{"id":63478,"date":"2018-07-12T15:26:39","date_gmt":"2018-07-12T22:26:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/69.46.6.243\/?p=63478"},"modified":"2018-07-12T15:26:39","modified_gmt":"2018-07-12T22:26:39","slug":"president-trump-at-press-conference-after-nato-summit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=63478","title":{"rendered":"President Trump at Press Conference After NATO Summit"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Brussels, Belgium&#8230;THE PRESIDENT:  Well, thank you very much, everybody.  Appreciate it.  We\u2019ve had a very amaday period in Brussels.  And we really accomplished a lot, with respect to NATO.  For years, Presidents have been coming to these meetings and talked about the expense \u2014 the tremendous expense for the United States.  And tremendous progress has been made; everyone has agreed to substantially up their commitment.  They\u2019re going to up it at levels that they\u2019ve never thought of before.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"649\" height=\"369\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0ixazvcS0FU\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; encrypted-media\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Prior to last year, where I attended my first meeting, it was going down \u2014 the amount of money being spent by countries was going down and down very substantially.  And now, it\u2019s going up very substantially.  And commitments were made.  Only 5 of 29 countries were making their commitment.  And that\u2019s now changed.  The commitment was at 2 percent.  Ultimately, that\u2019ll be going up quite a bit higher than that.<\/p>\n<p>So we are \u2014 we made a tremendous amount of progress today.  It\u2019s been about, at a minimum, they estimate \u2014 and they\u2019re going to be giving you exact numbers \u2014 but since last year, they\u2019ve raise an additional $33 billion that\u2019s been put up by the various countries, not including the United States.<\/p>\n<p>And the United States\u2019 commitment to NATO is very strong, remains very strong, but primarily because everyone \u2014 the spirit they have, the amount of money they\u2019re willing to spend, the additional money that they will be putting up has been really, really amazing to see it.  To see the level of spirit in that room is incredible.<\/p>\n<p>And I hope that we\u2019re going to be able to get along with Russia.  I think that we probably will be able to.  The people in the room think so, but they nevertheless \u2014 they really stepped up their commitment, and stepped it up like they never have before.<\/p>\n<p>So took in an addition $33 [billion].  The number could actually be higher than $40 [billion] when they give you the final number.  The Secretary General, Stoltenberg, will be giving those numbers sometime today, probably in his concluding press statement.  But we are doing numbers like they\u2019ve never done before or ever seen before.  And you\u2019ll be seeing that, and I guess you\u2019ll be hearing that a little bit later.<\/p>\n<p>Okay.  We have our Secretary of State, as you know, and we have \u2014 John is here. So if you have any questions for the three of us.  Mike Pompeo just got back from a third trip, as you know, to North Korea.  He\u2019s become a true expert on the trips to North Korea \u2014 the best way to get there, the best way to get out.  And he gets along very well.  And he\u2019s doing a great job over there.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, ma\u2019am.<\/p>\n<p>Q    I have a question.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Mr. President, I\u2019m Tara McKelvey with the BBC.  Can you tell us whether or not you warned people that the U.S. would pull out of NATO if they weren\u2019t meeting their spending goals?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  I told people that I\u2019d be very unhappy if they didn\u2019t up their commitments very substantially, because the United States has been paying a tremendous amount, probably 90 percent of the cost of NATO.  And now, people are going to start and countries are going to start upping their commitments.  So I let them know yesterday, actually.  I was surprised that you didn\u2019t pick it up; it took until today.  But yesterday, I let them know that I was extremely unhappy with what was happening, and they have substantially upped their commitment, yeah.  And now we\u2019re very happy and have a very, very powerful, very, very strong NATO, much stronger than it was two days ago.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, ma\u2019am.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Hi, President Trump.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Yes, hi.  How are you?<\/p>\n<p>Q    I\u2019m the White House Correspondent for PBS \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  I know.  You\u2019re very famous on television.<\/p>\n<p>Q    I have a question, again, about \u2014 did you ever, at any point, say that the U.S., though, might stop engaging with NATO?  And do you think that your rhetoric helps NATO cohesion, or are you worried that people might think that U.S. might not be as committed to NATO?  There are a lot of people who say they were worried and stressed by what you did yesterday.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, they were probably worried because the United States was not being treated fairly, but now we are, because the commitment has been upped so much.  So now they are.  And I was very firm yesterday.<\/p>\n<p>You have to understand, I know a lot of the people in the room.  