substantive. and sounding like i'm on youtube. host: here's diane in bartow, florida. democrat. caller: he willlow. i'm a democrat. i do not have a complaint but i would like to know why elon musk has not cut some of his billions of dollars he's getting from the government. guest: good question. just the other day, last time i checked, he gave himself a $38 million contract. i doubt that he has any competitors. against that. and you know, really interesting thick is that the last time, at the end of -- the beginning of the session when we were at the point where we were preventing the government from being shut down in december, there was a continuing resolution that the democrats and republicans had both agreed upon and at the last minute donald trump said oh, i want you to raise the debt limit and there was a lot of confusion

and oh, we were just hours away from shutting the government down. and elon musk pulled one provision out of there, where democrats and republicans both of them being concerned about the chinese communist party, there was a provision that would have prevented, people like elon musk from interfacing with chinese technology [applause] pres. trump: thank you very much. today it's my privilege to welcome the prime minister of a very special place, the united kingdom, to the white house.

prime minister starmer, you've been great in our discussions, you're a very tough negotiator, i'm not sure i like that. the prime minister and i have gotten off to an outstanding start. the u.s. and u.k. have a special relationship, very special. like no other, passed down through the centuries. we're going to keep it that way. going to keep it very strong, as it is. very importantly, i was just notified by letter from king charles that he's extended through the prime minister a historic second state visit to the united kingdom and that's a great honor because it's never happened before. one person has never been extended that honor and i really do call it an honor, but it's not for me, it's for our country. it's respect for our country. i want to thank you and i want to thank king charles. thank you very much. we accept.

i don't know if the media is going to follow us, i have a feeling they might. thank you very much, i appreciate it. i'm pleased to say that the bust of one of the prime minister's greatest predecessor, wednesdayton churchill, is bush -- winston churchill is now back in its rightful place in the oval office. we're very proud of it. our meeting today and various breakout sessions we had were tremendously productive. most importantly, i provided the prime minister with an update on our efforts to end the bloody and horrible war in ukraine with russia. which would never have happened if i were president. that was not going to happen, i promise you that. after three years of hellacious conflict, approximately one million ukrainians and russians have been senselessly kill. the number i believe is much higher than that. countless schools, hospitals, beautiful ancient churches have been absolutely obliterated. to begin the process of ending

this spiral of death, i had historic back-to-back calls with president putin, very successful call, i might add, and president zelenskyy. and my team also spoke with the secretary general of nato on numerous occasions. we're, having -- we're working very hard to get that war brought to an end. i think we've made a lot of progress. i think it's moving along pretty rapidly. i want to thank all of the people that are here, that have been working on it. and we'll let you know what's -- what happens. it'll either be fairly soon or it won't be at all. in addition, this week, i met with president macron of france, as you know, and held talks with members of the g7. tomorrow the progress toward peace will continue when president zelenskyy visits the white house. he'll be here tomorrow in the early part of the day. we'll be signing a historic

agreement that make -- that will make the united states a major partner in developing ukraine's minerals and rare earths, an oil and gases, and we have great understanding. i think it's going to be great for ukraine. we're going to be at the site and we'll be -- we'll be digging, we'll be big -- we'll be dig, dig, digging. dig we must. a big utility in new york, con-ed is on, used to have a say, dig we must. we'll be digging. much of the european aid to ukraine has been sent in the form of loan which is they expect to be paid back. we didn't have that honor under the biden administration. he sent money. just sent money after money after money. and never had any -- any knowledge of ever seeing it back. maybe $300 to $350 billion but under the breakthrough agreement, very unusual, which everyone said was difficult to get but it's really very good

for ukraine and very good for us, the american taxpayer as well. we'll be effectively reimbursedder in money, hundreds of balls of dollars poured into helping ukraine defend itself, which by and of itself is a very worthy thing to do, we've paid farmer than any other country and with most of our support it's been paid in military, the finest weapons anywhere in the world. this includes vast amounts of military hardware, ammunition, and various other things that we now have to start rebuilding our own stockpiles. additionally the minerals agreement will provide the basis for more sustainable future relationship between the united states and ukraine. and thus stimulate the long-term prosperity that will help the ukrainians rebuild their country. it's been demolished. and the ruined infrastructure the infrastructure as you know

