Remarks by President Trump and Prime Minister Varadkar of Ireland Before Bilateral Meeting | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Q   (Inaudible) the E3 visa?

    PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah, we're looking at that. We almost made it last time. It was one vote; you know that. And we're looking at that, and I'm sure that's something we're going to discuss. And I spoke to the one vote, who's a great senator, by the way. And - he really is; he's a great senator. And we think we're going to be successful. He's a terrific person. He doesn't mean to do any harm - that, I can tell you. He was telling me he loves Ireland, actually. So I think we're going to be in good shape.

    We had just about a unanimous vote. And -

    PRIME MINISTER VARADKAR: Yeah. (Inaudible.)

    PRESIDENT TRUMP: And if we get a unanimous vote, we do something that they've been trying to do for a long time. So I want to do that for the people of Ireland, but I want to do it for the people that are in the United States that want this vote to happen, that happen to be of Irish descent.

    Q   President Trump, as USA is co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, what assurances can you offer the government in helping to protect peace in Northern Ireland and avoid a hard border?

    PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, I think what's going to happen is, over the next period of time - first, they're going to have to see who's going to be Prime Minister. And I think it's a very important decision. We'll see what happens over in the UK, because that's going to be decision number one: who is going to be Prime Minister. And once that happens, that person will get in and try and make a deal. And maybe if they don't make a deal, they do it a different way.

    But I know one thing: Ireland is going to be in great shape. Ireland is, you know, a special place. It's going to be in very good shape. I don't think the border is going to be a problem at all.


    Q   Sir, did you see those reports of executions in North Korea of the folks who were involved in your summit? Does that worry you at all that Kim would execute these people?

    PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, I don't know if the reports are correct because one of the gentlemen who we deal with is - this is North Korea they're talking about - is somebody that we know well. He's a strong man. He's a strong person. And they like to blame Kim Jong Un immediately. But they said he was killed, and he wasn't. He was at the theater the other night, so he wasn't killed. The other four people I know nothing about. But it is - it's an interesting situation.

    And I think that they would like to make a deal and we'd like to make a deal with them. We'll see how it goes. It's been going pretty well because there hasn't been testing of anything major, and, frankly, there's been no nuclear testing in a long period of time.

    When I became President, and before that, as you know, it was all the time: nuclear testing, ballistic missile testing. And now there's nothing. I think that Chairman Kim would like to make a deal, and I'd like to make a deal with him. I look forward to seeing him in the appropriate time.

    And, again, one of the people they were talking about that was supposedly executed wasn't executed at all.

    Q   Corporation tax - Ireland's corporation tax over here -

    PRESIDENT TRUMP: Say it?

    Q   Are you going to talk about Ireland's corporation tax with the Prime Minister?

    PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, the corporation tax - you mean the fact that it's so low? It is a very low tax. I have to agree.

    You know, we have our tax very, very low, but they've done a very good job in Ireland. And your Prime Minister has kept it there. And he's - they have a lot of great companies here.

    He should try - he should try keeping it low. I agree.

    Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you.


    Q   (Inaudible) tariffs -

    PRESIDENT TRUMP: Oh, it's true. They're having a meeting at 3 o'clock today. And, look, I think Mexico has to step up. And if they don't, tariffs will go on. And if they go high, the companies are going to move back into the United States. That's all. It's very simple.

    The people aren't going to have to worry about paying the tax because the companies are going to move back into the United States. There won't be any tariff.

    As far as China is concerned, China wants to make a deal. I have no doubt about it. And the - every signal is they want to. And at the right time, probably that will happen. But right now, they're paying many billions of dollars to the United States. We never got that before from China. And we haven't even started. It's relative peanuts compared to the numbers that we're talking about.

    But I think China wants to make a deal, and Mexico, you know, wants to make a deal. They have their entire delegation right now going over to, probably, the White House location, but to negotiate with our people. It's headed up by Mike Pompeo and Bob Lighthizer, and Mike Pence is involved. So we have a great group.

    But Mexico - look, the drugs that are coming in, the people that are coming in unchecked, they're swamping our border. They're coming up by the millions. Mexico can stop it. They have to stop it. Otherwise, we just won't be able to do business. It's a very simple thing.

    And I think they will stop it. I think they want to do something. I think they want to make a deal. And they sent their top people to try and - we'll see what happens today. We should know something.

    Thank you very much.

END  •  5:10 P.M. IST
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