Administration of Donald J. Trump, 2025
October 24, 2025
China/Taiwan
Q. Mr. President, will you be talking about Taiwan with President Xi?
The President. Well, I'll be talking about Taiwan. Won't be going there, but I'll be talking about it. Won't be too far away. A lot of respect for Taiwan.
Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada
Q. Did you speak to the Canadian Prime Minister?
The President. I don't know. They cheated on a commercial. Ronald Reagan loved tariffs, and they said he didn't. And I guess it was AI or something. They cheated badly.
Canada got caught cheating on a commercial. Can you believe it?
Q. Are you going to meet with him?
The President. No, I don't have any plan to.
President Xi Jinping of China
Q. What do you hope to gain in your meeting—[inaudible]? And what do you think that he hopes to gain from you——
The President. We want to take care of our farmers. We have a lot to talk about with President Xi, and he has a lot to talk about with us. I think we'll have a good meeting.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Benefits
Q. Also, are you going to direct the Department of Agriculture to fund food stamps next month through the—if the shutdown continues?
The President. Yes, everybody is going to be in good shape. Yes.
White House Ballroom Construction Project/Proposed Triumphal Arch
Q. [Inaudible] What are you doing—[inaudible]—the ballroom?
The President. Well, we raised a lot. We've raised over $350 million. It's a beautiful room, a big room. I don't have any plan to call it after myself. That was fake news. Probably going to call it the "Presidential Ballroom" or something like that. We haven't really thought about a name yet.
Q. What are you going to do, though, with the extra $50 million?
The President. Well, it could even be more than that. Probably, possibly, assuming we can do that—you know, we're building the arc, and maybe we'll use it for the arc.
Q. [Inaudible]
The President. Looks like we might. You know, we're going to be building the arc, and we've raised a lot of money for the ballroom, so maybe we'll put—the arc is going to be incredible for Washington, DC. So, maybe we'll use it for the arc.
Senator Richard L. Scott/Hong Kong Businessman and Politician Jimmy Lai
Q. Mr. President, Senator Rick Scott—Senator Rick Scott is—[inaudible]—you, along with several other lawmakers, when you speak with President Xi, to ask for the release of political prisoner and devout Catholic Jimmy Lai.
The President. I might do that, yes. Well, I have a lot of respect for Rick Scott and a lot of them that are asking me to do that, and it's on my list. I'm going to ask. Look, they're big enemies. So we'll see what happens. You know—Jimmy Lai—Jimmy Lai and President Xi are big enemies. But it's been a long time, and I will be—it'll be on my list.
Q. Ontario—Ontario——
Off-Year Elections in Virginia and New Jersey
Q. [Inaudible]
The President. Well, I hope she wins. I mean, the other person is horrible. She's horrible. And the attorney general candidate talking about, you know, killing the children and—him and the children, the wife, everybody. I mean, how can you put a guy like that in office? So I hope they both win. I hope she wins. I hope the attorney general wins.
Yes.
And I think you have a great Republican candidate in New Jersey, as you know. Jack is going to be great, and he's going to cut your energy bills in half. And she's going to double your energy bill.
So New Jersey—just on energy alone—and other costs—but on energy alone, I think Jack should win. He's going to cut—I'll tell you what, I know him well. He's going to cut your energy bills in half.
Ontario Province Advertisement Critical of U.S. Tarriff Policy
Q. Ontario says they're going to pull that Reagan tariff ad come this Monday, but it's airing it during it's first of the World Series games.
The President. Well, you know, it's a crooked ad. I heard he's airing it—Canada. That's why I pulled everything. We—Canada, they wrote a—they did a crooked ad. They know it was a—Ronald Reagan loved tariffs. What they did is really dishonest, and I heard they were pulling the ad. I didn't know they were putting it on a little bit more. They could have pulled it tonight.
Q. They're going to pull it Monday.
The President. Well, that's dirty playing——
Q. Have you spoken with Carney?
The President. ——but I can play dirtier than they can. You know?
Q. Sir—sir, on this Colombia——
The President. Really, very dishonest.
President Gustavo Petro Urrego of Colombia
Q. Mr. President, you called the President of Colombia a drug dealer.
The President. Yes. Yes.
Q. Do you want to see him face——
The President. He's a drug dealer. The President of Colombia is a drug dealer.
Australia-U.S. Relations
Q. On the Australia visit earlier this week. You haven't appointed an Ambassador to Australia yet. Why not? And have you got anyone in mind?
The President. Well, I talked to the—yes, I'm talking to your—as you know, your leader was just here. And he's a great guy. And I'm going to make sure we have somebody that he likes.
Q. Have you got anyone in mind?
The President. I have one or two people. I didn't know if they would like them. I do. I have somebody in mind.
Here's the good news: Everybody wants to be Ambassador to Australia.
Q. And you patched things up with our Ambassador as well, we're told.
The President. Say it?
Q. You patched things up with our Ambassador—the Australian Ambassador. You told him all was forgiven.
The President. No, I don't know anything about him.
Q. You told him all was forgiven in the meeting.
The President. I don't—you know, I think he said, long time ago, something bad. You know, when they say bad about me, I don't forget.
Consumer Price Index Data
Q. [Inaudible]—reaction to the CPI numbers today?
The President. Very good. Very good. We have great financial numbers. We have an economy that is going to be the strongest ever. We had a new stock market high, and we're doing great.
This country—this country is doing—I think, very soon, I can say better than ever before.
State Affairs Commission President Kim Jong Un of North Korea
Q. Mr. President, will you meet with Kim Jong Un? Will you meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un when you're there?
The President. Yes, I'd like to.
Q. [Inaudible]—this trip?
The President. I don't know. He knows I'm going there. I don't know. We let him know—he knows that I'm going there. I would like to. I get along with him very well.
NOTE: The President spoke at 10:42 p.m. on the South Lawn at the White House prior to boarding Marine One. In his remarks, he referred to Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, Democratic gubernatorial candidate former Rep. Abigail D. Spanberger, and Democratic attorney general candidate Jerrauld C.C. "Jay" Jones; former Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates Christopher T. Gilbert and his sons Jack and Grant and wife Jennifer Wishon Gilbert; New Jersey Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rebecca M. "Mikie" Sherrill; and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Ambassador to the U.S. Kevin M. Rudd of Australia. The transcript was released by the Office of Communications on October 25.
Categories: Interviews With the News Media : Exchanges with reporters, White House. Locations: Washington, DC.
Names: Albanese, Anthony; Carney, Mark; Ciattarelli, Jack; Earle-Sears, Winsome; Gilbert, Christopher T.; Gilbert, Grant; Gilbert, Jack; Gilbert, Jennifer Wishon; Jones, Jerrauld C.C. "Jay"; Kim Jong Un; Lai, Jimmy; Petro Urrego, Gustavo; Rudd, Kevin M.; Scott, Richard L.; Sherrill, Rebecca M. "Mikie"; Spanberger, Abigail D.; Xi Jinping.
Subjects: Australia, Ambassador to U.S.; Australia, Prime Minister; Australia, U.S. Ambassador; Canada, Prime Minister; Canada, trade with U.S.; China, President; China, trade with U.S.; Colombia, drug trafficking; Colombia, President; Economic improvement; Hong Kong, political status with respect to China; Inflation; News media, Presidential interviews; North Korea, President of the State Affairs Commission; Nutrition assistance programs; Taiwan, political status with respect to China; Tariffs; White House Ballroom construction project.
DCPD Number: DCPD202501042.