a public service by america's cable-television companies, and today we continue to bring unfiltered coverage of congress, the white house, the supreme court, and public policy events in washington dc and around the country. c-span is brought to you by your cable or satellite provider. at the white house briefing, press secretary sarah sanders took questions on a range of issues, including the decision to expel 60 russian diplomats from the u.s.. this is 20 minutes. sec. sanders: good afternoon. great to be back. missed you guys. i can feel the warmth.

i think it is the lights. yesterday all aware, the president ordered the expulsion of dozens of russian intelligence officers, and the closure of the russian consulate in seattle. over 20 countries joined the united kingdom and united states in taking such action. and in response to the president's leadership, several additional companies in nato have followed up with additional actions since our announcement. as of this morning, over 25 countries all around the world have expelled 150 russian intelligence officers hiding under diplomatic cover in their countries. as we said before, the united states is open to building a better relationship with russia, but the russian government must understand, there are serious consequences for these destabilizing actions. this large and growing global response makes it clearer than ever that an improved relationship will only be possible if the russian government changes its behavior. as you all saw last week, the

president once again showed his clear commitment to tackling the opioid crisis by signing an appropriations bill that includes over $4 billion in funding to combat this epidemic through treatment, education, and enforcement. if you follow the white house on twitter, you have also no doubt seen the heart-wrenching stories of americans deeply affected by this crisis. courageous addiction survivors, along with family members, friends and law enforcement officers are sharing their personal stories through crisis next-door. they i would like to say, white house along with the national park service will host a national safety council opioid memorial on the in presidents park. this will be open to the public from april 12 through the 18th, to educate visitors on the devastating impact of the opioid crisis. within the exhibit, 22,000 in great details just -- engraved pills display the faces of

americans tragically lost to overdose. this exhibit will be an emotional and somber experience, but also a reminder that lives are at stake, and we must take action to en the plague of addiction ravaging communitiesd all across our nation. and with that, i will take your questions. >> i want to talk a little about the census. a lot of critics have concerns that including a citizenship question will discourage immigrants from participating. can you talk how the government will address those concerns? sec. sanders: this is a question that has been included in every census since 1965, with the exception of 2010, when it was removed. we have contained this question to provide data necessary for the department of justice to protect voters, specifically to help us better comply with the voting rights act, something which is important and part of this process. this is something that has been part of the census for decades,

and something the department of commerce felt strongly needed to be included again. >> is this some kind of campaign, or some kind of outreach for states like california with large immigrant populations, to make sure they are counted appropriately? sec. sanders: i would refer you to the department of commerce. >> the president has reached out to a number of high-profile lawyers to take him on as a client. dan webb took a pass recently. ted olson took a pass. i wonder why the president has had trouble finding an experienced lawyer willing to take him on, and who at this hour is his lead counsel in negotiating with robert mueller and the special counsel? sec. sanders: the president has a highly qualified team, with several individuals that have been part of the process. ty called, jacek allowed -- cobb, jay sekulow.

>> who is the lead counsel? sec. sanders: outside of the white house, i would refer you to jay sekulow, who can address any questions on that front. >> ambassador nikki haley said in reference to syria, russia cynically negotiated a cease-fire. the only way we can cooperate with russia is if they change behavior. what about their actions speak to them changing behavior? sec. sanders: i did not say the change behavior. i think that is why you see the united states, along with over 25 other countries, step up and take action, and why we expect to see another, other countries follow our lead on that front. and question about russia, a follow-up if i might. i heard you say previously that we as an administration have been exerting maximum pressure on north korea, for example. i am curious, is the administration applying maximum

pressure on russia? do you believe that's happening by way of what we saw yesterday, and beyond? and if not, why not? sec. sanders: we are certainly applying pressure on russia. we are certainly encouraging and working with our allies and partners to do so. and i think you have seen an unprecedented number of country step up and join the united states in that effort. >> for follow-up, if i might. i understand the irony in asking you this. if you will indulge me anyway. the president has been somewhat silent, dating back more than 15, 17 hours, and i only ask, with all the things going on, russia, stormy daniels, usually he likes to communicate directly with the american people. he has chosen not to. is that part of a new strategy the white house is implying, or just the president taking a break? sec. sanders: the president has still been incredibly engaged. he gives us messages to deliver on his behalf on a regular basis, but he has also put out a

number of tweets over the last week. and i think you can expect he will continue to do that. >> speaking of silence, we asked raj yesterday, why did the president and people associated pay people to buy their silence? raj said false settlements are -- claims are settled all the time. i wonder why they paid stormy daniels the settlement if the claims were false? sec. sanders: that is a question you would have to ask the president's attorney. i can only speak on behalf of the white house. >> the president's attorney is not here, and you speak for the president. can you explain why this payment was made the week before the election? sec. sanders: the president has denied the allegations. anything beyond that, i would refer you to the president's outside counsel. >> one more question, if i may. the president's attorney michael cohen, there was a line

