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Press Briefing: Karoline Leavitt Holds a Press Briefing at The White House - May 22, 2025

12:00 AM
Karoline Leavitt 00:00:00-00:00:28 (29 sec)

Good afternoon, everybody. How are we, good? Good. President Trump is saddened and outraged over the brutal murder of two Israeli embassy staff in -- here in Washington, DC last night. Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim were a beautiful young couple. In fact, we learned that Yaron was planning to propose to Sarah next week in Jerusalem.

Karoline Leavitt 00:00:28-00:00:50 (22 sec)

Yaron's father, Daniel, spoke about the young couple's devotion for one another this morning. He said they were in love, one for the other. The embassy told us they were like a star couple at the embassy. I never expected something like this. He had his whole life before him. These words, especially every parent knows, are heart wrenching.

Karoline Leavitt 00:00:50-00:01:11 (21 sec)

The evil of antisemitism must be eradicated from our society. I spoke to the attorney general this morning. The Department of Justice will be prosecuting the perpetrator responsible for this to the fullest extent of the law. Hatred has no place in the United States of America under President Donald Trump.

Karoline Leavitt 00:01:11-00:01:26 (15 sec)

Everyone here at the White House is praying for the victims' friends and families during this unimaginable time. Now for some scheduling announcements, on Saturday morning, President Trump will deliver the commencement address at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Karoline Leavitt 00:01:26-00:01:49 (23 sec)

On Monday, to commemorate Memorial Day, the president will visit Arlington National Cemetery and participate in a wreath laying ceremony. The president will further honor our military next month on June 14th when he hosts the 250th anniversary of the United States Army with a grand military parade celebration right here in our nation's capital.

Karoline Leavitt 00:01:49-00:02:07 (18 sec)

President Trump will be joined by veterans, active duty troops, wounded warriors, Gold Star families and patriotic Americans from across the country to celebrate our heroes, who have kept us safe. Tickets for the parade and the celebration are available through the America 250 Commission's event registration portal.

Karoline Leavitt 00:02:07-00:02:32 (25 sec)

It will be a truly historic and special day for our country. After the parade, President Trump will travel to the G7 Leaders Summit in Canada from June 15th through the 17th. We will be sending additional logistics information out after the briefing. Last night Republicans in the House passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the most significant piece of legislation in years.

Karoline Leavitt 00:02:32-00:02:56 (24 sec)

There were -- there were a lot of good faith negotiations in the Republican conference leading up to the final passage but, as always, President Trump came in at the end to bring all sides together and get this deal done. This One Big Beautiful Bill will implement President Trump's Make America Great Again agenda by delivering the largest tax cut in American history for middle class families, the working class and small businesses.

Karoline Leavitt 00:02:56-00:03:35 (39 sec)

The One Big Beautiful Bill fulfills President Trump's promises of no tax on tips, which was applauded today by the CEO of Uber, no tax on overtime, a made in America auto tax break, Trump savings accounts for newborn babies, and substantial tax cuts for our amazing senior's Social Security benefits. The One Big Beautiful Bill was -- will permanently secure the border by delivering the largest border security investment in history, funding at least one million annual removals of illegal aliens to carry out the largest deportation campaign ever, finishing the Trump border wall, and giving pay raises and bonuses for our incredible ICE and Border Patrol agents.

Karoline Leavitt 00:03:35-00:04:04 (28 sec)

The One Big Beautiful Bill protects the Medicaid program and its benefits for the most vulnerable Americans that the program was designed for by kicking off 1.4 million illegal aliens from receiving benefits and implementing common sense work requirements for able-bodied Americans. The One Big Beautiful Bill also helps get our fiscal house in order by carrying out the largest deficit reduction in nearly 30 years with $1.6 trillion in mandatory savings.

Karoline Leavitt 00:04:04-00:04:23 (20 sec)

Every single Democrat in the House of Representatives who voted against all of these common sense and massively popular policies, the Democrat Party has never been more radical and out of touch with the needs of the American people. The One Big Beautiful Bill is the final missing piece toward ushering the Golden Age of America.

Karoline Leavitt 00:04:23-00:04:48 (24 sec)

The Senate should pass this as quickly as possible and send it to President Trump's desk for a final signature. After today's briefing, President Trump will hold a Make America Healthy Again event alongside Secretary Kennedy and several other cabinet secretaries to unveil the MAHA Commission report. President Trump wants every child in America to grow up and to live a long and healthy life.

