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NewsTranscript
00:00:00Thank you for this.
00:00:38Hi.
00:00:39Good afternoon, everybody.
00:00:40Good afternoon.
00:00:41All right.
00:00:42I do have a couple things at the top.
00:00:43Before I get to it.
00:00:44Today, the Biden Harris administration announced the next major step to cancel student debt
00:00:50for approximately 30 million Americans when combined with the administration's prior actions,
00:00:56providing them with information about how they can stand to benefit from upcoming debt
00:01:01relief programs.
00:01:02In April, the President announced his administration's new plan to deliver relief to millions of
00:01:08Americans, including those whose balances have grown due to runaway interest and those
00:01:14who have been repaying their loans for a very long time.
00:01:18This is in addition to the nearly 5 million Americans who have already received relief,
00:01:23despite attempts by Republican elected officials to block our efforts, this administration
00:01:28is committed to fixing our broken student loan system and giving Americans a little
00:01:33bit more breathing room.
00:01:35Next, I want to highlight our new announcement to address the overdose epidemic and save
00:01:40lives.
00:01:42Since day one, the administration, President Biden, Vice President Harris have prioritized
00:01:46action to combat the scourge of illicit fentanyl and beat this crisis, leading to the first
00:01:52decline in overdose deaths in five years.
00:01:55These actions include stopping more illicit fentanyl at ports of entry in the last two
00:02:02years than in the last five years combined, sanctioning over 300 persons and entities
00:02:08engaged in the illicit drug trade, making naloxone a life-saving opioid overdose reversal
00:02:16medication widely available over the counter, and mobilizing global leaders to join the
00:02:23fight against this global epidemic.
00:02:25Today, the Biden-Harris administration is announcing two new initiatives to build on
00:02:29these ongoing efforts, including a new national security memorandum directing every federal
00:02:35agency and department to do even more to stop the flow of narcotics into the United States,
00:02:42and a call on Congress to pass legislation that would close key loopholes drug traffickers
00:02:47exploit, increase penalties on drug traffickers, and more.
00:02:54We also continue to call on Congress to pass the bipartisan border security agreement,
00:03:00which would deliver funding for thousands more border agents and 100 more high-tech
00:03:05drug detention machines.
00:03:08National Republicans must stop putting partisan politics over American safety and national
00:03:13security.
00:03:14Today, as you can see, we have two guests joining us to speak on both domestic news
00:03:20and foreign developments.
00:03:22First up, we're joined by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to discuss new actions the administration
00:03:29is taking to address the effects of discrimination in farming and ranching, thanks to the President's
00:03:36Inflation Reduction Act.
00:03:38This historic action delivers on a promise the President made to help farmers and ranchers
00:03:44who were unable to access federal resources due to discrimination in farm loan programs.
00:03:51Farmers and ranchers work around the clock to put food on our tables and steward our
00:03:56nation's land.
00:03:57So it is critical we do everything we can to support them, especially when they suffer
00:04:03the injustice of discrimination.
00:04:05President Biden will continue to ensure that all Americans, all American farmers specifically
00:04:10and ranchers, have the tools and resources they need to be successful.
00:04:14And with that, Secretary Vilsack, the podium is yours.
00:04:20Corinne, thanks very much.
00:04:22As I briefed the President today, the Department of Agriculture has just completed an important
00:04:26step in advancing a key commitment that the President made.
00:04:29We're able to announce today, thanks to Section 2207 of the Inflation Reduction Act
00:04:36that more than 43,000 individuals in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico,
00:04:41the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa are receiving direct financial assistance in response
00:04:47to discrimination that they reported to have experienced at USDA farm lending programs
00:04:52prior to 2021.
00:04:55This action advances a key priority of President Biden and Vice President Harris.
00:04:59They laid out an executive order signed on day one to advance racial equity and to support
00:05:05for underserved communities through the federal government.
00:05:08Now this financial assistance is not compensation for anyone's loss or the pain endured,
00:05:13but it is an acknowledgement by the Department.
00:05:16Our hope is, and the President's hope is, that this financial assistance will help many
00:05:20farmers stay on the farm, contribute to our nation's food supply, and continue to do what
00:05:25they love.
00:05:26The culmination of this program is an important marker in our effort to rebuild trust and
00:05:30to make USDA an equitable and accessible department that truly serves all of its customers.
00:05:37And it's the result of a lot of really hard work by many, many people deeply committed
00:05:42to that effort, and as well by 30 third-party organizations that directly administered this
00:05:48program.
00:05:49This announcement is significant.
00:05:51It represents USDA acknowledging and responding to reported past discrimination, such as racial,
00:05:58gender, or disability discrimination.
00:06:00I'm grateful to the individuals who took time to complete applications and in doing so relived
00:06:06their stories, which I know for many was not an easy task.
00:06:10Our priority has been getting the assistance out the door.
00:06:13The work will continue as we analyze the information provided, dig into details, and assess what
00:06:19it tells us about ways in which we can continue to break down barriers at USDA.
00:06:25We're committed to releasing additional information about these awards as our analysis continues.
00:06:31This is also a milestone in connection with our implementation of the Inflation Reduction
00:06:35Act, which has made historic investments across dozens of USDA programs to keep farmers farming,
00:06:42to invest in climate-smart agriculture, and we've worked hard in ways that reach historically
00:06:47underserved and new and beginning farmers.
00:06:51We're supporting the development of a clean and more affordable energy infrastructure,
00:06:55and we're improving the health of our country's forests and making them more resistant to
00:06:59wildfires.
00:07:00To date, we've obligated over $12 billion of that funding, which in many cases has reached
00:07:05the smallest, most rural, and often most under-resourced communities.
00:07:10What the Inflation Reduction Act has done in many cases is to give us the tools at USDA
00:07:15not just to help people, but to show to them that USDA is open for business.
00:07:21A lot of these changes have been informed by our work implementing another section of
00:07:25the Inflation Reduction Act, Section 2206, which allotted $3.1 billion for farmers in
00:07:32financial distress.
00:07:34Through the 2206 program, we've been able to work directly with over 43,000 farmers
00:07:40as well who had loans through USDA but who were struggling to repay them, providing them
00:07:45some relief.
00:07:47Under Section 2206, in two years we've distributed $2.4 billion to those nearly 43,000 farmers
00:07:54who were in financial distress.
00:07:57Because of that assistance, many of them have been given a second chance at farming and
00:08:00are now able to pass their farms down to the next generation.
00:08:03Our experience in implementing this section of the IRA has also informed many changes
00:08:08at the Farm Service Agency, where our farm loans are made.
00:08:12Changes at FSA under this administration have included, but not necessarily been limited
00:08:17to, diversifying the agency leadership and county committee membership, the ability to
00:08:22apply for farm loans and make loan payments online, which is new this year, a streamlined
00:08:27and shortened paperwork requirement, and new processes that have reduced the need for human
00:08:32discretion in loan decision making.
00:08:34While the discrimination payments of nearly $2 billion today are a look at the past, what
00:08:41all of this broader work boils down to is learning from that past so we can create a
00:08:45better future, one where everyone who wants to participate in farming and agriculture
00:08:50has a fair shot of doing so and continuing to do so, and that all of America's communities,
00:08:56regardless of how rural or remote they may be, are getting the investments they need
00:09:00to thrive.
00:09:01We're truly working to live up to our moniker, the People's Department.
00:09:04And with that, I'd be glad to respond to questions if there are any.
