Transcript - Remarks: Donald Trump Receives a Military Briefing at The White House - October 23, 2018 | Factba.se

Donald Trump

00:00:00 - 00:00:29 (29 sec)

Thank you very much. This evening I am honored to host America's senior military leaders at the White House. I want to thank Secretary Jim Mattis, Chairman Joseph Dunford, terrific people, and other esteemed military leaders for their distinguished service and sacrifice. And for ensuring that America's military might remains unchallenged, unquestioned and unrivaled.

Donald Trump

00:00:29 - 00:00:53 (24 sec)

And it is that. It is unrivaled, especially with what we've done over the last period of a year. To keep America safe, America's armed forces must remain the most powerful lethal and effective fighting force anywhere on earth. The best way to prevent war is to be certain that no one doubts our capacity to deliver overwhelming force.

Donald Trump

00:00:53 - 00:01:09 (16 sec)

Overwhelming force means you'll probably never have to use the overwhelming force. Over the past 21 months, we have made historic progress, rebuilding our military, streamlining our defenses, and improving our readiness.

Donald Trump

00:01:09 - 00:01:37 (28 sec)

We've achieved record funding for the military. Record by a lot; 700 billion last year and 716 billion dollars this year. These funds are supporting new fighter jets, ships, tanks and a modernized nuclear arsenal, and the largest pay raise for our troops in nearly 10 years. Our military will soon be more powerful than ever before by a long shot.

Donald Trump

00:01:37 - 00:01:58 (21 sec)

We've also greatly increased member contributions to NATO so that other countries are starting to pay much closer to their fair share or in some cases, even their fair share. And many of them are absolutely amazed that they've been put in that position, but they really have to do that and we're grateful to them.

Donald Trump

00:01:58 - 00:02:26 (29 sec)

Last year we took in $44 billion more and this year, it'll be a number even bigger than that, not from us, but from other countries. We've made significant progress in the fight against radical Islamic terrorism. In Syria and Iraq, our brave war fighters have decimated ISIS and we are working to get our regional partners to step up their contributions and take greater responsibility for the future of their own region.

Donald Trump

00:02:26 - 00:02:54 (28 sec)

The United States will continue to deny terrorists any funding, territory, support or means of infiltrating our country. In this effort, we understand that immigration security is a national security, it's about security as a whole, and that includes our borders that you've been reading so much about over the last long period of time, but especially over the last two weeks.

Donald Trump

00:02:54 - 00:03:30 (36 sec)

Under my administration, we are also recognizing both cyber and space as critical war fighting domains just like land, air and sea. In May, we elevated Cyber Command to a unified combatant command, which is a big step. It tells you, we think it's very important Joe, right? It's very, very important. We have published the first national cyber strategy in over a decade and tonight I will hear an update on our progress to create the sixth military branch, the United States space force.

Donald Trump

00:03:30 - 00:03:49 (19 sec)

So, it's where it's at, it's going to be a big part of it. In everything we do, we are guided by one sacred goal to defend, we have to, to defend the safety and sovereignty of our great country and its citizens.

Donald Trump

00:03:49 - 00:04:14 (25 sec)

Each of you here today has devoted your life to this very important mission. Each of you leads the best brightest and bravest in the world, and each of you proudly serves the greatest nation on the face of the earth. We are doing better as an economy than we've ever done before, very important for everyone in this room to understand that, because without economic strength, we can't have military strength.

Donald Trump

00:04:14 - 00:04:30 (16 sec)

And you've know that and you've seen that and you've watched that, because our forces have been very seriously depleted over the last number of years and now they're built up. And they're built up in the proper way with the best equipment in the world all made right here in the USA.

Donald Trump

00:04:30 - 00:04:55 (25 sec)

So I look forward to a productive discussion into joining you all for dinner. We're going to be having dinner after this, I think the media will be allowed to go home. Finally, you can home, you've had a long day. We'll be discussing a lot of different things, especially our forces, but we have the finest people, the finest leaders and the finest equipment anywhere in the world, and it's an honor to have you all.

Donald Trump

00:04:55 - 00:05:07 (12 sec)

Thank you very much, you're, all my friends, most of you. I know very well. Some of you, I know just well, but I want to thank you all and, General, General, great job and thank you very much. I appreciate it. Thank you everybody.

