Remarks #2 transcript, Sep 13, 2026 (Donald Trump)

I just wanted to make sure everyone's okay with the music. Right?

We loved it, Mr. President.

Are you okay?

We love it.

Do you like the music——

Mr. President, were you listening——

I'm only back here—I gave you a press conference before we got on.

The music is great, right?

Yes, it's great. It was fantastic.

Okay?

Were you picking these songs?

I picked myself. I want to make you happy, so I'm playing wonderful music, happy music.

Dolly Parton was the best.

Dolly was the greatest, wasn't she?

That was a sad moment when Dolly left us. We have a lot of Dolly songs on there, but Dolly was——

Yes, you're a big music guy. You probably really liked her.

I love music. I love good music. That's what keeps me happy. Because with my life, it's a very interesting thing. But I love music.

President Trump, when you meet with President Xi soon, will you be discussing autos with him? And would you ever allow——

I'm discussing almost everything with him.

Would you ever allow Chinese autos into the United States?

Well, I haven't. I'm the one that kept them out. The tariffs kept them out. I have 100-percent tariff—from 100 to 150 percent.

But would you?

So, unlike Europe, which is being decimated by cars—zero. So, so far, the answer is yes.

What about Boeing planes? Do you think you're going to get that deal figured out?

Yes, I'll get—I get every deal.

And on the topic of Xi, we recently reported that Chinese entities may have provided the Iranians with satellite imagery of the air bases in Jordan.

They do what we do. They basically do what we do.

Are you going to raise that——

I would say this——

with Xi when he visits?

——I think he's behaved reasonably well, and we behave reasonably well. You know, when they say that China spies on us, I say, "You're right, and we spy on them too." You know, we spy on them too. Okay?

This is a different trip. I just gave you news. I just wanted to know how you like the music. It's good?

Mr. President, can we get the—we need the full playlist. Can we keep playing it?

Just keep writing the songs down. Eventually—[ laughter ]——

Mr. President, on Friday you reposted a video you took on January 6. What was the message for posting that on Friday?

Well, I posted about 30. Which one are you talking about?

You posted a video you took and posted on January 6, asking the rioters to go back home.

The who?

The rioters of January 6 in 2021.

I don't know what she's talking about.

You also reposted Maduro again—the capture of Maduro.

I did. Yes. Well, they never talk about Maduro. See, you do, but they never talk about Maduro.

That was a great capture.

Speaking on Venezuela——

That was a big. That was a big get. Maduro.

Yes. Speaking on Venezuela, you're going to New York later this month.

Yes.

Will you be meeting with Delcy Rodríguez to talk about the oil?

I may be, yes. I may be. Well, we have the oil now and we're taking in——

But the oil deal, will you be speaking with her?

——we're taking in billions of barrels of oil a month.

Mr. President, the way things are going now with Russia and Ukraine, which war do you think could end sooner?

Well, the problem I have with Ukraine and Russia is that, you know, a lot of the diesel comes—diesel oil comes, and that's the one where there's a big up—it comes from Russia. And the Russia—plants are being hit by Ukraine. And I've asked President Zelenskyy not to hit the diesel plants—refineries.

Is it potentially that Ukraine war could end——

Because that's what's driving it up. The——

Is there potential that——

Wait a minute.

Yes, sir.

The diesel is being driven up by the fact that it's having a hard time coming out of Russia, and that's a case that hurts the world. We've got to stop it.

Speaking of diesel——

About your election speech, sir——

With CIA Director, Ratcliffe——

Huh?

CIA Director Ratcliffe, is he going to be playing a greater role in the negotiations?

He plays a great role. He's doing a great job. Ratcliffe is doing a great job.

Do you have concerns about Witkoff and Kushner at all and their ability to—to close the deal?

No, no they're doing—well, they're doing a great job too.

Look at Gaza as an example. Look at the fact that we got all the hostages back. We got the hostages back. You know, people forget there's not a lot of fighting in Gaza. Hamas is now willing to give up their weapons.

No, they've done an incredible job. Nobody could have done the job they did. But he's involved in everything.

Do you think Zelenskyy will get his Patriots and the licensing that he wants? Are you still ——

Well, we're talking about it. We might.

Have you ruled——

The less sophisticated version.

Are you happy that the U.K.——

You know what I mean?

Yes, yes. Are you——

They're far less sophisticated.

Are you happy that some of the European allies, some of NATO allies are—plan to sell them some—haven't bought them from the U.S.? It looks like they're going to try and give them some——

That they're doing what?