00:09:07Hey, Secretary Vilsack, thanks for being here.
00:09:11About a month ago, the USGA released a sort of comment period on the assessment of climate-friendly
00:09:19policies.
00:09:20I realize that's not what you're here to talk about today, but it is about a month since
00:09:24it came out.
00:09:25And I want to ask you, you know, what the comments have been, but also looking at the
00:09:30possibility that, in fact, former President Trump could be reelected, and, you know, how
00:09:36do you secure the changes that you've been able to enact and avoid them from being reversed
00:09:43if a new administration came in?
00:09:46Let me answer the question generally, without going into specifics about the election, because,
00:09:51as I mentioned to Karina, I don't really want to get arrested for violating the Hatch Act
00:09:55today.
00:09:56What I would say is this.
00:09:59The reason we asked for these comments was we want to inform the Treasury Department's
00:10:02guidance on the development of a new and exciting industry that this administration
00:10:06is fostering, which is the sustainable aviation fuel industry.
00:10:10It is an industry that's twice the size of the current biofuel industry, and it opens
00:10:14up the opportunity for many, as many as a million new job opportunities in rural America.
00:10:18So we want to make sure that farmers and farming and ranching are able to fully participate
00:10:22in that process.
00:10:24So we asked for information about commodities and or practices that could potentially be
00:10:31established as having a positive climate smart benefit, because the Treasury Department,
00:10:38for purposes of 45Z, a tax credit that was established under the Inflation Reduction
00:10:42Act, has got to make guidance by the end of the year to provide the industry an awareness
00:10:48of how to qualify the sustainable aviation fuel that's going to be made in the future
00:10:52for that tax credit, which is extremely important, because it's what's going to make it cost
00:10:57effective to produce the fuel.
00:11:00So opportunities here for large new income sources for farmers, new products being produced
00:11:08in rural America, and continuing this administration's commitment to manufacturing in rural places.
00:11:14So that's why we asked for the information.
00:11:16And I think it's information that I hope the Treasury Department takes into consideration
00:11:21as it makes a very important decision.
00:11:23What's the timing for the 45Z clean tax focus?
00:11:26I think the goal is to try to get this done by the end of the year.
00:11:30Secretary Vilsack, you detailed many of the programs that USDA is administering under
00:11:35the Inflation Reduction Act, but I'm wondering how much funding the agency has remaining
00:11:41from that legislation, and whether you feel any pressure to send that or disperse it before
00:11:46November.
00:11:47There's not pressure.
00:11:50You want to make sure that you're investing those resources wisely.
00:11:54I will tell you, for example, we have yet to obligate all of the renewable energy resources.
00:11:59And the reason we have is because we are in the process of completing an evaluation of
00:12:04the applications for that funding.
00:12:07When you talk about the transition of rural electricity from fossil fuel-based transition
00:12:14and generation to more renewable sources, it's complicated.
00:12:18So it takes a while for us to basically analyze those contracts.
00:12:22I'm expecting that we will be able to make awards in that program by the end of the year,
00:12:27significant awards, and have a general sense of what awards will be made in 2025 and 2026.
00:12:34The Inflation Reduction Act was structured so that you would be making payments and investments
00:12:39over a period of time.
00:12:40The Forest Service, for example, was given resources to invest in forest restoration
00:12:45and hazardous fuel buildup removal over a period of years.
00:12:50And so we're on track.
00:12:51In fact, I'd say we were probably a little bit ahead of schedule in terms of our obligations
00:12:56under the Inflation Reduction Act.
00:12:57So I'm confident that we'll meet the goals that were set by Congress, probably exceed them,
00:13:03and in doing so create a lot of new opportunities out there in the countryside.
00:13:06Congress sought to rescind some of the unspent stimulus money during negotiations over other issues.
00:13:11And I'm wondering if you worry that there's a possibility that unspent IRA money could get rescinded.
00:13:17Well, that would be a serious mistake on the part of Congress to do this, because there
00:13:21is genuine interest.
00:13:22The level of applications we received under the IRA would suggest that there is interest
00:13:27above and beyond the amount of money that was provided by Congress.
00:13:31And in that circumstance, I think the message that's being sent by rural America is this
00:13:36is resources that we need, that we want, and we should preserve.
00:13:41Thank you for being here, Mr. Secretary.
00:13:42I think if I'm not mistaken, earlier this week, you and the USDA announced that there
00:13:46were going to be about 25 separate counties, at least ones in our area, Virginia, West
00:13:50Virginia, Maryland, that qualified as primary natural disaster areas due to drought conditions.
00:13:57Clearly, we've been keeping an eye on this in keeping with the conversation about climate
00:14:00change.
00:14:01Can you give us a better understanding of where you have seen this go and what the impact
00:14:05has been in terms of the American investment required to help sort of accommodate these
00:14:11communities and where it is going?
00:14:14Well, I can tell you that we have a number of programs, and if you're interested in knowing
00:14:18all of the programs that are impacted by drought or any other disaster, we have a tool on our
00:14:23website, Disaster at a Glance, which will tell you, based on the criteria, whether it's
00:14:27a tornado or a flood or whatever it might be, what programs are available.
00:14:32The fact that we have that document would suggest that we are aware of the fact that
00:14:36there's an ever-increasing number and intensity of these events, and they are in some cases
00:14:42horrific, and they are extraordinarily expensive because they impact not only the ability
00:14:48to make a living for farmers, ranchers, and producers, and forested landowners, but it
00:14:53also results in devastations of homes and businesses.
00:14:57We're now seeing floods that are supposed to be hundred-year floods occurring every
00:15:00six months.
00:15:02We're seeing droughts that are supposed to last for a year lasting for multiple years,
00:15:06in fact, over a decade.
00:15:08We're seeing tornadoes that are just incredibly powerful.
00:15:13I didn't know what a derecho was until a couple of years ago, so the very fact that we have
00:15:18things that I've never heard of in my life now coming up on a regular basis in the Midwest
00:15:23tells you that there's something going on here, which is why it's important for this
00:15:27administration and for future administrations to continue to invest in climate-smart practices.
00:15:32Frankly, it isn't just about dealing with the climate issue, it's about creating a whole
00:15:37new American economy that creates new job opportunities and, as the President likes
00:15:42to talk about, rebuilding that middle class.
00:15:44Because when you do climate-smart practices, you are essentially creating supply chains,
00:15:48you're creating new industries, you're creating new and innovative ways to do things, all
00:15:53of which is going to require people that work with their head and their hands.
00:15:56So whether you're concerned about climate or whether you want to build an American economy
00:16:00that's stronger, you've got to continue to invest in these practices.
00:16:06I think, fortunately, we have the tools through the Inflation Reduction Act and the infrastructure
00:16:09law and the American Rescue Plan to do a lot of that work right now.
00:16:12All right, thank you so much, Mr. Secretary.
00:16:14Thank you for your time.
00:16:15You bet, Secretary.
00:16:16All right, and now I'm going to turn it over to Admiral John Kirby to talk about the Middle
00:16:22East developments that we've seen over the last 24 hours or so.
00:16:27Everybody, just a quick note on Venezuela, too, before we can get into any of that.
00:16:34I want to note that our patience and that of the international community is running
00:16:41out.
00:16:42It's running out on waiting for the Venezuelan electoral authorities to come clean and release
00:16:48the full detailed data on this election so that everyone can see the results.
00:16:53You may have seen the Carter Center, an independent observer, just earlier this morning released
00:16:57a report stating that, quote, Venezuela's 2024 presidential election did not meet international
00:17:04standards of electoral integrity and cannot be considered democratic.
