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Remarks by President Trump in Press Conference | Hanoi, Vietnam
THE PRESIDENT: I have. And I have, and we have talked about it. And I really don't think it was in his interest at all. I know the Warmbier family very well. I think they're an incredible family. What happened is horrible. I really believe something very bad happened to him, and I don't think that the top leadership knew about it.
And when they had to send him home - by the way, I got the prisoners back. I got the hostages back. And Otto was one of the hostages, but Otto came back in shape that was not even to be talked about. I find it - I thought it was horrible. Now, the others came back extremely healthy. But Otto came back in a condition that was just - just terrible.
And I will - I did speak about it, and I don't believe that he would've allowed that to happen. Just wasn't to his advantage to allow that to happen. Those prisons are rough. They're rough places. And bad things happened. But I really don't believe that he was - I don't believe he knew about it.
Q Did he say - did he tell you that he did not - did Kim Jong Un tell you -
THE PRESIDENT: He felt badly about it. I did speak to him. He felt very badly. But he knew the case very well, but he knew it later. And, you know, you got a lot of people. A big country. A lot of people. And in those prisons and those camps, you have a lot of people. And some really bad things happened to Otto. Some really, really bad things.
But he tells me -
Q Why are you (inaudible) -
THE PRESIDENT: He tells me that he didn't know about it, and I will take him at his word.
Yes, ma'am. Go ahead. Please. Please. Go ahead. In the back.
Q Me?
THE PRESIDENT: No, in the back. Behind you. Thank you.
Q Mr. President, (inaudible), Sputnik News Agency. Have you discussed the issue of possible inspections to North Korea's nuclear sites during your negotiations?
THE PRESIDENT: You're going to have to speak a little louder. And where are you from? Where are you from?
Q Russia's Sputnik News Agency. Have you discussed the issue of possible inspections to North Korea's nuclear sites during your talks with the Chairman?
THE PRESIDENT: Why don't you answer that, Mike?
I can't -
Q Inspections.
THE PRESIDENT: Good.
Q Inspections. Inspections of nuclear sites.
THE PRESIDENT: I was worried about my hearing.
Q Inspections, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: Oh, inspections.
Q International inspections. Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Oh, inspections. Inspections on North Korea? Oh, we'd be able - yeah.
Q Yeah. Inspections to the nuclear sites.
THE PRESIDENT: We'd be able to do that very easily. We have that set up, so we would be able to do that very easily.
The inspections on North Korea will take place and we'll - if we do something with them - we have a schedule set up that is very good. We know things that, as David was asking about certain places and certain sites - there are sites that people don't know about that we know about. We would be able to do inspections, we think, very, very successfully.
Yes, ma'am. Please. Please. Yes, go ahead. Please. Yes.
Q Thank you, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT: A lot of people here, by the way. A big group of people.
Q Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Go ahead.
Q Kann News Israel, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT: Good. Good.
Q Following this engagement with North Korea, you are trying to bring peace to the Middle East.
THE PRESIDENT: Right.
Q The peace plan is about to be introduced in the near future. And as you have mentioned before -
THE PRESIDENT: Well, we hope. We hope. We're working hard on the peace plan and we hope it will be (inaudible).
Q I believe you do. But as you mentioned before, it will require Israel to make compromises to the Palestinians. As far as you know, is Prime Minister Netanyahu willing to make these compromises which are very much needed?
And a second question: Mr. Netanyahu is about to indicted today with corruption allegations. Do you wish to tell him something on this occasion?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I just think he's been a great prime minister. And I don't know about his difficulty, but you're telling me something that, you know, the people have been hearing about. But I don't know about that.
I can say this: that he's done a great job as prime minister. He's tough, he's smart, he's strong. He is very defensive. His military has been built up a lot. They buy a lot of equipment from the United States and they pay for it. Of course, we give them tremendous, as you know, subsidy, also. Four billion dollars is a lot each year. But they are - they've been very good. They've been incredible, actually, in many ways. But there is a chance for peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
And, you know, it's interesting - all of my life, I've heard that the toughest of all deals - when they talk about tough deals; we all like deals - but the toughest of all deals would be peace between Israel and Palestinians. They say it's like the impossible deal. I'd love to be able to produce it. We'll see what happens.
