pres. trump: thank you very much, everybody. [applause]

>> earlier in the day president reporters as he departed for kentucky. economy, bout the and combating a isis. >> mr. president -- doing very,onomy is very well. we'll see what happens with the federal reserve. finally get t they smart and reduce interest rates other places around s the world that we have to compete with. but our economy is the strongest world by far. nothing even close, and a lot of happening.s are

we had some very good retail numbers this morning, as you saw. stock market is quite a bit up. >> no, i don't demand it but if used his head he would lower them. in germany, they have a zero interest rate and we do compete, much stronger than germany but we do compete with germany. in germany they have zero interest rate and when they borrow money, look at what happens over there. they borrow money. they actually get paid to borrow to compete have with that. so if you look at what's world, j. around the powell and the federal reserve have totally missed the call. about ight and just everybody admits that. i was right. ative tightening.ate active done that.t have interest rates too

fast and too furious. doesn't lower, you'll see a rocket ship. it, we have a very strong economy. we could be in a place this nation is seldom at if we had interest rates cut by the reserve. the federal reserve had let us down. they missed the call. fast, too d them too high, and they did quantitative tightening. hey shouldn't have done the tightening and they shouldn't have raised them to the extent. we could have had some raises nothing like what they did [inaudible] to have -- background checks. we're going to do them. we're working with democrats. working with republicans. we already have very strong background checks but we're going to be filling in some of loopholes as we call them at the border. speaking of at the border, it

really nice if the democrats would indeed fix the loopholes because it would be despite that i want to thank mexico. they have 26,000 soldiers at our border. they are really stopping people from coming in. with t happens is, background checks, we're dealing with democrats, we're dealing with republicans, we're dealing nra, we're dealing with gun owners, we're dealing with everybody, and i think we're to have something meaningful.at's >> no, i didn't say anything about that. we had a great talk with wayne yet. didn't say anything about that. we just talked about concepts. be e agrees things have to done also. we have areas where we can close. of background checks right now. gun owners can tell you that. others can tell you that. but there are certain weaknesses, we want to fix the

eaknesses, and i think that will happen. let's see what happens. i'm concerned that no matter to, when we get there, i'm concerned the democrats will say, oh, well, we this and we want -- you know, it's a slippery slope and actually you gun owners and a lot of other people are concerned with but assuming to take place g by the democrats, assuming they done, weant to get this can get it done. -- [inaudible] president trump: you've got to up.ak > -- top priority -- president trump: we're doing a lot having to do with veteran suicide. set ve a task force that's up. there is a product that's made right now that just came out by johnson, which has a tremendously positive, pretty short term but nevertheless, a effect. i've instructed the head of the

buy a lot of and it and we're buying a lot of it. opefully we're getting it at a very good cost, and this is, i guess it's a form of a stimulant somebody is really in trouble from the standpoint of suicide, it can do something. well known, just came out. it's made, i believe, by johnson johnson, and we have calls in now to johnson and johnson, those calls we've been dealing ith them for two months on a lot of it. [inaudible] >> yeah, no, denmark, i look going but i thought that the prime minister's absurd.t was that it was an absurd idea was nasty, i thought it was an inappropriate statement. she had to do was say, no we wouldn't be interested, but we of't treat the united states america the way they treated us obama.president i thought it was a very, not nice way of saying something.

told me no.ave this is something that's been discussed for many years. had the idea of greenland. i had the idea. idea. people have had the it goes back into the early 1900s, but harry truman very thought it was a good idea. i think it's a good idea because is losing $700 million a year with it. good, sn't do them any but, all they had to do was say, no, we would rather not do that, would rather not talk about it. don't say what an absurd idea not is, because she's talking to me. excuse me. show not talking to me. talking to the united states of america. you don't talk to the united states that way. least under me. now, president obama, when they ouldn't let him land in the philippines, when they treated him so badly in so many places, that ilippines is one comes to mind, that's different. that's different.

they can treat him any way they that's up to that's up to him. but they can't treat the united statement, how absurd. [inaudible] president trump: let your wife do it. who is the boss? who is the boss. >> i am the boss. president trump: i agree. she's the boss. go ahead. a lot of people. got a lot of people watching you. go ahead. tomr. president, with regard background checks, why shouldn't anyone who wants to buy a gun go through a background check? wrong with that? president trump: what we're i want guns to be in the mentallypeople who are stable. but people that are insane, people that are sick up here, i be able to hem to a gun. president trump: if a person is if a person has done things in their past that are a horror, like in the case

