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Remarks by President Trump Before Marine One Departure
Press Release:
White House South Lawn • Washington D.C. • August 7 • 9:13 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: So, we're going to Dayton first, and then we're going to El Paso. And we'll be meeting with first responders, law enforcement, and some of the victims, and paying my respects and regards. I'll be going with the First Lady. And it's a terrific opportunity, really, to congratulate some of the police and law enforcement. The job they've done was incredible. Really incredible.
Q Mr. President, no doubt - I don't think anybody will argue this is a difficult time in our country for all of us. So, from your heart, from your mind, what do you say to your critics that believe it's your rhetoric that is emboldening white nationalists and inspiring this anger?
THE PRESIDENT: So, my critics are political people. They're trying to make points. In many cases, they're running for President and they're very low in the polls. A couple of them, in particular, are very low in the polls. If you look at Dayton, that was a person that supported, I guess you would say, Bernie Sanders, I understood; Antifa, I understood; Elizabeth Warren, I understood. It had nothing to do with President Trump.
So these are people that are looking for political gain. I don't think they're getting it. And, as much as possible, I've tried to stay out of that.
Q Mr. President, Senator Ted Cruz today said that people on both sides of the political aisle need to tone down the rhetoric. Do you agree with that?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I do agree, but I think we have toned it down. We've been hitting - we've been getting hit left and right from everybody. Many of the people, I don't know. A couple of people from Texas - political people from Texas that aren't doing very well. I guess somebody said - the mayor - I had one very nice conversation with the mayor of Dayton; could not have been nicer. And then she goes and says I tried to call her. Well, I spoke to her, and I didn't receive any call.
So they're trying to make political points. I don't think it works because, you know, I would like to stay out of the political fray.
As I was saying, and as just came out, the Dayton situation - he was a fan of Antifa. He was a fan of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. Nothing to do with Trump. But nobody ever mentions that.
Q (Inaudible.)
THE PRESIDENT: Say it?
Q (Inaudible) supported Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. Should they be blamed for (inaudible)?
THE PRESIDENT: No, I don't blame Elizabeth Warren, and I don't blame Bernie Sanders in the case of Ohio. And I don't blame anybody. I blame - these are sick people. These are people that are really mentally ill, mentally disturbed. It's a mental problem.
And we're going to be meeting - we're going to be meeting with members of Congress. I've already got meetings scheduled. And I have had plenty of talks over the last two days. And I think something is going to be come up with. We're going to come with something that's going to be, really, very good - beyond anything that's been done so far.
Q Do you support bringing the Senate back to consider legislation on -
THE PRESIDENT: Well, we're going to see where we are. We're dealing with leadership right now. And, you know, you have two sides that are very different on this issue, and, let's say, all good people. But two sides that are very different. If we get close, I will bring them back. But it has to be - you know, we have to see where we are with leadership.
Normally, this has been, really, a decision - Congress gets together and they try and do something. But if you look over the last 30 years, not a lot has been done.
Q The background check bill already that has passed the House, what good (inaudible)?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I'm looking to do background checks. I think background checks are important. I don't want to put guns into the hands of mentally unstable people or people with rage or hate, sick people. I don't want to - I'm all in favor of it.
Q What about assault rifles? A lot of people would like to see them banned. What is your position?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I can tell you that there is no political appetite for that at this moment. If you look at the - you could speak, you could do your own polling. And there's no political appetite, probably, from the standpoint of legislature.
But I will certainly bring that up. I'll bring that up as one of the points. There's a great appetite - and I mean a very strong appetite - for background checks. And I think we can bring up background checks like we've never had before. I think both Republican and Democrat are getting close to a bill on - they're doing something on background checks.
Q (Inaudible.) South Korea and Japan exports are (inaudible.)
THE PRESIDENT: Yeah. South Korea and I have made a deal. They've agreed to pay a lot more money toward the United States. As you know, we've got 32,000 soldiers on South Korean soil, and we've been helping them for about 82 years. And we get nothing. We get virtually nothing. And South Korea and I have made a deal where they're paying a lot more money, and they're going to pay a lot more money. And the relationship is a very good one.
But I felt, all along, I felt for years it was a very unfair one. So they've agreed to pay a lot more, and they will agree to pay a lot more than that. And we're with them. We're with them.
Q Mr. President, you banned bump stocks. Would you consider a ban on these huge, large-capacity magazines?
THE PRESIDENT: So, you have to have a political appetite within Congress. And, so far, I have not seen that. I mean, I can only do what I can do. I think there's a great appetite to do something with regard to making sure that mentally unstable, seriously ill people aren't carrying guns. And I've never seen the appetite as strong as it is now. I have not seen it with regard to certain types of weapons.
Q Mr. President, how concerned are you about the rise in white supremacy? And what are you going to do about it?
THE PRESIDENT: I am concerned about the rise of any group of hate. I don't like it. Any group of hate, I am - whether it's white supremacy, whether it's any other kind of supremacy, whether it's Antifa, whether it's any group of hate, I am very concerned about it. And I'll do something about it.
Q Do you believe that your rhetoric has any impact on (inaudible)?
THE PRESIDENT: No, I don't think my rhetoric has at all. I think my rhetoric is a very - it brings people together. Our country is doing incredibly well. China is not doing well, if you look at the trade situation.
