Boldly Committed to Truth Telling in the False Face of Fakery
Remarks by President Trump in Press Gaggle Aboard Air Force One
But we want to make a fair deal. I do use that as leverage in negotiating. When they don't want to give us a point, I say, "That's okay. I'd rather tax your cars coming in." And I win a lot of points because of it.
But I will say, the deal - that phony story about Gary Cohn - if he did that, I'd never speak to him again. I'd never speak to him again.
Q Sir, could I take you back to North Korea for a second?
THE PRESIDENT: Yeah.
Q Isn't it the case that Kim wants you to do something before he will denuclearize? So you have to give him some (inaudible)?
THE PRESIDENT: I don't know. I know that a letter is being delivered to me - a personal letter from Kim Jong Un to me - that was handed at the border. I don't know if you know that, but it was handed at the border yesterday.
It's being delivered - it's actually an elegant way; it's the way it used to be many years ago before we had all of the new contraptions that we all use. But a letter is being delivered to me, and I think it's going to be a positive letter.
Q (Inaudible.)
THE PRESIDENT: But we have to - we have to start - Steve, we have to start that process. Look, on North Korea - it's very interesting. It started off very rough. I said it last night - you were at the speech. I said, "They thought everybody" - from - you people thought I was too rough. Too rough, too tough, too horrible - it's horrible. It worked out great.
In the meantime, we have our hostages back. I've said a hundred times: no missiles, no rockets, no nuclear testing. There's been some rhetoric, but let's see what happens. Although the rhetoric between myself and him has been very good. But he said, "I have a respect for Trump. I have respect for President Trump." Yesterday, he said, "I want to make this deal and denuclearize during President Trump's administration."
So let's see what happens. But he did write me a letter, and the letter is being delivered to me. Probably I'll have it - I think it's being brought in by Mike Pompeo - who, by the way, is doing a fantastic job.
Q The Russians are continuing to meddle in the 2018 elections. Have you said anything to Putin since your summit? Are you going to say anything to him about it?
THE PRESIDENT: I said something at the - well, I haven't spoken to him.
Q You haven't spoken?
THE PRESIDENT: I said - so one of my best -
Q What would you say (inaudible)?
THE PRESIDENT: One of my best meetings was with President Putin of Russia. And I got - not - the press treated it very unfairly.
My best meeting was probably NATO because they're putting up hundreds of billions of dollars that they never would have put up. But one of my best meetings was with Putin. Yeah, I said it very strongly. But I'll tell you, I also said it to China, and I say it to other countries.
You know, China, right now, is a far bigger problem. You do understand that.
Q Right.
THE PRESIDENT: Nobody ever talks about that. China is a far bigger problem. I'm being strong on China because I have to be. They're taking $500 billion out a year. Can't let that happen. Nobody has ever done what I've done. And the $200 billion we're talking about could take place very soon, depending on what happens with them. To a certain extent, it's going to be up to China.
But we've taxed them $50 billion - that's on technology. Now, we've added another $200 billion. And I hate to say this, but, behind that, there's another $267 billion ready to go on short notice, if I want. That totally changes the equation. I say "off the record," but you can use it if you want. But off the record, China is down 25 percent.
We are up, since my election, almost 50 percent. We're up almost 50 percent. Some markets are up more than that - we look at NASDAQ.
Q Do you want your people to take lie detector tests about this op-ed?
THE PRESIDENT: People have suggested it. Rand Paul - who I like and respect - came out this morning. He said, "Have them take lie detector tests." You know, a lot of people have said, "I didn't do it." They wrote, actually, very strong statements.
Almost - that I see - almost all of the high-level people have said that. You know, when you say that, and then, if it were you, you'd be done for the rest of your life. So it's very hard for them to say that, and then - because, eventually, the name of this sick person will come out.
Q Do you think that the culprit is a national security person or DOJ?
THE PRESIDENT: I don't know. I don't know.
Q (Inaudible.)
