WATCH: President Trump Answers Press Questions Aboard Air Force One - 03/13/26

Hello everybody.

So we have uh a lot of things to talk about but there's not much I can say to you about them.

one of those little problems in life. We

had some very good results today as you probably heard in Iran. Uh very strong results militarily results. We're

talking to countries about policing the straits because they are the ones you know we don't get well very little 1% 2%. China as an example gets about 90%

2%. China as an example gets about 90% of its off from the hormon.

uh nice to have other countries police that with us and we'll help. We'll work

with them. Militarily, we've, as far as I'm concerned, we've essentially defeated Iran. I guess they can have a

defeated Iran. I guess they can have a little bit of fight back, but not much.

Not much. We've taken out their air force, you know. We've taken out their navy. We've taken out their air defense.

navy. We've taken out their air defense.

No air defense whatsoever.

We've taken out their leadership times two or three. Might be three. We'll find

out soon. But uh militarily it's been amazing. Uh we attacked Gar Island and

amazing. Uh we attacked Gar Island and we left just the one little area standing and the standing part is where they have the pipes, all the oil pipes

come in. And we can do that on 5 minutes

come in. And we can do that on 5 minutes notice. We have it all locked and loaded

notice. We have it all locked and loaded and ready to go if we want to do it. But

we chose not to do it. I chose not to do it yet. We'll see what happens. They

it yet. We'll see what happens. They

want to negotiate. They want to negotiate badly. I don't think they're

negotiate badly. I don't think they're ready. Just on what I'm hearing, they

ready. Just on what I'm hearing, they want to negotiate badly as they should, but I don't think they're ready to do what they have to do. Uh, but I think

they will be ready at some point. But

we're doing very well with respect to that whole situation in Iran. We are

talking to other countries about working with us on the policing of the strait and I think we're getting good response and if we do that's great and if we

don't that's great too but remember uh like as an example in many cases they're in NATO countries we're always there for NATO we're helping them with Ukraine as

many it's it's got an ocean in between us doesn't affect us but we've helped them and be interesting to see what country wouldn't help us with a very

small endeavor which is just keeping the straight open that by comparison uh is a small it's small because Iran has very little firepower left uh their missiles

are down to a low number you see they they're shooting very few of them you know why because they don't have very many of them and because we've decimated their manufacturing capability likewise

the drones are way down they're down to about 20% of what they still have uh and you know pretty tough but the drones are down and we're hitting we're

starting hitting as of yesterday we're hitting places where they manufacture the drones we think most of which we know where they are so it's a very strong military operation just as it was

in Venezuela we have the strongest military anywhere in the world by far not even a contest and I think people understand that and we will

finish a Um, Mr. President, which countries have said that they will help them?

Well, I can't say yet. It's a little early. They contact you today and last

early. They contact you today and last night, but we've had some positive response. We had a few that would rather

response. We had a few that would rather not get involved.

Is China want to?

I don't want to tell you about that. I

mean, I I can't really say for sure, but China's an interesting case study. They

get most of their oil, as you know, by by far. I get a lot about I'm 90% on the

by far. I get a lot about I'm 90% on the street. So I said, "Would you like to

street. So I said, "Would you like to come in?" And we'll find out. Maybe they

come in?" And we'll find out. Maybe they

will, maybe they won't. You know,

there's some other deeper reasons why they may not. They should come in. In my

opinion, it never made sense for years.

If you go back and look at what I've said years ago, I said, "Why are we maintaining the hormonally there for China and many other

countries? Why aren't they doing it?"

countries? Why aren't they doing it?"

And that's because we had weak leadership to be honest with you. But

I'm bringing it up now because I think even long term I think it's something that other countries should help us with.

How many other countries Mr. President and again remember this about seven talk to about seven. Uh

just just remember that it's something that we don't need and these countries do and yet for years it's like uh for

years we've been maintaining it doing a great job and now that the war is now that they've been diminished in terms of military their military has been greatly

diminished I think it's a good thing for other countries to come there. Now, it

would have been nice, as I said to the prime minister of the UK, who sort of was reluctant to put his two aircraft carriers into harm's way. That would be

two weeks ago. And as soon as we demolished essentially pretty much demolished them, not over yet, but pretty much we're in great shape. Let's

put it that way, as everybody does. He

said, "We'd like to send our aircraft carriers." I said, "I don't want them

carriers." I said, "I don't want them after we win the war. I want them before we start the war." So whether it's uh whether we get support or not but I can

say this and I said it to them. We will

remember how soon with this well they start immediately but it will take a little time to get here. Some of

the countries have mind sweepers that's good. Some of the countries have a

good. Some of the countries have a certain type of boat that could help us.

