Remarks in an Exchange With Reporters Prior to Departure for London, United Kingdom

The President. I just signed Stephen Miran's commission, so he is now on the Fed. I'm going to call him in a few minutes from the helicopter. And he's a good man. Most of you know him. He's very talented.

He'll have a big influence on the—on "Too Late" getting his rates down, I guess. Who knows? You never know with Too Late. But he's done a lousy job. Rates—the rate should be much lower—much, much lower.

But I just signed his document and all of the papers, and Steve Miran is now on.

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

Q. Do you believe in the independence on the Federal Reserve?

Gaza, Palestinian Territories

Q. Israel's ground offensive is now underway in Gaza City. Your reaction, sir?

The President. Well, we're going to see what happens, because I hear Hamas is trying to use the old human shield deal. And if they do that, they're going to be in big trouble. They're going to be in big trouble.

They put it out 2 days ago that they're going to use the hostages as human shields. That's something that hasn't done for a long time, you know?

[Several reporters spoke at once.]

Q. [Inaudible]

The President. Let me tell you, if Hamas—if they do that, they're in big trouble.

[Several reporters spoke at once.]

Federal Reserve System

Q. On the Federal Reserve. Who do you believe the Federal Reserve is an independent body? What do you think about the independence of the Fed?

The President. Oh, it should be. It should be. But I think they should listen to smart people, like me. I think I have a better instinct than him. If you look, all the economists got it wrong. I got it right, along with one other people out of a hundred.

So they should listen to people that are smart. Nothing wrong with that. But they have to make their own choice. But they should listen.

Israeli Military Operations in Gaza

Q. Did you talk to Netanyahu? Before the invasion, did you speak to Prime Minister Netanyahu, sir?

The President. No, I didn't.

Q. What about the idea of Israel beginning this ground offensive in Gaza City? Do you support that?

The President. Well, I have to see. I mean, I don't know too much about it. I could tell you that if they put the hostages in front of them—Hamas—as protection—I'd—they call them "bodyguards"—Hamas is going to have hell to pay.

[Several reporters spoke at once.]

The President. Yes.

The President's State Visit to the United Kingdom

Q. Your trip to the U.K.—your trip to the U.K. today, what do you hope to achieve?

The President. Well, my relationship is very good with the U.K. And Charles, as you know, who's now King, is my friend. And it's the first time this has ever happened where somebody was honored twice, so it's a great honor.

And this one's at Windsor. They've never used Windsor Castle for this before. They used Buckingham Palace. And I don't want to say one's better than the other, but they say Windsor Castle is the ultimate, right? So it's going to be nice.

But basically, I'm there also on trade. They want to see if they can refine the trade deal a little bit. We made a deal, and it's a great deal, and I'm into helping them.

Our country is doing very well. We've never done this well. We're making—we're having trillions of dollars coming because of the tariffs. They'd like to see if they could get a little bit better deal. So we'll talk to them.

But primarily, it's to be with Prince Charles and Camilla. They're friends of mine for a long time, long before he was King. And it's an honor to have him as King. And you know, he's a—I think he represents the country so well. I've watched. He's such an elegant gentleman, and he represents the country so well.

Death of Actor Robert Redford

Q. Actor Robert Redford passed away today. Did you hear about that?

The President. Oh, he did. Wow.

Q. In—apparently——

The President. Wow.

Q. ——in his sleep at his home.

The President. Well, that's a good way to go, I guess. But I'll tell you, Robert Redford was great. He had a series of years that he was—there was nobody better. This just happened, I guess, huh?

Q. Yes.

The President. Wow.

Q. He died in his home in Utah in his sleep.

The President. Yes.

Q. And what movie would you say you liked him best in?

The President. That's—[inaudible]. Well, you have a lot of them. Honestly, he made—I'd say he made seven or eight great movies. They were really great. There was a period of time when he was the hottest. I thought he was great.

