4 hours ago
Key takeaways from Trump press conference
Trump said tariffs on China won’t return to 145% after the 90-day pause, adding that he sees a deal happening. He called the talks in Geneva over the weekend “productive” and a ‘“total reset” had been achieved, and said he may speak to Chinese president Xi Jinping “maybe at the end of the week”. “They’ve agreed to fully open China,” he said, adding that Beijing had agreed to remove non-monetary barriers to US trade. He added that the 90-day pause doesn’t include tariffs on cars, steel, aluminum, or tariffs that may be imposed on pharmaceuticals.
In a tense exchange, Trump attacked ABC – which first broke the story of Qatar offering his administration a $400m luxury jet – calling the network “a disaster”. He claimed it wasn’t a personal gift to him but a gift to the DoD, and said Boeing’s delays in delivering a new Air Force One make it a practical decision. Turning down a free plane would be “stupid”, Trump said, adding that he has no plans to use the plane after he leaves office.
Trump welcomes news of a potential meeting between Russia and Ukraine on Thursday, and mused about flying to Turkey to join the discussions: “I was thinking about actually flying over there. There’s a possibility of it, I guess, if I think things can happen, but we’ve got to get it done.”
Trump said US drug prices could drop 90% due to his executive order, which aims to “equalize” prices for America with other countries. “It’s just a redistribution of wealth,” he said. “Europe and the rest of the world is going to have to pay a little bit more, and America’s going to pay a lot less.” He said he’ll add on to tariffs if countries don’t abide by his “equalizing” drug policy to lower prices.
Iran is “being very reasonable thus far”, said Trump, signalling that nuclear talks are going well and “intelligently”. “I think they understand that I mean business.”
Trump hinted towards removing sanctions on Syria following a query from Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He said: “We may take them off of Syria, because we want to give them a fresh start.”
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Zelenskyy on Trump's possible participation in Turkey talks - 'the right idea'
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the possibility of Donald Trump’s participation in talks with Russia in Turkey on Thursday and expressed hope that Russian leader Vladimir Putin will not “evade the meeting”.
“All of us in Ukraine would appreciate it if President Trump could be there with us at this meeting in Türkiye. This is the right idea. We can change a lot,” Zelenskyy said on X.
He added that Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan “can indeed host highest-level meeting”.
I have just heard President Trump’s statement. Very important words.
I supported @POTUS idea of a full and unconditional ceasefire — long enough to provide the foundation for diplomacy. And we want it, we are ready to uphold silence on our end.
I supported President Trump with the idea of direct talks with Putin. I have openly expressed my readiness to meet. I will be in Türkiye. I hope that the Russians will not evade the meeting.
And of course, all of us in Ukraine would appreciate it if President Trump could be there with us at this meeting in Türkiye. This is the right idea. We can change a lot. President @RTErdogan can indeed host highest-level meeting. Thank you to everyone who is helping.
Pentagon spent at least $21m on flights to Guantánamo, which currently holds 32 people - NBC News
NBC News reports that the Trump administration spent at least $21m transporting migrants to Guantánamo Bay on military aircraft between 20 January and 8 April, according to figures provided to Congress by the US military in response to questions from Demmocratic senator Elizabeth Warren.
The naval base there currently holds 32 migrants, NBC reports citing a defense official, “a tiny fraction of the 30,000 that Donald Trump pledged”.
NBC writes:
Democrats condemned the Guantanamo effort as a wasteful ‘political stunt’ by Trump, who announced in late January that migrants would be held at the navy base, which houses the notorious detention facility. Two months after the effort began, administration officials acknowledged that it was logistically and legally flawed and beset by administration infighting.
Warren, a member of the Senate armed services committee, denounced the use of US military assets and personnel for the mission.
‘Every American should be outraged by Donald Trump wasting military resources to pay for his political stunts that do not make us safer,’ Warren said. ‘US service members did not sign up for this abuse of power.’
Democrats call Qatar plane offer a 'conflict of interest' if Trump accepts it
Democratic senators Cory Booker, Chris Coons, Chris Murphy and Brian Schatz have issued a joint statement arguing that there is a “clear conflict of interest” if Donald Trump accepts a luxury plane from Qatar’s royal family.
Trump earlier today defended his administration’s plan to accept the plane. “I think it’s a great gesture from Qatar,” he told reporters at the White House.
I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer. I mean, I could be a stupid person and say, no, we don’t want a free, very expensive airplane.
The Democratic senators urged colleagues to reassert that lawmakers cannot take gifts from foreign governments without congressional approval.
“Air Force One is more than just a plane – it’s a symbol of the presidency and of the United States itself,” the lawmakers wrote.
Any president who accepts this kind of gift, valued at $400 million, from a foreign government creates a clear conflict of interest, raises serious national security questions, invites foreign influence, and undermines public trust in our government.
The White House is unveiling an aggressive drug pricing strategy targeting pharmaceutical companies, promising to dramatically cut prescription drug costs for American consumers.
Donald Trump condemned the current pricing system as a “redistribution” that has allowed drugmakers to exploit US patients, saying he will sign an executive order that would match lower drug prices abroad.
“We are subsidizing others’ healthcare, where they paid a small fraction of what we pay,” the president said in a press conference on Monday.
Even though the United States is home to only 4% of the world’s population, pharmaceutical companies make more than two-thirds of their profits in America … That’s not a good thing.