00:17:08They concluded that the, quote, electoral authority's failure to announce disaggregated
00:17:13results by polling station constitutes a serious breach of electoral principles.
00:17:18We share those concerns.
00:17:19As a matter of fact, this afternoon, the Organization of American States Permanent Council is going
00:17:24to hold a meeting to address the results of the electoral process in Venezuela.
00:17:27I'm not going to get ahead of that meeting, of course.
00:17:29I would simply reiterate that the United States joins other democracies in the region
00:17:34and actually around the world in expressing serious concerns about these subversions of
00:17:39democratic norms.
00:17:40Now, as you all know, the Venezuelan people have taken to the streets to demand that their
00:17:44votes be counted.
00:17:45You can't very well blame them for that.
00:17:47We have serious concerns about the reports of casualties, violence, and arrests, including
00:17:51the arrest warrants that Maduro and his representatives issued today for opposition leaders.
00:17:56We condemn political violence and repression of any kind, and our hearts, of course, go
00:18:00out to all the families that have lost a loved one or are facing injuries they've got to
00:18:04try to recover from.
00:18:06Alongside the international community, we're watching, and we're going to respond accordingly.
00:18:10Now, as Karine alluded to, I know that you're all interested a whole heck of a lot in events
00:18:17that occurred in the last 24, 48 hours in Iran and Lebanon.
00:18:21I want to manage expectations here and let you know that there's going to be a significant
00:18:27limit as to the operational detail or anything else that I can talk about today.
00:18:32So I just – as that is precursor, I just want to let you know I'm happy to take the
00:18:39questions.
00:18:40I don't know that you're going to like all the answers.
00:18:41Well, with those – with our expectations tempered, can you talk about whether the United
00:18:42States had any previous knowledge of the assassination beforehand?
00:18:43No.
00:18:44Again, I'm not in a position to – I just want to – no.
00:18:57No, you can't say that we had knowledge.
00:18:58Or no, we had no knowledge.
00:18:59Well, you throw your voice pretty well all the way to the back of the room.
00:19:02You just need a puppet.
00:19:04Let me just clarify here.
00:19:07I am not in a position to confirm the reports coming out of Tehran.
00:19:14I've seen the statement that Hamas put out.
00:19:17I can't confirm or verify.
00:19:18We have no independent confirmation.
00:19:21But I can state that I also have no conversations around that reporting that I can speak to
00:19:32today.
00:19:33And can you talk about the White House's view on an impact on a potential ceasefire and
00:19:40how much this complicates and delays the prospect of one?
00:19:44It's always been a complicated process.
00:19:46I mean, my goodness, how many times have we talked about it in the last few months and
00:19:50even in just the last few weeks?
00:19:52I think it's too soon to know what any of these reported events could mean for the ceasefire
00:19:59deal.
00:20:01But if I could add two points, one is that doesn't mean we're going to stop working on
00:20:04it.
00:20:05In fact, we have a team in the region right now as we speak to try to continue to work
00:20:09with our counterparts to move this forward because it's that important.
00:20:14And number two, as I kind of alluded to earlier, it's always been complicated work.
00:20:17And it's not like the complications with every passing day get easier.
00:20:23And that includes today.
00:20:24Our job since the beginning of this conflict, in addition to making sure Israel has what
00:20:29it needs to defend itself, in addition to making sure the people of Gaza aren't suffering
00:20:32more than they already are, is to manage risk in the region.
00:20:37One of the things the President's been very focused on is trying to prevent escalation
00:20:40here.
00:20:41That work is complicated and difficult every day, and that includes today.
00:20:45Go ahead, Dan.
00:20:46Thanks, Karine.
00:20:47Thanks, Admiral.
00:20:48Admiral, earlier this week, you said that fears of an all-out war in the Middle East
00:20:51were exaggerated.
00:20:53Is that still your assessment, the White House's assessment of the situation following these
00:20:57latest strikes?
00:20:58Well, we don't believe that an escalation is inevitable, and there's no signs that an
00:21:04escalation is imminent.
00:21:06But I also said that we watch it very, very closely.
00:21:09I also said just – and said again today that this is something that we've been concerned
00:21:13about since the 7th of October.
00:21:14It's not like we're brushing off concerns at all.
00:21:17We're watching this very, very closely, and it's been a chief concern of the President.
00:21:21And will the White House be urging restraint from Israel following this?
00:21:24I'm not going to talk about our diplomatic discussions with our Israeli counterparts.
00:21:29We have been working hard to keep this war from escalating, just as we've been working
00:21:34very hard and are today to make sure Israel has what it needs to defend itself.
00:21:38Thanks.
00:21:39Thanks.
00:21:40Can you tell us, was the President briefed on this last night as the reports started
00:21:43coming out, and how he's been informed about this throughout the day?
00:21:47The President was briefed on reports coming out of the Middle East.
00:21:51He routinely –
00:21:53I'm not going to get into the specific timing or the parameters of it, but he has been kept
00:21:57fully informed, as you would expect that he would be from the national security team.
00:22:00And that means on a continuous basis as well.
00:22:02Egypt's foreign minister said in a statement that the assassinations undermine the strenuous
00:22:07efforts made by Egypt and its partners to stop the war in the Gaza Strip.
00:22:10You had just said in an earlier answer that it doesn't mean that the United States would
00:22:15stop working toward a ceasefire deal.
00:22:17But can you talk about the concerns about the negotiators continuing that work and what
00:22:22this means about that going forward?
00:22:24I would just tell you, as we're standing here today, they're still at that work.
00:22:27And we've got a team in the region, and we're going to keep the shoulders to the
00:22:30wheel.
00:22:31It's that important.
00:22:32And we still believe the gaps are narrow enough to be closed.
00:22:34We still believe the details can be hashed out.
00:22:37It's too soon to know, based on the reporting over the last 24 or 48 hours, what impact
00:22:41any of this is going to have on the ceasefire deal.
00:22:43It was always complicated.
00:22:45It remains complicated.
00:22:48And reports coming out of the region, as we've seen again over the last 24 or 48 hours,
00:22:53certainly don't make it less complicated.
00:22:54Has there been contact with Egypt and Qatar to reassure them to stay in these conversations
00:23:00right now?
00:23:01I would just say that we have and maintain routine communications with our counterparts
00:23:06in Egypt and in Qatar and with Israel.
00:23:08Those communications are ongoing.
00:23:09Okay.
00:23:10Just to be clear about that, has the U.S. reached out or had contact either directly
00:23:15or indirectly with Iran since the occurrence in Iran?
00:23:19I have no diplomatic conversations to speak to, certainly none of that type.
00:23:23So just to be clear, there have not been with them or with any of their – any intermediaries,
00:23:30or you can't tell us if there have or haven't been?
00:23:31I have no conversations to speak to.
00:23:35Okay.
00:23:36Fundamentally, is an Iranian response here inevitable?
00:23:39Look, you've seen the comments by the Supreme Leader and what he said publicly.
00:23:43It's out there for everybody to see.
00:23:45I'll certainly not speculate about whether and to what degree Iran does anything.
00:23:56What I can tell you is we have and will maintain a level of readiness to preserve our national
00:24:03security interest in the region.
00:24:04It's not like we take a blind eye to what Iran is capable of doing and has shown their
00:24:08capability of doing in the region.
00:24:09It's not like we've demonstrated an unwillingness to defend Israel from threats in the region,
00:24:17including from Iran, if that happens.