THE PRESIDENT: I don't know. You know, you try and get little telltale signs that maybe they put in. Hey, maybe it's nobody. Maybe the Times did it.
Q Do you have (inaudible)?
THE PRESIDENT: Look, the Times uses phony sources all the time. So maybe the Times did it. I'm not sure.
Q Mr. President, as far as the op-ed and the book, do you trust the people that are around you? Do you think they -
THE PRESIDENT: I do. I do. I do. But what I do is, now, I look around the room and I say, "Hey," if I don't know somebody. But the people - everyone that's at the major meetings with me are on the front page of the newspapers today with beautiful notes that I did not ask them for.
Let me just tell you this: We have a really well run, smooth running White House. I said last night, "It's a well-oiled machine." It is running beautifully.
Our trade deals are going to be the best deals ever made by our country. Our military is going to be, very shortly, stronger than it's ever been. Everything we are doing - regulation cutting. We have a really - you know, I - you have the list. I don't know, I guess you have the list. Nobody's ever done that much. There has been no President that's done what I've done in the first two years in office, and not even close.
You take a look at what we've done between tax cuts and regulation cuts. Now - and it looks very good for Justice - for Judge Kavanaugh to be Justice now, you know. It looks very good. And we have Justice Gorsuch. So it appeared - in 18 months, I have 2. Nobody - I don't think anybody has done that. You have many Presidents where they've gone for a long periods of time and they've never had a Supreme Court choice. So, we'll have two before I even, you know, have two years now.
No administration has done what I've done. I just left Montana, and I looked at those trains and they're loaded up with clean coal - beautiful clean coal. And those trains were empty two years ago. They were empty; they were dying. Nobody's done what I've done. Okay, I'll see you at the place -
Q One more thing. One more thing. What - you were talking about China trade. What about trade with Japan? Are you starting that?
THE PRESIDENT: We're starting that, yeah.
Q What (inaudible) -
THE PRESIDENT: In fact, Japan has called us. They called us. The only reason I didn't want to do it quite yet: because we're in China.
Q (Inaudible.)
THE PRESIDENT: We got a lot - trade. Japan has already contacted us; they came last week. Don't forget - Japan would not deal with Obama. He wouldn't deal with President Obama. They wouldn't deal. They said, "No, we're not going to talk trade." Me? They're calling up.
Q Why not?
THE PRESIDENT: Because they felt there was going to be no retribution. They felt they were weak and nobody was going to do anything. And, in my case, they feel just the opposite. And I'll tell you, if we don't make a deal with Japan, Japan knows it's a big problem for them.
Q One more, Mr. President. Is there any chance you're going to use military budget money - like the Army Corps of Engineers - to build your wall?
THE PRESIDENT: We'd rather do it the old-fashioned way - get it from Congress - but I have other options if I have to.
Q Including the Army Corps -
THE PRESIDENT: Just so you understand, I've already started the wall. The wall has been started. In fact, we're sort of saying, "Continue the wall." You know, "Continue." Right? Instead of "Build the wall," "Continue the wall."
We have two options: We have military, and we have Homeland Security. I'd rather get it through politically - politically speaking, I'd rather get it through Congress. If we don't, I'm looking at that option very seriously.
Q Do you want to do a shutdown, Mr. President?
THE PRESIDENT: If it were up - I don't want to say "up to me," because it is up to me - I would do it, because I think it's a great political issue. I was reading and watching, the other day - there are some people that I have a lot of respect for. Rush Limbaugh says, "It's the greatest thing you can do." Mark Levin - "The greatest thing you can do." Your friend, Hannity - "the greatest thing you can - ".
I mean - and there are plenty of politicians. But, there were a lot of politicians that I like and respect and that are with me all the way that would rather not do it because they have races. They're doing well; they're up. And, you know, the way they look at it - might be good, might be bad. But if we do what we're doing, we're going to win. I think we're going to do very well. I think we're doing to do great in the Senate, better than anyone has any understanding of. And I think we're going to do well in the House.
