Trump gives wide-ranging press conference. Here’s what you need to know

A relaxed President-elect Trump met the press and took questions for over an hour at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida residence, on Monday.

His first press conference since the election stands in marked contrast to President Joe Biden, who has done relatively few such events this year.

In his statements, Trump reiterated his commitment to making America great again by restoring the economy, securing the border, reducing regulations and taxes, while bringing peace to America and the world.  

“You know, when I left, we had no wars. We had no problems,” he said. “The Middle East was good. We did the Abraham accords. We did things that nobody thought were even possible. But think of it: Four years ago, we had no wars.” 

Trump began the press conference by introducing Masayoshi Son, the founder and CEO of Japan’s SoftBank, which has agreed to invest $100 billion in the United States in the wake of Trump’s election, predicted to create 100,000 jobs. 

​Trump said the investment reflects confidence in the U.S. economy after the election.  

“You probably noticed the poll that was just taken. In 39 years, there’s been nothing like it. It’s been the biggest increase [in confidence] small business owners gave. It’s a 41% jump,” said Trump, referencing the National Federation of Independent Business survey for November which saw small business optimism rise 41 points in one month.  

The CEO of SoftBank agreed.  

“My confidence level to the economy of the United States has tremendously increased with his victory,” Son told reporters. “So because of that, I’m now excited to commit this $100 billion and 100,000 jobs into the United States.”  

Trump then pivoted to the war in Ukraine, saying casualties are being underreported for both Russia and Ukraine. He compared photos of the Ukraine battlefields he’s seen to U.S. Civil War photos of mass casualties. 

“It’s a tough one. It’s a nasty one. It’s nasty. People are being killed at levels that nobody’s ever seen,” Trump told reporters. “You know, it’s very level fields, and the only thing that stops a bullet is a body, a human body. And the number of soldiers that are being killed on both sides is astronomical.” 

When asked later what Russia and Ukraine had to give up for peace, Trump said both sides just had to strike a deal. 

“Too many people being killed. … [Ukraine’s] got to make a deal, and Putin has to make a deal,” said Trump.  

Trump then blasted outgoing President Joe Biden on two ways he thinks Democrats are trying to sabotage his incoming administration. 

The first issue involves a waiver for 49,000 government employees represented by the American Federation of Government Employees who will not be required to come into the office for the next five years. 

“It’s ridiculous. It was like a gift to a union, and we’re going to obviously be in court to stop [it],” Trump said. 

Trump also called out members of the administration for auctioning off, for pennies on the dollar, completed pieces of the border wall that haven’t been installed.  

“So, the people that are buying it, are trying to buy it, are trying to make a deal with us to sell it back at hundreds of times more, hundreds of times more than we paid… so I’m asking today, Joe Biden, to please stop selling the wall,” Trump said. 

On corporate taxes, Trump promised to reduce them to 15%, “but only if [businesses] make their product, their car, or whatever they’re doing, in the United States.” 

He promised to rely more on tariffs for tax revenue and to make America energy independent again with clean coal and expansion of oil and gas production.  

Trump said his administration will mark “the most exciting and successful period of reform and renewal in all of American history, maybe of global history, the golden age of America.” 

He then took questions from reporters. 

On his talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin:  

“Well, I’m not going to comment on the Putin question, but I will comment on Bibi [Netanyahu]. We had a very good talk,” said Trump. “We discussed what is going to happen, and I’ll be very available on Jan. 20, and we’ll see. I know I gave warning that if these [Israeli] hostages aren’t back home by that date, all hell is going to break out.”  

Trump later clarified that Hamas would have to find out what will happen exactly if they don’t release the hostages by Jan. 20, “but it means it won’t be pleasant” for the Iran-backed terror group, which has been holding Israeli and American hostages since Oct. 7, 2023. 

On the link between autism and vaccines:  

“Well, I don’t know right now. You have some very brilliant people looking at it,” Trump said. “I had dinner the other night with the head of Pfizer, the head of Eli Lilly, and RFK, as you know, and [Dr.] Oz, and we had other people within the administration that are involved in the medical and we’re going to look at autism. Thirty years ago, we had … numbers of one in 200,000, in 100,000, and now I’m hearing numbers of one in 100 [who have autism]. So, something’s wrong. There’s something wrong, and we’re going to find out.”  

