[0:12]I want you. today.
[0:42][clears throat] No. Okay.
[1:52]Taiwan. You guys should use
[2:41]Don't touch your back. What do we got here?
[3:12]This is nice. >> Yeah. You know what?
[4:02]I thought Facebook open.
[4:51]I tried to fly at all. All right.
[5:37]Wow. Wow. That was a good
[5:46]camera. I was
[6:07]left. American
[6:58]walking down the I don't
[7:16]have on vacation. Yeah. >> Your favorite city in the world.
[7:50]>> Your favorite city in the world. I like >> No, I mean Dude,
[8:26]the briefing's about to start. >> No, but they
[8:47]Have you heard Thank you. >> I
[9:35]How many I hope it ends well.
[9:48]>> I I'm a civic fan. Do you remember only
[10:07]damn thing's supposed to start at 1, but for you. >> Yes. and his I was on vacation, but I
[10:23]heard they had many during the briefing. So people people
[10:35]showed up like three hours early to claim standing on the spot and then he talked for an hour
[10:49]worth of questions. So the people to get a spot standing I'm still waiting.
[11:30]It's good to hear from you. Maybe I'll >> stop the lotion, dude.
[11:47]>> Let's make it seven. >> All right. Take one mouth.
[12:25]Only would I The briefing was supposed to start at 1. >> Only for you would I call even before the briefing.
[12:37]>> How are you doing? Uh it was wonderful. It's too long. My wife's cousins are all Dominican or
[12:58]fatherless on the Dominican team. It's a long story. Crazy
[13:23]I won 200. It was other than that it was
[13:49]quite the celebration Spanish
[14:03]exuberance. A lot of people he married a couple I don't know if you
[14:16]heard about that his Puerto Rican
[14:25]his Puerto Rican tunes but they the couple invited him to their wedding on a whim. He's like, "You know what? Why
[14:35]don't you just give it to >> What are you doing?
[14:44]>> Are you watching the drunk? >> Why?
[15:12]Are you getting bored or are you enjoying your >> Oh my god. Seriously,
[15:21]>> you just said that to Tweet. >> But look, we got to keep moving. Hey, what did you do uh when the snow hit on
[15:33]Sunday? >> How many times? >> On Monday morning.
[15:45]>> No. >> Oh, dude. Monday morning. I did I did
[15:56]I shovel at 7 a.m. Sunday at noon Sunday. Every time I finished second, it looked like
[16:06]I hadn't even done anything. And then Monday morning, I went out like All
[16:49]right. You got to get people like >> Well, don't just
[17:05]>> What's your mom look like? Sure. >> Uh here's a bit of news. Fucci is going
[17:21]to >> for him. Yeah.
[17:30]For the AP. We've now we've gone through >> five retired
[17:42]Samansky on disability relocated more
[18:02]That's a huge I don't know.
[18:20]>> I said I think he said he'll split his time. >> Start
[18:32]harrowing. >> You get off the couch.
[18:47]fire. But I I was I was as soon as I got home, uh we got out we got back on Wednesday. I took Thursday. I was
[18:57]drinking by four. I'm here in Brian Brian Aley >> downtown
[19:11]>> out in your neighborhood. Oh, did you >> at happy hour? You didn't >> It's strictly 9:00,
[19:25]>> huh? [clears throat] >> Why, dude? >> Dude, but that's your stick. >> No, I didn't.
[19:48]Look, we got to get ready. Love you. The rest of
[20:30]Hang in there. >> Are you working today? >> TRT. >> No. Yes. >> Yes.
[20:41]>> TR Is that a gun?
[21:39]having a good time. Talking about
[22:02]I've done a survey. He's got a flashlight in his mouth.
[22:53]They were told me I am happy at the time. Guess
[23:25]he forgot that domestic
[24:02]for a year. >> What?
[24:36]But it's quite good. >> Thanks, Bonnie. >> Of course. the first time
[25:09]on the other hand. 220
[25:27]just signed with everyone and they 17y old
[25:52]that's his father that is saw him last Edge
[26:10]about this on Saturday afternoon. >> Oh yeah.
[26:39]We're going to take these jobs back.
[27:07]in theory. General that paradox works.
[27:28]down. Yeah.
[28:14]What's the false even? Good afternoon everyone. Thank you.
