Transcript - Press Gaggle: Donald Trump Speaks to the Press Before Air Force One Departure - November 5, 2018 | Factba.se

Donald Trump

00:00:00 - 00:00:11 (12 sec)

Hello, folks. So we're going to Ohio. We're going to Indiana. We're going to Missouri. And I think we're going to have a very good day. They're packed houses. Every one of them is packed.

Donald Trump

00:00:11 - 00:00:25 (13 sec)

And there is a great electricity in the air. I don't know if you report it that way, but there's a great electricity in the air, like we haven't seen, in my opinion, since the '16 election. So something is happening. We'll see.

Donald Trump

00:00:25 - 00:00:35 (11 sec)

But I think we're going to do very well, and you're going to have three very exciting stops. We'll be doing three major speeches in front of big crowds -- very big crowds.

Question

00:00:35 - 00:00:44 (9 sec)

Sir, can you tell us a little bit about your meeting with President Putin in Paris? What are you expecting from that meeting, sir?

Donald Trump

00:00:44 - 00:01:01 (16 sec)

Well, we haven't set anything up yet. We don't know that that's going to be the right place. I'm going to be in Paris for other reasons. But we will be meeting at the G20. And probably we'll have meetings after that -- probably plenty of meetings.

Donald Trump

00:01:01 - 00:01:11 (10 sec)

Getting along with Russia, China, and all of them would be a good thing; I've said it for a long time. So we'll have plenty of meetings. But I'm not sure that we'll have a meeting in Paris -- probably not.

Question

00:01:11 - 00:01:19 (8 sec)

Several of the networks have declined to run your immigration ad that you posted last week, saying that it was potentially too racist. Do you have a response to that?

Donald Trump

00:01:19 - 00:01:27 (8 sec)

I don't know about it. I mean, you're telling me something I don't know about. We have a lot of ads. And they certainly are effective, based on the numbers that we're seeing.

Question

00:01:27 - 00:01:33 (7 sec)

Mr. President, a lot of folks have said that ad was offensive. Why did you like that ad? What were you trying to accomplish with it?

Donald Trump

00:01:33 - 00:01:38 (5 sec)

Well, a lot of things are offensive. Your questions are offensive a lot of times -- so, you know.

Question

00:01:38 - 00:01:44 (6 sec)

Mr. President, what about the idea that this midterm election is more about your style as President than anything else?

Donald Trump

00:01:44 - 00:02:03 (19 sec)

Well, I don't think so. But, I mean, I'm willing to accept that. I think we're doing well. I think the Senate -- we're doing very well. And I think we're going to do very well in the House. If you look, over a hundred years, for whatever reason, the party with the President doesn't do very well. I think we're going to do pretty well.

Donald Trump

00:02:03 - 00:02:24 (21 sec)

I have never seen -- look, you're covering me. The energy that we have, the energy that this whole party has now, it's really incredible. Whether it's the great economy, or the immigration -- our strong stand and their very weak stand, where they have open borders, which, to me, means nothing but crime -- I don't know. But I can tell you that there's a lot of energy.

Question

00:02:24 - 00:02:28 (4 sec)

Mr. President, if you lose the House, what's your strategy to get funding for the border wall?

Donald Trump

00:02:28 - 00:02:42 (14 sec)

Well, we'll see what it is. I mean, we're going to see what happens. And I have a feeling that others will want to get things done. And right now, we're before the election. But after the election, I would imagine other people will want to get things done. We'll see.

Question

00:02:42 - 00:02:46 (4 sec)

Mr. President, what proof do you have that people are intending to illegally vote in the midterms?

Donald Trump

00:02:46 - 00:03:06 (20 sec)

Just take a look. All you have to do is go around, take a look at what's happened over the years, and you'll see. There are a lot of people -- a lot of people -- my opinion, and based on proof -- that try and get in illegally and actually vote illegally. So we just want to let them know that there will be prosecutions at the highest level.

Question

00:03:06 - 00:03:12 (6 sec)

Iran sanctions. Why did you decide to give some countries waivers on the oil -- on Iranian oil?

Donald Trump

00:03:12 - 00:03:32 (20 sec)

With the oil, it's very interesting. We have the toughest sanctions ever imposed. But on oil, we want to go a little bit slower because I don't want to drive the oil prices in the world -- this has nothing to do with Iran -- I don't want to drive the oil prices in the world up. So I'm not looking to be a great hero and bring it down to zero immediately.

Donald Trump

00:03:32 - 00:03:39 (7 sec)

I could get the Iran oil down to zero immediately, but it would cause a shock to the market. I don't want to lift oil prices.

Donald Trump

00:03:39 - 00:03:47 (8 sec)

And if you notice, oil prices are going down very substantially, despite the fact that already half of their capacity is gone.

Donald Trump

00:03:47 - 00:04:01 (14 sec)

But I don't want to do that. I saw some people saying, "Oh, why aren't you tougher on that?" Well, number one, the sanctions are very tough. Number two, I don't want to lift the oil prices worldwide by clamping down 100 percent. It will be a gradual.

Question

00:04:01 - 00:04:06 (5 sec)

How soon will we see changes in your administration after the midterms? You said Jeff Sessions would probably leave after the midterms?

Donald Trump

00:04:06 - 00:04:14 (8 sec)

Well, everything -- yeah. Administrations make changes, usually after midterms. And probably, we'll be right in that category, too. I think it's very customary.

Question

00:04:14 - 00:04:15 (1 sec)

Any timeline, though, on when your Attorney General --

Donald Trump

00:04:15 - 00:04:28 (13 sec)

No timeline. No, no timeline. I really -- I mean, for the most part, I love my Cabinet. We have some really talented people. Look at the deals we're making on trade. Look at the job we've done in so many different things, including foreign affairs.

Donald Trump

00:04:28 - 00:04:32 (4 sec)

I mean, we've done -- we've done record-setting work. I don't know that we get the credit for it, but that's okay.

Question

00:04:32 - 00:04:37 (4 sec)

How's your U.N. search coming for your U.N. Ambassador, sir? How's that search going?

Donald Trump

00:04:37 - 00:04:42 (6 sec)

Very good. I'll announce before the end of the week. The U.N. Ambassador -- I will announce before the end of the week.

Question

00:04:42 - 00:04:46 (3 sec)

Sir, do you plan to make a change to Secretary of Defense?

Donald Trump

00:04:46 - 00:04:47 (1 sec)

Why would I do that?

Question

00:04:47 - 00:04:48 (2 sec)

That's one of the --

Donald Trump

00:04:48 - 00:04:53 (5 sec)

Oh, I don't know, is that the new rumor? No. No, I don't at all.

Question

00:04:53 - 00:04:55 (2 sec)

What about Secretary Zinke?

Donald Trump

00:04:55 - 00:04:58 (3 sec)

I was surprised by that question. I hadn't heard that one.

Question

00:04:58 - 00:05:00 (2 sec)

What do you think of Secretary Zinke's [Inaudible]?

Donald Trump

00:05:00 - 00:05:03 (4 sec)

Well, I think he's done a very good job. I do think he's done a very good job.

Question

00:05:03 - 00:05:06 (3 sec)

Are you troubled by some of the things you've read and seen about him?

Donald Trump

00:05:06 - 00:05:19 (12 sec)

Well, I haven't seen it yet, but I'll take a look. I'm going to look at any reports. I'll take a look. Certainly, I would not be happy with that at all. But I will take a look. But he's done a very good job as Secretary.

Donald Trump

00:05:19 - 00:05:21 (2 sec)

Okay? Thank you. See you.