00:24:19And we maintain that capability and that readiness to do so now.
00:24:22I would also say, lastly, Peter, what I said earlier, we don't want to see an escalation.
00:24:28And everything we've been doing since the 7th of October, we've been trying to manage
00:24:31that risk.
00:24:32Those risks go up and down every day.
00:24:35They are certainly up right now.
00:24:36They don't make the task of de-escalation, deterrence, and dissuasion, which is the goal,
00:24:42any less complicated.
00:24:43So to be clear, does the U.S. think this action was escalatory, provocative, justified?
00:24:48As I said earlier, I'm not in a position to verify the accounts.
00:24:51Okay, Paris.
00:24:52Thank you, Kerry.
00:24:53John, I have two questions on Middle East and then on Russia and Ukraine.
00:24:59First on the Middle East, besides of Egypt, we see Qatar, China, and Russia all contend
00:25:05the killing, saying the killing would jeopardize the ceasefire talks.
00:25:09What is the U.S. response to those countries' reaction to this?
00:25:12And also, is the United States worrying China is spending its influence in the Middle East
00:25:18and may not be using its influence for the purpose that U.S. and allies believe to be
00:25:22positive?
00:25:23On the first thing, I believe I've already kind of addressed this.
00:25:26I'm not in a position to verify the reporting, certainly the statement by Hamas.
00:25:31I'm just not going to do that.
00:25:33On China, we've said many times we would welcome any credible role by China or any other nation,
00:25:40whether they're in the region or not, that want to help get involved and de-escalate
00:25:45the tensions and help us bring this war to a close and make sure that Israel's security
00:25:49is guaranteed going forward.
00:25:51Any other nation's contributions that can be done in a credible, transparent, and sustainable
00:25:55way would be welcome.
00:25:56We've simply not seen that coming out of the PRC.
00:25:57And on Russia and Ukraine, does the United States know the whereabouts of Paul Whelan?
00:26:03And can you confirm the report that the first delivery of F-16 jets in Ukraine?
00:26:08Look, on your first one, all I'll say is that we have been consistently, since the beginning
00:26:16of this administration, working hard to bring home Americans that are wrongfully detained
00:26:21overseas.
00:26:22And the attention that the President has paid personally to the cases of Paul Whelan and
00:26:27to Evan Gershkovich from The Wall Street Journal is very, very high, as is the whole team.
00:26:32And we continue to work at that very, very diligently.
00:26:37On the second question, you'd have to talk to the Ukrainians.
00:26:39I'm certainly not going to talk about weapons capabilities.
00:26:41I will only add that – to remind, as we have said and said at the NATO summit, that
00:26:47the process of providing F-16s to Ukraine continues to move forward.
00:26:52We've said that they will be operational by the end of the summer.
00:26:54We have no reason to doubt that.
00:26:56Thank you so much, Karine.
00:26:58Hi, John.
00:26:59On Venezuela, two questions.
00:27:01One about the call with President Lula yesterday.
00:27:05Did President Biden ask anything specific from the Brazilian President, any kind of
00:27:10help to moderate the situation in Venezuela?
00:27:13The President was grateful for the time with President Lula.
00:27:16They obviously talked about the electoral results in Venezuela and our concerns about
00:27:21where that's leading to.
00:27:23I won't go beyond the readout, though, in terms of specific asks.
00:27:26The President was grateful for President Lula's time.
00:27:29And another one, because as you were saying, the United States and other countries, like
00:27:33Brazil, are asking for the full release of the voting count.
00:27:37But three days later, as you were saying, the patient's running out.
00:27:40There is no indication that Maduro will release – give in to this international pressure
00:27:45and release the data.
00:27:47On the opposite, as you were saying, there is violence now.
00:27:49They're persecuting people, protesting against the results.
00:27:53So does the U.S. still believe that Maduro can be convinced to release this data?
00:28:00And how long is the U.S. willing to wait?
00:28:03What is the strategy?
00:28:04They need to release it.
00:28:05We've been calling for it.
00:28:06As I said, our patience is running out.
00:28:09Those electoral authorities, which obviously work for Mr. Maduro, they need to release
00:28:13the data, the tabulated data, so the world can see exactly what happened here.
00:28:18And we're going to continue to call for that.
00:28:20And as for consequences, I won't get ahead of policy decisions that haven't been made
00:28:24yet.
00:28:25Okay.
00:28:26Does the White House recognize that Edmund Gonzalez won the election?
00:28:29Again, we want to see the full tabulated data from the polling places.
00:28:33We want to see something that can be verifiable and can convince not only the United States
00:28:39but the international community about what the results actually were.
00:28:41Okay.
00:28:43Yes, in the back.
00:28:44Hi.
00:28:45Hi, John.
00:28:46Two of Al-Jazeera journalists were killed today in Gaza, Ismail Al-Ghul and his cameraman
00:28:49Rami Al-Rifi, in an Israeli airstrike.
00:28:53It was obvious they were journalists.
00:28:56Everything was clear that they were journalists and were targeted.
00:28:58Are you condemning this?
00:29:00And do you have any other reaction regarding the killing of journalists that's continuing
00:29:05since October 7th?
00:29:06I don't have any specifics about this particular strike to speak to, so it's difficult for
00:29:11me to get into any detailed discussion of it.
00:29:14We obviously continue to not only recognize and honor the service that journalists do
00:29:20around the world, particularly in places like Gaza, which is very dangerous, it's a combat
00:29:24zone.
00:29:25We know that that takes a special kind of bravery for a journalist to go on the ground
00:29:30in a place like that.
00:29:31And we want to make sure, as I think Karine has mentioned herself in just the last day
00:29:35or so, that press freedoms are observed and recognized and respected and that reporters
00:29:40are allowed to do their job, and that includes covering the war in Gaza.
00:29:43But I just don't have any detail on this particular strike to be able to characterize it one way
00:29:48or the other.
00:29:49Obviously, our hearts go out to the families and all those who are touched and affected
00:29:53by this terrible loss.
00:29:55John, I know we've talked about what you've said before about the temperature going down,
00:30:04but Secretary Austin also spoke about this and said that the sense was that the temperature
00:30:09was going down in the Middle East.
00:30:11So can you say to what extent this was a surprise?
00:30:16This doesn't help – these reports over the last 24, 48 hours certainly don't help with
00:30:24the temperature going down.
00:30:25I'm not going to be Pollyannish about it.
00:30:27We're obviously concerned about escalation.
00:30:29And again, without confirming the reports over the last 24 in terms of Tehran, certainly
00:30:34the IDF has already spoken to operations that they've conducted elsewhere.
00:30:38All of this adds to the complicated nature of what we're trying to get done.
00:30:42And what we're trying to get done is a ceasefire deal that can get you six weeks in phase one,
00:30:47get a lot of hostages, the most at risk, out of there and home with their families, and
00:30:52get some more humanitarian assistance in there.
00:30:54I know I keep coming back to that, but it's important that we do keep coming back to that
00:30:58because that's what we're really trying to drive at.
00:31:00And if we can get to phase one, by God, we can maybe get to phase two.
00:31:03And if you can get to phase two, maybe you can get a cessation of hostilities.
00:31:07When you have events, dramatic events, violent events caused by whatever actors, it certainly
00:31:13doesn't make the task of achieving that outcome any easier.
00:31:16But, you know, who is Israel supposed to negotiate with if the leader of Hamas is dead?