Trump said he thought Robert Kennedy, Jr. was going to be “much less radical than you would think” on vaccines. 

“I’m a big believer in [the polio vaccine], and I think everything should be looked at, but I’m a big believer in the polio vaccine, Salk vaccine,” Trump added later.  

But he also emphasized he’s against mandates on vaccines.  

“I don’t like mandates. I’m not a big mandate person,” he said.  

Trump also promised the focus of the administration would be to lower drug prices, saying the U.S. subsidizes cheap medicine for other countries.  

On the reports of drones in American skies: 

“The government knows what is happening. Look, our military knows where they took off from. If it’s a garage, they can go right into that garage,” Trump told reporters. “They know where it came from and where it went. And for some reason they don’t want to comment. 

“I think they’d be better off saying what it is our military knows and our president knows, and for some reason, they want to keep people in suspense. I can’t imagine it’s the enemy. … Something strange is going on. For some reason they don’t want to tell the people.”  

Trump declined to say if he’d had an intelligence briefing on the drone sightings. 

On the admission that the rape allegations against the Duke lacrosse players 18 years ago was a hoax: 

“I thought it was a hoax when it happened, the Duke situation. I didn’t believe the woman, as you know. They destroyed the lives of these kids,” said Trump. 

On whether he’d consider a pardon for New York Mayor Eric Adams who is facing charges of bribery and fraud: 

“I think that he was treated pretty unfairly. Now I haven’t seen the gravity of it all, but it seems like [it’s about] being upgraded in an airplane many years ago,” Trump said. “I mean, I’d have to see it, because I don’t know the facts.”  

Trump said when he saw Mayor Adams coming out in support of the plan to deport illegal immigrants, he predicted an indictment would follow. 

On pardoning the Jan. 6 defendants:  

“Well, you’ll find out, but it’s going to go quickly,” he said.  

On the possibility that Lara Trump will be appointed to Sen. Marco Rubio’s U.S. Senate seat by Florida’s Gov. Ron DeSantis: 

“I don’t know. Ron is doing a good job. That’s his choice. Nothing to do with me. Lara is unbelievable,” said Trump.  

Trump about Rubio as one of the ‘stars’ of the incoming administration:  

“Marco has been really a star already, and we haven’t started. But, you know, we see signs from some people or very early, we see signs of a star,” said Trump about his pick for Secretary of State. “I mean, Marco has done incredibly. He’s sort of born for it. It was such an easy decision. The Marco decision was such an easy one, but he leaves a vacancy in Florida” by leaving his U.S. Senate seat.   

On the United Healthcare shooting:  

“I think it’s a terrible thing. I think it’s really terrible that some people seem to admire [the killer]…,” said Trump. “It’s just an overall sickness, as opposed to a specific sickness. That was a terrible thing. It was cold blooded, just a cold blooded, horrible killing.” 

On whether GOP senators who oppose his cabinet nominations should have primary races against other Republicans:  

“I’ll give you a different answer, an answer that you’ll be shocked to hear,” Trump told reporters. “If they’re unreasonable, if they’re opposing somebody for political reasons or stupid reasons, … I would say they probably would be primaried. But if they’re reasonable, fair and really disagree with something or somebody, I can’t see that happening.” 

On the expansion of defamation lawsuits to other press outlets after ABC came to a $15 million settlement with Trump on defamation allegations:  

“I think you have to do it because they’re very dishonest. We need a great media. We need a fair media,” said Trump. “I’m doing this not because I want to. I’m doing this because I feel I have an obligation to.”  

He said to expect lawsuits against the Des Moines Register, CBS News, and the Pulitzer organization for giving out awards for writers who reported incorrectly on the “Russia hoax.” 

On Venezuela taking back gang members from Tren de Aragua who have terrorized U.S. cities:  

“They’re going to take them back. They’re all taking them back. Yep. And if they don’t, they’ll be met very harshly, economically,” Trump promised. “They’ll all take them back. You know, Venezuela and other countries were not behaving very well with us during Biden’s administration, and within 24 hours, they were behaving very well.”