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Trump Gaggles with Press on Air Force One En Route Miami, FL, Mar. 7, 2026

March 7, 2026 · The White House · 0:14:39

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

What happened

President Donald Trump spoke with reporters aboard Air Force One on March 7, 2026, flying to Miami after attending the dignified transfer at Dover. “It’s a very sad day,” he said of the ceremony, “but it’s always a very sad thing — the war itself is going unbelievably, as good as it can be.” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff joined the gaggle and took questions alongside him.

One week into Operation Epic Fury, the President’s tallies, as he stated them: “We’ve wiped out their Navy, 44 ships. We’ve wiped out their air force, every plane. We’ve wiped out most of their missiles,” with manufacturing areas hit hard and drone capacity “way down.” Pressed on duration, he declined a timeline — “whatever it takes.” Secretary Hegseth added the rate figures: Iranian missiles were “at about 9% of what they sent out in the first two days,” and “we’ve knocked out about 70% of the launchers.” On what unconditional surrender means, the President said: “It’s where they cry uncle — or when they can’t fight any longer and there’s nobody around to cry uncle.”

On the reported strike on a girls’ elementary school in southern Iran, the President said, “My opinion, based on what I’ve seen, that was done by Iran,” with Secretary Hegseth adding the matter was “certainly investigating” and that “the only side that targets civilians is Iran.” The President reported no indication Russia was supporting Iran; said he would refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve “at the appropriate time”; declined to discuss ground troops beyond “possibly for a very good reason”; and ruled out a Kurdish ground role — “I’ve told them I don’t want them to go in.” Witkoff, asked whether a deal remained possible, said that was up to the President and that Iran’s negotiators “didn’t seem to be very amenable” in the first set of talks.

Why it matters

This gaggle is the administration’s day-7 war account in one sitting — the ship, missile, and launcher figures, the surrender definition, and the school-strike attribution as the President stated them — given hours after the Dover transfer, with the Secretary of War supplying the rate numbers beside him. It is recorded on the Foreign Policy & Defense hub.

Scoreboard watch

The figures stated at this gaggle — 44 ships, missile fire at about 9 percent of the opening rate, about 70 percent of launchers knocked out, all as stated by the President and Secretary Hegseth — and the President’s attribution of the school strike to Iran are recorded here for the weekly scoreboard. The scoreboard entry itself remains review-gated.

Sources: The White House, “President Trump Gaggles with Press on Air Force One En Route Miami, FL, Mar. 7, 2026,” The White House, March 7, 2026 (official upload, embedded above; Air Force One, per the official description). All figures and characterizations as stated by President Trump, Secretary Hegseth, and Special Envoy Witkoff at the gaggle.