Uh some of the countries would be a little helpful. Remember, it only takes

little helpful. Remember, it only takes a couple of people to screw up the straight, a couple of turns. You don't

need their their military is to beat it, but all you need is a few people dropping mines here and there, and you know, you you louse it up. So, uh, we

need I I would really I'm demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory because it is their territory. is it's the place from which

territory. is it's the place from which they get their energy and they should come and they should help us protect it.

You could make the case that maybe we shouldn't even be there at all because we don't need it. We have a lot of oil.

We were the number one producer anywhere in the world times two by double at least double. Now I think it's much

least double. Now I think it's much higher than that. But we do it. It's

almost like we do it for habit, but we also do it for some very good allies that we have in the Middle East.

Sir, you mentioned that Iran wants to make a deal. However, earlier today, we heard their foreign minister say they never said they wanted to make a deal, but they'll do whatever they can to ban

what they tell you and what they tell the public. You know, I just put out a

the public. You know, I just put out a truth about their disinformation. I

assume most of us are, but they use a AI They said they attacked the USS Abraham Lincoln, one of the largest ships in the world, an aircraft carrier, and they show pictures of it burning. It was

never attacked. It was never burning.

The Wall Street Journal put out a false story that five of our big beautiful tankers that we feed the planes with, the give the planes uh the gas, jet

fuel, uh hundreds of thousands of gallons of gasoline that they were all essentially destroyed. They weren't

essentially destroyed. They weren't destroyed at all. In fact, four of them weren't were not even I mean literally were not damaged and one of them has

slight damage. It'll be back in the air

slight damage. It'll be back in the air soon. But they if you if you read the

soon. But they if you if you read the Wall Street Journal, it's like they were totally decimated and destroyed like Iran has been. So they put out phony

story, the kamicazi boats. The kamicazi

boats don't exist. They're fake. And you

can almost see that when you look at them. It looks great. Yeah. Because if

them. It looks great. Yeah. Because if

they did exist, we'd hit them just like we hit other boats all over the place.

But they don't exist. In fact, some of the people say, "Where are the boats?

How come nobody's seen the bus?" You

know why? Cuz it's AI generated. It's

fake. And I found I didn't realize this before we started, but Iran is known for a lot of fake news. And they deal with

our fake news. And I actually think it's pretty criminal because our media companies who have no credibility whatsoever are putting out information

that they know is false and it's a very dangerous thing for the country. I think

it's I think they could be in serious jeopardy for president. PAC put out a fundraising email a couple of days ago and is being criticized for using official White House photos of you at

the dignified transfer and the pack is also promising access to secret Well, I was at the dignified transfer unlike a lot of other people appropriate email to send. Your critics are saying that you're fundraising.

I didn't see it. I mean, somebody would say we have a lot of people working for us, but there's nobody that's better than the to the military than me. And

all you have to do is look at the election. Look at the election results.

election. Look at the election results.

Uh look at the kind of votes that we get. Look at the poll numbers. There's

get. Look at the poll numbers. There's

nobody that's ever been higher as a president than me with the military.

Can you guys comment on the the US?

ABC News.

The wor one of the worst most fake most corrupt.

You know what ABC News? I think it's maybe the most corrupt news organizations on the planet. I think

they're terrible. Okay. I don't want anyone from ABC right here.

Thank you, sir. What's Israel doing to help secure this treat?

Well, they're doing they're working with us. A relationship with Israel. That was

us. A relationship with Israel. That was

other fake news. They were saying, "Oh, did I have an argument with people?" No,

we really get along well. And uh he would tell you we're leading the whole thing. And I don't they can say it or

thing. And I don't they can say it or not say it. It doesn't matter. The main

thing is to get it done. But uh my relationship with BB Netanya is I would say extraordinary actually.

Um if I if I get ahead um when when you called for the people of Iran to rise up overthrow the government, what what's going on there? They they haven't done that. You expect them to.

that. You expect them to.

