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Trump Gaggles with Press on Air Force One En Route Joint Base Andrews, Sep. 13, 2026

September 13, 2026 · The White House · 0:08:36

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

What happened

President Donald Trump took questions from the traveling press aboard Air Force One on September 13, 2026, returning from Ireland, in a gaggle carried on the White House channel. On the coming meeting with President Xi, he said they would be “discussing almost everything,” and ruled out Chinese autos: “No, I haven’t. I’m the one that kept them out. The tariffs kept them out. I have 100% tariff from 100 to 150%.” Asked about reports that Chinese entities may have given Iran satellite imagery of air bases, he answered, “when they say that China spies on us, I say you’re right and we spy on them, too.”

On Russia and Ukraine, he said diesel supply is the pressure point — Ukrainian strikes on Russian diesel refineries are driving prices — and that he has asked President Zelenskyy not to hit the diesel plants. On air defense, he said the United States is “making more patriots than we’ve ever made” and building new plants, and he previewed directed-energy weapons: “the laser is a big thing… once you have the equipment, the laser beam itself is very inexpensive, almost nothing.” He also called Canada “the most difficult country” to deal with (“Their leaders, not the people. The people are fantastic”), said he uses AI himself, and praised CIA Director Ratcliffe and the Gaza hostage outcome: “We got the hostages back.”

Why it matters

Air Force One gaggles are where this President does unscripted foreign policy; this one puts his China red lines (no Chinese autos, tariffs as the wall), his diesel ask of Kyiv, and his laser-weapons pitch on the record in his own words on the flight home from the Ireland visit.

Sources: The White House, “President Trump Gaggles with Press on Air Force One En Route Joint Base Andrews, Sep. 13, 2026” (official upload, embedded above; the upload’s description places the gaggle aboard Air Force One). All figures and characterizations as stated by the President at the gaggle.