Remarks in an Exchange with Reporters Following a Visit with Local Firefighters in Nantucket, Massachusetts

Q: Can you comment on the Walmart shooting, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT: I'm sick and tired of these shootings. We should have much stricter gun laws.

Q: We can't hear you.

Q: We can't hear you.

(The President moves closer to the press.)

Q: Happy Thanksgiving.

Q: Happy Thanksgiving, Mr. President.

THE PRESIDENT: Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Look, the idea that we're not enforcing red-flag laws, period, just based on knowledge, not on parents saying or a loved one saying you should arrest this person now for his own sake, is ridiculous.  

We got one of the first red-flag laws in the state of Delaware, and my son Beau was the one enforcing it. And it made a lot of difference. It saves lives. So that's number one. 

Number two, the idea -- the idea we still allow semiautomatic weapons to be purchased is sick. It's just sick. It has no, no social redeeming value. Zero. None. Not a single, solitary rationale for it except profit for the gun manufacturers.

Q: Can you do anything about gun laws during the lame duck, sir?

THE PRESIDENT: I'm going to try. 

Q: What will you try and do?

THE PRESIDENT: I'm going to try to get rid of assault weapons.

Q: During the lame duck?

THE PRESIDENT: I'm going to do it whenever I -- I got to make that assessment as I get in and start counting the votes.

Q: Can you give your assessment on whether Ukraine aid will need to be topped up in the lame duck?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, yes. Matter of fact, I just had another drawdown. I signed another drawdown of over $300 million. And there's no time -- this is no time to walk away from Ukraine. Not at all. 

Now, we had a lot of talk in this last election about whether the other team is going to continue to support Ukraine, and I still believe there's enough support there that we can continue -- 

Q: Are you involved in the railroad negotiations? Can you talk about what the holdup is, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT: I can't because it's in the middle of negotiations still. But my --

Q: Have you been in touch with the parties?

Q: Are you involved?

THE PRESIDENT: My team has been in touch with all the parties, in rooms with the parties. And I have -- I have not directly engaged yet because we go -- they're still talking.

Q: The oil price cap, sir -- will that come together?

Q: When will you get your annual physical, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT: What, do you think I need it? (Laughter.)

Q: You just had a birthday.

THE PRESIDENT: (Laughs.) I've gotten my -- I will get -- part of my physical is already done, and I'll be getting it before the end of the year.

Q: Have you talked to Secretary Yellen about the oil price cap talk, sir?

THE PRESIDENT: Yes. And it's in play.

Thank you.