Administration of Donald J. Trump, 2026
October 2, 2026
The President. How do you like this? Isn't that beautiful?
Q. It looks great.
The President. This is the way the White House is supposed to look. Not asphalt—broken, dirty asphalt. Look at it. The finest stone you can buy anywhere in the world.
Okay. So I'm heading to——
[At this point, several reporters began asking questions at once.]
I'm heading to Alabama, a place that I won all three times, record votes, like Texas, like Oklahoma, like a lot of them. And we're going to give a little speech, and I hope they like it.
2026 Midterm Elections
Q. President Trump, you're saying now that if Democrats win control of Congress, they will impeach you. But you've already been impeached twice, so what's a third time?
The President. Well, I don't know, but I'm getting good at it. And it's a——
Q. At being impeached?
The President. It's a fake impeachment, and we could have done that with Sleepy Joe, but we didn't do it because it would have been appropriate. I could have done that with Hillary Clinton. As you know, I had the chance to do it, if I wanted, and I said that would be inappropriate.
But with me, they like to do it. So——
The President's Campaign Schedule
Q. And, as you travel all—as you travel all around now, 32 stops before the midterms, do you think it's going to be harder for Republicans to keep the House or to keep the Senate?
The President. I think it's pretty even. I think that we're making a lot of progress. When I go there, we win. If I don't go there, we would not do as well.
[Several reporters spoke at once.]
You know, if—as you know, when I run, we get 44-percent more votes, so I'm asking them to go out and vote, because, you know, I'm not running, but I'm saying, "Pretend I'm running." We want to pretend I'm running.
I hope you like what you see here. That's getting all sorts of awards. [The President pointed to the ballroom construction area.]
And the best of all? Look over there. You see the new crane—the red boom? That's one of the biggest cranes in the world. That lifts up the steel for the roof. Pretty cool, right?
Q. Oh, yes.
Q. Mr. President, what will be—what will be—Mr. President—thank you.
Q. Mr. President——
Q. [Inaudible]—diesel deal in Europe, diesel deal in Europe——
The President. He's always got the same question about the same country. Go ahead.
Q. Thank you. Mr. President, what——
The President. It's always the same question about the same country, but he's a nice guy. Go ahead.
The President's Schedule/Iran
Q. Thank you. Mr. President, people believe you never get tired.
The President. I never get tired.
Q. And, Mr. President, what will be——
The President. If I got tired, it would be a big story, I can tell you.
Q. Mr. President, what will be—what will be your next step regarding Iran?
The President. See? Always the same.
Well, if I told you, you'd have a major story, right? But you'll see. It's working out very well.
Iran is not doing well.
Q. Sir, your message to pro-life—sir, your message to pro-life Americans ahead of the midterms?
Q. Mr. President——
Pro-Life Voters
Q. Your message to pro-life Americans ahead of the midterms? I know you're going to Alabama.
The President. Well, we love them. We love them. We love everybody. I like—actually, I love everybody. One of those things, but we do love them.
Go ahead.
Alaska Energy Infrastructure/South Korea
Q. Mr. President, South Korea says they have not signed off on this Alaska pipeline yet. They're still studying it. Did you jump the gun?
The President. Well, I didn't jump the gun. I mean, they were there, and they were represented. And let's see—if they don't want to do it, that's okay with me. I'll just charge them more. Okay? [Inaudible] That's the first——
Employment Situation
Q. What did you think about the jobs report? What did you think about the jobs report? [Several reporters spoke at once.]
The President. They—did they—wait, wait, wait. They said they didn't sign off?
Q. They said they're still studying it. They haven't committed.
Q. Your diesel——
The President. Tell them if they don't sign shortly, I'm going to double it up. Okay?
Q. Your diesel deal with Europe. Sir, your diesel deal——
The President. And watch what happens, Peter [Peter Doocy, Fox News]. I do this for you.
European Diesel Exports/ Oil Markets and Prices
Q. Your diesel deal with Europe. Sir, your diesel deal with Europe. How did that happen, your diesel deal with Europe—your diesel deal with Europe today?
The President. Yes, I asked for it. Europe has a lot of diesel, and they're going to be making a major world contribution, and so are we. And we're not going to be doing the export ban. We're going to be doing what we're supposed to do.
