백악관 기자회견 - 250422

트럼프 행정부 정책, 우리 삶에 어떤 영향을 줄까요?

트럼프 행정부의 정책, 꼼꼼하게 한번 알아볼까요? 국경 보안부터 경제, 교육, 외교까지 다양한 분야에서 어떤 변화가 있었는지 쉽게 풀어드릴게요. 함께 살펴보면서 트럼프 행정부의 정책이 우리 삶에 어떤 영향을 미치는지 알아봐요.

 

트럼프 대통령, 국경 보안에 얼마나 진심일까요?

트럼프 대통령은 국경 보안 강화에 정말 진심이었어요. 불법 이민을 막고, 범죄를 저지른 외국인을 빠르게 추방하려 했죠 . 실제로 트럼프 대통령의 정책 이후 불법 국경 통과 시도 건수가 많이 줄었다고 해요 .

미국 세관국경보호청(CBP)에 따르면 남서쪽 국경에서 불법 통과 시도 건수가 역사적으로 최저치를 기록했대요 . 북쪽 국경에서도 비슷한 효과가 나타나 불법 이민자 수가 확 줄었죠 .

트럼프 행정부는 범죄를 저지른 불법 체류 외국인들을 적극적으로 체포했어요 . 민주당의 반대에도 불구하고 법 집행 기관을 통해 위험한 불법 외계인 범죄자들을 계속 체포하고, 지역 사회를 안전하게 지키겠다는 의지를 보여줬죠 .

 

'미국 우선 경제', 정말 우리에게 도움이 될까요?

트럼프 대통령은 '미국 우선 경제' 정책으로 국내 투자를 늘리고 일자리를 만들려고 노력했어요 . 특히 의약품 생산을 미국으로 다시 가져오는 데 집중했죠 . 스위스의 한 제약 회사는 미국에 500억 달러를 투자해 12,000개의 새로운 일자리를 만들겠다고 발표했어요 . 또 다른 제약 회사도 미국 내 의약품 생산을 위해 10년 동안 30억 달러 이상을 투자하기로 했죠 . 이러한 투자는 미국 경제를 활성화하고, 미국인들에게 더 많은 일자리를 제공할 것으로 기대됐어요. 트럼프 행정부는 앞으로도 계속해서 미국 내 투자를 유치하고 경제 성장을 촉진하기 위해 노력할 것이라고 밝혔죠 .

 

학자금 대출, 탕감은 정말 어려울까요?

트럼프 행정부는 학자금 대출 탕감 정책에 반대하며 대출 상환 의무를 강조했어요 . 정부는 2020년 3월부터 중단되었던 학자금 대출 회수를 5월 5일부터 재개할 예정이라고 밝혔죠 . 연방 정부가 관리하는 학자금 대출은 약 1조 6천억 달러에 달하지만 실제로 상환하고 있는 사람은 10명 중 4명도 안 된다고 해요 . 트럼프 행정부는 이는 지속 불가능하며, 미국 납세자들에게 큰 부담을 주는 것이라고 주장했죠 .

트럼프 행정부는 대학에 가지 않은 사람이나 학자금 대출을 성실하게 갚은 사람들이 다른 사람의 대출금을 대신 갚아야 하는 것은 불공평하다고 강조했어요 . 대출을 받았다면 반드시 갚아야 한다는 원칙을 지키고 재정 건전성을 확보하겠다는 입장이었어요 .

 

언론과의 관계, 왜 이렇게 중요할까요?

트럼프 행정부는 언론과의 관계에 있어서도 분명한 입장을 보여줬어요. 백악관은 다양한 관점을 가진 언론인들을 초청하여 브리핑에 참여시키고 질문에 답변하는 등 소통을 시도했죠 . 백악관은 언론의 자유를 존중하며 다양한 시각을 가진 언론인들의 참여를 환영한다고 밝혔어요 . 하지만 동시에 편향되지 않고 진실과 사실에 기반한 보도를 하는 언론을 지향한다고 강조했죠 . 백악관은 과거 언론의 오보 사례를 지적하며 정확한 사실 전달의 중요성을 강조했어요 . 특히 특정 사건에 대해 언론이 부정확한 정보를 전달했을 때, 이를 바로잡고 비판하는 등 적극적인 대응을 하고 있죠 .

 

무역 협상, 어떤 방향으로 흘러갈까요?