One of the important things is, when I go to an area - like going to Montana last night for Matt Rosendale - he's doing very well. He was the one we wanted. He's doing very well. He'll end up jumping a lot. And you've seen it.
Look, in Florida, he started out at 3; he ended up winning the election by 20 points - Ron DeSantis.
In Georgia, he was down 10 points with 3 days left, and he won the election by 40 points. That's pretty good. But - and those are primaries. But I think we're - you know, we have a very good record. But I think I'll do almost as well in elections. The main thing is, can I get there? The main thing is, do you people have the stamina to stay with me?
Q We're with you, we're here.
THE PRESIDENT: Steve, David, do you have the stamina? Do you have the stamina?
Q (Inaudible.)
THE PRESIDENT: We'll all have fun together. So enjoy yourself. This is going to be two pretty quick stops.
Q Can we use this on the record? Is it fine if we use all this on the record?
THE PRESIDENT: I guess. You want it on the record?
Q Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: You promise you're going to have it nice and - everything fair, right?
Q We'll be accurate.
THE PRESIDENT: If it's all fair - if it's all fair, the answer is, go with it.
Q All right.
THE PRESEIDENT: (Inaudible.) I'll will get - I'll go back there - "So we have breaking news." "Oh, no." (Laughter.)
Yeah, just be fair with me.
Q Thank you, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: You okay with that, Hogan? Do I have that?
Q It's up to you, Mr. President. (Inaudible.)
THE PRESIDENT: I don't think we said anything very tricky, Hogan. What do you think?
Q You said great stuff.
THE PRESIDENT: Huh?
Q About the country being great.
THE PRESIDENT: You know my attitude - when I ran, I would do this all the time. I'd give press conferences before the speeches. The problem is the press conference would get more coverage than speech. I'd say, "Why I am doing the speech?" Right? But I always liked the idea of press conference. I always like transparency. I always like transparency.
Yeah, use it in good taste. Okay? All right?
Q See you, sir. Thank you.
Q Thanks for coming back.
THE PRESIDENT: Okay, thank you. Thank you.
Go Back
But I will say, the deal - that phony story about Gary Cohn - if he did that, I'd never speak to him again. I'd never speak to him again.
Q Sir, could I take you back to North Korea for a second?
THE PRESIDENT: Yeah.
Q Isn't it the case that Kim wants you to do something before he will denuclearize? So you have to give him some (inaudible)?
THE PRESIDENT: I don't know. I know that a letter is being delivered to me - a personal letter from Kim Jong Un to me - that was handed at the border. I don't know if you know that, but it was handed at the border yesterday.
It's being delivered - it's actually an elegant way; it's the way it used to be many years ago before we had all of the new contraptions that we all use. But a letter is being delivered to me, and I think it's going to be a positive letter.
Q (Inaudible.)
THE PRESIDENT: But we have to - we have to start - Steve, we have to start that process. Look, on North Korea - it's very interesting. It started off very rough. I said it last night - you were at the speech. I said, "They thought everybody" - from - you people thought I was too rough. Too rough, too tough, too horrible - it's horrible. It worked out great.
In the meantime, we have our hostages back. I've said a hundred times: no missiles, no rockets, no nuclear testing. There's been some rhetoric, but let's see what happens. Although the rhetoric between myself and him has been very good. But he said, "I have a respect for Trump. I have respect for President Trump." Yesterday, he said, "I want to make this deal and denuclearize during President Trump's administration."
So let's see what happens. But he did write me a letter, and the letter is being delivered to me. Probably I'll have it - I think it's being brought in by Mike Pompeo - who, by the way, is doing a fantastic job.
Q The Russians are continuing to meddle in the 2018 elections. Have you said anything to Putin since your summit? Are you going to say anything to him about it?
THE PRESIDENT: I said something at the - well, I haven't spoken to him.
Q You haven't spoken?
