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he said to me on the spot is my first question to him was, cap hip hop a vehicle for telling and kind of very large complex story? will educate you about. he did on the spot. it is very dense and rapid. it has rhymed and things, internal runs code word play. different devices that are very important to the success show. >> sunday night on c-span q and.

>> president obama is on a trip to the united kingdom, which included a lunch with the queen and a meeting with british prime minister, david cameron. after their meeting, they held a joint press conference where they talk about an upcoming referendum on britain's membership in the european union. president obama made an impassioned plea to britain to heed the prime minister's call tuesday in the european union. this is about half an hour.

prime minister cameron: good afternoon and welcome. it is great to welcome president obama on his fifth visit to the united kingdom. barack has been president for more than seven years. i have been prime minister for nearly six years. and our two countries have been working together through some of the most difficult and troubled global times. we faced the aftermath of the banking crisis, the need to revive growth and create jobs in our economies, new threats to our security from russia in the east to the rise of islamic terrorism in the south. and, of course, huge global

challenges like ebola and climate change. through it all, the strong and essential partnership between our nations has never been more important. when 70 years ago last month, winston churchill first described the special relationship, it was not merely an enduring expression of friendship. it was a way of working together. it was about two nations, kindred spirits who share the same values and so often the same approaches to the many issues we face. and just as for our predecessors, that has been true for barack and me. whether we are working to deliver economic security, national security, or new emerging challenges. today, we have been discussing all three.

on economic security, we have succeeded in getting our economies growing and creating jobs for our people. the global economy still faces serious challenges. last year britain and the united states were the two fastest-growing major economies in the world. and we both know just how important trade deals are in driving global growth. so barack and i remain the most determined to achieve our vision of a u.s.-e.u. trade deal. we are working hard to push this forward because it would add billions to our economies and set the standards for the rest of the world to follow. on national security, together with our partners in the e.u., we have used our economic muscle to avoid the calamity of the an iranian nuclear weapon. we have delivered sanctions against russia in response to aggression against ukraine. we've secured the first ever legally binding deal on climate change. being formally signed today by over 150 governments at the united nations. and we have transformed the way

we use our aid, and our military together to make progress and -- on some of the most difficult issues of our time. for example, in east africa, we have helped to turn around the prospects for somalia. for instance, thanks to an e.u. operation, led by britain, its waters are no longer a safe haven for pirates. in west africa, british leadership in europe secured one billion euros to help the people to defeat the outbreak of ebola with britain taking the lead in sierra leone, the united states in liberia and guinea. just as we made progress in these areas, so there are many more that need a lot more work. there is no doubt that the situation in libya is challenging but we now finally have a government of national accord with whom we can work. while in syria and iraq, we are continuing coalition efforts to defeat daesh. more than 25,000 daesh fighters have been killed. with the total number of

fighters now estimated to be at its lowest for about two years. the iraqi security forces are steadily pushing daesh out of its territory. in syria, our partners have liberated the large kurdish areas in the northeast and cut off the main road between raka and mosul. we also discussed the migration crisis which does not directly affect the united states. in the u.k., we have maintained our borders and we will continue to do so, but we both know the challenge this poses to our friends and allies into the continent of europe. this is the sort of challenge that can only be tackled effectively through international cooperation. nato is helping to reduce the number of migrants in the eastern mediterranean and barack and i have discussed how nato might now contribute to the e.u.'s efforts in the central mediterranean. we also need to do more to break

the business model of the people smugglers. together with our partners and the libyan government, we will look at whether there is more we can do to strengthen the libyan coast guard. barack and i will discuss this further when we meet with the leaders in hanover on monday. and this will be another opportunity to show how working together collectively we can better protect ourselves from the threats that we face. we also covered a number of emerging challenges that it is more important than ever that we work together to identify problems and deal with the rapidly. just as we have done with ebola, we now need the same international cooperation on dealing with the zika virus. on the challenge of antimicrobial resistance, on cyber security, and on tackling corruption. britain is holding a big summit in london next month. secretary kerry will attend. and barack and i have talked today about some of things we want to achieve. one of the biggest problems as -- is if you are a country that wants to take action against corruption, you have to go all around the globe to lobby for help. so, we would like to see an international coordination center to help law enforcement

