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mahatmakanejeeves

(56,905 posts)
Wed Oct 16, 2019, 02:01 PM Oct 2019

Trump and Mattarella's Remarks Before Bilateral Meeting: October 16, 2019

REMARKS

Remarks by President Trump and President Mattarella of the Italian Republic Before Bilateral Meeting
FOREIGN POLICY

Issued on: October 16, 2019

Oval Office

10:20 A.M. EDT

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Well, thank you very much. It’s a great honor to have the President of Italy with us. He is a man of great distinction. He’s highly respected in this country. And it’s nice to have you at the White House. Thank you very much, Mr. President.

We’ve had a great relationship with Italy for a long time. I don’t think it’s ever been closer than it is now. We have won a $7.5 billion award from, as you know — I guess it’s been pretty big news. And I know that this is against the European Union and World Trade — good ole World Trade. For a long time, they’ve been taking advantage of the United States. And I know Turkey is going to talk to us about their share of it because they feel they shouldn’t have to pay so much.

And if you look at what’s going on, Italy is complaining about it. Turkey is com- — everybody is complaining about it. Turkey is complaining about a lot of things, and we’re handling Turkey very nicely. But we have many countries complaining about the different awards that we’ve been winning lately from the courts. And the reason we’re winning is we’re properly represented.

{snip}

Q Mr. President, because you’re winning so much with the WTO, because you’re growing the biggest economy —

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Wait, there’s a great question I’m being asked. This is maybe the greatest question I’ve been asked in a long time. Please put those mics over here. Go ahead.

Q Because you’re winning with the WTO, because you’re growing the biggest economy the world, are you willing to give Italy a break on tariffs?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: We are looking at Italy very strongly. And, as you know, the seven and a half is to be divided the way we say. We’ve divided it up. Italy has got a problem with the way we’ve divided it up because they said they had much less to do with it, and Germany had more to do with it, and France had more to do with it, as an example. So we are going to look at that very strongly. Ambassador Lighthizer is here. We’re going to look at it very strongly.

Okay? Thank you. Good question. I love that question.

Thank you all very much. Thank you.

Q Are you going to open up the meeting with Pelosi? Are you going to open up the meeting with Pelosi and bring us in?

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah, I’ll bring you in, right? I’ll bring you in. They’re doing a bad thing. I’ll talk to you. I’ll talk to you.

Thank you very much, everybody.

Steve, please treat them nicely. Treat Italy nicely, please.

Q The translator did an amazing job.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Huh?

Q The translator did an amazing job.

PRESIDENT TRUMP: Yeah. That doesn’t always happen. Thank you.

END

11:06 A.M. EDT
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Trump and Mattarella's Remarks Before Bilateral Meeting: October 16, 2019 (Original Post) mahatmakanejeeves Oct 2019 OP
I'm shaking my head. saidsimplesimon Oct 2019 #1
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