dayton, except they got guess he wasuse, i 17 years old, when he wrote a list. he had a kill list and he had a rape list, but he was 17 and one we're talking about is getting rid of the age limit. 17 so when he turned 18 it was expunged, so we didn't big out about that and a percentage of the school, the parents, wouldn't let their kids go to that school because they heard about it. a very big thing. when he was 18, it all went away. we can't let that happen. die hundred people a day from guns. do you see that as a public health emergency. president trump: i do. i do. and they die for a lot of other do.sons, too, but they as i have said, i think i've said it very loudly and plainly nd i don't think i've changed positions at all, we're working on background checks. but are things we can do,

we already have very serious background checks. e have strong background checks. we can close up the gaps. we can do things that are very that, frankly, gun owners want to have done but we also have to remember the gun trigger.ull the greaton does, and we have mental illness. ahead.nt trump: go >> the justice department and prosecute and keep the demonstrators under the law that makes it a federal crime. president trump: right. we're look at a lot of different things relative to antifa. antifa, in my opinion, is a terrorist organization. you see what they have been doing. had great support on that. looking at various different things. ahead, t trump: go behind you.

-- we're just looking. greenland was just an idea, just a thought. think when they say it was absurd and it was said in a very very sarcastic way, i said, we'll make it some other time. denmark.to i love denmark. i've been to denmark, and frankly, we'll do it another time. shown to the be united states. ing. yesterday you said that -- democrats are disloyal. disloyal,e they being sir, that's a real -- president trump: i have been for a lot of great things. for israel. ne of them was moving the embassy to jerusalem. aking jerusalem the capital of israel. one of them was the golan heights. one of them frankly, is iran. iran is a very far weakened nation right now, much different. hopefully something works out.

see if it happens, it happens. >> wait a minute. wait. wait. o president has ever done anywhere close to what i have done, between golan heights, iran and other things. excuse me, wait a minute. wait a minute. has done what i have done. we have a group, i call it aoc three, you can call the erson representative talib, represent omar, they are anti-semites. they are against israel. greatly plan to embarrass israel by going there with the fact that she wanted to grandmother, i assume that's true, i hope that's true. bad.it was very very bad. the things that she and others other group, and democrats have said. and they have become the face of i'll mocratic party and tell you this. in my opinion, the democrats away from ery far

israel. i cannot understand how they could do that. to fund israel. they want to take away foreign aid to israel. hey want to do a lot of bad things to israel. in my opinion, you vote for a very at, you're being disloyal to jewish people and ou're being very disloyal to israel. say nly weak people would anything other than that. [inaudible] to that?o you respond >> i haven't heard anybody say that. just the opposite. i think if you vote for a democrat, you're very, very israel and to the jewish people. 94% now in the republican party. the highest in history. highest of any republican. would have a y hard time.

-- [inaudible] president trump: yeah. that was outsmarting obama. president marted obama. they took over, during his term, mine, crimea. crimea.k over stopped being an orbegan of the democrats, if you would let me answer the question i'll answer very easily. it's a very simple question. the fact is president putin outsmarted president obama on crimea and other things. the red line in the sand. all right. he outsmarted. on outsmarting president obama, and frankly, was upset it, obama and he got obama out of what was into the g-7. it's come up, should we put russia back in. a lot of time talking about russia at those meetings.

and they are not there. it would be a good thing if russia were there. o we can speak directly, not have to speak, by telephone and ther things, so here's the thing. it's a vote of what's now the g-7. because taken out putin outsmarted on crimea, on he red line, on other things, totally outsmarted obama. obama was upset. out.took him a part hould be of it because we're looking for should have them in like they have always been. [inaudible] --but [inaudible] in 1992 -- president trump: i read the same you.t as i'm not looking to do indexing.

longstudied indexing for a time. i think it will be perceived if elitist.s somewhat i don't want to do that. i want taxes for the middle lass, the workers, the people that work so hard, that's where i'm looking. is really exing probably better for the upper income groups. i'm not looking to do that. i wanted to do it, i believe i could but i would need a letter from the attorney general. >> taking america into a recession. is it worth i and do americans -- so the fake mp: news of which many of you are members, is trying to convince have a recession. let's have a recession. he united states is doing phenomenally well. but one thing i have to do is take on china. because china has been ripping us off for many years. clinton, president bush and president obama and others should have done this

before me. my life would be much easier, but ugh i enjoy doing it, my life would be much easier if i just said, let china continue united states. all right. it would be much easier but i can't do that. against china. they have lost 2.5 million jobs period of time. they want to make a deal. it's got to be a deal that's good for the united states. to make a deal. probably we will make a deal. but if i didn't do that, and i'm doing it, somebody said it's trump -- this isn't my trade war. a trade war that should have taken place a long time ago by a lot of other presidents. over the last five or six years, made $500 billion. $500 billion. ripped it out of the united states. not only that, if you take a look, intellectual property theft. add that to it. and add a lot of other things to it.