I was here last year.  I let them know last year \u2014 in a less firm manner, but pretty firm \u2014 and they raised an additional $33 billion, I think going to $40 billion.  But it\u2019s $33 billion as of today.  And then today and yesterday, I was probably a little bit more firm.<\/p>\n<p>But I believe in NATO.  I think NATO is a very important \u2014 probably the greatest ever done.  But the United States was paying for anywhere from 70 to 90 percent of it, depending on the way you calculate.  That\u2019s not fair to the United States.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to that, as you know, we\u2019re in negotiations with the EU, and we\u2019re going to be meeting with them next week.  We\u2019ve been treated very unfairly on trade.  Our farmers have been shut out of the European Union.  Now, you could say they\u2019re different, but basically, to a large extent, they\u2019re the same countries.<\/p>\n<p>So I think we\u2019re going to be ultimately treated fairly on trade.  We\u2019ll see what happens, but I can tell you that NATO now is really a fine-tuned machine.  People are paying money that they never paid before.  They\u2019re happy to do it.  And the United States is being treated much more fairly.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, sir.<\/p>\n<p>Q    President Trump, Ryan Chilcote, PBS NewsHour.  Did you win concessions in your meetings and discussions with the German Chancellor when it comes to German defense spending and also with this issue of purchasing energy from Russia?  And secondly, what would you say to your critics that say by creating this scene here at NATO you\u2019re only enabling President Putin and Russia to further disturb things in Ukraine and Georgia?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, if you consider putting up tremendously \u2014 you know, the additional funds at a level that nobody has ever seen before, I don\u2019t think that\u2019s helping Russia.  I think that NATO is much stronger now than it was two days ago.  I think that NATO was not doing what they were supposed to be doing \u2014 a lot of the countries.  And we were doing much more than we should have been doing.<\/p>\n<p>Frankly, we were carrying too much of a burden.  That\u2019s why we call it \u201cburden-sharing.\u201d  I was using the term a lot today.  \u201cBurden-sharing.\u201d  We had a fantastic meeting at the end \u2014 29 countries.  And they are putting up a lot.  Germany has increased very substantially their time period, and Germany is coming along.  And we still have to figure out what\u2019s going on with the pipeline, because the pipeline is coming in from Russia.<\/p>\n<p>So we\u2019re going to have to figure that out.  I brought it up; nobody brought it up but me, and we all are talking about it now.  And actually, I think the world is talking about it now maybe more than anything else.  But we\u2019re going to figure that out.<\/p>\n<p>But \u2014 and, frankly, maybe everybody is going to have a good relationship with Russia so there will be a lot less problem with the pipeline.  But, to me, that was a very major point of contention.  We discussed it at length today.  Germany has agreed to do a lot better than they were doing, and we\u2019re very happy with that.  We had a very good relationship with Angela Merkel.<\/p>\n<p>Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Mr. President \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah, go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Hi.  Thank you.  Margaret Talev from Bloomberg.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Yes.  After all these years, I know, Margaret.  Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Thank you.  Maybe I\u2019m being dense here, but could you just clarify: Are you still threatening to potentially pull the United States out of NATO for any reason?  And do you believe you can do that without Congress\u2019s explicit support and approval?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  I think I probably can, but that\u2019s unnecessary.  And the people have stepped up today like they\u2019ve never stepped up before.  And remember the word \u2014 $33 billion more, they\u2019re paying.  And you\u2019ll hear that from the Secretary General in a little while.  He thanked me actually.  He actually thanked me.  And everybody in the room thanked me.  There\u2019s a great collegial spirit in that room that I don\u2019t think they\u2019ve had in many years.  They\u2019re very strong.  So, yeah, very unified, very strong.  No problem.  Right?<\/p>\n<p>Yes, go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q    We\u2019re in NATO.  No \u2014 no \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  No problem.  Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Mr. President, Jonathan Lemire with the Associated Press.  You have said previously you wanted the countries to step up their spending to 2 percent.  Yesterday there was a suggestion it might be 4 percent, or perhaps 2 percent at a much quicker timetable.  Can you clarify, what did they commit to doing?  Is that satisfactory to you?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  So what they\u2019re doing is spending at a much faster clip.  They\u2019re going up to the 2 percent level.  Now, you have to understand, some of them have parliaments, they have their own congresses, they have a lot of things they have to go through.  So, you know, they\u2019re here as prime minister or a as a president, and they can\u2019t necessarily go in and say, this is what we\u2019re going to do.  