[50:09]Thank you for coming today. I apologize for the delay. I was once again with the president. He and I were both reviewing the newly released surveillance footage from FBI in the Savannah Guthrie case.
[50:21]and just this heartbreaking situation with respect to her mother. Uh the president encourages any American across the country with any knowledge of this suspect to please call the FBI who
[50:31]continue to assist state and local authorities who are leading this investigation on the ground. And once again, I will reiterate that the prayers of this entire White House are with Savannah and her family at this time.
[50:43]And we hope this person is found soon and that her mother is brought home safely. Uh, President Trump has a very busy week ahead. So, I will begin with some scheduling announcements today. Tomorrow, here at the White House, the
[50:55]president will host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a bilateral meeting. The remainder of the week will be focused on energy and deregulation. Tomorrow afternoon, the
[51:06]president will hold an event in the East Room to tout clean, beautiful coal as America's most reliable and affordable energy source, especially during periods
[51:16]of peak demand, just as we saw during this most recent winter storm, which impacted hundreds of millions of Americans. The president will discuss how clean, beautiful coal is not only
[51:27]keeping the lights on in our country, but also driving down the cost of electricity across the country as well. Additionally, on Thursday, President Trump will be joined by administrator
[51:39]Lee Zelden to formalize the recision of the 2009 Obama era endangerment finding. This will be the largest deregulatory
[51:49]action in American history, and it will save the American people 1.3 trillion in crushing regulations. The bulk of the
[51:59]savings will stem from reduced costs for new vehicles, with the EPA projecting average per vehicle savings of more than $2400
[52:08]for popular light duty cars, SUVs, and trucks. This is just one more way this administration is working to make life more affordable for everyday Americans.
[52:19]Overall, these groundbreaking actions from President Trump will drive larger economic growth, create thousands of goodaying jobs, expand manufacturing, increase consumer choice, and improve
[52:30]affordability for millions of families and businesses. Finally, on Friday, President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will travel to Fort Bragg in the great state of North Carolina to meet
[52:42]with military families and the heroic members of our special forces who carried out the successful Operation Absolute Resolve in Venezuela and helped
[52:52]bring narot terrorist Nicholas Maduro to justice. I know the president and first lady are both greatly looking forward to this visit. Also, the first lady will
[53:02]celebrate Valentine's Day at the Children's Inn at the National Institute of Health tomorrow with children, families, and NIH staff involved in
[53:11]clinical trials. In other news this week, thanks to President Trump signing the largest middle class tax cut in history, this is shaping up to be the biggest tax refund season ever, and we
[53:22]are in it now. President Trump and Republicans fundamentally believe that Americans deserve to keep more of their hard-earned money, not less. Which is why he fought so hard to deliver this
[53:34]long overdue relief. From no tax on tips, overtime or social security to autoloan interest deductions on new Americanmade vehicles, plus increases to
[53:44]the standard deduction in child tax credit. More money is flowing back into the pockets of hardworking Americans. We're already hearing from everyday Americans across the country who are
[53:55]reporting substantial tax savings thanks to the working families tax cut which every single Democrat in Congress voted against. AAC, which represents millions
[54:05]of Americans, has heard directly from more than their thousand members already about how the Trump tax cuts are easing cost of living concerns. I wanted to share a few of those powerful responses
[54:16]with you today. This one comes from Dean and Wendy in Wisconsin who says, quote, "Instead of paying out $3,700 last year,
[54:26]we got back $2500 in refunds this year. This is huge for our family." Steve from California said, quote, "The new senior
[54:35]citizen deduction is a tremendous relief and has given us peace of mind and the freedom to truly enjoy the retirement years we worked so hard for." Eric from
[54:46]Nevada said, "As a senior, no tax on social security helps me tremendously. The no tax on tips helps my daughter-in-law as a waitress. The no tax on overtime helps my son who works
[54:57]constantly. Our family savings from the one big beautiful bill could total even more than $5,000. We love the Trump tax cuts." These are just a few positive