Q. On TikTok. On TikTok. Will TikTok go dark?

Q. Kash Patel——

TikTok/China-U.S. Trade

Q. Are you going to delay the TikTok ban?

The President. Well, we have a deal on TikTok. I've reached a deal with China. I'm going to speak to President Xi on Friday to confirm everything up. We made a very good trade deal and, I hope, good for both countries. But a very different deal than they've made in the past.

Ownership of TikTok

Q. What companies are involved? What companies are going to buy TikTok?

The President. We'll be announcing that. We have a group of very big companies that want to buy it. And you know, the kids wanted it so badly. I had parents calling me up. They don't want it for themselves. They want it for their kids. They say if I don't get it done, they're in big trouble with their kids.

And I think it's great. I like—I hate to see value like that thrown out the window.

U.S. Automobile Industry/Tariffs/European Union

Q. So, on auto tariffs. Can I ask you—so, auto executives——

The President. And you know, you're talking about tens of billions of dollars of value.

Q. [Inaudible]—some auto executives are concerned that compromising the 15 percent for auto tariffs coming in hurts American automakers. What do you say to——

The President. Well, I haven't compromised anything. Where did I compromise?

Q. Going down to 15 percent from 25.

The President. Going down to 15 percent?

Q. From 25—from 25——

The President. We charged—we charged—well, and where does the 25 come from?

[The President pointed to his head.]

It came from there. You tell me.

[Several reporters spoke at once.]

Q. Some foreign auto executives—some auto executives——

The President. Just so you know, they paid nothing for years. Now they're paying 15 percent. And some things can pay more, like chips could pay more. Pharmaceuticals could pay more. You know, there's a bigger margin.

With a car, you have to make 15 percent before you make a profit. It's pretty tough. So——

[Several reporters spoke at once.]

——but we had a good deal.

Don't forget, European Union is paying our country, because of tariffs, $950 billion. Think of that. We're talking about a year—$950 billion. Japan is paying us $650 billion.

These are companies—these are countries that paid us nothing until I came along. And China is paying us a tremendous tariff. You know what the tariff is, right? You know what the tariff they're paying is?

Q. Yes.

The President. What?

Q. So it's 30 percent for the fentanyl, as well as whatever for the 301s.

The President. Twenty percent for the fentanyl.

Q. Twenty percent.

The President. But the overall is about 55 percent. Okay? That's as opposed to nothing. Would you say that's a difference?

Q. Do they get the money?

The President. No, we are—we have a big decision coming up, and if the Supreme Court rules the way, hopefully, they will—because, I mean, every legal expert said we win that case, but you still have to watch. And the Supreme Court has been terrific. They—you know, I think they're very fair. All I want is fairness and we win.

But if we win the Supreme Court case, which is the finalization of tariffs, we will be by far the richest country anywhere in the world, and we'll be able to help our people more and we'll be able to help other countries when we want to.

But I will say, if we win that case, our country—you see what we've taken in just on a temporary basis. We've taken in trillions of dollars—trillions with a "t." And we will be by far the richest country in the world. There'll be nothing close.

[Several reporters spoke at once.]

And you know, one other thing: We'll have tremendous power to negotiate. The use of tariffs—I settled seven wars. Four of them was because I was able to use tariffs.

[Several reporters spoke at once.]

Gap Between Executive and Average Employee Pay

Q. Pope Leo, the other day—Pope Leo, the other day in an interview criticized the fact that some CEOs make hundreds of times more in salary than average workers. He's worried about polarization.

The President. Yes.

Q. Do you share that concern?

The President. Well, I do say there's a big gap. I do say that. [Laughter] Don't forget, I'm a popularist. I—there's a big gap.

[Several reporters spoke at once.]

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine/President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin of Russia

Q. Mr. President, it's been a month since your meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

The President. Yes.

Q. A month on, do you think that meeting accomplished what you hoped it would?

The President. Yes, it accomplished a lot, but it takes two to tango, also. You know, those are two people, Zelenskyy and Putin, that hate each other. And it looks like I have to sit in the room with them because they can't sit in a room together. There's great hatred there.

But no, that meeting accomplished a lot.

