Categoría
🗞
NoticiasTranscripción
00:00How are we?
00:02Good to see all of you.
00:03It's an honor to be here with all of you.
00:06A lot of familiar faces in the room, a lot of new
00:08faces, and President Trump is back, and the Golden
00:12Age of America has most definitely begun.
00:15The Senate has already confirmed five of
00:18President Trump's exceptional Cabinet
00:20nominees, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense
00:23Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe,
00:27Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and
00:30Treasury Secretary Scott Besant.
00:32It is imperative that the Senate continues to
00:35confirm the remainder of the President's well-
00:37qualified nominees as quickly as possible.
00:41As you have seen during the past week, President
00:43Trump is hard at work fulfilling the promises
00:45that he made to the American people on the
00:47campaign trail.
00:49Since taking the oath of office, President Trump
00:52has taken more than 300 executive actions, secured
00:56nearly $1 trillion in U.S.
00:58investments, deported illegal alien rapists,
01:02gang members, and suspected terrorists from our
01:04homeland, and restored common sense to the
01:07federal government.
01:09I want to take a moment to go through some of these
01:11extraordinary actions.
01:13On day one, President Trump declared a national
01:16emergency at our southern border to end the four-year
01:19long invasion of illegal aliens under the previous
01:23administration.
01:24Additionally, President Trump signed an executive
01:27order to end catch and release and finish
01:29construction of his effective border wall.
01:33By using every lever of his federal power,
01:36President Trump has sent a loud and clear message to
01:39the entire world.
01:41America will no longer tolerate illegal
01:44immigration, and this President expects that
01:47every nation on this planet will cooperate with the
01:51repatriation of their citizens.
01:54As proven by this weekend, when President Trump
01:56swiftly directed his team to issue harsh and
01:59effective sanctions and tariffs on the Colombian
02:02government, upon hearing, they were denied a U.S.
02:05military aircraft full of their own citizens who were
02:08deported by this administration.
02:10Within hours, the Colombian government
02:12agreed to all of President Trump's demands,
02:15proving America is once again respected on the
02:19world stage.
02:20So, to foreign nationals who are thinking about
02:23trying to illegally enter the United States, think
02:26again.
02:27Under this President, you will be detained and you
02:30will be deported.
02:32Every day, Americans are safer because of the
02:35violent criminals that President Trump's
02:37administration is removing from our communities.
02:41On January 23rd, ICE New York arrested a Turkish
02:45national for entry without inspection who is a known
02:48or suspected terrorist.
02:51On January 23rd, ICE San Francisco arrested a
02:54citizen of Mexico unlawfully present in the
02:57United States who has been convicted of continuous
03:01sexual abuse of a child aged 14 years or younger.
03:06ICE St. Paul has arrested a citizen of Honduras who
03:09was convicted of fourth degree criminal sexual
03:12conduct with a minor.
03:14ICE Buffalo arrested a citizen of Ecuador who has
03:17been convicted of rape.
03:20ICE Boston arrested a citizen of the Dominican
03:23Republic who has a criminal conviction for
03:25second degree murder.
03:27This criminal was convicted of murder for
03:29beating his pregnant wife to death in front of her
03:32five-year-old son.
03:34And ICE St. Paul also arrested a citizen of
03:37Mexico who was convicted of possessing pornographic
03:39material of a minor on a work computer.
03:43These are the heinous individuals that this
03:45administration is removing from American communities
03:48every single day.
03:49And to the brave state and local law enforcement
03:51officers, CBP, and ICE agents who are helping in
03:55the facilitation of this deportation operation,
03:58President Trump has your back and he is grateful for
04:02your hard work.
04:04On the economic front, President Trump took
04:06immediate action to lower costs for families who are
04:09suffering from four long years of the Biden
04:12administration's destructive and
04:14inflationary policies.
04:16President Trump ordered the heads of all executive
04:19departments and agencies to help deliver emergency
04:21price relief to the American people, untangle
04:25our economy from Biden's regulatory constraints,
04:28and end the reckless war on American energy.
04:32President Trump also signed sweeping executive
04:34orders to end the weaponization of
04:36government and restore common sense to the
04:39federal bureaucracy.
04:41He directed all federal agencies to terminate
04:44illegal diversity, equity, and inclusion programs to
04:48help return America to a merit-based society.
04:52President Trump also signed an executive order
04:54declaring it is now the policy of the federal
04:57government that there are only two sexes,
04:59male and female.
05:01Sanity has been restored.
05:04Before I take your questions, I would like
05:06to point out to all of you once again have access to
05:09the most transparent and accessible President in
05:12American history.
05:14There has never been a President who communicates
05:16with the American people and the American press
05:19corps as openly and authentically as the 45th
05:23and now 47th President of the United States.
05:27This past week, President Trump has held multiple
05:30news conferences, gaggled on Air Force One multiple
05:33times, and sat down for a two-part interview on Fox
05:37News, which aired last week.
05:39As Politico summed it up best, Trump is everywhere
05:42again, and that's because President Trump has a great
05:46story to tell about the legendary American revival
05:50that is well underway.
05:52And in keeping with this revolutionary media
05:55approach that President Trump deployed during the
05:57campaign, the Trump White House will speak to all
06:01media outlets and personalities, not just
06:04the legacy media who are seated in this room.
06:07Because according to recent polling from Gallup,
06:09Americans' trust in mass media has fallen to a
06:13record low.
06:15Millions of Americans, especially young people,
06:18have turned from traditional television
06:19outlets and newspapers to consume their news from
06:22podcasts, blogs, social media, and other
06:25independent outlets.
06:27It's essential to our team that we share President
06:30Trump's message everywhere and adapt this White House
06:34to the new media landscape in 2025.
06:37To do this, I am excited to announce the following
06:39changes will be made to this historic James S.
06:42Brady briefing room, where Mr.
06:44Brady's legacy will endure.
06:46This White House believes strongly in the First
06:48Amendment, so it's why our team will work diligently
06:52to restore the press passes of the 440
06:55journalists whose passes were wrongly revoked by
06:57the previous administration.
07:00We're also opening up this briefing room to new media
07:02voices who produce news-related content and
07:05whose outlet is not already represented by one
07:08of the seats in this room.
07:10We welcome independent journalists, podcasters,
07:13social media influencers, and content creators to
07:16apply for credentials to cover this White House.
