Photo of Donald Trump

Remarks in an Exchange With Reporters Prior to Departure for Camp David, Maryland

May 01, 2020

The President. So I'll be going to Camp David for a working weekend. We're going to be spending a lot of time with meetings and phone calls and some foreign leaders. So we look forward to that, and we'll be back very soon. I guess we're doing something pretty big on Sunday night at the Lincoln Memorial. That will be very nice. But we'll be back soon, and I think some of you will be traveling out around the area where I'm going. But we'll be at Camp David for a working weekend.

Q. [Inaudible]—heard from Kim Jong Un?

North Korea

Q. So the North Korean leader just surfaced at a fertilizer plant in North Korea. Do you know about this? Anything you can tell us about him?

The President. Yes, I rather not comment on it yet—Kim Jong Un. We'll have something to say about it at the appropriate time.

Q. Can you at least confirm that he's alive?

Brazil

Q. As a friend to the Brazilian President, would you advise him to support social distancing?

The President. I think he's doing a very good job. He's a great friend of mine. And the President is doing really well in Brazil. We're very proud of him.

Q. How about the situation with the coronavirus in Brazil? Are you worried?

The President. Well, they have a—they've been hit hard. Brazil has been hit very hard. But you have a President that's doing a very good job.

Q. Mr. President, Mr.——

North Korea

Q. Mr. President, do you know that Kim is alive? Can you at least say that?

The President. I don't want to talk about it now.

Q. Mr. President——

Brazil

Q. Are you going to be talking to him this weekend?

The President. I may.

Coronavirus Outbreak in China

Q. You talked about potential tariffs on China yesterday. Is that something that's under serious consideration?

The President. So we're going to see what happens. A lot of things are happening with respect to China. We're not happy, obviously, with what happened. This is a bad situation. All over the world—182 countries. But we'll be having a lot to say about that. We're—it's certainly an option. It's certainly an option, John [John Roberts, Fox News].

Q. You said that you have a good relationship?

Q. Mr. President, are you going to be social distancing——

The President. It's certainly an option.

Social Distancing

Q. Are you going to be social distancing during your work weekend?

The President. Yes, I will.

Georgia/Resumption of Economic and Commercial Activity

Q. Can I ask you a quick question about reopening, Mr. President? A week ago, you said you were not happy with Governor Kemp about opening up in Georgia. While there have been——

The President. I didn't say that, John. I said I didn't like the particular place—a spa, a tattoo parlor.

No, no, I think it's wonderful. I want to see us open safely, but I didn't like spas and tattoo parlors, and I wasn't thrilled about that. But I did—I said nothing about Georgia, other than that.

I like the States opening. They will be opening. They're going to open safely and quickly, I hope, because we have to get our country back.

Thank you. Thank you.

NOTE: The President spoke at 5:24 p.m. on the South Lawn at the White House prior to boarding Marine One. In his remarks, he referred to Chairman of the State Affairs Commission Kim Jong Un of North Korea; and President Jair Messias Bolsonaro of Brazil.

Donald J. Trump, Remarks in an Exchange With Reporters Prior to Departure for Camp David, Maryland Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/341911

Filed Under

Categories

Attributes

Location

Washington, DC

Simple Search of Our Archives