Transcript - Remarks: Donald Trump Holds a Bilateral Meeting with Shinzo Abe of Japan - August 25, 2019 | Factba.se

Donald Trump

00:00:00 - 00:00:24 (24 sec)

Thank you very much. It's a great honor to be here. We're having some very good discussions, maybe even great discussions. And I will say that our relationship with Prime Minister Abe and Japan has been, I think, the best it's ever been. I don't know, I'll let you speak to that. But I think it's the best it's ever been.

Donald Trump

00:00:24 - 00:00:58 (35 sec)

Go ahead. We're discussing trade. We're doing a lot of trade together; a lot of military trade, actually, which is a big component. We're also talking, obviously, about North Korea. And those discussions are going very well. And we're discussing lots of other things. And the relationship between us, but also the relationship with us and the other countries, has really been -- of the G7 -- has really been outstanding.

Donald Trump

00:00:58 - 00:01:32 (34 sec)

From the moment we got here, we've been treated beautifully. I think I speak for Shinzo and myself. We've been treated beautifully. And I want to congratulate -- and I have to say "thus far," because we're probably halfway through. But thus far, this has been really a great G7, and I want to congratulate France and your President because they have really done a great job.

Donald Trump

00:01:32 - 00:01:33 (1 sec)

Shinzo Abe

00:01:33 - 00:01:38 (5 sec)

[Via Interpreter] I would like to congratulate you on the birth of your 10th grandchild.

Donald Trump

00:01:38 - 00:01:38 (0 sec)

Shinzo Abe

00:01:38 - 00:02:01 (23 sec)

[Via Interpreter] And speaking of our intensive diplomatic engagement, as shown by my own visit to Washington, D.C. back in April, followed by you and Madam First Lady's state visit to Japan in the month of May as a very first state guest under the new era called Reiwa, and also followed by our meeting on the margins of G20 Osaka Summit.

Shinzo Abe

00:02:01 - 00:02:40 (38 sec)

[Via Interpreter] So, as shown by these meetings, we have been conducting very frequent exchange of opinions, as well as visits. And looking back at the history of Japan-U.S. relations, we've never seen this frequent level of visits between the two leaders as we have seen at this moment. So I think it is fair to say that, we as the leaders of Japan and the United States, now enjoy a robust relationship of trust more so than ever, and same can be said vis-à-vis the status of the Japan-U.S. relations in general.

Shinzo Abe

00:02:40 - 00:03:05 (25 sec)

[Via Interpreter] And thanks to your tremendous support for me as a chair of the G20 Osaka Summit, we could send out a really powerful message toward addressing various global challenges. And just as importantly, I am ready to work very closely with you, Donald, so as to bring this year's G7 Summit to a successful conclusion.

Shinzo Abe

00:03:05 - 00:03:36 (31 sec)

[Via Interpreter] So, on this occasion, I certainly look forward to discuss with you specific ways to deepen our alliance between the two countries and also the regional situations, including North Korea as well as Iran. And, of course, we look forward to discussing bilateral trade as well as the economic relationship. And I certainly hope to have a very productive discussion with you.

Donald Trump

00:03:36 - 00:04:07 (31 sec)

Well, thank you. And I want to also congratulate the great Matsuyama. You know who Matsuyama is? He's a great golfer that we played with and we had a lot of fun. And Shinzo is a very good golfer, and we have a lot of fun playing golf together. And we played with Ernie Els here, and Shinzo reciprocated with a great player, Matsuyama.

Donald Trump

00:04:07 - 00:04:30 (23 sec)

And last week, in a big tournament -- which is a one of the very biggest tournaments -- he came in third, and he shot a 62 or 63 in the final round, which is not bad. Right? Which is not bad. So, he's a great young man and he's a great golfer. And please congratulate him for me. Thank you. Okay.

Question

00:04:30 - 00:04:38 (9 sec)

Mr. President, do you have a trade deal with Japan? Have you agreed on a trade deal?

Donald Trump

00:04:38 - 00:04:51 (12 sec)

We're working on one, and we're fairly close. And I don't know as to, Bob Lighthizer, what's happening. Can you give us a status report?

