went into the white house, president trump and the australian prime minister the oval office. they invited reporters in, and resident trump answered a few questions.

president trump: thank you very much, everybody. to have the honor prime minister of australia and ongratulations and thank you very much, mrs. morrison, thank you very much for being here. we appreciate it. lovely ceremony. i hope we liked it. it comes in honor you and australia. thank you very much. so we have a lot of things to talk about. we're talking trade. we're talking military. we've been great allies for a long time. there's no better partnership, we've developed on a personal basis a tremendous friendship, and that helps. helps a lot. but we'll be meeting after this nd having some very serious discussions about many things. i do want to, if i may intercede second, we have just sanctioned the iranian national bank. that is their central banking system. at the highest

level of sanctions. so that just took place. other things. we have our secretary of treasury here, steve mnuchin, if before weo say a word begin. we're ry mnuchin: continuing the maximum -- so ash the central bank of iran well as the national development fund, which is their sovereign well fund, will be cut off from banking system. so this will mean no more funds fund to the rogc to terror. this is on top of our oil sanctions and our financial sanctions.s thank you, mr. president. reporter: mr. secretary. secretary mnuchin: it's very big. we have cut off all sources of iran.to the top? right to secretary mnuchin: yes. president trump: right at the top. right at the top. you. appreciate it. so we're dealing with many nations. with some of the neighbors to saudi arabia and,

of course, we're dealing with arabia. saudi arabia is very much nvolved from the standpoint of what we're doing and what they're doing and we're working together with others. also working on the cost of this whole endeavor. arabia's been very generous. we want to see if it works out works out, that's great. if it doesn't work out, that's great. in the end it always works out. way it is. it always works out. so you'll be seeing certain but a very ning, major factor is what we did. these are the highest sanctions imposed on a country. we've never done it to this level. happening d what's with iran. it's going to hell. doing poorly. they are practically broke. they are broke. problem could solve the very easily. all they have to do is stop with the terror. number one, n the as you know, scott, very well,

of er one country worldwide terror between sponsoring it and doing it themselves. have it.n't they have a tremendous potential. they have an incredible potential. i can speak on behalf of australia, too, in the ense we would like to see them do very well. we were discussing before, the prime minister and myself, we want to see them do well. to me like with what's happening maybe they want to it. going at and when they go at it with us, there's no way they win. in any way or any capacity. so we wanted to let you know about that and that's the way it and thank you all very much. we are going to spend a lot of time with australia today. is our very special day for the united states because we're honoring a great ally and great friend. thank you. thank you. would you like to say something? prime minister morrison: it's a tremendous honor for i to beans, for jen and here with the president and mrs.

trump. it's a very gracious invitation. an invitation that recognizes not just the great relationship the president and i have been able to forge so early but this goes back a long way, the relationship. as the president said, we have been through a lot of battles. the battles is what's happened the field of conflicts. we're battling for a prosperous and a free world. president trump: we have never lost. prime minister morrison: we have been doing great. doing great. we are going to keep this partnership together. keep partnership as we our own weight. we look to america but don't america.to reporter [inaudible] prime minister morrison: he was a ing we would like to see prosperous iran. to have the benefit from prosperous economies doing well. that's what we want. this is why australia and the united states has always worked together is because that's what we want for our own

people. that's what we want for everyone. we've been ump: and speaking a lot about this subject, the two of us -- on this subject, the two us. reporter: do you want to address this whistleblower story? president trump: what? a partisan whistleblower. they shouldn't have information. had conversations with many leaders. always appropriate. i think scott can tell you that. lways appropriate at the highest level, always appropriate. and anything i do i fight for this country. so strongly for this country. hackjust another political job. that's all it is. joe ter: can you discuss biden and his family? president trump: it doesn't matter what i discuss. look into joe to biden's statement because it was disgraceful where he talked of dollars that

he's not giving to a certain country unless a certain taken off the case. o somebody ought to look into it and you wouldn't because he's a democrat. look into ws doesn't things like that. it's a disgrace. i had a conversation with numerous people. exactly who you're talking about, but i had a great conversation with numerous leaders, and i always look for the conversation help the united states the most. that's very important. know the eye entity of the whistleblower. i just hear it's a partners in person. out from comes another party. but i don't have any idea, but i a totally was appropriate conversation. it was actually a beautiful conversation. and this is no different than, you know, the press has had a ery bad week with justice cavanaugh and all of those ridiculous charges and all the at "the new york