Karoline Leavitt 00:04:48-00:05:09 (21 sec)

That's why he's working alongside Secretary Kennedy to end the chronic disease epidemic, to keep our children healthy, safe and disease free. The MAHA Commission report is a historic assessment, the first of its kind by any presidential administration, of current evidence and research about the health crisis affecting America's children.

Karoline Leavitt 00:05:09-00:05:31 (23 sec)

This report is a review of preexisting research to comprehensively assess what we understand about our health problems and what we don't understand and how we can find those answers. All of the findings will be based on the gold standard of science. And I think I speak for all MAHA moms across the country when I say we look forward to the president's event and remarks later this afternoon.

Karoline Leavitt 00:05:31-00:05:51 (19 sec)

And as we head into the Memorial Day weekend, a quick update on gas prices. According to the fuel savings platform GasBuddy, the national average price of gasoline is expected to be $3.08 on Memorial Day. We expect that to continue to decline because of the president's energy policies, but this is down from Memorial Day last year.

Karoline Leavitt 00:05:51-00:06:16 (26 sec)

And adjusted for inflation, it's the second cheapest price for a gallon of gas on Memorial Day since 2003 thanks to President Trump. And finally, in other news, the Department of Homeland Security conducted a deportation flight from Texas to remove vicious illegal criminals in the United States. All of these individuals home -- all of these individuals were sent or are trying to be sent to a third country.

Karoline Leavitt 00:06:16-00:07:23 (67 sec)

And President Trump promised to get vicious illegal alien murderers, rapists and pedophiles like these out of our country, and he is delivering -- trying to deliver on this promise. But no matter how upset this makes Democrats, we will continue to deport these monsters to keep Americans safe. And here are the heinous individuals who were on that flight: a Cuban national convicted of homicide armed robbery, false impersonation of an official kidnaping and robbery, strong arm; a Cuban national convicted of attempted first degree murder with a weapon; a citizen of Laos convicted of first degree murder and robbery; a Mexican national convicted of second degree murder; a citizen of South Sudan convicted of robbery in the possession of a firearm; a citizen of Burma convicted of lascivious acts with a child less than 12 years old; a citizen of Burma convicted of first degree sexual assault involving a victim mentally and physical incapable of resisting, it's disgusting; and a Vietnamese national convicted of first degree murder.

Karoline Leavitt 00:07:23-00:07:45 (22 sec)

Now a liberal activist district court judge in the city of Boston, Massachusetts is trying to force the president of the United States to bring these monsters back to our country. Judge Brian Murphy is ordering the Department of Homeland Security to give these illegal criminals 15 days to reopen their immigration cases, with access to phones and attorneys.

Karoline Leavitt 00:07:45-00:08:09 (25 sec)

Every single one of these individuals, I will had -- I will add, had final orders of removal from our country, and now Judge Murphy is forcing federal officials to remain in Djibouti for over two weeks, threatening our US diplomatic relationships with countries around the world and putting these agents' lives in danger by having to be with these illegal murderers, criminals, and rapists.

Karoline Leavitt 00:08:09-00:08:28 (18 sec)

This is completely absurd. Judge Brian Murphy is not the secretary of State. He is not the secretary of Defense or the commander in chief. He is a district court judge in Massachusetts. He cannot control the foreign policy or the national security of the United States of America, and to suggest otherwise is being completely absurd.

Karoline Leavitt 00:08:28-00:08:46 (18 sec)

According to new reporting about this judge, he's a registered Democrat in Massachusetts who, during his Senate confirmation hearings, failed to disclose his ties to a radical left wing organization that claimed the word illegal to describe illegal aliens was inherently prejudicial. This massive judicial overreach by Judge Murphy is part of the same opposition our administration has faced since day one.

Karoline Leavitt 00:08:46-00:09:01 (16 sec)

Radical left wing judges are egregiously trying to stop President Trump from using his core constitutional powers as head of the executive branch and commander in chief. These judicial activists want to unilaterally stop President Trump from deporting foreign terrorists and keeping the American people safe.

Karoline Leavitt 00:09:01-00:09:18 (17 sec)

Nearly 80 million Americans reelected this president to deport illegal criminals from our homeland. And polling consistently shows that 90 percent of Americans want illegal alien criminals, especially those with final orders of removal from our country who have chosen to continue to stay here illegally, Americans want these people sent home.

Karoline Leavitt 00:09:18-00:09:47 (28 sec)

We hope the Supreme Court will continue to rein this in as soon as possible to restore proper constitutional order in our country. We'll take some questions. And here in our new media seat today, we have Jillian Michaels. She's a renowned personal health expert. I know all of you know her. I certainly do, watching fitness videos growing up, and a media powerhouse who has -- continues to expand her reach with her podcast, Keeping It Real.