트럼프 행정부는 '트럼프 속도'로 무역 협상을 추진하며 미국 노동자와 국민을 위한 이익을 최우선으로 고려하고 있어요 . 여러 나라와 무역 협상을 진행하며 실질적인 진전을 이루기 위해 노력하고 있죠 . 트럼프 행정부는 여러 나라로부터 18개의 무역 제안서를 받았으며, 무역팀은 34개국과 회의를 진행하는 등 활발한 협상 활동을 벌이고 있다고 밝혔어요 .

특히 인도와의 무역 협상에서는 무역 장벽을 해소하고 양국 간의 무역 관계를 개선하기 위한 틀을 마련하는 등 긍정적인 진전을 보였죠 . 트럼프 행정부는 중국과의 무역 협상에 대해서도 긍정적인 전망을 내놓고 있어요 . 양국 모두 무역 합의를 원하고 있으며 상황이 올바른 방향으로 나아가고 있다고 밝혔죠 . 하지만 동시에 미국의 이익을 최우선으로 고려하며 협상에 임할 것이라고 강조했어요 .

 

지구의 날, 트럼프 대통령은 무슨 생각을 할까요?

트럼프 대통령은 미국이 깨끗한 공기와 깨끗한 물을 가져야 한다고 강조하며 환경 보호에 대한 의지를 밝혔어요 . 특히 천연 가스를 더 깨끗하고 효율적으로 생산할 수 있도록 노력하고 지속 가능한 에너지를 확보하는 데 힘쓰겠다고 약속했죠 . 트럼프 행정부는 멕시코와 협력하여 미국으로 유입되는 물을 깨끗하고 안전하게 유지하기 위한 조치를 취하고 있어요 . 또한, 환경 보호를 위해 노력하는 환경 보호청(EPA)의 활동을 적극적으로 지원하고 있죠 .

트럼프 대통령은 환경 보호와 경제 성장이 양립할 수 있다고 믿고 있어요. 따라서 환경 규제를 강화하는 동시에 에너지 생산과 관련된 산업을 발전시켜 경제 성장을 촉진하는 균형 잡힌 접근 방식을 추구하고 있죠 .

 

이란 핵 문제, 어떻게 풀어나갈까요?

트럼프 대통령은 이란이 핵무기를 개발하는 것을 절대 용납할 수 없다는 입장을 분명히 하고 있어요 . 이스라엘과의 굳건한 동맹 관계를 강조하며 이란 핵 문제에 대한 협상을 진행하고 있죠 . 트럼프 행정부는 이란이 핵무기를 개발할 경우 미국과 이스라엘의 안보에 심각한 위협이 될 수 있다고 판단하고 있어요. 따라서 이란이 핵무기를 포기하고 국제 사회의 감시를 받아들이도록 압박하고 있죠 .

트럼프 대통령은 이란이 핵무기를 포기한다면 미국과의 관계를 개선하고 경제 제재를 해제할 의향이 있다고 밝혔어요. 하지만 동시에 이란이 핵 개발을 계속한다면 강력한 제재를 가할 것이라고 경고하고 있죠 .

 

테러와의 전쟁, 정말 끝낼 수 있을까요?

트럼프 대통령은 테러와의 전쟁을 계속해서 수행하며 세계 평화와 안정을 위해 노력하겠다는 의지를 밝혔어요 . 특히 인도에서 발생한 테러 공격에 대해 깊은 애도를 표하며 테러로 인해 희생된 사람들을 추모하고 부상자들을 위로했죠 . 트럼프 행정부는 테러 단체를 근절하고 테러 공격을 예방하기 위해 국제 사회와의 협력을 강화하고 있어요. 또한 테러 자금 조달을 차단하고 테러리스트들의 활동을 감시하는 등 다양한 노력을 기울이고 있죠 .

트럼프 대통령은 테러와의 전쟁에서 국제 사회의 지지와 협력이 필수적이라고 믿고 있어요. 따라서 동맹국들과 긴밀하게 협력하여 테러에 공동으로 대응하고 세계 평화와 안정을 유지하기 위해 노력할 것이라고 밝혔죠 .

 

앞으로 트럼프 행정부는 어떻게 변화할까요?

