Karoline Leavitt (01:08):
Good afternoon everybody. Good to see all of you.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
Good afternoon.
Karoline Leavitt (01:12):
With President Trump as Commander-in-Chief, the world is a much safer place. After decades in which past presidents coddled and enabled the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism, President Trump finally ended the immediate threat of a nuclear Iranian regime. Following President Trump's command, the most powerful military in the history of the world executed massive precision strikes on three of the Iranian regime's key nuclear facilities. The objective of Operation Midnight Hammer was to destroy the regime's nuclear enrichment capacity and stop the grave nuclear threat posed to the United States, Israel, and the rest of the free world. The mission, which will go down in the history books, was an overwhelming success. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan "Razin" Caine covered the operation in great detail at their briefing this morning at the Pentagon. And I encourage every American to watch it.
(02:12)
As President Trump has said repeatedly, the United States of America has the greatest, fiercest, and bravest armed forces ever to stride the face of this Earth. And we couldn't be more grateful and proud of our nation's warriors. The Iranian regime was weeks away from being able to produce a nuclear weapon that would threaten the entire world before President Trump took this decisive action on Saturday night to obliterate their nuclear capabilities. The contrast in leadership could not be more clear. Barack Obama and Joe Biden sent pallets of cash, American taxpayer dollars, in a failed attempt to buy the Iranian regime's compliance with a weak and ineffective deal. President Trump sent a fleet of American warplanes to destroy Iran's ability to produce a nuclear weapon. The United States and the entire world are safer because of this President's decisiveness. Despite agenda-driven leaks by the fake news media, aimed at undermining this incredible accomplishment achieved by President Trump and our brave fighter pilots, there is broad consensus emerging already that Iran's nuclear capabilities were indeed destroyed.
(03:22)
The United States, Israel, the United Nations, and even Iran all agree they can no longer build a nuclear weapon. So why did the President immediately turn to obliterating after the Iranian nuclear threat? Securing peace. Within 48 hours of the devastating strike, President Trump and his team brokered a historic ceasefire between Israel and Iran and officially ended the 12-day war. The Middle East is now shifting away from chaos and bloodshed and moving toward the beginning stages of a new era of peace and stability that President Trump has long called on them to achieve. This was unthinkable at this time last week, and this is what peace through strength looks like. Under President Trump, America will relentlessly advance our interests without being dragged into endless wars. His fearless leadership guarantees America is, once again, respected across the world.
(04:18)
Just look at what he was able to accomplish at the NATO Summit in the Netherlands. Many of you were there. Our allies agreed to invest 5% of their GDP annually in defense, because President Trump demanded it. This will be the most significant reinforcement of NATO's collective defense in the history of the NATO alliance. And as a result, the United States of America will carry less of the burden and our NATO allies will be stronger than ever before. As NATO Secretary General Rutte put it, "For too long, one ally, the United States," and our taxpayers, I may add, "carried too much of the burden of that commitment. And that changes today. President Trump made this change possible. We will produce trillions more for our common defense to make us stronger and fairer by equalizing spending between America and our allies." This is the Trump effect. This is what the President meant when he declared that America is back. Now, back here at home, Americans are paying much cheaper prices for gasoline this summer, as both the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times pointed out today.
(05:22)
Here's how the Wall Street Journal put it. "Hitting the road this summer won't bring as much of a big hit to your wallet. The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline is about 23 cents cheaper than this time last year. Analysts say plentiful supply is expected to keep prices down in the coming months. These are the cheapest gas prices at this point of the summer since 2021. And despite all the doom casting from liberal pundits, oil prices on Tuesday were lower than before the Israel-Iran conflict began." As President Trump continues to unleash American energy, our country will have even more efficient, reliable, and affordable energy to protect our national security and fuel our people. Later this afternoon here at the White House, the President will host a One, Big, Beautiful Event in the East Room to rally Republicans to get the One Big Beautiful Bill across the finish line.
