Administration of Donald J. Trump, 2026
June 29, 2026
The President. Hello. You guys are ready? Let's go get 'em.
Well, thank you very much. We have a big ruling that we're just issuing now. It's a—I think it's very important. Going to lower the price of your car, and it's going to lower the price of fixing your car. Has to do with affordability. Has to do with a lot of things.
You know, oil prices are way down. We hit $69 today. We—it was higher than that prior to the denuclearization of Iran fight that we have, which we're doing very well.
There'll be a meeting on that tomorrow in Doha. And they're going to Qatar. They're—I think they've already left, or they're just about getting ready to leave. So we'll see how that goes, but we're doing very well on that front. But the meeting in Doha is going to be perhaps important, perhaps not. We're going to find out.
But we're winning militarily. It's almost won militarily, I would say. And it's really very simple. It's the denuclearization of Iran. We don't want them to have a nuclear weapon, and they're not going to have a nuclear weapon. And they've agreed to that, in all fairness.
This is something that's very exciting to me. And if you bring the bill—and I'm going to let Lee explain exactly what it means, but it means a lot to people that own vehicles—cars in particular, but cars and anything else. It's going to save them a lot of money, and they're going to be able to do it themselves.
Please.
Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee M. Zeldin. Mr. President, this is a Presidential memo to the Environmental Protection Agency, a Presidential memo supporting the freedom to fix.
Americans have the freedom to fix their vehicle. President Trump insists upon it. We are not going to be going after people who are fixing their own vehicle, like past administrations have.
Additionally, we've been concerned—President Trump has been concerned about aftermarket parts—cheap knockoff, aftermarket parts coming into the United States, harming small businesses, harming Americans. This Presidential memo puts an end to it.
Also, the only third-party certification for these aftermarket parts—it's CARB in California, a process that's backlogged and faulty. So we're going to break that monopoly, and no longer will CARB be the only third-party certifier for these aftermarket parts. Again, President Trump is insisting on fixing it. This Presidential memo does that.
President Trump was calling me up on a Saturday night when this idea first came to his head, and he says he wants to do a press conference right away to get this over the top. In February 2, we signed a right to repair for our farmers so they can repair their tractors and their nonroad equipment, and this is covering everyone else.
The President. I mean, think about it. They—it came to my attention because I noticed they were arresting people for fixing their car. They were arresting people for fixing—that's not even believable.
Anyway, so it's right to fix, and I think it's really common sense. If somebody wants to fix—some of these people are better mechanics than the mechanics in the shop. They're telling the mechanic in the shop how to fix their car or their truck. We signed the truck one a little while ago.
So I'm going to sign this, and I'll be happy about it. [At this point, the President signed the memorandum.] We rule by common sense, to a large extent.
All right, Lee. Good job. Thank you. Administrator Zeldin. Thank you, sir. The President. Great.
Okay? Can you imagine that? They want to put you in jail if you fix your car. Thank you, man.
You have any questions?
Election Reforms
Q. Mr. President, what do you make of the Supreme Court ruling today in regards to the mail-in ballots? And what comes next for the SAVE Act after today's ruling?
The President. Well, because of the mail-in ballot ruling, which was a little bit surprising—it gives people more time to vote illegally, let's say. But the SAVE Act is even more important, and that's the right——
You have to be a citizen of our country. Okay? You have to show you're a citizen of our country—called citizenship; voter ID by photo—a photo voter ID; and no mail-in ballots, unless you're in the military, disabled, you're ill, or you're away on—even on a vacation. We're being very open about it. It's pretty easy. And we'll have honest elections.
But the ruling, which a lot of people were waiting for—that was a ruling that was—I think it was very detrimental to honest elections, but it is what it is. Basically, they're keeping it a little bit the way it is now.
Q. Mr. President——
The President. They may have a little bit of a restriction on—based on the wording.
Q. ——have you asked Thune about firing the Parliamentarian?
The President. And then you have the very important one, the Slaughter case, which we'll talk about if you ask that question.
But the Parliamentarian—what were you asking about? Parliament——
Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough
Q. Yes, have you talked with Thune about——
The President. I have. No, I can't imagine why you'd keep a woman that was put there by Harry Reid and Barack Hussein Obama. I cannot understand it.
The leader has the right to fire the person at will and put somebody else there. That could be—because we get so many negative rulings from her, the Parliamentarian. She's been there for years, and she was put there by Harry Reid and Barack Hussein Obama.
Harry Reid was a bad guy, and he was the leader, and he put her.