You know, we were paying the Palestinians a lot of money. And I ended that about two years ago because they weren't saying the right things. And I said, why would we pay somebody that's not saying nice things about us, and not really wanting to go to the peace table? And they've been much better. And we'll see what happens.
Q But has Mr. Netanyahu made concessions?
THE PRESIDENT: But I think we really - I think we have, actually, a good shot at peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
Q Has Netanyahu made concessions?
THE PRESIDENT: Yeah, go ahead. Please. Sir.
Q Mr. President, I'm from China. My question is: Do you still believe it is possible that the North Korea and U.S. relation could be like the U.S. and the Vietnam relation in the future?
THE PRESIDENT: You have to go again.
Q Do you believe - do you still believe that is it is possible that the relation between U.S. and North Korea, in the future, could be like the relation between U.S. and Vietnam?
THE PRESIDENT: Yeah. I think we're going have - yeah. I mean, we have very, very good relations. And, by the way, speaking of - you mentioned Japan - we have a lot of good things happening Japan. We have trade talks started. For years, Japan has been sending millions and millions of cars in, and as you know, it's not been a very fair situation for the United States.
We're starting trade talks with Japan. They actually started about three months ago, and I think we'll have a very good deal for the United States. But that's been a very unfair situation. Prime Minister Abe understands that, and that's fine.
Yes, sir. Please. Back there.
Q Thank you, Mr. President. I'm (inaudible) with Shanghai Media Group. Do you think the next meeting could be soon, or might take some time?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I can't tell you. I mean, it might be soon. It might not be for a long time. I can't tell you. I would hope it would be soon. But it may not be for a long time.
I could've done - I could've done a deal today, but it would've been a deal that wouldn't have been a deal that - it would've been something that I wouldn't have been happy about, Mike would not have been happy about. We had some pretty big options. But we just felt it wasn't appropriate, and we really want to do it right.
Yes, in the back. In the back. Yes, ma'am. Please.
Q Debi Edward, ITV News. At which point did it become clear to you that you wouldn't be getting a deal here in Hanoi? The language from yourself and Kim Jong Un was very positive last night and even this morning. And therefore, was it a mistake to come here?
THE PRESIDENT: No, I think the language was good all throughout. The language has been good even now. But, you know, I don't go by language, because we had probably the toughest language in the history of diplomacy - if you call it diplomacy - at the beginning, and yet, we became very friendly. I don't believe there was any tougher language ever than that.
But, again, this was something that should've been handled by other Presidents long before me and long before they had the kind of power that they have. But it wasn't. It should've been done by many - I'm not just blaming the Obama administration, which, by the way, it did nothing. Nothing. Did absolutely on North Korea. It allowed things that happened, and to happen, that were very inappropriate. But I'm not blaming the Obama administration. I'm blaming many administrations. Something should've happened.
But I don't think the rhetoric has been bad at all. Initially, it was horrible, but now it's been very good.
All right, one more. How about you? Go ahead. Please. Please. Go ahead.
Q (Inaudible) from South Korea, (inaudible) South Korean media outlet here. I'd like to ask you: You said that we do not particularly know when there will be - North Korean leader will be willing to come to the table and take the actions that's been required. If that's the case, would the U.S. be willing to strengthen the sanctions and perhaps put the pressure on North Korea to move forward?
THE PRESIDENT: I don't want to comment on that. I can just tell you this: that we have very strong sanctions. I don't want to talk about increasing sanctions. They're strong. They have a lot of great people in North Korea that have to live also. And that's important to me.
And I would say this: My whole attitude changed a lot because I got to know, as you know, Chairman Kim very well. And they have a point of view also.
So I don't really want to talk about that. I just think that, hopefully, for the sake of South Korea, for the sake of Japan, and frankly, for the sake of China - I was talking to President Xi, who really is a man that gets the respect of a lot of people - I say, "You can't love having a nuclear state right next to China." And he doesn't. He really doesn't. I will tell you, he would like to see that problem solved, too. So that's it.