트럼프 행정부는 앞으로도 국경 보안 강화, 미국 우선 경제, 학자금 대출 상환 의무 강조, 언론과의 소통, 무역 협상 추진, 환경 보호 노력, 이란 핵 문제 해결, 테러와의 전쟁 등 다양한 분야에서 정책을 추진해 나갈 것으로 예상돼요. 트럼프 대통령의 정책이 앞으로 어떻게 변화할지, 그리고 미국과 세계에 어떤 영향을 미칠지 계속해서 지켜봐야 할 것 같아요.

 

스크립트

 

Good afternoon, everybody, good to see you all. The thoughts and prayers of the entire White House remain with all of the Catholics around the world who are mourning the death of Pope Francis. Pope Francis touched millions of lives and dedicated his life to serving the Catholic Church.

As a mark of respect for his memory, President Trump ordered flags be flown at half staff, and he will be traveling to attend his funeral in Rome. The president will depart from Washington on Friday morning and return to the United States on Saturday evening following the funeral service. I can also confirm the dates of the President's trip to the Middle East, he will travel to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates from May 13th until May 16th, and on Thursday of this week, President Trump will welcome Norwegian Prime Minister at the White House for a working visit.

The two leaders will discuss trade and regional security. This will be the 13th head of state visit of President Trump's term. Already at the border, President Trump continues to deliver on his promise to make America safe again.

The Wall Street Journal captured the Trump effect in a recent article, border crossings grind to a halt as Trump's tough. Policies take hold. U.S.

Customs and Border Protection recorded its lowest southwest border crossings in history in March, and we're seeing the same successes at our northern border. Here's how the New York Post put it: "Northern border sector, previously overrun by illegal migrants, sees dramatic drop in crossings. We haven't seen anyone since November," end quote.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, just 54 illegal aliens were apprehended in the Swanton sector of our northern border, which stretches more than 300 miles in March. This is a drastic 95% drop from the more than a thousand border.

Crossings that were caught in March 2024, this is a main hotspot area that recorded more than 80% of all apprehensions along the northern border during the 2024 fiscal year, and new reporting from the Washington Times fully highlights the difference in Joe Biden's disgraceful approach to the border compared to President Trump's. Under Trump, border catch and release has dropped 99.99% from worst Biden month, you can't get much better than that. This statistic in particular is astounding, border patrol agents caught and immediately released 189,64 illegal aliens into the United States in.

December 2023, at the height of the Biden border crisis, but under President Trump, Border Patrol agents caught and released only 20 illegal aliens into the U.S. In the month of February, thanks to President Trump, operational control of the border is becoming a reality, and the administration's historic enforcement measures are yielding huge results. Illegal aliens are finally getting the blunt message: if you cross the border illegally, you will be swiftly deported and never return to the United States of America.

Efforts to arrest the criminal illegal alien invaders are continuing to ramp up, ICE. Chicago arrested a Mexican national convicted of predatory sexual assault of a child in Cook County, Illinois this week. Then, ICE Denver arrested a Mexican national convicted of sexual assault of a child in Houston County, Texas.

ICE Miami arrested a Nicaraguan convicted of aggravated battery in Hillsboro County, Florida. ICE Houston arrested a Salvadorian national convicted of attempted sexual assault of a child and escape in Dallas County, Texas, and ICE Chicago arrested a Mexican national convicted of aggravated sexual abuse of a minor in Illinois, despite the Democrats' insane objections. President Trump will continue to embolden law enforcement officers to arrest dangerous, illegal alien criminals and keep our communities safe.

And also, thanks to President Trump's America First Economic Approach, investments continue to pour into our country. Swiss Pharmaceuticals Company announced they will be investing $50 billion in the United States over the next 5 years, creating 12,000 new quality jobs. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals also agreed to pay Fujifilm Technologies more than three billion over the next decade to help manufacture its medicines in the United States.

It's a top Priority for President Trump to ensure we are producing critical medicines and pharmaceutical drugs right here in America, and that is exactly what we continue to see happen every day. In other news, the Trump administration has announced we will put an end to Joe Biden's illegal student loan bailout attempts. No student loan has been referred to collections since March of 2020.

That comes to an end on May 5th. The Department of Education will resume involuntary collections for borrowers with defaulted federal student loans. The student loan portfolio controlled by the federal government is Nearly $1.6 trillion, but fewer than four out of 10 borrowers are in repayment.