imes" and all those other things. so keep playing it up because badare going to look really when it falls. -0 and i am about 22 i'll keep it that way. i don't want to talk about any conversation other than to than to say great onversation, totally appropriate conversation, couldn't have been better, and build king questions and it up as big as possible so you downfall. bigger reporter: [inaudible] president trump: what? reporter: are you asking australia to do more when it china?to president trump: we talk about china all the time and scott has very strong opinions about china him express et those opinions. you can't get a better audience than that. prime minister morrison: we have a comprehensive, strategic partnership with china. we work well with china. times, we spoken many eed to ensure these countries

develop and have their potential. there can't be special rules around it. great relationship with china. china's growth has been great for australia. we we need to make sure that all stay on the same playing field. is something that china and australia has been consistent on. we need to move in this new economies are changing. china is a big economy. united states he but a big economy. that means the world needs to get on the same page how the and that's what we're working to achieve. president trump: i will say this. progress ing a lot of with china. they're having a bad year. worst year in 57 years. are coming in to us. we're taking in billions and tariffs.of dollars of they're devaling their currency which means the tariffs are not costing us probably anything but certainly not very much. they are also adding a lot of money into their economy. theire pouring money into economy.

but we're taking in many billions of dollars. t some point in the not-too-distant future it will be over $100 billion. 100 cents ver taken from china. it was always the other way around. with that they lost over three there. jobs their supply chain is crashing. and they have a lot of problems. want to tell you they make a deal. that i can tell you, they want to make a deal. happens.see what eporter: [inaudible] president trump: always prepared. there's never been a country more prepared. country ever been a more prepared. ook, i spent $1.5 trillion and we're spending another $738 but i spent $1.5 trillion rebuilding our military. we have the finest ships, the planes, the finest everything. actually, scott and australia, of great ased a lot stuff from the united states. some of the best military equipment that you have. greatest missiles in

the world, rockets in the world, et fighters in the world, planes in the world, ships, and a have under construction number of -- the most powerful subma rea marines ever built. ever built.s the president gerald ford, the built. ship ever i just flew over it yesterday. it's massive and beautiful. we have the greatest -- and i to say this. when i got here, scott, it was a different world. different world. we were very depleted, and i saw one of the related etworks today saying how strongly and good and how well we've done with isis. caliphate.the when i came, the caliphate was all over the place. caliphate, isis. now we have thousands of arishioners of wars -- parishioners of wars --

prisoners of war. we're asking the countries from scott, from me, europe. we're asking them to take back of war.isoners they can try and do what they want. refused.ey've at some point i have to say, sorry, you have to take them orwell let them go -- or well we will let them go to their border. taken over the caliphate 100%. if you remember, i was thinking about getting out when it was at 96%, 97%, but they were all over the place. we did it. we did it in record time. it was a total caliphate victory, and now i want the the ries to take back captured isis fighters and if he they don't take them back we them at the put border and they'll probably have to capture them again. because the united states is not have thousands and thousands of people that we've stationed at guantanamo at guantanamo ve bay for the next 50 years and us

spending billions and billions dollars. we have done europe a tremendous favor. they've mostly come out of a ope, and we've done them tremendous favor, and the united states is not going to pay the thousands usands and of isis fighter prisoners in someplace bay or else. we won't do it. so they have to make their decision. them ise we're releasing at the border. go ahead. next. reporter: national security team iran today and what do you expect to hear from them? people wanted : robert very badly. he was -- look, i had 10, 12 were fantastic for the job. i think robert -- he's a great australia, scott was telling me, he's happy with the choice. obert is going to be outstanding. he just picked a deputy who was in the administration. you all know him, the deputy. i guess i have to announce it separately. fantastic.

