TRANSCRIPT: President Trump Speaks to Reporters Before Marine One Departure, 10.24.25
[Video]
Question: Mr. President, will you be talking about Taiwan? What, what did they say?
President Donald Trump: Well, I'll be talking about Taiwan. Won't be going there, but I'll be talking about it. It won't be too far away. A lot of respect for Taiwan.
Question: Sir, why did you -- [Inaudible] Canada?
Trump: I don't know. They cheated on a commercial. Ronald Reagan loved tariffs and they said he didn't. And I guess it was AI or something. They cheated badly. Canada got caught cheating on a commercial, can you believe it? Yeah, it's something.
Question: Are you going to meet with them?
Trump: No, I don't have any plan to.
Question: What do you think [Inaudible]
Trump: We want to take care of our farmers. We have a lot to talk about with President Xi and he has a lot to talk about with us. I think we'll have a good meeting.
Question: Are you going to direct the Department of Agriculture [Inaudible]
Trump: Yeah, everybody's gonna be in good shape, yep.
Question: Mr. President [Inaudible]
Trump: Well, we've raised a lot. We've raised over 350 million. It's a beautiful room, a big room. Uh, I don't have any plan to call it after myself. That was fake news. Probably gonna call it the Presidential Ballroom or something like that. We haven't really thought about a name yet.
Question: [Inaudible]
Trump: Well, it could even be more than that. Pro- -- uh, probably, possibly, uh, assuming we can do that. You know, we're building the arch and maybe we use it for the arch.
Question: [Inaudible]]
Trump: Looks like we might. You know, we're gonna be building the ark and we've raised a lot of money for the ballroom, so maybe we'll put -- The ark is going to be incredible for Washington, D.C. So maybe we'll use it for the ark.
Question: Mr. President, Senator Rick Scott, Senator Rick Scott is using you, along with several other lawmakers, to [Inaudible] for President Xi to ask for the release of political prisoners and devout Catholic, Jimmy Lai.
Trump: I might do that, yeah. Well, I have a lot of respect for Rick Scott and a lot of them that are asking me to do that. And it's on my list. I'm gonna ask. But they're big enemies, so we'll see what happens, you know.
Question: [Inaudible]
Trump: Jimmy Lai, Jimmy Lai and, and President Xi are big enemies. But it's been a long time and I will be, it'll be on my list.
Question: [Inaudible] I know you helped [Inaudible]
Trump: Well, I hope she wins. I mean, the other person is horrible. She's horrible. And the Attorney-General candidate, talking about, you know, killing the children and him and the children, uh, the wife, everybody. I mean, how can you put a guy like that in office? So, I hope they both win. I hope she wins. I hope the Attorney-General wins, yeah.
Question: [Inaudible]
Trump: And, and I think you have a great Republican candidate in New Jersey, as you know. Jack is gonna be great and he's gonna cut your, uh, energy bills in half, and she's gonna double your energy bills. So New Jersey, just on energy alone, don't know the cost, but on energy alone I think Jack should win.
Question: [Inaudible]
Trump: He's gonna cut -- I'll tell you what, I know him well. He's gonna cut your energy bills in half.
Question: The Reagan tariff -- Ontario said, Ontario said it's gonna pull that Reagan tariff ad come this Monday - --
Trump: Yep.
Question: -- but it's airing during the first two World Series days.
Trump: Well, you know, it's a, it's a crooked ad. Uh, he, I heard he's airing it. Uh, Canada, that's why I pulled everything. Canada, they wrote a -- They did a crooked ad. They know it was a -- Ronald Reagan loved tariffs. Uh, what they did is really dishonest and I heard they were pulling the ad. I didn't know they were putting it on a little bit more.
Question: Yeah.
Trump: They could've pulled it tonight.
Question: They're gonna pull it Monday.
Trump: Well, that's dirty play, but --
Question: I just spoke with Carney [Inaudible]
Trump: -- but I can play dirtier than they can, you know?
Question: [Inaudible]
Trump: Very dishonest.
Question: Mr. President, you called the president of Colombia a corrupt leader.
Trump: Yeah, yeah.
Question: Do you want to [Inaudible]
Trump: He's a drug dealer. The president of Colombia's a drug dealer.
Question: And the Australian ambassador. Um, you haven't appointed an ambassador to Australia yet. How, why not? Have you got anyone in mind?
Trump: Well, I've talked to him. Yeah, I've talked to [Inaudible] you know, your leader, and he was just here.
Question: Yeah.
Trump: And he's a great guy and I'm gonna make sure we have somebody that he likes.
Question: Have you got anyone in mind?
Trump: I have one or two people. I didn't know if they would like them. Uh, I do, I have somebody in mind.
Question: [Inaudible]
Trump: Here's the good news. Everybody wants to be ambassador to Australia.
Question: [Inaudible] ambassador as well, [Inaudible]
Trump: [Inaudible]
Question: [Inaudible] But you told him all was forgiven? You told him all was forgiven in the meeting?
Trump: You know, I think it's been such a long time because something bad happened. You know, when they, when they say bad about me, I don't forget.
Question: Mr. President -- [Inaudible]
Trump: Uh, very good, very good. We have great financial numbers. We have an economy that is, it's gonna be the strongest ever. We hit a new stock market high. We're doing great.
Question: Mr. President --
Trump: This country, this country is doing, I think very soon I can say better than ever before.
Question: Mr. President, in Venezuela -- Mr. President, in Venezuela [Inaudible]
Trump: [Inaudible] I don't know. I don't know. Here's the thing, that -- Uh, I don't know. Uh, we'll let him know. He knows that I'm going there. I would like to. I get along with him very well. Thank you.