agencies and investigators work together across different jurisdictions. if we get an international agreement this next month, both britain and america will contribute to set it up. all this work we have done together and at the same time i think we got to know each other very well. i'm honored to have barack as a friend. he has taught me the rules of basketball, beaten me a table -- me at table tennis. i remember the barbecue we had at number 10 downing street. serving servicemen and women who serve our countries together here and in the united kingdom. i've always found barack someone who gives sage advice. he is a man with a very good heart. and he has been a very good friend and always will be a good friend, i know, to the united kingdom. let me finish by saying this -- in all the areas we have discussed today, our collective power and reach is amplified by britain's membership in the european union.

let me be clear, when it comes to the special relationship between our two countries, there is no greater enthusiasm from me. i am very proud to have the opportunity to be prime minister and to stand outside the white house with my friend, and a that the special relationship has never been stronger. i've never felt constrained in any way and strengthening this relationship by the fact that we are in the european union. quite the reverse. we deliver for a people for all the international groups we are part of. we enhance our security to the mentorship of nato, further a prosperity through the g-7 and g-20. like those organizations, britain's membership of the e.u. gives us a powerful tool to deliver on the prosperity and security that our people need and to stand up for the values that are countries share. now i think is the time to stay true to those values and to stick together with our friends and allies in europe and around the world. thank you very much.

barack. president obama: as always, it is wonderful to be here in london. and to meet with my good friend, david cameron. i confess i have also come back to wish her majesty, the queen, a very happy 90th birthday. earlier today, michelle and i had the honor to join her majesty and his royal highness the duke of edinburgh as their guests, where we reconveyed the good wishes of the american people. i have to say i have never been driven by a duke of edinburgh before. [laughter] and i can report that it was very smooth riding. as for her majesty, the queen's been a source of inspiration for me. she is truly one of my favorite people. should we be fortunate enough to reach 90, may we be as vibrant as she is. she is an astonishing person and a real jewel to the world, and not just to the united kingdom. the alliance between the united states and the united kingdom is one of the oldest and one of the strongest the world has ever known. when the u.s. and the u.k. stand

together, we make our countries more secure, our people more prosperous, and we make the world safer and better. that is one of the reasons why my first overseas visit as president more than seven years ago was here to london. at a time of global crisis. and the one thing i knew as green as i was as a new president, was that it was absolutely vital that the united states and the united kingdom, working together in an international forum, tackle the challenges that lie ahead. our success depended on our ability to coordinate and be be able to leverage our relationship to have an impact on other countries. i met with david on that visit. he was not yet prime minister, but just as our nations share a special relationship, david and i have shared an extraordinary partnership. he has proven to be a great friend and is one of my closest and most trusted partners. over the six years or so that our terms have overlapped, we have met or spoken more times than i can count.

we have shared our country's beers with each other. he vouches for his. i felt -- vouch for mine. taken him to a basketball game in america. you should recall we were partners in a ping-pong game. we lost to some schoolchildren. i can't remember whether they were 8 or 10, but they were decidedly shorter than we were. and they whooped us. samantha and michelle have become good friends as well. and it is the depth and breadth of that special relationship that has helped us tackle some of the most daunting challenges of our time. around the world, our joint efforts have stopped the outbreak of ebola, helped iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. forged a climate agreement in paris that hopefully will help to protect our planet for future generations. and today, on earth day, our governments, along with 170

others, are in new york to sign that agreement. the u.s. is committed to formally joining it this year, which should help it take effect years earlier than anybody expected. we also discussed the full array of challenges to our shared security. we remain resolute in our efforts to prevent terrorist attacks against our people and to continue the progress we've made in rolling back and ultimately defeating isil. our forces are systematically degrading isil's finances as -- and safe havens and removing its leaders from the battlefield. and we need to keep working to improve security and information sharing across europe and to stem the flow of foreign fighters into and out of syria. we discussed our efforts to resolve critical conflicts in

the middle east from yemen to syria to libya. in order to increase prospects for stability. in libya going forward, we have an opportunity to support a new government and help the libyans root out extremist elements. in syria, as challenging as it is, we still need to see more progress towards an enduring cease-fire and we continue to push for greater humanitarian access to the people who need it most. we have to continue to invest in nato so that we can meet our overseas commitments from afghanistan to the aegean. we have to resolve the conflict in ukraine. and reassure allies against russian aggression.