essentially he's already on the job. ou know, he did a tremendous job as hostage negotiator. we are -- we have a tremendous record. nobody comes close to our record with hostages. to be r: are you going discussions with iran today? president trump: sure. with secretary of defense. secretary of state. we're discussing with everybody. today w, the early move iran.e central bank of ok. reporter: military conflict and ould you support -- president trump: it's always possible. reporter: do you expect australia to join any military action? president trump: we haven't discussed that. we'll be discussing it later, yet.e haven't discussed it reporter: 50% tariff or even on china, as some have suggested? president trump: i won't get into it. china is paying $30% 30% on $250

billion. president xi called through his 70th ople and they have a anniversary, very important date for them and it happens to be october 1 which is the exact increase in the tariff. and they asked us out of respect the tariff a little bit. i said, how about if i move it forward? let me move it forward a little they didn't want it to fall on the same day. it's exactly october 1. move it up a me couple weeks. they said, no, no. xi,of respect for president whom i do have great respect for, i moved it back two weeks. 25%.ight now it's 15.oes up to 30% on october eporter: [inaudible] president trump: no, i haven't. i just tell you, it is -- everybody's read it. laugh at it. it's another -- it's another disaster. the media has lost so much credibility in this country. has become the

laughing stock of the world. hen you look at what they did to justice kavanaugh and so many others last week. is one of the worst weeks in the history of the fake news media. ou have been wrong on so many things, and this one will be -- i wouldn't say it will top the list because i think you can't do worse than some of the missed over the last week or two. ut the media of our country is laughed at all over the world now. you're a joke. ok. what else? when you talk about the conversations that you -- president trump: which conversations? reporter: we are trying to out which conversations. president trump: you are supposed to be the media. figure it out. which conversation? reporter: july 25. resident trump: i really don't know. eporter: [inaudible] president trump: so we're doing a great program. we have vice president pence is moved, and we have -- involved, and we have a tremendous space program. if you look at our facilities, were virtually closed up.

there was crabgrass growing on runways. they are vital. we're going to mars. we're stopping at the moon. actually a launching pad. that's why we're stopping at the moon. said, hey, we've already done the moon. that's not so exciting. they said, no, sir, that's a launching pad for mars. we'll be doing the moon, but we're doing mars. we're making tremendous progress. in addition, rich people like to ships. rocket so between besos and elon mavik others, we're -- musk, we're launching m our facilities. this is big stuff. in texas and florida. we're leasing them our facilities so they can send up whatever they want to send up. it's ok with us. they've actually done very well. they said they had great success. people in this country -- i don't know about your country -- like building rocket ships and sending them up.

it's ok with us. say it. reporter: [inaudible] president trump: i think scott i would rather take a pass. prime minister morrison: i am ot sure but i know him pretty well. president trump: there are a lot of people that want to go up. have great respect for the astronauts. it's incredible. reporter: [inaudible] it again.trump: say reporter: [inaudible] resident trump: well, australia's mineral industry is massive. than -- very few countries have anything approaching what australia has of mineral wealth. you've really taken advantage of it in a very environmentally sensitive way. i know it's very important to you. scott.portant to we talk about it a lot because that business can get out of control a little bit from the environment. you have really approached it in n environmentally sensitive way.

coal, as an example, you're the safety in coal digging. we've actually studied it because we're doing a lot of coal. and you have very -- you almost lung disease, k in australia, you almost don't have it anymore. down.ve all of the dust they become wet minds -- wet mines, basically. prime minister morrison: very technologically advanced industry. robotics that's involved in the production and all the way through. that critical minerals, these are the things we are going to talking about because australia has a wonderful partnership with the united states. militarily, not just strategically but also economically. nd that's going to be the big part of this conversation we have today. president trump: and environmentally, i have to environmentally, the things they have done environmentally with digging, igging is a -- you know, when you talk minerals, it's about digging. withyou've been able to do the environment, having to do

with taking minerals out of the including and i would say even especially because you're leading on coal. i sent a whole crew over there because your record is so illnesses ms of dealing with digging -- we'll that -- we'll catch you on that, ok. reporter: [inaudible] prime minister morrison: we will talk about that over dinner tonight. i'm sure he has another term in understand.i but, no. about where they have taken the president's cup. later in the year, which will be great tournament, tremendous tournament. the president knows a lot about more than i do. he swings the club better than i do. next year he will do great. he has the opportunity, if mrs. trump has the opportunity, t's going to be a great spectacle down in australia. president trump: interestingly, tour invited me to go.

