in this process
25:26He's been making calls to lawmakers on Capitol Hill and I think his statements against
25:31Congressman Massey speak for themselves
25:34And I will let the president put out any additional statements if he chooses to but he fully expects all House Republicans
25:40To vote for this continuing resolution
25:43Can we start to anticipate seeing more of the president weighing in on upcoming
25:482026 races like we saw this morning
25:51I'm not sure about that. I'm not even sure if I'm allowed to speak about that from this podium
25:56I would check in with our outside political team for guidance on future races and the president's involvement Elena
26:02Thank you. I want to ask about some comments Elon Musk yesterday made yesterday
26:06He said that there is five hundred to seven hundred billion dollars in waste and fraud and entitlement spending
26:12He called it quote the big one to eliminate earlier this month
26:16He also referred to Social Security as a Ponzi scheme
26:19Should Americans expect changes big changes to Social Security and Medicare president Trump has been unequivocally clear on this
26:26He is going to protect Social Security and Medicare benefits and Medicaid
26:31For hard-working Americans who paid into these entitlement programs and deserve those hard-earned benefits and
26:37Unfortunately, the mainstream media has taken mr. Musk out of context
26:40I saw a Bloomberg headline that our team actually worked on getting updated and fixed because it was so wrong
26:47And it took mr. Musk's musk out of context
26:49What he was specifically referring to cutting was the waste and the fraud and abuse that does exist in these programs
26:56According to an IG report from the Social Security administration
27:00There's more than 70 billion dollars of fraud in the Social Security program alone that we know of
27:06and so the president will continue to protect these programs for hard-working Americans and
27:10Actually cutting the waste fraud and abuse out of these programs will protect it for hard-working Americans
27:15He said around five hundred to seven hundred billion dollars
27:19there was no evidence to claim that and also if that is the case that would represent more than a third of
27:25What Social Security paid out last year maybe 20% of Social Security and Medicare again if you read his full quote
27:30He said we think so. It's an estimate based on what he's seen. He's not saying definitively. He's saying that's what doge
27:38Suspects and thinks and that's exactly why doge was created to ensure that we are
27:43Investigating the fraudulent spending the wasteful abuse across our federal government and I would remind everybody in this room that 77%
27:51Of the American people support this effort by Elon Musk and doge to identify such waste fraud and abuse. Go ahead
27:57Thanks, Caroline. You're welcome
27:59If we could just step back for a second when President Trump last addressed the BRT when he was on the campaign trail
28:06His big push was on tax cuts. He's going there today as he's proposing tax hikes in the form of tariffs
28:13I'm curious. He's not why he's prioritizing that over the tax cuts
28:17He's actually not
28:19implementing tax hikes
28:21Tariffs are a tax hike on foreign countries that again have been ripping us off
28:26Tariffs are a tax cut for the American people and the president is a staunch advocate of tax cuts as you know
28:32He campaigned on no taxes on tips. No taxes on overtime. No taxes on Social Security benefits
28:39He is committed to all three of those things and he expects Congress to pass them later this year
28:43I'm sorry, have you ever paid a tariff because I have
28:46They don't get charged on foreign companies
28:49They get charged on the importers and ultimately when we have fair and balanced trade
28:54Which the American people have not seen in decades as I said at the beginning
28:58Revenues will stay here wages will go up and our country will be made wealthy again
29:03And I think think it's insulting that you're trying to test my knowledge of economics
29:07And the the decisions that this president has made I'm now regret giving a question to the Associated Press Mary. Go ahead
29:16The first one was on Russia Ukraine
29:18I know special envoy Whitkoff said yesterday that Zelensky apologized in his letter to Trump
29:24Can you share any more about that letter and what else might be interesting from it that we don't know?
29:28Yes
29:28The president did reference that letter as you're saying in his joint address to Congress
29:33And I do have an update as you know
29:36Secretary of State Rubio and our National Security Advisor Mike Waltz have been negotiating with the Ukrainians today in Saudi
29:43They will be providing a full readout of that meeting very soon
29:47But I can assure you and everybody here in the American people that the news we've received from that meeting throughout the day and the president
29:54Has been briefed on is positive. This meeting has been productive
29:58I will let Secretary of Rubio and our National Security the Secretary of State Rubio and our National Security Advisor
30:04Speak to the specifics of what has taken place today when they are ready to do so when the meeting concludes
30:09Lindsay go ahead
30:13The president has said this is the first of many arrests like this
30:17Does the administration have a rough estimate of how many arrests you're planning to make similar? I don't have an estimate
30:24I do know that DHS based on very good intel that they have gathered at the direction of the president's executive order
30:31Which made it very clear to the Department of Homeland Security
30:34That engaging as I said an anti-american anti-semitic pro-hamas
30:39Protests will not be tolerated
30:41So I'm since the president signed that executive order and since Secretary of known has taken the oath at DHS
30:47They have been using an intelligence to identify individuals on our nation's colleges and universities
30:53On our college campuses who have engaged in such behavior and activity and especially illegal activity
31:00And so I don't have a readout on how many arrests will come
31:03But I do know that DHS is actively working on it
31:06And I also know that Columbia University has been given the names of other individuals who have engaged in pro-hamas activity
31:13And they are refusing to help DHS identify those individuals on campus
31:18And as the president said very strongly in his statement yesterday
31:20He is not going to tolerate that and we expect expect all
31:24America's colleges and universities to comply with this administration's policy
31:30Jasmine
31:36Threats to increase tariffs or turn off electricity
31:38I wonder does this administration still consider Canada to be a close ally of the United States?