You're dealing with thugs. You're

dealing with horrible people. Uh you're

dealing with people that are violent and vicious. And that's the leadership and

vicious. And that's the leadership and the people right under them. their

military or their police and they've notified everybody and they put out statements that if you protest you're going to be shot and killed.

The protesters have no guns and I know you're a brave person but I don't think you'd be protesting and so I think it's very hard for them to proty understand

it. They said if you protest you will be

it. They said if you protest you will be killed. A week ago and two weeks ago

killed. A week ago and two weeks ago they killed 32,000 protesters. At least

we think the number is much higher than that. They shot and killed 32,000

that. They shot and killed 32,000 protesters who were greatly enthusiastic and want to see a change because they've destroyed the country. The people that

are running have destroyed the country.

But think of it, they shot and killed much more than 32,000 people. Now they

put out a notice two days ago that we're going to kill going to shoot and kill any protester.

and they don't have guns, meaning the protests because they have no guns. So,

I can fully understand why they're not doing it. Oh, one other thing that was

doing it. Oh, one other thing that was uh AI generated. They showed about 250,000 people in a square saying how much they love KI. Uh totally AI

generated. It never took place. The

generated. It never took place. The

media knew it didn't take place, but they built it up like they have great support. They don't have support. at

support. They don't have support. at

that whole rally that they had 3 days ago, 4 days ago that they said was fake.

It was AI generated. AI can be very dangerous. We have to be very careful

dangerous. We have to be very careful with it. But the rally cuz I was

with it. But the rally cuz I was actually surprised to see because I know how much they're the people hate this leadership. This leadership has

leadership. This leadership has destroyed the country. The rally that everybody including ABC fake news, your

your network is the worst. But everybody

put that rally on like, oh, and even I was surprised. I looked uh it turned

was surprised. I looked uh it turned out, I found out today, it was a totally AI generated fake news story put out by

news organizations in the US and elsewhere. And honestly, they they

elsewhere. And honestly, they they really shouldn't be allowed to do it.

Mr. Are there any diplomatic talks going on between the US and Iran at all right now? We we're talking to them.

now? We we're talking to them.

But I don't think they're ready.

But they're getting pretty close.

I don't know that I want to make a deal because you know what? First of all, nobody even knows who you're dealing with because most of their leadership has been killed as you know, right? So I

don't even know that we want to make a deal.

Mr. President, you mentioned that.

They want to make a deal badly. Yes.

Mr. President, you mentioned that Iran's military has been decimated economically in other ways. Are you ready to officially declare victory?

No, I don't want to do that. There's no

reason to. I I think I just say they're decimated, but I would do that. I think

that we've done damage to them right now. If we left right now, it would take

now. If we left right now, it would take them 10 years and more to rebuild.

But I'm still not declaring it over. Our

military is incredible. The job they've done is just incredible. And the problem is the problem is that when you look at

fake stories written by you people, written by uh and generated by AI, uh it's incredible. And I just wonder like Jeff, do you know that these are

fake news stories? Did you know that the rally of 250,000 people, the supposed rally was fake? Did you know that? You

saw the reporting on it, but you wrote about it.

You talked about it and you knew it was fake. It was AI generated.

fake. It was AI generated.

I didn't know.

I didn't You know, you know, anybody anybody that knew the country knew there's not 250,000 people willing to stand in a circle and say how great Kaini is. Okay.

Kaini is. Okay.

Are you happy about You talk about the military uh objectives. What about

political leadership in Iran? What type

of leadership?

We have people, some are dead, but we have some people that we think would be good. I mean, we'll see about that.

good. I mean, we'll see about that.

Is that something we talk about? See

what happens.

Sir, you talked about selling oil,000 marine retailers. Can you say why?

marine retailers. Can you say why?

Very obnoxious question. Go ahead. What

were you going to say? I

I I wanted to ask if you talked about uh capping about selling oil futures as a way of capping prices, trying to keep prices down at the pump. the prices are going to come tumbling down as soon as it's over and it's going to be over pretty quickly.