donald trump was supposed to sign. why did you sign on the line -- why didn't he sign on the line in the nda? sec. sanders: i would refer you to the president's outside counsel. >> to be clear, he continues to deny the fundamental charge that she had, that she had a sexual encounter with him in 2006? sec. sanders: the president has denied those allegations. >> and on the census, what do you say to critics who argue that ultimately this is a way to target immigrants, that it will mean fewer resources for immigrant communities? sec. sanders: once again, i would argue that this has been practice of the united states government. the purpose is to determine individuals that are here. it also helps to comply with the voting rights act. without that information, it is hard to make those determinations, and that information needs to be gathered, and it has been part of the united states census every time we had a census since 1965, with one exception of the 2010 census. >> that there is a sense that

ultimately it will disproportionately affect blue states. do you acknowledge as much, talking about voting rights? sec. sanders: i think it is going to determine the individuals in our country, and provide information that allows us to comply with our own loss and are -- laws and our own procedures. >> it determines how resources are abdicated. so doesn't this mean fewer resources will be allocated to immigrant communities? sec. sanders: we have seen this in practice before, and this is something the commerce department feels should be part of the census. and for anything specific, i would refer you to them. the wanted to ask about meeting with secretary mnuchin, and if you could talk a little about what was on the agenda for that meeting, specifically if they were discussing the president's request to find new ways to limit chinese technology

investment? something that is on the forefront. sec. sanders: i don't have any specific announcements on that. the president spoke with the secretary on a number of issues. trade certainly. the economy. quite a few topics were discussed, but beyond that i don't have any specific details to share at this point. >> on the wall, about the president's tweet over the weekend about the military building the wall. i wonder if the president believes he can reprogram funds for wall construction without a vote of congress, and what military programs included in the omnibus that he could see cutting in order to pay for what he says -- sec. sanders: i cannot get into the specifics of that at this point. but i can tell you the continuation of building the wall is ongoing, and we will continue moving forward in that process. >> something else you said

earlier. that tweet this weekend, did he mean that he wants the military to pay for the boardwalk? can you speak generally to that? sec. sanders: i will not get into the specifics, but i can tell you the wall is continuing to be built, and we will keep pushing forward until it is fully completed in the way the president feels is necessary to defend the country. >> is it true that mexico will not pay for that while? sec. sanders: i will not go beyond what the president has already said. he still has plans to look at ways for that to happen. >> you said earlier that the president gives you messages to come up here and convey to the american people. have you sat down with the president to talk about stormy daniels? what has he told you he wants us to know about this topic? sec. sanders: we have addressed a number of times, the president has denied these allegations. i don't have anything further to add. >> you call him a counterpunch or many times. why has he not punched back on this one? sec. sanders: i didn't say he punches back on every signal

topic. if he did, he would probably be addressing a lot the stories that most of you write every single minute of every signal day. he also has a country to run, and he's doing a great job with that. that's why the economy is booming. isis is on the run. we are remaking the judiciary. he is focusing on pushing his agenda. sometimes he chooses to punch back, and sometimes he doesn't. chinese aircraft carriers and naval vessels participated in exercises in the south china sea. does the u.s. have any responses to these exercises? has the u.s. government been monitoring what's going on there ? sec. sanders: we are monitoring the situation's. but i don't have anything specific to announce at this point. >> the new york times reports president trump is still speaking with rob porter, and has even talked about bringing

him back to the white house. is that true? sec. sanders: there are no plans for him to come back. they have spoken one time. i am not aware of any conversations beyond that. just one time since the departure. >> i still don't know i understand why the president's response has been so different in this case. october 13, 2016, he said these claims were all fabricated, and the next day said, i have no idea who these women are, they are lying. silence? is somebody advising him to be silent? sec. sanders: i don't think it is silence when the president has addressed this. we addressed it extensively. there's nothing else to add. just because you continue to ask the same question over and over doesn't mean we have to keep coming up with new things to say. we have addressed it extensively, and there is nothing new to add to this conversation. update on give us an

trade talks with south korea? sec. sanders: we have come to an agreement in principle, and we expect to roll out specific details on that very soon. >> back to the border wall, which of course was one of the president's biggest campaign promises. $655 billion has been earmarked for defense spending in the omnibus spending bill, and the president appears to believe he can take some of that money to build a border wall with mexico. is president aware he would be overstepping his executive authority if he did such a thing without congressional approval? sec. sanders: i don't have any specific announcements or details at that front. >> has the white house counsel informed him, notwithstanding that tweety put out over the weekend, it might be unconstitutional to do what he is contemplating? sec. sanders: the president will certainly work with white house counsel to make sure any action he takes is fully within his