But they\u2019re going back for approvals.<\/p>\n<p>Some are at 2 percent; others have agreed definitely to go to 2 percent.  And some are going back to get the approval, and which they will get, to go to 2 percent.  After the 2 percent, we\u2019ll start talking about going higher.  But I said, ultimately we should be, in years \u2014 in advance \u2014 we should be at 4 percent.  I think 4 percent, it\u2019s the right number.<\/p>\n<p>Now, the United States \u2014 depending on the way you calculate it \u2014 was at 4.2 percent.  And I said, that\u2019s unfair.  And we have the largest GDP by far, especially since we\u2019ve increased it by so much since a thing called the election.  Our GDP has gone way up.  And so the fact that our GDP went way up, that means we\u2019re paying for even more, which is very unfair.  So I explained that.<\/p>\n<p>We will go to much higher than 2 percent into the future, but right now we\u2019re getting people up to 2 percent, and that will take place over a fairly short period of time \u2014 a short number of years.  Okay?<\/p>\n<p>Yeah, go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Hi, Tomas LeCrass (ph) from (inaudible) journalist Croatia Daily Newspaper.  We understand your message \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Congratulations, by the way.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  On soccer.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Thank you.  We understand your message, but some people ask themselves, will you be tweeting differently once you board the Air Force One?  Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  No, that\u2019s other people that do that.  I don\u2019t.  I\u2019m very consistent.  I\u2019m a very stable genius.  (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead.  Yeah, go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Thank you, sir.  Jeremy Diamond with CNN.  How are you?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Hi, Jeremy.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Quick question with regards to Germany and the comments that you made yesterday.  Do you feel like given the threats that you made about potentially leaving NATO, about insulting Germany\u2019s sovereignty, it appears, by suggesting that they\u2019re totally controlled by Russia \u2014 do you feel like that\u2019s an effective way to conduct diplomacy?  And secondly, would you be able to be a little bit more specific about the commitments that you secured today with regards to increasing the financial commitment?  Is there an updated timeline?  Are there specific countries you could cite?  Because a majority of them were already planning to meet that 2 percent threshold by 2024.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  No, many of them \u2014 in fact, Germany was going to be in the year 2028 or \u201930.  Yeah, I think it\u2019s a very effective way to deal, but I didn\u2019t deal exactly the way you said.  I have great respect for Germany.  My father is from Germany.  Both of my parents are from the EU, despite the fact they don\u2019t treat us well on trade.<\/p>\n<p>But I think that will change also, and I think we\u2019ll see that \u2014 because on the 25th of July, they\u2019re coming in to start negotiations with me.  We\u2019ll see.  And if they don\u2019t negotiate in good faith, we\u2019ll do something having to do with all of the millions of cars that are coming into our country and being taxed at a virtually zero level, at a very low level.<\/p>\n<p>But, Jeremy, I think it\u2019s been a very effective way of negotiating.  But I\u2019m not negotiating; I just want fairness for the United States.  We\u2019re paying for far too much of NATO.  NATO is very important.  But NATO is helping Europe more than it\u2019s helping us.  At the same time, it\u2019s very good for us.<\/p>\n<p>So we have now got it to a point where people are paying a lot more money, and that\u2019s starting \u2014 really, last year.  It really had \u2014 you were there last year.  And last year we had a big impact.  Again, we took in $33 billion more.  And if you ask Secretary General Stoltenberg, he gives us total credit \u2014 meaning me, I guess, in this case, total credit \u2014 because I said it was unfair.<\/p>\n<p>Now, what has happened is, presidents over many years, from Ronald Reagan to Barack Obama, they came in, they said, \u201cOkay, hey, do the best you can,\u201d and they left.  Nobody did anything about it.  And it got to a point where the United States was paying for 90 percent of NATO.  And that\u2019s not fair.  So it\u2019s changed.  We had a really good meeting today.  We had a great meeting in terms of getting along.  I know most of the people in the room because of last year, because of the year and a half that we\u2019ve been in office \u2014 year and a half-plus.  But we have a great relationship.  Everybody in that room, by the time we left, got along.  And they agreed to pay more, and they agreed to pay it more quickly.<\/p>\n<p>Yeah, go ahead, Phil.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Thanks, Mr. President.  Philip Rucker from the Washington Post.  You tweeted yesterday, \u201cWhat good is NATO?\u201d  And you\u2019ve talked about NATO as an alliance that benefits Europe, that defends and protects Europe.  Do you see any value of NATO to the United States vis-\u00e0-vis Russia?  Does it help protect the United States from Russia, in your view?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  I think it\u2019s another very strong ally, as together it\u2019s much stronger than, obviously, individual countries.  