[55:08]examples of the everyday Americans that President Trump's tax cuts are uplifting. We'd love to hear more from the American people across the country who are benefiting from the working
[55:18]families tax cuts. The White House is also pleased to share that parents across the country can now officially apply to open a Trump account for their child. In order to apply, parents can
[55:28]visit trumpacc accounts.gov and fill out the IRS form47. These Trump accounts are special investment accounts aimed at providing
[55:38]American children with a jump start on building wealth for life. They have all the tax advantages as a traditional IRA account, but are specifically tailored to build wealth the moment a child is
[55:50]born. Thanks to President Trump, every child born between January 1st, 2025 and December 31st, 2028 is eligible to
[56:00]receive $1,000 from the US Treasury to fund their account. Parents, guardians, and even nonprofits can then contribute up to $5,000 per year. Employers can
[56:11]also contribute up to $2,500 per year per employee. President Trump believes there is no better investment than investing in our nation's children. If you are a parent who maximizes
[56:23]contributions to your child's Trump account, its projected value could reach nearly $1.1 million by the time your child turns 28 years old based on
[56:34]average historical stock market returns. Safe to say the Trump accounts will give a substantial head start to position the next generation for a brighter future. And with the stock market exploding
[56:45]under President Trump's progrowth policies, there has never been a better s time to sign up for an investment account like this. The Dow Jones just shattered 50,000 for the first time ever
[56:57]on Friday. And the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq continue smashing record after record. So with President Trump in charge, Americans 401ks and retirement
[57:07]savings are booming once again. And these new Trump accounts for America's kids will boom, too. So with that, once again, every parent should go to trumpaccounts.gov today, and I'm going
[57:17]to put it on my own personal to-do list to sign up for one as well. With that, I will take your questions. Caroline Downey from the National Review is here. Thank you for being here, and why don't you kick us off? >> Thank you for having me. On the
[57:29][clears throat] criticism that immigration enforcement has become arbitrary or not particularly prioritizing, Democrats have been circulating this statistic that only 14%
[57:39]of illegal aliens arrested under this administration are violent criminals. But we know that in deep blue cities with progressive district attorneys, it's common to plead down serious
[57:50]violent crimes into less serious offenses which could be distorting those numbers. So given that backdrop, does the administration still stand by the messaging that you're targeting the worst of the worst? And does this
[58:01]prevailing narrative tell the whole story? Well, thank you for bringing this up, Caroline. I've seen this CBS report floating around. There's a lot of liberal talking heads and pundits and Democrat-elected politicians who think
[58:13]that this single story and these statistics and the way they are painted is somehow a shot at this administration. It is not. And let me correct the record. Number one, the
[58:23]Trump administration has been clear from day one that any illegal alien present in this country is subject to deportation. However, the priority of course is going after the convicted
[58:34]criminals, the worst of the worst, the murderers, the pedophiles, the rapists in this country. Interestingly, in the CBS story, what the Democrat talking heads on television are not saying is
[58:44]this line. Nearly 60% of ICRSDs over the past year had criminal charges or convictions. And among that population, the majority of the criminal charges or
[58:55]convictions are for nonviolent crimes. Oh, well, what are non-violent crimes, you ask? This has coincided with what DHS has been saying all along, that approximately 70% of illegal aliens
[59:06]arrested under President Trump have pending criminal charges and/or prior convictions. and these so-called nonviolent crimes, drug trafficking, distribution of child porn, burglar,
[59:18]burglary, fraud, DUI, embezzlement, solicitation of a minor, and human smuggling, just to name a few. So, just because a crime is not violent in ma nature doesn't mean that crime is
[59:29]victimless. And I can guarantee every single person who is out there on television right now pointing to these statistics that were taken out of context by CBS News would not want an
[59:40]illegal alien convicted of the distribution of child porn or fraud or DUI living in your community. So the Trump administration will continue our focus on deporting all illegal aliens