(06:16)
At that event, he will be joined by everyday Americans from across the country, who will massively benefit from the common sense policies and provisions within this bill. This is the largest tax cut for working and middle-class Americans in history, and it's going to put more money into the pockets of hardworking Americans. Families will see an average increase in take home pay of more than $10,000 per year. Americans earning between $30,000 and $80,000 per year will see a 15% tax cut. Overtime and tipped workers will save thousands of dollars annually. And our amazing seniors will receive historic financial relief by reducing the tax burden on their Social Security benefits. Simply put, this bill is going to unlock the golden age of America. And we look forward to continuing to work with the Senate and the House to see this bill on the President's desk for signature by Independence Day. Here in our new media seat today, we have Collin Anderson with the Washington Free Beacon who will kick off our question and answer. Collin, go ahead.
Collin Anderson (07:18):
Thank you, Karoline. We reported yesterday on a briefing from the Israeli Defense Minister, in which she said the US and Israel are working together to monitor any attempts from Iran to rebuild their nuclear program and also that, if Iran was to do so, the US and Israel would work together to once again destroy that nuclear program. Does that align with the President's thinking?
Karoline Leavitt (07:35):
Look, the President, as I said in those opening remarks, Collin, and thanks for being with us today, views the Middle East on its way to peace and prosperity. And the President used strength on Saturday night. The whole world saw that the United States is indeed the most lethal fighting force in the world with those precision strikes on Saturday evening. But the President wants peace. He always has. And right now, we're on a diplomatic path with Iran. The President and his team, namely Special Envoy Witkoff, continue to be in communication with the Iranians, and especially our Gulf and Arab partners in the region, to come to an agreement with Iran.
(08:12)
As for our alliance with the State of Israel and that friendship and that partnership between the United States and the State of Israel, I would argue it has never been stronger. And we see a new era in which perhaps some of these Gulf and Arab states can sign on to the Abraham Accords. That was one of the President's most signature accomplishments in his first term, and he'd like to see more of those countries sign on in this second term. And so, we look forward to sustaining a long and durable peace in the region. And the President wants to do that through a diplomatic solution, but as he proved on Saturday night, he's not afraid to use strength if we need to do it. Gabe?
Gabe (08:49):
Thanks, Karoline. The President mentioned in a Truth Social post that no enriched uranium was moved from Fordow. What about the other two sites, Isfahan and Natanz? How can the President be so
Gabe (09:00):
… sure that no uranium was moved?
Karoline Leavitt (09:02):
Well, what I can assure you is that the United States and our intelligence agencies and Director Ratcliffe and the president's entire national security team were obviously watching these sites very closely in the weeks and the days leading up to the attack on Saturday, which I will add was one of the most secretive and successful operations in United States history. I think many of you in this room would agree with that because none of you in this room knew about the strike on Saturday until it took place. So we were watching closely and there was no indication to the United States that any of that enriched uranium was moved prior to the strike
Gabe (09:34):
From any of the sites?
Karoline Leavitt (09:34):
Correct.
Gabe (09:39):
And then one more thing, Karoline. Next week the president mentioned there to be talks with Iran. He didn't mention any details and Iran has not confirmed them. Can you share any details about any potential talks next week?
Karoline Leavitt (09:47):
We don't have anything scheduled as of now, but I spoke to our Special Envoy Witkoff at length this morning and I can assure all of you, we continue to be in close communication with the Iranians and through our intermediaries as well, namely the Qataris who have been an incredible ally and partner throughout this entire effort. And as I said, this administration is always focused on diplomacy and peace and we want to ensure we can get to a place where Iran agrees to a non-enrichment civil nuclear program. And there are many other requests that the United States has. Those details continue, really they're just starting, of course the operation was just on Saturday night, but we are in touch and if there is a meeting, we will let you know as we always do. Brian.
Brian (10:29):
Thank you, Karoline. It's two, one on trade. On the July deadline that's coming up for the trade deals, is that deadline still hard and fast for the president or is he now considering even coming to trade deals after that deadline? And where is he on that going forward?
Karoline Leavitt (10:44):
I think the president has been asked this quite a few times by many of you in the media. I've heard him answer it at press conferences and at gaggles, he just spoke about it on Air Force One. The deadline is not critical. The president can simply provide these countries with a deal if they refuse to make us one by the deadline. And that means the president can pick a reciprocal tariff rate that he believes is advantageous for the United States and for the American worker. And he will continue to do that. But as for the deals, our United States Trade Ambassador Jamieson Greer, I speak to him frequently, he's working very hard and he has had very good and productive discussions with many of our key trading partners.
