Out of town pool #14 - Trump gaggle on AF1

Trump gaggled with the pool for about 16 minutes and made some news

Note this was streamed online and to the briefing room but select quotes here:

DID WATCHING DIGNIFIED TRANSFER MAKE YOU THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT WAR?

Trump: “No we’re winning the war by a lot. we decimated their whole evil empire. It will continue I’m sure for a little while but I’m very proud of the people.

SENDING IN GROUND TROOPS?

Trump: “I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t think it’s an appropriate question. You know, I’m not going to answer it. Could there be? Possibly, for very good reason. There would have to be a very good reason. I would say if we ever did that they would be so decimated that they wouldn’t be able to fight at the ground level.”

GROUND TROOPS TO SECURE ENRICHED URANIUM?

Trump: “We’ll find out about that. We haven’t talked about it. It was a total obliteration and they haven’t been able to get to it. And at some point maybe we will. It would be a great thing. Right now we’re just decimating them but we haven’t gone after it.

“But something we could do later on. We wouldn’t do it now.”

CONCERNED ABOUT KURDS STAGE A COUP?

Trump: “We’re not looking to the Kurds going in. we’re very friendly with the Kurds as you know but we don’t want to make the war any more complex than it is.”

HAVE YOU RULED OUT KURDS?

Trump: “Yeah I have ruled that out. I don’t want the Kurds going in. I don’t want to see theKurdsget hurt and killed. they’re willing to go in but i’ve told them I don’t want them going in. The war’s complicated enough without getting the Kurds involved.

US RESPONSIBLE FOR GIRLS SCHOOL STRIKE?

Trump: “No in my opinion based on what I’ve seen, that was done by Iran.”

(Hegseth chimed in: “We’re certainly investigating.”)

Trump: “It was done by Iran. They’re very inaccurate as you know with their munitions. They have no accuracy whatsoever it was done by Iran.”

FOR HOW LONG WILL IRAN WAR CONTINUE?

Trump: “I don’t know. Whatever it takes. But their military is almost non existent. We hit their military itself very hard. Maybe we will maybe we won’t we haven’t made that designation.”

WORRIED ABOUT GAS PRICES?

Trump: “No. This is a short excursion into something that should’ve been done for 47 years. No president had the guts to do it.”

RUSSIA SUPPORTING IRAN?

Trump: “No I haven’t had any indication of that whatsoever. If they are, they’re not doing a very good job because Iran is not doing too well.”

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Witkoff also took questions:

DO YOU STILL WANT A DEAL?

Witkoff: “There is I think that’s going to be up to the President. But they didn’t seem to be very amenable in those first set of negotiations. They set we have the inalienable right to enrich. They bragged about having 60% enriched fuel enough for 11 bombs. They told me and Jared ‘we’re not going to give you diplomatically what you take militarily.’”

DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE MAX LEVERAGE?

Witkoff: “I think the President has proved that we have.”

Trump: “We’ve got a lot of negotiating leverage. Maybe maximum. But we’re not looking to settle. They’d like to settle, we’re not looking to settle.”

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Trump also took questions on the US FDC providing insurance to oil/shipping companies; Russian oil sales to India; Using the Strategic Oil Reserve;

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Hugo Lowell

White House Correspondent

The Guardian

Washington DC Bureau

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