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Video8 min read

Press Gaggle: Donald Trump Speaks to Reporters Before Marine One Departure - May 8, 2026

12:00 PM
Question 00:00:00-00:00:04 (5 sec)

Mr. President. I've never seen [Inaudible]

Donald Trump 00:00:04-00:00:05 (1 sec)

[Inaudible] to me tonight to work [Inaudible]

Question 00:00:05-00:00:12 (7 sec)

[Inaudible] you can share from [Inaudible] do you think they're intentionally slowing the process? Do you think that-

Donald Trump 00:00:12-00:00:15 (3 sec)

I don't know. We'll find out soon enough.

Question 00:00:15-00:00:19 (3 sec)

Mr President, [Inaudible] leader. Did you, are you willing to cancel the tariff if [Inaudible]

Donald Trump 00:00:19-00:00:30 (11 sec)

Well, we had a good meeting. We had a great meeting with the President of Brazil and uh, we'll see what happens. They want to do business with the United States. Everybody does.

Question 00:00:30-00:00:31 (1 sec)

Are you planning to fire --

Donald Trump 00:00:31-00:00:33 (2 sec)

We had very good neighbors.

Question 00:00:33-00:00:35 (3 sec)

Are you planning to fire Marty Makary?

Question 00:00:35-00:00:40 (4 sec)

What's going on with Marty Makary?

Donald Trump 00:00:40-00:00:41 (2 sec)

Nothing much, but [Inaudible]

Question 00:00:41-00:00:42 (1 sec)

[Inaudible] is he staying on?

Question 00:00:42-00:00:45 (2 sec)

Are you going to fire him?

Donald Trump 00:00:45-00:00:49 (4 sec)

I've been reading about it, but I know nothing about it.

Question 00:00:49-00:00:52 (3 sec)

Are you [Inaudible] about Iranian response to you tonight?

Donald Trump 00:00:52-00:00:53 (1 sec)

What about it?

Question 00:00:53-00:00:56 (3 sec)

Are you conscious about about Iranian response to your proposal?

Donald Trump 00:00:56-00:01:05 (9 sec)

Well, we'll see what happens. Look, uh, they have no military. They have not a lot left. We'll see what happens.

Question 00:01:05-00:01:07 (3 sec)

[Inaudible] When you, if you decide to pull your, oh, I'm sorry.

Question 00:01:07-00:01:11 (4 sec)

Mr. President, you announced a three-day ceasefire in the Ukraine-Russia war.

Donald Trump 00:01:11-00:01:12 ( sec)

Yeah.

Question 00:01:12-00:01:13 (1 sec)

[Inaudible] that that will be any longer than three days?

Donald Trump 00:01:13-00:01:29 (16 sec)

I think, I mean it could be. It'd be nice. I'd like to see it stop. Uh, Russia, Ukraine, it's the worst thing since World War II in terms of life. 25,000 young soldiers every month. It's crazy. So, uh, it could very well be.

Question 00:01:29-00:01:37 (8 sec)

If you, if you, Mr. President, if you decide to pull troops from Germany, will you move them to Poland or maybe some other countries on the eastern [Inaudible]

Donald Trump 00:01:37-00:01:55 (18 sec)

Well, Poland would like that. We have a great relationship with Poland. I have a great relationship with the president. You remember, I endorsed him and he won. And, uh, he came from way behind and he won. He's a great fighter. He's a great guy. I like him a lot, so that's possible.

Question 00:01:55-00:01:59 (4 sec)

But [Inaudible] but will you, will you do it? He's asking you for, for [Inaudible]

Donald Trump 00:01:59-00:01:59 (1 sec)

I might, I might.

Question 00:01:59-00:02:19 (20 sec)

Mr. President, you seem so happy about the election of your prime minister of Iraq. How is important Kurdistan regional government, Iraqi, Israel government, and United States of America working together and reduce militia influence on the region and [Inaudible] in Iraq.