This is unsustainable, unfair, and a huge liability for American taxpayers. Debt cannot be wiped away, it just ends up getting transferred to others, so why should Americans who didn't go to college, or went to college and responsibly paid back their loans, pay for the student loans of other Americans? The Trump administration will never force taxpayers to pay student loan debts that don't belong to them. Student loan borrowers need clarity, and we're finally giving it to them.

Borrowers will now be clearly expected to repay. Their loans, and those who default on their loan obligations, will face involuntary collections. The government can and will collect defaulted federal student loan debt by withholding money from borrowers' tax refunds, federal pensions, and even their wages.

America is 36 trillion in debt. We must get our fiscal house in order and restore common sense to our country. If you take out a loan, you have to pay it back, it's very simple.

President Trump will not kick the can down the road anymore. Before we open it up to questions today, I want to commend our pool photographer who is in the room with us today, ABC News. Photojournalist Melissa Young is retiring after 44 incredible years on the job covering here at the White House.

Melissa, congratulations! You have the largest round of applause I've ever heard in this room, so there's something we can all agree on, and it's you've had an incredible career here covering the White House, so congratulations to you, and we hope you enjoy retirement. I will, I'm sure you will, and everybody else in the room will be very jealous of you as you're enjoying your rest. All right, let's get to it.

We have an individual in our new media seat today, his name is Tim P. He's a political Commentator and a media entrepreneur with millions of followers, a very big platform, currently hosts Timcast IRL, a daily news and discussions show, and the Culture War, a weekly podcast exploring cultural and political issues. His programs feature in-depth conversations on topics such as free speech, censorship, identity politics, and societal change, often engaging with a diverse range of guests.

He's in Washington today because we are also hosting a local media row across the street in the Eisenhower building, which is a testament to our commitment to bring new voices into the White House to cover. The president and this administration, so Tim, why don't you kick us off today? Yes, uh, many of the news organizations that are represented in this room have marched in lockstep on false narratives, such as the Very Fine People hoax, the Covington smear, and now what's being called the Maryland man hoax, where an MS-13 gang member, adjudicated by two different judges I believe, is just simply being referred to as a Maryland man over and over again. Now, in an effort from the White House to expand access to new companies, you've created this uh new media seat, so I'm wondering if you can comment on uh following this.

Expansion, you've had numerous outlets, uh, disparage the, the, the companies that you've had sit here, as well as the reporters. I'm wondering if you could comment on that unprofessional behavior, as well as, uh, elaborate if there's any plans to expand access to new companies. Sure, well, we certainly welcome, uh, diverse viewpoints in this room, which is one of the reasons we have you in here, and there's many new faces in this room in comparison to the previous administrations.

Uh, we want to welcome all viewpoints into this room. We welcome, um, unbiased journalists who really care about the truth and the facts, and The accuracy, and you rightfully pointed out the Maryland man story, which I, from this podium, when the Atlantic published it on that very first day, I came to this podium and said, "This is wrong, the press in this room have this story wrong," and we have seen more and more evidence come to the table, that we have had all along. Um, we were always right, the president was always on the right side of this issue, to deport this illegal criminal from our community, and it is despicable to see the media continue to refer to this individual as someone who is, uh, just a peaceful man living his life in Maryland.

This is Was and always has been an illegal criminal, an MS-13 gang member, and a designated foreign terrorist, and the administration maintains our position to deport these individuals from our communities. So thank you for being here, Tim, it's great to see you. Thank you, Dasha, why don't you kick us off? Thank you, you're welcome, I really appreciate you.

Um, I have two questions, one on, um, the Pentagon, and another on the economy. Um, you said on, on Fox News, that the entire Pentagon is working against Secretary Hicks, but the, the people who were fired were Hicks's own guy, so, how do you square that, and what do you say to concerns? That that's bad management. They were Pentagon employees who leaked against their boss to, uh, news agencies in this room, and it's been clear since day one from this administration that we are not going to tolerate individuals who leak to the mainstream media, particularly when it comes, uh, to sensitive information, and the, uh, Secretary of Defense is doing a tremendous job, and he is bringing monumental change to the Pentagon, and there's a lot of people in this city who reject monumental change, and I think, frankly, that's why we've seen a smear campaign against the Secretary of Defense since the moment.