I think it\u2019s \u2014 the way we have it now, I think it\u2019s a much \u2014 I think NATO got \u2014 you know what was happening with spending prior to my getting into office.  The numbers were going down.  Now the numbers have gone up like a rocket ship.  The numbers have gone up a lot, and they\u2019ve gone up rapidly.  And they\u2019re now going up further.<\/p>\n<p>So I think NATO is going to be very, very effective.  I\u2019m very impressed with \u2014 and really know, and he\u2019s a friend mine \u2014 but Secretary General Stoltenberg has done a fantastic job and putting it all together.  And we were the ones that really \u2014 we gave him an extension of his contract, as you know.  I think he\u2019s done a really good job.<\/p>\n<p>I think that when I was saying that I am very concerned with the pipeline, I don\u2019t like the pipeline.  And when I talk about NATO, I say, how do you have NATO?  And then you have somebody paying the people that you\u2019re protecting against.  But maybe we\u2019ll get along with the group that we\u2019re protecting against.  I think that\u2019s a real possibility.<\/p>\n<p>As you know, I\u2019m meeting with President Putin on Monday.  And I think we go into that meeting not looking for so much.  We want to find out about Syria.  We will, of course, ask your favorite question about meddling.  I will be asking that question again.  But we\u2019ll also be talking about other things.  We\u2019ll be talking about Ukraine.  Ukraine was here today, by the way.  And, you know, it was very interesting to hear what they had to say?<\/p>\n<p>Q    (Inaudible.)<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Excuse me?<\/p>\n<p>Q    What if he denies it?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, he may.  I mean, look, he may.  You know, what am I going to do?  He may deny it.  I mean, it\u2019s one of those things.  All I can do is say, \u201cDid you\u201d and \u201cDon\u2019t do it again.\u201d  But he may deny it.  You\u2019ll be the first to know.  Okay?<\/p>\n<p>Yes, go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Mr. President, Robert Wall with the Wall Street Journal.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Yes.  Hi, Robert.<\/p>\n<p>Q    If the Germans and the Canadians and others don\u2019t come up to 2 percent, what is your fallback position?  How will you up the pressure to make them actually?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, they will.  They will.  I have no doubt about it.  They all made commitments.  And they will be up to 2 percent.  It will be over a period \u2014 a relatively short period of years.  Okay?<\/p>\n<p>Q    Please.  Thank you so much.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Yes, go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Georgian TV (inaudible).  Mr. President, what do you think today, it needs \u2014 (inaudible) Georgia more support from NATO?  And I wanted to ask about \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Georgia?  They were here today, representing.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Yes.  And will you talk about Georgia in a meeting with President Putin?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, they were here.  They made a very favorable impression.  And we listened to their plight.  It\u2019s a tough situation with Georgia.  But they made a very fair verbal impression in the room.  Okay?<\/p>\n<p>Yeah, go ahead.  Go.  Go.  Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q    She\u2019s already had one.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah, you really did.  Come on.  Go ahead.  Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Well, I had a question, as well.  But nonetheless, I\u2019ll ask, sir.  Will you recognize \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Will you recognize Russia\u2019s annex \u2014 will you recognize Crimea as part of Russia when you meet President \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Oh, that\u2019s an interesting question \u2014 because long before I got here, President Obama allowed that to happen.  That was on his watch, not on my watch.  You know, people like to say, \u201cOh, Crimea.\u201d  But the fact is, they built bridges to Crimea.  They just opened a big bridge that was started years ago.  They built, I think, a submarine port; substantially added billions of dollars.  So that was on Barack Obama\u2019s watch.  That was not on Trump\u2019s watch.  Would I have allowed it to happen?  No, I would not have allowed it to happen.  But he did allow it to happen, so that was his determination.<\/p>\n<p>What will happen with Crimea from this point on?  That I can\u2019t tell you.  But I\u2019m not happy about Crimea.  But again, that was on Barack Obama\u2019s watch, not Trump\u2019s watch.<\/p>\n<p>Yeah, go ahead.  Sure.<\/p>\n<p>Q    It\u2019s Jeff Mason from Reuters, Mr. President.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Sure.  I know, Jeff.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Regarding your summit with President Putin, will you be raising arms control issues?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Would you like to extend New START?  And will you raise concerns about violations of the INF Treaty?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Q    And as a follow-up to the NATO meeting today, will you suggest to him, or would you consider stopping military exercises in the Baltic States, if that\u2019s something that he requests?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, perhaps we\u2019ll talk about that.  