we have to see what the schedule is. tournament.exciting nothing more exciting and having it in australia where you have golfers, greg norman is a friend of mine and a great friend of yours, i know. he's going to be here tonight. the first lady has done an incredible job tonight. we will have four -- either the first time but one of the few garden and rose it's going to be -- i watched yesterday the rehearsal. she was out there and it's going to be incredible. tonight's going to be a beautiful night. the only thing that can dampen it would be rain and we're not rain.ing any but if it rains, we head over to we'll be just and fine. we really expect -- i hope you'll see it tonight for a little while. we'll make sure you do. it's beautiful. eporter: [inaudible] coalition to address iran? does that start today? president trump: well, i always like a coalition. sometimes you find that people made a lot of money that

you want in a coalition. hey made a lot of money with iran. when president obama made that deal, not only was it a bad deal, but the united states in a business sense and other countries, russia, many e, other countries made a lot of money with iran. and we didn't make money with iran. that was just one of the many bad parts about the deal. everyone else is making money not.e're so we'll see what happens. the united states is in a class by itself. we have the most powerful far.ary in the world by nobody close. as you know, we spent tremendous hopefully -- and we pray to god we never have to use it, but renovated and bought new nuclear and the rest of our brand new. all the nuclear now is at a level before.t's never been i can only tell you because i know -- i know the problems of nuclear. damages.e

i know what happens. i want to tell you, we all hope scott hopes, we all pray we never have to use nuclear, but anywhereobody that has close to what we have. eporter: [inaudible] president trump: we look forward to it. we'll be there. you'll be there. prime minister morrison: yeah. president trump: and for you it's a much longer trip. prime minister morrison: it is. president trump: we look forward to it. unga.e a big message for i haven't back to new york in a time. i see our part-time mayor will now be going back to new york so to work a little bit harder. he dropped out of the presidential race a little while ago. bad. he had tremendous potential. [laughter] he only had one real asset. what it was? height. other than that, he had nothing going. ok. else? eporter:

[inaudible] prime minister morrison: well, i hink the united states has taken a very measured and calibrated approach to date. the thing about our partnership we always listened to whatever requests were made. we had great conversations. get ahead of ourselves on these things. talking to each other. we've worked together and keep it.ng we have such an open line of communication. the president and i talked about things. even when we're not together. we'll keep doing it and we'll a e these things one step at time. president trump: you know the easiest thing for me to do and maybe it's a natural instinct, i have to hold myself back. i remember during the debates nd when i was running against hillary and the democrats and he media, i view them all the same and i view that partnership very much the same, but when i said, oh, g everybody

he's going to get into war. he's going to get into war. he's going to blow everybody up. he's going to get into war. well, the easiest thing i can in fact, i can do it while you're here. could say, go ahead, fellows, go do it. that would be a very bad day for iran. that's the easiest thing i could do. it's so easy. of those that say, oh, they should do it. it shows weakness. t shows -- actually, in my opinion, it shows strength, because the easiest thing i ahead.o, ok, go knock out 15 different major things in iran. i can do that. to go. it's all set to go. to do that.looking i've changed a lot of my -- surprised.very and many people are extremely happy. many people are thrilled and are -- oh, i wish you would hit the hell out of them. well, let's see what happens. will take place in one

minute, i could do it right here in front of you, and that will would have a you nice big story to report. more think it shows far strength to do it the way we're doing it and, again, whether next week or two weeks or three weeks, doesn't make any difference. hether it's now or in three weeks, doesn't make any difference. i think the strong person's thing that does show strength would be showing a little bit of restraint. much easier to do it the other way. it's much easier. iran knows, if they misbehave, they're on borrowed time. they are not doing well. i would like to see them do great. they are not doing well. poorly. doing very they're doing far worse than they've ever done before. their having riots in streets. they're having a lot of problems in iran right now. they could solve it very but the easiest thing for me to do is say, ok, let's go. let's just do it. to do, but it e

is interesting because when i was campaigning, everybody here be, like, was going to it would be one day, but what i isis, i is i defeated our military to a level that's been before, spent a lot of money. the budgets are not so hard to when you're ut far, ing $1.5 trillion so now another $738 billion on the of it, $1.5 think trillion and we have greatest in world. but i think restraint is a good thing. thing. it's a good to rter: how do you plan have peace in afghanistan? president trump: we were thinking about having a meeting. i didn't like the idea they couldn't produce a cease-fire. of that.in favor no, they can't produce a ceas cease-fire, where are we

