Press Gaggle: Donald Trump Speaks to Reporters Before Marine One Departure - October 5, 2026

Hello, everybody. We're going to Nebraska for a great governor and a great future Senator, and it's going to be very successful. They have massive crowds, as always, and we're going to do a good job for them.

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You said that Michigan is also -- you said that Michigan is also a state you're worried about. Are we going to see you campaigning there in Michigan as well?

I'll be in Michigan, yeah. And I think --

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What about Maine?

I don't know about Maine. I think we're going to Maine, too, but I'm going to Michigan in about a week and a half.

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We're sort of scheduled to be someplace almost every night, and this is something the fake news didn't count on.

President Trump, in Maricopa County, Arizona. The vendor sent out thousands of ballots in a so-called error before early voting.

When did that happen, just now? Well, it's crooked. So, Maricopa just sends out thousands of ballots in error -- Maricopa County in Arizona, and they have to be ashamed of themselves. By the way, there were no errors, you know that, right? There were no errors. Did you hear that? Maricopa sent out thousands of ballots illegally and they got caught, and now they're saying it was an error.

Maricopa is a very, very dishonest county.

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Sir, with the hostility that the WHCA has shown towards you, are you open to recognizing a different organization like Chanel Rion's NWHCA to share the duties with them and --

I think she's fantastic.

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Do you [Inaudible] on Russian oil refineries, have you talked to them?

We've talked about it, we have, and I think they're slowing it down. But they are causing a lot of problems. The lack of refineries is the problem; we have tremendous amounts of oil coming out of the hormone strait. We have that so good, but we have a lack of refineries because of the war having to do mostly with diesel.

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The US Supreme Court -- the Supreme Court just started a new session. What are you expecting?

Well, I hope victory, it would be nice.

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We're going to be opening it very soon. You mean back, in the back? We're opening it very soon.

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Why are you telling your supporters to vote by mail if you think it's fraud?

No, vote by mail or vote in person. I'd rather have them vote in person, but they can vote by mail if they want, because we seem to have no choice, because a lot of people want to vote by mail, but a lot of very good people also want to vote in person. You can do either. What we're concerned about is there seems to be a lot of -- not seems to be; there is a lot of cheating in vote by mail, a lot of cheating all over.

I'll tell you what, start off by taking a look at California. Take a look at -- take a look --

There's no evidence in California.

No evidence with millions and millions of ballots? You are fake news.

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Republic of Serbia. The United States launched a strategic dialog three months ago. What do you think about their cooperation and how do you see through it?

Well, we have a very good relationship with Serbia.

Mr. President, will you resume trade talks with Canada before the midterms?

I don't know. Canada behaves very badly with the United States and I don't know. We caught them in the act; they charged us a lot of tariffs that nobody knew about except me. And it will work out eventually, but I don't know about -- I'm in no rush. You know, Canada does all their business with us, we do very little business with them.

And all we ask of one thing in Canada, they have to be honest. They are not honest with the United States; they've been ripping us off for years. Yeah.

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For a specific threat that led you to pull those bombers back from the UK?

Yeah, I think we can say that. I mean, they didn't fly out by accident, yeah. No, but there were some threats and, rather than tempting the enemy, we'll capture the enemy and beat the enemy. But why should we leave them there? So, we moved them around a little bit, not very far.

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Sorry? Can you ease limits on red-dyed diesel? And if so, for how long?

For what?

For red-dyed diesel for American farmers. Are you considering easing limits on red-dyed diesel?

We are doing a lot for the farmers. The farmers have been with me from day one. I've made the farmers a lot of money, we've given them a lot, and we help them a lot and the farmers are with me all the way. In fact, I'll be going to Iowa very soon and today I'm going to Nebraska for our farmers.

Mr. President --

I'll be helping them with diesel, yes.

Mr. President, are you open for direct talks with Iranians?

Yeah, always.

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Venezuela defense agreement, do you support the deployment -- immediate deployment?

With regard to who?

[Inaudible] defense agreement.

We're always deployment --

Mr. President, what's your view about the Saudi's and Yemeni's counterattack and offensive against the Houthis?

It'll all work out very well. That'll work out very well.

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The current Republican candidates in swing states by traveling there?

I do, I think when I travel there, their numbers go way up. We have massive crowds; we have another sold-out crowd today. We went to Ohio, we went to Texas, we went to Oklahoma, we're going to Michigan, we're going all over the country. And we have another massive sold-out -- they say the lines are -- it's already sold out.

So, no, when I go there, they pick up a lot of steam. When I go there, they win and that's what I'm doing.

How do you see the numbers that came yesterday from Brazil? Last week you told me that you were following the elections very closely. How do you think that --

Are you talking about in Brazil?