Brian (11:21):
And on the One Big Beautiful Bill, there's conversations on the Hill right now about the Medicaid cuts. I'm curious, if the final bill that the president's been talking about comes to him and it has Medicaid cuts in it, will he sign it or would he rather just Congress do away with those cuts?
Karoline Leavitt (11:38):
I think our friends in both the Senate and the House know exactly where the president stands on Medicaid. He wants to get rid of the waste, fraud and abuse. And they're working to do that in the Senate right now. Jennifer.
Jennifer (11:50):
A follow-up on that. On the Big Beautiful Bill, is there enough time for Congress to work through the issues it needs to work through? I'm saying does the president need to move back his deadline a little bit?
Karoline Leavitt (11:59):
We expect that bill to be on the president's desk for signature by July 4th. I know that there was a ruling by the Senate parliamentarian this morning. Look, this is part of the process. This is part of the inner workings of the United States Senate. But the president is adamant about seeing this bill on his desk here at the White House by Independence Day.
Jennifer (12:17):
And then on Israel. Is there a date set for the prime minister to visit the White House yet? Is he coming in a couple of weeks?
Karoline Leavitt (12:22):
There isn't a date, but the prime minister has expressed interest in coming to the White House to meet with the president and come to Washington. The president is obviously very open to that. But we don't have a date, when we do, we'll let you all know. Kate.
Kate (12:35):
The president suggested he was open to sending more Patriot air defense missiles to Ukraine. Is that going to happen? And were there any other assurances that he made directly to Zelenskyy when they met?
Karoline Leavitt (12:46):
I'll let the president speak on that. That was a private conversation between he and President Zelenskyy. But the meeting was a good meeting and it was a meeting towards progress. And the president, as he has said repeatedly, wants to see this war come to an end, but I'll let him speak on that specific point.
Kate (13:01):
And Witkoff yesterday suggested that there would be more countries signing onto the Abraham Accords. What's the timeline on that and which countries specifically is the administration looking to have sign on?
Karoline Leavitt (13:10):
Well, the president is certainly hopeful that more countries in the region will sign on to the Abraham Accords. Again, we want to see a long, withstanding and durable peace in the Middle East and that's the way to do it. And when the president met with the new president of Syria, that was one of the requests that he made for Syria to sign on to the Abraham Accords. I don't have a timeline for you, but this administration wants to see that happen and our partners in the region should know that. Rachel.
Rachel (13:33):
Thanks so much. Just to follow back up on the meeting that the president mentioned about wanting to have this meeting with the Iranians next week. Clearly there's a willingness here from the administration to want to meet with Iranian officials. What is the hold up here in trying to schedule it? Are you experiencing any resistance from the Iranians?
Karoline Leavitt (13:48):
No. Have some patience. We just had this strike on Saturday night. The president secured a ceasefire. A lot has happened in the last week. He was just in the Netherlands, now he's back home to have a big event this afternoon on the One Big Beautiful Bill and get our domestic priorities across the finish line. So we'll get there. And like I said, we're in constant communication.
Rachel (14:05):
And just one more, just the goal of the meeting. The president mentioned yesterday that it may not be necessary to have an agreement with the Iranians. What is the purpose? What would be the goal of this meeting?
Karoline Leavitt (14:14):
Again, to continue moving forward towards a long-standing peace in the Middle East. Jordan.
Jordan (14:20):
Yes, Karoline. Thank you. So the president had some harsh words for both Israel and Iran on Tuesday as he was departing from the NATO Summit after they both violated the ceasefire, he said. What's your response to Americans who are worried the peace isn't going to last and think that Israel is trying to plunge us into another endless war on their behalf?
Karoline Leavitt (14:39):
I think the fact that the president was able to successfully negotiate a ceasefire when nobody thought that was possible, it was a surprise to everyone in this room, it was a surprise to the world. But the President got it done because he wants to see peace in this world. He does not want the United States to be dragged into these conflicts. Again, he's not afraid use strength if he has to, but the president has already proven he can put America first and deliver on peace at the same time. They're not mutually exclusive goals.