00:31:24Again, I can't confirm the reports coming out of Tehran or Hamas's statements.
00:31:30We still believe there's a viable process.
00:31:33We still believe there's interested counterparts.
00:31:36And we still believe that there are meetings and discussions to be had.
00:31:40We wouldn't have a team over there right now if we didn't believe that it was possible
00:31:43to try to gather together and push this forward.
00:31:47Okay.
00:31:48Thanks very much.
00:31:50Follow-up on her question, what is the U.S. strategy for Venezuela if Maduro is to be
00:31:57considered a winner?
00:31:59Is the U.S. planning to impose more sanctions, or what is the plan?
00:32:03It's a terrific hypothetical question that I'm not going to answer.
00:32:05I would simply say that we'll reserve our rights and our abilities in terms of consequences
00:32:12one way or another based on what we see coming out of the electoral authorities in Venezuela.
00:32:17It's in their interest, too, to be fully transparent and credible about what happened
00:32:22on Sunday.
00:32:23So we'll see where this goes.
00:32:25If he's considered to be the winner, what is the U.S. planning to do?
00:32:30Let's see the results.
00:32:31Let's see the results.
00:32:32Good afternoon, everybody.
00:32:33I'm John.
00:32:35I have a question for you.
00:32:36You said there's a team in the region from the U.S.
00:32:39You've said there are interested counterparts to speak to.
00:32:44Who are they, and why would they show up to these talks, given that the guy who was heading
00:32:52the talks for Hamas is now dead?
00:32:54What reason do they have to poke their heads up above ground?
00:32:58And then I have a second one.
00:33:00As I also said, it's too soon to know what these reports are going to mean for the ceasefire
00:33:04deal.
00:33:05What we do know is we have a team in the region.
00:33:07What we do know is we want to keep having these conversations, and we believe they're
00:33:11still worth having.
00:33:12We also haven't seen any indications at 2.07 on Wednesday afternoon here, the 31st of July,
00:33:19that the process has been completely torpedoed and it ain't worth pursuing.
00:33:24So we're going to keep pursuing it.
00:33:26On the process being torpedoed completely or otherwise, my colleagues and I have spoken
00:33:32to family members of hostages who are still being held, and the view among many of them
00:33:39is that Netanyahu and his government do not want to deal, and Netanyahu in particular
00:33:45does not want to deal because if there is a deal and the war ends, his government collapses
00:33:51and he possibly continues on trial for corruption and goes to prison.
00:33:56Does the President still believe that the Prime Minister is acting in good faith here?
00:34:03Based on the constructive conversations that we had with the Prime Minister last week,
00:34:06we still believe that this is a worthy endeavor.
00:34:09We still believe that the gaps can be narrowed, the details can be fleshed out, and a deal
00:34:13can be had.
00:34:14Now again, it's too soon to know what these recent events over the last 24, 48 hours are
00:34:19going to do to the process.
00:34:20I don't want to sound overly sanguine here, but we still believe the deal on the table
00:34:26is worth pursuing and the hostages need to come home, and we're not going to stop trying
00:34:31to work on that.
00:34:32Those conversations, all of them took place before the events of the last few days.
00:34:40Is the President open to changing his view based on what has happened?
00:34:45I mean, I've never known President Biden to ever not be willing to look at things with
00:34:51a fresh set of eyes.
00:34:53And as I said earlier, it's just too soon to know with the reports coming out of the
00:34:58region what kind of impact there's going to be on the ceasefire deal.
00:35:01What I can tell you he hasn't changed his mind on is we got to – that we want to get
00:35:05the deal, that we want to pursue it, that the deal on the table is a good one, both
00:35:09sides ought to accept it, they ought to sit down in earnest and hash through these details
00:35:13that have to be fleshed out and close the gaps that we believe can be closed, and let's
00:35:18move forward.
00:35:19Let's get phase one in place.
00:35:20He hasn't changed his mind on that, not at all.
00:35:23Thank you so much, Admiral.
00:35:24Appreciate it.
00:35:25Okay.
00:35:26I just have one thing at the top.
00:35:31So I wanted to mention that the President and the First Lady and the entire administration
00:35:36are proudly cheering on Team USA.
00:35:39The women of USA Gymnastics brought home a gold medal with an unbelievable performance,
00:35:45and Simone Biles now has more Olympic medals than any U.S. gymnast in history.
00:35:50And the U.S. Men's Gymnastics team brought home their first medal in 16 years.
00:35:55But it's not just our gymnasts that are winning big.
00:35:59The U.S. swim team have scored gold in two contests, and the women's rugby team won
00:36:05their first ever Olympic medal with an incredible win.
00:36:09From tennis, soccer, and basketball, to fencing, track, and volleyball, our nation's athletes
00:36:15are making us all proud.
00:36:17Our athletes are, as the President said, the big reason so many of us believe we can
00:36:24do big things.
00:36:26And not to brag too much, but USA is also currently leading the Olympic Games with the
00:36:33most medals.
00:36:35As the First Lady said ahead of the opening ceremony, and I quote, our athletes carry
00:36:40more than just our flag.
00:36:42They carry our nation's heart and our hopes with them, too.
00:36:46So we wish the team, Team USA, all of them good luck as they continue to make us proud.
00:36:54We are especially excited to see the women's soccer team and the men's basketball team
00:36:59in action today.
00:37:00I'm wearing my Olympic Team USA gear, so go Team USA.
00:37:05We wanted to lift them up from the briefing room today.
00:37:09Hopefully you guys didn't mind.
00:37:10Go ahead, Simone.
00:37:11I know you typically don't discuss the lunches between the President and the Vice President,
00:37:16but since we're kind of in a unique time, do you have any sort of details or color or
00:37:20what the President planned to talk about with her?
00:37:22So again, I just want to be, and you're right, we are in a different time, and I get the
00:37:27question, always are very respectful of the President and the Vice President's private
00:37:32conversations, and obviously they do regularly meet.
00:37:37Whether it's for a lunch or meetings about national security, and they do that regularly,
00:37:42whether even White House events and just much more, they have stayed in touch regularly
00:37:48over the past couple of weeks, couple of days, couple of weeks, but they do that normally
00:37:53as well.
00:37:54So it's nothing new there.
00:37:55But I don't want to get into their private discussion.
00:37:59As you know, the President is incredibly proud of the Vice President and what she has been
00:38:03able to accomplish, their partnership together, and is going to continue to support her.
00:38:09And I know you've said that we would continue to see President Biden at work, on the job,
00:38:13but he's had a lot of things on his calendar just today that were all closed press.
00:38:17Some of them seemed like things we would have seen at least at the top of the meeting.
00:38:22So is that going to be the standard operating procedure going forward?
00:38:25No, it's not.
00:38:26You're going to, I can tell you right now, you can expect to see from him and hear him
00:38:29tomorrow, the President, or later this week, I should say, to be more specific, but tomorrow's
00:38:34already Thursday.
00:38:35But you'll hear from him later this week, I promise you that.
00:38:39Look, every event is, we assess it differently as it relates to press access.
00:38:47To Secretary Vilsack, we brought him to the podium because we wanted to make sure you
00:38:50heard directly from him on their conversation.
00:38:54They met obviously this morning to talk about this new announcement as it relates to the
00:38:58Inflation Reduction Act.
00:39:00And he's going to continue to get briefings all day.
00:39:03I talked about the fentanyl announcement, but it will not be the norm.
00:39:07It will not.
00:39:08You will hear from the President later this week.
