Karoline Leavitt savagely shuts down CNN’s Kaitlan Collins over embarrassing gotcha question

Thank you.

Sure.Go ahead.who say you cannot negotiate with the Iranians.So your response to these contradictions, because I think you can understand how that's confusing for Americans with this mixed messaging.And then second question for you, at least six Americans are still detained in Iran.Will President Trump make this conditional a point of condition in continuing these conversations with the country as well as political prisoners and also people that are still being executed in Iran to this day?

half of the President without his blessing.I haven't heard him say that.But obviously, ensuring the return of Americans wrongfully detained or held hostage all over this world remains a priority for him, and he has done so in a tremendous way over the course of the last year and a half.Americans from all over the world have returned home thanks to this President and the efforts of his national security team.To your first question about the comments between the President and the Vice President, respectfully, I do think you're taking comments from different times throughout this conflict and kind of asking me If these are contradictory of each other, I can tell you the President and Vice President are on the exact same page about where we are right now in this conflict.And the fact that you do see elements of what's remaining in the Iranian regime that are more willing to make a deal, and then other elements who are not so maybe willing to make a deal, shows that Operation Epic Fury was incredibly effective, because we neutered their ability to communicate with one another, and they are able to communicate

system.They are not the once very strong, powerful terrorist state that they were before this operation, which was one of the ultimate goals.So we'll continue to work through the process.And as I said, the President will hold them accountable when they turn their back on the words that they state to the United States, but he is always open to diplomacy at the very same time.

He's been in office over 540 days now.If what he says is tonight is backed up by evidence, why hasn't anyone been charged?

Well, he hasn't revealed it yet.He hasn't declassified the documents yet, and you will see what he says tonight, and then we'll move forward appropriately from there.So no charges followed tonight from the Justice Department?I don't speak on behalf of the Justice Department, Kaitlan, you know that.Rachel.By evidence, will there be charges?

You'll have to ask the Justice Department.I don't charge people.I just speak on behalf of the President.Rachel.Thanks, Caroline.

Welcome back.Just a point of clarification really quick on the staffer who's accused of profiting off of the President's speeches.You said he'll no longer be working here.Is he on administrative leave or is he going to be fired after October?

He's on unpaid administrative leave right now.Okay.

And just to follow up on the President's speech tonight, I mean, we've been talking to a lot of Republicans over on Capitol Hill.They have said that focusing on the economy is the right way to go ahead of the midterm elections.They believe that's what voters care most about.What does the President say to Republicans who think that focusing on the 2020 election, election integrity, all of these issues right now is not the right approach so close to the election?

Again, you guys have not heard the speech yet, so I would digress with the criticism until you actually hear what the President is going to say and what he's going to say.say when he addresses the American public.I would also add, again, that the Administration and especially this President are able to walk and chew gum at the same time and tackle a number of issues on a number of different subjects every single day.We see that President do that, working around the clock on foreign policy, on domesticsubjects every single day.Go ahead.

We have seen, with the increased community strikes, a real decrease in traffic through – commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.What is the U .S.doing right now to facilitate flows through the Strait of Hormuz and preemptively address the risk that Houthis will actually choke off the Red Sea oil route and that prices will increase further before November?

Sure.Well, two separate questions.First, let me address what's happening in the Strait right now.We know that there is a blockade of ships directed by the President.for one non -compliant vessel.So look, the strait is open for ships.

that are not traveling to and from Iranian ports specifically, and the U .S.Navy is there to ensure that can take place.With respect to gas prices, as you know, the price of oil right now is approximately $80 a barrel, maybe a little less.Before I came out here, that's what it was at.Gas prices are down approximately 60 cents a gallon off the peak of this conflict.

And the president was honest with the American people from the beginning.There may be temporary disruptions in the oil market, but what we haven't seen is whatall of the naysayers said, that there would be massive increases in the price of oil that so many warned about.And that's in large part because of the president's domestic energy policies here at home to revamp our domestic production here.But also, the administration has taken many swift actions to mitigate these temporary disruptions.As you know, we've released oil through our SPR, the Jones Act waiver, which has been incredibly effective.

Fuel environmental waivers.We also — the President signed the Defense Production Act to restart California oil production.So all of these very swift and mighty actions on behalf of this administration have led to a rather stable oil market.And the President will continue to do all he can to ensure prices come down, stay stable for the American people and the American consumer until the end of this conflict.And ultimately, I think Americans should keep in mind why we're doing this in the first place — to ensure that Iran, a terror state can never obtain a nuclear weapon.Dasha, go ahead.