Donald Trump 00:02:19-00:02:34 (15 sec)

So we had a great election in Iraq. We had somebody that I very strongly endorsed. He won by a lot, and I wasn't happy with the person who was there previously. So it was a great victory. We had a lot of great victories --

Question 00:02:34-00:02:34 ( sec)

[Inaudible]

Donald Trump 00:02:34-00:02:44 (10 sec)

We had a victory. We had a big victory today in Virginia, as you know, and we have a lot of victories, but, uh, the victory in Iraq was really great.

Question 00:02:44-00:02:47 (3 sec)

[Inaudible] Are you going to hire a new FDA commissioner?

Donald Trump 00:02:47-00:02:49 (2 sec)

Uh, FDA commissioner?

Question 00:02:49-00:02:51 (2 sec)

Are you bringing someone new in to leave the FDA?

Donald Trump 00:02:51-00:02:51 (1 sec)

No, no.

Question 00:02:51-00:02:55 (4 sec)

Mr. President, how did you feel about the UK election results last night?

Donald Trump 00:02:55-00:03:19 (24 sec)

Uh, I sort of leave that to them. I'm happy about everything. Our country is doing well. We just have new stock market records. Everybody's 401k is hitting a record. Uh, the numbers are absolutely incredible. The job numbers, we have more people working today than we ever had working in this country. The job numbers today were incredible.

Donald Trump 00:03:19-00:03:20 (1 sec)

Thank you.

Question 00:03:20-00:03:21 (1 sec)

[Inaudible] the Prime Minister [Inaudible]

Question 00:03:21-00:03:25 (4 sec)

[Inaudible] to the Strait of Hormuz. Do you have any reaction?

Donald Trump 00:03:25-00:03:25 (1 sec)

Say it?

Question 00:03:25-00:03:30 (5 sec)

France sent an aircraft carrier toward the Strait of Hormuz. France sent it. Any reaction?

Donald Trump 00:03:30-00:03:41 (11 sec)

No, I have no reaction to that. No, not at all. I think we're doing very well. Iran is seeming to be coming along very well. Militarily, very good. We'll see whether or not they can get there.

Question 00:03:41-00:03:41 ( sec)

[Inaudible]

Donald Trump 00:03:41-00:03:46 (4 sec)

Steve, go ahead. Steve: [Inaudible] an update on the hantavirus? The hantavirus?

Donald Trump 00:03:46-00:04:00 (14 sec)

Uh, we have it. We have very good people looking at it. It seems to be okay. Uh, they know the virus very well. They've worked with it for a long time. They know it very well. Not easy to, uh, pass on. So we hope that's true.

Question 00:04:00-00:04:05 (6 sec)

President Trump [Inaudible] you discussed with the president of Brazil. It was a long meeting, right?

Donald Trump 00:04:05-00:04:07 (1 sec)

Yeah, we had a great meeting.

Question 00:04:07-00:04:10 (3 sec)

W- -- which, which topics got your main attention?

Donald Trump 00:04:10-00:04:18 (9 sec)

We discussed everything. President of Brazil, we discussed everything. We had a very good meeting. We have a very good relationship with him and with Brazil.

Question 00:04:18-00:04:19 ( sec)

But what [Inaudible]

Donald Trump 00:04:19-00:04:21 (2 sec)

We discussed everything, including tariffs.

Question 00:04:21-00:04:25 (3 sec)

[Inaudible] ceasefire, was it Putin who asked for a ceasefire? Did he ask you?

Donald Trump 00:04:25-00:04:37 (13 sec)

No. I asked and, uh, President Putin agreed. President Zelenskyy agreed, both readily, and we have a, a little period of time where they're not going to be killing people. That's very good.

Question 00:04:37-00:04:37 ( sec)

[Inaudible]

Donald Trump 00:04:37-00:04:50 (13 sec)

And they also agreed to give a thousand on each side, a thousand prisoners back, so they're going to be, uh, transferring almost immediately a thousand prisoners from each side. That's very good. Russia, Ukraine.

Question 00:04:50-00:04:52 (2 sec)

Do you plan to talk to them again, to try to [Inaudible]

Donald Trump 00:04:52-00:04:57 (4 sec)

Yeah, I will. I'd like to, I'd like to see a big extension, okay?