all nato allies should aim for the target of spending 2% of gdp on defense, something that david has made sure happens here in the u.k. to meet that standard. we discussed new actions we can take to address the refugee crisis, including with our nato allies. because a strong defense relies on more than just military spending, but on helping to unleash the potential of others to live freer and more prosperous lives, i want to thank the people of the united kingdom for their extraordinary generosity as one of the world's for most donors of humanitarian aid. we talked about promoting growth

through increased trade and how young people can achieve greater opportunity. and yes, the prime minister and i discussed whether the u.k. should remain part of the european union. let me be clear. ultimately, this is something the british voters have to decide for themselves. but as part of our special relationship, part of being friends, is to be honest. and to let you know what i think. and speaking honestly, the outcome of that decision is a matter of deep interest to the united states because it affects our prospects as well. the united states wants a strong united kingdom is a partner. and the united kingdom is at his best when it is helping to lead

a strong europe. it leverages u.k. power to be part of the european union. as i wrote, i don't believe the e.u. moderates british influence in the world. it magnifies it. the e.u. has helped to spread british values and practices across the continent. the single market brings extraordinary economic benefits to the united kingdom. and that ends up being good for america, because we are more prosperous when one of our best friends and closest allies has a strong stable and growing economy. americans want britain's influence to grow, including within europe. the fact is in today's world, no nation is immune to the challenges that david and i just discussed. and in today's world, solving

them requiresn collective action. all of us cherish our sovereignty. my country is pretty vocal about that. but the u.s. also recognizes that we strengthen our security through our membership in nato. we strengthen our prosperity through organizations like the g-7 and the g-20. i believe the u.k. strengthens our prosperity through the e.u. in the 21st century, the nations that make their presence felt on the world stage are not the nations that go it alone. but the nations that team up to aggregate their power and multiply their influence. and precisely because britain's values and institutions are so strong and so sound, we want to make sure that that influence is heard. and it's felt. that it influences other countries to think about critical issues. we have confidence that when the u.k. is involved in a problem, that they are going to help solve it in the right way. that is why the united states cares about this. for centuries, europe was marked by war and by violence. the architecture that our two countries helped build with the e.u. has provided the foundation for decades of relative peace and prosperity on that continent. what a remarkable legacy, the legacy born in part out of what took place in this building.

before we walked out, i happened to see enigma on display. and that was a reminder of the incredible innovation and collaboration of the allies in world war ii and the fact that neither of us could have won that alone. in the same way, after world war ii, we built out the international institutions that, yes, occasionally constrain us, but we willingly allowed those constraints because we understood that by doing so, we are able to institutionalize and internationalize the basic values of global law and freedom and democracy. that would benefit our citizens as well as people around the world. i -- i think there is a british poet who said, "no man's an island." even an island as beautiful as

this. we are stronger together. if we continue to tackle our challenges together, in future generations we will look back on ours, just as we look back on the previous generation of english and american citizens who worked so hard to make this world safer and more secure and more prosperous and they'll say we did our part, too. that's important. that is important not just here.

that is important in the united states as well. thanks. prime minister cameron: we have got some questions. we start with a question from the british press. from itv. >> thank you very much. mr. president, you yourself acknowledged the controversial timing of your comments on the e.u. referendum in the spirited debates we're having and i think you are right. in the week before your arrival, leave campaigners have said you are acting hypocritically.

america would not accept the loss of sovereignty we have to accept as part of the e.u. america would not accept the levels of immigration from mexico that we have to accept from the e.u. and therefore, in various degrees of politeness, they have said to you, you should really keep your views to yourself. with that in mind, mr. president, do you still think it was the right decision to intervene in this debate? and what happens if the u.k. does decide in june to leave the european union? president obama: let me repeat. this is a decision for the people of the united kingdom to make. i'm not coming here to fix any votes. i am not casting a vote myself. i'm offering my opinion. and in democracies, everybody should want more information not less. you should not be afraid to hear an argument being made. that is not a threat. that should enhance the debate. particularly because my understanding of it is that some of the folks on the other side have been ascribing to the states certain actions we will take if the u.k. does leave the