[59:51]present in our country with a focus on the worst of the worst criminals. Thank you for being here, Gabe. >> Caroline, thank you. Um, and thank you for the update on our colleague Savannah
[1:00:00]Guthri's uh, mother. Is there anything more you can share? You said the president was reviewing that surveillance footage. What was his initial reaction when seeing those disturbing images? And does he believe
[1:00:11]that that suspect acted alone? >> I haven't uh talked to him specifically about the second point on whether he the suspect acted alone or not. So, I don't want to weigh in uh on [clears throat]
[1:00:22]the president's thinking on that. His initial reaction, of course, as all Americans, is is just pure disgust. Uh, and again, it's heartbreaking to see now this footage really bring to life a
[1:00:33]story we've all been reading about. Uh, and again, we're just praying for the safety of of Nancy Guthrie and that she will return home soon. And the president directed me to to please encourage all
[1:00:44]Americans with any information to call the FBI and we hope that this case will come to a positive resolution as soon as possible. We of course have a lot to talk about and a completely separate topic. I was hoping you can clarify
[1:00:56]something that's come up over the last several days again regarding a separate topic um in Epstein files. Um according to newly released files, the president had a conversation with the Palm Beach
[1:01:08]police chief in the early 2000s. According to the police chief in 2019, um the president has gone on record before and he's told reporters that he said that Jeffrey that he had no idea
[1:01:19]about Jeffrey Epstein's crimes. During this um conversation with the police chief, however, um he did say according to this uh recounting of it that thank goodness you're stopping him. He also
[1:01:31]called the Maxwell evil. So my two questions are did that conversation on the Palm Beach Police Palm Beach Police Chief happen and can you explain the discrepancy? >> What I will say is that the president
[1:01:42]has always remained consistent and that he kicked Jeffrey Epstein out of his club at Mara Lago because frankly Jeffrey Epstein was a creep. And unlike many other people who are named in these
[1:01:53]files, uh President Trump cut off his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein uh and was honest and transparent about that for years and years. And so I think what the president has said all along has
[1:02:03]always remained true. And the release of more than three million documents related to Jeffrey Epstein and his heinous, disgusting crimes just shows the level of transparency that this president and administration has
[1:02:14]committed to uh in in bringing u these files to light. >> But did he call the chief in Caroline? Did he call the chief? >> Look, it was a phone call that may or may not have happened in 2006. I don't
[1:02:26]know the answer to that question. What I'm telling you is that what President Trump has always said is that he kicked Jeffrey Epstein out of his Mara Lago club because Jeffrey Epstein was a creep. Uh, and that remains true. And
[1:02:37]this call, if it did happen, corroborates exactly what President Trump has said from the beginning. And I'm sure many of you when you read that that alleged FBI report probably thought to yourself, "Wow, this really cracks
[1:02:48]our narrative that we've been trying to push about this president for many years." So, uh, we're moving on from that. Reagan, >> thanks, Caroline. Uh, I want to ask you about the Save Act. NBC reported that
[1:02:59]there's some hesitation among House Republicans on adding absentee ballot restrictions into the Save Act. Can you explain what the hesitation is among House Republicans and also just provide
[1:03:11]the status of negotiations with Congress on the legislation? >> Sure. I can't speak for House Republicans, Reagan. I can obviously speak for the president who is poss quite possibly the strongest supporter
[1:03:22]of the Save America Act which as you know uh would require uh proof of citizenship to register to vote. It would require uh proof of identification, a photo identification
[1:03:33]before casting a ballot. Uh and it would also ensure uh that there are exceptions made. I think that's what you're alluding to with these conversations with House Republicans for reasonable
[1:03:43]requests of course for our military uh for individuals who are disabled and cannot make it to the polls. Those are reasonable common sense things that I believe House Republicans are discussing amongst themselves. But as for the
[1:03:53]president, he's been very clear. He wants House Republicans and Democrats too, if they were politically wise to pass this legislation, for the Senate to pass it, to send it to the president's desk so it can be signed into law.