But I did ask them, and they're going to—we're going to have a lot of oil. Very shortly, as soon as Iran ends, which won't be long—it's not going to be long—you're going to have oil go down to the price it was before, maybe even lower than I got it at the beginning.
[Several reporters spoke at once.]
2026 Midterm Elections
Q. Sir, if Democrats—if the Democrats win, do you think they'll try to get rid of the Hyde Amendment?
[The President shook his head and waved his finger "no."]
European Diesel Supply
Q. President Trump, are you ruling out—are you ruling out a ban on your oil to Europe—an export ban to Europe now?
The President. No, we have a very good relationship with Europe, and they wanted to do it because they have a lot of diesel. They use diesel. And they have a lot of diesel. I said, "It would be great if you put it out to the market." They did it. And that's a great thing.
[Several reporters spoke at once.]
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy
Q. What about your relationship with Giorgia Meloni now? How is it going?
The President. Very good. I think it's a very good relationship. I like her. I've always liked
her.
Oil Markets and Prices
Q. Mr. President, is a diesel export ban officially off the table now that you're getting supply from Europe?
The President. Well, we were never going to do it. I don't think we were ever—but basically, Europe was great because they're putting a lot of diesel oil out there. They have diesel. They use diesel disproportionately more than most, and they did a great thing.
[Several reporters spoke at once.]
Turkey
Q. You said at the NATO summit back in July that you don't sanction your friends, and it's time to lift the sanctions on Turkey. What's the holdup, sir?
The President. Now, who are you with?
Q. CNN Türk.
The President. Turkey?
Q. Yes.
The President. I love Turkey.
Q. What's the holdup, sir? What's the holdup?
The President. I don't know. I don't think there is a holdup. I'll always speak to President
Erdoğan. He's a friend of mine, as you know, and I'll always make him happy.
[Several reporters spoke at once.] [Inaudible]—the clocks go back, sir?
Latin America/Brazilian Presidential Election
Q. You have supported lot of leaders in Latin America who won their elections. Are you going to support Bolsonaro in Brazil?
The President. Well, we're looking at the whole thing, and we're watching that election very closely.
[Several reporters spoke at once.]
Oil Markets and Prices
Q. Is a diesel export ban now off the table for the United States?
The President. Well, it was never really on the table, but what Europe did was a great thing. [Several reporters spoke at once.]
North Carolina Republican Senatorial Candidate Michael D. Whatley
Q. Mr. President, Republicans pulled funding out of the Senate race in North Carolina. Are you worried about Whatley?
The President. I am because he's a great man, and I am worried about him. I hope he wins. He's a great man. He was a great leader for the whole Republican Party when I won. And he'd be a great Senator.
And as you know, the man, Cooper, he's got a lot of bad crime numbers. He's got horrible crime numbers.
[Several reporters spoke at once.]
New York State Attorney General Letitia James
Q. I got one more. Sir, what do you think about New York's Governor appointing a special prosecutor in the Cornell rape case, Letitia James?
The President. Well, Letitia James is a corrupt person. She's totally corrupt, and I can't imagine it. And I feel badly for whoever she's looking at because they won't get a fair shake. Letitia James is a corrupt person.
Thank you.
NOTE: The President spoke at 3:55 p.m. on the South Lawn at the White House prior to boarding Marine One. In his remarks, he referred to former President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.; former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton; and North Carolina Democratic senatorial candidate former Gov. Roy A. Cooper III. Reporters referred to Brazilian Presidential candidate Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro; and Gov. Kathleen C. Hochul of New York.
Categories: Interviews With the News Media : Exchanges with reporters, White House. Locations: Washington, DC.
Names: Biden, Joseph R., Jr.; Clinton, Hillary Rodham; Cooper, Roy A., III; Erdogan, Recep Tayyip; James, Letitia; Meloni, Giorgia; Whatley, Michael D.
Subjects: 2026 midterm elections; Brazil, elections; Europe, diesel fuel supply; Iran, U.S. military operations; Italy, Prime Minister; News media, Presidential interviews; South Korea, energy infrastructure investment in U.S.; Turkey, President; White House Ballroom construction project.
DCPD Number: DCPD202600666.