Do you have any concerns about the political impacts of this? I mean,

I have to do what's right. I mean, you know, political everybody has concern. I

have to do what's right. Uh

I can't say that, you know, gee, I I don't want to have any impact on oil prices for three or four weeks or two months and we're going to let Iran have a nuclear weapon and blow up the entire

Middle East and beyond, right? because

you know they they were going to blow up the Middle East. If I didn't terminate the Obama horrible deal, the Iran nuclear deal it's called. If I didn't terminate that in my first term, they

would have already had a nuclear weapon and they would have used it immediately upon getting it. And if I didn't send in the B2 bombers to bomb the hell out of it and obliterate, and that's what it

was. We obliterated that site and

was. We obliterated that site and stopped all their potential nuclear. If

I didn't do that, you would have had Israel and the Middle East hit by nuclear weapons and we wouldn't be talking about this right now.

what I did in terminating the Iran nuclear deal and what I did in sending in the B2 bombers who were it was one of the most incredible attacks anyone's

ever seen late at night dark no moon and every single bomb went right down those shoots and blew the whole place apart if I didn't do that you'd have you would have had nuclear warfare in the Middle

East and I think Israel would have been obliterated I think lots of the Middle East would have been and you saw that when They sent thousands of missiles to countries that didn't expect anything.

They didn't think they were going to be involved. And yet, you look at what

involved. And yet, you look at what happened with Kuwait, UAE, Saudi Arabia, uh, Qatar. You take a look at Qatar. I

uh, Qatar. You take a look at Qatar. I

mean, they they sort of got along and all of a sudden they're being bared by missiles. These people would have used

missiles. These people would have used nuclear on the entire Middle East. And

that was their plan. and take over the whole Middle East and it failed with the nuclear and then they had thousands of missiles and for the most part largely we've now destroyed those missiles.

Thank you very much everybody.

Tell us about Cuba. You're talking to Cuba. What do you want to hear from them

Cuba. What do you want to hear from them and what is that risk?

I I am holding Cuba. Cuba is a failed nation. Cuba also wants to make a deal

nation. Cuba also wants to make a deal and I think we will pretty soon or either make a deal or do whatever we have to do. Uh, we have a lot of great people that happen to vote for Trump.

Not that that matters, but we have a lot of great people from Cuba that were violently and viciously thrown out of the country and worse, their families were killed. And so, we're talking to

were killed. And so, we're talking to Cuba, but we're going to do Iran before Cuba.

And what what is that risk?

And, you know, people have been waiting 50 years to hear this story with Cuba.

When I left Palm Beach today, there were thousands of people in the road. I'm

sure you saw them. And they were from Cuba and from Venezuela. All friendly.

All friendly. Waving the flag and waving the American flag. They've been waiting 50 years for what's happening with Cuba.

So I think something will happen with Cuba pretty quickly.

On the Iran school strike. Is it looking more likely that it was the US's fault?

Maybe the Iran school strike that happened on the first day of the war.

We don't know. That's under

investigation.

Mr. President, what what do you want to see in a deal with Iran and and the war?

And how does that differ from Israel's objectives?

Um, I I I think, you know, I think we have similar objectives really, but could be a little bit different. You

know, they're there and we're very far away, but I think we probably have pretty similar with Israel. The

relationship has been very good. The

militaries are very well coordinated.

Ours is the strongest by far in the world. And they have a real good

world. And they have a real good military, you know, really good. They

have a lot of our weapons. They have our planes. They have our missiles. They

planes. They have our missiles. They

have our Patriots. They have a lot of our our weapons. We have the best We make the best weapons in the world. And

now what we're doing, as you probably saw, we have the Rathon and all of the LED. All of these companies are now

LED. All of these companies are now building plants because we don't want to wait. We make the best weapons, but we

wait. We make the best weapons, but we don't like to have to wait for them.

What we do have though is at a very high level, we have unlimited weapons at a medium to high level.

and uh they're really doing the trick and we're not using the they call it the elite weapons because frankly they haven't outside of the original attack they haven't been necessary but these

these companies these companies are building uh facilities and they've already started all over the many of them are building many buildings right

now to make so that we wait two weeks instead of two years for weapons you said that we're nowhere near sending ground troops troops to the Middle East or I don't talk to people like you about

that. I mean, why would I tell you I'm

that. I mean, why would I tell you I'm sending or not sending? I don't talk about a military strategy. Who would

talk about?

I mean, who would answer a question like that?

Do you have a comment on the six service members who come out last week?

What do you want to see? Because earlier

you said reportedly, well, you start off with there will be no nuclear weapons. That's where it starts. And then on top of that, there's

starts. And then on top of that, there's plenty of things that we're going to get. Thank you very much. on Israel.

get. Thank you very much. on Israel.