is in very bad shape. just over one month, our administration has already achieved more progress toward peace than years in the other administration where they did nothing toward peace. they didn't understand what was happening. our approach is basically common sense, as i said. so many of the things that we do, based on common sense. if you want peace, you have to talk both sides. as i discussed with prime minister starmer. the next step, we're -- the next step we're making is toward a very achievable cease fire. we hope that that can happen quickly. because thousands of young people, we're not talking about american, we're audiocassetting -- talking about ukrainians and rugs being killed every week. thousands. it's a rough battlefield. it's a flat piece of land. the bullet only stops when it hits somebody. this week, i saw the reports and

it's -- i don't even want to say what they are but thousands of people, young people, young, vibrant people, died. we want to stop that. senseless. should have never happened. this will play the groundwork for a long-term peace agreement that will return stability to eastern europe and hopefully ensure that such a terrible war will never happen on european soil or for that matter anywhere again. it's a horrible thing. what's going on. the disaster in ukraine shows exactly why it's so important for the united kingdom and other nato partners to make large investments in their defense capabilities. in many cases 4% or 5% of g.d.p. would be appropriate. i know that they're raising it. i just read an article, a great article about the work you're doing in the u.k. as to the military. you're raising it quite a bit. which is a great thing to do for your country. great thing to do. it's sad that we need that.

but probably need that. so congratulations on that. i know you got it through. after years of chronic underfunding, there's an urgent need to catch up for some countries. i want to thank the prime minister once again for traveling here today. working together. i believe that we'll once again demonstrate the power of our country's unique friendship. this is indeed a unique friendship there's been many years and i think it's only gotten stronger. we'll mike shower that it stays that way. we'll have a great trade agreement one way or the other. we're going to end up with a very good trade agreement for both countries. we're working on that as we speak. i think we'll have the confines, i think we'll have something maybe even in terms of possibilities agreed to very shortly. j.d. is working on it, our vice president. and scott and just looking,

mike, you're going to work on it. everybody is going to work on it. we'll see if we can co-something pretty quickly. we'll make great agreements. i want to thank you again. please thank king charles for the invite. and look forward to you giving your acceptance on e-- look forward to you giving our acceptance on behalf of the united states of america. thank you. [applause] thank you. prime minter starmer: thank you -- prime minister starmer: thank you very much, mr. president. this is has been a good and productive visit. with your family roots in scotland and your close bond with his majesty the king, it's good to know that the united kingdom has a true friend in thele of office. it was so good to see the bust of winston churchill back in its rightful place a moment ago. look, in a moment of real danger around the world, the relationship -- this relationship matters more than

ever. we remain each other's first partner in defense. ready to come to the other'sed a, to counter threats, wherever and whenever they may arise. no two militaries are more intertwined than ours. no two countries have done more together to keep people safe. in a few week we mark v.e. day. the 80th anniversary of victory in europe. britain and america fought side-by-side to make that happen. one they have greatest moments in our history -- one of the greatest moments in our history. we stand side-by-side here today and focus now on bringing and enduring end to the barbaric war in ukraine. mr. president, i welcome your deep and personal commitment to bring peace and to stop the killing. you created a moment of tremendous opportunity to reach a historic peace deal. a deal that i think would be celebrated in ukraine and around

the world. that is the prize. but we have to get it right. there's a famous slogan in the united kingdom, from after the second world war, that is that we have to win the peace. and that's what we must do now. because it can't be peace that rewards the aggressor. or that gives encouragement to regimes like iran. we agree, history must be on the side of the peacemaker. not the invader. so the stakes, they couldn't be higher. and we're determined to work together to deliver a good deal. we discussed a plan today to reach a peace that is stuff and fair. that ukraine will help shape those backed by strength to stop putin coming back for more. i'm working closely with other european leaders on this. i'm clear that the u.k. is ready to put boots on the ground and planes in the air to support a

deal, working together with our allies, because that is the only way that peace will last. mr. president, in this new era, you're also right that europe must step up. and let me tell you now, i see the growing threats we face and so the u.k. is all in. this year we'll be giving more military aid to ukraine than ever. and just this week, i've set out how we're shouldering more of the security burden. we're already one of the biggest spenders in nato. and now we're going much further. delivering britain's biggest sustained increase in defense spending since the cold war. this isn't just talk. it's action. rebalancing the transatlantic alliance. making us all stronger. and standing up for our shared values and shared security. as britain always has. mr. president, it's no secret we're from different political

traditions. but there's a lot that we have in common. we believe it's not taking part that counts, what counts is winning. if you don't win, you don't deliver. and we're determined to deliver for the working people of britain and america. who want and deserve to see their lives improved. so we're both in a hurry to get things done, and that's what the u.k. and u.s. do when we work together. we win, we get things done. so we'll do what it takes to keep our people safe. we'll also work together to deliver some big economic wins that can benefit us both. we have a $1.5 trillion invested in each other's economies. creating over 2.5 million jobs across both economies. trading relationship is not just strong, it's fair, balanced and reciprocal.