00:39:10And he definitely wants to continue to have, to make sure you have access.
00:39:16He had a little bit of a press conference, if you will, at 115 in the morning the other
00:39:21day.
00:39:22And so he certainly wants to continue to take your questions and see all of you.
00:39:25And so that's not going to stop.
00:39:28So, I don't have anything to share at this time, but certainly we will, as you all know,
00:39:34when we lock things in, we certainly will share that.
00:39:37But you will see him.
00:39:38You will see and hear from him for sure later this week.
00:39:41And this is your first time in the front row.
00:39:42Hi.
00:39:43I appreciate it.
00:39:44Thanks for having me.
00:39:45You're welcome.
00:39:46Good to see you.
00:39:47Good to see you.
00:39:48Just staying on the Vice President, I know you guys talk about their meeting and whatnot,
00:39:51but in terms of medical records and fiscal, are we going to see a little bit of sunlight
00:39:57on the Vice President's health as we get closer to the election?
00:40:00So, I know there was a lot, we were getting some incoming on this, and I know there's
00:40:03a lot of interest.
00:40:04The Vice President's office asked that you refer those, we refer those questions to her
00:40:09office, and so they will be gladly able to take those questions from all of you.
00:40:13And just one other question I wanted to ask as well.
00:40:16The President had previously committed to talk to black journalists at NABJ.
00:40:19I don't know if you're attending or going to Chicago for NABJ.
00:40:23We've seen you there before.
00:40:25He's no longer a candidate, and there's some back and forth between the Harris campaign
00:40:30and NABJ, but does the President have a message for those black journalists there at the conference?
00:40:34So, April Ryan asked me a question about this yesterday, and look, when it comes to black
00:40:39journalists, we want to make sure, and obviously all Americans, including black journalists,
00:40:45that we have an opportunity, and obviously talking to black journalists is obviously
00:40:50talking to the community.
00:40:53And so it's important that we do interviews as we've normally done with black-owned publications,
00:40:59and we have done that from the President to the Vice President to myself to other senior
00:41:03members of his team, because we understand how important to have that kind of entry point
00:41:10into the community.
00:41:11And so that is something that we have been very proud of doing the past three and a half
00:41:14years, and we will certainly continue to do that.
00:41:17As it relates to NABJ, that was a campaign decision, so I would have to obviously refer
00:41:22you to the campaign.
00:41:24The President, as you know, is no longer a candidate, which is why he's not speaking
00:41:27this year.
00:41:28And so, as it relates to the Vice President as well, that is something for her office
00:41:32to speak to.
00:41:35But it is important for us to speak to, whether it's a radio host, a TV host, or a newspaper
00:41:42reporter, we do that on the regular, and it is something that we have been proud to do,
00:41:47because we believe that we have been able to deliver for the community, all communities,
00:41:52whether it's the economy, health care, issues that they really, truly care about.
00:41:56And so we're going to continue to do that, certainly, for the next six months.
00:42:00Great.
00:42:01Just following up on some of Ben's questions, could you sort of give us an idea of how much
00:42:08the President's schedule has changed since the ticket change?
00:42:11Because if you look at what we look at, the big event on Tuesday was a phone call, the
00:42:15big event today is a lunch, tomorrow we don't know what he's doing, Friday he heads to Delaware.
00:42:21It lends itself to the appearance that he's done governing.
00:42:24No, he's not done governing at all.
00:42:26I think that appearance would be false, it would be a misled appearance.
00:42:30I understand the question, but I will say, we were in Austin on Monday.
00:42:34We were obviously in Texas, we went to Austin, we went to Houston, he went to pay his respect
00:42:39to the late Congresswoman, he went to Austin to make a very important announcement as we
00:42:44went back and forth on this yesterday on SCOTUS reform, which is something that a majority
00:42:48of Americans want to see.
00:42:50We got back.
00:42:51We landed on Marine One on the South Lawn at 1 o'clock in the morning, took some questions,
00:42:57that was something that he wanted to do, took a couple of questions from press.
00:43:01We were out for about 12 hours.
00:43:03He continues to meet with his team today, and as I said, you will see him later this
00:43:09week, you will hear from him directly later this week.
00:43:12And I think, again, I'm going to throw Matt Visor here into the conversation, we are recalibrating.
00:43:18I mean, that is very true.
00:43:19I mean, there is a change in just him stepping down for re-election.
00:43:26He's still very much the president, and we're trying to figure out what the next six months
00:43:30are going to look like.
00:43:31But we are committed, the president is steadfast on continuing to build on the unprecedented
00:43:36record that he has had with the vice president over the last three and a half years.
00:43:40That doesn't change, but just give us a beat, and we certainly will be out there.
00:43:45The president does want to continue to speak directly to the American people.
00:43:50You will see him.
00:43:51Why haven't we heard from him, for instance, on the news unfolding in the Middle East?
00:43:55We heard from Secretary Blinken, we heard from Secretary Oskin, we heard from the vice
00:43:59president.
00:44:00It would be something that ordinarily we would expect to hear from him.
00:44:03Stay tuned.
00:44:04Stay tuned.
00:44:05I just said that you're going to hear from the president later this week.
00:44:06And look, I think when it comes to the Middle East, when it comes to foreign policy more
00:44:10broadly, this is a president that has a record to stand on when it relates to making sure
00:44:16we're putting the national security of the American people first.
00:44:19This is something that he's done, making sure that we re-engage with our allies and also
00:44:25our partners.
00:44:26We saw what happened in the LaPace administration.
00:44:28The president had to fix those relationships, and he did that in the last three and a half
00:44:32years.
00:44:33When you think about reinvigorating a NATO, you think about how the people of Ukraine
00:44:37has what it needs now to defend itself against Russia's aggression so they can fight for
00:44:42their democracy and freedom.
00:44:44This is a president that has a long list of foreign policy accomplishments that he's incredibly
00:44:50proud of.
00:44:51And when it comes to the Middle East, the president has been incredibly engaged, certainly
00:44:56from day one of what we have been seeing the developments there over the past just under
00:45:01a year.
00:45:03But he's going to continue to do that.
00:45:05You're going to continue to hear from him.
00:45:07That will not change.
00:45:08Go ahead, Andra.
00:45:09So on the potential comment from the president of the Middle East, can you say anything more
00:45:17about what the venue would be?
00:45:19And then I'm just going to – Well, I just said he will – you'll continue
00:45:21to hear from him, and I said you'll see him certainly later this week.
00:45:25That's what I can speak to.
00:45:26So next week, Vice President Harris is going to Detroit.
00:45:27The UAW has just endorsed her ahead of a rally that will be taking place in Detroit.
00:45:28The Administration began work on an Islamophobia strategy last year.
00:45:43Do you have any kind of an update for us on what's going on with that?
00:45:47Like, when are we seeing results?
00:45:49This – next week might be a good opportunity to sort of give an update on that, especially
00:45:55since Vice President Harris will be speaking then in a community where there are a lot
00:46:00of Muslims and a lot of people who have been very concerned, particularly about the House
00:46:05of Commons.
00:46:06Yeah.
00:46:07So that – I have to be careful on that because it's a campaign event, so I can't speak
00:46:09to what exactly she's going to be doing.
00:46:11You just mentioned the endorsement.
00:46:13So that's certainly for the campaign to speak to.
00:46:15But as you asked me about the strategy that we have put forward, look, the strategy that
00:46:21we've put forward on anti-Semitism, anti-Islamophobia is the first of its kind.
