Trump meets with Lebanon President at White House

[00:00:00]representatives and the relationship is very good. I think that Lebanon has been a very mistreated country for a long period of time. It's an amazing group of people, professors, doctors, lawyers, great intellects, and it's been hit hard for many, many decades. Really, it's been hit very, very hard. And yet, I have people that live in Lebanon, people that are parents of friends of mine, many cases, and they would never leave.

[00:00:29]They would not leave under any circum.

[00:00:30]They love it. They love the country and it's uh probably a dangerous place in a lot of ways, but they live in areas they say we hear bombs going off all the time, but we want to live in Lebanon.

[00:00:41]They love the country. Very smart people, very successful people, and they live there. But it has been it's been a a a country of great intellect, great intellectuals. Uh they still love it. They want to be there. and we're going to help it. We're going to help it a lot. So, it's an honor to have the president and your representatives here.

[00:01:04]We've already met a couple of times and uh we've had some good meetings and uh we are going to uh solve a lot of problems. We've already solved some of them for Lebanon. As you know, there's a Hezbollah problem, but uh we've done some things that I think uh the world will take notice. Uh again, it's been a very badly treated place and country and we're going to have it properly treated and treated with respect that it deserves. And Mr. President, it's an honor having you. Thank you very much.

[00:01:37]>> No, thank you.

[00:01:38]>> I've been looking forward to this visit for a long time.

[00:01:41]>> Thank you very >> meeting such a great president like yourself.

[00:01:44]>> That's a very nice thing. See, he knows how to get to me. He knows he can have anything. Now he can have anything.

[00:01:50]Would you like to say something?

[00:01:52]>> No, [clears throat] really. I would like uh to thank uh President Trump really and his team for the historic visit and for the historic achievement that we did together uh by signing the uh framework uh with the ultimate objective of ending the state of hostility between Lebanon and Israel forever. I think Mr. President this will be your legacy.

[00:02:15]Together we'll be able to achieve this objective. It's about time for Lebanon and for the whole region uh to be stable and secure. And I know your vision is peace. Your vision is stability. And I think my vision coincide with your vision. And together I think we we will be able to achieve and to score success in that regard.

[00:02:36]>> I agree with that. I do agree with that.

[00:02:38]You have tremendous spirit on your side.

[00:02:40]You have people that love that country and [clears throat] they're going to make it work.

[00:02:45]>> We got to make it work.

[00:02:46]>> Right. Thank you very much, Mr. >> President.

[00:02:49]Mr. President, Lebanon, I have two questions. One for you. President Trump, as you work to expand the Abraham Accords, Lebanon still enforces a 1955 law criminalizing contact with Israel for over 70 years.

[00:03:04]You previously stated you would push Lebanon on this issue and people there is some people still going to prison last month. So, did you raise it with you will raise it with President Trump today?

[00:03:14]>> I will. The Abraham Accords have been I think a tremendous success. I think you're going to see a lot of countries joining pretty soon. As you know, we have our original group and they are it's so successful for them, economically successful. It's been that nobody left uh even during this time of conflict. So, uh no, I think uh Lebanon has a very important place.

[00:03:43]What is your level of concern of a blockade of the Red Sea by the Houthi rebels opening up another front in the war?

[00:03:50]>> Let's see what happens. So far, it hasn't happened. Might happen. Uh but we take care of things. If something like that happens, we take care of it. You know, we've done that with the Houthis before, and we haven't heard from them in a while since we did what we did originally. That was a about 45 days of very powerful action we took against the Houthis and we've had no problem with the Houthis. They've had no problem with us for a long period of time, including during this conflict. Uh I think that if there is something like that, we'll just have to take care of business.

[00:04:26]The speaker of the Lebanese parliament rejected the agreement between Lebanon and Israel and said he said it's a sedition. It's going to cause civil war.

[00:04:35]He's he's the he's the speaker of the Lebanese parliament and he speaks for his big brother. What do you have to say about that?

[00:04:41]>> Well, maybe I'll let you speak to that.

[00:04:43]>> Actually, the framework doesn't require the endorsement of the parliament. Okay.

[00:04:48]It's part of our constitution is a prerogative of the president and we are committed to it and I think the speaker of the parliament uh is really wants to to see the end of this uh war. He's from the south and he knows he did his best to rebuild the south but unfortunately seeing the south being destroyed in front of his eyes. So he's actually supportive what we are doing. Uh but we need uh to be careful uh his his position as a speaker and as a leader of the Shia community we have to understand how critical is his position.

[00:05:24]But I can tell you that speaker is a man of state. He's supportive what we are doing and he's supportive of ending the state of hostility, ending the war once for all.

[00:05:36]>> I think when he sees because I've heard that he's a good person, good man. And when he sees the progress made, I'm sure he's going to come on from Lebanon from NBC from Lebanon. I have two questions, please. When will the Israeli army fully withdraw from Lebanon? Is there a clear timeline for for that? And last question, please.

[00:05:56]Last week you met with the Iraqi prime minister and discussed him or described him as handsome and saying he could become one of the best leaders in the Middle East. How you describe >> which one are we talking about?

[00:06:06]>> The Iraqi prime minister.

[00:06:08]>> Yes. How you describe President?

[00:06:10]>> Well, I'd say he's handsome also and I [laughter] think he could become one of the most important leaders in the Middle East actually if we do this because they've been doing trying to do this for for decades, right? Decades and decades.

[00:06:22]So >> 194. If I made that statement about somebody else, I would put him in the same category.

[00:06:27]>> When the army withdraw from Lebanon, when the army withdraw from Lebanon, is there a clear timeline?

[00:06:33]>> They're in the process of doing that.

[00:06:34]They're in the process of redeploying to other sections and uh again they get along very well. That was a great agreement they signed with Lebanon and they're redeploying.

[00:06:47]>> Mr. Mr. President, Mr. President um the Lebanese army needs help and the United States said that it's very important for the Lebanese army to take over the villages that withdraw from. How are you going to help him and how the income is going to be speaking about that today?

[00:07:02]Sure that he will be in the south. We'll be >> speaking about that today with your president and uh we have some very concrete plans already in store for that with others going in and helping uh but they they're also becoming much more self-sufficient and we will be speaking about that.

[00:07:19]That's one of the subjects we're going to be talking >> Mr. President. Thank you Mr. President.

[00:07:23]My question is sorry um Isra uh the Lebanese army said today that Israeli forces opened fire in proximity uh to the Lebanese trying to deploy in one of these pilot zones. This is day two of the pilot zones. Are you prepared to take any steps additional steps to put pressure on Israel to withdraw uh which I believe President Aun is planning to ask you.

[00:07:45]>> Well, I'll look I just heard about that before this conference just happened and we'll be looking at that. Yeah.

[00:07:50]>> Thank Mr. President, there are no signs that Iran is ready to stop fighting. So, so what is the plan? Is the plan to just keep bombing until they give up?

[00:07:58]>> There are no signs. Why? Why? Do you know something that I don't know?

[00:08:01]>> Well, they continue to attack our allies.

[00:08:03]>> I don't know what the dialogue is behind the scenes that they want to meet desperately to try and end it because they're getting decimated. You don't get that when you listen to your fake station, but uh you don't know. You don't know anything.

[00:08:17]>> So, talks are you know something that I don't know. Do you know something? I don't know.

[00:08:21]>> Well, tell us.

[00:08:22]>> Uh, I will tell you they want to desperately meet and until they're ready to meet in a meaningful way, we have no interest in even >> Mr. President, are you planning on putting any pressure or consequences on China for what you announced about them meddling in the 2020 election?

[00:08:41]>> Well, we're going to talk to him about it. It took place a long time ago. I think China is maybe a little bit different today than it was then, but look, they're they do things and we do things to them. I'll be honest, we do things to them, too. It's not a one-way street, but we'll be talking to them.

[00:08:56]You know, >> Mr. President, sir, something that doesn't get talked about a lot, but the Border Patrol recorded 14 consecutive months months no releases at the southern border. This is something you talked a lot about on the campaign trail that you couldn't run on the job that you did on the southern border. Do you feel similarly at this point in time with midterms considering how well of a job you've done? What is the lesson to be learned about border patrol?

[00:09:18]>> Well, thank you for that question. The uh fact is and maybe it pertains a little bit with respect to you and borders and everything else. We had a border that was totally out of control.

[00:09:28]I probably won the election at least partially on the border, would you say?

[00:09:32]and the border. Now we literally in 14 months I think it came out this morning actually just announced and in 14 months we had nobody coming through. Zero zero people. I have to understand millions came through and we had zero people come in illegally into our country and that's made by people that happen to be uh Democrats largely Democrats or people that do those stats. Uh, and I'm sure they don't like saying it, but we really had virtually nobody coming in and they actually say nobody, not even virtually.

[00:10:03]So, it's amazing what's happened there.

[00:10:04]And, uh, very people talk about that anymore. You know, they don't like talking about that. They don't like talking about Venezuela where we lost no people. I'll be going to do for something that I feel is is it's a great honor for me to do it. These are people that want it and they feel like I do that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.

[00:10:25]Very simple. It's a very simple dictim.

[00:10:28]They cannot have a nuclear weapon and they won't have they're not going to they have no chance of having a nuclear weapon.

[00:10:34]>> Uh and as far as Iran is concerned, I'll let Pete maybe say a couple of words, but we are doing very well. We are degrading them at levels that nobody thought was possible. they're being degraded uh really uh so seriously. They did slip something through in Jordan [clears throat] and uh if we had other operators, you know, would have would not happened unfortunately. But uh we because we have the best equipment in the world, you know, we've stopped almost everything. But when you let other people do your job with the United States, we let other people do the job and sometimes it doesn't work out so well. But uh we're going to be going and paying our respects at Dover. Pete, would you like to say just how we're doing generally speaking?

[00:11:19]>> Well, it'll be an honor as well to join you at Dover to recognize these incredible Americans. Um committed to the cause just like you are. Something no president's been willing to do. 47 years they build up a conventional capability like the North Koreans did.

[00:11:32]Remember North Korea made their way to a bomb. So much weaponry that they no one was willing to stand up to them.

[00:11:38]President Trump was and continues to to this day. Iran's been given every opportunity to to negotiate uh to show that they're reasonable on the straight of Hormuz. Uh but if they're going to shoot a commercial shipping, then we're going to hit them, as the president said, 10 times harder, which every night we're degrading them further and further. Uh and the president has all the options necessary. If they want to talk, they can talk. Otherwise, they can deal with the war department. And we're prepared.

[00:12:02]>> The blockade is up and fully. I mean, it's uh nobody gets through. Nobody gets through the block. It's like a steel wall. Mr. President, >> thank you, Mr. President. Uh, yesterday there was another attack on an ICE facility, this time in New York City.

[00:12:18]What in your view is prompting these attacks? And you have a message for those who are attacking ICE.

[00:12:23]>> You're talking about the fire that was set in front of the federal building.

[00:12:26]>> Well, this is uh what's happening with the people that they allowed to come into our country. They shouldn't have allowed them to come in. They shouldn't be here. Uh they're radical lunatics and uh I'm getting them out. You know, we're getting them out at a pace. You know, we've gotten rid of more than any other president. I I read stories. They try and give you phony stats. I was with Tom H. Homeman this morning. He'll give you the statistics if if you want, but we're getting bad people out of our country at levels never seen before.

[00:12:57]There's never been a time when more bad people and you take a look just here in Washington. We got almost five, we took out almost 5,000 hardline hardcore criminals, most of whom came in during the open border periods of the previous administration.

[00:13:16]uh an an amazing statistic and this is something that I hate to be talking about in front of the president of Lebanon, but he's got his problems and they're different problems, but we don't have any problems in Washington DC. We have virtually we've wiped out about 92% of the crime. Uh and we're going to get very close to I believe we're going to get close to 100% of the crime. And if you take a look at this city and compare this to what it was 15 16 months ago, this was a dangerous city. Uh I don't know how I better not compare it to Lebanon because I don't exactly have your stats, but uh it might have been Lebanon was safer. This was a dangerous city under the previous administration, Biden, and now it's a very safe city.