THE PRESIDENT: I said - so one of my best -
Q What would you say (inaudible)?
THE PRESIDENT: One of my best meetings was with President Putin of Russia. And I got - not - the press treated it very unfairly.
My best meeting was probably NATO because they're putting up hundreds of billions of dollars that they never would have put up. But one of my best meetings was with Putin. Yeah, I said it very strongly. But I'll tell you, I also said it to China, and I say it to other countries.
You know, China, right now, is a far bigger problem. You do understand that.
Q Right.
THE PRESIDENT: Nobody ever talks about that. China is a far bigger problem. I'm being strong on China because I have to be. They're taking $500 billion out a year. Can't let that happen. Nobody has ever done what I've done. And the $200 billion we're talking about could take place very soon, depending on what happens with them. To a certain extent, it's going to be up to China.
But we've taxed them $50 billion - that's on technology. Now, we've added another $200 billion. And I hate to say this, but, behind that, there's another $267 billion ready to go on short notice, if I want. That totally changes the equation. I say "off the record," but you can use it if you want. But off the record, China is down 25 percent.
We are up, since my election, almost 50 percent. We're up almost 50 percent. Some markets are up more than that - we look at NASDAQ.
Q Do you want your people to take lie detector tests about this op-ed?
THE PRESIDENT: People have suggested it. Rand Paul - who I like and respect - came out this morning. He said, "Have them take lie detector tests." You know, a lot of people have said, "I didn't do it." They wrote, actually, very strong statements.
Almost - that I see - almost all of the high-level people have said that. You know, when you say that, and then, if it were you, you'd be done for the rest of your life. So it's very hard for them to say that, and then - because, eventually, the name of this sick person will come out.
Q Do you think that the culprit is a national security person or DOJ?
THE PRESIDENT: I don't know. I don't know.
Q (Inaudible.)
THE PRESIDENT: I don't know. You know, you try and get little telltale signs that maybe they put in. Hey, maybe it's nobody. Maybe the Times did it.
Q Do you have (inaudible)?
THE PRESIDENT: Look, the Times uses phony sources all the time. So maybe the Times did it. I'm not sure.
Q Mr. President, as far as the op-ed and the book, do you trust the people that are around you? Do you think they -
THE PRESIDENT: I do. I do. I do. But what I do is, now, I look around the room and I say, "Hey," if I don't know somebody. But the people - everyone that's at the major meetings with me are on the front page of the newspapers today with beautiful notes that I did not ask them for.
Let me just tell you this: We have a really well run, smooth running White House. I said last night, "It's a well-oiled machine." It is running beautifully.
Our trade deals are going to be the best deals ever made by our country. Our military is going to be, very shortly, stronger than it's ever been. Everything we are doing - regulation cutting. We have a really - you know, I - you have the list. I don't know, I guess you have the list. Nobody's ever done that much. There has been no President that's done what I've done in the first two years in office, and not even close.
You take a look at what we've done between tax cuts and regulation cuts. Now - and it looks very good for Justice - for Judge Kavanaugh to be Justice now, you know. It looks very good. And we have Justice Gorsuch. So it appeared - in 18 months, I have 2. Nobody - I don't think anybody has done that. You have many Presidents where they've gone for a long periods of time and they've never had a Supreme Court choice. So, we'll have two before I even, you know, have two years now.
No administration has done what I've done. I just left Montana, and I looked at those trains and they're loaded up with clean coal - beautiful clean coal. And those trains were empty two years ago. They were empty; they were dying. Nobody's done what I've done. Okay, I'll see you at the place -
Q One more thing. One more thing. What - you were talking about China trade. What about trade with Japan? Are you starting that?
THE PRESIDENT: We're starting that, yeah.
Q What (inaudible) -
THE PRESIDENT: In fact, Japan has called us. They called us. The only reason I didn't want to do it quite yet: because we're in China.
Q (Inaudible.)
