On December 17, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump (also known as Donald Trump) held a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. During the conference, he mentioned considering granting a pardon to the recently troubled New York City Mayor Eric Adams and announced that the United States “will not lose” the polio vaccine. He also shared his views on a series of recent drone incidents over states like New Jersey.
In the past few weeks, Trump has been mostly strategizing at his Mar-a-Lago estate. This press conference provided him an opportunity to test his policy ideas, understand his opponents, and warn about potential future events.
Compared to the combative interactions with reporters during the campaign period, this meeting seemed less confrontational. Trump appeared relaxed on stage, joking with familiar faces and mentioning that this transition was much easier than his first term.
He said, “The first time, everyone was against me, this time everyone wants to be my friend.”
Trump described the transition between the Biden administration and his upcoming team as “friendly,” but he voiced his objections to allowing federal government employees to continue working from home. He threatened to dismiss employees if they did not return to the office under his leadership.
He also threatened to sue prominent Iowa pollster Ann Selzer for underestimating his support in the state before the election. Selzer announced her retirement from polling last month.
ABC News announced a settlement offer of $15 million to Trump for settlement of a defamation suit regarding false statements made by anchor George Stephanopoulos about him being found civilly liable for raping a writer.
This was Trump’s first interaction with the press since winning the election and being re-elected. He urged the Biden administration to stop selling unused border wall sections in the southern border and threatened legal action.
Trump angrily stated, “We will be forced to spend hundreds of millions of dollars again to build a wall that was already there, this (referring to selling) is almost a criminal act.”
He issued a legal warning, mentioning discussions with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and other officials about potential injunctions related to the border wall.
Last year, congressional Democrats urged the Biden administration to handle unused border wall materials. These materials were included in the massive National Defense Authorization Act, allowing their sale or donation to border states with the condition that they are used for renovating existing barriers instead of installing new ones. The Pentagon was instructed to account for storage costs during the materials’ idle period.
Trump stated, “Today, I’m asking Joe Biden to stop the sale of isolation walls.”
The Defense Department mentioned they couldn’t hinder further sales as all surplus wall materials had already been distributed as per the legislation signed on December 22, 2023. Most materials were provided to other federal agencies and state governments, with the remaining sold to GovPlanet, responsible for purchasing and auctioning government surplus.
Trump also addressed the federal fraud and corruption charges faced by New York City Mayor Adams. When asked about considering pardoning Adams, Trump replied, “Yes, I would consider it; I think he has been treated very unfairly,” but he also admitted he “doesn’t know the facts.”
Adams has been accused of accepting a $100,000 flight upgrade and other luxury travel perks, as well as illegal campaign donations from a Turkish official and other foreigners seeking to buy his influence. He has pleaded not guilty, and several members of his administration are under investigation.
Adams maintains his innocence, stating his lawyers will ensure he receives fair treatment.
Trump was repeatedly asked about the future of vaccines as his pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is seen as an anti-vaccine advocate.
Trump continued to refuse to debunk the long-standing claim that vaccines lead to autism but mentioned Kennedy would study the issue, which many believe has already been exhaustively researched.
He assured the public that since it is one of the most successful vaccines, it will not be banned by his administration.
He said, “You will not lose the polio vaccine,” stating his firm belief in the vaccine and assuring that a ban “will not happen.”
Outgoing Republican leader Mitch McConnell stated last Friday that nominees Trump wishes to have confirmed by the Senate should “sidestep” denigrating the polio vaccine, calling such behaviors “dangerous” based on hearsay.
Trump also touched on the mysterious drone sightings in some parts of New Jersey and the Eastern United States, prompting speculations and concerns about the origin of the drones.
Trump stated, “The government knows what’s happening.”
He refused to divulge whether he had been briefed on these sightings but mentioned, “Our military knows, and our president knows, for some reason, they want people to remain in suspense.”
White House spokesperson John Kirby later that Monday evening stated there was no evidence indicating the drones posed a threat to public safety or national security; otherwise, he wouldn’t say so. He acknowledged the frustration over the sightings but emphasized that there are over a million legally operated drones in the U.S.
Kirby said, “Upon careful review of the data, our assessment is that the sightings so far include legal commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and even stars misidentified as drones.”
In the weeks following his victory, Trump has been planning the formation of his new administration and engaging in discussions with over 100 world leaders.
However, he once again evaded questions about whether this list included a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He said, “I won’t comment on matters related to Putin.”
Regarding the tense situation in the Middle East, Trump mentioned considering withdrawing U.S. troops from Syria after President Bashar Assad was overthrown by rebel forces. He expressed concerns about the safety of the 900 soldiers deployed there to prevent the resurgence of ISIS.
Apart from discussing meetings with foreign leaders, Trump also mentioned recent dinner gatherings with Apple CEO Tim Cook and heads of major pharmaceutical companies, which Kennedy also attended.
Trump noted that these diplomatic engagements made this government transition substantially different from 2016 when his victory shocked the Washington establishment.
Masayoshi Son, CEO of SoftBank Group, attended the dinner and announced the company’s plan to invest $100 billion in U.S. projects over the next four years.
This marked a significant win for Trump as he continued to promote his policies, negotiate with foreign leaders, and pursue deals in the weeks following the election.
Trump recently posted on his “Truth Social” website that anyone investing $1 billion in the U.S. would receive expedited approvals and permits, including environmental assessments.
He wrote, “Get ready for a rock party!” He has repeatedly claimed that his achievements during the brief transition period surpassed those of his predecessor’s four years in office.
He stated on Monday, “The whole world is basking in the spotlight.”
(Information sourced from the Associated Press.)