Jordan (15:09):
And then one more. After Kari Lake, she testified in the House Foreign Affairs Committee on the waste, fraud and abuse and the Rock really in Voice of America and USAGF, the president called for Congress to kill it. What does that look like? And is the president willing to sign an executive order?
Karoline Leavitt (15:25):
Well, I believe that that action would have to be legislative through Congress and the president directed Congress to get that done in his Truth Social post yesterday. If there is any executive action that can be taken to cut some of the waste, fraud and abuse or do away with the program entirely, I'm sure our great Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller is already looking into it. And if it can be done, it will be done here at the White House, but Congress should act as well. To the back. Go ahead. Yes.
Carrie (15:54):
Karoline, thank you. The administration-
Karoline Leavitt (15:57):
To the back and then Carrie, I'll come to you.
Carrie (15:58):
Yeah. The administration said that the CIA report was low confidence intel. Can you share what other assessments are currently underway to get to the bottom of just how effective these strikes were?
Karoline Leavitt (16:09):
Yes. Well, I can assure you what the CIA director said that when we look at the entirety of the intelligence that we have to this date, it concludes that these strikes on the Iranian nuclear facilities were absolutely successful. It was a total obliteration, as the president said. And not only does our own intelligence say that, but also the Iranian Foreign Minister has said that, we saw Israel conclude the same thing based on their own intelligence. We also had the United Nations say that as well. So I think the only other time the United Nations, Israel, Iran, and the United States has agreed on something is that the sky is blue. But they all agree that Iran's nuclear facilities were completely demolished.
(16:50)
And I would just like to reemphasize. You mentioned this was a low confidence preliminary intelligence assessment. And the entirety of that assessment was not leaked to the media, only tidbits of that assessment were leaked to CNN. And we have seen this playbook run before where you have people in the intelligence community or perhaps on Capitol Hill, we don't know. But I believe the FBI is investigating to find out who that leaker was because it's illegal and they should be held accountable for that. Leaked bits and pieces of an intel assessment to push a false narrative. And it's to the same reporter, I will add, Natasha Bertrand of CNN who has done this in the past.
(17:29)
In 2020, it was Natasha Bertrand who had 51 intelligence analysts falsely lie to her, but she still put it on paper for some reason, that the Hunter Biden laptop story was Russian disinformation. We all know that's not true. We can all agree on that now, that was a lie from the intelligence community. Also in 2020, this same reporter, Natasha Bertrand, wrote that a top intel agency ruled out the man-made lab leak theory of the coronavirus origins. Again, the president was right about that. This reporter wrote a lie
Karoline Leavitt (18:00):
… [inaudible 00:18:00] from the intelligence community to seek a narrative she wanted to prove. And guess what? We now know that's the truth. Also, in 2024, Bertrand pushed the Suckers and Losers hoax. She also pushed the Fine People hoax, which was taking the President's words purposely out of context. And then last October, and I believe this is notable, Natasha Bertrand published an article in Politico from the Intelligence Agency. She said that John Ratcliffe was speaking without any evidence when he said Iran was attempting to undermine President Trump's presidential campaign. And then we, of course, found out that was absolutely true. In fact, the Biden Administration declassed an Intel report, which said they had high confidence that Iran had done exactly what Ratcliffe alleged. They did run an influence campaign to hurt President Trump's candidacy. In fact, we know the Iranians tried to take President Trump's life.
(18:51)
And so this is a reporter who has been, unfortunately, used by people who dislike Donald Trump in this government to push fake and false narratives. She should be ashamed of herself. And that's not what reporting is. Journalism is trying to find the facts and the truth. And this week we saw this same reporter being used to push a fake narrative to try to undermine the President of United States, and more importantly, the brave fighter pilots who conducted one of the most successful operations in United States history. And I think the American people fully know that this operation was a complete and total success. Elizabeth.
Elizabeth (19:25):
Thank you, Karoline. The Miami Herald recently published a story saying the Trump Administration was targeting migrant foster children, the Trump Administration has denounced this as false. Could you clarify Trump Administration's position on protecting migrant children, particularly the 300,000 lost under the Biden Administration?
