Remarks in an Exchange With Reporters Prior to Departure for Harrison Township, Michigan

The President. Okay. Hello, everybody.

We're going to a great State that we won very big, Michigan, and we're going to have an Air Force base that's not going to be closing. We're going to keep it open for the people of Michigan and for our country. And I look forward to that some of you are going and some of you aren't.

Any questions?

[At this point, several reporters began asking questions at once.]

Amazon.com President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of the Board Jeffrey P. Bezos

Q. What did you say to Jeff Bezos? What did you say to Jeff Bezos?

Q. How did your call with Jeff Bezos go?

The President. Great. Jeff Bezos was very nice. He was terrific. He solved the problem very quickly, and he did the right thing. And he's a good guy.

[Several reporters spoke at once.]

China-U.S. Trade

Q. Have you spoken to President Xi? Is there an update on negotiations with China?

The President. No. Not an update, no. Not an update.

[Several reporters spoke at once.]

News Media

Q. Mr. President, sir, Jordan Conradson with the Gateway Pundit. I wanted to get your response on the leftist media. They're trying to hide the mug shots that are featured on the front lawn of the rapists, murderers, pedophiles. What do you think of that? Aren't they proving to be the enemy of the people?

The President. Well, I guess they are. I guess they are, right? Thank you. Who are you with?

Q. I like your hat, by the way.

The President. Who are you with?

Q. The Gateway Pundit, sir.

The President. Oh.

[Several reporters spoke at once.]

The President's Legislative Agenda

Q. Mr. President, what is your message to Republicans on the Hill who seem not to be on board with your political agenda? What do you say to them?

The President. Oh, I think they're going to be all on board. I think the Republicans are really with us. We have the big, beautiful deal. It's moving along, and I think we're going to have it taken care of. I think they'll all be there.

[Several reporters spoke at once.]

Q. Tell us about your——

Q. Will you end the IRS?

Tariffs/U.S. Automobile Industry

Q. Tell us about your decision to—on the auto tariffs, sir.

The President. We just wanted to help them during this little transition, short term. And during this little—if they can't get parts—you know, it has to do with a very small percentage. If they can't get parts, we didn't want to penalize them. And during—they have a 1-year period, and then they have an extra year, but it's for a very, very small part of the car. But basically, they're paying 25 percent. All right.

[Several reporters spoke at once.]

Amazon.com President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of the Board Jeffrey P. Bezos

Q. Mr. President, what was your message to Jeff Bezos? What did you say exactly? And what's your message for all retailers, who could do, possibly, the same thing?

The President. Yes, nothing that—really, he's a good guy. I've gotten to know him over the last couple of years, and he's done a fantastic job. So I appreciated what he did.

[Several reporters spoke at once.]

The President. Hello. How are you?

[The President pretended to swing a golf club.]

Q. There you go.

The President. How's your game?

The President's First 100 Days in Office/The President's Legislative Agenda

Q. You're going to give this speech in Michigan. You're going to list the accomplishments of the administration.

The President. Yes.

Q. If there was one big thing you really wanted to have happen in the first 100 days but didn't, what would it be?

The President. Well, I think we're—either we've done everything or it's in the process of being done.

For instance, the border is in great shape. Ninety-nine point nine percent came out again today. Ninety-nine point nine. That—I would say that was my number-one thing.

The economy would be certainly right up there, and I think it's doing great. We were losing billions and billions of dollars a day with trade, and now I have that down to a very low level, and soon we're going to be making a lot of money. We're going to be reducing people's taxes.

And we're going to get the big—look, a very important element that we're working on now, maybe more important than anything, with the border in good shape—

Q. [Inaudible.]

The President. ——is the fact—excuse me—is the fact that we want to get—and very importantly—the big, beautiful, new deal. If we get that done, that's the biggest thing—what's happening in Congress right now.

And I think we're going to get it done. We have great Republican support. If the Democrats blocked it, you'd have a 60-percent tax increase. I don't think that's going to happen. We have great support from Republicans.

So the big, beautiful deal. That's what we want, the bill.

[Several reporters spoke at once.]

The President's Legislative Agenda

Q. Do you think that will be the biggest focus in the next hundred days?

The President. I think the next period of time, I think, my biggest focus will be on Congress, with the—with the deal that we're working on. That will be the biggest bill in the history of our country, in terms of tax cuts and regulation cuts and other things.

[Several reporters spoke at once.]

Selection of the Next Pope

Q. Mr. President, who would you like to see as pope?

Q. Mr. President, what's your reaction with the Canadian election?

Q. Who would you like—Mr. President, who would you like to see as pope? Do you have anyone in mind?

The President. As Pope?

Q. Yeah.

The President. I'd like to be Pope. That would be my number-one choice.

Q. What's your second choice?

The President. No, I don't know. I have no preference. I must say, we have a Cardinal that happens to be out of a place called New York who's very good. So we'll see what happens.

[Several reporters spoke at once.]

Go ahead.

Africa/The President's Schedule

Q. Yes, Mr. President, you are doing so much for Africa. This—you are the first President that in the first 100 days focused on Africa for the first time in the history of this country. Are you planning, maybe in the future, visit the continent?

The President. Sure. I would do that. I would do that. Absolutely.

[Several reporters spoke at once.]

Q. Will you go to Angola, Mr. President?

Q. Will you speak to the Prime Minister of Australia?

The President. Yes, go ahead.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia

Q. Will you speak to the Prime Minister of Australia at all?

[Several reporters spoke at once.]

The Australian Prime Minister is having an election this weekend.

The President. Yes.

Q. Will you speak to him about trade?

The President. They are calling, and I will be talking to him, yes.

[Several reporters spoke at once.]

Tariffs/U.S. Automobile Industry

Q. Did you have to do something with the tariffs on automobiles? Were you worried about the automobiles? Is that why you——

The President. No. No, not all. We're just giving them a little chance because, in some cases, they can't get the parts fast enough. So this is just a little transition. It's 15 percent for 1 year and—and just 10 percent for another. It's a little bit, and it has to do—that's only the percentage of parts on the car. So it's a little bit of help for people that will be doing a great job. And these are all people, for the most part, that are building plants and will be working here. So it's a little transition.

[Several reporters spoke at once.]

Q. [Inaudible.]

The President. Go ahead. What?

India-U.S. Trade

Q. About India. So you're expecting——

The President. India is coming along great. I think we'll have a deal with India. The Prime Minister, as you know, was here 3 weeks ago, and they want to make a deal. We'll see what happens.

Thank you. Thank you.