we're leaders together in so many areas. ranked one and two in the world as investment destinations. one and two for universities. one and two for nobel prizes. one and two in golf as well. by the way. and we're the only two western countries with trillion dollar tech sectors, leaders in a.i. and look, we take a similar approach on this issue. instead of overregulating these new technologies, we're seizing the opportunities that they offer. so we've decide today to go further, to begin work on a new economic deal with advanced technology at its core. look, our two nations together shaped the great technological innovations of the last century. we have a chance now to do the same for the 21st century. i mean, artificial intelligence cowl cure cancer. that could be a moonshot for our age. and that's how we'll keep

delivering for our people. there are so many opportunities to keep our nation strong and fulfill the promise of greatness. that has always defined this relationship. finally, to underline the importance of this bond, it was my privilege and honor to bring a letter with me today from his majesty the king. not only sending his best wishes, but also inviting the president and the first lady to make a state visit to the united kingdom. and un-- an unprecedented second state visit. this has never happened before. it's so incredible, it will be historic. i'm delighted that i can go back to his majesty the king and tell him that president trump has accepted the invitation, so thank you. our teams will work together to set a date. we look forward to welcoming you in the united kingdom. thank you once again.

pres. trump: thank you very much. what a beautiful accent. i would have been president 20 years ago if i had that accent. [applause] ok. let's see here. go ahead, please. reporter: today you told me that you believe that foreign countries pay tariffs but americans who are concerned about higher prices believe, as most people do, that they are paid by consumers and importers when they import things into this country. can you explain how you came to the belief that foreign governments are paying tariffs? and prime minister, did you discuss with president trump his repeated statements of desire to annex canada and has the king expressed any concern over the president's apparent desire to

remove one of his realms from his control? pres. trump: so i'll go ahead with the first part. the tariffs are necessary because we've been treated very unfairly by many, many countries including our friends. friend and foe. we've been treated very unfairly in trade. at levels that nobody has really ever seen before. especially under the biden administration. they really took advantage of the united states. i put massive tariffs on china during my four years. we had the best economy in the history of our country. probably the best economy, maybe the best economy in the history of the world. and i had -- i used tariffs to even things up and in particular with china. we took in hundreds of billions of dollars and we had no inflation. and it's a myth, it's a myth that's put out there by foreign countries that really don't like paying tariffs. and especially to even up. so we've been treated badly by a

lot. we're using tariffs. i find, and you just have to look at the number, but i find that it's not about inflation. it's about fairness. and the inflation for us has not existed. and i don't think it's going to exist. we're going obring our car strbak. we're going to bring our chips back. we're going to bring so many things back to our country including pharmaceuticals and drugs. and the thing that's going to get us there is tariffs. and i say often, it's my favorite word in the dictionary. but i always preface that by saying now, because i got into a lot of trouble with the fake news, where they say that's not good. so i say god, love, family, wife, they're all my favorite words. but tariff is about number four or five on the list. but i will tell you, it's going to make our country rich. it's going to stop us from being a laughing stock all over the world. because we have been taken advantage of like no country has ever been taken advantage of. thank you very much.

prime minister starmer: we had a really good discussion, a productive discussion, as a result of which our teams will be working together on an economic deal. our team is going to be working together on security in ukraine. you mentioned canada, i think you're trying to find a divide between us that doesn't exist. we're the closest of nations and we had very good discussions today. pres. trump: that's enough. thank you. please. go ahead. go ahead. yes. thank you. reporter: mr. president, you said you're working on a new trade deal with britain which we of coursing with. president obama once said britain was at the back of the queue for that trade deal. how do you see that? and prime minister, there were suggestions of payments made to people of hamas. does the bbc still have your trust? pres. trump: they didn't do well with president obama. never got a lot of things done.