Karoline Leavitt 00:09:47-00:09:55 (9 sec)

Jillian, I know you're here today for the Make America Healthy Again event. We're proud to welcome you to the White House. Thanks for being in the briefing. Why don't you go ahead?

Question 00:09:55-00:10:09 (14 sec)

Thank you for having me. As a MAHA mom yourself, how do you interpret the significance of this report in terms of delivering measurable health improvements for Americans and their kids? And what specific actions does the administration plan to take in response to it?

Karoline Leavitt 00:10:09-00:10:31 (22 sec)

Sure. Well, thank you for the question. And again, thank you very much for being here. I would like to emphasize we held a call earlier today with Secretary Kennedy, Secretary Rollins, Administrator Zeldin and other officials at Health and Human Services to talk about the gravity of this report. When the president took office, he promised to make this country healthy again, and the president signed an executive order directing this commission.

Karoline Leavitt 00:10:31-00:10:50 (19 sec)

And now less than 100 days later, the commission is delivering this report. It's another promise made, another promise kept. And the report identifies four major factors that are contributing to the rise in childhood chronic disease. Again, this is the first time the federal government has really recognized in a single report that we have a problem in our country.

Karoline Leavitt 00:10:50-00:11:22 (32 sec)

Our children are getting sicker, not healthier. This is not just a crisis, a health crisis, but it poses national security implications as well, and this administration is focused on ensuring we understand why. The four factors contributing to the report, as you will all hear from the president later, are, number one, poor diet, a robust discussion about ultra processed food that are dominating our children's diets; environmental chemical exposure, plastics and other chemicals that are unfortunately a part of our daily American life.

Karoline Leavitt 00:11:22-00:11:43 (20 sec)

We talked about the lack of physical activity and chronic stress, and how technology driven lifestyles are contributing to the decline of our children's physical and mental health. And then lastly, the report touches on the overmedicalization that's taking place in our American society, nowhere else in the world, but just right here in the United States of America.

Karoline Leavitt 00:11:43-00:12:00 (17 sec)

And the report directs the entire administration to understand why these issues are happening and what public policy can the administration implement to ensure that we are fostering a more healthy country for our children. So, I'll leave it at that and let the president, and his team, speak more about this historic report later.

Karoline Leavitt 00:12:00-00:12:17 (17 sec)

But this should be good news for everyone. I don't care what your politics are, we should all agree that we want our children to be healthy and safe, and we want our food supply to be healthy and safe. We have the best farmers and ranchers in the world right here in the United States of America and we have the best workers in the world.

Karoline Leavitt 00:12:17-00:12:32 (16 sec)

We have the best people in the world, but unfortunately, we have a health crisis that's been plaguing us for too long and this report speaks to the heart of it. Thank you. You're welcome. Thanks for being here. Garrett, go ahead.

Question 00:12:32-00:12:52 (20 sec)

Karoline, you guys are very proud of your record on transparency. I have two transparency-related questions for you. On the president's dinner tonight, will the White House commit to making a list of the attendees public so people can see who's paying for that kind of access to the president.

Karoline Leavitt 00:12:52-00:13:08 (16 sec)

Well, as you know, Garrett, this question has been raised with the president. I have also addressed the dinner tonight. The president is attending it in his personal time. It is not a White House dinner. It's not taking place here at the White House. But certainly, I can raise that question and try to get you an answer for it.

Question 00:13:08-00:13:24 (16 sec)

OK, and on the Qatari aircraft, the Air Force has said they're going to classify all the information about the work that has to get done to bring it up to snuff to be Air Force One. Previous Air Force One contracts, including the one that the president entered into in 2018, are public; that's available knowledge.

Question 00:13:24-00:13:36 (12 sec)

Will the White House commit to releasing who's doing that work and the cost of that work? I understand that some elements might be classified about specific systems, but will you commit to releasing that basic information so people can see ultimately what this costs.

Karoline Leavitt 00:13:36-00:13:42 (6 sec)

Well, Garrett, as you know, that's a question for the Department of Defense and the United States Air Force who is accepting this jet as part of their fleet.

Question 00:13:42-00:13:44 (1 sec)

You can declassify anything you want.

Karoline Leavitt 00:13:44-00:13:51 (7 sec)

Well, you'll have to ask the Department of Defense and the United States Air Force who is accepting this jet as part of its fleet. Peter?