The proposed policy, dubbed as “most favored nation”, would force pharmaceutical companies to match the lowest global prices, in effect ending what Trump describes as systematic overcharging.
The new order aims to level the global pharmaceutical playing field, with Trump suggesting that “Europe’s going to have to pay a little bit more” while Americans will pay “a lot less”.
Donald Trump has been pictured boarding Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews to begin his Middle East trip.
Trump is set to land in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, followed by visits to Qatar and then the United Arab Emirates.
Edan Alexander, an Israeli-American soldier who was kidnapped on 7 October 2023, has been released by Hamas on Monday.
Alexander, 21, was the last living American hostage in Gaza. He is now “en route to Israeli territory through [the] Kissufim crossing with Gaza,” Reuters reports.
Donald Trump, speaking to reporters shortly before departing for his Middle East tour, said Alexander would be “coming home to his parents, which is really great news”.
Trump credited his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, in helping secure the release of Alexander. “He has a special way about him,” Trump said of Witkoff.
He added that he hoped “other hostages” will be released.
Key takeaways from Trump press conference
Trump said tariffs on China won’t return to 145% after the 90-day pause, adding that he sees a deal happening. He called the talks in Geneva over the weekend “productive” and a ‘“total reset” had been achieved, and said he may speak to Chinese president Xi Jinping “maybe at the end of the week”. “They’ve agreed to fully open China,” he said, adding that Beijing had agreed to remove non-monetary barriers to US trade. He added that the 90-day pause doesn’t include tariffs on cars, steel, aluminum, or tariffs that may be imposed on pharmaceuticals.
In a tense exchange, Trump attacked ABC – which first broke the story of Qatar offering his administration a $400m luxury jet – calling the network “a disaster”. He claimed it wasn’t a personal gift to him but a gift to the DoD, and said Boeing’s delays in delivering a new Air Force One make it a practical decision. Turning down a free plane would be “stupid”, Trump said, adding that he has no plans to use the plane after he leaves office.
Trump welcomes news of a potential meeting between Russia and Ukraine on Thursday, and mused about flying to Turkey to join the discussions: “I was thinking about actually flying over there. There’s a possibility of it, I guess, if I think things can happen, but we’ve got to get it done.”
Trump said US drug prices could drop 90% due to his executive order, which aims to “equalize” prices for America with other countries. “It’s just a redistribution of wealth,” he said. “Europe and the rest of the world is going to have to pay a little bit more, and America’s going to pay a lot less.” He said he’ll add on to tariffs if countries don’t abide by his “equalizing” drug policy to lower prices.
Iran is “being very reasonable thus far”, said Trump, signalling that nuclear talks are going well and “intelligently”. “I think they understand that I mean business.”
Trump hinted towards removing sanctions on Syria following a query from Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. He said: “We may take them off of Syria, because we want to give them a fresh start.”
'ABC is a disaster': Trump issues attack on network after claiming $400m plane from Qatar is not a personal gift
Asked what he says to people who view the luxury $4oom plane from Qatar as a gift to him, Trump says:
You’re ABC News fake news right? … You should be embarrassed asking that question.
ABC News broke the story. “They’re giving us a free jet. I could say no, no, I want to pay you $400m or I could say ‘thank you very much’,” Trump says, before descending into a golf analogy.
He reiterates that declining the offer would be “stupid”.
He doubles down that it’s not a gift to him but a gift to the Department of Defense, adding a further attack on ABC News:
You should know better because you’ve been embarrassed enough and so has your network. Your network is a disaster. ABC is a disaster.
Also, he signed the executive order on drug pricing.
Trump says he thinks China will follow through with removing non-monetary barriers, adding: “I think they want the deal very badly.”
Trump raises the prospect of joining talks between Russia and Ukraine in Turkey on Thursday.
Trump will be visiting Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. He says:
I think you may have a good result out of the Thursday meeting in Turkey between Russia and Ukraine.
I was thinking about flying over. I don’t know where I’m going to be on Thursday. I’ve got so many meetings, but I was thinking about actually flying over there. There’s a possibility of it, I guess, if I think things can happen, but we’ve got to get it done.
Trump says he doesn’t plan to use the plane after he leaves office.
Trump says “it’s a great gesture” from Qatar and says turning down a free and very expensive plane would be “stupid”.
Trump says US needs Qatari plane after Boeing delays
Asked if Qatar has asked for anything in exchange for the $400m jet, Trump says no, adding Air Force One “isn’t even in the same ball game” as planes owned by “some of the Arab countries”.
He justifies his plans to accept the plane as a gift from the Qatari royal family by arguing that Boeing’s delays in delivering a new Air Force One make it a practical decision.
Trump says tariffs on China imports won't return to 145% and that he sees a deal
Trump is asked whether if no trade deal is reached with China at the end of the 90-day pause the tariffs will go back up to 145%.
“No,” he says. “But they will go up substantially higher [than 30%].”
He thinks Washington and Beijing will have a deal, he adds.
Trump hints towards removing sanctions on Syria following a query from Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
“We may take them off of Syria, because we want to give them a fresh start,” Trump says.
Iran is “being very reasonable thus far”, says Trump, signalling that nuclear talks are going well. “I think they understand that I mean business.”
“Many other [trade] deals are coming in,” Trump claims, adding the US will “set the price”.
Trump says he will add on to tariffs if countries don't abide by drug policy
Trump says he’ll add on to tariffs if countries don’t abide by his “equalizing” drug policy to lower prices.
