Washington - 5 September
1. Wide shot of Trump in Roosevelt Room with Republican congressional leaders
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, US President:
"The Emir just left, of Kuwait, and we talked about the difficulties in the Middle East. And I will tell you that tremendous progress has been made with respect to Iran. If you look at Iran the first day that I got to office or let's look at it differently, a day before he got to office, everybody was saying Iran would be taking over the Middle East, it was just a question of when. Now they're just looking to survive. And we've made a lot of difference in the Middle East. People are being pulled out of various areas of Syria. People are being pulled out of areas of Yemen, because it's very tough right now for Iran. And when I came in, the Iran deal was a disaster. Ending the Iran deal was a great thing for humanity but we'll see how it all works out. We still have a ways to go. But Iran is a very much different place. We'll see what happens also as to whether or not they talk if they want to talk that's fine, if they don't want to talk, that's fine."
3. Wide side shot of Trump talking
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, US President:
"We've done very well in our negotiation with China but we're not prepared to make the deal that they'd like to make. We'll continue to talk to China. I have great respect for President Xi. He's really a very special guy. But right now we just can't make that deal. In the meantime, we're taking in billions of dollars of taxes coming in from China and with the potential of billions and billions of dollars more taxes coming in. I don't like to see that China's markets have dropped by close to 25 percent. But that's what's happened over the last few months. Their markets have gone down. I don't like to see that but I can tell you that the United States has picked up about 10 trillion dollars in worth. And China would like to be in our position."
5. Wide side shot of Trump talking
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, US President:
"(Reporter question: There's a report you're looking to replace Secretary Mattis...?)
Well he just made the nicest quote about me I think I've ever had. In fact Mitch (McConnell, Senate Majority Leader) has never said anything so nice. I think Steve Scalise (House Majority Whip) said something just as nice. But no, he just gave me, I think because the book is a total piece of fiction, and he was totally, not even misquoted he never made the statement. He came out with a statement that honesty, you know I've heard over the years that general Mattis is an intellect and what I read his statement, I asked him whether or not this was true he said not only is it not true I'd like to write a statement and I said thank you very much that's very nice. He wrote the most beautiful statement. No. I think he's a terrific person, he's doing a fantastic job as Secretary of Defense.
(Reporter question: And he'll stay in that job?)
Yeah. He'll stay right here. We're very happy with him. We're having a lot of victories. We're having victories that people don't even know about. And he's highly respected all over the world. And I did appreciate his statement because he didn't have to write that statement but I did appreciate it and I appreciated the statement of John Kelly and I appreciated the statement of many others. It's like, you know every week I seem to have a book coming out, some good some bad. in all fairness, I get some good ones too but I like to take them on when they come out. That's a piece of fiction. Thank you, everybody."
7. Pull out to wide shot of Trump
8. Quick cutaway of press as questions are being shouted
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Donald Trump, US President:
"If it happens, it happens. (A government shutdown) If it's about border security, I'm willing to do anything. We have to protect our borders. We don't protect our borders our country is not going to be a country. So it's about border security, I'm willing to do what has to be done. Thank you very much."
10. Wide shot of Trump and Republican leaders
President Donald Trump touted his administration's "tremendous" progress on Iran Wednesday, saying when he got to office, many warned Iran was taking over the Middle East, but "now, they're just looking to survive."
Trump made the comments during a White House meeting with Republican leaders on the US budget and fall agenda.
The president again praised his decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal, calling it "a great thing for humanity" and insisting Iran is now "a much different place."
Trump said he's open to negotiating a new nuclear agreement with Iran but saying, "If they want to talk, that's fine. If they don't want to talk, that's fine."
Trump also hailed his administration's dealings with China. He said his White House is continuing to talk to Beijing but is "not prepared to make the deal that they'd like to make."
The president said China's markets have dropped by close to 25 percent as a result of the trade battle while the United States has picked up 10-trillion dollars in worth.
"China would like to be in our position," Trump said.
Asked whether he intends to replace Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in light of the reporting in Bob Woodward's upcoming book, Trump said Mattis will stay on the job, adding he is "very happy with him" and "highly respected all over the world."
Trump and his aides have pushed back on a series of incendiary scenes in the book, including Mattis telling associates Trump had the understanding of "a fifth- or sixth-grader."
Lastly, Trump told reporters he's holding out the possibility of a federal government shutdown this fall if Congress doesn't act to secure the nation's borders.
"If it happens, it happens. If it's about border security, I'm willing to do anything," he said as the press was being escorted from the room.
The president has previously suggested to lawmakers that he would not allow a government shutdown before the November midterm elections.
Lawmakers face a Sept. 30 deadline to pass spending bills to keep the government open.