me.somebody, excuse somebody had to do it. i am the chosen one. it, so i'm d to do taking on china. i'm taking on china on trade. what?ou know we're winning. because we're the piggy bank. these he one that all of e.u., es including the wants to rob and takes advantage of. e.u., $200 billion. than $500 billion, i was put here by people to do a great job and that's what i'm done a job one has like i have done. >> now, would china rather wait little more than a year, bideny and get sleepy joe to negotiate with, instead of president trump. maybe. but i don't think so. why?know they are losing too many jobs too fast. hey had the worst year in 27 years, but i think it was actually 52 or 54 years, worst

had in half a century, and that's because of me. and i'm not proud of that. you know what? they want to >> [inaudible] >> time, but the prime minister used a terrible word when describing something we have been talking about free -- for years. president truman said what about greenland? he talked about it openly and i brought it up and it was discussed many other times and i thought it was not a nice statement the way she blew me off because she is blowing off the united states and we have done a lot for denmark. i know denmark well. i have many friends from denmark and many people from denmark that live in the united states. we treat countries with respect. she shouldn't treat the united states that way by saying one of

-- she said -- absurd. that is not the right word to use. absurd. >> [inaudible] >> louder. >> [inaudible] well if you remember, cells.nt obama built the he built the cages you people always talk about and attribute to me. president obama in 2014 built those cages and you were very embarrassed when the new york times as usual and others put a picture of the cage and said how bad trump was only to find out that it was president obama who built those cages so president obama had separation. i am the one that brought them together. this new rule will do more to bring them together but it was president obama that had the separation. >> [inaudible]

we are being very strong on the border. the numbers are way down. i want to thank mexico for that. make --ed states could your question could make that go away quickly and we could fix the loophole and asylum, which is what we are talking about to an extent. let me tell you very much i have the children on my mind. it bothers me very greatly. people make this horrible journey. one of the things that will happen when they realize the borders are closing, the wall is being built, we are building tremendous numbers of miles of walls right now in different locations, it all comes together like a beautiful puzzle, one of the things that happens when they see you can't get into the united states or when they do get into the united states, they will be brought back to their country. it won't matter if they get in, because we are doing that.

they won't come and many people will be saved and many women's lives will not be destroyed and ruined. >> [inaudible] >> i am not looking at a tax cut. we don't need it. we have a strong economy. certainly a payroll tax cut -- president obama did that to jack up the economy. president obama had zero interest rates. i don't have zero interest, i have real interest rates and i have a strong economy. president obama did to payroll tax cuts and despite that i have a much stronger economy. if you look at my number from november 9, november 9 to present, the stock market is up over 50%. >> [inaudible] this guy is the most biased reporter. nbc. i made a lot of money for nbc and i used to like them but they

are the most biased. -- youuld -- you should should be able to ask a question . same question in a better way. andare so obviously biased that is why the public has no confidence in the media. >> [inaudible] >> joe biden doesn't have it. let me tell you about joe. joe biden doesn't have it. >> [inaudible] >> joe biden doesn't have it. >> [inaudible] i think the new york times now has totally lost credibility . they have given up on the russian collusion delusion and they are trying to break this deal and that is not going to work because i am the least racist person ever to serve in office. i am the least racist person. the new york times, they are trying everything they can. it is a totally dishonest newspaper.

has lostaper that tremendous credibility and let me tell you, in six years, or years,0 or 14, in six when i am not here, the new york times goes out of business very quickly. you know who else goes out? like, nbc news. nbc news has less credibility with guys like you than cnn. i think cnn has more credibility than nbc. >> [inaudible] >> did you hear what i said? you have more credibility than the sky and that is not saying much because i don't think you -- i don't -- i don't -- you know what? you know what? i don't think you have credibility. nbc has less credibility than cnn. that is not saying much. you are focused on mental health issues.

other countries have same levels of mental health illness but not the same levels of gun violence. >> there are many things in play. people are talking about videos. people are talking about lots of different things. we have a way of bringing what we already have. have many, many -- as you know, we have many, many, um, people unable to buy guns. we have background checks. there are loopholes in the background checks. that is what i spoke to the nra about. they want to get rid of the loopholes. i don't want to take away peoples's second amendment rights. i don't want to take away the constitution having to do with gun ownership and we can't let that go so easy that we are talking about background checks that all of a sudden, we are talking about let's take everybody's gun away. people need weapons, unfortunately, for protection. >> that is and nra talking

