Transcript - Press Gaggle: Donald Trump Speaks to the Press Before Marine One Departure - October 11, 2019 | Factba.se

Donald Trump

00:00:00 - 00:00:26 (26 sec)

So, we just made what, I guess, is one of the biggest deals that's been made in a long time, with China. The Vice Premier has just left my office. We have a great deal. We're papering it now. Over the next three or four or five weeks, hopefully it'll get finished. A tremendous benefit to our farmers, technology, and many other things -- the banking industry, financial services.

Donald Trump

00:00:26 - 00:00:49 (23 sec)

And, I guess, by now, you know pretty much we've had a very, very good couple of days with China. And it looks like that deal is very much on it's on way. It'll be the largest deal ever made for farmers. We're talking about a $40 [Billion] to $50 billion purchase and other things. I mean, it's an incredible deal for farmers.

Donald Trump

00:00:49 - 00:00:56 (7 sec)

I think they'll have to go out and buy more land and buy bigger tractors. So, we'll hopefully get that done pretty quickly.

Question

00:00:56 - 00:01:04 (8 sec)

Mr. President, you have -- you have been bombed today. Our Special Forces were bombed by the Turks. Are we going to take sanctions against the Turks?

Donald Trump

00:01:04 - 00:01:07 (3 sec)

Well, we'll take a look at it. We'll take a look at it.

Question

00:01:07 - 00:01:15 (8 sec)

President Trump, sir. Thank you, sir. On the farmers, on that deal, is this a one-year deal or have they agreed to multi-year purchases in ag?

Donald Trump

00:01:15 - 00:01:33 (19 sec)

This will go a long time into the future. This a buy. This is a very big buy. It's two years, but it'll go a long time into the future. The biggest deal made was $16 billion and this could be $50 [Billion]. So this is many times more, many times bigger than any deal ever made for the farmers.

Question

00:01:33 - 00:01:36 (3 sec)

And do you expect them to keep their word this time?

Donald Trump

00:01:36 - 00:01:37 (1 sec)

Question

00:01:37 - 00:01:40 (3 sec)

Do you trust them to keep their word this time on the purchases?

Donald Trump

00:01:40 - 00:01:44 (5 sec)

Oh, they'll keep their word. China is going to keep their word. They want to make the deal. They're going to keep their word.

Question

00:01:44 - 00:01:50 (6 sec)

President Trump, is Rudy Giuliani still your personal attorney? Is Rudy Giuliani still your personal attorney?

Donald Trump

00:01:50 - 00:01:58 (8 sec)

Well, I don't know. I haven't spoken to Rudy. I spoke to him yesterday, briefly. He's a very good attorney, and he has been my attorney. Yeah, sure. Steve.

Question

00:01:58 - 00:02:04 (6 sec)

A question on China. Are you prepared to take Huawei off of the entity list in a later phase?

Donald Trump

00:02:04 - 00:02:22 (18 sec)

Well, we're looking at it. We didn't discuss that, Steve, on this deal -- Huawei. We didn't discuss it, having to do with phase one. This is phase one of an either phase two or phase three deal. So we haven't discussed Huawei, relative to this deal. So basically, the status will remain the same.

Question

00:02:22 - 00:02:23 (1 sec)

Question

00:02:23 - 00:02:30 (7 sec)

On Maria Yovanovitch, sir. On Maria Yovanovitch -- did you put pressure to have her fire the Ambassador to Ukraine -- Yovanovitch?

Donald Trump

00:02:30 - 00:02:32 (2 sec)

Well, she may be a wonderful woman. I don't know her --

Question

00:02:32 - 00:02:33 (1 sec)

Did you pressure them?

Donald Trump

00:02:33 - 00:02:46 (13 sec)

-- but she may be very much a wonderful woman. If you remember the phone call I had with the President -- the new President -- he didn't speak favorably. But I just don't know her. She may be a wonderful woman.

Question

00:02:46 - 00:02:59 (13 sec)

If the Chinese make lifting Huawei's restrictions -- taking Huawei off the blacklist -- a condition of the phase two deal, would you consider doing that?

Donald Trump

00:02:59 - 00:03:19 (20 sec)

Well, I'm not going to talk about it now, because we're just starting the negotiation of phase two. We'll actually begin as soon as we're finished papering phase one. But phase one, it's one of the biggest deals ever made -- and unbelievable for technology, unbelievable for the banking industry and services, and for the farmers.