07:20And you can apply now on our new website,
07:23whitehouse.gov slash new media.
07:27Starting today, this seat in the front of the room,
07:31which is usually occupied by the press secretary's
07:33staff, will be called the new media seat.
07:37My team will review the applications and give
07:39credentials to new media applicants who meet our
07:41criteria and pass United States Secret Service
07:44requirements to enter the White House complex.
07:48So, in light of these announcements, our first
07:50questions for today's briefing will go to these
07:52new media members whose outlets, despite being
07:55some of the most viewed news websites in the
07:57country, have not been given seats in this room.
08:01And before I turn to questions, I do have news
08:04directly from the President of the United
08:05States that was just shared with me in the Oval
08:08Office, from President Trump directly, an update
08:12on the New Jersey drones.
08:14After research and study, the drones that were flying
08:17over New Jersey in large numbers were authorized to
08:20be flown by the FAA for research and various
08:24other reasons.
08:25Many of these drones were also hobbyists,
08:28recreational, and private individuals that enjoy
08:31flying drones.
08:32In the meantime, it got worse due to curiosity.
08:36This was not the enemy.
08:39A statement from the President of the United
08:41States to start this briefing with some news.
08:44And with that, I will turn it over to questions.
08:46And we will begin with our new media members.
08:48Mike Allen from Axios, Matt Boyle from Breitbart.
08:51Mike, why don't you go ahead?
08:52The Press Thank you very much, Caroline.
08:53Does the President see anything fishy about Deep
08:57Seek, either its origins or its cost?
09:00And could China's ability to make these models
09:04quicker, cheaper, affect our thinking about
09:06expanding generation, data centers,
09:09chip manufacturing?
09:09Ms. McEnany Sure.
09:10The President was asked about Deep Seek last
09:12night on Air Force One when he gaggled for, I think,
09:15the third or fourth time throughout the weekend
09:17with members of the traveling press corps.
09:19The President said that he believes that this is a
09:22wake-up call to the American AI industry.
09:26The last administration sat on their hands and
09:28allowed the program.
09:30And so, President Trump believes in restoring
09:33American AI dominance.
09:34And that's why he took very strong executive
09:36action this past week to sign executive orders to
09:39roll back some of the onerous regulations on the
09:42AI industry.
09:43And President Trump has also proudly appointed
09:45the first AI and crypto czar at this White House,
09:48David Sachs, whom I spoke with yesterday, very
09:51knowledgeable on this subject.
09:52And his team is here working every single day
09:55to ensure American AI dominance.
09:57As for the national security implications, I
09:59spoke with NSC this morning.
10:01They are looking into what those may be.
10:03And when I have an update, I will share it with you, Mike.
10:05The Press Caroline, you say, restore U.S.
10:07dominance.
10:08Is there a fear that the U.S.
10:09either is falling or has fallen behind?
10:12And how would the President make sure the U.S.
10:14stays ahead?
10:15Ms. McEnany No.
10:16The President is confident that we will restore
10:17American dominance in AI.
10:19Matt.
10:19The Press So, Caroline, first of all, thank you
10:21to you and President Trump for actually giving
10:23voices to new media outlets that represent
10:26millions and millions of Americans.
10:29The thing I would add, I've got a two-part
10:31question for you.
10:32The first is, can you expand upon what steps
10:35the White House is going to take to bring more
10:38voices, not less, which is what our founder, Andrew
10:40Breitbart, believed in, into this room where they
10:44rightfully belong?
10:44Ms. McEnany Yeah, absolutely.
10:46And as I said in my opening statement, Matt,
10:48it is a priority of this White House to honor the
10:51First Amendment.
10:52And it is a fact that Americans are consuming
10:54their news media from various different
10:56platforms, especially young people.
10:58And as the youngest press secretary in history,
11:00thanks to President Trump, I take great pride in
11:03opening up this room to new media voices to share
11:07the President's message with as many Americans
11:09as possible.
11:10In doing so, number one, we will ensure that
11:13outlets like yours, Axios, and Breitbart, which are
11:15widely respected and viewed outlets, have an
11:18actual seat in this room every day.
11:20We also, again, encourage anybody in this country,
11:24whether you are a TikTok content creator, a blogger,
11:27a podcaster, if you are producing legitimate news
11:31content, no matter the medium, you will be
11:34allowed to apply for press credentials to
11:36this White House.
11:37And as I said earlier, our new media website is
11:42whitehouse.gov slash new media.
11:45And so we encourage people to apply.
11:47Again, as long as you are creating news-related
11:50content of the day and you're a legitimate,
11:53independent journalist, you're welcome to cover
11:54this White House.
11:55The Press.
11:56And secondly, Caroline, you said you laid out
11:57several of the actions that President Trump has
11:59taken.
12:00Obviously, it's a stark contrast to the previous
12:02administration, a break-back speed from
12:04President Trump.
12:05Can we expect that pace to continue as the, you know,
12:09the first hundred days moves along here and
12:11beyond that?
12:11Ms. Sanders Absolutely.
12:13There is no doubt President Trump has always
12:14been the hardest-working man in politics.
12:16I think that's been proven over the past week.
12:19This President has, again, signed more than 300
12:21executive orders.
12:22He's taken historic action.
12:24I gaggled aboard Air Force One to mark the first
12:27100 days of this administration, 4 p.m.
12:30last Friday.
12:31Our first hundred hours, rather.
12:32And this President did more in the first hundred
12:34hours than the previous President did in the first
12:37100 days.
12:37So, President Trump, I think you can all expect
12:41for him to continue to work at this breakneck
12:43speed.
12:44So I hope you're all ready to work very hard.
12:45I know that we are.
12:46Zeke Miller.
12:47The Press Thanks, Caroline.
12:48A question that we've asked your predecessors of
12:50both parties in this job.
12:52When you're up here in this briefing room speaking
12:54to the American public, do you view yourself and
12:56your role as speaking on — advocating on behalf of
12:59the President or providing the unvarnished truth that
13:02is, you know, not to lie, not to obfuscate to the
13:05American people?
13:05Ms. Sanders I commit to telling the truth from
13:07this podium every single day.
13:09I commit to speaking on behalf of the President
13:11of the United States.
13:12That is my job.
