TRANSCRIPT: President Trump Speaks to Reporters On Board Air Force One, 1.30.26
[Video]
President Trump: Hello everybody.
Question: How you doing Mr. President?
Trump: I'm very good. We had a good time at the Alfalfa dinner. And we did well, I hope we did well, but it was very good. Tremendous people. So what's up?
Question: Sir, could you give us an update on where, where your thinking is right now with Iran, if you are, uh, have made a final decision on what you want to do there?
Trump: I mean, I certainly can't tell you that, but we do have very big, powerful ships in, heading in that direction as you know. I can't tell you.
Question: Okay.
Trump: But I hope, I hope they negotiate something that's acceptable.
Question: Saudi Arabia, uh, commencements are quickly submitted in the US backs office strike. That will be important to Iran. What's your reaction to that, sir?
Trump: Some people think that and some people don't. Well, we could make a negotiated deal that would be satisfactory with no nuclear weapons that said they should do that, but I don't know that they will. But they are talking to us. Seriously talking to us.
Question: [Inaudible]
Trump: What about it?
Question: [Inaudible]
Trump: I did.
Question: [Inaudible] talk about?
Trump: Well, I've been with Jeb Bush.
Question: Jeb?
Trump: I only saw Jeb. I, I think you mean Jeb.
Question: Oh, okay.
Trump: E- -- no, I introduced him. Nice, he's a good fella. And he's been very nice to me in the last six months. I don't know what happened. But he was very nice. We had a good time.
Question: Mr. President, on your federal, uh, on your fed nominee, who's Kevin Warsh, uh, why are you willing to wait for Senator, uh, Thom Tillis to leave the Senate, essentially, until, uh, I guess you have to, Senator Tillis [Inaudible]
Trump: For Tillis? I didn't say I wouldn't, but I, I mean, he's leaving the Senate for a reason because what he asked for didn't get done. So it's one of those things. I think he may get Democrat votes soon, I think. He's so good that he'll probably get Democrat votes. He should. He's very good. My choice, my Fed choice should get Democrat votes.
Question: Do you have a sense of what, what he's gonna do as far as interest rates are concerned?
Trump: I hope he's gonna lower 'em. I mean, if you watch him on television, you know, because I watch interviews and statements, I hope he's gonna lower, but, you know, he's gonna have to do what he wants.
Question: Did he tell you, did he make any commitment?
Trump: No, no commitments. I don't wanna do that. I could do that, I guess, if I wanted to. I didn't. I basically not quali- -- I mean, he was, he's a very high quality person. He should have no trouble getting --
Question: Mr. President, did you make that comment at the dinner about the [Inaudible] sue Warsh --
Trump: About what?
Question: About suing Warsh [Inaudible] he's gonna lower interest rates?
Trump: Yes, it, it's a, uh, roast. It's a roast.
Question: [Laughing]
Trump: It's a comedy thing.
Question: So it's a joke?
Trump: And I s- -- of course. So it was all comedy.
Question: And then on a more serious no- -- note, you know, um, you're suing the IRS. Can you talk a little bit about what it's like to be on both sides of a lawsuit?
Trump: It's very interesting. I have another one where I, you know, I've virtually won the Mar-a-Lago break-in suit. And, uh, you know, I have to work out some kind of a settlement. I'm supposed to work out a settlement with myself.
Question: Yeah.
Trump: Because, you know, when the FBI broke in, we sued when I was, before I was president, I sued.
Question: What --
Trump: And obviously it was a very good suit. And I have that one and I, I have to work out the settlement.
Question: [Inaudible] on how to handle that at all?
Trump: Yeah, I think what we'll do is do something for charity. Well, you know, we're thinking about doing something for charity, where I'll give money to charity. We could make it a substantial amount, nobody would care because it's gonna go to numerous very good charities.
Question: And, sir, is there [Inaudible] today about Minneapolis and how by not seeing federal authorities can intervene [Inaudible]
Trump: On what?
Question: Secretary Noem not to, not to set the DHS in Democratic states?
Trump: Yeah. No, I, I let them ask us if they want help. You know, they're always complaining. If you go in, they complain. They complain no matter what. You know, we brought crime to the lowest point in the history of our country, 125 years, 1900, think of it. Year, think of that, 1900. Can you imagine? We have the lowest crime in the history of our country, despite the fact that our country was riddled with a lot of bad people from the Biden open border, but we've taken a lot of them out. We're at the lowest point in history. We have the least number of murders in the recorded history of our country. That's incredible.
