During a lengthy roundtable discussion at the White House, President Donald Trump and members of his cabinet took stock of his administration’s fight against crime and drugs.
The president also answered questions from the media on a range of topics.
Here is part of what he said:
Military strikes: Trump insisted he could continue to launch strikes against suspected drug traffickers without Congress first passing a formal declaration of war. He also suggested his administration would soon begin targeting those believed to be members of cartels in countries like Venezuela, in addition to continuing to strike suspected drug boats in international waters.
Rising tensions with Venezuela: He, however, denied that the United States today sent the American B-1 Lancer bomber that flew over the coast of Venezuela. He noted, however, that America “is not happy with Venezuela for many reasons,” citing drug trafficking and illegal immigration.
Crime suppression: The president touted a federal court ruling that clears the way for his administration to deploy National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon, saying protests in the city are “like an insurrection” despite reports claiming otherwise. Oregon, along with Portland, is pushing for an appeals court to review the decision.
Defense of pardons: Trump defended his decision to pardon Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, who pleaded guilty to a money laundering charge in 2023, telling CNN’s Kaitlan Collins that he granted the pardon “at the request of a lot of very good people. He also said he was “very proud” of his mass forgiveness people charged with crimes related to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, as he said he was unaware that a man who received a pardon was accused of threatening a top Democratic lawmaker.
Schiff probe: The president declined to comment on media reports that his administration had opened an investigation against Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff over allegations of mortgage fraud, telling reporters: “I hope it’s true, but I don’t know anything.” »
Ballroom project: Trump said he has raised $350 million to fund construction of his new White House ballroom, more than he estimates he will need to complete the massive project that will go where the East Wing once stood.
CNN’s Donald Judd, Adam Cancryn, Avery Schmitz, Maureen Chowdhury, Natasha Bertrand, Kevin Liptak and Kit Maher contributed reporting.