31:44Well, I think Canada is a neighbor. They are a partner. They have always been an ally
31:50Perhaps they are becoming a competitor now, but as the president also laid out in his truth social post today
31:56He believes that Canadians would benefit greatly from becoming the 51st state of the United States of America
32:02And I actually looked into some of the research about the cost of living
32:06in Canada and the cost of living is much higher than it is here in the United States of America the average cost of a
32:13Home and Canada is much higher in Quebec
32:16The highest tax rate for an income of a hundred and fifty thousand or more is fifty three point three percent more than half
32:22Of Canadians incomes they are being taxed on so the president has made it clear that he believes Canadians would be better served
32:30Economically militarily if they were to become the 51st state of the United States of America Reagan
32:44When can we expect those files to be released to the public I would defer you to the Department of Justice
32:49I don't have a timeline here
32:52I don't at this moment again. I would defer you to our DNI director Tulsi Gabbard and also the Department of Justice
32:59I know that they are working on that diligently as the president requested them to do Christian
33:07There have been any updates on standing up the External Revenue Service to collect revenue from there
33:12Well, we need
33:14reciprocal tariffs to go into effect first and as you know
33:16The president will be rolling those out on April 2nd
33:19And then the next start of that process is collecting that revenue to ultimately create the External Revenue Service
33:25Which Secretary Lutnick is working very hard on and is quite enthusiastic about if you have noticed from his media interviews
33:35Well, the president already signed an executive order to direct the Secretary of Commerce to establish the External Revenue Service or at least to
33:42Identify ways in which it can be done. I would defer you to the Department of Commerce for more on specifics on that
33:48Sure in the back
33:55First question, as you know South Korea's President Moon has been released from illegal detention
34:03What is the reaction of the United States as an ally? Is there a possibility of a summit with President Trump when President Moon returns?
34:17Second question on North Korea
34:19North Korea launched several ballistic missiles into the West Coast yesterday
34:28What is the White House's reaction on this?
34:31Sure. Yes, I'll start with your question on North Korea
34:34We condemn these actions and we call on North Korea to stop their unlawful and destabilizing actions
34:41As for South Korea, the US and Republic of Korea's alliance is ironclad
34:47The Trump administration remains in close contact with our South Korean counterparts as we work together to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific
34:56The first question you didn't answer was the release of our South Korean President from jail
35:04I don't have anything on that, but I can certainly check in with the National Security Council and get back to you
35:10Sure, good to see you
35:12Press Secretary, many are concerned about the validity of President Biden's official actions
35:17and also his pardons of the possible criminal actions of individuals such as his family members and Liz Cheney
35:23as information is emerging that many of his official actions were autosigned
35:27possibly even the pardons and without his knowledge or consent
35:31Does the White House have any information available currently that Biden was actually the one that approved and signed those pardons?
35:37And second question, will the DOJ investigate whether President Biden's cognitive decline
35:42allowed unelected staff to push the radical policy and pardons without his known approval?
35:47I don't know the answer to that question, but I can check in with our folks here who may know the answer to that question and get back to you
35:53Dasha, go ahead
35:55You did a great job articulating the vision that President Trump has for what his tariffs, he believes his tariffs can do
36:01in terms of bringing jobs back to the United States
36:04I asked you last week about how much Americans might need to buckle up for some short-term pain
36:09a conversation with the President and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessett
36:13I've had with the people, I'm wondering what is the, how high is the pain threshold for President Trump
36:20and for this White House as you watch some of the turbulence in the stock markets
36:25as you feel concerns from businesses and potentially see some of those approval ratings drop in the short term
36:31how much is he willing to stomach that and will he stay committed to his vision for tariffs even as all of this comes up?
36:38Well, the President has been working hard every single day to alleviate the pain that was inflicted by the previous administration
36:45through massive deregulation, through drill baby drill, as we like to call it
36:49unleashing the might of our energy industry, which we know will ultimately jive down costs for consumers here at home
36:55and again, as I mentioned, the President is intent on signing tax cuts for the American people
37:01to put more money back into their pockets, which will ultimately unlock consumer confidence
37:06and again, I'll reiterate the President's words in layman's terms as he does best
37:11the President wants the American people to have so much more money in their pockets
37:14they don't know what to do with it, that's the goal of this administration
37:17through tariffs, through tax cuts, through deregulation and through unleashing the potential of our energy industry
37:24I have two more quick notes before I wrap up
37:27April 28th, I can confirm that the Philadelphia Eagles will be here at the White House to celebrate their Super Bowl victory
37:34I know there was a lot of fake news about an invitation that wasn't sent or was sent
37:38we want to correct the record, we sent an invitation, they enthusiastically accepted
37:42and you will see them here on April 28th
37:45and lastly, on a sad note, I would like to express our condolences to Fox News
37:50and to the entire Fox family who did lose a cameraman, Craig Savage
37:55who passed away at 61 years old recently, a very tragic death
38:00an individual who was a great man and covered this building for many, many years
38:05so the entire press office, the communications office here wants to express our condolences
38:10with his family and also with Fox News
38:12and I'll see you guys later, perhaps you'll see the President in a Tesla later this afternoon
38:16have a good one