Well, ladies and gentleman, I'm about to get on a plane and fly back to a wonderful place called Washington, D.C. So, thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you, fellas. Thank you very much.
You can visit a collection of all White House posts by clicking here.
Go Back
And when they had to send him home - by the way, I got the prisoners back. I got the hostages back. And Otto was one of the hostages, but Otto came back in shape that was not even to be talked about. I find it - I thought it was horrible. Now, the others came back extremely healthy. But Otto came back in a condition that was just - just terrible.
And I will - I did speak about it, and I don't believe that he would've allowed that to happen. Just wasn't to his advantage to allow that to happen. Those prisons are rough. They're rough places. And bad things happened. But I really don't believe that he was - I don't believe he knew about it.
Q Did he say - did he tell you that he did not - did Kim Jong Un tell you -
THE PRESIDENT: He felt badly about it. I did speak to him. He felt very badly. But he knew the case very well, but he knew it later. And, you know, you got a lot of people. A big country. A lot of people. And in those prisons and those camps, you have a lot of people. And some really bad things happened to Otto. Some really, really bad things.
But he tells me -
Q Why are you (inaudible) -
THE PRESIDENT: He tells me that he didn't know about it, and I will take him at his word.
Yes, ma'am. Go ahead. Please. Please. Go ahead. In the back.
Q Me?
THE PRESIDENT: No, in the back. Behind you. Thank you.
Q Mr. President, (inaudible), Sputnik News Agency. Have you discussed the issue of possible inspections to North Korea's nuclear sites during your negotiations?
THE PRESIDENT: You're going to have to speak a little louder. And where are you from? Where are you from?
Q Russia's Sputnik News Agency. Have you discussed the issue of possible inspections to North Korea's nuclear sites during your talks with the Chairman?
THE PRESIDENT: Why don't you answer that, Mike?
I can't -
Q Inspections.
THE PRESIDENT: Good.
Q Inspections. Inspections of nuclear sites.
THE PRESIDENT: I was worried about my hearing.
Q Inspections, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: Oh, inspections.
Q International inspections. Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Oh, inspections. Inspections on North Korea? Oh, we'd be able - yeah.
Q Yeah. Inspections to the nuclear sites.
THE PRESIDENT: We'd be able to do that very easily. We have that set up, so we would be able to do that very easily.
The inspections on North Korea will take place and we'll - if we do something with them - we have a schedule set up that is very good. We know things that, as David was asking about certain places and certain sites - there are sites that people don't know about that we know about. We would be able to do inspections, we think, very, very successfully.
Yes, ma'am. Please. Please. Yes, go ahead. Please. Yes.
Q Thank you, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT: A lot of people here, by the way. A big group of people.
Q Yes.
THE PRESIDENT: Go ahead.
Q Kann News Israel, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT: Good. Good.
Q Following this engagement with North Korea, you are trying to bring peace to the Middle East.
THE PRESIDENT: Right.
Q The peace plan is about to be introduced in the near future. And as you have mentioned before -
THE PRESIDENT: Well, we hope. We hope. We're working hard on the peace plan and we hope it will be (inaudible).
Q I believe you do. But as you mentioned before, it will require Israel to make compromises to the Palestinians. As far as you know, is Prime Minister Netanyahu willing to make these compromises which are very much needed?
And a second question: Mr. Netanyahu is about to indicted today with corruption allegations. Do you wish to tell him something on this occasion?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I just think he's been a great prime minister. And I don't know about his difficulty, but you're telling me something that, you know, the people have been hearing about. But I don't know about that.
I can say this: that he's done a great job as prime minister. He's tough, he's smart, he's strong. He is very defensive. His military has been built up a lot. They buy a lot of equipment from the United States and they pay for it. Of course, we give them tremendous, as you know, subsidy, also. Four billion dollars is a lot each year. But they are - they've been very good. They've been incredible, actually, in many ways. But there is a chance for peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
And, you know, it's interesting - all of my life, I've heard that the toughest of all deals - when they talk about tough deals; we all like deals - but the toughest of all deals would be peace between Israel and Palestinians. They say it's like the impossible deal. I'd love to be able to produce it. We'll see what happens.