[1:04:04]>> A quick followup. I'm wondering when the last time the president spoke to leader was and if he discussed using the standing filibuster to pass legislation. >> The president has given his position on the standing filibuster. As for his most
[1:04:16]recent conversation with with leader thun, frankly, I'm not sure. I do know they speak very frequently. The president's in constant communication with both leader Thun and the House Speaker Mike Johnson. >> Stephen,
[1:04:27]>> I see we switched up our seating chart. >> You're direct line of sight now. Congratulations. Well, thank you for response association for recognizing the New York Post's reach. Um, I've got two
[1:04:38]questions for you. Um, one about the Guthrie case and then another about infrastructure. Um, on the Guthrie case, uh, does President Trump have a warning to the culprits here about what would
[1:04:49]happen to them, what federal consequences they would face if they do not release Nancy Guthrie unharmed? I think anyone who was involved in this depraved crime, this abduction, uh, of
[1:05:00]course we want to be seen held to the fullest extent of the law possible. >> And on infrastructure, um, can you explain why President Trump asked, uh, Chuck Schumer to help him rename Penn
[1:05:11]Station and Delos Airport after himself? Um, why is he interested in having his name on those two buildings? And uh why are the gateway tunnel funds the proper
[1:05:22]um point of pressure to get that to happen? >> Uh to your first question about the renaming, why not? It was something the president floated in his conversation with uh with Chuck Schumer. As for the funding, the president has addressed
[1:05:33]that separately himself. >> Danny, >> thanks. Um today the the vice president's account uh posted and then deleted a tweet about the Armenian genocide. Um, and then last week,
[1:05:44]President Trump's truth social account, uh, post and then deleted a racist, um, video about the Obamas. Um, and the White House again blamed that on staffer. Wanted to ask you, does the
[1:05:54]White House have a a a social media problem at the moment? Do you have an autoposting problem um, that's leading to these uh, mistakes? >> No. U, as for the Armenian uh, tweet
[1:06:06]that you're referring to, I would just refer you back to the White House's uh, message that was issued on Armenian Remembrance Day. And there's been no change of policy at this time. Mary, >> thanks Caroline. Uh, when the president
[1:06:17]goes to Beijing in the spring, does he have plans to try and advocate on behalf of Jimmy Lie who was just sentenced to 20 years yesterday? >> This is something I've heard the president advocate for both publicly and
[1:06:27]privately had the honor of being in that meeting uh with uh President Trump and President Xi in South Korea that took place and this was brought up by the president himself. Uh it is important to him uh and he looks forward to visiting
[1:06:39]China in April. Caroline, >> go ahead. >> Thanks, Caroline. So, some Republican lawmakers from Nebraska have said they're worried that the Argentinian beef executive order will sideline some American ranchers. How will the Trump
[1:06:51]administration make sure prices go down for consumers without harming those ranchers? >> Of course. Well, both things can happen at the same time. That's the president's belief. He wants to see prices come down. In fact, I just overheard him on
[1:07:02]the phone with Secretary Rollins. They were talking about something different, but he's always saying we got to make sure that prices continue to come down. As you know, Secretary Rollins successfully did that with respect to ice uh egg prices. Cattle uh beef prices
[1:07:14]are coming down uh slightly and the president wants to see that continue. Uh he believes that uh a a minor import to the country with cattle might be a a
[1:07:25]short-term solution uh with respect to bringing down prices, but of course protecting our American cattle and rancher industry is a priority for the president. And he's in touch with those stakeholders. We've had them here at the
[1:07:35]White House a few times in the in recent months to discuss this issue directly. >> Um, John, >> thanks a lot, Caroline. Yesterday, the president on social media threatened to
[1:07:45]block the new Gordy How Bridge, which would connect Detroit to Canada. This is a bridge that was fully paid for by Canada. It used American labor to
[1:07:56]construct it. It used American steel uh to construct that bridge. The president in 2017 was actually in favor of this bridge. Uh part of a joint statement that he put out when he met with the
[1:08:07]Canadian prime minister. Why has the president changed his mind as it relates to this bridge? >> I think the president was very clear and direct in his truth. John, but just to reiterate, the fact that Canada will
[1:08:18]control what crosses the Gordy How Bridge and owns the land on both sides is unacceptable to the president. It's also unacceptable that more of this bridge isn't being built with more
[1:08:28]Americanmade materials. uh even more so than what President Barack Obama committed to with the Canadians at the time at the start of the project. He also believes that the US should own at
[1:08:38]least half of the bridge, have shared authority over what passes across it and participate in the economic benefits generated by its use. This is just another example of President Trump
[1:08:48]putting America's interests first. Uh and so he um made that very clear in his call with Prime Minister Carney earlier today. >> Uh Phil, >> thank you Caroline. Sure. Um, DHS
[1:09:00]Secretary Chrissy No just posted a photo of herself signing the last contract to build a border wall between Laredo, Del Rio, and Big Ben,
[1:09:11]Texas, among reports that construction had stalled. Is the president satisfied with the pace of construction? >> Uh, the president wants to make sure that the full border wall is built as quickly as possible, of course. I know
[1:09:23]this is a priority for him dating back to 2016. And so absolutely he wants to ensure that the border wall is built uh under under uh budget uh and ahead of
[1:09:34]schedule is uh how President Trump likes to view building projects and that includes the build border wall. >> Satisfied with the pace of construction thus far? >> I think the president is never satisfied. He always wants to ensure
[1:09:45]that things are moving along as quickly as possible. But I know Secretary Noom is on it and she's doing a great job. >> Thank you very much. >> You're welcome. Um, sure. Go ahead.