13:13And I will say it's very easy to speak truth from
13:16this podium when you have a President who is
13:18implementing policies that are wildly popular with
13:21the American people, and that's exactly what this
13:23administration is doing.
13:25It's correcting the lies and the wrongs of the
13:28past four years, many of the lies that have been
13:30told to your faces in this very briefing room.
13:32I will not do that.
13:34But since you brought up truth, Zeke, I would like
13:36to point out, while I vow to provide the truth from
13:39this podium, we ask that all of you in this room
13:42hold yourselves to that same standard.
13:44We know for a fact there have been lies that have
13:46been pushed by many legacy media outlets in this
13:49country about this President, about his family,
13:52and we will not accept that.
13:54We will call you out when we feel that your reporting
13:57is wrong or there is misinformation about this
14:00White House.
14:01So, yes, I will hold myself to the truth, and I
14:03expect everyone in this room to do the same.
14:05The Press And, Carol, I just have a substantive
14:06question.
14:07Yesterday, the White House Office of Management and
14:09Budget directed an across-the-board freeze
14:13with some exceptions for individual assistance, we
14:15understand, to federal grants.
14:17It's caused a lot of confusion around the
14:19country.
14:19Head Start providers among providers of services to
14:24homeless veterans, Medicaid providers, states
14:27saying they're having trouble accessing the
14:28portal.
14:29Could you help us clear up some of the confusion,
14:31give some certainty to folks?
14:33And also, is that uncertainty — how does
14:35that uncertainty service the President's voters?
14:38Ms. Sanders Well, I think there's only uncertainty
14:39in this room amongst the media.
14:41There's no uncertainty in this building.
14:42So let me provide the certainty and the clarity
14:44that all of you need.
14:45This is not a blanket pause on federal assistance
14:49and grant programs from the Trump administration.
14:52Individual assistance — that includes — I'm not
14:55naming everything that's included, but just to give
14:58you a few examples — Social Security benefits,
15:00Medicare benefits, food stamps, welfare benefits
15:04— assistance that is going directly to
15:06individuals will not be impacted by this pause.
15:10And I want to make that very clear to any
15:12Americans who are watching at home who may be a
15:14little bit confused about some of the media
15:16reporting.
15:17This administration, if you are receiving
15:19individual assistance from the federal
15:20government, you will still continue to receive
15:22that.
15:23However, it is the responsibility of this
15:25President and this administration to be good
15:28stewards of taxpayer dollars.
15:30That is something that President Trump campaigned
15:32on.
15:33That's why he has launched DOGE, the Department of
15:35Government Efficiency, who is working alongside
15:38OMB.
15:39And that's why OMB sent out this memo last night
15:41— because the President signed an executive order
15:44directing OMB to do just this.
15:46And the reason for this is to ensure that every
15:49penny that is going out the door is not
15:51conflicting with the executive orders and
15:53actions that this President has taken.
15:55So, what does this pause mean?
15:57It means no more funding for illegal DEI programs.
16:00It means no more funding for the green new scam
16:03that has cost American taxpayers tens of
16:06billions of dollars.
16:07It means no more funding for transgenderism and
16:10wokeness across our federal bureaucracy and
16:13agencies.
16:14No more funding for Green New Deal social
16:16engineering policies.
16:17Again, people who are receiving individual
16:20assistance, you will continue to receive that.
16:23And President Trump is looking out for you by
16:24issuing this pause because he is being good
16:27steward of your taxpayer dollars.
16:28The Press.
16:29Thanks, Caroline.
16:30Sure.
16:31How long is this pause going to last?
16:33And how is the Trump administration
16:35recommending that organizations that rely on
16:38federal funding make payroll, pay their rent in
16:41the meantime?
16:42It is a temporary pause.
16:44And the Office of Management and Budget is
16:45reviewing the federal funding that has been
16:48going out the door.
16:49Again, not for individual assistance, but for all
16:51of these other programs that I mentioned.
16:54I also spoke with the incoming director of OMB
16:57this morning, and he told me to tell all of you
16:59that the line to his office is open for other
17:02federal government agencies across the board.
17:04And if they feel that programs are necessary and
17:07in line with the President's agenda, then
17:10the Office of Management and Budget will review
17:12those policies.
17:13I think this is a very responsible measure.
17:15Again, the past four years, we've seen the
17:17Biden administration spend money like drunken
17:19sailors.
17:20It's a big reason we've had an inflation crisis in
17:22this country.
17:22And it's incumbent upon this administration to
17:25make sure, again, that every penny is being
17:27accounted for honestly.
17:28Why oppose this pause with so little notice?
17:31Why not give organizations more time to plan for the
17:35fact that they are about to lose, in some cases,
17:38really crucial federal funding, at least for a
17:42period of time?
17:43There was notice.
17:43It was the executive order that the President signed.
17:45There's also a freeze on hiring, as you know, a
17:48regulatory freeze.
17:49And there's also a freeze on foreign aid.
17:51And this is, again, incredibly important to
17:54ensure that this administration is taking
17:57into consideration how hard the American people
18:00are working.
18:01And their tax dollars actually matter to this
18:03administration.
18:04You know, just during this pause, DOJ and OMB have
18:07actually found that there was $37 million that was
18:11about to go out the door to the World Health
18:13Organization, which is an organization, as you all
18:16know, that President Trump, with the swipe of his
18:18pen in that executive order, is no longer wants
18:21the United States to be a part of.
18:22So that wouldn't be in line with the President's
18:24agenda.
18:25DOJ and OMB also found that there was about to be
18:27$50 million taxpayer dollars that went out the
18:30door to fund condoms in Gaza.
18:33That is a preposterous waste of taxpayer money.
18:35So that's what this pause is focused on, being good
18:38stewards of tax dollars.
18:39And so this doesn't affect Meals on Wheels or Head
18:42Start or Disaster Aid?
18:44Again, it does not affect individual assistance
18:47that's going to Americans.
18:48To follow up on Nancy, do you think there will be a
18:50list of who is affected and how much money is
18:53affected?
18:53How will these contractors and organizations know if
18:56they are actually having their funding frozen?
18:59And then, secondly, if you're willing, can you
19:02just clarify, is the end goal of this to
19:05essentially challenge Congress or to prove that
19:09the President can withhold federal funding?
19:10In other words, is this an attempt to pick a fight to
19:14prove that he can do this?