Robert Lighthizer

00:04:51 - 00:05:07 (16 sec)

Well, we're very close and we've been working intensively. And hopefully, as a result of this meeting, we'll be able to come to an agreement on core principles.

Donald Trump

00:05:07 - 00:05:17 (10 sec)

A very big deal. It's a major deal with Japan. If it gets done, we'll possibly know by the end of this meeting.

Question

00:05:17 - 00:05:33 (16 sec)

Mr. President, did you sign off on a statement to Iran -- a message to Iran that President Macron says he's going to deliver on behalf of all the G7 countries?

Donald Trump

00:05:33 - 00:05:39 (6 sec)

No, I haven't discussed that. No.

Question

00:05:39 - 00:05:39 (1 sec)

Donald Trump

00:05:39 - 00:05:41 (2 sec)

Question

00:05:41 - 00:05:46 (4 sec)

Do you support President Macron's outreach to Iranian authorities?

Donald Trump

00:05:46 - 00:06:11 (25 sec)

Sure. And I also support Prime Minister Abe's outreach because he's also speaking to Iran, and they have a very good relationship, from what I understand. But Iran is no longer the same country it was -- as it was two and a half years ago. But we'll do our own outreach. But, you know, I can't stop people from talking.

Donald Trump

00:06:11 - 00:06:15 (3 sec)

If they want to talk, they can talk.

Question

00:06:15 - 00:06:23 (8 sec)

What are some of the issues you all talked about at dinner last night?

Donald Trump

00:06:23 - 00:06:30 (8 sec)

Why don't you tell me what we spoke about last night? [Laughter]

Question

00:06:30 - 00:06:32 (2 sec)

I'm asking you, sir.

Donald Trump

00:06:32 - 00:07:21 (48 sec)

Because there was a lot of inaccurate reporting. We had a really good dinner last night. And I had a fantastic lunch with the President of France yesterday. The best -- frankly -- and I told him, and I was totally honest -- probably an hour and a half. Many of you saw it. I think it was the best hour and a half I've ever spent with him, President Macron.

Donald Trump

00:07:21 - 00:07:56 (36 sec)

It was a perfect period of time. And yet, I picked up stories, and I read like it was the opposite. It was really was. I mean, it doesn't matter; you can write whatever you want to write. But it was false reporting. We had a very, very good lunch, and we had a very, very good dinner last night. Everybody was at the dinner.

Donald Trump

00:07:56 - 00:08:05 (9 sec)

And I think it was really good. We discussed Iran. We discussed trade. We discussed China. And we discussed many things. But it was a very, very good -- a very good dinner.

Question

00:08:05 - 00:08:15 (10 sec)

Mr. President, you said you discussed Russia, and you said earlier it was a "lively" discussion. Do you feel that the other members of the G7 would encourage Russia to join again, the way you are?

Donald Trump

00:08:15 - 00:08:45 (29 sec)

I think that's a work in progress. We have a number of people that would like to see Russia back. I think it would be -- I think it would be advantageous to many things in the world. I think it would be a positive. Other people agree with me. And it's something that we're discussing. I don't know that we'll make a decision one way or the other, but we did have a discussion about Russia last night, as to whether or not we want to invite them back.

Donald Trump

00:08:45 - 00:08:52 (8 sec)

I think it's advantageous. I think it's a positive. Other people agree with me, and some people don't necessarily agree.

Question

00:08:52 - 00:08:54 (2 sec)

How do you expect to overcome those differences?

Donald Trump

00:08:54 - 00:08:58 (4 sec)

Well, I don't think we're going to -- maybe we won't. Maybe we'll just leave it the way it is.

Question

00:08:58 - 00:09:03 (4 sec)

Can you say who were some of those who agreed with you on inviting Russia back?

Donald Trump

00:09:03 - 00:09:23 (20 sec)

I could, but I don't think it's necessary. Some of the people that I was surprised -- I was actually surprised at a couple of them because I didn't think they had a good relationship, and it was good enough that they said, "Yes, we'd like to have them back." It's -- it's ongoing discussion. No decision -- no decision was made.

Donald Trump

00:09:23 - 00:09:26 (3 sec)

We didn't do a vote or anything. Just discussion.

Question

00:09:26 - 00:09:29 (3 sec)

Are you concerned at all about North Korea conducting more tests?