That President Trump announced his nomination before the United States Senate, let me reiterate, the President stands strongly behind Secretary Hagseth in the change that he is bringing to the Pentagon, and the results that he's achieved thus far speak for themselves. Is there an FBI investigation into the leaks? The Secretary said that these people would be prosecuted, so is the FBI investigating? You'd have to ask the FBI, you have to ask the Department of Justice on what they plan to do, but certainly we take leaks with the utmost seriously across this administration, you've seen people fired from The Department of Homeland Security, the president has made it clear it's an unacceptable behavior. On the economy, Caroline, Peter Navarro said that it's perfectly possible to do 90 deals in 90 days, we haven't seen one just yet.

How soon might we see a deal, and what evidence can you share that that progress is being made in these trade negotiations? Sure, well, I spoke to our entire trade team this morning, there is a lot of progress being made. We now have 18 proposals on paper that have been brought to the trade team, again, these are proposals on paper that countries have proposed to the Trump administration. And to our government, uh, you have Secretary Bessant, Secretary Lutnik, Ambassador Greer, NEC Director Hasset, and, uh, Peter Navaro, the entire trade team meeting with 34 countries this week alone.

Uh, we are moving at Trump speed to, uh, ensure these deals are made on behalf of the American worker and the American people. And just yesterday, it seemed to get a little bit lost in the news, um, and I think it's a disservice to the American public that it did. The Vice President announced terms of reference for a trade deal with India, that is a big deal.

Uh, we know when we look at the numbers, the monetary trade barriers and The non-monetary trade barriers from India, they have been ripping off the United States and American workers for a very long time, so the fact the vice president with Prime Minister Modi on that trip in India announced these terms of reference, which is essentially a framework to move the ball forward to sign a good trade deal between our two nations, is great progress, and it speaks to the work ethic and the real labor that's being put into this effort by the president's trade team. Sure, go ahead. Do the proposals that you talk about, is that enough to extend the pauses on these reciprocal tariffs, or Does the president need to see, you know, these deals inked and signed to offer any sort of additional extension beyond the 90 days? Well, look, ask me in July when the deadline hits.

Uh, I know I'll be answering those questions from all of you in this room. There's a lot of time left, and the president's trade team is working, again, at Trump speed, as quickly as they can to ensure that these deals can be made. Are any of those conversations yet with China happening? Uh, I actually do have something to share on that.

I asked the president about this before coming out here, uh, and he wanted me to share with all of you that We're doing very well in respect to a potential trade deal with China, as I mentioned, there have now been 18 proposals in more than 100 countries around the world who are wanting to make a deal with the United States of America. Uh, and the president and the administration are setting the stage for a deal with China, so we feel everyone involved wants to see a trade deal happen, uh, and the ball is moving in the right direction. Sure, setting the stage for a deal with China, what does that mean? Has the president spoken directly with Xi yet? Uh, I don't have anything to read out on a direct talk between, um, the President and President Xi, but um, we will continue to keep you updated, and Secretary Besson, uh, reportedly today told investors that, uh, this trade standoff with China, he expects, will be de-escalating soon because, as he described it, uh, reportedly, the situation is unsustainable.

Is the president considering taking steps to de-escalate the situation in China? Again, I just read you words directly from the President of the United States moments ago, that's where his head is at right now. Sure, Caroline, I have two questions, one on immigration and one on China, first on immigration, roughly how many Illegal immigrants and aliens, do we have in our country, and how many does the administration plan on deporting? Sure, well, you'd have to ask the Department of Homeland Security for a specific number, but we suspect it's definitely in the millions, perhaps upwards of 20 million people, that were allowed into the country illegally by the previous administration, and the president and his team are focused on deporting as many as we possibly can, and they are moving as quickly as possible. The president's team has made it clear we need more funding from Congress to do more, we need more ICE agents out on the ground doing this very important work, uh, and we also need rogue district court judges to stop acting as, uh, judicial activists, trying to block the administration from deporting illegal criminals from our nation's interior.

The American public elected the president to do this, and he's following through with that promise. We have over a quarter million Chinese nationals in our country right now on student visas. Does the administration believe there's any national security concern when it comes to those over a quarter million Chinese nationals in our country? Well, as you know, when it comes to Foreign visas, the Secretary of State remains, uh, has the right to revoke visas of those who we feel are acting in an adversarial way to our foreign policy interests here in the United States.

Uh, he has that authority according to the Immigration and Nationality Act. Uh, so I would defer you to the State Department for any individual case, but they are looking at individuals who are given the privilege of being on a visa in our country, and if they are acting, again, adversarial to our foreign policy interest, their visa can be revoked, and they should be aware of that. Sure, go ahead.