Question

00:05:07 - 00:05:18 (11 sec)

Mr. President, last week there was [Inaudible] an attack -- an attempted assassination of a top U.S. General in Afghanistan. Are you convinced -- or have you discussed your strategy for Afghanistan and are you --

Donald Trump

00:05:18 - 00:05:22 (4 sec)

We have, we have. We discuss it all the time. We discuss it all the time.

Question

00:05:22 - 00:05:22 (0 sec)

Donald Trump

00:05:22 - 00:05:30 (8 sec)

We, we feel very badly about that. It's war, it's a tough business. Right, general? Tough business.

Jim Mattis

00:05:30 - 00:05:31 (1 sec)

Question

00:05:31 - 00:05:39 (8 sec)

Mr. President, you said you believe that Khashoggi's death was a cover up. Does that mean that you don't believe the Saudis' explanation that it was an accident?

Donald Trump

00:05:39 - 00:06:00 (20 sec)

No, however they talked about it, nothing that they've done has gone, has done well. It certainly has not been spoken of properly. They did the wrong thing, and even thinking about the idea. They certainly did a bad job of execution. And they certainly did a bad job of talking about it or covering it up, if you'd like to say that.

Donald Trump

00:06:00 - 00:06:16 (17 sec)

But I would say, it was a total fiasco. From day one, from the thought, whoever put it in their minds that was not a good thought. The process was no good. The execution was no good, and to cover up, if you want to call it, was certainly no good.

Question

00:06:16 - 00:06:18 (2 sec)

Donald Trump

00:06:18 - 00:06:19 (2 sec)

Yes. You have a --

Question

00:06:19 - 00:06:28 (8 sec)

Mr. President, will you be discussing a potential military response to Saudi Arabia and/or the migrant caravan?

Donald Trump

00:06:28 - 00:06:32 (4 sec)

We discuss everything in this room. You'll be the last to know.

Question

00:06:32 - 00:06:33 (2 sec)

What about the migrant caravan?

Donald Trump

00:06:33 - 00:07:00 (27 sec)

Yeah. It's coming up. We'll discuss that too, because we're not going to allow these people to come into our country. You know we have people, millions of people, that have worked for years to come into our country legally,. They work for years. They've gone through all sorts of hell to proudly be a citizen of the United States. And it's taken a long time. They've worked very hard.

Donald Trump

00:07:00 - 00:07:17 (17 sec)

Isn't it really unfair when people can just burst right over our borders and now they end up staying in this great country? Now, one of the things that has happened is we're doing so well economically, that everybody wants a piece of you.You didn't have that two or three and four years ago, or ten years ago.

Donald Trump

00:07:17 - 00:07:34 (16 sec)

But everybody wants a piece of it. But you have to come in legally, and you have to come in through merit. You have big companies coming into our country that would never even thought about it three years ago. We have car companies coming in from Japan, brand-new plants going to be announced soon. They've already announced some of them.

Donald Trump

00:07:34 - 00:07:48 (14 sec)

Going to Michigan, and Ohio, and Pennsylvania, and Kentucky, and North Carolina, and South Carolina. Coming all over our country. Florida. And they need workers. And we want people.

Donald Trump

00:07:48 - 00:08:14 (26 sec)

I think everybody around this table wants to see people come in. We need people, we have 3.7 unemployment, it's the lowest number in many years. Overall, probably the lowest numbers as a whole that we've ever had. African-American, lowest numbers in history. Asian American. You look at any Hispanic American. Lowest numbers, best unemployment numbers ,and best employment numbers in history.

Donald Trump

00:08:14 - 00:08:36 (21 sec)

In this year, we have more people working today than we've ever had working in the history of the United States. Think of that. So with all of this, what happens is a lot of people want to break into the system. We want people coming in, but they have to be Amer-- They have to be merit based and we need those people, because all these companies coming in they need people.

Donald Trump

00:08:36 - 00:08:42 (6 sec)

We need workers. And we look forward to doing something on that, and we will be doing something on that.

Question

00:08:42 - 00:08:46 (4 sec)

Mr. President, what's the bottom line for the creation of Space Force?