[00:14:01]There was an article that came out two days ago that Washington DC is has made the greatest progress of any city in the nation. Now, Memphis also and New Orleans also. And if they would ask us for help in Chicago, we would turn that around so fast. If they'd ask us for help in New York, we would turn that around so fast. Los Angeles, we would turn that around so fast. But the the stat that's so amazing is that 2% of the people create 91% of the crime. Think of that. It's a great stat because if it was 70% of the people, that's a problem.

[00:14:36]If it was 20%, that's a 2% of the people create 91% of the crime. Think of [clears throat] that. 2% of the people, you can handle that easily. So, Washington DC is now one of the hottest cities in the country. We have the hottest country in the world. But Washington is now hot. And uh I and I do have to say one other thing. We just had the World Cup as you know very well and it was the most successful World Cup ever. We didn't even have a protest. We had no crime with all those events was like having many many Super Bowls. Each one was like a Super Bowl. And with all of that we didn't have crime. We didn't have bedum. Everybody left here with a different opinion than what they read in the fake news. They love this country. I saw Scotland. I saw Norway. I saw all these countries. I mean the level of love that nobody wanted to leave. And I just want to congratulate everybody the job that we did and all of us everybody in this room because everybody in this room was involved. The vice president was very much involved. Um it was it was amazing. I was with Johnny the other day who's the job he did is great. But he said he never thought in a million years it could be so free of any difficulty.

[00:15:59]Think of it. We didn't even have a protest. Not only no crime. Now there's a reason for all this. But part of it was that people just wanted to pull together. This country for like a four-week period just pulled together.

[00:16:16]Really amazing. And I didn't want to say it before the final. I didn't want to say how well it was doing. I wanted to get the final up with because you never know. It only takes It only takes a bad moment. But [clears throat] we just had the most successful World Cup in history. Did five times the business of any World Cup in history. And I can't wait to get him back, but I think we won't be able to get him for the next safe here, especially with this upcoming. Do you feel safe? Uh especially considering the attempts on your life.

[00:16:49]>> I feel safe. Why wouldn't I feel safe?

[00:16:55]Mr. President, I'm Pedro. Are you still speaking withah? You said in previous interviews that you're speaking with >> say that, but I would speak to I speak to everybody. I'll speak to people that a lot of people think I shouldn't be speaking to and things work out.

[00:17:11]>> Mr. President, >> I would speak to I would say this. If the president wanted me to speak to Hezbollah, you know, he's lived with Hezbollah for a long time.

[00:17:19]>> [laughter] >> And if the president wanted me to speak to Es, you know, I would >> Mr. President, um, follow up on Iran, if the Iranians do not make a deal ultimately, how long will it take for you to stamp out their threats to the strait and enable full shipping?

[00:17:40]>> So, if we left right now, it would take Iran 20, 25 years to rebuild.

[00:17:46]Okay? And we're not finished at all. But if we left right now, it would take them a long time, years, years to rebuild.

[00:17:55]But we're not leaving right now. Uh so we've had a big impact on Iran. Uh if we didn't do what I did with regard to two things, the uh Iran nuclear deal done by Barack Hussein Obama. I terminated that.

[00:18:10]If I didn't terminate it, you wouldn't have Israel right now because they would have had a nuclear weapon years ago. And if we didn't do the B2 bombers uh knocking out the nuclear sites a year ago, one of the first things we did early in the administration, they would have a nuclear weapon and you wouldn't have Israel. And in my opinion, you wouldn't have various other countries in the Middle East that all begun. They would have been terminated, extinguished. But I believe that by doing what we did, by terminating Iran, who's uh very evil people leaving that country, you saw the number of protesters that they kill, 52,000 plus.

[00:18:52]I put a couple of them up today, young kids that kill them. They kill them like they're like they're uh candy. It's crazy what they do. They treat them so badly. They they they're just killing people just at random. over 52,000 people and nobody talks about it. But if I didn't do the attack on their nuclear sites or if I didn't terminate the Obama agreement with Iran, which was a a absolute that was an absolute hit on having them get that was a road to a nuclear weapon and our deal will be a wall. It already is. They can't have a nuclear weapon right now. would take them years to produce it. And we will absolutely attack. We, you know, the the new site that they're talking about. I mean, how about these people? They're in this because of nuclear weapons and they're trying to possibly reconstitute a site. Uh we'll hit that site. Any site where they're even thinking about nuclear will be hitting it very very powerfully. Now, nobody knows except the Iranians the damage that we've done to them. We have damage that will take them 20 25 years to recover from. So, if we left tomorrow, we had a big we had a big success. But we're not leaving tomorrow.

