Karoline (00:00):
Good afternoon everyone.
Audience (05:14):
Good afternoon.
Karoline (05:16):
Hope you all had a great weekend.
(05:18)
I want to start by addressing the devastation from the tragic flash floods in Texas. Moments ago, the Department of Homeland Security provided an update that 91 innocent souls have now perished. Everyone here at the White House, including the President of the United States, is praying for the victims' families and friends during this unimaginable time. President Trump swiftly signed a major disaster declaration for Care County Texas to ensure our heroic first responders have every resource they need in the relief and recovery efforts. Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, traveled to Texas over the weekend, and the entire Trump administration is working hand in glove with state and local officials to provide every assistance available. The situation on the ground remains dangerous and there could be additional public safety threats with potential incoming heavy rain, so we encourage everyone in the area to remain vigilant, listen to all warnings, and respond accordingly.
(06:19)
Unfortunately, in the wake of this once-in-a-generation natural disaster, we have seen many falsehoods pushed by Democrats such as Senator Chuck Schumer and some members of the media. Blaming President Trump for these floods is a depraved lie and it serves no purpose during this time of national mourning. Here are the facts. In the lead-up to this tragic natural disaster, the National Weather Service did its job. Despite unprecedented rainfall, the National Weather Service executed timely and precise forecasts and warnings. On July 3rd, the National Weather Service Office in Austin, San Antonio, Texas conducted forecast briefings for emergency management in the morning and issued a flood watch in the early afternoon. Flash flood warnings were also issued on the night of July 3rd and in the early morning of July 4th, giving preliminary lead times of more than three hours before flash flooding conditions occurred. In the National Weather Service Office in New Braunfels, which delivers forecasts for Austin, San Antonio, and the surrounding areas, had extra staff on duty during the storms, despite claims of the contrary.
(07:28)
So to any person who has deliberately lied about these facts surrounding this catastrophic event, you should be deeply ashamed. At this time, the administration's focus will be on giving the victims and their communities the support they deserve during these recovery efforts in this tragic time. May God bless the great people of Texas, especially the parents who have lost their children. President Trump loves you, we are praying for you, and he will be traveling to see you later this week.
(07:58)
Moving along to some further scheduling announcements, tonight President Trump will host the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, for dinner, where they will discuss the positive developments taking place in the Middle East region. Tomorrow the President will host his sixth cabinet meeting of his second term. Many of you will be invited to cover that. And on Wednesday, the President will host leaders from five African nations for lunch in the state dining room.
(08:23)
In other news, after the historic signing on the South Lawn of the White House on the 4th of July, President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill is now the law of the land. Republicans in Congress met the once-in-a-generation moment and codified the Make America Great Again agenda into law. After this monumental achievement, no other president in modern history has worked harder and faster to fulfill their campaign promises than Donald Trump. The One Big Beautiful Bill will get the United States of America firing again on all cylinders.
(08:55)
It's safe to say that over the past few weeks, the President has delivered on many, many wins. For the fourth month in a row, jobs numbers beat market expectations, with nearly 150,000 good jobs created in the month of June. The American economy has now added nearly 700,000 jobs since January 2025, with American-born workers accounting for all job gains.
(09:19)
President Trump drove illegal border crossings to another historic low in the month of June and Border Patrol once again released zero illegal aliens into our country.
(09:29)
The Supreme Court stopped activist judges from imposing nationwide injunctions and cleared the way for President Trump to carry out his popular and common sense agenda. The University of Pennsylvania agreed to all of the Trump administration's demands and will now keep men out of women's sports.
(09:46)
President Trump secured his trade deal with Vietnam, giving the United States total access to their markets.
(09:52)
Because of President Trump's unleashing American energy dominance, gas prices are at four-year lows, and when adjusted for inflation, gas prices are near the lowest levels we've seen in the last 20 years.
(10:04)
NATO members agreed to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP, a foreign policy feat long thought impossible until President Trump made it happen.
(10:13)
The Operation Midnight Hammer obliterated Iran's nuclear capabilities, taking out this imminent national security threat not just to the United States, but to the entire world.
(10:22)
The President secured a ceasefire between Israel and Iran ending the 12-Day War. The President brokered a historic peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
(10:31)
Pakistan nominated President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his decisive diplomatic intervention to prevent a nuclear war between India and Pakistan.
(10:42)
Blue collar wage growth has seen its largest increase in nearly 60 years, and President Trump has defeated Joe Biden's inflation crisis, with core inflation at the lowest level since March of 2021.
(10:54)
And just about all of that has happened in the last three weeks, and I know you all know it because you've been very busy here covering it along
Karoline (11:00):
… with us. So with that, I will take your questions today as we kick off another very busy week here at the White House. We'll lead with our new media seat, Brian Glenn, who is of course very present in this briefing room. He's put in a lot of hours covering this president, so we're glad you finally have a seat today, Brian, go ahead.
Brian (11:15):
It feels great to sit down. Thank you very much.
Karoline (11:17):
You're welcome.
Brian (11:18):
I want to go back to the hurricane. You said that President Trump is scheduled to go to Texas later this week. Can you speculate on what day and what do he has plans?
Karoline (11:26):
Sure. The White House is currently arranging those travel plans. We hope that it will be later this week, likely on Friday. But of course we want to do it at the most appropriate time on the ground for state and local officials. We don't want to interrupt the recovery efforts, but we're planning tentatively for a Friday trip and when that becomes final, we'll let all of you know as we always do.
Brian (11:44):
And you gave a little bit of reaction earlier, but the National Weather Service, the union actually, publicly stated they had an adequate staff on hand to forecast, to predict the storm. You shared your thoughts earlier on how the way the left has really weaponized this to blame the deaths in Texas on Trump, you want to comment on that again?
Karoline (12:04):
Yeah, I just do think those comments are depraved and despicable, especially when so many Americans are mourning the loss of their children. The National Weather Service, as I said, did its job. Many experts, many meteorologists have said that. Many of you in the media, in all fairness have said that as well, unfortunately not all. And many Democrat elected officials are trying to turn this into a political game and it is not. This is a national tragedy and the administration is treating it as such. We know the National Weather Service provided early in consistent warnings. They gave out timely flash flood alerts. There were record-breaking lead times in the lead up to this catastrophe. There is ongoing flood monitoring and these offices were well staffed. In fact, one of the offices was actually overstaffed. They had more people than they need. So any claim to the contrary is completely false and it's just sad that people are pushing these lies.
Brian (12:56):
Can you just get one more?
Karoline (12:57):
Sure.
Brian (12:57):
Kind of a little bit of breaking news, the Department of Homeland Security and moving to end the TPS status on Honduran and Nicaraguan migrants.
Karoline (13:05):
Yes.
Brian (13:05):
Any plans to adding additional countries that you could be targeting? Just a reaction.
Karoline (13:10):
Sure. Well, I won't get ahead of the Department of Homeland Security on additional countries, but as you pointed out, they did end temporary protective status for Nicaraguans and Hondurans in this country because TPS, temporary protective status, is temporary by definition. It is not meant to be a permanent path to residency or citizenship here in the United States of America. It was originally granted to Nicaraguans following a natural disaster in 1999, that doesn't sound very temporary to me. And as well as Hondurans in 1999 after the impact of Hurricane Mitch in 1998. And so this administration is doing what it promised to do. And if individuals from these countries want to come here, they have a legal pathway to do it. But temporary protective status was never meant to be permanent. The previous administration abused this status and this parole program essentially treating it as such, and we're not going to tolerate that any further. Thank you, Brian. Megan.
Megan (14:07):
Secretary Bessent said yesterday that countries will boomerang back to the April 2nd tariff level starting August 1st. Why did the President decide to have those tariffs not take effect Wednesday as originally scheduled? And then I was also wondering if you could share, obviously we saw the letters the President sent out on Japan and South Korea, but if any other major US trading partners are getting letters today?
Karoline (14:28):
Sure, yes, I can confirm. In fact, I have those letters. If you could get me the folder with the letters in them, Liz, they're right in the previous office. I have the signed letters that went out to both South Korea and Japan today, and there will be approximately 12 other countries that will receive notifications and letters directly from the President of the United States. And weeks ago I stood at this podium and I told all of you that the President was going to create tailor made trade plans for each and every country on this planet. And that's what this administration continues to be focused on. The President will also sign an executive order today delaying the July 9th deadline to August 1st. So the reciprocal tariff rate or these new rates that will be provided in this correspondence to these foreign leaders will be going out the door within the next month or deals will be made. And those countries continue to negotiate with the United States. We've seen a lot of positive developments in the right direction.
(15:23)
But the administration, the President and his trade team want to cut the best deals for the American people and the American worker. That's what they're focused on. And in the effort of transparency, these letters will continue to be posted to Truth Social, so you can enjoy them yourself. Go ahead.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
Thanks Karoline. Just about the visit of Prime Minister Netanyahu today. I was just wondering why that is not open to the press? Previous visits by him we've had Oval Office press conferences. Does that reflect somehow the kind of sensitivity of this particular visit?
Karoline (15:53):
No, they're having a private dinner. There's many important matters that are obviously ongoing in the region, as you know. The utmost priority for the President right now in the Middle East is to end the war in Gaza and to return all of the hostages. Also, as you know, there was a ceasefire proposal that Israel supports that was sent to Hamas, and we hope that they will agree to this proposal. We want to see all of the hostages released, that's on the top of the President's mind. So that will be discussed as well as the many other positive developments we've seen in the Middle East.
(16:23)
I want to go back to the trade deals, as you see, we have these beautiful letters that the President has signed. This one is to the president of the Republic of Korea, original signature on that, and these will be mailed. And then here we also have another letter to the Prime Minister of Japan as well. Both countries will be receiving a 25% tariff rate effective on August 1st.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
[inaudible 00:16:47] Karoline-
Karoline (16:46):
Go ahead.
Kristen (16:47):
Thank you so much. You said it and the President said it many times, you want to see an end to the war in Gaza. Will he give guarantees during the 60-day period of ceasefire that actually the world will end? Because this is a sticking point with Prime Minister Netanyahu and I'm wondering if the see eye to eye on this point. And how do you see the next day, what the next day in Gaza will look like?
Karoline (17:09):
Look, right now the President is focused on today and to get the Hamas to agree to this ceasefire. I don't want to comment on the details of the arrangement out of respect for these negotiations. But a agreeable and appropriate ceasefire proposal has been sent to Hamas. And I can also tell you Special Envoy Witkoff intends to travel to Doha later this week where he will continue to engage in these discussions. And the Qataris and the Egyptians have been incredibly helpful partners in mediating these negotiations and discussions to bring peace to this region and end this conflict once and for all. Kristen.
Kristen (17:42):
Two questions. Thank you.
Karoline (17:43):
Sure.
Kristen (17:44):
The first question is, is President Trump reconsidering his plan to phase out FEMA given what officials have said as their critical role in the ground now in Texas?
Karoline (17:52):
Look, the president wants to ensure American citizens always have what they need during times of need. Whether that assistance comes from states or the federal government, that's a policy discussion that will continue. And the president has always said he wants states to do as much as they can if not more. And in the case of Texas, the state and local officials are doing a tremendous job. And I know the President, Secretary Noem and the federal government are very proud to be working with them. And the President has promised to give Texas the assistance that they need during this tragic time.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
Just one follow up on cuts overall. Over the weekend, President Trump said that Elon Musk was a train wreck. Given this current viewpoint, are there concerns within the White House or from the President himself over the cuts that happened under Musk while he was advising DOGE including the National Weather Service?
Karoline (18:43):
I think I've already addressed that, Kristen. And what I can tell you is that these offices were fully staffed. The San Angelo office was fully staffed with 12 forecast meteorologists. There were no vacancies. The San Antonio office was operating with 11 forecasters. And as Brian said, the union themselves said that there was adequate staffing. So I think those words speak for themselves and the numbers speak for themselves. This was a once-in-a-century flash flood, a tragic natural disaster, and the administration is doing all that we can on the ground to help these families during this time of need. Jeff.
Jeff (19:16):
Thanks very much, Karoline. Just following up on Kristen's question, is it still the President's plan to phase FEMA out by the end of this year?
Karoline (19:23):
I just answered Kristen's question for you.
Jeff (19:24):
And one more. Hold on. One more.
Karoline (19:26):
Sure. I'll give it to you. Go ahead.
Jeff (19:28):
A follow up on trade as well. 12 more letters coming, you said, can you give us a sense of which countries those are?
Karoline (19:34):
I'll let the President reveal those in very due time. Keep your eyes on Truth Social. Michael in the back.
Michael (19:39):
Thank you, Karoline. An armed shooter today was shot in McAllen, Texas after opening fire on Border Patrol agents. Comes just days after Democratic. Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal recently said she gets, quote, inspired when activists obstruct ICE. Does the White House expect Democrats to tone down their rhetoric in light of what we saw today in McAllen, Texas?
Karoline (20:00):
We certainly call on Democrats to tone down their rhetoric against ICE and Border Patrol agents who again are everyday men and women. I would encourage AOC and other Democrats to actually meet with the United States Border Patrol. These are honorable Americans who are just simply trying to do their job to enforce the law. They go home to their families every night just like we all do, and they deserve respect and dignity for trying to enforce our nation's immigration laws and to remove public safety threats from our communities. The White House is aware of the shooting that took place today in Texas, and we are working with the appropriate federal agencies to get to the bottom of what happened.
Michael (20:38):
Karoline, the DOJ and FBI have now concluded there was no Jeffrey Epstein client list. What do you tell MAGA supporters who say they want anyone involved in Jeffrey Epstein's alleged crimes to be held accountable?
Karoline (20:49):
This administration wants anyone who has ever committed a crime to be held accountable. And I would argue this administration has done more to lock up bad guys than certainly the previous administration. And the Trump administration is committed to truth and to transparency, that's why the Attorney General and the FBI director pledged at the President's direction to do an exhaustive review of all of the files related to Jeffrey Epstein's crimes and his death. And they put out a memo in conclusion of that review. There was material they did not release because frankly it was incredibly graphic and it contained child pornography, which is not something that's appropriate for public consumption. But they committed to an exhaustive investigation. That's what they did, and they provided the results of that. That's transparency.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
Follow up on that, Karoline.
Karoline (21:36):
Sure.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
Okay. So the FBI looks at the circumstances surrounding the death of Jeffrey Epstein. According to the report, this systematic review revealed no incriminating client list. So what happened to the Epstein client list that the Attorney General said she had on her desk?
Karoline (21:55):
Well, I think if you go back and look at what the Attorney General said in that interview, which was on your network,
Speaker 3 (21:59):
I've got
Karoline (22:00):
… work on Fox News-
Speaker 3 (22:03):
I got the quote.
Karoline (22:03):
Go ahead.
Speaker 3 (22:03):
John Roberts said, "DOJ may be releasing the list of Jeffrey Epstein's clients. Will that really happen?" And she said, "It's sitting on my desk right now to review."
Karoline (22:10):
Yes, she was saying the entirety of all of the paperwork, all of the paper in relation to Jeffrey Epstein's crimes. That's what the Attorney General was referring to, and I'll let her speak for that. But again, when it comes to the FBI and the Department of Justice, they are more than committed to ensuring that bad people are put behind bars. They have an operation going on right now called Summer Heat, which has our murder rate trending in the lowest direction in United States history. Their emphasis on violent crime and locking up violent criminals has led to the arrest of 14,000 violent criminals. That's a 62% increase from the same time period last year. So this attorney general and the FBI director are committed to putting bad people behind bars where they belong, that they promised an exhaustive review. That's what they did. For any further details, I would refer you to the Department of Justice.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
Thanks, Caroline. With Prime Minister Netanyahu visiting the White House today, yesterday the president said that he was working on a more permanent deal with Iran, but several days ago he didn't think one was necessary. What changed?
Karoline (23:13):
Well, when you asked me about this or when you all asked me about this several weeks ago, I said the president thought maybe an Iran deal was not necessary, but of course the president is always interested in peace and diplomacy. That remains true, and the administration continues to be in contact both directly and indirectly with the Iranians on a deal.
Speaker 4 (23:32):
And then on tariffs, you're now delaying the deadline from July 9th to August 1st. Is that an acknowledgement that perhaps the administration found it more difficult to negotiate these trade deals or whatever happened to 90 deals in 90 days?
Karoline (23:45):
No. It's an acknowledgement that this administration is doing what's best for the American worker and we want the best deals possible for our workers, for our manufacturing base, for our middle class, and they are doing this deliberately and appropriately on behalf of our country's interests. Josh.
Speaker 5 (24:00):
A couple more on the tariffs. You said about 12 more letters. There were about 55 or so countries, including the EU as a block that were facing this tariff increase. All of those, if I'm understanding correctly, are now deferred to August 1st, right?
Karoline (24:13):
Correct.
Speaker 5 (24:14):
Of the 12, what happens with the remaining whatever it would be, 40 something?
Karoline (24:17):
So just 12 today. There will be additional letters in the coming days.
Speaker 5 (24:20):
So all of them are going to get a letter at some point?
Karoline (24:22):
Correct.
Speaker 5 (24:22):
Okay. And can you tell me why he decided to start with South Korea and Japan? Are they annoying him?
Karoline (24:29):
It's the president's prerogative and those are the countries he chose.
Speaker 5 (24:33):
On the sectoral tariffs, our understanding of these continue to be a separate track. We're still waiting on a bunch of those.
Karoline (24:38):
That's right.
Speaker 5 (24:38):
Do you have any timing update on when he's going to move on, for instance, semiconductor tariffs and other things that are still in the hopper?
Karoline (24:45):
I don't have a timing update, but for where they are in the process, I would defer you to the Department of Commerce.
Speaker 5 (24:54):
Should we expect deals, finally, as well? He announced his Vietnam deal. Are you close on any other country?
Karoline (24:54):
The president and the administration? Yes, we are close, but again, the president wants to ensure these are the best deals possible. And I would add just one more thing on trade and tariffs to wrap it up. Look at the extensive work this president has put in to cutting these good deals and doing what's right for the American worker. He is literally looking at the map and looking at every country on the planet and seeing where they are ripping off the American people, seeing where they have hollowed out our industrial base, seeing where our jobs have gone to other countries overseas because of their tariff policies and he's trying to correct that.
(25:27)
So this is decades of bad trade policy that has led to a deficit that is ravaging our country, that is ravaging our middle class, and the president is taking a very deliberate approach to correcting this wrong of many decades, of many past presidents. And so I think he should be commended for the time and the effort that he is putting into this. And the fact that he has announced a framework with China, a trade deal with the United Kingdom, a trade deal with Vietnam and many others to come in just a matter of six months is truly historic and it's a testament to this president and his trade team who are working around the clock to get this done. Sure. Go ahead.
Speaker 6 (26:04):
Thank you so much, Caroline. Two quick questions on Iran. What's the permanent deal with Iran looks like for the president and what issues related to Iran should it cover? And secondly, has the president seen the interview with Iranian president which he says that the United States President, Mr. Trump, is capable enough to guide the regions toward the peace and brighter future and put Israel into its place or it gets more into conflict? Has the president seen these comments and what's his reaction to these comments?
Karoline (26:34):
I'm not sure if he's seen those comments, but certainly I think it's true that the president is the right man for the job to move this region into the direction of peace and stability for the future. That's what he and his national security team are working on every day and we've already seen historic achievements in that direction.
Speaker 7 (26:51):
Is there a followup?
Karoline (26:54):
Go ahead. In the back. Kelly, go ahead.
Speaker 8 (26:55):
Okay, great. Thank you.
Karoline (26:56):
Sure. And then in front of you.
Speaker 8 (26:59):
A couple questions for you. First on-
Karoline (27:00):
Y'all need name tag signs.
Speaker 8 (27:02):
First question on the flooding in Texas.
Karoline (27:04):
Sure.
Speaker 8 (27:05):
I know there has been some concern about the timing of the alerts knowing that they did go out, but the warning is coming out in the wee hours, so while many people were likely sleeping. Can you share just details what you know about why those warnings were sent while people were likely sleeping and then what the administration's doing to ensure that these alerts come out sooner?
Karoline (27:24):
Well, the alerts imminently were sent out before the flood when people were sleeping because the flood hit in the very early hours of the morning. So people were sleeping in the middle of the night when this flood came. That was an act of God. It's not the administration's fault that the flood hit when it did, but there were early and consistent warnings. And again, the National Weather Service did its job. On July 2nd, there were initial notices of potential weather and flooding risks were issued. On July 3rd, escalating warnings throughout the day with a flood wash issued at 1:18 P.M. And then later at 6:10 P.M. on July 3rd, the Weather Prediction Center warned of excessive rainfall and a high likelihood of flash flooding. At 6:22 P.M. July 3rd, National Weather Center issued a hydraulic warning highlighting considerable flooding risks including in Kerrville County. And then there were the timely flash flood alerts at 11:41 P.M., 1:14 A.M. and then another flash flood emergency warning issued at 4:03 A.M. just before the flood hit. So those were all of the warnings that went out to the affected area and region. Go ahead.
Speaker 9 (28:31):
One question on education funding for states and local districts.
Speaker 10 (28:33):
Thank you very much. I appreciate it, Caroline. Two questions for you relating to the Prime Minister's visit today. Number one, there's a report circulating that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation provided a proposal to the White House to build the so-called humanitarian transit areas inside and outside of Gaza. The GHF is insisting it has nothing to do with that proposal. Can you shed any light on whether the White House has received such a proposal, and if so, from whom?
Karoline (28:58):
I'm unaware of a proposal from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation was sent to the White House. I haven't seen it, but I can ask our National Security Council.
Speaker 10 (29:05):
And also, a document circulating that the White House is prepared to lift the foreign terrorist organization designation from HDS, the group of President al-Sharah in Syria. Can you confirm that that's taking place?
Karoline (29:17):
Again, I haven't heard that or I'm not aware of that action taking place. As you know, we did lift particular sanctions on Syria, but we did leave them on for particular terrorist groups. If that has changed, we will of course let you know if there's a change in policy, but I'm unaware of one at this time. Go ahead.
Speaker 11 (29:33):
Me? Me? Me?
Speaker 12 (29:33):
Hi Caroline. Thank you. Ahead of the-
Karoline (29:37):
You're welcome. And then you can go too, since you're so eager.
Speaker 12 (29:42):
Ahead of the president's meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu today, is there a scenario where Israel has made it clear that they will not bring an end to this war until Hamas is decimated? And the president just five months ago suggested a potential takeover of Gaza. Is there a situation where tonight the two men will change their posture and in the scenario that Hamas turns over the remaining hostages, that the war could come to a permanent end and that they will seek under that scenario that they would essentially try to bring this war to a permanent end beyond just that 60 day ceasefire?
Karoline (30:15):
Again, you're putting a hypothetical situation in the air, so I don't want to comment on that out of respect for these ongoing negotiations and discussions that are taking place. But as for the takeover of Gaza, I don't believe the president ever said that. I think he discussed a rebuilding of Gaza once this war is over. This has become an uninhabitable place for human beings and the president has a big heart. He wants this to be a prosperous, safe part of the region where people and families can thrive and there will be a need for a real rebuilding effort when the time comes. But right now, we need to end this war and we need to bring all of the hostages home. The president is adamant about that.
Speaker 12 (30:54):
[inaudible 00:30:54] the war tonight?
Karoline (30:55):
Again, I will let the president speak for himself later if he decides to comment on the details of the agreement. But out of respect for the discussions, I won't do that from the podium. Go ahead.
Speaker 13 (31:03):
So Congressman Lawler and Gottheimer have introduced a bill in Congress, the Bunker Buster Act, that would allow the United States to sell B2 bombers and Bunker Buster bombs to Israel. Is that something the president would support?
Karoline (31:17):
Well, I don't know if the president's aware of the Bunker Buster Act, but I will ask him and see what his opinion on that is. I'm not sure.
Speaker 13 (31:24):
All right, thank you.
Karoline (31:24):
You're welcome.
Speaker 14 (31:28):
Thank you, Caroline. Building off the question earlier about the shooter in Texas who targeted ICE, Axios reported today, I believe, that democrat lawmakers were saying their constituents are calling on them to be more violent when they go to ICE facilities, including, I believe, they want them to shed blood and that they said that democrat lawmakers should be willing to get shot themselves. Can you respond to that and do you have concerns that any of these lawmakers might act on the wishes of their constituents?
Karoline (31:52):
It's hard to believe anyone with morals in this country or decency would say such a thing. Obviously, the White House condemns that rhetoric and we condemn violence of any kind. This administration is simply trying to enforce our laws, and we must be a nation of law and order. You cannot simply waltz across our border and live here illegally and expect to stay. We are going to enforce our nation's laws, and the men and women who are doing that are doing so in a respectful way, they are doing so within the confines of the law and they are just trying to do their jobs, and we condemn any violence or any calls for violence of any kind against any American. Go ahead.
Speaker 15 (32:27):
Thank you. Caroline. I wanted to ask you if-
Karoline (32:29):
I was not calling on you, but you can go ahead. That's fine. There's a lot of people in here today.
Speaker 15 (32:34):
Has President Trump already saw the letter that the Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, sent him, apologizing for his comments a few weeks ago, suggesting that there was an involvement from the US government in an alleged coup d'etat in Colombia, and Secretary Rubio called the US charter the first in Colombia. Did President Trump saw that letter? And what do you think about the comments from President Petro suggesting that the US has some kind of involvement
Speaker 16 (33:00):
Netanyahu.
Karoline (33:01):
I'm not sure if the President has seen that letter, but I can check with him and the National Security Council. We will get you a response. If you follow up with my team, we will find out for you. Sure. Go ahead. Iris, go ahead.
Speaker 17 (33:12):
Thank you. Thank you, Caroline. Thank you, Caroline, on two topics. First-
Karoline (33:16):
I love how excited everyone is on Monday. Yes. Raquel, you can go after.
Speaker 17 (33:19):
On two topics. First, tariffs, the President announced last night that any countries aligning themselves with the anti-American policies of BRICS will be charged with an additional 10% tariff. Can you tell us more details on that? What specific policies is the President talking about here? What policies should countries stay away from to avoid being subject to additional tariffs?
Karoline (33:39):
Sure. Well, the President feels generally speaking that BRICS is seeking to undermine the interests of the United States. It's the President's utmost responsibility to put the interests of the United States first. That's how he views his job as President. So he's going to ensure that America is fairly treated on the world stage and he'll take any action necessary to prevent countries from taking advantage of the United States and our people.
(34:01)
Raquel? Raquel, go ahead.
Speaker 18 (34:04):
[inaudible 00:34:04] Illegal immigrants. Orders are, Tom Homan told us this morning that ICE will have to arrest 7,000 illegal immigrants every day for the remainder of this administration to just catch the ones that were let in during the last administration. I'm wondering what the new resources and manpower of course, given by the Big Beautiful Bill, which of course opens the door for ICE to hire additional 10,000 agents and officers. What's the administration's expectations now for daily arrest numbers going forward in upcoming months?
Karoline (34:33):
Sure. I'll let the Secretary of Homeland Security and her department speak on what they're looking for in terms of daily numbers. What I can tell you is, I receive the daily reports each morning and ICE is out there doing the jobs that they swore an oath to do, and they are removing public safety threats from our communities every day. And our country is becoming a safer place because of their efforts.
(34:54)
And the one Big Beautiful Bill that is now law will give significant resources to ICE and Border Patrol to continue the tremendous work that they're already doing. And I think every American who wants to live in a safe neighborhood should be grateful for their efforts.
(35:07)
Raquel, Raquel. Raquel. Raquel. Then I can go to you.
Speaker 18 (35:13):
Thank so much.
Karoline (35:15):
And then you, Dr. Harper.
Speaker 18 (35:16):
Thank you, Caroline. It's a follow up on the BRICS question. So does President Trump believe that the BRICS are getting stronger or trying to isolate the United States? And how close is he monitoring this summit that is taking place in Brazil right now?
Karoline (35:33):
He's closely monitoring it, which is why he put out a statement himself. He does not perceive these countries as growing stronger. He just perceives them as trying to undermine the United States interests. And that's not okay with him, no matter how strong or weak a country may be.
(35:47)
Go ahead. Yes, go ahead. As promised. Yes, go ahead.
Speaker 19 (35:51):
Thank you. Thank you. Does Trump have a vision for post-war Gaza? You mentioned he's talking about now the ceasefire, but does he support permanent or temporary presence in the Gaza Strip? Does he continue to see a continued role for the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to continue to operate in the Gaza Strip?
Karoline (36:13):
Well, as you know, because we've talked about it before, the President has directed aid to be moved into the region, and that has been taking place. You've actually seen people in the Gaza Strip yelling out, "Thank you, Trump," for the aid and for the meals that they have received because the previous administration never did that for some reason. But this President, again wants to see peace and stability in the region.
(36:35)
So as I outlined previously, he views this part of the region as having a real chance at being peaceful and prosperous. But again, we need to end this war. We need to get all the hostages home, and Hamas needs to accept this proposal in order to do that.
(36:48)
Dr. Harper, go ahead.
Speaker 20 (36:50):
I'm Dr. Anthony Harper with the [inaudible 00:36:52] Christian News. Thank you for taking my questions.
(36:54)
Given the nature of the Palestinian Authority with their pay to slay, teaching Jew hatred to children, corrupt leaders, and no elections for 19 years, who does President Trump support to govern area A and area B to prevent Hamas from ruling? And what is President Trump's position on Israeli sovereignty?
Karoline (37:16):
Sure. Well, the President believes Israel, of course, has a right to defend itself. As for the first part of your question, you're getting ahead Dr. Harper. As I told you, the President wants Hamas to accept this proposal right now. He wants to see peace in this region, and he's committed to doing that.
(37:32)
Sean.
Speaker 21 (37:32):
Hey, Caroline, can you just please walk us through the decision to halt the supply of weapons to Ukraine at a time when Russia is really hitting Ukrainian cities and civilians? Was that the President who decided that, or did the Pentagon do it without his approval?
Karoline (37:47):
Nope, neither of those things are true. I'm happy to walk you through it. This was a standard review by the Pentagon of all weapons and all aid and all support that the United States is providing all countries and all regions around the world, not just Ukraine.
(38:02)
When the Secretary of Defense took office, he directed the Pentagon to conduct this review to ensure that everything that's going out the door aligns with America's interest. So it's a pause to review, to ensure that everything the Pentagon is pushing out there is in the best interest of our military and our men and women in uniform.
(38:20)
Fran?
Speaker 22 (38:21):
Two questions on Israel. You suggested that Hamas is the impediment currently to a ceasefire. So if not a ceasefire deal, then what does the President hope to achieve with tonight's dinner with the Prime Minister?
Karoline (38:33):
Again, you guys are getting around to a lot of hypotheticals. I don't want to get ahead of the President, but there are many other issues to discuss with Prime Minister Netanyahu tonight related to the region and just the entire world. So this will be a dinner to talk about Operation Midnight Hammer, which was incredibly successful, to talk about peace in Gaza and ending that conflict, as well as many other topics of discussion in relation to Israel and the United States.
(38:59)
Sure. Go ahead.
Speaker 23 (39:00):
Thank you, Caroline. This is on the trade letters. Given the fact that the President put into effect the tariffs on April 2nd and then put the pause into place, is the President at all concerned that these countries that are receiving the letters won't take them seriously because the deadline seems to have shifted already and may shift again?
Karoline (39:22):
They will take the letters seriously, because they have taken the President seriously. And that's why the President's phone, I can tell you, rings off the hook from world leaders all the time who are begging him to come to a deal. And this administration is working hard to ensure those deals are in the best interest of the American people. And this delay, again, is in the best interest of the American people. And you all will continue to see these letters released on the President's Truth Social, and we will see you all later. Thank you guys.