Yes, I'm calling on you. Thank you, Karoline. Over the last few weeks, several countries have warned their citizens about travel to the US, and the Department of Commerce's own stats show that, from a lot of countries, the number of visitors is falling.

What is the White House message for people that might be reconsidering business or tourism travel to the US? Where did you see that report? It, with the statistics, coming from the Department of Commerce, said what? It's hard to hear you. Sorry, that visitors from a lot of countries have fallen in the last three months. I'd have to look at that report to comment.

On the merits of it, I think, uh, most people around the world recognize the United States of America is a great place to do business, it's a beautiful place to visit, uh, and they should certainly come here because it's a much safer country than it was four years ago under the previous president. Libby, good to see you, Caroline. A question about this upcoming announcement from HHS to ban food dyes.

During the first week of the administration, the FDA announced that it's pulling its plan to ban men, ban menthol cigarettes, so two questions for you: how do you square a ban on menthol cigarettes being pulled, and then— Announcing this, uh, ban on food dyes, and then how does the president feel about this upcoming ban that's the RFK, that RFK is going to announce? Sure. Well, look, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the president nominated him because he trusts him to make this country healthy again. It's not just a slogan, it really is a movement that has, uh, broken ground across the country.

There's millions of people who believe in RFK Jr., Secretary Kennedy, and what he's doing. Um, I won't, don't want to get ahead of HHS with this historic announcement later and the details of it, but, um, obviously the secretary feels that he Has reason and evidence to announce the ban on artificial dyes later, and I'll let him speak to that this afternoon. Phil, uh, the president started the process of reclassifying more than 50,000 federal employees as Schedule F.

We've already seen him march through a number of government agencies. I'm curious, should we expect mass firings, or is this a case-by-case approach, a scalpel or a sledgehammer? Well, look, as you saw on Friday, the president put out a statement about it. The Office of Personnel Management reclassified workers, they're now called Schedule Policy Career, and all the president is trying to.

do is ensure that federal workers are being held accountable, uh, for corrupt behavior. If they are engaging in corruption as a government worker, they should no longer have their job. I think that's pretty common sense.

He also believes that bureaucrats should be, uh, acting in accordance to the will of the American public, who duly elected this president, not just this president, but all future presidents. If you work for the government, you should be adhering to the will of the American public and advancing the administration's goals and interests, and if you are not doing that, then you should go find Another job, uh, whose interests you align with. So, uh, as for specific firings, I would defer you to the specific agencies, but the President, in this move and Office of Personnel Management, it will make it easier to get rid of rogue bureaucrats who are engaging in, uh, in corruption.

And then another quick question about Google real quick. Um, a federal court ruled last Thursday that Google's dominance of online advertising, um, and ad tech markets violated US antitrust laws. I know the President has spoken to a number of folks in big tech, and, uh, you know, Google CEO was even at his inauguration.

I'm curious. What is the president's reaction to that court ruling? I'll have to ask him and I'll get back to you, Phil. Thank you, Caroline.

You're welcome, John. Thanks a lot, Caroline. Some economic questions for you.

Kevin Hassett has been a key economic advisor to the president in both of his terms, in 2022, and he still is, and he still is. He was just in my office. Absolutely.

In 2022, he said that the independence of the Fed is super important. That's a direct quote. Is that something that the president subscribes to? Does he still believe in the independence of the Federal Reserve? Well, look, I think the president has made his Position on the Fed and on, uh, Powell, quite clear.

Uh, the President believes that they have been making, uh, moves and taking action in the name of politics rather than in the name of what's right for the American economy. The President has the right to express his displeasure with the Fed, and he has the right to say he believes interest rates should be lower. He believes Americans should be able to borrow money cheaper than they currently are right now, and I also spoke to Kevin Hassett about the Fed as well, and he has called into question the Fed's independence and whether they are actually doing things again.

Out of the best interest of the economy, or are they doing it for partisan reasons? Um, the president wants to see interest rates lower, he has made that quite clear. We've also seen, if I may, just, I'm sorry, one more. Karoline, just about, I said two economic questions about the dollar.