[00:20:17]>> Their ability to threaten the street though. There's an advocate. There's a bill right now that's being considered that would allow illegal aliens who are working in farming to get legal status.

[00:20:27]Do you support that legislation?

[00:20:29]>> I don't know about it. I'll take a look at it.

[00:20:32]>> You put that on your terrorist last night. The Canada terrorists one. Are those a response to the wildfires in >> No. No. No. That's separate. We're looking at that separately.

[00:20:40]>> And what is there anything Canada?

[00:20:42]>> The only response to the way they've treated our farmers and our people.

[00:20:46]>> Yeah. Canada has been very very tough on us over the years for many years and no other president's done anything about it. I I love Canada. I love the people of Canada, many friends that live in Canada, but their leadership from Trudeau to the current leadership. Um I mean in all fairness to them, they need us to survive. Without us, there's no way they can survive. So, but they've been very very tough over a period of the last 50 years. Actually, >> from Syria, Tony Morati TV from Lebanon. Do you still support Syria entering Lebanon to disarmah?

[00:21:28]>> You mean coming in and doing something with Hezbollah?

[00:21:30]>> Yes.

[00:21:31]>> Well, it's a concept. You know, we get along very well with the president of Syria. He's done a very good job. I wouldn't be surprised if this gentleman's going to do a job just like that. He's done a very good job. He's pull Syria together. He would like to come in and do uh something with Hezbollah. You know, they've been fighting, he's been fighting Hezbollah for a long time. I think it'd be very effective. So, it's something I think on tariffs. You increased tariffs on Canada yesterday. Can you say if you still expect to impose tariffs on the wildfire problem? And can you say when you might oppose 301?

[00:22:07]>> A lot of damage has been done. They're not managing their forest properly and the wind has a tendency to blow right over New York City, right over, you saw Detroit, they had to close the whole place. Michigan was really affected.

[00:22:19]They had to close businesses for four days. Uh it's very serious what they're doing and they don't seem to be able to do anything about it. If they managed their forests, they wouldn't have the fires.

[00:22:34]Do you believe that Iran is trying to impact the midterm elections by threatening the street of four months?

[00:22:40]>> They won't have any impact on me. I'm just going to do the right thing. I don't view it as, gee, we're having an election in a period of time. You know, everyone says, "Oh, I'm doing something before." No, the election I I can't think about that having to do with this.

[00:22:55]I think people are very impressed. I mean, we took over Venezuela. We now have a great relationship with Venezuela. We went to war with Venezuela and the war ended in one day and we have now an incredible relationship with Venezuela. We're taking out millions of barrels of oil. They're making more money now than they ever made before, ever. And we're making a lot of money.

[00:23:18]We've paid for the war many times over with Venezuela. We lost nobody. We lost nobody. We didn't lose one. And I was a a violent attack, as you know. We took out a a man who was a very evil man.

[00:23:31]what he did was very evil. Many many in many different ways. We took took him out. Uh but you know, Venezuela, they said the same thing. When I did Venezuela, everyone said because look at the drugs. Look at look at what they did where they took all of their prisons.

[00:23:45]They opened up their prisons and they have everybody in a prison come in through Biden's absolutely insane open borders policy.

[00:23:55]And we did that in one day. Think of it.

[00:23:58]And now we are working very closely with the administration and we get along very well. Venezuela is a very happy place. I had a tragic incident with the uh you know the event that took place a couple of days ago, a couple a week ago. What a terrible thing that was. They had a they had a movement, a shifting of earth that was unbelievable. Nobody's ever they've never seen anything like it. A lot of people were killed. So, it's all unrelated. But, by the way, we were the first ones there to help. We were there to help Venezuela. It was an earthquake, I guess you'd call it. It was a pretty massive earthquake and we were able to do a lot of good, but they they lost a lot of people. Venezuela, the people are so happy that we're there. The jobs, everything's happening, and we're we're taking out many, many times the money that we spent on the war.