and he didn't get a trade deal done. that was of any importance or magnitude. we've had great discussions on trade. i think we're going to have a deal done rather quickly, as quickly as it can be done. we're going to have something rather quickly we expect to do that. ok. prime minister starmer: on the bbc, i've been concerned about the program in question. the secretary of state had a meeting with the bbc. i think it was yesterday, could have been the day before. thank you. reporter: pardon me. mr. president, do you support article 5 of the nato treaty? and are you concerned it might be triggered if european peacekeeping forces end up in ukraine. pres. trump: i support it. i don't think we'll have any reason for it. i think we're going to have a very successful peace. i think it's going to be a long lasting peace. and i think it's going to happen hopefully quickly. if it doesn't happen quickly it may not happen at all. and we want it for two reasons,

number one, i want to see on a hue mane basis, i want to see soldiers stop getting shot. because largely it's soldiers, towns have been obliterated but it's largely that. and i don't want to pay billions and billions and billions after odollars, nor because the -- nor does the prime minister or anyone else, on a senseless war that should have never happened. we're going to get it taken care of. i think it's going to be a peace that's going to be long lasting. do you have a question for the prime minister? reporter: thank you. you were asking the president today about a back stop for europe. if the peacekeeping force ends up in ukraine. did you feel like you got a satisfying answer for yourself and for europe? and mr. president, if you want to comment on that as well, please do. prime minister starmer: i thought we had a productive discussion obviously as the president says. the deal has to come first. but yes, our teams are going to be talking about how we make

sure that deal sticks, is lasting, and enforced. so our teams will be talking about that. pres. trump: ok. reporter: mr. president, some experts think it could take more than a decade to mine the precious minerals from ukraine. how much should the u.s. expect to receive and when do you expect to receive that -- when do you expect to see that come to fruition? pres. trump: we're never going to know that answer but by being in ukraine, doing the exploration, the digging and taking the rare earth which we need in our country very badly, we'll be doing a substantial amount of work. probably about at least what we have in there. we hope to be able to do that. you never know when it comes to that. you knowing, you dig and maybe things aren't there like you think they're there. we'll be spending a lot of time there. it'll be great for ukraine. it's like a huge economic development project. so it'll be good for both

countries. ok. please. reporter: prime minister, you've talked about putting british soldiers' boots on the ground in ukraine in the event that president trump succeeds with his piece paes deal. but can you do that without a firm assurance that america will have our back in the form of some kind of security guarantee, were putin to breach that agreement. mr. president, tomorrow you're seeing president zelenskyy to sign this deal on minerals and energy. that could be hugely important to the united states. will you take the opportunity to apologize to him for calling him a dictator while praising vladimir putin who is a dictator? prime minister starmer: let me start by saying i've been really

clear today and previously that i think that european countries, including the united kingdom, need to step up in our own defense and security, we've been doing that in recent days. you saw the announcement we made on spending just the other day. in addition to that, i've made it clear that the united kingdom will play a small part in ensuring that if there's a deal, and we hope there is a deal in ukraine, that that is a lasting deal that sticks and we're obviously working with other european countries on that, france and nato in particular. but i've got -- i think i'm hosting 18 countries on sunday to further our discussions. you heard from the president this morning that as historically has always been the case, we have each other's backs. today we have been talking about the deal, how that will be a lasting deal, and coming out of this, our teams will now be talking in detail about that.

pres. trump: and i think we'll have a good meeting tomorrow, 11:00. i think we'll have a good meeting tomorrow morning. going to get along really well. ok. we have a lot of respect. i have a lot of respect for him. we've given him a lot of equipment and a lot of money but they have fought very bravely no matter how you figure. they have really fought. somebody has to use that equipment. and they have been very brave in that sense. pres. trump: it's nearing an end this saturday and there's some worry phase two will never get there. do you believe a phase two of ceasefire in gaza will come to fruition? have you spoken to netanyahu about it? and for the prime minister, the peacekeeping deal, have you been in discussions with other european countries to join the initiative? are you expecting commonwealth countries to join in?

pres. trump: we're working hard in the middle east, gaza and the problem, it's been going on for years and years, centuries and centuries. it's a tough neighborhood. but it could be a very beautiful neighborhood. and i think we're going to come up with some pretty good solutions. phase one is almost complete. we've had some people that have been very seriously injured. very seriously hurt. both physically and mentally. they've come out of there very, very -- some of them in very bad shape. shocking. many young people, young people aren't in bad shape. young people are strong, healthy, they don't die. people have come out dead. young people. and old people. it's a rough situation. but i think we're going to make it much better. i think that we've had a huge impact on that since we've been in just the four weeks. i think we've had a huge impact on gaza, the middle east, and we have some good talks going on concerning lots of other people

that are going to make it better. we'll see what happens. nobody really knows but we'll see what happens. i think we've had a very positive impact. prime minister starmer: on the question of european country, yes, i have spoken oto a number of countries particularly in the last few weeks. we had a meeting in paris last week. i've got a meeting on sunday with 18 countries. to further our discussions. obviously we've been talking intentionally to our french colleagues and to nato. but to other countries as well. because as i say, i think it's important for european countries, including the united kingdom, to step up and do more. in the defense and security of europe and our continent and the united kingdom. we're talking to a number of other countries. pres. trump: thank you. yes, in the red, please. flaming red. go ahead.