Question 00:04:57-00:04:57 ( sec)

[Inaudible]

Question 00:04:57-00:05:04 (7 sec)

[Inaudible] hantavirus [Inaudible] if you would consider leaving the World Health Organization because of the outbreak of hantavirus?

Donald Trump 00:05:04-00:05:18 (15 sec)

No, we, uh, seem to have things under very good control. They know that virus very well. It's been around a long time. Uh, not easily transferable, unlike COVID. Uh, but we'll see. We're, we're studying it very close. We have very good people studying it very closely.

Question 00:05:18-00:05:28 (9 sec)

[Inaudible] we're, we're at a point almost 10 weeks after missile hit a girls' school in Iran. Who fired that missile?

Donald Trump 00:05:28-00:05:33 (6 sec)

So, uh, that's under study right now and we'll give you a report as soon as we have it.

Question 00:05:33-00:05:40 (6 sec)

Mr. President [Inaudible] can you, will you send your team to [Inaudible] now that you've brokered the ceasefire in the Ukraine war? [Inaudible]

Donald Trump 00:05:40-00:05:42 (2 sec)

What?

Question 00:05:42-00:05:45 (3 sec)

Will you send your team to Moscow, to [Inaudible] now that you brokered [Inaudible]

Donald Trump 00:05:45-00:05:57 (12 sec)

Well, I would do it. If, if I thought it would help, I'd do it. I'd love to see that war end. I've settled eight wars, and actually nine, and now it looks like we could have 10, but I would love to make that the 10th, I will tell you.

Question 00:05:57-00:05:59 (1 sec)

[Inaudible] Vladimir Putin?

Donald Trump 00:05:59-00:06:08 (9 sec)

I would love to see, I would love to see an end between Russia, Ukraine, that war. 25,000 young soldiers were killed last month --

Question 00:06:08-00:06:09 (1 sec)

Sir, can [Inaudible]

Donald Trump 00:06:09-00:06:15 (6 sec)

-- and it's on average 25 to 30,000 soldiers a month. It's, it's a terrible war. Terrible.

Question 00:06:15-00:06:21 (6 sec)

[Inaudible] Mr. President [Inaudible] and you said that, uh [Inaudible] by Iran. But Iran denied that this is. Do you [Inaudible]

Donald Trump 00:06:21-00:06:24 (2 sec)

I love South Korea.

Question 00:06:24-00:06:26 (3 sec)

Mr. President.

Question 00:06:26-00:06:28 (1 sec)

Mr. President. [Inaudible]

Question 00:06:28-00:06:33 (5 sec)

[Inaudible] the Project Freedom? Do you think we need to [Inaudible] the Project Freedom?

Donald Trump 00:06:33-00:06:58 (25 sec)

I don't think so. We might be, but I don't think so. I think we, it's all a different route, and then [Inaudible] to get signed up and buttoned up. Uh, we, yeah [Inaudible] good. We were asked not to do that by Pakistan, who's our friend, as you know, the prime minister and the field marshal. Uh, but I think Project Freedom is, uh, good, but I think we have other ways of doing it, also.

Donald Trump 00:06:58-00:07:10 (12 sec)

We may go back to Project Freedom if things don't happen, but it'd be Project Freedom plus, meaning Project Freedom plus other things.

Question 00:07:10-00:07:12 (2 sec)

[Inaudible] for a ceasefire that Putin wanted?

Donald Trump 00:07:12-00:07:21 (9 sec)

So we have a, uh, ceasefire and I think everyone's happy. President Zelenskyy, President Putin, I think they're happy to have it as [Inaudible] now.

Question 00:07:21-00:07:21 ( sec)

[Inaudible]

Question 00:07:21-00:07:33 (11 sec)

Mr. President [Inaudible] didn't want a ceasefire [Inaudible] and Iraqi Kurdistan [Inaudible] get a ceasefire with Iran, several times Iranian regime [Inaudible] targeting Iraqi Kurdistan as your allies.

Donald Trump 00:07:33-00:07:43 (10 sec)

We want to get the whole thing ended, not just individual full things. We want to get the whole thing ended, and we will.

Question 00:07:43-00:07:43 ( sec)

[Inaudible]

Question 00:07:43-00:07:47 (4 sec)

Mr. President, are you --

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