[00:24:53]uh this one uh Iran is bigger. Uh it's more it's a more complex situation, but we're probably doing equally as well if you look at the damage that's been done.

[00:25:04]And again, as I said to the young man that just posed the question over here, uh if we left today, it would take them decades to rebuild. And I don't believe they could ever rebuild. And honestly, they haven't seen anything yet. We've been nice. We've [clears throat] been nice.

[00:25:29]>> Haley Bull with Scripts News. Thank you for the question. Do you believe that Iran has moved nuclear centrifuges into Pickax Mountain? And when you say we're not done yet, what is left to finish?

[00:25:40]>> Well, I think that they they may have.

[00:25:43]We don't have it on record. All we do is read the fake news. You know, we see the the news is so wrong so many times. So, you know, maybe maybe this one they have, right? But it's okay. It doesn't mean anything unless they have the material. You're talking about the centrifuges. Yeah. It doesn't mean anything unless they have the material.

[00:26:00]They don't have we follow the material.

[00:26:02]That's where the action is. And uh we'll be hitting that area very probably pretty soon. And there's not not a thing they can do about it. You know, normally I wouldn't say that. If I thought they could do something about it, I would never say that. But we'll be hitting that area pretty soon uh and and very heavily.

[00:26:25]>> Two years ago during the campaign uh I interviewed you and you told me on MTV Lebanon that the peace will happen in Lebanon. And every word you said during the interview, it's happening today.

[00:26:36]Like from the first day in the administration, you were working hard for peace. Uh I I've been here daily.

[00:26:41]>> I understood Lebanon and I understood how horribly Lebanon has been treated as a country. They've been like a whipping post what's happened with Iran and with Hezbollah, but Lebanon's been treated very incredibly badly. And maybe I'm a little prejudice in favor of Lebanon because I have so many Lebanese friends.

[00:27:01]You have not.

[00:27:02]>> Well, no, but there are so many Lebanese friends and so I know I understand Lebanon. Tom Barrick is Lebanese the ambassador >> Lebanese army. President does the Lebanese army currently have the funding, equipment and manpower necessary to implement the agreement or you are asking today President Trump for additional US assistant today to do the job.

[00:27:29]>> Definitely with the support of President Trump and we spoke over on the phone and I told him I need two things from you.

[00:27:35]political support and supporting of the laugh which is the laugh is the most trusted institution in the country and it has the most powerful weapon which is the trust of the public and like any other any armed forces in the world the Lebanese armed forces is the backbone of security and stability we need to support the laugh the laugh maintain the country safe and stable without the laugh everything will collapse we don't want that I think President Trump doesn't want that in 1975 the first institution to collapse was the laugh and as a result we saw the emergence of many local militias and the south was empty allowing the Palestinian to the south and at launch attack against Israel. We don't want to see that back again. All we're asking is keep supporting the laugh and they know that the laugh is doing great job performing its duty to the fullest. I fully trust the laugh. I fully trust the leadership of the >> and they did a great a great step forward with the recent signing with Israel. That was a big step.

[00:28:39]>> Are you going to allow direct flight from America to Lebanon again and Pedro from >> I see that happening abony from NBC. So, Ambassador Arisa, the US ambassador to Leisa told me that the president would not leave Washington empty-handed. What concrete outcomes will you will you bringing back to Lebanon?

[00:29:01]>> You'll find out.

[00:29:04]>> Mr. President, >> thank you all very much. Uh, we're doing very well with Iran. We're doing unbelievably with the economy. We have investment as you know, Toyota is uh coming in with the biggest plant, I understand, anywhere in the world.

[00:29:19]They're leaving Mexico. They're coming into our country. They're going to come into Texas to be specific. Uh we have more plants under construction now than at any time by far by many times. Uh we have over 19.2 trillion dollars being spent in America. And they're going to be opening up in a year, a year and a half. And there has never been a time like this in America. Truly, it's the golden age of America. Thank you very much, everybody.

[00:29:47]>> Thank you guys.

[00:29:50]Thank you guys.

[00:29:53]>> Thank you guys. Congratulations for the people.