Question: [Inaudible]
Trump: But we want, I want the, I mean, honestly, the crime ridden cities are all Democrat run cities. And if they want help, they have to ask for it because if we go in, all they do is complain. But if they want help, they can ask for it. And they're gonna need help. Los Angeles, as an example, we went in, we solved it. The chief law enforcement officer in Los Angeles said they couldn't have done it without the federal government. A week later, he said they didn't need the federal government, you know? So we don't want that. If they want help, they'll ask but they have to say please.
Question: On DHS funding, sir, the Democrats made three demands. They say they want no roaming patrols, they want established rules for use of force, and they want masks off [Inaudible]
Trump: I'm not talking about it. It's not appropriate yet. We have to let a little time go by, but we'll talk about it. But, you know, we, uh, we want, I got elected for law enforcement, for the border, for the economy, things I've done a great job with. I mean, when you have the lowest crime rate in the history of our country recorded, uh, in 125 years, to be exact, so I fulfill so much, uh, we'll have to talk about that over the next, uh, three or four days.
Question: Mr. President, what did you think of the latest update for the Epstein files, and do you think your critics will be satisfied with, with [Inaudible]
Trump: Well, they should be, because it looked like this guy, Wolff, who's a writer, was conspiring with Epstein to do harm to me. And I didn't see it myself, but I was told by some very important people that not only does it absolve me, it's the opposite of what people were hoping, you know, the radical left, but, uh, that Wolff, who's a third-rate writer, was conspiring with Jeffrey Epstein to hurt me politically or otherwise. And, uh, that came through loud and clear. So we'll probably sue Wolf on that.
Question: [Inaudible].
Trump: And maybe the Epstein estate, I guess. I don't know, but we're gonna certainly sue Wolf.
Question: You want to sue the Epstein estate?
Trump: Well, you may, I guess so, because he was conspiring with Wolf to do harm to me politically. That's not a friend.
Question: About your plan for Venezuela, the oil sir --
Trump: You okay down there? You okay? I don't wanna, right on top of you.
Question: You said that the profits will be split, but the, the US and Venezuela are both benefiting. What's Venezuela's share of the oil profits gonna be?
Trump: Well, we haven't discussed that, but we're getting along very well with the leadership of Venezuela and they're doing a really good job. We're gonna be selling a lot of oil. And we'll take some and they'll take a lot. And they're gonna do very well. They're gonna make more money than they've ever made. And it's gonna be beneficial to us. We're gonna, we're gonna really --
Question: Is that Venezuela --
Trump: I think what Venezuela is really gonna turn around. You know, I opened up the airspace over in Venezuela so that now people from Venezuela came from Venezuela here. They're gonna be able to go back for the first time, go back to Venezuela and stay perhaps. Or go back and see their relatives, go for a short ring there.
Question: But sir, is, do you think China's gonna get their money back from all the money they lent to Venezuela previously?
Trump: I don't know. I don't know anything about that, but I'll tell you why China is welcome to come in and would make a great deal on oil. You know, we welcome China. Uh, we've already made a deal. India's coming in and they're gonna be, uh, buying Venezuelan oil as opposed to buying it from Iran. So we've already made that deal, the concept of the deal. But China's welcome to come in and buy oil.
Question: But on Venezuela, do you think that Machado should be able to return to Venezuela?
Trump: I'd love to be able to do something with it and maybe putting the sides together doing something. I think she's a very fine person.
Question: Do you think she --
Trump: And I, but I think I have to say at the same time, the current leadership is doing a very good job.
Question: Did you have, did you have any knowledge of the arrest of Don Lemon before having [Inaudible]?
Trump: No, I don't know anything about the Don Lemon thing, but he's a sleazebag. Everyone's known that. He's a wash-up. Probably from his standpoint, the best thing that could happen to him, he's getting a, you know, he had no viewers. He had, he was a failure, he was a failed host. And now he's, uh, he's in the news. I didn't know anything about him.
Question: So what's your response to Claudia Sheinbaum's warning that, uh, the embargo or the, the restriction on Cuban oil, oil to Cuba could cause a humanitarian crisis there?