You know, we were paying the Palestinians a lot of money. And I ended that about two years ago because they weren't saying the right things. And I said, why would we pay somebody that's not saying nice things about us, and not really wanting to go to the peace table? And they've been much better. And we'll see what happens.
Q But has Mr. Netanyahu made concessions?
THE PRESIDENT: But I think we really - I think we have, actually, a good shot at peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
Q Has Netanyahu made concessions?
THE PRESIDENT: Yeah, go ahead. Please. Sir.
Q Mr. President, I'm from China. My question is: Do you still believe it is possible that the North Korea and U.S. relation could be like the U.S. and the Vietnam relation in the future?
THE PRESIDENT: You have to go again.
Q Do you believe - do you still believe that is it is possible that the relation between U.S. and North Korea, in the future, could be like the relation between U.S. and Vietnam?
THE PRESIDENT: Yeah. I think we're going have - yeah. I mean, we have very, very good relations. And, by the way, speaking of - you mentioned Japan - we have a lot of good things happening Japan. We have trade talks started. For years, Japan has been sending millions and millions of cars in, and as you know, it's not been a very fair situation for the United States.
We're starting trade talks with Japan. They actually started about three months ago, and I think we'll have a very good deal for the United States. But that's been a very unfair situation. Prime Minister Abe understands that, and that's fine.
Yes, sir. Please. Back there.
Q Thank you, Mr. President. I'm (inaudible) with Shanghai Media Group. Do you think the next meeting could be soon, or might take some time?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I can't tell you. I mean, it might be soon. It might not be for a long time. I can't tell you. I would hope it would be soon. But it may not be for a long time.
I could've done - I could've done a deal today, but it would've been a deal that wouldn't have been a deal that - it would've been something that I wouldn't have been happy about, Mike would not have been happy about. We had some pretty big options. But we just felt it wasn't appropriate, and we really want to do it right.
Yes, in the back. In the back. Yes, ma'am. Please.
Q Debi Edward, ITV News. At which point did it become clear to you that you wouldn't be getting a deal here in Hanoi? The language from yourself and Kim Jong Un was very positive last night and even this morning. And therefore, was it a mistake to come here?
THE PRESIDENT: No, I think the language was good all throughout. The language has been good even now. But, you know, I don't go by language, because we had probably the toughest language in the history of diplomacy - if you call it diplomacy - at the beginning, and yet, we became very friendly. I don't believe there was any tougher language ever than that.
But, again, this was something that should've been handled by other Presidents long before me and long before they had the kind of power that they have. But it wasn't. It should've been done by many - I'm not just blaming the Obama administration, which, by the way, it did nothing. Nothing. Did absolutely on North Korea. It allowed things that happened, and to happen, that were very inappropriate. But I'm not blaming the Obama administration. I'm blaming many administrations. Something should've happened.
But I don't think the rhetoric has been bad at all. Initially, it was horrible, but now it's been very good.
All right, one more. How about you? Go ahead. Please. Please. Go ahead.
Q (Inaudible) from South Korea, (inaudible) South Korean media outlet here. I'd like to ask you: You said that we do not particularly know when there will be - North Korean leader will be willing to come to the table and take the actions that's been required. If that's the case, would the U.S. be willing to strengthen the sanctions and perhaps put the pressure on North Korea to move forward?
THE PRESIDENT: I don't want to comment on that. I can just tell you this: that we have very strong sanctions. I don't want to talk about increasing sanctions. They're strong. They have a lot of great people in North Korea that have to live also. And that's important to me.
And I would say this: My whole attitude changed a lot because I got to know, as you know, Chairman Kim very well. And they have a point of view also.
So I don't really want to talk about that. I just think that, hopefully, for the sake of South Korea, for the sake of Japan, and frankly, for the sake of China - I was talking to President Xi, who really is a man that gets the respect of a lot of people - I say, "You can't love having a nuclear state right next to China." And he doesn't. He really doesn't. I will tell you, he would like to see that problem solved, too. So that's it.
Well, ladies and gentleman, I'm about to get on a plane and fly back to a wonderful place called Washington, D.C. So, thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you, fellas. Thank you very much.
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