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Trump Gaggles with Press Upon Arrival in Paris, France, Jun. 17, 2026

June 17, 2026 · The White House · 0:07:05

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

What happened

President Donald Trump took questions from reporters on arrival in Paris, France on June 17, 2026, on his way to a dinner at Versailles following his G7 press conference in Evian (paged separately in this collection). On the Iran memorandum of understanding, he put the signing “48 hours. I’d say 48 hours. We haven’t determined yet. It’s in final form,” and said the 60-day window that follows is not a hard deadline: “As long as they’re behaving. I really don’t care that much… you could extend this thing.” On ballistic missiles, he elaborated the position stated at the press conference: “If other countries have them, it’s a little bit unfair for them not to have some. A ballistic missile is not the same thing as what we’re talking about when we talk nuclear.”

Asked about the Federal Reserve holding rates that day, with a possible later raise, he answered: “It could happen. I mean, it’s hard to believe. It just keeps the country down… But we have a very good guy over there now, so I’m guided by what he wants to do.” On USMCA, up for its six-year review, he was blunt: “I would rather leave it unsigned. I’d rather have it terminated… We do better as a country if we don’t have an agreement,” while adding, “I’m open to doing it. We’ll see what happens.” He also said Ukraine is “holding their own” with American equipment paid for by Europe and NATO, and that he may restore Russia oil sanctions now that the oil price is down.

Why it matters

A travel gaggle is where positions get stated without a script, and this one put three on the record in seven minutes: the memorandum’s signing timeline, deference — for now — to Chairman Warsh’s Fed, and a stated preference to end the trade agreement he himself negotiated in his first term. USTR Jamieson Greer owns the USMCA review; the preference the President stated here is the backdrop against which it will run.

Scoreboard watch

Two dated claims to track: the memorandum signing within 48 hours as stated on June 17, and the USMCA position — termination preferred, signature possible — against the review’s outcome.

Sources: The White House, “President Trump Gaggles with Press Upon Arrival in Paris, France, Jun. 17, 2026,” Paris, France (official upload, embedded above). All characterizations as stated by the President in the gaggle.