rights and his executive authority. -- has president trump been briefed on the north korean leader's reported trip to china, and does this affect the way in which he is preparing for a potential summit with conjunctiva and in the future -- jong-un in the future? sec. sanders: the president is being kept up to speed on a number of fronts on. korea and preparations i am not in a position to confirm or deny those reports from the podium. >> if i can follow on the question on the border wall. can you give us a few specific ways the president is still considering having mexico pay for the wall? a lot of the base is wondering, and a lot of his supporters have asked questions, people such as ann coulter have said, the president is not keeping his promise on this. i would like to ask you, what ways is he considering to have mexico pay for the wall? sec. sanders: when we have an

announcement on that, i will let you know. >> one question. while he was in business school, worked on the 1960 census, when this question about citizenship was included. is this his idea, to revive it after 22 years? or did that originate in the white house? sec. sanders: this is something that the department of commerce oversees, but it also takes into account suggestions and recommendations from the department of justice and others. the department of justice certainly played a role in this process. >> not the white house? sec. sanders: the white house supports it, but the decision was made at the department level. >> jared kushner's attorney said yesterday, white house counsel had conducted an investigation into loans given by companies he that with, saying no issues were

involved. can you confirm that there was an investigation and the coun sel's office cleared? sec. sanders: the white house counsel's office works with staff on ethics standards, and is now probing whether jared kushner violated the law. we are aware of news reports and would proceed as appropriate. beyond that, we do not have any further comment. >> democrats on the oversight committee requested information on this investigation today. do you plan to comply with that request? sec. sanders: as i just said, the white house is not probing whether jared kushner violated the law, and we don't have anything further beyond that to say. >> former supreme court justice john paul stevens wrote an op-ed today where he called for the second amendment to be repealed. first of all, does the president have a reaction to that? and in the current political climate, after parkland, florida, does the white house

feel there's any chance of that kind of movement taking hold in washington? sec. sanders: the president and the administration still fully support the second amendment. we think the focus has to remain on removing weapons from dangerous individuals, not on blocking all americans from their constitutional rights. >> most people -- former president jimmy carter said most people want to see a president with some basic moral values. what sort of reaction has the white house had to jimmy carter's statement about most people wanting a president with basic moral values? sec. sanders: look, i think the people of this country came out in, by the millions to support donald trump, support his agenda and the policies he is pushing forward, and he has been delivering day in, day out on

that front. he has kept a number of his campaign promises, and that's only within the first year and a half. i think the people who voted for and came out and supported him still do so, and do so because they believed in the agenda he was driving. and he has been delivering on that since he came into office. >> two questions on trade. the first one on a tweet the president said last night, trade talks going on with countries who have not traded with the u.s. -- all will be happy. what does that mean? sec. sanders: we are continuing to negotiate with a number of countries to make sure we have good deals, but primarily that american workers and american trade deals are good for this country. the president wants to continue working with partners and allies to make sure both sides have success in trading negotiations. >> the partners and the u.s.?

sec. sanders: the president's priority will be protecting american workers, making sure there's a good deal for this country and our economy. that is his top priority, but he certainly wants to be able to have good relationships with other countries, and continue to work with them on a number of different fronts, even while these trade negotiations are ongoing. >> the press release from the conversation with prime minister trudeau yesterday focused on the russian diplomats. but on the canadian side, they nafta,id they discussed and the canadian prime minister reiterated that the two countries would benefit from an agreement. does the president share this point of view, that things should go faster? sec. sanders: we want to continue to work with our canadian partners. but at the same time, like i just said, the president is focused on making sure it is a deal that is good for this country. he wants to be able to keep

working with prime minister trudeau, and we will keep pushing forward and hopefully have an announcement on that soon. it was said the meeting with kim jong-un would happen in the next couple months. does the white house still stand by the may deadline? sec. sanders: we are continuing to move forward. the offer was extended and accepted, and we are continuing to move forward. we still don't have a set time or date on that front. have a great day. is the stand on the police involved shootings in the news lately? >> why won't the president come out here and speak to us? >> on c-span, this week in prime time. gun from the00, on

march for our lives rally. and anthony scaramucci is interviewed by democratic political consultant bob shrum. >> when he got the job, just like building a condominium, or building a golf course, or developing a television show, he said, ok, i have this job, i have to go down to the swamp, drain the swamp, hire people that understand the swamp. i think what he has learned, you are not going to drain the swamp hiring swamp monsters. >> thursday at 8:00 p.m. eastern, embedded journalists on their experiences in mosul, iraq documenting the fight against isis. >> i am trying to get you to care about somebody born in a different country, different color skin then you, totally different background, not born with the same privilege, and try to make you care about their

life and understand the parallel between yours and theirs. >> friday at 9:30 p.m. eastern, former reagan advisor arthur laffer. >> is really true, there are consequences to taxation. and those consequences are the same across the whole spectrum. you cannot tax an economy into prosperity, period. >> this week in prime time on c-span. >> british prime minister theresa may updated house of commons committee leaders on relations with russia following a nerve agent attack against a former russian spy and his daughter. she announced that additional countries, now a total of 25, joined the coordinated effort to expel russian diplomats in response to the nerve agent attack. this is about an hour and 40 minutes. >> thank you very much for coming back to the committee.