Administration of Donald J. Trump, 2026
September 16, 2026
Q. Do you still have confidence——
The President. So we're going to be doing a good job tonight in North Carolina, but Michael Whatley is a great candidate. He's going to bring it back to sanity because Roy Cooper, the former Governor, was a disaster on crime and a disaster on all sorts of hazards.
We had the hurricane, the big hurricane—Helene, I believe it was named. And he was horrible. He was actually horrible.
So I think Michael Whatley has a very good chance of winning. Hopefully, he's going to win. And he's strong on crime, and he loves the State. He was a great head of the Republican Party, and so we're going to be here for him. We had some very good numbers come out today on certain things.
And what question would you like to ask?
Federal Reserve System/Interest Rates
Q. Mr. President, the Fed—the Federal Reserve's actions today were the opposite of what you had been asking them to do. Do you still have confidence in the Fed Chair, Kevin Warsh?
The President. Yes, I do. I mean, I'm relying on Kevin, but he's got, you know, a very tough Board. He's got a Board that was put there by a lot of other people. And the interest rates are too high. They're not appropriate. And I told—I talked to Kevin, and I said, "You might as well vote with the Board because it's not going to matter." The Board is very hostile. They're very political. They're doing the wrong thing. They're a bunch of politicians or people put on by politicians, and it's a shame because it's too high an interest rate.
Despite that, the country barrels through everything because we're doing so well. But the interest rates are too high. We should be playing—paying the lowest interest rate anywhere in the world because we have the strongest credit. If we wanted to get rid of deficits, which we could do with a swipe of a pen with every country, we'd make a trillion and a half dollars a year. We'd pay off our debt. We'd do all sorts of things. But we haven't chosen to do that, but at some point, we will. Interest rates are too high.
[At this point, several reporters began asking questions at once.]
2024 Assassination Attempt on Former President Donald J. Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania
Q. Yes. On the assassination attempt in Butler—in Butler, Pennsylvania. Can you provide us with more information of the evidence——
The President. No, I can't.
Q. ——that you learned?
The President. The Butler thing is strange, but—very strange situation. It was handled by the Biden administration and a very bad—very bad head of the FBI at the time, as you know—Christopher Wray, who was a terrible—he's a dirty cop, in my opinion.
But you'll have to check with the law enforcement. I think——
[Several reporters spoke at once.]
I think the whole Butler thing was very badly handled. [Several reporters spoke at once.]
Federal Reserve System
Q. You said you spoke to Kevin Warsh. When did you talk to him? Did you try to convince him not to——
The President. No, I spoke—no, I didn't convince him at all.
Q. You told us you talked to him.
The President. I said, "Do what you want." I said, "Do what you want," because it doesn't matter because he doesn't have the votes. No matter how good a job—he's a good man, Kevin Warsh. But no matter how good a job, he's got a hostile Board.
Interest Rates
Q. He said that it was the right decision and it was the responsible decision to—for these interest hikes. What do you say to that? And what did you speak to him?
The President. Well, I don't know what he was referring to, but I will tell you interest rates are too high.
Federal Reserve System Board of Governors Chairman Kevin J. Warsh
Q. Do you think he made that decision based on what you told him?
The President. No, I don't think so. I think—I want him to be independent. But it's my opinion—I'm very good at this stuff—interest rates are too high. We should have the lowest interest rate anywhere in the world because we're the best credit.
National Economy
Q. Do you acknowledge, though, that they're raising these rates to bring down prices that are, in large part, though——
The President. No, they're raising the rates to——
Q. ——because of the war in Iran?
The President. They're raising the rates to make Trump do as bad as they can possibly do.
The problem they have is that we have the greatest economy in history. We have over $21 trillion being invested in this country, which is five times more than we've ever had before. So they're raising that only for political reasons, and that's a raise against Trump.
[Several reporters spoke at once.]
Q. Kevin Warsh—Kevin Warsh did it for political reasons?
U.S. Military Operations in Iran
Q. What phase are we in in the Iran war right now? How would you describe what phase of the war we are in?
The President. Well, hopefully, we're toward the end of the war. They want to make a deal, and we'll see how that works out. They're very much wanting to make—Iran is very much wanting to make a deal. We'll see how that works out.
Q. Have you heard from them recently, sir? Have you heard from them directly——
The President. Yes.
Q. ——or through intermediaries?
The President. We deal directly.
U.S. Trade Policy
Q. Mr. President, how does cutting trade with certain countries make more money for the United States?
The President. We lose deficits. For instance, if we lose $50 billion a year with a country and we say, "We're not going to trade with you anymore," we don't lose $50 billion a year. It's very simple. Right?
Q. Mr. President, Mr. President——
Canada/European Union
Q. Any response to Canada becoming—Canada becoming an associate member of the European Union? What's your reaction to that?
The President. No, I think it's laughable. Look, the whole thing with Canada—Canada has been a terrible trade partner. And, no, I don't see that. And if they do that, if I think it's at all a hostile act, I will put very serious tariffs or stop trading with Europe on many things. So, if they do that, if Europe does that with a bad intention—if they're—if it's a good intention, that's fine. If it's a bad intention, we'll put very heavy tariffs on Europe——
Q. Why is it so important for you——
Q. Has the war with Iran had anything to do with raising rates?
The President. ——which is a—which is a possibility.
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Q. Mr. President, why is it so important for you to have your name on the Kennedy Center, a memorial for JFK?
The President. Well, it's a very easy question to answer, because it's a mess. It's lost—the Kennedy Center, for many years, has lost tens of millions of dollars, even hundreds of millions of dollars. It's a loser, financially.
And many of the places like that, you know, like Carnegie Hall and the various places throughout the country, they lose a lot of money.
For me to go and fix it—I'm the one capable of fixing it—and then have to subsidize it for years to come, because you will lose, with the Kennedy Center—they were losing hundreds of millions of dollars, and sometimes hundreds of millions. This is before I got involved.
So, for the Trump administration, for me, to get involved and to take that on long term and to carry it or to raise money to carry it, I think that the Trump administration should certainly have recognition. Because, frankly, if we don't do that, it's going to close. It will end up being ripped down. It's in very, very bad shape, very dangerous shape.
You see steel falling down. You see plaster falling off ceilings. You see a lot of dangerous—it's been very badly maintained for 25 years.
[Several reporters spoke at once.]
The President's Renovation Plans for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Q. Are you going to tear it down if your name doesn't go on the building? Are you going to tear it down?
The President. I'd like to be able to save it, but it's going to take a lot of subsidy into the future. And for us, as an administration, to want to do that, I think the administration—the Trump administration should be recognized.
Okay? Thank you. Thank you.
NOTE: The President spoke at 6:24 p.m. on the tarmac at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport after exiting Air Force One. In his remarks, he referred to North Carolina Republican senatorial candidate Michael D. Whatley; North Carolina Democratic senatorial candidate former Gov. Roy A. Cooper III; and former Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher A. Wray.
Categories: Interviews With the News Media : Exchanges with reporters, Charlotte, NC. Locations: Charlotte, NC.
Names: Cooper, Roy A., III; Warsh, Kevin M.; Whatley, Michael D.; Wray, Christopher A.
Subjects: Economic improvement; Federal Bureau of Investigation; Federal deficit and debt; Federal Reserve System; Free and fair trade; Interest rates; Iran, U.S. military operations; John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; Natural disasters, Hurricane Helene; News media, Presidential interviews; North Carolina, President's visit; Pennsylvania, 2024 assassination attempt on former President Donald J. Trump in Butler; Tariffs.
DCPD Number: DCPD202600609.