Trump: Well, it doesn't have to be humanitarian priceless. I think they probably would come to us and want to make a deal. So Cuba would be free again. They'll come to us, they'll make a deal. But Cuba really, they've got a problem. You know, they have a problem. I know so many people from Cuba, but we have a lot of people in the United States right now that would love to go back to Cuba and we'd like to work that out.
Question: What do you want to see from Cuba? I mean, what do you need to see to make that kind of deal?
Trump: Oh, we'll work a deal. I think we're going to work a deal with Cuba. I think, you know, we'll be kind if they have a situation that's very bad for Cuba. They have no money, they have no oil. The Venezuela, they live off Venezuelan money and oil, and none of that's coming now. And then, uh, the president of Mexico, President Sheinbaum was very good. And I said, "Look, we don't want you sending oil there." And she's not sending them.
Question: [Inaudible] are there plans for Washington DC's or, um, the Washington Post reported that you're considering an arch that's 250 feet high. Um, can you talk a little bit about that? And perhaps --
Trump: Yeah.
Question: -- you could say that might be a little bit too large on this feet?
Trump: We're, we're considering an arc. It's, uh, like the, uh, Arc de Triomphe in Paris. And so for 200 years they wanted to build an arc. There are 57 cities throughout the world that have them. We're the only major city, Washington DC, that doesn't. Uh, the circle prior to the bridge, you know, the Arlington Bridge has been waiting for hundreds of years to have this done. In fact, there are four eagles that got built, but it was interrupted by a thing called the Civil War. And so it never got built. Then they almost built something in 1902, but it never happened. So we're, we have an unbelievable arc that I think will be the most beautiful in the world being built there and going to be built there.
Question: It's 250 feet?
Trump: I, I don't know what the height is. It, it's just appropriate for the site. Uh, we're setting up a committee and the committee's gonna be going over it, but, uh, it'll be substantial. I'd like it to be the biggest one of all. We're the biggest, most powerful nation. I'd like it to be the biggest one.
Question: It's involved in the charity --
Trump: It's a very exciting job, actually. They've been waiting for many years, just like the ballroom. Uh, for 150 years, they've wanted a ballroom. Now we're gonna put up the most beautiful ballroom anywhere in the world, as far as I'm concerned. And a real, and I could have built a much bigger one. I didn't wanna do that. I wanted to be in keeping with, I didn't want it to be taller than the White House, et cetera. So I wanted it to be in keeping, but it's a really beautiful building done by some of the best architects in the world, the ballroom. Likewise, the arc, uh, I think it's gonna be great. We're just setting up a committee now for New York.
Question: With the money from the lawsuit that you may settle with yourself go towards paying for that arch [Inaudible]
Trump: Well, we hadn't thought of it, but we're, uh, going to probably, you know what I mean? It's sort of a strange position because I have a lawsuit like the break-in of Mar-a-Lago. And I paid myself that somehow will never look good. So what I added other people, a lot of people, a lot of outside people said, "what a great idea," because nobody cares how much if it goes to good charities. So you settle by giving charities a lot of money, and I think we're gonna do something like that, we're looking to do something like that.
Question: Is charity deeds to pay for the ballroom and for the arch?
Trump: No, I don't think either of those do. I'm talking about, uh, American Cancer Society. A lot of very, I think they should be probably established charities.
Question: [Inaudible], you have --
Trump: I would say established and respected charities.
Question: On [Inaudible], you had [Inaudible] those secondary tariffs on countries doing business with Iran. We haven't seen those yet. What are you pulling off on?
Trump: Well, we're gonna say, look, we have a lot of things happening right now with Iran. We have a tremendous fleet going in that direction, and they're talking to us. So a lot of things could happen.
Question: And the Canada tariffs, sir, that you talked about, are those coming?
Trump: Well, that was on, uh, the airplanes. Are you talking about [Inaudible]?
Question: No, about the, the China deal that they, they did.
Trump: Oh, well, if, if they do a deal with China, yeah, we'll do something very substantial, because we can't, look, I have a great relationship with China presidency, but we don't want China to take over Canada. And if they make the deal that he's looking to make, China will take over Canada. And the first thing they're gonna do, end ice hockey.
Question: So speaking of China, sir, uh, there was a, a military purge, uh, in that country a week ago. What do you make of that?
