TRANSCRIPT: President Trump Speaks to Reporters On Board Air Force One Arrival, 4.17.26
[Video]
Question: Mr. President.
President Trump: So, we, uh, we're having a big day. We'll see how it all turns out, but it should be good. We had some very good discussions with [Inaudible] a subject that you like to talk about would be very good, and, uh, we've done a good job but we'll see. The talks are going on, it'll go on over the weekend, and, uh, a lotta good things are happening.
Hello everybody. Nice to be with you. We're landing pretty soon. We had some pretty good news 20 minutes ago, but it seems to be going very well in the Middle East with Iran. We'll know over a little period of time, we're negotiating over the weekend. As you know, we have the blockade. The blockade's been very successful and of equal success has been the five weeks before the blockade.
Question: Mr. President, did the --
Trump: The combination was pretty lethal, I would say. So we're going to be knowing very shortly, but we're talking over, I expect things to go well. Many of these things have been negotiated and agreed to. And that includes includes Lebanon too. Lebanon too. It's, a --
Question: Sir, what was the good news that you had 20 minutes ago?
Question: Mr. President, there's been reporting today that they're still, Iran said there are significant differences in order to reach a deal?
Trump: Having to do with Iran. Well, there could be. Let's see what happens. If there are, we'll have to straighten it out, but I don't think there's too many significant differences.
Question: Can you tell us anything about --
Note: [Crosstalk]
Trump: No, but you'll hear about it.
Question: Mr. President, what will it take to end the blockage?
Question: When are you going to be talking about --
Trump: Uh, when the agreement is signed, the blockage will end. As soon as the agreement gets signed, that's when it ends. I just think it's something that should happen. It's something that only makes sense to happen. I think it will. We'll see what happens, but I think it will.
Question: Did Anthropic have a meeting at the White House?
Question: Have you agreed to -- You told me on the phone earlier that everything has been agreed to. You told me earlier that everything has been agreed to. Iran was saying something different. So what has been worked out in that time? We
Trump: Who? Well, [Inaudible] to say something different because they have people that they have to cater to also. I really don't. I'm just doing the thing that's right. I'm just saying it like it is. We have a situation I think that is going to be very beneficial. The main thing is that Iran will not have a nuclear weapon.
Question: Sir, Anthropic?
Trump: You cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon and that supersedes everything else. I have no idea.
Question: Are you personally the one that's making these negotiations? Are you personally the one that's making these negotiations move forward? Is it you picking up the phone?
Trump: I have people representing me, but I'm the one that makes the decision.
Question: Sir, [Inaudible] there have been reports that the Pentagon's preparing for military action in Cuba. Are those reports true? Is Cuba next?
Trump: Well, it depends on what your definition of military action is.
Question: Would it look like Venezuela or Iran?
Trump: It really does. It depends on what your definition of military action is, as Bill Clinton would say. You understand that? No. A lot of people don't understand that.
Note: [Crosstalk]
Question: Your 9:00 AM meant tomorrow. What are you planning to announce?
Trump: We have something tomorrow and it's a little bit of a surprise. I think it's a very positive thing. Something I feel strongly about. Somebody's coming to the White House. Is very good, very smart, very caring, that person cares a lot about the country and beyond. So we're going to have a news conference tomorrow. A little unusual. Saturday morning.
Note: [Crosstalk]
Question: Is it about Iran?
Trump: Well, it will be. Ultimately, everything's about Iran, I guess. It all morphs into Iran. You're going to be asking questions. But the Iran thing is just going well. Tomorrow's unrelated, but it'll be a form of a news conference. I think it's going to be something very good for our country.
Question: [Inaudible] something at the White House when this all does end, when you are able --
Trump: We'll have a party, man. It would be great. Hey, we've been pushed around by Iran for 47 years, but not anymore.
Question: When you say that Iran has agreed to turn over their nuclear dust, what does that mean? Are they destroying their nuclear material?