But I will say that we are going to be talking about those three issues and many more.  We\u2019ll be talking about it, Jeff.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead.  Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q    (Inaudible.)  We are in the NATO, the quarters \u2014 the cost (inaudible) the double (inaudible) before.  I would like to know if you are planning to guarantee the taxpayers that the new money that is flowing into NATO will be spent in the best possible way, especially the money coming from country that have several problem with the public finances.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, the money will be spent properly.  And one of the things that we have \u2014 we have many wealthy countries with us today, but we have some that aren\u2019t so wealthy.  And they did ask if they could buy the military equipment and could I help them out.  And we will help them out a little bit.  We\u2019re not going to finance it for them, but we\u2019ll make sure that they\u2019re able to get payments and various other things so they can buy.<\/p>\n<p>Because the United States makes, by far, the best military equipment in the world.  The best jets, the best missiles, the best guns.  The best everything \u2014 we make, by far.  I mean, that\u2019s one thing \u2014 I guess I assumed it prior to taking office, but I really learned, since being President, our equipment is so much better than anybody else\u2019s equipment when you look at our companies \u2014 Lockheed and Boeing and Grumman.  The material \u2014 the equipment that we make is so far superior, everybody wants to buy our equipment.  In fact, it\u2019s the question, can they make it?  Because they are doing very well.  Can they make it for so many people?<\/p>\n<p>So we are helping some of those countries get on line and buy the best equipment.<\/p>\n<p>Yeah, go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Hi, I\u2019m Kristin Brown with Fox News.  On your upcoming summit with President Putin, did any of your allies here express any specific concerns or talk to you about any messages that they\u2019d like you to take with you when you go to the summit?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.  Just the opposite of concern.  They actually \u2014 and they\u2019ll probably come out with a little bit of an edict \u2014 but they actually thanked me for meeting with President Putin.  I look forward to the meeting.  They thanked me.  They thought it was a great thing that I was doing it.  And they gave us our best wishes, or their best wishes.<\/p>\n<p>Now, with that being said, we\u2019ll see that happens.  Just a loose meeting.  It\u2019s not going to be big schedule.  I don\u2019t think it should take a very long period of time.  And we\u2019ll see where it leads.  But it could lead to productive \u2014 something very productive.  And maybe it\u2019s not.<\/p>\n<p>But I think meeting with people is great.  We had a great meeting with Chairman Kim.  And I\u2019ll tell you, Mike Pompeo did a fantastic job.  I might ask you to say a few words, Mike, while you\u2019re here.<\/p>\n<p>Just one second.  Mike, go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>SECRETARY POMPEO:  Thank you, Mr. President.  So, I did.  I returned \u2014 I actually came straight from North Korea with a couple of stops here to Brussels.  We had a productive conversation.  There remains a great deal of work to do, but I think, most importantly, my counterpart, Kim Yong Chol, made a commitment consistent with what President Trump was able to achieve with Chairman Kim, which was: They intend to denuclearize.  They\u2019re going to accomplish it.  And now the task is to get it implemented.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  I think, just to finish on that, you know, it\u2019s so important.  That was an amazing \u2014 really, an amazing meeting, I though.  And I really think that we established a very good relationship.  We\u2019ll see where it all ends.  But there have been no missile tests.  There have been no research.  Where there has been \u2014 they have blown up a site; I hear they\u2019re blowing up another site, missile site.  They\u2019ve taken down all of the propaganda.  In fact, somebody said there\u2019s no more music playing at the border line.  You know, the music was going on for many years.  They said recently that, \u201cWow, there\u2019s no more of the heavy music and the propaganda.\u201d  They\u2019ve done a lot of things.  And we got back our three hostages.<\/p>\n<p>So it\u2019s a good process.  But the main thing is there have been no rocket launches.  There have been no missile tests.  There\u2019s been no nuclear tests, no explosions, no nothing, for almost nine months.<\/p>\n<p>Okay.  Yeah, please.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Ewen MacAskill from The Guardian.  Your trip to the UK, there are lots of protests planned in London and elsewhere.  How do you feel about that?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  I think it\u2019s fine.  I mean, I think they like me a lot in the UK.  I think they agree with me on immigration.  I\u2019m very strong on immigration.  I made a point today \u2014 I said, you\u2019ve got to stop.  You\u2019re ruining your \u2014 you\u2019re going to have a lot of problems.  You see what\u2019s going on throughout the world with immigration.  I probably, at least partially, won an election because of immigration.<\/p>\n<p>If you look at Italy \u2014 Giuseppe, who I got to know quite well over the last month and a half, he won his election because of strong immigration policies on Italy.  