We've seen the dollar at multi-year lows versus the euro and other currencies around the world. Is it the administration's policy for a strong dollar? How does it view the dollar versus other currencies around the world? The president wants to see the dollar remain as the world's reserve currency, uh, for our long-term fiscal. Stability and our economic growth, he's been quite clear about that.

Sure, two questions, and then to the woman behind you who I haven't seen before, welcome, go ahead. Mary? Uh, Earth Day, and then the Supreme Court, if that's okay. That's right, it's Earth Day.

Yes, happy, happy Earth Day, everyone. Um, I saw the President "truth"-ing about the garbage pile up from China and the Pacific, and then I believe Lee Zeldin is headed to San Diego to investigate the pile of sewage from Mexico.

Can you speak to what the White House has planned for Earth Day, and anything in that area arena? Sure, um, I do have points from the EPA. Administrator Zeldon is doing a fantastic job, and they are always sharing their accomplishments with the White House, which we very much appreciate. He will be traveling, I believe he's in, uh, California today, um, for, um, sewage, uh, situation.

Here you go. Administrator Zeldon met with his Mexican counterpart to discuss steps Mexico needs to take to ensure the water entering the United States is clean and safe, and he's holding a press conference in San Diego today with elected officials and local stakeholders on the Tijuana River sewage crisis. Um, I would also add from the president himself, he has always Maintained he wants America to have the cleanest air and the cleanest water, um, and we want to do what's right for our environment and for our earth, and a lot of that is making sure that we have clean and, uh, sustainable energy, and we know that we, um, produce natural gas cleaner and more efficiently than any country in this world, and the President wants to see that continue.

Thank you. And then on the Supreme Court, I know the court is hearing a case dealing with parents who don't want their kids having to read, uh, gender ideology books in schools, can you comment on that case and what the Trump administration hopes? To see come from that, sure. We hope the Supreme Court will do the right thing, and the president has been very clear, he stands on the side of parental rights, and he believes strongly that parents should have a greater say in their children's education, and the content, if you will, that children are being exposed to in our public school system.

Sure, go ahead. Thank you. Hi, I'm Carolina Lumea with World News Group.

Um, the administration ended some temporary protections for Afghans, including several hundred Christians who have been punished by the Taliban. Is the president considering any exceptions for Afghans who could face death or torture if they return to their home country, so let's just be clear about one thing, we didn't end that proactively, it expired, and it's because the previous administration illegally paroled, uh, millions of people, or hundreds of thousands of people, I'm sorry, into the country, uh, and then gave them temporary protective status, which again is a temporary status, it's not a permanent status in this country. Um, and if there are individuals here who came in through the Biden administration who want to claim asylum, there is a legal process to do that, and those cases will be.

Adjudicated by a judge on a case-by-case basis, we have a legal immigration process in this country for a reason, and all this administration is trying to do is effectuate that. Reagan, thank you, Caroline. I have two questions for you on immigration.

Um, March deportation numbers were down slightly from the same time period last year. SCOTUS recently ordered a pause on deporting Turnday Iago members with the Alien Enemies Act. Um, I'm curious what other tools the administration is looking at to boost those deportation numbers.

Sure, well, we are obviously complying with the court's order, however, It was a temporary pause. The Supreme Court basically said, "Sit tight, and they will follow up with an order." And we're confident, um, that the Supreme Court will rule on the side of law and recognize the president absolutely has the executive authority to deport foreign terrorists from our nation's interior under the Alien Enemies Act. Uh, we feel very strongly about that, and we're confident the courts will side with the president and his executive authority.

As for deportations, we continue to deport illegal criminals under Title 8, which is an immigration authority, um, given to our border patrol. Agents and the Department of Homeland Security deport illegal criminals from this country, and the administration continues to do that at record speed, as quickly as they can with the resources that they have. The DOJ recently dropped charges against the MS-13 leader caught in Woodbridge, Virginia, with the idea that this will expedite the deportation process.

Does the administration plan to drop charges against other criminal illegals to speed along the deportation process? You'd have to ask the Department of Justice, obviously that's within their purview, and I can't speak for them. However, it is our goal to deport as many illegal criminals and aliens from our country as we possibly can, as quickly as we can. Jackie? Thank you, Caroline.

We've heard so much about this, um, Saudi trip planning, and the president's mentioned it himself before, but I don't think we've ever heard on the record what he hopes to achieve in Saudi Arabia and what the purpose of the trip is. Sure. Well, the president looks forward to this.