e.u. they say, for example, we will cut our own trade deals with the united states. so they're voicing an opinion about what the united states is going to do. i figured you might want to hear from the president of the united states what i think the united states is going to do. and on that matter, for example, i think it is fair to say that maybe some point down the line, there might be a u.k.-u.s. trade agreement, but it is not going to happen anytime soon because our focus is in negotiating with a big bloc, the european union to get a trade agreement on. and the u.k. is going to be in the back of queue. not because we do not have a special relationship but because, given the heavy lift on any trade agreement, us having access to a big market with a lot of countries rather than trying to do piecemeal trade agreements, is hugely

inefficient. now, to the subject at hand. obviously, the united states is in a different hemisphere, different circumstances, has different sets of relationships with its neighbors than the u.k. but i can tell you this. if right now i have got access to a massive market where i sell 44% of my exports and now i'm thinking about leaving the organization that gives me access to that market, and that is responsible for millions of jobs in my country, and responsible for an enormous amount of commerce and upon which a lot of businesses depend, that is not something i would probably do. and what i'm trying to describe is a broader principle, which is in our own way, we do not have a common market in the americas, but in all sorts of ways, the united states constrained itself in order to bind everyone under a common set of norms and rules that makes everybody more prosperous.

that's what we have built after world war ii. the united states and the u.k. designed a set of institutions,

whether it was the united nations or the, britain would structure, imf, world bank, nato, across-the-board. now, that to some degree constrained our freedom to operate. it meant that occasionally we had to deal with some bureaucracy. it meant that on occasion we have to persuade other countries, and we don't get 100% of what we want in each case, but we knew that by doing so everybody was going to be better off, partly because the rules that were put in place were reflective of what we believe. if there were more free markets around the world, and orderly financial system, we knew we could operate. if we had collective defense

treaties through nato, we understood that we could formalize an architecture that would deter aggression rather than us having piecemeal to put together alliances to defeat aggression after it already started. and that principle is what's at stake here. the last point i make on this until i get the next question, i suspect, is that as david said, this magnifies the power of the u.k. it does not diminish it. on just about every issue, what happened in europe is going to have an impact here. and what happens in europe is going to have an impact in the united states. i told my team, which is sitting right here, they will

they will vouch for me, we consider a security issue the migration in europe. not because folks are not coming into the united states, but because if it destabilizes europe, our largest trading bloc , trading partner, it will be bad for our economy. it you start seeing divisions in europe, that weakens nato. that will have an impact on our collective security. now, if, in fact, i want somebody who is smart and common sense and tough and is thinking as i do in the conversations about how migration will be handled, somebody who also has a sense of compassion and

recognizes that immigration can enhance when done properly the assets of a country and not diminish them. i want david cameron in the conversation. just as i want him in the conversation about information sharing. and counterterrorism activity. because i have the confidence in the u.k. and i know that if we are not working effectively with paris or brussels, then those attacks will migrate to the united states and to london. i want one of my strongest partners in that conversation. it enhances the special relationship, it does not diminish it. p.m. cameron: let me make one point in response. this is our choice. nobody else's. the sovereign choice of the bridges people. as we make that choice, it makes

surely sense to listen to our friends opinions and views and that is what barack has been talking about today. as we make this choice, it is a british choice about the british membership in the european union. not about whether we support the german membership or italian membership, britain has a special status in the european union. we are in the single market, not part of a single currency. we are able to travel and live and work in other european countries but we maintain our borders becuase we are not any note border zone. on this vital issue of trade that barack has made clear statement, we should remember why we are negotiating this biggest radio in the whole world and in the whole world's history between the european union and the united states. it is because britain played a leading part in pushing for the

talks to get going. we announced them at the g8 in northern ireland and britain was in the chair of that organization. we set the agenda for what could be a game changing trade deal for jobs and investment, because we were part of this organization. i wanted to add those important points. a u.s. question. >> thanks, mr. president. what do you hope leaders gather in germany and can concretely do about it? do you expect those nations to militarily support the possibility of ground troops to lybia to keep that situation from further straining europe? maybe you can talk about whether you plan to go to hiroshima when you visit japan. president obama: come on, man. that is unfair.

