Hey, guys.
Hey, Karoline. -- Karoline. How are you?
-- the president seemed to leave open that in a couple of weeks, that the tariffs on Mexico could go into effect. He said maybe they will, maybe they won't. Yeah.
What are the metrics he is looking to see over this month from Mexico with those troops going forward?
I think the president has made it astoundingly clear that the reason for these tariffs, and I just talked a lot about this on Fox News, is the illegal surge of deadly drugs and of human beings that we have seen trafficked over the southern border and the northern border, hence the tariffs on Canada. Um, and so, the president is making it very clear to both Canada and Mexico that the United States is no longer going to be a dumping ground for illegal deadly drugs and illegal human beings.
And you saw President Sheinbaum already conceding and putting 10,000 troops, permanent troops, I would add, not temporary, Mexican soldiers on the southern border to deter some of that illegal migration. So, the president will continue to have these negotiations. I won't get ahead of him. He's also going to make sure that Secretary Bessant, um, soon to be secretary and Secretary Lutnick and Secretary Rubio, are deeply involved in these negotiations as well.
Karoline --
Steve?
Karoline, I want to speak to the President of China and what will be their agenda?
Sure, well, he said in the Oval Office, it will happen in the next couple of days. I don't have a schedule yet, but I can check with NSC and let you guys know. And we'll obviously provide a readout of that call either via White House statement like we do or via Truth Social like we do sometimes as well. Kaitlan?
Can you confirm that Elon Musk is a special government employee?
Yes.
What kind of security clearance does he have?
I can confirm he's a special government employee. I can also confirm that he has abided by all applicable federal laws. As for his security clearance, I'm not sure, but I can check back with you.
Does he -- did he pass a background check, do you know?
I don't know about the security clearance, but I can check.
And, do you know about anyone who's on his team that was at USAID this weekend or at Treasury Department, whether they also have security clearances?
I don't, no. But, again, I can check on that for you. Sure.
I want to ask about the hostage deal. We saw people coming out of Gaza alive because Trump managed to get this deal done.
Yeah, that's right.
And it was very emotional for people in Israel. Prime Minister Netanyahu is coming here tomorrow. Um, he might not want to go through with the second phase of the deal. What do you think President Trump would like to happen?
Well, I'm not so sure that's true. You know, the cease fire was extended because of the work of President Trump and his Presidential envoy. Steve Witkoff, who has proven to be an incredibly effective negotiator and the president, and this entire administration, are committed to having all of the hostages come home.
And as you've seen, his team is working very, very hard to do that.
-- one American hostage coming back home and another one will be --
That's right.
-- back home soon?
Yes, we hope so.
Karoline?
Sure.
Karoline, the president's a keen watcher of the financial markets, how much did Wall Street's fall this morning have an impact on his decision in regards to the Mexico tariff decision?
It had no decision. What impacted the delay on the tariffs was the President of Mexico committing to putting 10,000 permanent soldiers on the US Mexican border. The president cares about American lives. And as I just said on television, you know, there's a lot of talk about the markets, there's a lot of talk about, you know, the cost of goods.
This administration is wholeheartedly committed to bringing down the cost of living in this country. You see that through deregulation, through the energy actions this president has taken, also through his commitment to cutting taxes, but when it comes to the cost of an American life, I think for those of us who have children, you would -- there's not enough money in the world to bring back the lives that have been lost because of the illegal drug and border crisis, and the president is committed to ensuring that Canada and Mexico and China are -- understand that the United States is not going to be a dumping ground for illegal fentanyl that is killing young people in this country.
It's the leading cause of death amongst those aged 18 to 34. And that's the president's number one priority is protecting American lives.
Karoline -- Karoline American -- Can you talk more about the first call that President Trump had with Prime Minister Trudeau this morning? What were some areas for potential negotiations and any bottlenecks?
Yeah, I hate to be coy, but just because I believe they're on the phone right now, I'll have to go in and check. I don't want to get ahead of the discussions or the conversations. But in the effort of transparency, we will either provide a readout or you'll hear from the president directly.
Karoline, what do you say to Americans who understand the president's negotiating strategy and understand the goals that he's trying to achieve with tariffs, but are worried they're going to get caught in the middle of this and feel the pain, potentially in the short-term or even long-term?
Well, they won't get caught in the middle if they just comply with what the United States is asking for, which are very simple measures, to work with us when it comes to border security, to cooperate with the repatriation of their nation's citizens. You saw President Trump effectively utilize tariffs when he was negotiating with Colombia last weekend as well.
Ultimately, they conceded and agreed to the deportation flights that have -- many of them have landed in the last week.
Karoline --
Karen?
Do you know if Mr. Musk took the same oath that you and other senior advisers to the president took about adhering to the Constitution, following the law? Do you know if he took that oath?
I don't know the answer to that question, but like I told Kaitlan, I can get back to you guys on that.
And do you know what expertise he has in the areas of global health or humanitarian aid to be able to assess what's happening at USAID?
Well, first of all, Elon Musk is a once in a generation business leader. He is an entrepreneur. He serves as a great ally and a friend to the president. And I think Elon Musk also has a little bit of common sense. And I think the American people really appreciate that when it comes to the federal government because it seems like all common sense has been lost in this city and that's what you see when you look at USAID.
I know Secretary Rubio made some comments about how he will be acting as the director of that agency.
And here's the reason why Elon Musk and others have been taking a look. Because if you look at the waste and abuse that has run through USAID over the past several years, these are some of the insane priorities that that organization has been spending money on; $ 1.5 million to advance DEI in Serbia's workplaces.
$70,000 for a production of a DEI musical in Ireland, $47,000 for a transgender opera in Colombia, $32,000 for a transgender comic book in Peru. I don't know about you, but as an American taxpayer, I don't want my dollars going towards this crap and I know the American people don't either, and that's exactly what Elon Musk has been tasked by President Trump to do, to get the fraud, waste and abuse out of our federal government.
Thank you, guys.