Trump: Well, as far as, you're talking about China?
Question: Yeah. The, the --
Trump: As far as I'm concerned, there's one boss in China that's presidency. That's the person I'm dealing with.
Question: It, it, are there any concerns about stability or --
Trump: No, I, I think, I think presidency is the boss. I, I watch it very closely, and he's highly respected in China. He's the boss.
Question: One second. Um, who exactly are you seeing [Inaudible]?
Trump: Where?
Question: In Cuba. Where are you thinking [Inaudible]?
Trump: We're starting to talk to Cuba. Yeah. We're starting --
Question: [Inaudible].
Trump: But they need help. On a humanitarian basis, we're starting to talk to Cuba. I would like, don't think a lot of people that live in our country are treated very badly by Cuba. And we want them to be, they all voted for me, and we want them to be treated well. We'd like to be able to have them go back to home to their country, which they haven't seen their family, their country for many, many decades. So we'll work that, I'll be able to work that out. Yes.
Question: Do you have any updates of what's happening with Greenland negotiations [Inaudible]?
Trump: Are you talking about on Greenland?
Question: Yeah.
Trump: [Inaudible]? Yeah. Uh, we're, we have started a negotiation. And I think it's pretty well agreed to. I mean, they want us to do it. I think it's gonna be a good deal for everybody. Very important deal. Actually, from a national security point of view, very, very important deal. I think we're gonna make a deal.
Question: Mr. President, back to your post on ICE protests, what did you mean when you said people will suffer an equal or greater consequence?
Trump: Well, if they do anything bad to our people, they will be, they will have to suffer. I'm sorry. If they start, uh, uh, spitting in people's faces, punching our people, punching our soldiers, our patriots, uh, they'll, they will get taken care of in at least an equal way. They're not gonna do that like, uh, you know, you see it, the way they treat our people.
And I said, you're allowed, if, if somebody does that, you can do something back. You're not gonna stand there and take it. If somebody spits in your face, uh, that will not be a pleasant thing for the person that's [Inaudible]. We're not letting people spit in our soldier's face as they stand in attention and they're not allowed to do anything. If they throw bricks at a car and at, you know, one of our vehicles, and our very expensive vehicles, uh, they're gonna be met with very, very serious force.
Question: Sir, do you think it's good having lots of cameras on these kinds of incidents between law enforcement and the people?
Trump: I think it would help law enforcement, but, uh, I'd have to talk to them. I'm gonna be talking to them tomorrow. Uh, actually, I think it would help law enforcement. You know, that works both ways. But I think, overall, I think it's 80% in favor of law enforcement.
Question: Who are you talking to tomorrow on law enforcement?
Trump: A lot of people. I'm speaking to Christian, speaking to Tom Holman, a lot of people. Uh, we have it in good shape. And, you know, Minnesota crime is way down because of what we've done. We've taken out thousands of criminals. What we want in Minnesota, we want them to open their jails and give us their criminals, and we're gone. That's all we want, and they're gonna have to do it.
Question: How are you feeling about Secretary Noem here in the lake, uh, uh, the matters in the last quarter?
Trump: Well, she's doing great. I mean, we have a closed quarter. We've taken out thousands and thousands of, of killers and murderers and everything else. Removed her from our country by the tens of thousands, and we have the crime rate that's the lowest in history. You know, I didn't do the crime rate sense. It just came out yesterday that we have the lowest crime rate in the history of our country. So how's she doing? I think she's doing well. And she's a good person. She works hard. Tom Holman is a star. You know, he's incredible. I mean, the guy's incredible. He's got an unbelievable, he's [Inaudible], and yet everybody likes him, both sides, so he's been great. But he said to me just tonight, he said, "Look, they've got to open up their prisons and give us their criminals and their murderers and their drug lords and, you know, and we'll take care of them." And that's why crime is down in Minnesota. Not because of anything they did, it's because of what we did. Same thing in Chicago. We have crime down in Chicago, and most people don't even know we're there, but we're there doing a good job. We have crime down all over the nation. Thank you very much, everybody.
Question: Thank you, sir.
Trump: That's a very dangerous shot he's got.
Question: [Laughing] It's that [Inaudible].
Trump: It's gotta be the worst shot on the [Inaudible]. That's all right. Have a good time.
Question: Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir.