in town note #6 - Karoline Leavitt gaggle

Karoline Leavitt took questions on the driveway after a TV hit. As always, please check the official transcript and video playback:

She offered a preview of the executive orders President Trump is signing this afternoon: “There will be seven executive orders focused on education. Secretary Lindsay McMahon will be here in the Oval Office as well, and I won't get ahead of them, but we'll see you all there. And the President will take some questions.”

Asked what the China tariffs have accomplished: “Leverage and ensuring the rest of the world knows that the United States of America is no longer going to be ripped off. President Trump has made that very clear, not just with China, but with almost every single country on the planet, there have been hundreds of countries now that have reached out to the United States, to the Trump administration to make deals. As I said yesterday, there were 18 proposals on paper that have been presented to our trade team, and we're negotiating on behalf of the American worker. And no other President has taken on such an endeavor. Many have talked about it. Many on both sides of the aisle have pledged to do what's right for the American worker and our manufacturing industry, but this is the first president to actually use the leverage of the United States to bring people to the table.”

Asked if the tariffs have actually worked: “Have some patience and you will see.”

On Ukraine, Leavitt was asked if the United States has asked Ukraine to give up the Crimea and if President Trump will meet with President Zelensky when both leaders are in Rome for the pope’s funeral: “As President Trump rightfully pointed out in that statement, it was President Obama who gave up Crimea, who allowed Russia to take it over in 2014 and so the President is not asking Ukraine to recognize Crimea. Nobody has asked them to do that. What he is asking is for people to come to the negotiating table, recognizing that this has been a brutal war for far too long. And in order to make a good deal, both sides have to walk away a little bit unhappy, and unfortunately, President Zelensky has been trying to litigate this peace negotiation in the press, and that's unacceptable to the president. These should be closed door negotiations. The President's national security team, his advisors, have exuded significant time, energy and effort to try to bring this war to an end. The American

taxpayer has funded billions of dollars in this effort, and enough is enough. The President frustrated. His patience is running very thin. He wants to do what's right for the world. He wants to see peace. He wants to see the killing stop but you need both sides of the war willing to do that, and unfortunately President Zelensky seems to be moving in the wrong direction.”

Asked if President Trump will walk away if Zelensky doesn’t come to the table by end of today: “Not by the end of the day today, but the President has maintained that his frustration is growing and he needs to see this thing come to an end.”

Asked if President Trump will meet with President Putin in Saudi Arabia on that trip: “I’m not tracking a meeting at this time but, as always we’ll keep you updated.”

Here is the otter link: https://otter.ai/u/kT0NOWw0d8QyCtGieQODokgOx7I?utm_source=copy_url

Emily Goodin

Senior White House Correspondent

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Daily Mail | Washington, DC

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