00:46:27We took – we are taking that incredibly seriously, and we wanted to put together an
00:46:32all-government effort to make sure that we are – to make sure that Americans here feel
00:46:40safe and to know that this Administration is taking – is certainly taking awareness
00:46:45and doing everything that we can from an all-government approach to deal with this, whether it's
00:46:50through the Department of Education, Homeland Security, and Department of Justice.
00:46:56This is an issue that is incredibly important, and we are going to condemn – continue to
00:47:03condemn any type of hatred against any community.
00:47:06That is something that we believe that is – there is no place in this nation for any
00:47:12type of violence.
00:47:14And so the President continues to be steadfast on this, continue to speak on this.
00:47:17I don't have an update on any of this at this time, but we have throughout the past
00:47:26year or so announced new actions.
00:47:28We'll certainly continue to do that.
00:47:30But as for today or even next week, I don't have anything specifically to point out to you.
00:47:35I just want to follow up on that.
00:47:37The President has met, obviously, with various people who are interested in this issue and
00:47:43the unfolding – I mean, just in violence in the Middle East.
00:47:48With the escalation that we've seen, with the concerns about an all-out war rising now,
00:47:53the risks that John just outlined, too, is the President intending to carry out any further
00:48:01outreach, or is the White House planning further outreach to affected communities?
00:48:07So we are in regular touch.
00:48:10We have – as you know, we have the White House Office of Public Engagement into Governmental
00:48:14Affairs here, and they are in regular touch with communities out there.
00:48:18And we understand that communities are fearful.
00:48:22They're feeling some pain here, and we get that.
00:48:24And that's why, as an administration, we're trying to address the rise of reported anti-Semitism,
00:48:31the rise of reported – and what we have seen – Islamophobic incidents.
00:48:36And we're talking about, sadly, at schools, right?
00:48:38We're talking about at college campuses and in communities.
00:48:41And so this is something that we take very seriously.
00:48:43As you know, not too long ago, we did make some new announcements on actions that we
00:48:48were taking here in the administration, and so we're going to continue to work towards
00:48:53that.
00:48:54And to your question, we are in regular touch with communities, hearing them out, hearing
00:48:59also how can we be helpful, anything that they want to share with us that would be helpful
00:49:05to us and how we continue to provide assistance and come up with actions that's going to
00:49:13be helpful to them.
00:49:15I mean, we've announced more than 100 new actions in the past year to deal with this
00:49:21type of hate, and so we're taking this very seriously, and it's an all-of-government
00:49:26approach here.
00:49:27Q Thank you, Karine.
00:49:28You said that with each event the President does, there's a discussion about whether
00:49:30to open it up to press and in what way.
00:49:31I'm just wondering if you could elaborate a little bit on the rationale behind not showing
00:49:36the President on two days where the Vice President now has public events of her own.
00:49:45Is there a desire to not have the President out there publicly while she's campaigning?
00:49:49A I mean, look, I'm not going to get into – I'm not going to get into the campaign
00:49:55specifics here.
00:49:57What I will say is that you will get to see the President later this week, and look, it's
00:50:04a case-by-case basis, and that's kind of how we've always moved forward with when
00:50:10we think about these different events that we do here.
00:50:14The President will be out later this week.
00:50:15You'll get to see him.
00:50:17He will speak directly to all of you and to the American people, obviously.
00:50:21I just don't have anything to share beyond that.
00:50:23But specifically, yesterday and today, the rationale for not having him appear publicly?
00:50:28I just don't have any specifics here.
00:50:30It is assessed by an array of people, not just by my office.
00:50:34We tried to figure out what's the appropriate way of giving briefings to the President.
00:50:40And so he and Secretary Vilsack, for example, had a one-on-one conversation.
00:50:46They wanted to check in.
00:50:47They wanted to talk about this particular piece of the Inflation Reduction Act and how
00:50:50it's going to certainly help communities, obviously black farmers in this regard.
00:50:58And so that was part of the conversation.
00:51:00But I just don't have anything else specifically.
00:51:03You will see the President later this week.
00:51:05You saw the President.
00:51:06He was out for 12 hours on Monday, spoke to all of you, took a couple of questions.
00:51:12And you'll certainly continue to see that.
00:51:14In that 1.15 a.m. discussion with Press Reince, he was asked about whether he would weigh
00:51:24in or have a discussion with the Vice President on her running mate, and he said, we'll talk.
00:51:29Is today that talk?
00:51:30Has it happened in the interim?
00:51:34I appreciate you all trying.
00:51:36I really do not have more to add to what the President said to your colleagues, as you
00:51:43said at 1.15 in the morning on, I guess, Tuesday morning.
00:51:47I just don't have anything else to add.
00:51:49That is, obviously, when it comes to that particular decision, that's something for
00:51:54her to make, and we trust that she will make that decision for what works for the American
00:52:00people.
00:52:01Go ahead, Michael.
00:52:02Yeah, thanks.
00:52:03Thanks, Karine.
00:52:04Oh, no.
00:52:05No, Joey.
00:52:06Joey.
00:52:07You've never called me Michael before.
00:52:08I know.
00:52:09I know.
00:52:10It's been a while.
00:52:11It's been a while.
00:52:12How has the President been so far on the strong initial enthusiasm that Democratic
00:52:16voters are showing for Kamala Harris's candidacy?
00:52:19She had a rally in Atlanta last night with over 10,000 people, raised more than $200
00:52:24million a week, has improved on polling in battleground states from where Biden was.
00:52:29Does the President feel reassured about his decision to drop out of the election by what
00:52:35he's seen so far from Harris?
00:52:37I'm going to ask you, wouldn't you be reassured?
00:52:41No, but you just listed out what's occurred the past week.
00:52:45I don't even know.
00:52:46Everything is just coming all together.
00:52:49Past week or so, again, campaign don't want to get into specifics of numbers that you
00:52:53just ticked off and what we've seen, but I mean, look, you just listed off some pretty
00:53:00incredible moments that we've seen with her campaign over the last week or so.
00:53:06And so, look, I think at the end of the day, what I can say, and I've said this before
00:53:12and I'll repeat it, is the President is incredibly proud of the Vice President, Vice President
00:53:17Kamala Harris.
00:53:18And he has said, he has said that the reason why he chose her, the reason why he picked
00:53:22her to be his Vice President back in 2020, almost, gosh, almost four years ago, is because
00:53:28he believed she could lead on day one.
00:53:30And that we have to remember who the Vice President is.
00:53:33She's been Vice President for almost three and a half years.
00:53:36She's helped be a partner in really big decisions that we've had to make here, whether it's
00:53:40domestic or foreign policy.
00:53:42She was a Senator.
00:53:43She was an Attorney General.
00:53:44She is incredibly qualified.
00:53:47And he could not think of anybody else who could have done this job, that he could have
00:53:52made this decision to take over the campaign, obviously.
00:53:58And so he's very proud of her.
00:54:00And I will just leave it there.
00:54:01And so he does feel reassured by that decision?
00:54:03I mean, he's proud of his decision.
00:54:05He's proud of his decision.
00:54:07And you've just listed out a long list of reasons of why.
00:54:10Okay, Peter.
00:54:11If I can ask you about something that's happening at the NABJ right now, Donald Trump is speaking
00:54:16to some of the reporters who were assembled there, and right out of the gates there was
00:54:19what can best be described as a contentious exchange, where the former President said,
00:54:24I'm asking this through the lens of someone who represents the President and Vice President,
00:54:28not someone who has to speak as a campaign question.