Donald Trump

00:03:19 - 00:03:20 (2 sec)

It's -- there's never been anything like it.

Question

00:03:20 - 00:03:22 (1 sec)

What do you think about Huawei?

Donald Trump

00:03:22 - 00:03:25 (4 sec)

Well, we're going to see what happens. We're going to be discussing that in phase two.

Question

00:03:25 - 00:03:28 (2 sec)

Do you want to fire the whistleblower?

Donald Trump

00:03:28 - 00:03:28 (1 sec)

Question

00:03:28 - 00:03:30 (1 sec)

Do you want to fire the whistleblower?

Donald Trump

00:03:30 - 00:03:34 (5 sec)

Well, the whistleblower has been very inaccurate. The whistleblower -- I don't know what kind of a whistleblower --

Question

00:03:34 - 00:03:36 (1 sec)

Then why don't you fire the whistleblower?

Donald Trump

00:03:36 - 00:03:58 (22 sec)

The whistleblower reported a totally different conversation than I had. I released a transcript of my conversation -- an exact transcript. And the whistleblower didn't say that. The whistleblower is either saying untruths, okay? Or he didn't know. Or he's making up a story, like Schiff did. Schiff made up a story.

Donald Trump

00:03:58 - 00:04:16 (18 sec)

Because when Schiff read what I actually said, he said, "I can't say this because he did nothing wrong." So Schiff went out and he made up a lie. He made up a -- it was a fraudulent story. You know that. You know that better than anybody. You're a good lawyer. And, frankly, he went out. He made up a fraudulent story.

Donald Trump

00:04:16 - 00:04:40 (24 sec)

He then went before the U.S. Congress and the American people, and he reported a fraudulent story. Now, Schiff -- something should happen to Schiff for that. He shouldn't have immunity for that. Why should Schiff be given immunity when he goes out and he says a story about the President of the United States -- what the President said -- and it bears no relationship?

Donald Trump

00:04:40 - 00:04:51 (11 sec)

In fact, every word was different. And I'll tell you what: I can't believe that a congressman could be that dishonest and can have immunity from that. Steve.

Question

00:04:51 - 00:05:00 (10 sec)

I just have a question about Turkey. Are you -- how serious are you about being a mediator between the Kurds and the Turks?

Donald Trump

00:05:00 - 00:05:26 (26 sec)

So, Turkey and the Kurds have been fighting for hundreds of years. We are out of there. But we have a tremendous financial strength, which I've helped a lot with, because our country has become much stronger since I've been President, by many trillions of dollars. And if Turkey does something that they shouldn't be doing, we will put on sanctions the likes of which very few countries have ever seen before.

Donald Trump

00:05:26 - 00:05:26 (0 sec)

Question

00:05:26 - 00:05:35 (9 sec)

Mr. President, did you or your administration pressure Fox News to get rid of Shepard Smith?

Donald Trump

00:05:35 - 00:05:37 (2 sec)

No, I don't know. Is he leaving?

Question

00:05:37 - 00:05:37 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:05:37 - 00:05:39 (1 sec)

Oh, that's a shame.

Question

00:05:39 - 00:05:41 (3 sec)

Then why did Bill Barr meet with Rupert Murdock the other night?

Donald Trump

00:05:41 - 00:05:45 (4 sec)

That I don't know. Wait -- did I hear Shepard Smith is leaving?

Question

00:05:45 - 00:05:46 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:05:46 - 00:05:48 (2 sec)

Is he leaving because of bad ratings?

Question

00:05:48 - 00:05:48 (1 sec)

You'd have to ask him.

Donald Trump

00:05:48 - 00:05:54 (5 sec)

Tell me. I don't know. He has terrible ratings. Is he leaving because of his ratings?

Question

00:05:54 - 00:05:55 (1 sec)

You have to ask him.

Donald Trump

00:05:55 - 00:05:58 (3 sec)

I mean, if he's leaving, I assume he is leaving because he had bad ratings.

Question

00:05:58 - 00:05:59 (1 sec)

But you didn't put any pressure on anybody?

Donald Trump

00:05:59 - 00:06:03 (5 sec)

He had the worst ratings on Fox, so there's a reason -- why is Shepard Smith leaving?

Question

00:06:03 - 00:06:05 (2 sec)

You'd have to ask him, Mr. President.