Attorney General Pamela J. Bondi/Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kashyap P. "Kash" Patel/Tariffs

Q. Mr. President, do you still have complete confidence in Kash Patel? And what are you hoping to comes from his testimony on the Hill today?

The President. Well, first of all, I think that Pam Bondi has done an unbelievable job, and everybody agrees with that.

And Kash, I—you know, if you look—take a look at what he did with respect to this horrible person that he just captured. He did it in 2 days. It took other, similar cases 4 days, 5 days—4 years, if you look at certain shooters.

No, I have felt—I have confidence in everybody in the administration. My administration—and a lot of people are saying it, not just me—it's, so far, the best administration ever formed.

You look at our financial people. Our country is making a fortune. We have to keep tariffs, because our country has become successful because of tariffs. We have the case in the Supreme Court. That's a very vital case for the success of our country. It's very vital to negotiate with other countries.

And remember, other countries charge us tariffs. That's a very, very big case. And if we win that case, our country will be by far the richest country anywhere in the world. And then we can help our people. We'll get rid of debt, we'll get rid of everything. We can help our people, and we can even help other countries where they need it.

Venezuela/U.S. Airstrikes on Tren de Aragua Vessels in the Caribbean Sea

Q. Mr. President, narcotics in Venezuela—narcotics in Venezuela. President Maduro in Venezuela says that you're getting ready to invade his country. What is your message to him?

The President. Well, I would say this. Right away, stop sending Tren de Aragua into the United States. Stop sending drugs into the United States. We knocked off, actually, three boats, not two—but you saw two.

And the problem is there are very few boats out in the water. There are not a lot of boats out in the water. I can't imagine why—not even fishing boats. [Laughter] There's nobody. Nobody wants to go take a fish. So it's one of those things.

But, I would say to him very strongly: Stop sending people from your prisons into our country. They're sending their prisoners. They've done that already. So the numbers just came out—another month with zero people getting into our country.

And these are figures, Jon [Jonathan Karl, ABC News], with people like you that would like me to do badly.

[Several reporters spoke at once.]

Nobody has ever done on the border like I've done.

Ukraine/Russian Oil and Gas Supply

Q. Mr. President, what will you tell President Zelenskyy if you meet with him in New York? What will you tell him?

The President. Well, he's going to have to get going and make a deal. He's going to have to make a deal. Zelenskyy is going to have to make a deal, and Europe has to stop buying oil from Russia. Okay? You know, they talk, but they have to stop buying oil from Russia.

The President's Personal Wealth/White House Ballroom Construction/Australia

Q. President Trump, you're generally regarded to be the wealthiest man who's ever occupied the White House.

The President. I hope so.

Q. How much wealthier are you now than when you returned to the White House?

The President. Well, I don't know. The deals I made, for the most part, other than what my kids are doing—you know, they're running my business—but most of the deals that I've made were made before, and that's what I've done for a life. I've built buildings like I'm building a building here.

Q. [Inaudible]

The President. You know where I'm building—you know what—you see that area?

Q. Yes.

The President. That is going to be the greatest ballroom anywhere in the world.

And for 150—so, it gives me pleasure to do it for the country. And I'm paying for it. I'm paying for it. The country is not—and that's an expensive ballroom.

Q. But is it appropriate——

The President. I think it will cost $250 million, and it will be the—I think, the finest ballroom.

So, for 150 years, Jon—do you know this?—they've wanted a ballroom, and now they're going to finally have it, and it's going to knock your socks off.

Q. But is it appropriate, President Trump, that a President in office should be engaged in so much business activity?

The President. Well, I'm really not. My kids are running the business. I'm here.

Q. But you are also——

The President. Do you know what the activity—where are you from?

Q. I'm from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation——

The President. Oh, okay.

Q. ——Four Corners program.

The President. Well, the Australia—you're hurting Australia right—in my opinion, you are hurting Australia very much right now.

Q. But, President——

The President. And they want to get along with me. You know, your leader is coming over to see me very soon.

Q. But, President Trump——

The President. I'm going to tell him about you. You set a very bad tone.