bothering? they thought it was a sign of wounded when they badly others and one of those 12 people was a young man, young from puerto rico, from our country, and when i heard want to id, i don't deal with them anymore. we have hit in afghanistan, we the taliban harder than they've ever been hit in the war.re 19 years of they have been hit harder. come back to me through absolutely impeccable sources that they're saying, wow, we made a mistake with this guy. e made a -- they made a mistake. i was totally willing to have a meeting. i'll meet with anybody. good.k meetings are i think meetings are good. there's no so much thing as oh, shouldn't. i think meetings are good. doesn't work out, that's ok. ven then you get to know your opposition. don't forget, i'm looking at them the way they're looking at me. if they're real. sometimes you develop a relationship like we do. but sometimes you develop and you won't.

but you get to know your opposition. that k the best thing happened to this country is the fact at least for years, the act i have a very good relationship with kim jung un. i think that's a positive. tremendous has potential. he knows that. but our country has been playing gettingor 50 years, and nothing. and we have a relationship. there's never been a relationship with emthis. we'll see what happens. it might work out. it might not work out. i'm not saying it will, but in hasn't been he testing any nuclear. you had no nuclear tests since -- for a long time. been doing some short-range missiles but so does every other country do missiles, every country is doing them. it's pretty standard, fair. you that will tell we've never had a country so strong. couple of points away from a new stock market think we'veh, and i done it over 112 times. it's a certain number. want to be specific because if i give you the wrong

number we'll have breaking news. t will be in every in your opinion. i said 112 and it was actually 11 and it will be breaking news. they'll give me a pinocchio. let me just say -- let me just been he country has never position. after we built it after the $738 rebuilt we have a military. it's a great thing. some of our friends are doing same thing. i can tell you australia's military is unbelievable. saw the order they put in for some of our most sophisticated equipment. i said that's really great. it.'ve really upped i want to congratulate you. i mean, you have really done a military. prime minister morrison: yeah. up to two percentage g.d.p. upgrade, biggest increase in our defense, as a share of g.d.p., since the second world war. yeah.ent trump:

reporter: [inaudible] president trump: really, you know, it's a question i haven't heard in a long time. i'll leave that for you to determine. reporter: is it a trade issue for you or do you see china as a strategic threat to the united states? president trump: well, obviously it's a threat to the world in a sense because they're building a military anybody.an and frankly, they're using u.s. money. have ents before me allowed china to take out $500 and it's really more than that. they've allowed china to steal property and al property rights. and i'm not doing that. are very close to having a deal. we had intellectual property, all of the tough things were and then at the last moment, scott, they said, we cannot agree to this. all right.t's we're charging you 25% tariffs

and then it's going up. continue to go up. frankly, we're making so many hundreds of -- the numbers that taking in to our treasury, and you see it, because sometimes you'll see -- look at reports. look at the great reports that came out two days ago on retailing, on consumers, numbers that nobody believes. well, i think a lot of it, we're millions, reds of potentially, over a short period of time, hundreds of billions of worth of money is coming rom china that never came in before. so china wants to make a deal. i think we want to make a deal. see what happens. but i view china in many different ways, but right now i'm thinking about trade. trade equals military. because if we allow china to $500 billion out of the of the united states, that goes to military and other things. eporter: [inaudible]

president trump: i was hoping i wouldn't be asked that question. ask me that question, right. i'm surprised and i was more number d when i saw the of times. i've always had a good relationship with justin. i just don't know what to tell you. i was surprised by it, actually. eporter: [inaudibl [inaudible] president trump: i would say a titanium. you know, titanium is much steel. than he's a man of titanium. believe me, i have to deal with this guy. he's not easy. might think he's a nice guy, ok. he's a man of real, real guy.gth and great his wife is lovely. i want to thank you and melania for the work. hope you will be able to see because melania, she's worked very hard for australia. you've done a fantastic -- so beautiful. it will be so different. up to the skies and

we're just going to hope it's not going to rain. too, is, that's ok, because that will work out also. it always works out. thank you all, very much. there is nothing. it's nothing. [inaudible] prime minister morrison: greatest honor to be here. president trump: ok. thank you very much, everybody. >> keep going. let's go. > after the oval office meeting, australian prime minister scott morrison and president trump went into the for room of the white house a joint news conference. the two leaders answered uestions about trade negotiations with china, cooperation in the middle east, was asked nt trump

about whistleblower allegations.