Remarks in an Exchange With Reporters Prior to Departure for Mount Vernon, Virginia

The President. Hello, everybody.

Attorney General Pamela J. Bondi

Q. Are you criticizing Pam Bondi?

Q. Are you mad at Pam Bondi?

The President. No, I just want people to act. They have to act. And we want to act fast.

You know, they were ruthless and vicious. I was impeached twice. I was indicted five times. It turned out to be a fake deal. And we have to act fast. One way or the other—one way or the other: They're guilty, they're not guilty. We have to act fast. If they're not guilty, that's fine. If they are guilty or if they should be charged, they should be charged. And we have to do it now.

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

White House Border Czar Thomas D. Homan

Q. Did you see the reporting on Tom Homan——

The President. No, I haven't.

United Nations General Assembly/The President's Schedule

Q. ——accepting—okay.

On UNGA, for the U.N., can you say which leaders you're going to meet with at the U.N.?

The President. I'm going to meet with a lot of the leaders at the U.N., but one of—probably 20. Everybody wants to meet, but I'm one person. But we're going to meet with quite a few of the leaders.

Q. Anyone you can name specifically?

The President. Well, I'm going to meet with some of the majors.

ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Program Host Jimmy Kimmel

Q. Mr. President, did anybody from your administration pressure ABC to suspend Jimmy Kimmel?

The President. No, not at all. I think Jimmy Kimmel is terrible. You know what suspended him? His talent. You know what else is—really, what—take a look at this guy, his ratings. That's what got Jimmy Kimmel out. He was terrible.

And didn't he lose—I saw a report where ABC lost millions of dollars with him. So that's what suspended Jimmy Kimmel.

[Several reporters spoke at once.]

Estonia/Russian Military Activity

Q. Have you been briefed about Estonia? And how are you going to respond to Russian—[inaudible]?

The President. No, I haven't been briefed on it yet.

[Several reporters spoke at once.]

Federal Government Appropriations/Democratic Party

Q. Will you meet with Democratic leaders to talk about how to avert a shutdown?

The President. Well, I will. But they don't care about crime. They want to keep men in women's sports. They want all this stuff. They don't change. They haven't learned from the biggest beating they've ever taken, just about.

I'd love to meet with them, but I don't think it's going to have any impact.

The President's Schedule

Q. But you will, sir?

The President. Huh?

Q. But you will, sir? You will meet with Democratic leaders?

The President. I'd love to meet with them if they want to meet.

Network Television Licensing

Q. Mr. President, could coverage you don't like be grounds for losing a broadcast license?

The President. Well, I think when a network is dishonest, certainly if they are dishonest—because they give you 97 percent bad publicity—or whatever it is, some ridiculous number—yeah, I would say that would be grounds. Yes.

Q. So are you asking Brendan Carr to——

Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan

Q. Are you willing to rule out U.S. boots on the ground to get Bagram back?

The President. We won't talk about that, but we're talking now to Afghanistan, and we want it back, and we want it back soon. Right away.

And if they don't do it——

Q. Are you willing to rule out U.S. boots on the ground?

The President. If they don't do it, you're going to find out what I'm going to do.

Q. So you want Brendan Carr to take——

TikTok Ownership and Governance

Q. [Inaudible]—what day will they sign a deal on TikTok? And what—

The President. We're moving along. We have great American patriots that are buying it. Very, very substantial people, people that love our country. And they're very smart technologically, and they will not let anything bad happen to TikTok.

Q. On the seventh seat, sir, will there be an American in that seventh seat on the TikTok board?

The President. Say it?

Q. There's six seats for Americans. What nationality will that seventh seat be?

The President. Well, we're going to see. We're going to announce that over the next week, who the seventh will be.

Q. Mr. President, are you tired of winning yet?

The President. You get tired of winning, but not that tired.

Thank you very much.