>> as a friend and speaking on the eu, what would you advise american vots to do about donald trump? [laughter] mr. cameron: i will pick up that last one. president obama: i wouldn't describe european unity as in a crisis. but it is understrength. some of that has to do with the aftermath of the financial crisis and the strings we are all aware of with respect to the eurozone. it is important to emphasize that the u.k. is not part of the eurozone. so the blowback to the british

economy has been different than it is on the continent. we have seen some divisions and difficulties between the southern and northern parts of europe. that is created some strains. i think the migration crisis amplifies a debate taking place not just in europe but in the united states as well. at a time of globalization, at a time when a lot of the challenges we face are transnational as opposed to just focused on one country, there is a temptation to just want to pull up the drawbridge. either literally or figuratively. we have seen that played out with some of the debates taking place in the u.s. presidential race.

that debate has accelerate in europe. but i'm confident that the ties that bind europe together are ultimately much stronger than the forces trying to pull them apart. europe has undergone an extraordinary stretcher prosperity. maybe unmatched in the history of the world. if you think about the 20th century and you think about the 21st century, 21st century europe looks a lot better. and i think the majority of europeans recognize that. they see that unity and peace have delivered sustained economic growth, reduced conflict, reduced violence,

enhanced the quality of life of people. and i am confident that can continue. but i do believe it is important to watch out for some of these faultlines that are developing. in that sense i do think the brexit vote, which if i am a citizen of the u.k. i am thinking of it solely in terms of how does this help me? how does it help the u.k. economy? how does it help create jobs here in the u.k.? that is the right way to think about it. but i do also think this vote will send a signal that is relevant about whether the kind of prosperity we built together is going to continue, or whether the forces of division end up being more prominent. that is part of why it is relevant to the united states

and why i have weighed in on it. what were the four other questions? have to figure i knocked out two in the answer. with respect to libya we both discussed our commitment to try to assist this nascent government. and it is a challenge but there are people in this government that are genuinely committed to building back of a state. that is something we desperately want because both the united states and united kingdom but also a number of other , allies, are more than prepared to invest in creating border security in libya and trying to

drive out terrorists inside of libya. and trying to make sure what could be a thriving society with a relatively small population and a lot of resources, this is not an issue where we should have to subsidize libya. they are much better positioned than some other countries that we have been helping. if they can just get their act together. we want to help find that technical assistance to get that done. plans for ground troops in libya. i don't think that is necessary. i don't think it would be welcomed by this new government. it would send the wrong signal. this is a matter of libyans coming together. what we can do is provide our expertise. what we can do is provide a roadmap for how they can get a -- basic services to their citizens and build up legitimacy. but i do think the area that

wait if i sold -- isil is starting to get a foothold there. we are working not just with the libyan government but a lot of our international partners to make sure we are getting the intelligence we need. in some cases we are taking sil fromto prevent idi having another stronghold where to watch attacks against europe and the united states. i think you have to wait until i get to asia to start asking asia questions. >> this is not a general election. this is a referendum. it is a referendum that affects people in the united kingdom very deeply. but also it does affect others in the european union. it affects partners like america

or canada or australia and new zealand. as i look around the world it is hard to find a country that wishes britain well that thinks we ought to leave the european union. again, it is our choice. we will make the decision. we listen to all the arguments, people want the facts, the arguments, the consequences. i will try to lay those out as clearly as i can. listening to our friends, listening to countries that wish well, that is part of the process. as for the american elections, i have made some comments in recent weeks and months. i don't think now is the moment to add or subtract from them. i think just as a prime minister who has been through two general elections, you always look at the u.s. elections in all the -- in awe in the scale of the

process. i marvel at anyone left standing at the end of it. president obama: fortunately we are term limited. so i too can look in awe in the process. >> we have another british question. >> you have made your views plain that british voters should choose to stay in the eu. are you also saying that our decades-old special relationship has been through so much and -- would be fundamentally changed by our exits? if so, how? andy you think you have any sympathy with people who think this is none of your business? mr. prime minister some of your , colleagues say it is other leading wrong you have dragged our closest allies into the eu referendum campaign.