Donald Trump

00:08:46 - 00:08:54 (8 sec)

I'd like to ask General Mattis or Joe, maybe I'd like to ask one of you two, or both. How do you feel about it, General?

Jim Mattis

00:08:54 - 00:09:15 (20 sec)

Right now, what we're going to do is set up a combatant command. That's our initial goal. We're working with Congress for the legislation that we'll need to open the door to further organization, but we're not letting any moss grow. We're organizing now for combat and that's why combatant command is underway right now.

Donald Trump

00:09:15 - 00:09:38 (23 sec)

Joe? I think I can say that everybody in this room feels strongly about space force. Everything's necessary, but that's going to be a very important part. It seems to be where it's at and where it's going. Satellites, and I'm not just talking about sending rockets to the moon or sending rockets to Mars, I'm talking about defense and offense.

Donald Trump

00:09:38 - 00:10:00 (22 sec)

So much is going to be a part of space. And we all feel very strongly about it. We're pushing it as hard as we can. And I think we have a good chance next year of officially doing our space force. It's a very, very big thing. It's a legacy for everybody in this room, a very important part of our military, both offense and defense. Yes, go ahead.

Question

00:10:00 - 00:10:10 (10 sec)

Mr. President, when you -- just to clarify, when you're saying that the Saudi execution and cover up murder was a fiasco, are you saying they should have executed it or covered it up better? What did you mean?

Donald Trump

00:10:10 - 00:10:15 (6 sec)

No. I'm saying -- Jeff, you didn't hear me. I'm saying they should have never thought about it.

Question

00:10:15 - 00:10:16 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:10:16 - 00:10:40 (23 sec)

Once they thought about it. Everything else was wrong also, very simple. They should have never thought about it. It should have never been done. But once they thought about it, everything else they did was bad too. The cover-up was horrible, The execution was horrible, but they should have never been at an execution or a cover-up, because it should have never happened. Is that more clear?

Question

00:10:40 - 00:10:40 (0 sec)

Question

00:10:40 - 00:10:46 (6 sec)

Mr. President, if the Crown Prince is implicated, how do you plan to hold them accountable. Do you think he should [Inaudible]

Donald Trump

00:10:46 - 00:11:23 (37 sec)

Well, we'll have to do something, but I will say this. I spoke with the king. I spoke with the Crown Prince yesterday. And he strongly said that he had nothing to do with this. This was at a lower level. We have people right now in Saudi Arabia that are literally just now getting on planes coming back. We have people, very talented people, in Turkey dealing with the top people in Turkey. And we're all meeting tomorrow afternoon, everybody's going to have a lot of information.

Donald Trump

00:11:23 - 00:11:35 (12 sec)

We've gained a lot of information and we'll know pretty much everything there is to know, I believe. It's a very sad event for Saudi Arabia. Very, very sad, Very, very terrible.

Question

00:11:35 - 00:11:43 (8 sec)

Mr. President, at the border, you said that you want to, if you threatened to close the border militarily. What were you thinking about? The National Guard?

Donald Trump

00:11:43 - 00:12:03 (19 sec)

Well, Mexico is working with us. There is a movement toward our country. It's going to be a while before they get here, and this group that is around this table will be involved and others will be involved. We cannot let people come into our country illegally. Just can't do it. You don't have borders, you don't have a country.

Question

00:12:03 - 00:12:05 (2 sec)

But were you thinking about the National Guard? Or --

Donald Trump

00:12:05 - 00:12:17 (12 sec)

Thinking about a lot of things. I'm thinking about, thinking about everything, including the military, not just the National Guard. The military is what I'm thinking about. We can't have people coming into our country illegally.

Donald Trump

00:12:17 - 00:12:32 (15 sec)

It's not fair for a lot of reasons. It's not fair to the people that are here. It's not fair for the people that want to come here. The people that have worked so hard to become a citizen of this country that are waiting online for 10 years. It's not fair to them, not fair to anybody.

Question

00:12:32 - 00:12:34 (3 sec)

What legally could the military do at the border?

Donald Trump

00:12:34 - 00:12:46 (12 sec)

They can do a lot. They're the military. Right, fellows? They're the military. They can do a lot. Ok, thank you very much everybody. Appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you.