Donald Trump

00:06:05 - 00:06:06 (1 sec)

Well, I wish him well.

Question

00:06:06 - 00:06:10 (4 sec)

The Attornery General -- the Attorney General meeting with Rupert --

Donald Trump

00:06:10 - 00:06:12 (2 sec)

I wish -- I wish Shepard Smith well.

Question

00:06:12 - 00:06:19 (8 sec)

Mr. President, why haven't you asked your Justice Department to investigate Hunter Biden if he has acted so improperly?

Donald Trump

00:06:19 - 00:06:42 (23 sec)

I think Hunter Biden is a disgrace. You know, the number-one T-shirt selling right now is, "Where's Hunter?" I came up with that one last night. And, by the way, we had a record-setting -- last night, as you saw -- rally. That was a rally like few other rallies. And now I'm going to Louisiana. And we're taking the Little League World Champions -- I think World Champions.

Donald Trump

00:06:42 - 00:06:48 (6 sec)

And they're going to be on the plane. They're from Louisiana. And they're flying with me. We just had pictures in the White House.

Question

00:06:48 - 00:06:52 (4 sec)

Will you ask your Justice Department to investigate Hunter Biden then?

Donald Trump

00:06:52 - 00:07:15 (22 sec)

I haven't asked that, no. But a lot of people should be asking, perhaps. I have not asked it. Hunter Biden walked away with a billion and a half dollars from China, $168,000 a month from Ukraine -- supposedly a $3 million payment from Ukraine. Have I asked? No. But I can't imagine that somebody isn't asking.

Question

00:07:15 - 00:07:28 (13 sec)

President Trump, your letter to Nancy Pelosi does not seem to be working. Many people are testifying. Do you need a new legal strategy?

Donald Trump

00:07:28 - 00:07:57 (29 sec)

The whole thing that they're doing is a hoax to try and win an election that they're not going to win in 2020. You look at the phone conversation I had with the President of Ukraine; it was perfect. The only thing that wasn't perfect was the fraud that was committed on the American people in Congress when Schiff got up. And instead of reading what was said, word-for-word, exact -- when Schiff got up and he lied and he defrauded the American public by making up a conversation.

Donald Trump

00:07:57 - 00:08:17 (20 sec)

He made it up. So let me just tell you that the whole -- this whole Ukraine story is a hoax. And yesterday -- I know you don't like to report it, but I might as well say it: The President of Ukraine said loud and clear that the conversation was absolutely a perfect conversation, that there was no problem with it whatsoever.

Question

00:08:17 - 00:08:26 (9 sec)

Mr. President, on Turkey, one detail -- on Turkey, sir. You've said many times the sanctions could kick in if Turkey does something they shouldn't do.

Donald Trump

00:08:26 - 00:08:27 (1 sec)

Question

00:08:27 - 00:08:31 (4 sec)

What is the red line Turkey should not cross to avoid sanctions?

Donald Trump

00:08:31 - 00:08:32 (1 sec)

Well, we'll see.

Question

00:08:32 - 00:08:35 (3 sec)

Like what? An example.

Donald Trump

00:08:35 - 00:08:55 (20 sec)

We'll see. We have a good relationship with Turkey. They're a NATO partner. We do a lot of trade with Turkey. But we don't want them killing a lot of people. And, you know, we have been out of there. We beat ISIS. We knocked the hell out of them. We took a hundred percent of the caliphate. We did our job.

Donald Trump

00:08:55 - 00:09:18 (23 sec)

But we have a lot of power, financially. And I've built something here. Over the last three and a half years, if you take a look -- take a look at what's been happening to the United States over the last almost three years. You take a look at the economic power that we've created. We've gone up -- in fact, the Vice Premier of China just said -- we've gone up trillions of dollars.

Donald Trump

00:09:18 - 00:09:23 (5 sec)

China has gone down trillions of dollars. If we have to use sanctions, we will on Turkey.

Question

00:09:23 - 00:09:30 (8 sec)

Mr. President, why are you sending more troops to Saudi Arabia when you just said it's a mistake to be in the Middle East?

Donald Trump

00:09:30 - 00:09:52 (22 sec)

So we're sending more troops to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is a very good ally, from the standpoint that we get along with them very well -- a very important player in the Middle East. The relationship has been very good. And they buy hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of merchandise from us, not only military equipment.