point. talking point. >> it is a trump talking point. you approve one thing, then another thing and you're on that slope and all of a sudden, no one has any legal protection. amendment andnd our second amendment will remain strong. are you concerned about the potential reemergence of isis? >> at a second -- at a certain point, russian, afghanistan, they areq, turkey, going to have to fight their battles. 100%.ed out the caliphate i did it in record time. but at a second -- at a certain time, all of these countries where isis is around, have been decimated, by the way, badly

decimated -- but all of these countries will have to fight them. do we want to stay there for another 19 years? i don't think so. at a certain point, other countries, and that includes russia and iran and turkey and and afghanistan and pakistan and india, look, india is right there. they are not fighting it. we are fighting it. pakistan is right next door. they are fighting very little. very little. it is not fair. the united states, we are 7000 miles away. we have decimated isis. you haven't been hearing much about isis. we took the caliphate, 100%. when i took it at 98, i said, maybe we go home now. everyone went crazy. they said, do 100%. they said it was going to take a year. it took me a month and they are gone. the caliphate is gone and we are

holding thousands of isis fighters right now and europe has to take them. and if europe doesn't take them, i will have no choice but to release them into the countries from which they came, which is germany and france and other places, because we found -- we beat them, we capture them. we have got thousands of them and now, as usual, our allies say, we don't want them. even though they came from france and germany and other places. we are going to tell them and we have already told them, take these prisoners that we have captured, because the united states is not going to put them in guantanamo for the next 50 years and pay for it. >> what is your deadline? >> it is moving along, my deadline. they know. >> [inaudible] >> i did. i went to the hospital. i went to the hospital. it was totally falsely reported.

they were beautiful, beautiful, very sad, you know, horrible moments, but beautiful moments in the sense that these people, the families and also the people that were so badly injured that i was with, they -- they love our country. you want to know the truth? they love their president. nobody wrote that. nobody wrote that. new york times doesn't like to write the truth. love -- theyy totally love our country. they do love our president. when i went to el paso and i went into those hospitals, the love for me, and maybe as a representative of the country, but for me, and my love for them was unparalleled. these are incredible people, but if you read the papers, it was like nobody would meet with me. not only did they meet with me, they were pouring out of the rooms.

the doctors were coming out of the operating rooms. there were hundreds and hundreds of people. he couldn't even walk on it. walk on it.n't even let me explain. the people of dayton, el paso, these are incredible people and those victims and survivors and families, i love those people. >> [inaudible] >> louder. >> [inaudible] i have looked at indexing. it is not something i love. it is better for the high income people and i am not looking to do that. i want to do for the workers. i am looking to do for middle income people. indexing -- i would have to get a letter from the attorney general or the justice department, which i think i might be able to get, otherwise, i would have to go through

congress, but i am not looking at doing indexing and i haven't been seriously looking at it, but it is an option if i wanted to. we have such a strong economy. if the fed did what they were supposed to do, they drop interest rates by 100 basis notts, they may be would do only not tightening, but some loosening or leave it alone. do nothing. but they drop interest rates by 100 basis points or more. nobody, nobody would be able to compete with the united states. right now, the fed is tying our hands, because we are paying interest rates and germany and other countries that are not like us are not. it should be the other way around. why should they be paying no interest rate and have an incentive beyond that and we are paying interest rates? the fed has missed the call for a long time. -- [inaudible]my

i think we have a very strong economy. verynk the fed has been late and very early. they were very early to raise and late to cut, but the fed can do the whole thing. yesterday, we had the strongest dollar in the history of our country. strongest we had the dollar in the history of our country. in one way, i am honored by that, but in another way, it makes it harder to export goods. i love it, but in another way i don't like it because it is harder for me. literally the strongest dollar in the history of our country. >> [inaudible] >> we are looking at that very seriously. birthright citizenship, where you have a baby in our land,

walk over the border, have a baby, congratulations, the baby is a u.s. citizen. we are looking at it seriously. i don't know how you found that out. we are looking at birthright citizenship very seriously. frankly, it is ridiculous. >> [inaudible] minors --of migrant >> i am the one that cap the families together. the families together. remember i said that. president obama and others brought the families apart, but i am the one that kept the families together. with what we are doing now, even more of that, but i will make it almost impossible for people to come into our country illegally. we are building large sections of the wall. i won the lawsuit in the supreme court.

we are building large sections of wall. >> [inaudible] ♪ announcer 1: the house will be for 40 years, c-span has been providing america with unfiltered coverage of the white house, supreme court and public policy events around the country, so you can make up your own mind. treated by cable in 1979, c-span is brought to you by your local cable or satellite provider. c-span, your unfiltered view of government. announcer 2: pbs science correspondent miles o'brien joined state climatologists for a discussion on local, regional, and national climate change at the science center of iowa planetarium. hosted by drake university, this is h