19:15No, absolutely not.
19:16As it says right here in the memo, which I have,
19:19and I'd encourage all of you to read it, it says
19:21the American people elected President Trump to
19:23be the President of the United States and gave
19:25him a mandate to increase the impact of every
19:27federal dollar.
19:28I am actually quite certain that the President
19:32signed an executive order that did just that, and I
19:34can point you to that.
19:35One more.
19:35Caroline.
19:36President Trump issued an executive order on
19:39increased vetting for refugees and visa
19:41applications.
19:41Right.
19:42Part of that order was considering an outbreak
19:44ban for countries that have deficient screening
19:46processes.
19:47Has the President considered yet which
19:49countries might fall into this category, or
19:51countries like Afghanistan or Syria, under
19:53consideration for a full ban?
19:55Yeah, so the President signed an executive order
19:57to streamline the vetting for visa applicants and
20:00for illegal immigrants in this country who are
20:03coming, of course, from other nations.
20:04It also directed the Secretary of State to
20:07review the process and make sure that other
20:09countries around the world are being completely
20:11transparent with our nation and the individuals that
20:15they are sending here.
20:16And so the Secretary of State has been directed
20:18to report back to the President.
20:21I haven't seen that report yet.
20:22We've only been here for a few days.
20:23Caroline.
20:24On the freeze in federal funding, who advised the
20:28President on the legality of telling government
20:31agencies that they don't have to spend money that
20:33was already appropriated by Congress?
20:35Well, as the OMB memo states, this is
20:38certainly within the confines of the law.
20:40So White House Counsel's Office believes that this
20:43is within the President's power to do it, and
20:45therefore he's doing it.
20:46Okay, so they disagree with lawmakers who say
20:48that they don't have the power to freeze this
20:50funding?
20:51Again, I would point you to the language in the
20:52memo that clearly states this is within the law.
20:54And on what happened on Friday night, the
20:56administration fired several inspectors general
20:59without giving Congress the 30-day legally
21:01required notification that they were being fired.
21:03I think only two were left at DHS and the DOJ.
21:07And then yesterday, we saw several prosecutors, I
21:09believe 12, fire from the Justice Department who
21:12worked on the investigations into the President.
21:15As you know, they are career prosecutors,
21:17therefore they are afforded civil service
21:18protections.
21:20How is the administration deciding which laws to
21:22follow and which ones to ignore?
21:24So it is the belief of this White House and the White
21:27House Counsel's Office that the President was
21:29within his executive authority to do that.
21:32He is the executive of the executive branch, and
21:35therefore he has the power to fire anyone within the
21:37executive branch that he wishes to.
21:40There's also a case that went before the Supreme
21:42Court in 2020, Scala Law LLC versus the Customs
21:46Bureau Protection.
21:49I would advise you to look at that case, and that's
21:51the legality that this White House was resting on.
21:53The Press So you're confident that if they
21:54bring lawsuits against you, the prosecutors who
21:56were fired, that they will succeed?
21:58Ms. McEnany We will win in court, yes.
21:59The Press And did he personally direct this,
22:00given they worked on the classified documents
22:02investigation and the election interference
22:04investigation?
22:05Ms. McEnany This was a memo that went out by the
22:06Presidential Personnel Office, and the President
22:09is the leader of this White House.
22:10So, yes.
22:11The Press So it didn't come from him?
22:12Ms. McEnany Yes.
22:13Caroline is.
22:13Caroline.
22:14The Press Thank you.
22:15Congrats on your first day behind the podium.
22:17Ms. McEnany Thank you.
22:18The Press President Trump ended funding for UNRWA
22:22and also designated the Houthis a foreign
22:25terrorist organization.
22:27Both were decisions that the previous
22:28administration had reversed.
22:29So here's my question.
22:31Will there be an investigation into who
22:34gave the previous administration this
22:36terrible advice?
22:36Ms. McEnany Well, that's a very good point.
22:39I haven't heard discussions about such an
22:40investigation, but it wouldn't be a bad idea,
22:42considering that the Houthis certainly are
22:45terrorists.
22:46They have launched attacks on U.S.
22:48naval ships across this world.
22:50And so I think it was a very wise move by this
22:53administration to redesignate them as a
22:55terrorist group, because they are.
22:56And I think it was a foolish decision by the
22:58previous administration to do so.
23:00As for an investigation, I'm not sure about that.
23:02But it's not a bad idea.
23:03Josh.
23:04The Press Thank you for the question.
23:05I appreciate it.
23:06Can you give us an update on the President's plan
23:07for his tariff agenda?
23:09He spoke a lot about this yesterday, and there's a
23:11couple of dates coming up that he's spoken to.
23:13Number one, February 1st, he's alluded to both the
23:15potential for tariffs for Canada and Mexico, but
23:17also China, to take effect on those days.
23:20Whereas, what's he thinking about that?
23:22Should those countries expect that on the 1st?
23:24Ms. Sanders Again, he was asked and answered this
23:25question this past weekend when he took a lot of
23:27questions from the press, and he said that the
23:29February 1st date for Canada and Mexico still holds.
23:32The Press What about the China 10 percent tariff
23:34that he also had used about last Tuesday going
23:37into effect on the same date?
23:38Ms. Sanders Yes, the President has said that
23:39he is very much still considering that for
23:41February 1st.
23:42The Press Separately, yesterday he talked also
23:43about sectoral tariffs on, for instance,
23:45pharmaceuticals, as well as semiconductor computer
23:48chips dumped with steel, aluminum, and copper.
23:50What's the timeline on those?
23:52Is that a similar sort of coming days thing?
23:54Ms. Sanders Yes.
23:55When the President talked about that in his speech
23:56yesterday, that actually wasn't a new announcement.
23:58That was within a presidential memorandum
24:01that he signed in one of the first days here in the
24:03White House on his America First trade agenda.
24:06So there's more details on those tariffs in there.
24:08As far as a date, I don't have a specific date to
24:11read out to you, but the President is committed to
24:12implementing tariffs effectively, just like he
24:15did in his first term.
24:16The Press Finally, he also was asked on the plane
24:18when he gaggled about the potential for a
24:19universal tariff.
24:20He was asked maybe about 2.5 percent.
24:22There was a report about that.
24:23He said he wanted much bigger than that.