And the Speaker has the right to immediately fire her and put somebody else there. And, like, it's not even believable that she's still there. She's obviously a good politician or something.
The President's Executive Authority
Q. Mr. President, a question on the Slaughter case. The Supreme Court just affirmed your right to fire the heads of independent agencies. Should we expect more firings as——
The President. No.
Q. ——as a result of this ruling?
The President. No, I don't think so. It gives me the right—and not me; it gives a President the right to do what the President should have the right to do.
And it's very interesting. It's a big ruling. It's been going on for a hundred—almost a hundred years they've been working on this.
And you know, that it comes down at my term as a very great honor.
But it bestows additional powers—or maybe the same power—on the President. The President has the right to do this, and that has to do with a lot of agencies all throughout the system.
So it was—it's considered, you know, the biggest of the group. And I can understand that.
This has been going on for—almost a hundred years, they've been waiting for this decision.
Yes.
Senate Filibuster Use/Election Reforms
Q. Thank you, Mr. President. You were posting about how important it is to get the SAVE America Act passed. Who do you see as the biggest hurdle to getting this across the finish line?
The President. Well, it's held up in the Senate, and frankly, if you terminated the filibuster, you'd just need 50 votes, and we have 53, and then you have J.D.
So the Democrats are going to terminate the filibuster. But if you did reconciliation, you could do it with 50 votes. I mean, the best would be to terminate the filibuster, but for some reason—but you have the same basic people.
But even Rand Paul is in favor of the SAVE America Act, if you can believe it. Think of it.
Rand Paul is strongly in favor. He's fighting for it. So that's good news.
But you would have—Lisa Murkowski always against things like this. Nobody knows why. I think I know why. But you have Lisa Murkowski. You have Susan Collins.
You have Tillis is against, and he's not in office because of me, so he holds me—you know, he holds me—because I wouldn't endorse him. I think you have Senator Cassidy against it too.
Q. I think he supports it this time.
The President. And I think you have Mitch McConnell against it too. Mitch McConnell, who's——
Q. Are there are any Democrats——
The President. ——very disloyal to John Thune.
Q. ——who you think you could change their minds on it?
The President. You know, John Thune was a very good person for him. I mean, he was a very loyal person, and Mitch McConnell's against him almost all the time because he's angry, I guess—probably at me.
Q. Mr. President, on——
The President. Yes, please.
Election Reforms
Q. What about Democrats, Mr. President? Are there any you could—think you could change their minds on it?
The President. Well, the Democrats should do it too. I mean, we—you'll probably get one Democrat who's, you know, a commonsense Democrat. You know who that is. And everybody should vote for this.
This is the SAVE America Act: voter ID—with photo, ideally—but voter ID; proof of citizenship; and no mail-in ballots, which is, to my way of thinking, maybe the most important of all because it's so corrupt. But you have exceptions if you're away, exceptions for the military—they're deployed—exceptions—illness, disability. You have exceptions. Strong exceptions.
But the cheating on the ballots—the mail-in—Jimmy Carter said it a long time ago. He said, "You can't have mail-in balls." He headed up a committee with Scoop Jackson and others—all respected.
And he actually—I think it was Jimmy Carter's finest moment—not during President. But he headed up a committee, and he said—he came out with a strong conclusion that if you do mail-in ballots, there's going to be cheating.
France gave it up. We're the only country in the world that does this type of mail-in ballot. There's no other country in the world. You know why? They tried it, and it was totally dishonest, and it's really dishonest. So we shouldn't do mail-in ballots.
So it's not too much to ask for voter ID, proof of citizenship, and no mail-in ballots, and you have honest elections.
Housing Legislation
Q. What are your plans for the housing bill, Mr. President? Are you still——
The President. I don't know. I think it's so unimportant by compared to the SAVE America Act. I think the SAVE America Act is exactly what it says: It's saving America from crooked elections.
And the housing bill is a bill that can get approved. They worked on it long and hard. It's very bipartisan. That means the Democrats like it. I think it's a—maybe, even a—it's probably, maybe, more. That way they're getting things that I wouldn't necessarily agree to. Nobody knows more than housing in the history of the Presidency. Nobody. Nobody did well like me in housing. Made——
[At this point, several reporters began asking questions at once.]
I made a lot of money—I made a lot of money with housing, but when I look at that bill, it's a bill. But when I look at the SAVE America Act, it's about saving America, and I'd like to have the SAVE America Act added on.
Now, it's probably not going to happen because we have 4 Republican Senators—maybe 5—that just won't vote for it. It's crazy.