reporter: thank you, mr. president. question on ukraine, number one, is if you're not considering the security guarantees, are you open to other forms of, for example, intelligence cooperation with ukraine? and mr. prime minister, president trump has put forward a plan for gaza. does this fit into the two-state solution that the u.k. held for a long time? do you see it fitting into your general middle eastern strategy? thank you so much. pres. trump: thank you very much. we're open to many things but before i even think about that, that's almost pleasant to think about because that would mean peace has been arrived at. we have to arrive at that peace. and you know, you went 3 1/2 years with an administration that never even really had a meeting. they didn't have a meeting on peace. and there was no prospect of peace. i think frankly russia wanted to go through the whole long deal. i don't think they do anymore. i don't think they do.

we had a very big impact on that whole situation. but i don't like talking about phase two until i get phase one -- phase one is they have to make peace. we have to get russia to agree. we have to get ukraine to agree. i think we will, i think we've come a long way. i believe we're going to get it done. i wouldn't say that if i didn't think so. and i think it will be very important, very historic. we're going to save a lot of lives. prime minister: on the question of gaza, the last few weeks of the ceasefire have been very impact. for me there are two images that i remember more than any other. the first is, emily demarre, who is british, being reunited with her mother. you may remember she had her fingers missing after what she endured. that was an incredible moment. i spent a lot of time with her

mother while she was held captive. and her mother went through absolute torture. the other image was thousands of palestinians marching through rubble, trying to return to their communities and their homes. so we have to do everything we can to ensure that the ceasefire continues. so that more hostages can be returned. so that aid can be brought in that's desperately needed. and we need to allow palestinians to return to rebuild their lives and we must all support them in doing that. yes, i believe that the two-state solution is ultimately the only way for a lasting peace in the region. pres. trump: think of that. she came home with her fingers, part of her hand blown you have off. prime minister starmer: terrible. pres. trump: how bad does it get we had others who came home in much worse shape than that. it's a terrible situation. please, yes.

reporter: thank you. mr. president, did our prime minister persuade you not to put tariffs on the u.k.? and if i may, prime minister, do you think that vladimir putin is a man who will keep his word? pres. trump: he tried. [laughter] he was working hard. i'll tell you that. he earned whatever the hell they pay him over there. but he tried. we -- i think there's a very good chance that in the case of these two great, friendly country, i think we could very well end up with a real trade deal. where the tariffs wouldn't be necessary. we'll see. but he's -- he earned whatever -- whatever they pay him, he earned today. he was working hard at lunch and i'm very receptive to it. i think we, in allin all serioua good chance of arriving at a good deal. j.d. and scott and howard, all

the people are working on it and i think we have a good chance at arriving at a deal that could be terrific, really terrific for both countries. ok? thank you. p.m. starmer: on the second part of the question, i think my views on putin are pretty well rehearsed and pretty well known. and my concern is that a deal must be a lasting deal. that it's not a temporary measure and that is why i think it's really important that putin knows that this deal, a historic deal which i very much hope comes about, is there, is there and it's a lasting deal. and that we're able to deal with any inclination he has to go again or go further. pres. trump: i think we'll have two deals. a deal on ending the war and i think we're going to end up with a great trade deal with you and it's an honor to be with you and i want to thank everybody very much. thank you very much. thank you.

thank you. [applause] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. visit ncicap.org] [captions corit national cable satellite corp. 2025] announcer: democrats hehosen who will give the rebuttal to president trump's are to congress on tuesday. as senate mority leader chuck schumer anund michigan freshman senator slotkin will spk on their behalf. writing about senator slotkin he sa she is, quote, nothing short of a rising star in our rt she's dedicated her life to our country, she will lay out th fight to tackle the deep challenges we face ancht a path forward. the michigan senator is slated to speak shortly after the president's address. you can watch their remarksn the c-span networks starting tuesday at 8:00 p.m. stn with a preview on c-span. followed by the psint's speech at 9:00 and the decric response. we'll take viewers' calls and get reaction on social mia, live on c-span, on c-span now,

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