Karoline Leavitt (19:43):
Yes, I saw that Miami Herald article yesterday, and I was aghast at the headline. It's egregious to accuse this administration of trying to target foster children, that is not at all what is happening at the Department of Homeland Security. And I learned that the Department of Homeland Security actually tried to work in good faith with this reporter to get this story right, to explain that this administration is trying to protect foster children, we are trying to keep children out of harm's way, even if that means their parents are not law-abiding citizens. We want to protect children, unlike the previous administration, which allowed children to be trafficked and raped and in some cases killed because of the open border policies. Unfortunately, the Miami Herald just completely degraded themselves with this report, despite having a full list of facts from the Department of Homeland Security, it's another example of fake news.
(20:36)
And the May border numbers speak for themselves. Not a single illegal alien was allowed into this country because of this administration's border policies in the month of May. That means not a single child was allowed into this country, possibly with human smugglers or human traffickers. And we know that was happening at the rate of 1000s and 1000s of children every single month in the previous administration for four years, and you didn't see any reporting of that from the Miami Herald. But now they're trying to accuse this administration. And we tried to give them the facts and they refused to report them. So thank you for bringing that report to light. Aisha.
Aisha (21:13):
Good to see you again.
Karoline Leavitt (21:14):
You too.
Aisha (21:14):
I know you were looking for this-
Karoline Leavitt (21:14):
You're usually on the hill.
Aisha (21:16):
I know. I'm here today. I know you're looking for this leaker. Is it your belief, I know you said earlier, you're not sure if it's on Capitol Hill or at the Pentagon, but is it your belief that it might be in Capitol Hill? And how confident are you that you'll find this leaker?
Karoline Leavitt (21:32):
Well, I'm not personally looking for the leaker. The FBI is looking for the leaker, so you'll have to ask them and the Department of Justice in terms of this investigation. But leaking top secret, classified intelligence is a crime and people need to be held accountable for that crime.
Aisha (21:49):
And then can I just ask you about how you're going to be limiting intel to Congress? What would you say to lawmakers who say they have oversight privileges, they need this information?
Karoline Leavitt (21:56):
This administration wants to ensure that classified intelligence is not ending up in irresponsible hands and that people who have the privilege of viewing this top secret classified information are being responsible with it. And unfortunately, clearly, someone who had their hands on this, and it was a very few number of people in our government who saw this report, that person was irresponsible with it. And we need to get to the bottom of it, and we need to strengthen that process to protect our national security and protect the American public.
Mary Margret (22:28):
On that-
Karoline Leavitt (22:28):
Mary Margaret, go ahead.
Mary Margret (22:30):
Thank you, Karoline.
Karoline Leavitt (22:31):
Sure.
Mary Margret (22:31):
You just laid out a lot of different stories about disinformation that Natasha Bertrand had pushed during her time at Politico and at CNN. Why would any member of the Trump Administration leak anything to her?
Karoline Leavitt (22:45):
Well, again, as I just said, we're investigating who that leaker was. It could have been someone in the intelligence community or it could have been someone on Capitol Hill who had access to this document. The FBI is searching for that person. Go ahead.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
Thanks Karoline. The president was obviously-
Karoline Leavitt (23:00):
And clearly it was done to undermine the president. To answer your question.
Mary Margret (23:03):
And I'm sorry, I really wanted to follow up on that really quickly. Before the strikes on Iran, we saw a number of other leaks about Tulsi Gabbard, the Vice President of Defense. Is there an effort to divide the President's team when it comes to these leaks and which reporters they choose?
Karoline Leavitt (23:17):
I do believe there's an effort on the outside of this building to try to divide the President's team on the inside. And sometimes you have to look at these headlines and laugh because I've been in meetings where I know these things are absolutely not true. And again, we do our best here, I believe, to try to push back and correct the record with all of you. But there is fake reporting, that's just the reality of this country, unfortunately. But I can assure you the President's team is strong, especially the national security team. Everyone is very proud of the President, of our Commander-in-Chief, and of our military for the successful operation that took place on Saturday night.
Speaker 2 (23:49):
Thanks, Karoline. President was obviously very pleased with getting his NATO allies to increase defense spending. He's made the same demands of Asia-Pacific allies of the United States, including Australia where I'm from. How does the NATO result impact negotiations with Asia-Pacific allies? Does it strengthen the President's resolve to say, well, our NATO allies have done it now you need to do it too?