It was supposed to be his first foreign visit, but of course, now he is going to Rome this weekend, um, to honor the Pope and attend the funeral. The president looks to strengthen the ties. Between the United States and these countries in which he will be visiting, he'll be having many bilateral meetings and talks, and we look forward to the trip and hope to see many of you there.

And the meetings in London this week, do they have any nexus with the plans in Saudi Arabia? Um, I can't speak to that. Um, however, I do have an update on meetings when it comes to the Russia-Ukraine war.

Um, I was just in the Oval Office with the president, Steve Woodco, and he, they wanted everybody to know that the negotiations continue. We feel, again, we're hopefully moving in the right direction, and the special envoy. Steve Woodoff will be heading, um, to Russia again later this week to continue talks with Vladimir Putin.

Is that why Rubio is not heading to London? Is he accompanying Witoff to Moscow? I can't speak for the Secretary of State's, uh, travel schedule. I'd refer you to the Department of State, and more broadly, just about, um, the peace agreement, the talks that are ongoing. Um, Rubio had said, Secretary Rubio had said, that if things don't go the right way, that the US might need to take a step back.

What does stepping back look like? Does that a step back from brokering peace, or would that imply a broader withdrawal from US? Support for Ukraine and the war, look, I think it would be unwise for me to broadcast that from this podium. Ultimately, that's a decision for the president to make, but he has made it very clear he wants to see peace, he wants to see this war end, and he wants to stop the killing on both sides of this war, and he's been very clear about that for quite some time, and he has grown frustrated with both sides of this war, and he's made that very known. Caroline, Brian.

Thank you, Caroline. Um, last week the president talked about nonprofit groups specifically taking on crew, and he hinted that there could be further actions taken. Against nonprofits, does the White House have any plans for any sort of actions against nonprofits or other similar groups? Is any of that coming up? Is that being worked on at this time? I'll have to check in with our policy team and get back to you.

Sure. Thank you. Caroline, Travis Gilmore with the Epoch Times, are some colleges using taxpayer funds to further political agendas, and what is the administration's response to Harvard's lawsuit? Sure.

Well, the president has made it quite clear that it's Harvard who has put themselves in the position to lose their own funding by not obeying federal law, and We expect all colleges and universities who are receiving taxpayer funds to abide by federal law, it's quite simple, and the president made it clear he's not going to tolerate violations of federal law. He's not going to tolerate, uh, illegal harassment and violence towards Jewish American students or students of any faith on our campuses across the country, uh, and so we will be responding to the lawsuit in court. And again, it's quite simple, if you want federal dollars, obey federal law.

And just to quickly follow up on China, any response to reports that China is targeting US trade allies with potential Retaliatory measures for supporting US agendas, I think the numbers and the sheer number of countries that have reached out to the United States and reached out to this administration to cut good trade deals speak for themselves. The entire world knows that they need the United States of America, and they want to do business here, and so we'll stay focused on cutting good trade deals on behalf of the American worker. Stephanie? Thank you.

Can you give us any additional details from uh, the president's call with Netanyahu today? Uh, I did speak to the president about it, it was a good call, they spoke Particularly about Iran and the negotiations that are underway with Iran. The United States and the president have made it very clear, repeatedly, but I'll reiterate, there is no daylight between the United States of America and the state of Israel. He stands strongly behind our ally.

He's made it quite clear when it comes to Iran that we want to see a deal, and Iran has a choice to make, but the president has also made it very clear, and he reiterated that in his call with Prime Minister Netanyahu today, about the need for Iran to never obtain a nuclear weapon. I do have one more bit of News that I would like to share with all of you, just give me one second to find it. Um, and it's in regards to the terrorist attack, um, that took place in India earlier today.

Um, the President has been briefed, uh, by the National Security Advisor, and he's being kept up to speed as more facts are learned. Uh, what we know already is dozens were killed and even more were injured in a brutal terrorist attack in a popular tourist location in South Kashmir. President Trump will be speaking with Prime Minister Modi, um, as soon as he possibly can to express his heartfelt condolences for those lost, and our prayers are with Those injured and our nation's support for our ally India, these types of horrific events by terrorists are why those of us who work for peace and stability in the world continue our mission, so we'll give you a readout of that call later this afternoon.

There's a lot of work to be had. You may hear from the president later this afternoon as well, and we'll see you all later, thank you..