24:25Should we understand that these tariffs would add up?
24:28You know, in other words, you might have country-specific
24:30tariffs like Canada, Mexico, China.
24:31You might have sectoral tariffs, like on
24:34pharmaceuticals, as well as a potential universal
24:36tariff on top of that.
24:38Do these stack on one or the other, or would one
24:40sort of take precedence over another?
24:42Ms. McEnany All I can point you to is what the
24:43President has said on this front.
24:45The February 1st date for Canada and Mexico, also
24:47the China tariff that he has discussed.
24:49He rejected the 2.5 percent tariff.
24:51He said that was a little bit too low.
24:53He wants it to be higher.
24:54I'll leave it to him to make any decisions on that front.
24:57The Press What the Mexicans and Canadians have done so far?
25:00Do you have any comment on whether that has met the
25:01bar?
25:02What do you want to say on fentanyl?
25:03Ms. McEnany I won't get ahead of the President,
25:05again, on advocating to foreign nations on what
25:09they should or shouldn't do to get away from these
25:12tariffs.
25:13The President has made it very clear, again, that he
25:14expects every nation around this world to
25:17cooperate with the repatriation of their
25:19citizens.
25:20And the President has also put out specific
25:21statements in terms of Canada and Mexico when it
25:24comes to what he expects in terms of border
25:26security.
25:27We have seen a historic level of cooperation from
25:29Mexico.
25:30But again, as far as I'm still tracking, and that
25:32was last night talking to the President directly,
25:34February 1st is still on the books.
25:35Phil.
25:36The Press Thank you, Caroline.
25:37Quick programming note and then a question on taxes.
25:41Well, in terms of programming, should we
25:42expect to see you here every day?
25:44How frequently will these press briefings be?
25:46Ms. McEnany It is a good question, April.
25:47So, look, the President, as you know, is incredibly
25:51accessible.
25:51First day here, he wanted all of you in the Oval
25:54Office.
25:54You got a 60-minute press conference with the leader
25:56of the free world while he was simultaneously signing
25:59executive orders.
26:00I may add that's pretty impressive.
26:01I don't think the previous officeholder would be able
26:04to pull such a thing off.
26:06So, look, the President is the best spokesperson that
26:09this White House has.
26:10And I can assure you that you will be hearing from
26:11both him and me as much as possible.
26:15The Press And then a question about tax cuts.
26:17You know, the President has promised to extend the tax
26:19cuts from the previous term.
26:21I'm curious, does the President support
26:24corresponding spending cuts, as some Republicans
26:26have called for in Congress?
26:28And will the new Treasury Secretary be leading those
26:31negotiations with the Hill, as Mnuchin did during the
26:34first administration?
26:35Ms. McEnany The President is committed to both tax
26:37cuts and spending cuts, and he has a great team
26:40negotiating on his behalf.
26:41But there's no better negotiator than Donald
26:43Trump, and I'm sure he'll be involved in this
26:45reconciliation process as it moves forward.
26:47The Press Caroline, in the announcement that you made
26:52last night on the Iron Dome, it said the President
26:56had directed that the United States will build
26:59this Iron Dome.
27:00When you read into the executive order, it seemed
27:04short of that.
27:04It asked for a series of studies and reports back
27:07on it.
27:08Can you tell us whether the President has directed
27:11this?
27:11And if he is as concerned on this issue, why the
27:14suspensions that we saw listed by OMB included so
27:18many different nuclear programs, nonproliferation
27:23programs, programs to blend down nuclear weapons,
27:27and so forth?
27:28Ms. McEnany First of all, when it comes to the Iron
27:30Dome, the executive order directed the
27:33implementation of an Iron Dome.
27:35It also, as you said, kind of directed research and
27:38studies to see how the United States can go about
27:42doing this, particularly the Department of Defense.
27:45When it comes to the other question that you asked
27:48about those specific programs, again, I would
27:50say this is not a ban.
27:53This is a temporary pause and a freeze to ensure
27:57that all of the money going out from Washington, D.C.
27:59is aligned with the President's agenda.
28:01And as the Office of Management and Budget has
28:04updates on what will be kick-started once again, I
28:07will provide those to you.
28:08The Press Can I just clarify for a sec what you
28:10were saying before on Medicaid?
28:12It wasn't clear to me whether you were saying
28:15that no Medicaid would be cut off.
28:17Obviously, a lot of this goes to states before it
28:19goes to individuals and so forth.
28:21So are you guaranteeing here that no individual
28:24now on Medicaid would see a cutoff because of the
28:27pause?
28:27Ms. McEnany I'll check back on that and get back to
28:29you.
28:30John.
28:30The Press Thanks a lot, Caroline.
28:31As you know, in the first week that the President
28:34was in office, signed an executive order as it
28:37relates to birthright citizenship, trying to
28:39eliminate that.
28:41About 22 state attorney generals have said that
28:45this is unconstitutional.
28:48A federal judge has just agreed with their
28:50argument.
28:51What's the administration's argument for
28:53doing away with birthright citizenship?
28:55Ms. McEnany The folks that you mentioned have a
28:58right to have that legal opinion, but it is in
29:01disagreement with the legal opinion of this
29:03administration.
29:04This administration believes that birthright
29:06citizenship is unconstitutional, and that
29:08is why President Trump signed that executive
29:11order.
29:11Illegal immigrants who come to this country and
29:14have a child are not subject to the laws of
29:17this jurisdiction.
29:18That's the opinion of this administration.
29:21We have already appealed the rule or the lawsuit
29:24that was filed against this administration, and
29:26we are prepared to fight the fires.
29:28Federal agencies to identify and review all
29:30federal financial assistance programs and
29:32supporting activities consistent with the
29:34President's policies and requirements.
29:36The American people gave President Trump an
29:38overwhelming mandate on November 5th, and he's
29:41just trying to ensure that the tax money going
29:43out the door in this very bankrupt city actually
29:46aligns with the will and the priorities of the
29:48American people.
29:49The Press Yes, welcome.
29:52You look great.
29:53You're doing a great job.
29:54You talked about transparency, and some of
29:56us in this room know how just transparent President
29:59Trump has been the last five or six years.
30:02I think you'll do the same.
30:03My question is, do you think this latest
30:05incident with the President of Colombia is
30:08indicative of the global, powerful respect they
30:13have for President Trump moving forward not only
30:16to engage in economic diplomacy with these
30:19countries, but also world peace?