Karoline Leavitt (24:16):
Yeah, I mean, look, if our allies in Europe and our NATO allies can do it, I think our allies and our friends in the Asia-Pacific region can do it as well. But as for our specific relations in those discussions, I'll let the president speak on those.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
And can I just ask as well, when he had to leave the G7 early, he missed out on a number of bilateral meetings that were scheduled with other world leaders, including the Prime Minister of Australia. Obviously, President Zelensky, he's managed to meet since then. But are there plans afoot to make up for those meetings with the world leaders that he missed out on?
Karoline Leavitt (24:46):
Yeah, I think many of those world leaders understood the situation happening in the Middle East and the urgency and the need for the president to get back to Washington to monitor that situation. And, obviously, that was the right call considering the success of not only the operation on Saturday night, but also the ceasefire that the president has since brokered on behalf of not just our country, but the entire world, frankly. But he has made up a couple of those meetings and he has had direct phone calls with some of those leaders he was supposed to meet with as well.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
Not all.
Karoline Leavitt (25:18):
Not all. Ed.
Ed (25:18):
Oh yeah, thanks Karoline. So to clarify, on trade, so what happens to the countries other than China on July 9th?
Karoline Leavitt (25:25):
That's a decision for the President to make and I will let him make it.
Ed (25:28):
Okay. And secondly, so now that oil is just about upper-60s dollars a barrel, when's the administration going to start refilling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve?
Karoline Leavitt (25:37):
That's again, a decision for the President to make and our Secretary of Energy. There's no imminent plans to do that from what I understand. But as you have seen with the plummeting of oil prices in this country, it's because this President and our Department of Energy have really tapped into our resources here, and we have an increase of supply, unlike the previous administration that totally hampered our domestic energy efforts, but totally robbed and drained our Strategic Petroleum Reserve. So when the time is right, the President will make that decision. But right now, we are utilizing the resources that God blessed us with right here in our country to produce energy for our people.
Ed (26:14):
And then one more, if I could, on the One Big Beautiful Bill. Does the President believe the Parliamentarian of the Senate should be removed?
Karoline Leavitt (26:20):
I haven't spoken to him about that, and I'll let him speak on it. However, again, he knows this is part of the process and the inner workings of the Senate, and he wants to see this bill done, and he remains very much engaged in these conversations and in this process with lawmakers in both the Senate and the House side. And the whole White House does as well. In the back. Yes, Libby.
Libby (26:38):
Thank you, Karoline. Earlier today, the President stated that these photos out of Fordow that were showing nuclear materials being removed, suspected of showing that were just concrete workers. What intelligence is that based upon?
Karoline Leavitt (26:51):
Look, the President shared that statement with all of you, and I already answered the question about whether uranium was moved prior to the strike, and the answer is no.
Libby (00:00):
Fran (27:00):
Is there a chance that the DIA report becomes public at any point?
Karoline Leavitt (27:03):
I don't think this administration is going to get into the habit of sharing classified top-secret information. Those classifications exist for a reason, and I wish everyone who had the privilege of looking at these documents would respect that. Daniel.
Daniel (27:18):
Thank you. Karoline, you've been emphatic at the president's expectations for the One Big Beautiful Bill to hit that July 4th deadline. You had a big meeting on Capitol Hill yesterday with the Republican Study Committee. Did you walk away from that meeting pleased with what you heard? Did it bolster your confidence that Congress is able to meet that expectation of the president?
Karoline Leavitt (27:35):
Yes, I did. The camaraderie at the Republican Study Committee was great. Members expressed their feelings about the bill, but as we saw the bill passed through the House, despite many people believing it could not, so the House is ready to receive this bill back from the Senate so they can pass it and bring it to the president's desk.
(27:56)
So, it was a great meeting and Republicans are very unified. And we also talked about the mayoral race in New York City and how the victory of the Democratic primary candidate really shows how far-left and unhinged the Democrat Party has become.
