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Trump Gaggles with the Press on Air Force One, May 16, 2025

May 16, 2025 · The White House · 0:06:14

Embedded from the source channel — never re-uploaded. Watch on YouTube

What happened

President Donald Trump spoke with the traveling press aboard Air Force One on May 16, 2025, as his first major foreign trip of the term — Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates — wound down, in a gaggle carried on the White House channel.

The President praised the three host leaders and the pace of the work done on the trip. “In all three countries, you can’t speak more highly. The job they’ve done is in a fairly short period of time is just outstanding. And they’re great people. Great leaders. There’s three great leaders,” he said. He also thanked the press corps for keeping up with the schedule: “You have great stamina also. We all have stamina because you needed it. That was a test,” he said, tying the trip back to election day: “November 5th was a big day for our country.”

Why it matters

This is the closing press availability of the May 2025 Gulf trip, the President’s own wrap of three days of state visits, signing ceremonies, and investment announcements that this chronicle pages day by day — his summary judgment on the three host governments he had just done business with.

Sources: The White House, “President Trump Gaggles with the Press on Air Force One, May 16, 2025” (YouTube, May 16, 2025) — official description and broadcast transcript as aired.