[1:09:54]>> Thank you. On the on the Nancy Guthrie case, is the president satisfied with the federal and local investigation so far? And has there been any more contact from the White House or the president
[1:10:05]with family? >> I don't think anybody will be satisfied until this case is brought to a close and until Nancy Guthrie is returned home safely with her loved ones. >> About the White House contacts, has the president contacted the family since
[1:10:17]>> uh not since that initial phone call. Sure, Tamara. >> Um, thank you. Um, the National Governor's Association is removing a meeting with President Trump from his agenda because only Republicans were
[1:10:28]invited. Is the White House reconsidering inviting Democrats or or do you think Republicans are still going to show up? Like, where does that stand now? >> No, look, I just spoke with the president about this. It is a dinner at
[1:10:40]the White House. Uh, it's the people's house. It's also the president's home. And so, he can invite whomever he wants to dinners and events here at the White House. I believe uh Governor Moore was
[1:10:50]invited last year and he did not show up uh to the dinner last year. Nobody reported on it. Uh but again, the president has the discretion to invite whomever he wants to the White House and he welcomes all those who received an
[1:11:00]invitation to come and if they don't want to, that's their loss. >> And on Gla Maxwell, is the president going to rule out a pardon for her? Uh in her uh testimony deposition
[1:11:12]yesterday, her legal team seemed to be making a case again for a pardon from the president. Again, this is not something I've discussed with the president recently because frankly, it's not a priority. He's focused on uh many
[1:11:23]of the issues that the American people are dealing with and and providing solutions to those issues. U so I haven't spoken with him him recently. Last time we did speak about it, he said it's not something he's considering or thinking about.
[1:11:34]>> Go ahead, Bloomberg. >> Thanks, Caroline. Um uh Secretary Lutnik today was testifying on the Hill and he said that he had visited um Epstein's Island in 2012 with his wife and
[1:11:44]children. Um and that's after he said that he had cut ties with Epstein and uh justice department documents show that he was in contact with Epstein uh through 2018 over messages. So does the
[1:11:56]White House stand behind uh Secretary Lutnik right now or given what he has said today, has there been any shift in how the White House is viewing um Secretary Lutnik's performance?
[1:12:06]>> No, Secretary Lutnik remains a very important member of President Trump's team and the president fully supports the secretary. Uh, I will just point out that there are a lot of winds in the news this week that people in this room
[1:12:17]have not asked about because you continue to ask questions about the same subject. So, let me point them out for you. Again, on Friday, the DAO shattered 50,000 for the first time ever. Uh, this week, the American Society of Plastic
[1:12:28]Surgeons came out in opposition to gender mutilation surgeries for children. They are the first major medical group to do so. A federal appeals court today, nobody asked about that, just upheld the Trump
[1:12:39]administration's policy of detaining illegal aliens. validating the strong measures that have driven illegal crossings to historic lows and sent a crystal clear message that under President Trump, if you enter the
[1:12:51]country illegally, you will be detained and removed. The murder rate, again, not a single question about this, has plunged to a 125-year low as crime falls across the board thanks to President
[1:13:02]Trump's crime crackdown. Uh we also saw this week national median rents have fallen to a 4-year low following six consecutive monthly declines and mortgage affordability has surged to a
[1:13:14]4-year high. Home ownership is the core foundation principle of the American dream. And I will repeat that mortgage affordability this week surged to a four-year high but not a single of
[1:13:24]mention of that in this briefing room today. And again, this came out last Friday, but for an unprecedented ninth straight month, there were zero illegal border crossings at the southern border. So, we're going to get back to business.
[1:13:36]The president is very busy today, and you will see him all tomorrow at the event in the East Room touting his administration's energy policy. Thank you. >> What about
[1:13:45]you? way Heat. Heat.
[1:14:48]>> [music]