I think that a lot of the people in the UK \u2014 I think that\u2019s why Brexit happened.  Now, I don\u2019t know what\u2019s going on with the negotiation.  Who knows.  But \u2014 and I guess that\u2019s become a very interesting point of contention.  I said I\u2019m going to a few hotspots.  We have NATO, then we have the UK, and then we have Putin.  And I said, Putin may be the easiest of them all.  You never know.  But I\u2019m going to a pretty hotspot right now, right, with a lot of resignations.<\/p>\n<p>But I will say that immigration is a very important thing, and I told them today, the EU \u2014 the European Union \u2014 better be very careful, because immigration is taking over Europe, and they better be very, very careful.  And I said that loud and clear.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q    President Trump, (inaudible) Romania.  What will you tell President Putin about this summit and about NATO?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I think he\u2019s going to see about this summit \u2014 this has turned out to be a very successful summit.  This is \u2014 I think, really, that NATO is more put together right now, is more coordinated.  And I think there\u2019s a better spirit for NATO right now than perhaps they\u2019ve ever had.  It\u2019s richer than it ever was.  The commitments are made at a higher level than they\u2019ve ever been made.  And the money, it will be paid out faster \u2014 far faster.<\/p>\n<p>You know, the 2 percent was a range, a goal.  It wasn\u2019t something that they were committed to.  Now it\u2019s a commitment.  There\u2019s a big difference \u2014 the 2 percent number.  And that\u2019s why so many people weren\u2019t reaching it or hitting it.  It was just sort of like this amorphous number out there.  Now it\u2019s a commitment, a real commitment.<\/p>\n<p>I think he\u2019s going to see that there\u2019s great unity, great spirit, great esprit de corps.  And I think we\u2019re going to have a good meeting.  Regardless of that, I think we\u2019re going to have a good meeting.<\/p>\n<p>But this was a fantastic two days.  This was a really fantastic \u2014 it all came together at the end.  And, yes, it was a little tough for a little while, but ultimately \u2014 you can ask anybody at that meeting \u2014 they\u2019re really liking what happened over the last two days.  There\u2019s a great, great spirit leaving that room.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, sir.  Go ahead.  Please.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Yeah.  Jonathan Beale from BBC.  I just wonder \u2014 you think you\u2019re going to get along with President Putin at that meeting.  Could you just tell us, why do you think that?  Is there something you admire about him?<\/p>\n<p>And the second question, because you\u2019re just about to go to the UK, sir \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, he\u2019s a competitor.  He\u2019s been very nice to me the times I\u2019ve met him.  I\u2019ve been nice to him.  He\u2019s a competitor.  You know, somebody was saying, \u201cIs he an enemy?\u201d  No, he\u2019s not my enemy.  \u201cIs he a friend?\u201d  No, I don\u2019t know him well enough.  But the couple of times that I\u2019ve gotten to meet him, we got along very well.  You saw that.<\/p>\n<p>I hope we get along well.  I think we get along well.  But ultimately, he\u2019s a competitor.  He\u2019s representing Russia.  I\u2019m representing the United States.  So in a sense, we\u2019re competitors.  Not a question of friend or enemy.  He\u2019s not my enemy.  And hopefully, someday, maybe he\u2019ll be a friend.  It could happen.  But I \u2014 I just don\u2019t know him very well.  I\u2019ve met him a couple of times.  And when I did meet him, most of you people were there.<\/p>\n<p>Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Q    And Brexit \u2014 sorry, sir, because you are going to the UK.  What will be your message on Brexit?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, Brexit is a \u2014 you know, I\u2019ve been reading a lot about Brexit over the last couple of days, and it seems to be turning a little bit differently where they\u2019re getting at least partially involved back with the European Union.<\/p>\n<p>I have no message.  It\u2019s not for me to say.  I own a lot of property there.  I\u2019m going to Scotland while I wait for the meeting.  I have Turnberry in Scotland, which is a magical place \u2014 one of my favorite places.  I\u2019m going there for two days while I wait for the Monday meeting.<\/p>\n<p>But it\u2019s not for me to say what they should be doing in the UK.  I have great friendships.  My mother was born in Scotland.  I have great friendships over there.  We have a wonderful ambassador \u2014 Woody Johnson.  And he\u2019s doing \u2014 by the way, Woody is doing a great job.<\/p>\n<p>But it\u2019s not for me to say.  I\u2019d like to see him be able to work it so it could go quickly, whatever they work out.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Hard Brexit?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Is it heartbreaking?<\/p>\n<p>Q    Hard Brexit.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Oh, hard Brexit.  I see.  (Laughter.)  I thought you said it was heartbreaking.  I said, that might be going a little bit too far, right?  (Laughter.)  Heartbreak.  Is it heartbreaking?  A lot of things are heartbreaking.<\/p>\n<p>No, I would say that Brexit is Brexit.  It\u2019s not like \u2014 I guess we\u2019ll use the term \u201chard Brexit.\u201d  I assume that\u2019s what you mean.  