Remarks in an Exchange With Reporters Prior to Departure for New York City

Q. Mr. President——

Q. Mr. President, are you threatening to go to war with Chicago?

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

Chicago, Illinois/Use of Military Personnel in U.S. Cities

Q. Mr. President, are you declaring war on Chicago?

Q. Are you threatening to go to——

The President. Well, we'll clean up Chicago.

Q. Are you threatening to go to war with Chicago?

The President. No, no. That's just—that's just fake news. When you say that, darling, that's fake news.

Q. Well, then why use the Department of Defense?

The President. I don't go to war—listen. Be quiet. Listen. You don't listen. You never listen. That's why you're second rate.

We're not going to war. We're going to clean up our cities. We're going to clean them up so they don't kill five people every weekend. That's not war. That's common sense.

[Several reporters spoke at once.]

Russia

Q. Mr. President, are you ready—are you ready to move to the second phase—are you ready to move to the second phase of sanctions against Russia——

The President. Yes, I am. Yes.

Q. ——or punishing Putin?

Q. How was your call with the Prime Minister—[inaudible]?

[Several reporters spoke at once.]

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Q. Mr. President, what do you think of all the establishment attacks on RFK, Jr.?

The President. Well, he's a different kind of a guy. He's got a lot of good ideas, but he's got a lot of ideas. You know, normally, they don't have any ideas, and that's why we have problems with autism and so many other things. Because we're coming up with the answers for autism. You watch. We're coming up with the answers for other things that normal people, regular people, easy-to-get-along-with people wouldn't be able to do. He's got a lot of ideas and so do I, and we're going to clean it up.

[Several reporters spoke at once.]

Chicago, Illinois/Use of Military Personnel in U.S. Cities

Q. Mr. President, why target Chicago and Boston when there are cities——

The President. Why?

Q. ——in red States with higher crime rates?

The President. Let me ask you—yes, yes, yes. Really? Higher than Chicago? You know how——

Q. There are. Like Memphis and St. Louis.

The President. Excuse me. Excuse me. Do you know how many people were killed in Chicago last weekend? Eight. Do you know how many people were killed in Chicago the week before? Seven. Do you know how many people were wounded? Seventy-four people were wounded. You think there's worse than that? I don't think so.

[Several reporters spoke at once.]

Lebanon

Q. A question about the—a question about Lebanon. Hizballah refuses to hand over its weapons to the Lebanese Government. What do——

The President. Who? Who does?

Q. The Iran ally Hizballah refuses to hand over its weapons——

The President. We'll respond to that later.

[Several reporters spoke at once.]

Q. Mr. President, South Korea—South Korea—can you talk about——

Venezuela

Q. Mr. President, are you considering—are you considering attacking the cartels inside of Venezuela? You attack——

The President. Well, you're going to find out. You're going to find out.

[Several reporters spoke at once.]

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba of Japan

Q. [Inaudible]—announced he's stepping down. What do you——

The President. Say it.

Q. Japanese Prime Minister has announced that he's going to step down and—[inaudible]——

The President. I don't know anything about that.

[Several reporters spoke at once.]

Q. Ishiba, Ishiba——

Q. [Inaudible]—been arrested——

President Kasym-Zhomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan

Q. Mr. President, what do you think about Kazakhstan? Are you going to visit this Central Asian country?

The President. I may. I had a great conversation with him. Say hello to him. He's a good man.

Thank you.