There's some reports that the—some European countries, like the U.K. and others, are going to kind of band together and try and sell them some of their stockpile or sell the ones that they bought from the U.S.

Well, we'll see. I mean, you know, we have a big stockpile of certain weapons. A lot of them are, you know, virtually unlimited. We have a very big stockpile. When it comes to the elite, a lot of that was given to Ukraine, but we're making it very rapidly right now. We're building up our stockpile very fast.

Right now we're making more Patriots than we've ever made, and we are—I mean, plants are literally not just working overtime. Plants are literally being made to make Patriots and others.

Mr. President, with the recent activity in Pickaxe Mountain——

The Patriots, the THAADs, the Tomahawks—plants are being made for each. So, rather than just overtime at one very big plant, you know, to——

You talked about in your speech in the—at the U.S. Ambassador's residence. You've got some new emerging technology coming out—these—this lasers and the Gatling guns.

Yes.

Can you tell us any more about the lasers or that kind of kit?

Well, the lasers going to be a big thing because it's a lot less expensive than sending up Patriots. And the lasers is a big thing. So far, it doesn't have the distance, but it'll soon have the distance.

My uncle at MIT was a big laser guy, believe it or not, a long time ago. He said lasers is going to be the future, and I guess it's turning out to be.

Once you have the equipment, the laser beam itself is very inexpensive. Almost nothing. And yes, we're getting close. The lasers are very, very good for, you know, already for certain types of missiles, certain slower missiles.

I think the laser is going to be the future because rather than spending a lot of money—as good as they are, virtually a hundred-percent accurate—the laser is a lot less expensive.

Mr. President, you talked a lot about Canada

With AI and——

A lot less expensive.

You've talked a lot about Canada just in the recent weeks or so.

Yes.

You keep saying also that Russia and China—or that Canada is more dangerous to the U.S. than Russia and China.

No, not "more dangerous." I said they're more difficult to deal with. I find Canada to be the worst country to deal with.

Really?

The most difficult country. With that being said, they're dying to make a deal.

Why is that?

I find Canada to be very, very difficult to deal with. Their leaders, not the people. The people are fantastic.

On AI, President Trump——

But I find them to be very, very difficult.

On China, sir——

On AI——

And they've ripped off our country for years, but they don't rip them off with me.

Are the tariffs still in effect?

Yes. Well, we have a lot of tariffs. A lot more tariffs are coming in. Don't forget, on January 1, car tariffs—the big one is cars, and we take in a lot of their cars. Car tariffs are coming in.

President Trump, this week, again, there's been so much concern about AI. Have you heard directly from any of these AI tech leaders?

Yes, I have.

And you seem to downplay some of the concerns that we've heard.

No, I'm not downplaying, but it's—you know, it's going to be more good than bad, but by a lot. And I've said it—I've said it——

Have you heard directly from any of them?

——from the beginning: Whoever wins AI—and we're leading by a lot—whoever wins AI, wins.

Have you ever used it yourself, or have you been?

I use AI. Yes, I do.

How do you use AI?

But I would say——

Do you——

——you know, for the most part, you can use AI for a lot of things.

What do you use it for?

Well, I don't want to tell you that.

Speaking of AI, Flock cameras. You haven't talked a lot about these Flock cameras. A lot of law enforcement say the—they really help them. Would you be willing to back that?

Well, people—yes, no, I sort of like them because of that, because of law enforcement, but some people don't. They think it's an infringement.

They help catch a lot of criminals.

But I—like them.

Thank you, everybody.

Mr. President, we saw you on Friday showing Melania the helipad. When do you plan to use it first?

Well, it's going to be, I think, the 21st. Is—it's open now.

The 21st?

It's ready now, and it's a masterpiece.

When will you be using it?

Does everybody like it? Is it beautiful? It is a masterpiece.

I think it's—yes, it looks nice.

That's all carved granite. It's like—it's a—million. It's a stone rated 1 million-plus years, and carved—beautifully. People are loving it.

When's the ballroom going to be done?

People are really liking it.

Do we have, like, a schedule for when you're going to be——

Now, listen, okay, I came back here for——

What's your favorite song?

Enjoy—the—I——

Thank you, Mr. President.

Every—song that you hear is my—they're all good.

Did you handpick them?

We like Elton. We like Dolly. We like them all.

Have a good time, everybody.

Thank you.

Thank you.