The people voted to break it up, so I would imagine that\u2019s what they\u2019ll do.  But maybe they\u2019re taking a little bit of a different route.  So I don\u2019t know if that\u2019s what they voted for.  I just want the people to be happy.  They\u2019re great people.  And I do think I have \u2014 I\u2019m sure there will be protests, because there are always protests.  But I think \u2014 there were protests the night of the election, both ways.  But in the end, we got 206 electoral \u2014 306 electoral votes.  And one state said \u2014 you know, it was interesting, one of the states we won, Wisconsin \u2014 I didn\u2019t even realize this until fairly recently \u2014 that was the one state Ronald Reagan didn\u2019t win when he ran the board his second time.  He didn\u2019t win Wisconsin, and we won Wisconsin.  So, you know, we had a great night.<\/p>\n<p>Protests?  There might be protests.  But I believe that the people in the UK \u2014 Scotland, Ireland.  As you know, I have property in Ireland; I have property all over.  I think that those people, they like me a lot, and they agree with me on immigration.  And I think that\u2019s why you have Brexit in the first place, because of immigration.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, ma\u2019am.  Yeah, go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q    (Inaudible) from Finland.  What would be the best deal with Putin when you come to Helsinki?  And don\u2019t you think that your hard diplomacy \u2014 that you are playing to the same goal that Putin, with your hard diplomacy towards EU and NATO?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I can\u2019t tell you what would be the ultimate.  What would be the ultimate?  Well, let\u2019s see: No more nuclear weapons anywhere in the world would be the ultimate, okay?  No more wars, no more problems, no more conflict.  Let\u2019s find a cure to every disease known to mankind, or womankind.  That would be my ultimate, okay?  And we\u2019ll start from there.<\/p>\n<p>Okay.  Yeah, go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q    (Inaudible) from Afghan Service and BBC World Service.  So I would like to ask you, Mr. President, that Afghan President is going to be here \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  He\u2019s here right now.  He\u2019s here right now.<\/p>\n<p>Q    No, is here.  And are you going to meet him?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Q    And what have you got to say to him?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Ghani.<\/p>\n<p>Q    And when the war is going to end in Afghanistan?  Because people are fed up now and they want to know.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  I agree with that.  I very much agree.  It\u2019s been going on for a long time.  We\u2019ve made a lot of progress, but it\u2019s been going on for a long time.  We\u2019ve made a lot of progress in Afghanistan, I will say.  Yes, your President is here right now.  In fact, he\u2019s in the room.  When I\u2019m finished with this, I\u2019m going right back into that room.<\/p>\n<p>Q    One question, please.  Please.  Georgia Public Broadcasting.  Mr. President, can you tell us what do you think about future membership of Georgia in NATO, please?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, at a certain point they\u2019ll have a chance.  Not right now.  They just left the room.  But at a certain point, they\u2019ll have a chance.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, sir.  Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q    (Inaudible) reporter for Kurdistan 24.  Are you going to continue to support the Kurdish forces, Peshmerga, in Iraq?  Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  I think the Kurds are great people.  They\u2019re incredible fighters.  They\u2019re wonderful, warm, intelligent \u2014 allies, in many cases.  As you know, it\u2019s different groups of people.  But they\u2019re great people.  I really do \u2014 I believe they\u2019re great people.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, go ahead, please.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Mr. President, (inaudible) working with ARD German TV.  You said Putin isn\u2019t an enemy, isn\u2019t a friend; he\u2019s just a competitor.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  He\u2019s a competitor.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Do you consider him as a security threat for Europe or to the U.S.?  Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Hey, I don\u2019t want him to be.  And that\u2019s, I guess, why we have NATO, and that\u2019s why we have a United States that just had the largest military budget ever \u2014 $700 billion approved; $716 billion next year.<\/p>\n<p>No, I hope that we\u2019ll be able to get along.  I\u2019ve said from day one, whether it\u2019s China or Russia \u2014 you know, we\u2019re working on trade with China right now, and I don\u2019t say that\u2019s an easy situation, because that\u2019s been years of abuse of the United States by presidents, frankly, that allowed that to happen.  So I\u2019ve taken over a lot of bad hands, and I\u2019m fixing each one of them and I\u2019m fixing them well.<\/p>\n<p>But China is going to be, I think, very successfully, ultimately, taken care of.  I have a great respect for their President, as you know \u2014 President Xi.  I spent two days there.  It was among the most magical two days I\u2019ve ever lived.  And I think we\u2019re going to end up doing something very good with China.  Right now, we\u2019re in a pretty nasty trade battle, but I think ultimately that will work out.  