...
Read the full transcript HERE.
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THE PRESIDENT: So, we're going to Dayton first, and then we're going to El Paso. And we'll be meeting with first responders, law enforcement, and some of the victims, and paying my respects and regards. I'll be going with the First Lady. And it's a terrific opportunity, really, to congratulate some of the police and law enforcement. The job they've done was incredible. Really incredible.
Q Mr. President, no doubt - I don't think anybody will argue this is a difficult time in our country for all of us. So, from your heart, from your mind, what do you say to your critics that believe it's your rhetoric that is emboldening white nationalists and inspiring this anger?
THE PRESIDENT: So, my critics are political people. They're trying to make points. In many cases, they're running for President and they're very low in the polls. A couple of them, in particular, are very low in the polls. If you look at Dayton, that was a person that supported, I guess you would say, Bernie Sanders, I understood; Antifa, I understood; Elizabeth Warren, I understood. It had nothing to do with President Trump.
So these are people that are looking for political gain. I don't think they're getting it. And, as much as possible, I've tried to stay out of that.
Q Mr. President, Senator Ted Cruz today said that people on both sides of the political aisle need to tone down the rhetoric. Do you agree with that?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I do agree, but I think we have toned it down. We've been hitting - we've been getting hit left and right from everybody. Many of the people, I don't know. A couple of people from Texas - political people from Texas that aren't doing very well. I guess somebody said - the mayor - I had one very nice conversation with the mayor of Dayton; could not have been nicer. And then she goes and says I tried to call her. Well, I spoke to her, and I didn't receive any call.
So they're trying to make political points. I don't think it works because, you know, I would like to stay out of the political fray.
As I was saying, and as just came out, the Dayton situation - he was a fan of Antifa. He was a fan of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. Nothing to do with Trump. But nobody ever mentions that.
Q (Inaudible.)
THE PRESIDENT: Say it?
Q (Inaudible) supported Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. Should they be blamed for (inaudible)?
THE PRESIDENT: No, I don't blame Elizabeth Warren, and I don't blame Bernie Sanders in the case of Ohio. And I don't blame anybody. I blame - these are sick people. These are people that are really mentally ill, mentally disturbed. It's a mental problem.
And we're going to be meeting - we're going to be meeting with members of Congress. I've already got meetings scheduled. And I have had plenty of talks over the last two days. And I think something is going to be come up with. We're going to come with something that's going to be, really, very good - beyond anything that's been done so far.
Q Do you support bringing the Senate back to consider legislation on -
THE PRESIDENT: Well, we're going to see where we are. We're dealing with leadership right now. And, you know, you have two sides that are very different on this issue, and, let's say, all good people. But two sides that are very different. If we get close, I will bring them back. But it has to be - you know, we have to see where we are with leadership.
Normally, this has been, really, a decision - Congress gets together and they try and do something. But if you look over the last 30 years, not a lot has been done.
Q The background check bill already that has passed the House, what good (inaudible)?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I'm looking to do background checks. I think background checks are important. I don't want to put guns into the hands of mentally unstable people or people with rage or hate, sick people. I don't want to - I'm all in favor of it.
Q What about assault rifles? A lot of people would like to see them banned. What is your position?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I can tell you that there is no political appetite for that at this moment. If you look at the - you could speak, you could do your own polling. And there's no political appetite, probably, from the standpoint of legislature.
But I will certainly bring that up. I'll bring that up as one of the points. There's a great appetite - and I mean a very strong appetite - for background checks. And I think we can bring up background checks like we've never had before. I think both Republican and Democrat are getting close to a bill on - they're doing something on background checks.
Q (Inaudible.) South Korea and Japan exports are (inaudible.)
THE PRESIDENT: Yeah. South Korea and I have made a deal. They've agreed to pay a lot more money toward the United States. As you know, we've got 32,000 soldiers on South Korean soil, and we've been helping them for about 82 years. And we get nothing. We get virtually nothing. And South Korea and I have made a deal where they're paying a lot more money, and they're going to pay a lot more money. And the relationship is a very good one.
But I felt, all along, I felt for years it was a very unfair one. So they've agreed to pay a lot more, and they will agree to pay a lot more than that. And we're with them. We're with them.
Q Mr. President, you banned bump stocks. Would you consider a ban on these huge, large-capacity magazines?
THE PRESIDENT: So, you have to have a political appetite within Congress. And, so far, I have not seen that. I mean, I can only do what I can do. I think there's a great appetite to do something with regard to making sure that mentally unstable, seriously ill people aren't carrying guns. And I've never seen the appetite as strong as it is now. I have not seen it with regard to certain types of weapons.
Q Mr. President, how concerned are you about the rise in white supremacy? And what are you going to do about it?
THE PRESIDENT: I am concerned about the rise of any group of hate. I don't like it. Any group of hate, I am - whether it's white supremacy, whether it's any other kind of supremacy, whether it's Antifa, whether it's any group of hate, I am very concerned about it. And I'll do something about it.
Q Do you believe that your rhetoric has any impact on (inaudible)?
THE PRESIDENT: No, I don't think my rhetoric has at all. I think my rhetoric is a very - it brings people together. Our country is doing incredibly well. China is not doing well, if you look at the trade situation.
...
Read the full transcript HERE.
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