Question 00:13:51-00:14:04 (14 sec)

The president can declassify anything that he wants. Has he looked to see if there are any records here that would contradict what we've been told about Joe Biden's decline?

Karoline Leavitt 00:14:04-00:14:24 (20 sec)

He has not directed anyone, to my knowledge, to look into that, but surely, I can ask him if he intends to. I think the president has spoken on this pretty extensively, and I have spoken about it extensively from this podium as well, how it was truly one of the worst political scandals this country has ever seen.

Karoline Leavitt 00:14:24-00:14:39 (15 sec)

That the previous administration covered up the decline in the former president's mental and physical ability, and it's now all coming out. But the American people knew the truth and that's one of the many reasons why President Trump won the election on November 5th.

Question 00:14:39-00:14:49 (11 sec)

And President Trump says that he basically thinks unelected Biden staffers concealed his decline so that they could use the levers of power for their own personal gain.

Karoline Leavitt 00:14:49-00:15:08 (19 sec)

Well, look, that's not just the president thinking that, Peter. There's a new book out; I don't know if any of you have heard about it. Again, a little bit too late because the American people knew the truth on this from the very beginning. And there were reporters in this room, including some from your network, Peter -- I'll give you a little bit of credit here -- who have said that clearly Joe Biden's staffers were engaging in this coverup.

Karoline Leavitt 00:15:08-00:15:13 (5 sec)

So, this is common sense. This isn't the president making it up. These are facts that are now finally being revealed.

Question 00:15:13-00:15:27 (13 sec)

Right. And I'm not saying the president is making it up, but he specifically talks about the autopen. He thinks that staffers were using this autopen. Is there some kind of like a badge that you have to swipe to use an autopen? Is there a record of that?

Karoline Leavitt 00:15:27-00:15:45 (18 sec)

I can tell you here at this White House, the president signs any document that has legal implications. The president signs every executive order, he signs every proclamation, he signs pretty much every document that is needed for the president's signature, with the exception of maybe some letters to children.

Karoline Leavitt 00:15:45-00:15:56 (11 sec)

From what we have heard and seen, that was not the case in the previous administration, and the president is raising good questions that are worth looking into. And as for MAHA, I'm going to take a sip of water, if that's OK with you guys. [Laughter] Go ahead.

Question 00:15:56-00:16:15 (19 sec)

Thanks Caroline. Back to the presidential gala tonight, did anyone in the White House or in the White House counsel's office advise the president against holding this sweepstakes, whereby people who spent the most money on his Trump coin would then have access to the president at this dinner.

Karoline Leavitt 00:16:15-00:16:35 (20 sec)

Again, the president has been asked about this, he has addressed this. I have also stated previously from this podium that the president is abiding by all conflict-of-interest laws that are applicable to the president. And I think everybody, the American public believe it's absurd for anyone to insinuate that this president is profiting off of the presidency.

Karoline Leavitt 00:16:35-00:16:50 (14 sec)

This president was incredibly successful before giving it all up to serve our country publicly. And not only has he lost wealth, but he also almost lost his life. He has sacrificed a lot to be here and to suggest otherwise is frankly completely absurd. Libby, go ahead.

Question 00:16:50-00:17:05 (16 sec)

Does the White House have any concerns -- Thank you, Karoline. The first round of nuclear talks between Iran and the US is going to take place on Friday in Rome. What is the president anticipating ahead of that? And if a deal doesn't come from that meeting, is he going to walk away?

Karoline Leavitt 00:17:05-00:17:27 (21 sec)

Well, I'm glad you brought up Iran because I do have an update. The president spoke to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today. They had a productive discussion. They discussed many things including, of course, the tragic shooting that took place here in Washington, DC last night. But they also did talk about a potential deal with Iran, which the president believes is moving along in the right direction.

Karoline Leavitt 00:17:27-00:17:42 (15 sec)

And as the president told me, and he's told all of you, this deal with Iran could end in two ways. It could end in a very positive diplomatic solution, or it could end in a very negative situation for Iran. So, that's why these talks are taking place later this week. Yamiche, good to see you.

Question 00:17:42-00:17:56 (14 sec)

Thanks for taking the question. The president showed a video that he said showed more than 1,000 burial sites of white South Africans that he said were murdered. We know that that was not true and that the video wasn't showing that. So, I wonder why did the president choose to show that?

Karoline Leavitt 00:17:56-00:17:58 (1 sec)

What's not true, Yamiche?

Question 00:17:58-00:18:02 (5 sec)

It's not true the video was showing a burial site; it is unsubstantiated that that's the case.