Trump: No.
Question: They're turning it over. Can you walk us through what that process looks like, sir?
Trump: We're taking it very simple.
Question: Going in?
Trump: We're taking it. Yeah. With Iran. We're going in with Iran.
Question: Does that mean US is on the ground to get that?
Trump: I don't [Inaudible] We'll take it after the agreement to sign. After that, there's a big difference before and after. PC. It's before and after.
Question: Sir, in the strait, are there going to be restrictions?
Trump: After the agreement decides a lot different than before. We would have taken it. If we didn't have an agreement, we would take it, but I don't think we'll have to.
Question: Sir, in the strait, are there going to be restrictions and tolls managed by Iran for ships and vessels passing through?
Trump: Nope. No way.
Question: None at all?
Trump: No way. Nope.
Question: No restrictions? Mr. President. You talked about FISA, Mr. President.
Trump: Restrictions? Yeah. The restrictions, you can't do the tolls. No, they're not going to be tolls.
Question: On FISA, Mr. President, Anna Paulina Luna is pushing to have the Save America Act linked to FISA in the FISA renewal. Are you in favor?
Trump: I think she's right. And I'd love to see that. The SAVE America Act is so important. It's so good. It's voter ID. It's basic. It's your basics about a democracy. Voter ID, birthplace, you have to be born in the United States to vote. We have no transgender transaction. We added no transgender utilization of our children.
Very important. No men in women's sports. Now, we added that. Also, we talked about the top three, and we put us the three having to do with the vote. We also have no mail-in ballots other than for the military, et cetera. If you say you're in the military, if you're away, if you're disabled, any of those things, it's pretty generous actually. But the tremendous cheating that goes on with mail-in ballots. So we would have no mail-in ballots except for those various exceptions.
Question: Mr. President, did the ceasefire in Lebanon need to happen for you to get to a deal with Iran?
Trump: It's not really tied, but you could say maybe psychologically tied, but we're going to help Lebanon become a country again. It's been a long time for them. They've gone through a lot and we're going to help them be a country again.
Question: Are you frustrated with Netanyahu? While you were negotiating ceasefire in the last round, was his action, bombing Lebanon, did that impact peace talks?
Trump: No. We disagree on some things, but he's been a very good partner. We did a good job. There's probably never been anything like it. He says we were the senior. We are the senior. We're the senior. We were the greatest military in the world. I built it in the first term. Didn't think I'd be using it this much, but we have the greatest military of the world, greatest equipment.
When you're looking at it, we had 101 to 111, depending on your definition, because some were two. They came out in twos. Missiles shot at a certain very valuable asset of ours that happened to be sitting on the water. Every single one of those missiles were shot down. Think of it. 111 missiles, every single one of them was shot down. Never even got close. Nobody has a military like this. Nobody has equipment like this. Nobody has the power that we have.
Question: So you said that the US was going to take the nuclear dust from Iran.
Trump: Yeah, we didn't make a deal.
Question: What's the timeline on that? How long will that be?
Trump: Do you want me to give you the time and date and everything else?
Question: Is it like you've negotiated how long that process will go on?
Trump: Obviously, I'm not going to give you the time other than if we sign the agreement; then I can give you a time somewhere after the signing of the agreement. We'll go in with Iran, and we will take it together, and we will bring it back. 100% of it back to the United States. If we don't do that, we will get it in a different forum, in a much more unfriendly form. Excuse me. Excuse me. But in any event, we'll get it. Go ahead.
Question: If you don't have a deal by Wednesday when the ceasefire ends, will you extend the ceasefire, or will you start at the attacks again?
Trump: Maybe I won't extend it.
Question: Okay.
Trump: But the blockade is going to remain. But maybe I won't extend it. So you'll have a blockade, and unfortunately we'll have to start dropping bombs again. Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you. I think it's going to happen.
Question: What about the US military, Mr. President?