is it appropriate for the mayor of london to bring up ancestry in the context of the debate? all,t me -- first of boris arefor questions for boris not for me,. i don't have some special power over president of the united states. he said what he said. it is our decision as a sovereign people. the choice we make about europe i think it is right to listen to , and consider the advice of your friends. just to amplify one of the points that barack made we have , a shared interest in making sure europe takes a robust approach to russian aggression. if you take those issues through the european union, i think i

put my hand on my heart and say britain played an important role and continues to play an important role in making sure their sanctions were put in place and kept in place. i'm not sure it would have happened if we were not there. that is in our interests and it is in our interest for europe to be strong against aggression. how can it be in our interest to not be at that table and see the sanctions not taking place? that helps to make a good difference. i would say about the special relationship, and i passionate am about this. i believe deeply in all of the history and the culture. but also about the future of our country. the truth is this. stronger britain is and the stronger america is the stronger the relationship that will be. i want britain to be strong as possible, and we draw our

strength out of all sorts of things in the country. the fifth largest economy in the world, amazing armed forces european intelligence forces, , discussing how how they work together. incredible he counted people. brilliant universities. the fact your members of nato the g20, the commonwealth, we , also project power and protect andr and protect our people make our people wealthier by being in the european union. i want to be as strong as possible. the stronger britain is, the stronger that special relationship is, and the more we can get done together to make sure we have a world much -- that promotes democracy and peace and human rights and development we want to see across the world. to me it is important. stronger britain, stronger special relationship, that is in our interests and in the interest of united states of america as well. president obama: let me start with winston churchill. [laughter]

i don't know if people are aware of this, but in the residence, on the second floor, my private office is called the treaty room. and right outside the door of the treaty room, so that i see it every day, including on weekends when i'm going in to watch a basketball game, the primary image i see is a bust of winston churchill. it is there voluntarily. i can do anything on the second floor. [laughter] i love winston churchill. i love the guy.

now, when i was elected as president of the united states, my predecessor had kept a churchill bust in the oval office. there are so many tables were you can put busts or he looks cluttered. i thought it was appropriate. and i suspect most people in the united kingdom might agree. as the first african-american president it might be appropriate to have a bust of dr. martin luther king in my office to remind me of all the hard work of a lot of people who would somehow allow me to have the privilege of holding this office. that is just on winston churchill. i think people should know that, no my thinking there.

with respect to the special relationship i have a staff , member who will not be named, because it might embarrass her a little bit. generally on foreign trips she does not leave the hotel or the staff room because she is constantly doing work making this happen. she had one request the entire time i have been president, and that is could she accompany me to windsor on the off-chance that she might get a peek at her majesty, the queen. and gracious as she is, her majesty actually had this person, along with a couple of others, lined up so as we emerged from lunch they could say hello. and this staff person, who is as

tough as they come, almost fainted. [laughter] i'm glad she didn't because it would have caused an incident. that is the special relationship. we are so bound together that nothing is going to impact the emotional and cultural and intellectual affinities between our two countries. i don't come here suggesting that is impacted by the decision that the people of the united kingdom may make around whether or not they are members of the european union. that is there. that will continue hopefully eternally. and the cooperation in all sorts of ways through nato through g7 , and g20. all those things will continue.

, if one of ourid best friends is in an organization that enhances their influences and enhances their power and enhances their economy, then i want them to stay in it. or at least i want to be able to tell them i think this makes you guys bigger players. i think this helps to create jobs. ultimately it is your decision. but precisely because we are bound at the hip, i want you to know that before you make your decision. >> thank you very much, sir. mr. president, vladimir putin

has not stopped assad as he led you to believe he would. and the cease-fire appears to be falling apart. will you continue to bet on what appears to be a losing strategy? mr. prime minister, the u.k. warned its citizens traveling to north carolina and mississippi about laws there that affect transgender individuals. what do you think about those laws? if you would indulge us, indulge all of us back in the u.s., prince passed away. you were a fan. you invited to perform him at the white house. can you tell us what made you a fan? president obama: i'm trying to figure out which order to do this. [laughter] maybe i will start with north carolina and mississippi. i want everybody here in the united kingdom to know that the people of north carolina and