Karoline Leavitt 00:18:02-00:18:07 (5 sec)

No, it is true that that video showed the crosses that represent --

Question 00:18:07-00:18:11 (3 sec)

It's not a burial site which is what the president claimed.

Karoline Leavitt 00:18:11-00:18:32 (21 sec)

The video showed images of crosses in South Africa about white farmers who have been killed and politically persecuted because of the color of their skin. And those crosses are representing their lives. Those crosses are representing their lives and the fact that they are now dead and their government did nothing about it. Are you disputing that there is no --

Question 00:18:32-00:18:38 (6 sec)

I'm disputing the fact that the video showed what the president claimed it showed because it did not show that. But even more, what I'm asking you is who at the White House --

Karoline Leavitt 00:18:38-00:18:41 (4 sec)

It did show that. It showed white crosses representing people who have perished because of racial persecution.

Question 00:18:41-00:18:51 (10 sec)

Can the White House verify the video that the president shows? And what protocols are in place when there's unsubstantiated information being put out for the world and world leaders to show?

Karoline Leavitt 00:18:51-00:19:10 (19 sec)

Yamiche, what's unsubstantiated about the video? The video shows crosses that represent the dead bodies of people who were racially persecuted by their government. In fact, the Associated Press, of all places, has a picture of that very monument in the caption from the Associated Press is, each cross marks a white farmer who has been killed in a farm murder.

Question 00:19:10-00:19:12 (2 sec)

I think that it was a burial site, but it's not.

Karoline Leavitt 00:19:12-00:19:26 (14 sec)

So, it is substantiated not just by that video and the physical evidence that everybody saw on display in the Oval Office, but also by another outlet in this room, the Associated Press. So, you should take it up with them if you believe the claim is unsubstantiated and that's a ridiculous line of questioning.

Karoline Leavitt 00:19:26-00:19:28 (2 sec)

Jon, go ahead. Go ahead, Jon.

Question 00:19:28-00:19:32 (4 sec)

Thank you, Karoline. The Big Beautiful Bill now goes to the Senate.

Karoline Leavitt 00:19:32-00:19:33 (1 sec)

It does, yes.

Question 00:19:33-00:19:52 (19 sec)

A lot of the Republican senators have promised amendments that will water this thing down dramatically. What is the president's level of tolerance for their amendments to water it down? And what will be the action taken for some of the amendments that the president does not want?

Karoline Leavitt 00:19:52-00:20:13 (21 sec)

Sure, well, the One Big Beautiful Bill is named the One Big Beautiful Bill for a reason, because it is a -- One Big Beautiful Bill that encompasses just about everything this president could want for the American public. It delivers on so many of his core campaign promises. So. surely we want to see those campaign promises signed into law.

Karoline Leavitt 00:20:13-00:20:29 (16 sec)

And as the president put in his Truth Social post this morning, and as he said to me, we can celebrate this passed the House for a couple of hours, but now it's time for the Senate to get to work. The president has great relationship with Senator -- Senate Majority Leader Thune and, of course, so many friends on the Senate side of the Hill.

Karoline Leavitt 00:20:29-00:20:34 (5 sec)

And he's expecting them to get busy on this bill and send it to his desk as soon as possible. Phil.

Question 00:20:34-00:20:50 (16 sec)

Thank you. Thank you. Given that the president said the other day of the SALT cap, we don't want to benefit Democratic governors. If the Senate was to reduce that SALT cap or make any type of changes, would he support that? Or is this a situation where done is beautiful and he just wants to pass it?

Karoline Leavitt 00:20:50-00:20:54 (3 sec)

Well, look, it's a hypothetical question, obviously. Negotiations --

Question 00:20:54-00:20:54 (1 sec)

[Inaudible] what the president said.

Karoline Leavitt 00:20:54-00:21:02 (8 sec)

Well, correct and the bill passed, didn't it. So, now it's off to the Senate where additional negotiations will take place and we'll see how it goes. Michael.

Question 00:21:02-00:21:17 (14 sec)

Thank you, Karoline. Two questions on the Beautiful Bill. One of the campaign promises from President Trump was no tax on Social Security. Now due to congressional rules that wasn't able to be included in this bill. How does the president plan to follow through on that campaign promise?

Karoline Leavitt 00:21:17-00:21:33 (16 sec)

Well, this bill did address taxes for our seniors, it actually allows them to take off significant money from their Social Security payments -- get more money back, I should say, put more money in their pockets for various reasons. So, this bill delivers on that promise. That's the view of the White House.

Question 00:21:33-00:21:41 (8 sec)

You had two Republicans last night that voted against this bill, Congressman Massie and Davidson. Does the president think that they should be primaried?

Karoline Leavitt 00:21:41-00:22:01 (20 sec)

I believe he does, and I don't think he likes to see grandstanders in Congress. What's the alternative, I would ask those members of Congress? Did they want to see a tax hike? Did they want to see our country go bankrupt? That's the alternative by them trying to vote no. And the president believes the Republican Party needs to be unified, and the vast majority of Republicans clearly are and are listening to the president.

Karoline Leavitt 00:22:01-00:22:18 (17 sec)

They are trusting in President Trump, as they should, because there's a reason he's sitting in this Oval Office. It's because he's the unequivocal leader of the Republican Party, not just a president for Republicans but all Americans. The president's approval rating is at an all time high right now, and it's because he knows how to deliver.

Karoline Leavitt 00:22:18-00:22:22 (4 sec)

And Republicans like Thomas Massie and others should take note. Stephen?

Question 00:22:22-00:22:44 (21 sec)

Thank you, Karoline. Building on the question about Social Security, the bill includes the president's promises to address taxes on tips and overtime. Can -- can you say his feelings about the income cap? Is he -- is he satisfied where that landed? And also, on a different matter, can you comment on the investigation that the Justice Department has into Andrew Cuomo?

Karoline Leavitt 00:22:44-00:22:56 (13 sec)

As for the first question, the president is clearly satisfied where the bill landed, because it passed. Again, now it has to go to the Senate so changes could certainly be made. As for your second question, I would defer you to the Department of Justice. Christian?

Question 00:22:56-00:23:04 (8 sec)

Yeah. Thanks, Karoline. Can you explain the decision to totally shake up FEMA leadership just a week before hurricane season?

Karoline Leavitt 00:23:04-00:23:21 (17 sec)

Well, you'd have to ask the Department of Homeland Security in terms of leadership. But certainly, the administration, and I know the National Security Council here at the White House, is monitoring storms and natural disasters that are happening across the country at all times. We're briefed on those. The administration is briefed on those.

Karoline Leavitt 00:23:21-00:23:24 (3 sec)

And Secretary Noem is leading that effort for sure. Go ahead.

Question 00:23:24-00:23:39 (16 sec)

And just switching gears, Karoline? Karoline, just following up on -- on Warren Davidson, I wanted to read you his quote that he posted online. "While I love many things in the bill, promising someone else will cut spending in the future does not cut spending. Deficits do matter, and this bill grows them." Why should that get a Republican primaried?

Karoline Leavitt 00:23:39-00:24:07 (28 sec)

This bill saves $1.6 trillion for the American taxpayer. It saves more than any bill that has ever passed Capitol Hill has, in fact, by double. The next bill saved $800 billion. This bill saves $1.6 trillion. So, this is a very good bill for the American people, the American taxpayer. And I believe as an outlet put it with a headline this morning, it might have been Politico, actually, they wrote that the American people are going to be flush with cash when this thing is signed into law.

Karoline Leavitt 00:24:07-00:24:10 (2 sec)

And that's a good thing for American taxpayers.

Question 00:24:10-00:24:10 (1 sec)

[Inaudible]

Karoline Leavitt 00:24:10-00:24:11 (1 sec)

Sure. Go ahead.

Question 00:24:11-00:24:20 (9 sec)

Karoline, what is the president doing to win Senate passage by July 4th? And does that include work to eliminate carried interest and make business tax cuts permanent? Where is he on those issues?

Karoline Leavitt 00:24:20-00:24:38 (18 sec)

Well, look, this bill literally just passed the House of Representatives, so now our team is suiting up for discussions with the Senate side of Capitol Hill. The president again said this morning he hopes to see this bill at his desk as soon as possible. And he'll be engaged in the process to get it through the Senate, just like he was to get it through the House of Representatives.

Question 00:24:38-00:24:50 (12 sec)

Can I ask what kind of assurances did he give the Freedom Caucus members to -- to kind of ensure that this would get through last night? Was -- was changes to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac part of that equation, changes administratively to Medicaid as well?

Karoline Leavitt 00:24:50-00:25:12 (22 sec)

Well, I was in that meeting yesterday with the president and House Freedom Caucus, and he told them how he wants to be a cheerleader for them, a cheerleader for the Republican Party and for the country. And Republicans faced a pivotal moment yesterday. They could have voted to bankrupt the country and increase taxes by $4 trillion, or they could vote for this One Big Beautiful Bill, which cuts taxes and saves American taxpayers money.

Karoline Leavitt 00:25:12-00:25:17 (6 sec)

And he put that proposition before them, and clearly they heeded the call because the bill passed last night. Sure.

Question 00:25:17-00:25:18 (1 sec)

Thanks, Karoline. On the --

Karoline Leavitt 00:25:18-00:25:19 (1 sec)

Or this morning, rather.

Question 00:25:19-00:25:20 ( sec)

The --

Karoline Leavitt 00:25:20-00:25:22 (2 sec)

Every day is going into the next. Go ahead.

Question 00:25:22-00:25:30 (9 sec)

On the Netanyahu call, just curious, did the president raise the flow of aid into Gaza? Is he happy with where that situation is right now?

Karoline Leavitt 00:25:30-00:25:33 (3 sec)

Not to my knowledge, but I can certainly go back and check.

Question 00:25:33-00:25:42 (9 sec)

And did you have any reaction to the Supreme Court's ruling about the -- the religious charter school today, as well as Justice Coney Barrett's decision to recuse herself?

Karoline Leavitt 00:25:42-00:25:45 (4 sec)

We'll get you an answer on that case specifically. Sure.

Question 00:25:45-00:25:56 (10 sec)

You mentioned the president has a good relationship with Leader Thune. Has he talked to him specifically about the plan to get this through the Senate? Does he plan or is he going to reach out to Republicans who have voiced concerns?

Karoline Leavitt 00:25:56-00:26:10 (14 sec)

Not to my knowledge has he spoken to Leader Thune this morning. He very well could have. I just wasn't briefed on that call. We can go back and check for you. The president did speak to Prime Minister Netanyahu this morning. He also had a call with President Sheinbaum this morning. He was receiving his intelligence briefing.

Karoline Leavitt 00:26:10-00:26:18 (8 sec)

He's been very busy all morning. But again, he certainly intends to remain active and engaged in these negotiations with the United States Senate to get this bill done.

Question 00:26:18-00:26:30 (12 sec)

And just following up on the dinner tonight, you mentioned this is not a White House dinner. But the president is always the president, and the Trump family is making money off of this. So, can you just explain how is this not the president using the office to enrich himself?

Karoline Leavitt 00:26:30-00:26:47 (17 sec)

Well, all of the president's assets are in a blind trust which is managed by his children. And I would argue one of the many reasons that the American people reelected this president back to this office is because he was a very successful businessman before giving it up to serve our country. Reagan?

Question 00:26:47-00:27:13 (26 sec)

Thanks, Karoline. Last week the president told Brett Bayer that he trusts his people, but thinks that the official narrative on his assassination attempts are "a little bit odd." FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said days later that there's no conspiracy to find and, as he put it, "The there there that you're looking for is not there." My question is, is the president personally satisfied with the investigations into the attempts on his life?

Question 00:27:13-00:27:17 (4 sec)

And does he agree with deputy FBI director or does he think there's more to it?

Karoline Leavitt 00:27:17-00:27:23 (5 sec)

Well, in the lead up to your question, you answered your own question with the president's own words, and I'll leave it at that.

Question 00:27:23-00:27:25 (2 sec)

Karoline?

Karoline Leavitt 00:27:25-00:27:26 (2 sec)

Sure. Go ahead, Hayley.

Question 00:27:26-00:27:27 (1 sec)

Thank you, Karoline.

Karoline Leavitt 00:27:27-00:27:28 (1 sec)

Hayley, go ahead.

Question 00:27:28-00:27:42 (14 sec)

Oh, thanks. I wanted to follow up on his call with Prime Minister Netanyahu and his effort to deal with Iran. Does he feel like he has the prime minister's support in this effort at this point, or did the prime minister raise concerns to him in this conversation?

Karoline Leavitt 00:27:42-00:28:00 (18 sec)

Well, I won't get further into the private discussion between the president and the prime minister, but surely they have a good relationship, one that's built on transparency and trust. And the president has made it very clear to not just Prime Minister Netanyahu but also the world that he wants to see a deal with Iran struck if one can be struck.

Karoline Leavitt 00:28:00-00:28:15 (15 sec)

He does not want to have to take the latter option, the more severe and negative option. He wants to see a deal. The president is a deal maker, and he believes strongly in diplomacy. And he's made that clear to the prime minister, but also to all of you and, frankly, the rest of the world. Mary?