Go ahead, Jon.

Q. Well, okay. But——

Q. Okay. So——

Q. ——when the U.A.E. does a deal like that——

The President. Maybe you can—you can set a nicer tone.

Q. So—excuse me. Excuse me.

Q. When the U.A.E. does a deal——

Q. Mr.—excuse me.

Q. ——what do you want in return?

The President. Quiet.

Gaza, Palestinian Territories/Hostages Held in Gaza, Palestinian Territories/Israeli Military Operations

Q. Mr. President, what are you hearing about the operation in Gaza, the Israeli operation? Are you concerned?

The President. Well, I'm hearing that they want to go in. And I'm also hearing that Hamas wants to take our 20 hostages, plus dead bodies—you know that?—about 32 of them——

Q. Yes.

The President. ——and they want to put them in the way of any attack. And nobody's happy about that situation. It came out yesterday. I'm sure you saw that.

Q. Yes.

The President. They want to—supposedly, they're taking the hostages out of deep caves and tunnels, and they're bringing and putting them on the front line. That's—nobody's heard of that one for a few centuries.

Q. You saw that the U.N. said that Israel is guilty of genocide, that they're committing acts of genocide in Gaza.

The President. They voted on that?

Q. They have a new report out saying multiple acts of genocide——

The President. We'll have to see. When it comes to a vote, we'll see what happens. That'll come to a vote, but we'll see what happens.

Freedom of Speech/News Media/Crime in U.S. Cities

Q. And what do you make of Pam Bondi saying she's going to go after hate speech? Is that—I mean, a lot of people—a lot of your allies say——

The President. Well——

Q. ——hate speech is free speech.

The President. ——we'll probably go after people like you because you treat me so unfairly. It's hate. You have a lot of hate in your heart. Maybe they'll come after ABC.

Q. Would that be appropriate?

The President. Well, ABC paid me $16 million recently for a form of hate speech. Right? Your company paid me $16 million dollars for a form of hate speech. So maybe they'll have to go after you.

Look, we want everything to be fair. It hasn't been fair, and the radical left has done tremendous damage to the country, but we're fixing it.

We have, right now, the hottest country anywhere in the world. And remember, one year ago, our country was dead. And now Washington, DC, is—DC is fixed, and I fixed it. The mayor was fine. The mayor—the mayor was just fine. Okay? The Mayor had the—a sick city for many years. She's been Mayor for many years. The one that fixed it was me and my people, and it is so safe.

You should take your beautiful wife tonight and have dinner down there. You won't be shot. You won't be accosted. You won't even be looked at incorrectly by anybody. Washington, DC, is safe.

Now we're going to Memphis, where it's pretty rough, to put it mildly. And then we're going to have to go—a friend of mine who is a big railroader—he stops in all the cities. He knows every city. He said, "Sir, you have to save Chicago."

So I'm going to go to Chicago early against Pritzker. Pritzker—Pritzker is nothing. If Pritzker was smart, he'd say, "Please, come in."

So, last week—over the last week and a half, 11 people in Chicago were killed—murdered—and 38 were shot. And then Pritzker—and, by the way, this is going on constantly. If they lose less than six or seven people a week with murder, they're doing a great job, in their opinion. Chicago is a death trap, and I'm going to make it just like I did with DC, just like I'll do with—with Memphis.

Now, remember this. So a man comes into my office, one of the biggest businessmen. I'll tell you, he runs Union Pacific. Is that big? Biggest railroad in the world, I guess. And he started off as a railroader. He was running a railroad, a little caboose. He was in a caboose. Now he runs the whole damn thing. Forty-five years ago, he started off in a caboose—I don't know what that's all about—and he became the top. So that's a good place to start.

But he came in. He knows the country intimately. He's looking to do a merger by another railroad, the one that—where it had the little problem in East Palestine, right? And they want to buy that railroad, as you know. It's pretty public.

But I sat with him, and I talked. I said, "So you know every city." "Yes, sir. I go into every city, and I have for 45 years." I said, "Where would you go next?"