(28:09)
And Republicans truly are on the right side of every issue in this country. We are on the side of no men in women's sports, on the side of low taxes, secure borders, so that was the topic of discussion. And the unity was strong and the camaraderie was high. And I know everyone looks forward to being here at the White House for the bill signing next week. Sure.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
Thanks, Karoline. The Supreme Court ruled this morning that South Carolina is allowed to deem Planned, sorry. Planned Parenthood is not a qualified healthcare provider, and that will block it from receiving Medicaid funds.
(28:42)
Does the White House have a statement on that ruling? And would the president support a standalone bill from Congress to defund Planned Parenthood at a federal level rather than letting each state determine it?
Karoline Leavitt (28:54):
I'll let the president speak on that legislative priority, but as for the Supreme Court ruling, the president has always maintained that Americans should not be forced to violate their conscience and their religious liberty by having their tax dollars fund abortions. And we're glad the Supreme Court ruled on that side today. Or yesterday.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
And then on Iran but on a domestic matter. In January, President Trump revoked security details for several former administrations including Mike Pompeo, Mark Milley, and Joel Bolton. Given the heightened tensions with Iran right now, is he considering restoring those security details?
Karoline Leavitt (29:28):
That's not under consideration right now. Fran.
Fran (29:31):
If I could follow up on trade and then I have a question about the bill as well. Are you saying at this point that there's no plans to extend that July 8th and July 9th deadline, and especially with everything that's been going on from Iran to the tax bill on Capitol Hill, is that under consideration at all at this point?
Karoline Leavitt (29:47):
Perhaps it could be extended, but that's a decision for the president to make.
Fran (29:51):
And as far as the bill itself goes, since the president has been back, what has he been doing beyond the event that he's having later today to try and get wobbly senators on board? Is he making phone calls, twisting arms? Is he having some people over to the White House? Can you tell us more about that?
Karoline Leavitt (30:04):
There have been meetings at the White House this week. I saw some senators rolling out of the Oval Office the other day, and the president remains on the phones talking to his friends in the Senate when necessary. And when they call, he picks up the phone and I think that's why they greatly trust and respect his leadership.
(30:20)
We're having that big event later this afternoon at 4:00. I would encourage you all to tune in. We're going to have some great everyday Americans who are in attendance. We'll have some tipped delivery drivers.
(30:29)
I think we're going to have a barber from the great state of Arkansas here in attendance. We're going to have some law enforcement officers, some border patrol agents, and Tom Homan will be speaking as well.
(30:38)
So, the point of this event is to show the American people how this bill works for them and how there are provisions in this bill that will change their lives.
Fran (30:48):
Can you tell us which senators you saw rolling out of the Oval Office?
Karoline Leavitt (30:50):
I'll let the president speak on that if he wish. I don't share details about his private meetings without his permission. Emily, go ahead.
Emily (30:56):
Today, the Justice Department announced it was opening an investigation into employment discrimination at the University of California alleging they had race and sex-based quotas.
(31:06)
Federal Law bars hiring somebody based on their race or sex, but do you also object to universities working harder to make sure they have a diverse group of candidates to consider? And do you expect more investigations like this from DOJ?
Karoline Leavitt (31:18):
I have not seen that investigation from the Department of Justice, but I can certainly check in. What I can tell you, it's the position of this president that we want to restore a merit-based society and culture in the United States of America where people are not hired, nor are they promoted based on their color of their skin or their gender.
(31:36)
The president wants people to be hired in the workforce because of their merit and their skill, and I think most Americans agree with that. I'll take one more, Carrie, because I promised you earlier.
Carrie (31:46):
So the Ayatollah Khamenei came out and said that Iran will quote, "Never surrender to the US." That being said, what remains to do with the possible responses from Iranian proxies in the region, even in the US?
Karoline Leavitt (31:58):
Look, we saw the Ayatollah's video, and when you have a totalitarian regime, you have to save face. I think any common-sense open-minded person knows the truth about the precision strikes on Saturday night.
(32:11)
They were wildly successful and it's what led to the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran, which the president is very grateful for. And the United States of America remains prepared to defend our assets and our personnel in the region.
(32:26)
And again, I would just emphasize the success of the strike that took place on Saturday night, and the world is a safer place because of it. Thanks guys for coming today and you'll see the president at 4:00.
Speaker 4 (32:36):
Thanks, Karoline.