Donald Trump

00:09:52 - 00:10:20 (28 sec)

In military equipment, about $110 billion. It's millions of jobs. Now, with that being said, we are sending troops and other things to the Middle East to help Saudi Arabia. But are you ready? Saudi Arabia, at my request, has agreed to pay us for everything we're doing. That's a first. But Saudi Arabia -- and other countries, too, now -- but Saudi Arabia has agreed to pay us for everything we're doing to help them.

Donald Trump

00:10:20 - 00:10:22 (2 sec)

And we appreciate that.

Question

00:10:22 - 00:10:33 (11 sec)

Mr. President, about your tax returns. You lost in court today about your tax returns --

Donald Trump

00:10:33 - 00:10:34 (2 sec)

It's all right.

Question

00:10:34 - 00:10:37 (3 sec)

If Pelosi starts impeachment, will you still object?

Question

00:10:37 - 00:10:39 (2 sec)

Three court losses today. Any --

Donald Trump

00:10:39 - 00:10:40 (1 sec)

Question

00:10:40 - 00:10:42 (2 sec)

Three court losses today. Any reaction to that?

Donald Trump

00:10:42 - 00:10:42 (0 sec)

Question

00:10:42 - 00:10:46 (3 sec)

On immigration and taxes, turning over your taxes to --

Donald Trump

00:10:46 - 00:11:01 (15 sec)

We lost immigration? I haven't heard that. We'll win. We'll turn -- we'll -- you know how many cases I've lost and then we win? Okay, remember they said I lost ban -- the travel ban? And then they said I lost it again, and then I ended up winning it. So, I've -- I've had a great -- I've had a great track record.

Donald Trump

00:11:01 - 00:11:13 (13 sec)

And right now, within a couple of weeks, we will have 160 judges. And within a couple of months, we'll have 182 federal judges. And we are breaking records like nobody has ever seen in that regard, as you know.

Question

00:11:13 - 00:11:15 (2 sec)

Do you support administration officials --

Donald Trump

00:11:15 - 00:11:18 (3 sec)

Do you agree? Do you agree? A hundred and eighty-two. Do you agree?

Question

00:11:18 - 00:11:19 (1 sec)

Do you support administration officials --

Donald Trump

00:11:19 - 00:11:20 (1 sec)

You got to say yes.

Question

00:11:20 - 00:11:22 (2 sec)

-- testifying under subpoena?

Donald Trump

00:11:22 - 00:11:23 (2 sec)

Your father would say yes.

Question

00:11:23 - 00:11:30 (6 sec)

You agreed to hold off on the tariff increase next week, correct?

Donald Trump

00:11:30 - 00:11:33 (4 sec)

We're going to hold off on the 5 percent increase from 25 to 30 [Percent].

Question

00:11:33 - 00:11:38 (5 sec)

And what specific concessions did you get from the Chinese in exchange for that?

Donald Trump

00:11:38 - 00:12:08 (30 sec)

Well, if you look at the deal, the deal is so incredible. The deal is a great deal. And I have to say it again: The farmers -- it's going to be $50 billion dollars' worth of purchase. The most they've ever done was $16 [Billion]. So the farmers in Iowa, Nebraska, and all of these other great states that I love and that obviously like me a lot, too, they're going to have to buy more land fast and bigger tractors or they're not going to be able to keep up with the order.

Donald Trump

00:12:08 - 00:12:31 (23 sec)

Also, China, over the last two weeks, as you've probably seen, has been buying a lot of farm product. A lot of farm product. So, we're agreeing not to put that additional increase. So we're going to get 25 percent. And when the increase kicks in on October 15th, on the 25 to 30 [Percent], we're not going to charge that.

Donald Trump

00:12:31 - 00:12:35 (3 sec)

That's going to be held in abeyance, subject to the final deal.

Question

00:12:35 - 00:12:37 (3 sec)

Any other concessions from the Chinese, other than agriculture?

Donald Trump

00:12:37 - 00:12:58 (21 sec)

Well, it's basically everything I said. I don't have to go through it. But tremendous for banking, tremendous for technology. Beyond tremendous for the American farmer and rancher. Tremendous deal. Have a good time. See you in Louisiana. We're going -- we're going now -- we're going now to Louisiana. We're going to have a great rally.

Donald Trump

00:12:58 - 00:13:00 (1 sec)

I hope you're going to come. Okay?