Question 00:28:15-00:28:29 (14 sec)

Thank you, Karoline. Two questions, one on the terror attack last night and then another on the Big Beautiful Bill. Do you or President Trump have a message to politicians like Ilhan Omar, who only this morning explicitly avoided condemning this act of terror?

Karoline Leavitt 00:28:29-00:28:59 (29 sec)

It's despicable. And frankly, we have seen a rise in anti-Semitic protests of -- pro-Hamas protests of terrorist sympathizers. We saw them on our college campuses, and we've seen the Democrat Party turn a blind eye and, in some cases, actually embrace such anti-Semitic illegal behavior. And that's why this administration has done more than any administration in history to crack down on antisemitism.

Karoline Leavitt 00:28:59-00:29:24 (25 sec)

As you know, in January when the president took office, he signed a new executive order to combat antisemitism. He created a commission focused on doing just that. The Justice Department announced their task force as well. The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has revoked thousands of student visas from campuses where these pro -- pro-Hamas terrorists, campus agitators and -- and violent protests took place.

Karoline Leavitt 00:29:24-00:29:34 (10 sec)

And we've also withheld funding from those very campuses as well in an effort to combat antisemitism. So, the president's made it very clear that such hatred will have no place in our country.

Question 00:29:34-00:29:48 (14 sec)

Thank you. And then on the Big Beautiful Bill, I know there's a provision in the House included that defunds Planned Parenthood, not only because of the fact that it's the nation's largest abortion provider but also because it's, I think, the biggest distributor of transgender hormones right now, even to minors, according to Live Action.

Question 00:29:48-00:29:53 (5 sec)

So, is the president committed to making sure that provision stays in in the Senate?

Karoline Leavitt 00:29:53-00:30:12 (19 sec)

The president has maintained a very clear commitment to ensuring that this administration and the American people's tax dollars are not funding any institution, that includes hospital systems, that are funding the chemical castration and mutilation of children. We're not going to tolerate taxpayer dollars going to such efforts.

Karoline Leavitt 00:30:12-00:30:12 (1 sec)

Sure.

Question 00:30:12-00:30:27 (14 sec)

Thanks, Karoline. You mentioned at the top of the briefing that the migrants were to be sent to a third country. I was just wondering, could you share any more on, you know, which countries the administration has struck these agreements with, and what that agreement with South Sudan specifically looks like?

Karoline Leavitt 00:30:27-00:30:50 (24 sec)

Well, first of all, I won't litigate foreign policy from the podium. But what I will reiterate is the absurdity of this ruling from a district court judge in Boston, who is just creating new immigration laws out of thin air. This administration -- let me be very clear because there have been a lot of fake headlines about this deportation flight over the last two days.

Karoline Leavitt 00:30:50-00:31:13 (23 sec)

This administration has complied with all court orders. And the individuals, whose names I just revealed and whose criminal histories I just spoke of that are on this flight, every single one of them had a final order of removal from our country. In fact, one of them, one of these violent illegal criminals had a final order of removal given to him in 1999. It's two years after I was born.

Karoline Leavitt 00:31:13-00:31:35 (22 sec)

This individual, this criminal, has been living in our country for an entire generation. And now we have a district court judge who is trying to tell the president and the secretary of state and the secretary of Homeland Security that illegal criminal murderer who's been hiding in the shadows in our country for nearly 30 years cannot be deported from United States soil.

Karoline Leavitt 00:31:35-00:31:54 (18 sec)

That not only is undermining our entire immigration system, but it is also undermining our diplomatic negotiations with countries around the world. How are countries on this earth supposed to trust the United States government and these good faith diplomatic negotiations when these countries accept these repatriation flights?

Karoline Leavitt 00:31:54-00:32:26 (32 sec)

How are they supposed to trust us if we have radical district court judges who are going to say no, you can't do that? And now these illegal criminal murderers and rapists have to sit in Djibouti with our ICE agents who now have to sit there for more than two weeks without the proper resources. This judge is not only undermining our immigration system, undermining our foreign policy and our national security, but this judge is undermining the safety of the ICE agents who are putting their lives on the line to remove this list of illegal criminal terrorists.

Karoline Leavitt 00:32:26-00:32:44 (18 sec)

It's truly despicable what's happening in our court system and the president and this administration hope that the Supreme Court will do what it needs to do to rein in these liberal activist judges. And the Supreme Court has already said it is well within the president's purview to dictate foreign policy, and a radical district court judge should not be getting in the way of that.

Karoline Leavitt 00:32:44-00:32:47 (3 sec)

We'll see you all later at the MAHA event. Thank you.