00:54:31He says of Kamala Harris, the Vice President, she was always of Indian heritage, and she
00:54:35was only promoting Indian heritage, I didn't know she was black until a number of years
00:54:39ago, and she happened to turn black, he said, and now she wants to be known as black.
00:54:43So I didn't know, is she Indian or is she black?
00:54:45She has always, this is unclear, I respect either one.
00:54:50But she obviously doesn't because she was Indian all the way and then all of a sudden
00:54:53she made a turn and she went black.
00:54:56Your response to those comments?
00:55:00He is a candidate.
00:55:01So I'm going to be super careful.
00:55:02Wait, no, no, no.
00:55:03Hold on.
00:55:05I have more to say.
00:55:06I certainly have more to say.
00:55:10As a person of color, as a black woman who is in this position that is standing before
00:55:15you at this podium, behind this lectern, what he just said, what you just read out to me
00:55:21is repulsive, it's insulting, and no one has any right to tell someone who they are, how
00:55:30they identify.
00:55:32That is no one's right.
00:55:34It is someone's own decisions.
00:55:36It is, I'll add this, only she can speak to her experience.
00:55:45Only she can speak to what it's like.
00:55:49She's the only person that can do that.
00:55:54And I think it's insulting for anybody, it doesn't matter if it's a former leader, a
00:55:59former president, it is insulting.
00:56:04And we have to put, she is the Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris, we have
00:56:08to put some respect on her name, period.
00:56:12My goodness.
00:56:13Go ahead, John, all the way in the back.
00:56:16Thanks, Marie.
00:56:17Can you talk about what efforts are being undertaken as it relates to those wrongfully
00:56:24detained Americans, people like Evan Gertrude and Paul Whelan?
00:56:28Are there renewed efforts in terms of trying to win their release right now?
00:56:33So I'm going to just repeat a little bit of what my colleague said just moments ago, Admiral,
00:56:38the Admiral, and look, what he said was spot on, which is, this is a president that has
00:56:45made it a priority to get home wrongfully detained Americans back to their families,
00:56:52back to their loved ones.
00:56:53It is something, and all you have to do is look at his record and what he's been able
00:56:57to do in getting home wrongfully detained Americans.
00:57:02And so he's committed to that.
00:57:04He will continue to be committed to that through the next several months, the next six months.
00:57:09We are careful here.
00:57:10We do not negotiate in public.
00:57:12We cannot negotiate in public because we want to make sure that we get this job done, get
00:57:18this work done.
00:57:19I do not have any specifics.
00:57:21I would not be able to do that from here because we want to be mindful, we want to be careful.
00:57:26But the President's committed to make sure that we get wrongfully detained Americans
00:57:31home to their friends and families and loved ones, obviously.
00:57:34Those efforts in terms of trying to get those wrongfully detained Americans home, could
00:57:39they possibly involve a third country, a prison swap involving Germany, for instance?
00:57:45Is that a possibility?
00:57:46I just cannot get into specifics from here.
00:57:49You have to understand that what we're trying to do is on behalf of Americans who are detained,
00:57:56the President is committed, he is committed, and will continue to do everything that he
00:57:59can to get Americans home to their loved ones.
00:58:03And you've seen that.
00:58:04You've seen that over the last three and a half years.
00:58:06I'm not going to get into specifics.
00:58:08I'm not going to get into details.
00:58:09I can't confirm anything from here or lay out.
00:58:12What we're going to do is continue to do the work.
00:58:14Go ahead.
00:58:15Just a follow-up on the scheduling question.
00:58:17Yeah, sure.
00:58:18As the President dials back a bit of late the public events, are we to read into that
00:58:22either now or in the near future that the Vice President should be the kind of primary
00:58:27messenger of the administration's policies?
00:58:29No, the President's going to be certainly the messenger of the policies.
00:58:32He's the President of the United States.
00:58:34He's going to continue to do that.
00:58:35They both will be, as she's out there as well as Vice President.
00:58:39That is not going to change.
00:58:41You will hear from the President.
00:58:42You will hear from the President.
00:58:43He wants to be out there.
00:58:44He believes there's still a lot of work to get done in the next six months.
00:58:48He wants to lay out what it is that he would like to get done, building on our successes,
00:58:54whether it's healthcare, whether it's the economy.
00:58:57There's still a lot more work to do in the economy, even though we're leading the world
00:59:01in what we've been able to do here to turn, to restart the economy.
00:59:05And so, look, you're going to hear from the President about this in a short order.
00:59:11You're going to see the President later this week.
00:59:12You're going to hear from him.
00:59:14And so I would say stay tuned.
00:59:17And the President certainly is looking forward to the next six months, continuing to lay
00:59:22out his plans on behalf of the American people.
00:59:26Okay, go ahead.
00:59:27When are we going to see the President and Vice President together?
00:59:30That's a good question.
00:59:31I don't have anything for you right now at this time, but obviously they were together
00:59:37today having lunch.
00:59:38That was a private discussion, private lunch.
00:59:42But I could assure you, you all will see them together at some point.
00:59:46I do want to ask you about the border security legislation that the President still wants
00:59:51and that the Vice President Harris is also talking about.
00:59:55Would the President be willing to make a deal on that in the lame duck session when Congress
00:59:59is back?
01:00:00Yeah, I get the question, but he did make a deal.
01:00:04That was what we did, what, two months with Republicans in the Senate?
01:00:08Yes, but they stopped agreeing to that.
01:00:12It's so wild because we worked with Republicans and with Democrats.
01:00:16And if this deal in Congress, obviously in the Senate to be more specific, and if this
01:00:20deal would have gone through, it would have been the toughest, fairest, bipartisan border
01:00:24security legislation in modern history.
01:00:28And congressional Republicans decided to block it because Donald Trump felt like it would
01:00:32make Americans safer.
01:00:34So do not move forward with it.
01:00:36That's what he felt.
01:00:38And it would harm him politically.
01:00:40That's what he felt.
01:00:42And so, look, we did a deal.
01:00:46It was a very good deal that Republicans agreed on, Democrats agreed on.
01:00:51The President reached across the aisle to make this happen when people told him that
01:00:55that wouldn't be possible.
01:00:57And the former president got in the way.
01:01:01And he got in the way not because it was the right thing to do for the American people.
01:01:06It was the right thing to do for himself.
01:01:08And so the President would love, would love to move forward with that deal, with that
01:01:13deal that we were able to get done.
01:01:15But they themselves, Republicans, voted twice against it.
01:01:19And so the President's taken executive actions, and we want to make sure that we continue
01:01:25to reduce unauthorized crossing, to lower, and we've been able to do that, to lower than
01:01:29any other, under any other prior administration.
01:01:33We have been able to do that through actions here.
01:01:35But in order to deal with this, we have to have legislation.
01:01:38And there was a deal.
01:01:39There was a deal on the table that we were able to negotiate with Republicans and Democrats
01:01:44in the Senate.
01:01:45The former president got in the way.
01:01:48You know?
01:01:49Will that deal still be on the table after the election?
01:01:52It's on the table right now.
01:01:54We want to make that deal move forward.
01:01:56We do.
01:01:57We are ready.
01:01:58The President's ready to sign it.
01:02:00It's Republicans.
01:02:01This is really, I appreciate the questions, but this is really a question for Republicans
01:02:04in Congress to answer, too.
01:02:07Okay, guys, we'll see you tomorrow.
01:02:09Thanks, everybody.