THE PRESIDENT: We got a lot - trade. Japan has already contacted us; they came last week. Don't forget - Japan would not deal with Obama. He wouldn't deal with President Obama. They wouldn't deal. They said, "No, we're not going to talk trade." Me? They're calling up.
Q Why not?
THE PRESIDENT: Because they felt there was going to be no retribution. They felt they were weak and nobody was going to do anything. And, in my case, they feel just the opposite. And I'll tell you, if we don't make a deal with Japan, Japan knows it's a big problem for them.
Q One more, Mr. President. Is there any chance you're going to use military budget money - like the Army Corps of Engineers - to build your wall?
THE PRESIDENT: We'd rather do it the old-fashioned way - get it from Congress - but I have other options if I have to.
Q Including the Army Corps -
THE PRESIDENT: Just so you understand, I've already started the wall. The wall has been started. In fact, we're sort of saying, "Continue the wall." You know, "Continue." Right? Instead of "Build the wall," "Continue the wall."
We have two options: We have military, and we have Homeland Security. I'd rather get it through politically - politically speaking, I'd rather get it through Congress. If we don't, I'm looking at that option very seriously.
Q Do you want to do a shutdown, Mr. President?
THE PRESIDENT: If it were up - I don't want to say "up to me," because it is up to me - I would do it, because I think it's a great political issue. I was reading and watching, the other day - there are some people that I have a lot of respect for. Rush Limbaugh says, "It's the greatest thing you can do." Mark Levin - "The greatest thing you can do." Your friend, Hannity - "the greatest thing you can - ".
I mean - and there are plenty of politicians. But, there were a lot of politicians that I like and respect and that are with me all the way that would rather not do it because they have races. They're doing well; they're up. And, you know, the way they look at it - might be good, might be bad. But if we do what we're doing, we're going to win. I think we're going to do very well. I think we're doing to do great in the Senate, better than anyone has any understanding of. And I think we're going to do well in the House.
One of the important things is, when I go to an area - like going to Montana last night for Matt Rosendale - he's doing very well. He was the one we wanted. He's doing very well. He'll end up jumping a lot. And you've seen it.
Look, in Florida, he started out at 3; he ended up winning the election by 20 points - Ron DeSantis.
In Georgia, he was down 10 points with 3 days left, and he won the election by 40 points. That's pretty good. But - and those are primaries. But I think we're - you know, we have a very good record. But I think I'll do almost as well in elections. The main thing is, can I get there? The main thing is, do you people have the stamina to stay with me?
Q We're with you, we're here.
THE PRESIDENT: Steve, David, do you have the stamina? Do you have the stamina?
Q (Inaudible.)
THE PRESIDENT: We'll all have fun together. So enjoy yourself. This is going to be two pretty quick stops.
Q Can we use this on the record? Is it fine if we use all this on the record?
THE PRESIDENT: I guess. You want it on the record?
Q Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: You promise you're going to have it nice and - everything fair, right?
Q We'll be accurate.
THE PRESIDENT: If it's all fair - if it's all fair, the answer is, go with it.
Q All right.
THE PRESEIDENT: (Inaudible.) I'll will get - I'll go back there - "So we have breaking news." "Oh, no." (Laughter.)
Yeah, just be fair with me.
Q Thank you, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: You okay with that, Hogan? Do I have that?
Q It's up to you, Mr. President. (Inaudible.)
THE PRESIDENT: I don't think we said anything very tricky, Hogan. What do you think?
Q You said great stuff.
THE PRESIDENT: Huh?
Q About the country being great.
THE PRESIDENT: You know my attitude - when I ran, I would do this all the time. I'd give press conferences before the speeches. The problem is the press conference would get more coverage than speech. I'd say, "Why I am doing the speech?" Right? But I always liked the idea of press conference. I always like transparency. I always like transparency.
Yeah, use it in good taste. Okay? All right?
Q See you, sir. Thank you.
Q Thanks for coming back.
THE PRESIDENT: Okay, thank you. Thank you.
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