You too.Two questions, one on tonight and one on immigration.It strikes me, listening to the conversation in this room about Iran, given the questions that folks on both sides of the aisle have about strategy and endgame, given that the United States has intensified strikes on Iran, typically in a time of conflict, when the President gives an address to the nation, you would expect him to address this conflict.Number one, will he talk about Iran?And why is that not the major topic of his speech?Does he believe that the SAVE Act and the 2020 election, election integrity, are more important right now?

Well, no, it's not a matter of importance.It's just a matter of timing.The President will be making a very important announcement with respect to the integrity of our elections.However, it is also very possible at the top of the speech he will mention the current situation with Iran and also the economy as well.As you all know, President Trump is a man of his own word, and he sometimes is thinking about thesethings up until he walks out.

But we have had conversations about him addressing a range of topics, and that could very well be possible tonight.Again, this is all more reason for all of you to carry the speech live and for the American people to tune in tonight so they can hear directly from the American — the president and draw their own conclusions.Go ahead.Go ahead.will be days.It's been a slower rollout than we would have hoped, but that's because of the Democrats' decision to shut down DHS for several weeks.

So we expect to fully execute on the promise of body cams to all field offices across the country very soon.

Can you give an update on the administration's response to this?Are there federal officials on the ground in the hardest -hit states right now doing any testing of production facilities or farms to try to figure out where this outbreak has come from?Sure.

Well, what I can tell you, having been back at the White House for just a couple of short weeks, I've been in meetings on this very topic.been back at the White House for just a couple of short weeks.but there has been an unusually higher number.And that's why we're working with the FDA and other partners at the federal, state, and local level to increase detection methods, provide the guidance, and then also, most importantly, trace the outbreak back to its original source, which we are currently in the process of doing.

funding cuts, has that slowed the response to figure out where this outbreak has started?

No, we've talked to the CDC and FDA specifically about that and not at all.They have the resources they need to make sure that Americans are fully informed and protected from this illness during this time.

Last year, the administration signed a critical minimum mining deal with Kazakhstan for a little -known U .S.company.It was an agreement that President Trump and Howard Lutnick got tentative approval for with Kazakhstan's president in September.Six days before the deal was signed, which was in November, the President's older sons with other partners took a 20 percent investment in a company related to the deal.What did the President know about his son's involvement in this arrangement, and when did he find out about it?

For my understanding, Maggie, nothing.I've spoken to the President and his family about this.They would absolutely never do anything that would put the President in a place of a conflict of interest.And we have no information.timelines to give you and to provide you, which we did to the news media at the time when this story broke, to prove that very point that I just made.

So the President did not learn about it until it was in the media?That was when he found out?

That's my understanding of the matter, yes.Caroline.Caroline, how are you?Thank you very much.

Carrie, I'll go to you after.

Thank you.Sure.Thank you.

Go ahead.

Me?Okay.Well, thank you very much.You're working.

Starting in the back.You're very, very welcome back.Okay.

Yesterday, Iran launched a drone attack against U .S.facilities in Erbil, threatening American personnel and the Kurdistan region, one of the American closest partners in the Middle East.What is your message to those responsible?And are you staying with your loyal ally in the Middle East and at least helping them to defend itself?

Who launched the attack?You're saying Iran?Yes, of course.Well, I think I've addressed that previously in saying that Iran has unfortunately shown to violate the word that they struck with the President of the United States.They're paying consequences for that and the strikes that the President has authorized in the recent days.

Thank you, Caroline.You were with the President in Ankara for the NATO Summit, and there Ukraine was one of the - I was not, actually.Oh, you were not.Okay, yeah.But the issue of Ukraine was one of the most important topics there, and the situation is escalating between the two sides in these days, but there are still efforts.Can you give us more information about where we are and how the local powers are trying power breakers, including Turkey, are involving in order to solve the problem?

he greatly enjoyed his time with President Erdogan in Turkey and appreciates the bilateral relationship between our two countries.

the sitting President's speech tonight?

Yeah, I think that the mainstream media should air the President's speech and allow the American people to draw their own conclusions from it.Again, I think it's important that the American public hears directly from the President of the United States on a topic that, to your point, is very near and dear to the hearts of many Americans across the country, the integrity of our elections.This should be a nonpartisan, noncontroversial issue, and I think you'll hear the President talk about that tonight.So we'll see you then.

Thank you.