I really think we have a big advantage.<\/p>\n<p>You know, we\u2019ve picked up $8 trillion in value, in worth, since I became President.  And we\u2019re close to two times the size of China.  A lot of people don\u2019t know that.  And, you know, we\u2019re going to negotiate a fair deal, if that\u2019s possible.<\/p>\n<p>Okay.  And Russia \u2014 I think getting along with Russia also would be a very good thing.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Jamal Mousavi from BCC Persian TV.  We have seen escalation of tension between you and the Iranians.  What is your exit plan, Mr. President?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  I would say there might be an escalation between us and the Iranians.  I agree with that.<\/p>\n<p>Q    But they are threatening to \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  By the way, they\u2019re treating us with much more respect right now than they did in the past.  And I think \u2014 I know they\u2019re having a lot of problems and their economy is collapsing.  But I will tell you this: At a certain point, they\u2019re going to call me and they\u2019re going to say, \u201cLet\u2019s make a deal,\u201d and we\u2019ll make a deal.  But they are \u2014 they\u2019re feeling a lot of pain right now.<\/p>\n<p>Yes.  Go ahead.  Go ahead.  Go ahead.  Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Mr. President, do we expect the rise of the Russian influence in Macedonia following the starting of the negotiation process, like we\u2019ve seen in Montenegro with alleged coup?  And what will NATO and United States do to counter that Russian influence in the Western Balkans?  Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  We never talk about our future plans.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, go ahead, ma\u2019am.  Go ahead.  Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Thank you very much, Mr. President.  Thank you very much.  My name is Alla Shali from Rudaw TV from Kurdistan Iraq.  My question is about the government of Iraq.  You know, after two months election, the government in Iraq has not been formed.  What\u2019s the role from USA?  And you want to talk about Syria with President Putin.  Can I have any information about Quds in Syria?  Thank you very much.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  So I hope we get along well with Iraq.  We\u2019ve certainly spent a great fortune in Iraq.  And many, many lives \u2014 thousands and hundreds of thousands of lives, if you think on both sides, which I always think about both sides, not just our side.  And they had an election, and I hope we\u2019re going to be able to get along, and we\u2019ll see how that goes.  We\u2019ve already been talking to the people that won the election.  I was not in favor of that war.  I was very much against that war.  I never thought it was a good thing.  But that\u2019s another deck of cards that I inherited, and we\u2019ll do the best we can with it.<\/p>\n<p>I think the election was pretty conclusive.  And again, we\u2019ve spoken to them.  We\u2019ll see what happens.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, sir.  Go ahead.  Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q    I\u2019m Asea Atrouz (ph) from Assabah Newspaper in Tunisia.  I come from a very far country, a small country in Northern Africa, Tunisia.  My question, Mr. President \u2014 we really admire what you are doing in North Africa and we really wish and hope that something again will be done in the Middle East to avoid (inaudible) more wars and more blood and more killings in the Middle East, with a just peace process that gives everyone its (inaudible).<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  We\u2019re looking for peace.  And Africa, as you know, is on our very strong list.  But we\u2019re looking for peace.  We want peace all over.  We want to solve problems.  We\u2019re looking for peace.  Africa, right now, has got problems like few people would even understand.  They have things going on there that nobody could believe in this room.  If you saw some of the things that I see through intelligence, what\u2019s going on in Africa, it is so sad and so vicious and violent.  And we want peace.  We want peace for Africa.  We want peace all over the world.  That\u2019s my number-one goal: peace all over the world.<\/p>\n<p>And we\u2019re building up a tremendous military, because I really believe, through strength, you get peace.  But we\u2019re going to have a military like we\u2019ve never had before.  We\u2019ve given out orders for the best fighter jets in the world, the best ships, the best everything.<\/p>\n<p>But hopefully we\u2019ll never have to use them.  That would be a dream.  To buy the best stuff, to have the best stuff, to have the best equipment in the world, and to never have to use it would be a really great part of my dream.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you very much, everybody.  Thank you.  I\u2019m going to be going \u2014 leaving in about a half an hour.  Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>END<\/p>\n<p>12:56 P.M. CEST<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Brussels, Belgium&#8230;THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you very much, everybody. Appreciate it. We\u2019ve had a very amaday period in Brussels. And we really accomplished a lot, with respect to NATO. For years, Presidents have been coming to these meetings and talked about the expense \u2014 the tremendous expense for the United States. 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