He said, "St. Louis is in big trouble." He said: "But Chicago is a great city. You can save Chicago, sir. Don't let Chicago die." This is a guy telling me, with great knowledge and smarts. He said, "Don't let Chicago die, sir. It's dying. Don't let it die."

I'm going to Chicago next.

[Several reporters spoke at once.]

Q. The U.A.E., the U.A.E., Mr. President——

Assassination of Turning Point U.S.A. Founder and Executive Director Charles J. Kirk in Orem, Utah

Q. Mr. President, do you hope Federal charges are filed in the——

The President. Yes, what?

Q. Do you hope that Federal charges are filed in Charlie Kirk's killing?

The President. Well, I just want something to happen, whether it's Federal, State. Most likely—it's going to be State. The question is whether or not we overlap with a Federal charge. So they're looking at that.

But the state is very competent. The Governor is doing a very good job. As you know, they have the death penalty. It's a tough death penalty, too, as you know, but they have the death penalty.

So, as to whether or not we charge—we will be working with them. We may or may not be able to charge.

Political Violence

Q. And when it comes to the Governor of Utah, what do you make of his overall message of nonviolence in the wake of the killing?

The President. Well, I agree with it. I agree a hundred percent, but most of the violence is on the left.

Role of Social Media in Radicalization

Q. He said that social media is a cancer.

The President. What?

Q. Do you agree with that?

The President. He said what——

Q. The Utah Governor said that social media is a cancer, and more people should log off and take some time away.

The President. Well, it's not a cancer in all respects. In some respects, it's great. But there are segments—there are deep, dark holes that are cancerous, absolutely. Beyond cancer, they're death.

[Several reporters spoke at once.]

District Attorney Fani T. Willis of Fulton County, Georgia

Q. The Georgia Supreme Court this morning denied Fani Willis's appeal of your case, removing her from the case there. Do you have any response to that?

The President. Well, that was a great decision. It was a rigged case to start off with. It's great. The court just ruled that she is a disaster. She was a disaster with her boyfriend—the boyfriend that she paid a billion dollars for his expertise, but he never did it before.

No, she should be prosecuted. She was a—what she did to people—forget about me—what Fani Willis did to innocent people—patriots that love our country—what she did to them by indicting them and destroying them, she should be put in jail. She's a criminal. Fani——

Q. Mr. President——

The President. Fani Willis is a criminal.

Go ahead.

Europe/Russian Oil and Gas Supply

Q. Will you apply more pressure to EU and NATO countries not to purchase Russian oil?

The President. I do. But here's the problem. You know the problem. They're purchasing Russian oil. I don't want them purchasing Russian oil, and they've got to stop immediately. It's not fair to us. They're purchasing Russian oil, and we have to, you know, do things.

Now, the nice part? We don't—it doesn't cost us anything anymore. You know that. They're paying—they are buying everything from us. Unlike Biden, who gave away $350 billion, we actually make money. But I don't want to make money. You know what I want? I want that war to stop. Because last week, 7,018 people got killed.

Thank you very much.

Ukraine/Russia

Q. Mr. President, Kharkiv was targeted today, just now. You announced 70 Patriots in Ukraine two months ago.

The President. Where are you from?

Q. Ukraine.

The President. Good.

Q. Will they come? And do you know when they will come? The Patriots, I mean.

The President. What—who come? Who?

Q. The Patriots. You announced 70 Patriots to Ukraine 2 months ago.

The President. Okay. Look, let me just tell you—look, I love Ukraine. I love the people of Ukraine. That's why I asked. I thought that was a little Ukrainian accent.

But the country is in serious trouble. It should have never happened. It's a war that should have never happened. The country is in very serious trouble. But I'm going to get it stopped.

I've done seven—seven countries. I've stopped seven wars in the last 8 months. I'm going to—I thought that would have been the easiest, because I know Putin, but it's not because there's tremendous hatred between Zelenskyy and—tremendous hatred between Zelenskyy and Putin. But we're going to get it stopped.

Q. How soon will you go to the Supreme Court to stop Lisa Cook?