Yes, how do you see the numbers?

I think it's going to be a very close election. That will be a very close -- I think Brazil will be a very close election.

Maria Corina Machado wrote an op ed today in the New York Post saying that she should go back to Venezuela. Do you support the move back?

Well, I'd say one thing, she's a very fine woman. She gave me her Nobel Prize because she knew I earned it and she's a very fine woman, and it's all going to work out.

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What about the [Inaudible] ruling?

[Inaudible]

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Why are you blaming me? Are you more concerned with Michael Whatley's Senate race or John Husted?

I think that John Houston picked up a lot since we left. You know, we did a big rally for John and John's great in Ohio, and I think he's doing very well against a very poor candidate in Sherrod Brown with a two out years to go. I think that you're doing well, and I would be very happy to see Michael Whatley do well.

He's a fantastic man; he led the whole Republican Party. You have a governor or next governor who's very weak on crime. He's the worst on crime, maybe the worst in the whole country on crime, and North Carolina has been suffering crime. I would love to see Michael Whatley win.

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Mr. President, do you think there's a risk that Iran has brought combat drones into the UK? Is that why you have removed the [Inaudible]?

I can't tell you that but if they did, they'll suffer greatly.

I didn't know that. That was so cool. How are you? [Inaudible]

So, we had a threat and if we're going to be threatened, we'll just move them and that sort of alleviates that. And we actually know the people that made the threat and they've got themselves a big problem.

Are they linked to Iran?

They would be linked to Iran.

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Is there a plague outbreak in Russia.

I am, I am, I am. I have not spoken to him about it, but yes, the pneumonia plague, you call it plague.

What's your level of concern?

Well, I hate to see them having it. It's a rough disease. You know, that's a disease we used to be able to control, but somehow those microbes have gotten stronger and smarter, they're like an army. And we don't have the same medical -- even with great advancements, the germs have really become relatively stronger than they were.

And things that used to work on pneumonia don't work as well anymore. So -- but we'll help. Anybody that has that kind of a problem we're always willing to help. We'll help.

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Europeans that don't --

Well, we haven't done that yet. It's very early; we just heard about it, but we'll think about that. But it's a big problem for Russia.

[Crosstalk] What did you make of Bolsonaro's victory down in Brazil?

Well, it's a big victory -- close, but very, very big victory. Amazing actually.

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The initial stage, right? Initial stage?

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Is the UK still a safe space for US forces?

I think it is and I have a very good relationship with your new prime minister. He's very good -- he's liberal, very liberal but I hear he's going to open up North Sea oil. If he does that in Aberdeen -- if he does that, you're going to have a rich country. If he doesn't, you're going to have a bankrupt country.

What is the US going to do about the risk of pneumonic plague coming from Russia?

Well, we're looking at it very strongly. We just heard about it, and they called it pneumonia. And pneumonia, you know, years ago, you could treat pneumonia easier. The microbes and the germs have gotten stronger disproportionately. But we'll help them; we'll help them as much as we can.

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Mr. President, [Inaudible] over the last week nationally.

What has?

Gas prices have declined. What do you say to Americans who --

Gasoline prices are going down very rapidly. When the war ends, they'll drop like a rock and the war is going to end very soon. One way or the other, the war is going to end very soon and we're bringing out record amounts of oil, as you know, in the Hormuz Strait, record. Now, one of the problems we have is the refineries in Russia are being hit pretty hard -- having to do with diesel, not regular gasoline, but diesel.

So, that's a problem but it's all working out very well. And now Europe is putting up a lot of their diesel. They have big reserves of diesel, they're putting it up, we're putting it up and everybody's working together. And oil prices are coming down and here's the nice part -- Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.

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Lithuania has invited US to establish a permanent US base in Lithuania. Would you consider that?

Well, they're friends of mine; they're great people. So, we'll certainly look at it. They are great people. Lithuania, they're -- I know so many people in that country. They're great people.

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7 percent. With Latino voters that's dropped.

I'm doing great, no, no, you got my polls, you're fake news? You're CNN, you're fake news. My poll numbers are great and all you have to do is look at the crowds we're drawing. And every time I leave, that candidate will be losing and by the time I leave, they're winning. No, CNN poll numbers are fake and your whole outfit is fake and so are you.

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Mr. President, what's your message to those Americans who are going to the midterms and they have a background in Middle East, like people in Iran and Kurdistan?

Well, we're looking at that. We're looking at it very seriously having to do with pilots, etc., we're looking at it.

[Inaudible]

[Inaudible] And rather than going through that, we just moved them very easily to a place not so far away.

And on FlyDubai, do you think Iran was responsible for that terrorist attack?

I do; I personally do.

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