Donald Trump

00:09:29 - 00:09:58 (29 sec)

I'm not happy about it. But, again, he's not in violation of an agreement. We speak. I received a very nice letter from him last week. We speak. He was upset that South Korea was doing the "war games," as you call them. I don't think they were necessary either, if you want to know the truth. And I said to my people, "You can have them or not.

Donald Trump

00:09:58 - 00:10:30 (33 sec)

I would recommend against them, but I'm going to let you do exactly what you want to do." I said that to all of my people. I said, "I don't want to interfere because I think if you want to do them, you can do them, if you think it's necessary. But I think it's a total waste of money." And they did a modified version of them.

Donald Trump

00:10:30 - 00:10:36 (6 sec)

John Bolton, would you say that's correct? It's a very much --

John Bolton

00:10:36 - 00:10:39 (3 sec)

Yes, very much modified.

Donald Trump

00:10:39 - 00:10:47 (8 sec)

-- modified version. But I think it was unnecessary to do, frankly.

Question

00:10:47 - 00:10:52 (5 sec)

Any update on another meeting with North Korea?

Donald Trump

00:10:52 - 00:11:22 (31 sec)

Probably have one. Yeah. Probably. But -- so I'm not -- I'm not liking short range because short range is Shinzo's -- you know, it's really his territory. I mean, I'd like to ask, Shinzo, how do you feel about North Korea and the testing of short-range missiles? He's not thrilled.

Shinzo Abe

00:11:22 - 00:11:47 (25 sec)

[Via Interpreter] So, our position is very clear: That the launch of short-range ballistic missiles by North Korea clearly violates the relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions. So, in that sense, it was extremely regrettable for us to experience another round of the launch of the short-range ballistic missiles by North Korea in recent days.

Donald Trump

00:11:47 - 00:12:06 (19 sec)

And I can understand how the Prime Minister of Japan feels. I mean, I can. It's different. But, I mean, I can understand that fully.

Question

00:12:06 - 00:12:15 (8 sec)

Mr. Prime Minister, would you like President Trump to come further to your position on this?

Shinzo Abe

00:12:15 - 00:12:34 (20 sec)

[Via Interpreter] As we have done before, I would like to make sure that we -- meaning, myself and President Trump -- will always stay on the same page when it comes to North Korea. And also, I would like to underscore that I fully support the U.S.-North Korea process 100 percent.

Question

00:12:34 - 00:12:40 (6 sec)

But are you on the same page, if you see these things so differently? I mean --

Donald Trump

00:12:40 - 00:12:51 (10 sec)

I think, ultimately, we're always on the same page. As long as he's Prime Minister and as long as I'm President, I think we're always on the same page.

Question

00:12:51 - 00:12:58 (7 sec)

Sorry, but, Mr. President, you don't think that the short-term -- or the short missile launches are --

Donald Trump

00:12:58 - 00:12:59 (1 sec)

No, because I never --

Question

00:12:59 - 00:13:03 (4 sec)

-- are a violation of U.N. resolutions?

Donald Trump

00:13:03 - 00:13:32 (29 sec)

-- because I never discussed that with him personally. I mean, you're talking about personally; I never discussed that with him. I discussed long-range ballistic, and, that, he cannot do. And he hasn't been doing it. And he hasn't been doing nuclear testing. He has done short range, much more standard missiles.

Donald Trump

00:13:32 - 00:13:58 (27 sec)

A lot of people are testing those missiles, not just him. A lot of people are testing those missiles. We're in the world of missiles, folks, whether you like it or not. I have confidence that, in the end, Kim Jong Un -- who I've gotten to know very well -- will do the right thing. I feel that he will do the right thing.

Donald Trump

00:13:58 - 00:14:28 (29 sec)

I think it's to his advantage to do the right thing. I think North Korea has tremendous potential as a country, economically. I think it's got -- I think, maybe, there's no country that you could talk of in terms of emerging that has the potential that North Korea has. I think he understands that better than anybody.

Donald Trump

00:14:28 - 00:14:41 (13 sec)

And I think, in the end, he will do the right thing. We'll see. Maybe not, but maybe. But I think he'll do the right thing. We'll see what happens. Thank you all very much.