mississippi are wonderful people. they are hospitable people. they are beautiful states. and you are welcome, and you should come and enjoy yourselves. i think you will be treated with extraordinary hospitality. i also think the laws that have been passed there are wrong and should be overturned. they are in response to politics in part to some strong emotions that are generated by people. some of whom are good people, but i just disagree with when it comes to respecting the equal rights of all people, regardless of sexual orientation. whether they are transgender or gay or lesbians. although i respect your different viewpoints, i think it is important to send signals

that not anybody is treated differently. it is fair to say we are not unique among countries where our federal system, in which powers dispersed, there are going to be some localities or local officials that put forward laws that are not necessarily reflective in a national consensus. but if you guys come to north carolina or mississippi, everybody will be treated well. with respect to syria i am , deeply concerned about the cessation of hostilities. and whether it is sustainable. keep in mind i have always been skeptical about mr. putin's actions and motives inside of syria. he is the preeminent backer of a murderous regime that i don't believe could regain legitimacy

within his country because he has murdered a lot of people. having said that, what i also believe is we cannot end the crisis in syria without political negotiations, and without getting all the parties around the table to craft a transition plan. that by necessity means there will be some people on one side of the table who i deeply disagree with and whose actions deeply abhor. oftentimes you resolve conflicts like this. they take an enormous toll on the syrian people. the cessation of hostilities held longer than i expected.

for seven weeks we have seen a significant reduction in violence in that country. that gives some relief to people. i talked to putin on monday precisely to reinforce to him the importance of us trying to maintain the cessation of hostilities, asking him to former pressure on assad. indicating to him we would continue to try to get modern -- moderate opposition to stay at the negotiating table in geneva. this has always been hard and going to keep being hard. when david and i discussed in our meeting is we will continue to prosecute the war against isil. we are going to continue to support those who are prepared to fight isil. we are going to continue to make progress, but we are not going

to solve the overall problem unless we get this political track moving. i assure you that we have looked at all options. none of them are great. we are going to play this option out if in fact the cessation falls apart. we will put it back together again. even as we continue to go after isil. it is my belief that ultimately russia will recognize that just as this can't be solved by a military victory on the part of those we support, russia may be able to keep the lid on , alongside iran for a while. but if you don't have a legitimate government there, they will be bled as well.

that's not speculation on my part. i think the evidence all points to that direction. finally with respect to prince i , love prince because he put out great music. he was a great performer. i did not know him well. he came to perform at the white house last year and was extraordinary and creative and original. full of energy. and so it is a remarkable loss. i'm staying at when fieldhouse, the u.s. ambassadors house. it so happens our ambassador has a turntable. "purplening we played rain" and "delirious" just to get warmed up before we left a house for a bilateral meeting like this.

[laughter] cameron: ther ambassador brought a lot of brilliant talent. i have been to north carolina many years ago. i have not made it to mississippi. one day i hope to. the guidance we put out gives advice on travel, and it deals with laws and situations. it tries to give that advice dispassionately and improperly. -- impartially. it's important that it does so. something a lot of potential is given to create we believe we should be trying to use more to end discrimination rather than try to embed it or enhance it. something we are comfortable the -- we are saying to countries and friends all around the world. we make our own views about the importance of trying to end discrimination, and we have made some important steps forward in

our own country on that point. with that thank you very much. : thank you very" much, everybody. [applause] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2016] [crowd noise] washington c-span, journal is live next with your phone calls, tweets and facebook comments. then a house hearing on the challenges posed by encryption technology from on or spent. later today, live coverage of the bernie sanders campaign rally in wilmington, delaware. and about 45 minutes we will talk to sabrina schaeffer, executive director of the independent women's forum about their proposals for helping working women. rockymore with their report on boosting minority

entrepreneurship. and civility in politics with carolyn lukensmeyer. ♪ host: the nation's largest health insurance company announced this week it will pull out of most of the public marketplace is treated by the affordable care act. united health care says it's on track to lose $650 million this year. they has signed of nearly 800,000 people. this decision will affect primarily those in the south and midwest. experts are still sorting out with this means. whether insurance will leave. we want your input. we are putting up the phone lines to callers enrolled in one of the affordable care act's plans. what was your experience like? call in and let us know.