Somebody ought to—Lisa Murkowski from Alaska. Nobody's done more for Alaska than me. She's Trump deranged. What can I tell you?
But those 4 or 5 people that I mentioned should vote. How do you vote against SAVE America? How do you vote against it? How do you vote against voter identification or proof of citizenship?
The only people that would vote against that are people that are going to cheat in an election.
The Democrats need it because their policy is so bad. They want open borders. They want high taxes. They want terrible medical—every—anything medical.
I'm the one that did favored nations. I—I'm reducing drug prices by 200, 300, 400 percent.
Nobody even talks about the news doesn't talk about it.
The Democrats are opposed to it. If they get into office, they'll put it back. Your drug prices are going to go up by 200, 300, 400, 500 percent. You know that.
21st Century ROAD to Housing Act
Q. But will you sign that housing bill if——
The President. I have not—it hasn't been sent to me yet. It's coming, I understand.
Q. It's coming.
Q. Will you rule——
The President. And then I'll make——
Q. ——out vetoing the bill?
The President. ——then I'll make a——
Here's what I would like to sign, much more than a bill that—big deal. It's a yawn. Some people say, "It's wonderful." To me, compared to the SAVE America Act, just about everything is a big yawn.
[Several reporters spoke at once.]
Citizenship/14th Amendment/The President's Executive Authority
Q. Birthright citizenship. Birthright citizenship is next. What are your thought——
The President. What are you—what?
Q. Birthright citizenship. What are your thoughts, and will you accept it if it rules against you, sir?
The President. Well, I guess I have to accept. It's the Supreme Court, so I'll accept. I think it's very bad for our Nation. We're the only nation that does it. No other nation does that birthright citizenship. No, it—not even close. Some did it. They ended it. It's tremendously destructive. It's extremely costly. I don't know. It's up to them.
But in terms of for the good of the country, it'd be great if they did the—did—they didn't allow it. It would be great, but I can't tell you.
The Slaughter case was the big case today. That was really a big case because it gave strength to Presidents and strength to the Presidency. A very important case. It's been going on for almost a hundred years. Think of that, and this was the ruling that really topped everything by a lot today.
Yes.
The President's Opinion on the Threat of Communism
Q. Mr. President, Zohran Mamdani said in an interview this week that he was open to being the poster child for socialist candidates. Are you worried about more socialist candidates across the United States?
The President. Well, I think it's a big threat to our Nation, actually, because it's not socialism, it's really communism. They use the word "Social Democrat" because it sounds so nice, but it's really communism you're talking about.
I think it's the biggest threat to our Nation there is. maybe since our founding. That includes World War I, World War II, September 11. It includes the Pearl Harbor attack.
I think this is the biggest threat to our Nation. People will smile when I say that, but the smart people are going to say, "You know, he's probably right."
It's basically introducing communism into the United States of America. There's never been anything so dangerous.
Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you.
NOTE: The President spoke at 3:25 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White House. In his remarks, he referred to U.S. Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steven C. Witkoff; and Vice President James
D. "J.D." Vance. He also referred to his son-in-law, U.S. Special Envoy for Peace Jared C. Kushner; and S. 1383 and H.R. 6644. A reporter referred to Mayor Zohran K. Mamdani of New York City.
Categories: Addresses and Remarks : Efforts to lower the cost of living and promote the freedom to fix, signing the memorandum; Interviews With the News Media : Exchanges with reporters, White House.
Locations: Washington, DC.
Names: Cassidy, William M.; Collins, Susan M.; Johnson, J. Michael; Kushner, Jared C.; MacDonough, Elizabeth; McConnell, A. Mitchell; Murkowski, Lisa A.; Obama, Barack; Paul, Randal H.; Thune, John R.; Tillis, Thomas R.; Vance, James D. "J.D."; Witkoff, Steven C.; Zeldin, Lee M.
Subjects: 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act; Automobiles, repair regulations; Carbon emissions, reduction efforts; Citizenship; Constitutional roles and separation of powers; Cost of living, reduction efforts; Election security and integrity, strengthening efforts; Environmental Protection Agency; Housing, affordability and access; Iran, diplomatic engagement with U.S.; Iran, nuclear weapons development; Iran, U.S. military operations; Oil markets and prices; Prescription drug costs, reduction efforts; Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act; Senate majority leader; Senate Parliamentarian; Speaker of the House of Representatives; U.S. Special Envoy for Peace; U.S. Special Envoy for Peace Missions; Vice President.
DCPD Number: DCPD202600434.