30:22Ms. Sanders Absolutely.
30:23I'll echo the answer that the President gave on
30:26Air Force One last night when he was asked a very
30:28similar question by one of your colleagues in the media.
30:31This signifies peace through strength is back.
30:35And this President will not tolerate illegal
30:38immigration into America's interior, and he expects
30:42every nation on this planet, again, to
30:44cooperate with the repatriation of their
30:47citizens who illegally entered into our country
30:50and broke America's laws.
30:51Won't be tolerated.
30:52And as you saw, the Colombian government
30:54quickly folded and agreed to all of President
30:56Trump's demands.
30:57Flights are underway once again.
30:58The Press Two questions on deportations, if I may.
31:03President Trump has said on the campaign trail that
31:05he would deport pro-Hamas students who are here on
31:08visas, and on his first day in office, he signed an
31:11executive order that said, quote, the U.S.
31:14must ensure that admitted aliens and aliens
31:16otherwise already present in the U.S.
31:19do not bear hostile attitudes towards the
31:21citizens, culture, government, institutions,
31:24or founding principles.
31:25So should we take this executive order as Trump
31:27saying he would be open to deporting those students
31:30who are here on visas but hold pro-Hamas sympathies?
31:34Ms. Sanders The President is open to deporting
31:36individuals who have broken our nation's
31:38immigration laws.
31:39So if they are here illegally, then certainly
31:43he is open to deporting them.
31:44And that's what this administration is hard at
31:46work at doing.
31:47We receive data from DHS and from ICE every single day.
31:51From what we hear on the ground, ICE agents are
31:54feeling incredibly empowered right now
31:55because they actually have a leader in this building
31:58who is supporting them in doing their jobs that they
32:01were hired to do, which is to detain, arrest, and
32:04deport illegal criminals who have invaded our
32:07nation's borders over the past four years.
32:09That's what the President is committed to seeing.
32:10Peter.
32:11The Press One more, just following up on that,
32:12Caroline.
32:13The Press Just following up on the question on
32:14immigration first.
32:15President Trump, during the course of the campaign in
32:172024, said the following about illegal immigration.
32:20He said, they're going back home where they
32:21belong, and we start with the criminals.
32:23There are many, many criminals.
32:25NBC News has learned that ICE arrested 1,179
32:28undocumented immigrants on Sunday, but nearly half
32:30of them, 566 of the migrants, appear to have
32:33no prior criminal record besides entering the
32:36country illegally.
32:37Is the President still focused exclusively,
32:40which is a civil crime, not a — it's not criminal.
32:43Ms. Sanders It's a federal crime.
32:45The Press It's a federal — so I'm asking, though.
32:46He said he was going to focus on those violent
32:48offenders first.
32:49So is violent offenders no longer the predicate for
32:51these people to be deported?
32:52Ms. Sanders The President has said countless times
32:54on the campaign trail — I've been with him at the
32:56rallies, I know you've been there covering them,
32:58too, Peter — that he is focused on launching the
33:00largest mass deportation operation in American
33:03history of illegal criminals.
33:05And if you are an individual, a foreign
33:07national, who illegally enters the United States
33:09of America, you are, by definition, a criminal.
33:12And so, therefore, you are subject to deportation.
33:14The Press I apologize for interrupting.
33:15So to be clear, it's not — violent criminals do
33:17not receive precedence in terms of the deportations
33:19taking place.
33:20Ms. Sanders The President has also said two things
33:21can be true at the same time.
33:22We want to deport illegal criminals, illegal
33:24immigrants from this country.
33:26But the President has said that, of course, the
33:29illegal criminal drug dealers, the rapists, the
33:32murderers, the individuals who have committed
33:35heinous acts on the interior of our country
33:38and who have terrorized law-abiding American
33:40citizens — absolutely, those should be the
33:42priority of ICE.
33:43But that doesn't mean that the other illegal
33:45criminals who entered our nation's borders are off
33:47the table.
33:48The Press Understood.
33:49And let me ask you a separate question about
33:50the confusion that still exists across the country
33:52right now as it relates to the freeze or the pause,
33:55as it's described.
33:56President Trump, of course, ran — one of the key
33:58policy items was that he was going to lower prices,
34:00lower the cost of everything from groceries,
34:02as he often said.
34:03But in many of the cases, it would seem that some
34:05of these moves could raise prices for real Americans
34:08on everything from low-income heating, that
34:10program, childcare programs.
34:12Will nothing that the President is doing here,
34:14in terms of the freeze in these programs, raise
34:17prices on ordinary Americans?
34:19Ms. Sanders What particular actions are you
34:20referring to that would —
34:21The Press I'm referring to LHEAP right now.
34:22That's the low-income heating program, for example.
34:24We can talk about — there's no clarity, so I
34:26could refer to a lot of them.
34:27We don't know what they are specifically.
34:29Can you tell us that LHEAP — that LIHEAP is not
34:31one of those affected?
34:32Ms. Sanders So you're asking a hypothetical
34:34based on programs that you can't even identify.
34:36The Press No, I just identified —
34:37Ms. Sanders What I can tell you is that —
34:38The Press Well, just to be clear, since you guys
34:39haven't identified, let's do it together, just for
34:41Americans at home.
34:42Medicaid — is that affected?
34:43Ms. Sanders I gave you a list of examples —
34:46Social Security, Medicare, welfare benefits, food
34:50stamps — that will not be impacted by this
34:53federal pause.
34:53I can get you the full list after this briefing
34:55from the Office of Management and Budget.
34:57But I do want to address the cost-cutting, because
34:59that's certainly very important, and cutting
35:02the cost of living in this country.
35:05President Trump has taken historic action over the
35:07past week to do that.
35:09He actually signed a memorandum to deliver
35:11emergency price relief for American families,
35:14which took a number of actions.
35:15I can walk you through those.
35:17He also repealed many onerous Biden
35:20administration regulations.
35:22We know over the past four years, American
35:23households has been essentially taxed $55,000
35:27in regulations from the previous administration.
35:30President Trump, with the swipe of his pen,
35:32rescinded those, which will ultimately put more
35:34money back in the pockets of the American people.
35:36So deregulation is a big deal.
35:39And then when it comes to energy, I mean, the
35:40President signed an executive order to
35:42declare a national energy emergency here at home,
35:45which is going to make America energy dominant.
35:47We know that energy is one of the number-one
35:50drivers of inflation.
35:51And so that's why the President wants to
35:53increase our energy supply, to bring down
35:55costs for Americans.
35:56The Trump energy boom is incoming, and Americans
35:59can expect that.
35:59The Press.
36:01Caroline.
36:01Some of the confusion, I think, may be here with
36:04this pause on federal funding.
36:05You've made it clear you're not stopping funds
36:07that go directly to individuals.
36:08But there certainly are lots of organizations that
36:11receive funding and then may pass along a benefit.
36:13Meals on Wheels, for one.
36:14They provide meals for over 2.2 million seniors.
36:17What is the President's message to Americans out
36:19there, many of whom supported him and voted
36:21for him, who are concerned that this is going to
36:24impact them directly, even if, as you said, the
36:27funding isn't coming directly to their wall?
36:28Ms. Sanders I have now been asked and answered
36:29this question four times.
36:31To individuals at home who receive direct assistance
36:35from the federal government, you will not
36:37be impacted by this federal freeze.
36:39In fact, OMB just sent out a memo to Capitol Hill
36:43with Q&A to clarify some of the questions and the
36:47answers that all of you are asking me right now.
36:50Again, direct assistance will not be impacted.
36:53I've been asked and answered about this OMB memo.
36:55There's many other topics of the day.
36:56Jackie Heinrich.
36:57The Press.
36:58But you mean direct assistance, Caroline,
36:59if it's going to another organization and then
37:00trickling down?
37:00Ms. Sanders Direct assistance that is in the
37:02hands of the American people will not be impacted.
37:04Again, as I said to Peter, we will continue to
37:06provide that list as it comes to fruition.
37:09But OMB right now is focused on analyzing the
37:12federal government's spending, which is
37:14exactly what the American people elected
37:15President Trump to do.
37:16The Press.
37:17And one question on immigration, Caroline,
37:17on immigration.
37:18Of the 3,500 arrests ICE has made so far since
37:21President Trump came back into office, can you just
37:23tell us the numbers?
37:24How many have a criminal record versus those who
37:27are just in the country illegally?
37:28Ms. Sanders All of them, because they illegally
37:30broke our nation's laws, and therefore they are
37:31criminals, as far as this administration goes.
37:33I know the last administration didn't see
37:35it that way.
37:35So it's a big culture shift in our nation to view
37:38someone who breaks our immigration laws as a
37:39criminal.
37:40But that's exactly what they are.
37:41The Press.
37:42One of them was the worst first.
37:43They all have a criminal record.
37:44Ms. Sanders And welcome to the break room.
37:45Ms. Sanders If they broke our nation's laws, yes,
37:47they are criminal.
37:48Yes.
37:48The Press.
37:50On stripping security details for figures like
37:51John Fulton, Pompeo, Brian Hook, Senator Tom Cotton
37:56said that he's seen the intelligence and the
37:59threat from Iran is real for anyone who played a
38:02role in Soleimani's strike.
38:05He voiced concern it wouldn't just impact those
38:07individuals, but potentially their family,
38:10innocent bystanders, friends, anyone who's near
38:12them when they're out in public.
38:14Is the President open to reconsidering his decision?
38:18Ms. Sanders The President was asked and answered
38:20this yesterday, and he was firm in his decision,
38:23despite some of the comments that you had
38:25referenced.
38:25And he's made it very clear that he does not
38:27believe American taxpayers should fund security
38:29details for individuals who have served in the
38:31government for the rest of their lives.
38:33And there's nothing stopping these
38:34individuals that you mentioned from obtaining
38:37private security.
38:38That's where the President stands on it.
38:39I have no updates on that.
38:40The Press.
38:40Is there any concern that this decision might
38:44jeopardize the administration's ability to
38:47hire the best advisors for these kinds of positions
38:50in the future?
38:51Ms. Sanders No.
38:51In fact, I've talked to the Presidential Personnel
38:53Office, who has told me directly that there is
38:55such an influx of resumes for this
38:57administration that it's incredibly overwhelming.
38:59There is no lack of talent for the Trump
39:01administration.
39:02The Press.
39:03Would he take any responsibility if
39:04anything happened to these people?
39:05Would he feel at all that his decision was a
39:08factor in that?
39:09The President was asked and answered this
39:10yesterday.
39:11I defer you to his comments.
39:12Reagan, since you're in the back row, I hear you.
39:14The back row hasn't gotten much attention in the
39:16last four years, so I'm happy to answer your
39:18question.
39:19The Press.
39:19And I can project.
39:20Does the President intend to permanently cut off
39:22funding to NGOs that are bringing illegal foreign
39:25nationals to the country?
39:26Ms. Sanders I don't know if we have to, because
39:27President Trump believes that this is a necessary
39:30step to secure our nation's borders and
39:32protect our homeland.
39:33The Press.
39:34Thank you, Caroline.
39:35It's great to see you.
39:35And you do agree.
39:36The Press.
39:37On foreign policy, Caroline.
39:37On foreign policy, if I may.
39:38The President's commitment to the NATO Defense
39:41Alliance, is it as strong as the prior
39:44administration?
39:46Is it the same as when he served as President in
39:49his first term in office?
39:50Ms. Sanders As long as NATO pays their fair share
39:52and President Trump has called on NATO allies to
39:55increase their defense spending to 5 percent, you
39:57actually saw the head of NATO at Davos last week on
40:01Bloomberg Television saying that President
40:03Trump is right, and if Europe wants to keep
40:05itself safe, they should increase their defense
40:07spending.
40:08I would just add that there was no greater ally
40:10to our European allies than President Trump in
40:14his first term.
40:15The world for all nations in Europe, and of course
40:18here at home, was much safer because of President
40:21Trump's peace through strength diplomatic
40:24approach.
40:24The Press.
40:26Thank you, Caroline.
40:26And it's great to finally be called on as well in
40:28the briefing room.
40:29I appreciate that.
40:30You're welcome.
40:30Of course, we know President Trump just got
40:32back from North Carolina and California, meeting
40:34with victims of natural disasters.
40:36There's the two-year anniversary of the East
40:38Palestine-Ohio toxic terrain derailment.
40:40Does the President have any plans to go visit the
40:43victims of that toxic spill, or just visit in
40:45general?
40:46Ms. Sanders No plans that I can read out for you
40:48here.
40:49If that changes, I will certainly keep you posted.
40:51What I can tell you is that President Trump still
40:53talks about his visit to East Palestine, Ohio.
40:56That was one of the turning points, I would
40:58say, in the previous election campaign, where
41:01Americans were reminded that President Trump is a
41:03man of the people.
41:05And he, as a candidate, visited that town that was
41:08just derailed by the terrain derailment, no
41:10pun intended.
41:11And he offered support and hope, just like I saw the
41:14President do this past week.
41:15It was a purposeful decision by this President
41:18on his first domestic trip to go to North Carolina
41:21and to California to visit with Americans who were
41:24impacted by Hurricane Helene and also by the
41:26deadly fires.
41:27A red state and a blue state, both of which feel
41:30forgotten by the previous administration and the
41:32federal government.
41:34That is now ended under President Trump.
41:37He will continue to put Americans first, whether
41:39they're in East Palestine, in Pacific Palisades, or
41:42in North Carolina.
41:42The Press Thank you, Caroline.
41:45On California, could you please clarify what the
41:48military did with the water last night, as
41:50referenced in the President's social post?
41:52Ms. McEnany The water has been turned back on in
41:54California, and this comes just days after President
41:57Trump visited Pacific Palisades.
41:59And as you all saw, applied tremendous pressure on
42:04state and local officials in Pacific Palisades,
42:07including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, to turn on
42:10the water and to direct that water to places in
42:13the south and in the middle of the state that
42:16have been incredibly dry, which has led to the
42:19expansion, the rapid expansion of these fires.
42:21The Press Could you clarify what the military's role
42:24was, where the water came from, and how it got there?
42:26Ms. McEnany Again, the Army Corps of Engineers has
42:28been on the ground in California to respond to
42:32the devastation from these wildfires.
42:34And I would point out that just days after President
42:37Trump visited, the devastation from these
42:40fires, the water was turned on.
42:41That is because of the pressure campaign he put
42:43on state and local officials there who clearly
42:46lack all common sense.
42:47And I will never forget being at that roundtable
42:49with the President last week.
42:51And hearing the frustration in the voices of Pacific
42:54Palisades residents who feel as though their
42:56government has just gone insane.
42:58Before President Trump showed up on the scene,
43:00Karen Bass was telling private property owners
43:03that they would have to wait 18 months to access
43:06their private property.
43:07So this administration, the President and his team
43:09that's on the ground in California, Rick Grinnell,
43:11who he has designated to oversee this great crisis,
43:14will continue to put pressure on Karen Bass and
43:18state and local officials to allow residents to
43:20access their properties.
43:21This is a huge part of it.
43:23These residents want to take part in their own
43:26clearing out of their properties.
43:27They should be able to do that.
43:29It's the United States of America.
43:30What happened to our freedom?
43:31Clearly, it's gone in California, but not
43:33anymore under President Trump.
43:35April.
43:35The Press.
43:36Caroline, welcome to the briefing room.
43:37Several questions, one on the pause.
43:40Will minority-serving institutions, preferably
43:44colleges and universities, have those monies held
43:47back temporarily at this moment?
43:49Again, I have not seen the entire list because this
43:52memo was just sent out.
43:53So I will provide you all with updates as we
43:56receive them.
43:56Okay?
43:57Also, secondly, when it comes to immigration,
44:02there is this southern border focus.
44:05What happens to those who've overstayed their
44:08visas?
44:08That is part of the broken immigration system.
44:10In 2023, there was a report by the Biden
44:13administration, Homeland Security Department, that
44:15said overstays of visas were three times more than
44:18usual.
44:19Will there be a focus on the overstays for visas
44:21as well?
44:22If an individual is overstaying their visa,
44:24they are, therefore, an illegal immigrant residing
44:27in this country, and they are subject to
44:28deportation.
44:29Yes.
44:29And also, lastly, as we're dealing with anti-DEI,
44:33anti-woke efforts, we understand this
44:34administration could — is thinking about
44:37celebrating Black History Month.
44:38Have you got any word on that?
44:40Anything that you can offer to us?
44:42As far as I know, this White House certainly
44:44still intends to celebrate, and we will
44:46continue to celebrate American history and the
44:48contributions that all Americans, regardless of
44:50race, religion, or creed, have made to our great
44:53country.
44:53And America is back.
44:54Christian, then you can talk.
44:55The Press Thanks, Caroline.
44:56Just real quick, you mentioned the inflation
44:59executive order the President signed, but egg
45:01prices have skyrocketed since President Trump
45:04took office.
45:05So what specifically is he doing to lower those
45:07costs for Americans?
45:08Ms. McEnany Really glad you brought this up,
45:10because there is a lot of reporting out there that
45:12is putting the onus on this White House for the
45:15increased cost of eggs.
45:17I would like to point out to each and every one of
45:19you that in 2024, when Joe Biden was in the Oval
45:22Office — or upstairs in the residence sleeping,
45:24I'm not so sure — egg prices increased 65 percent
45:29in this country.
45:30We also have seen the cost of everything, not just
45:34eggs.
45:34Bacon, groceries, gasoline have increased
45:37because of the inflationary policies of the
45:39last administration.
45:41As far as the egg shortage, what's also
45:43contributing to that is that the Biden
45:44administration and the Department of Agriculture
45:47directed the mass killing of more than 100 million
45:50chickens, which has led to a lack of chicken supply
45:53in this country, therefore a lack of egg supply,
45:55which is leading to the shortage.
45:56So I will leave you at this point.
45:58This is an example of why it's so incredibly
46:01important that the Senate moves swiftly to confirm
46:04all of President Trump's nominees, including his
46:06nominee for the United States Department of
46:08Agriculture, Brooke Rawlins, who is already
46:10speaking with Kevin Hassett, who is leading
46:12the economic team here at the White House, on how
46:14we can address the egg shortage in this country.
46:17As for costs, I laid out — costs, I laid out the
46:19plethora of ways that President Trump has
46:22addressed saving costs for the American people
46:25over the past week.
46:26He looks forward to continuing doing that in
46:27the days ahead.
46:28Thank you, guys.