President Trump Held a Major Press Conference Today. Here's What He Said.

President Trump held a barn-burner of a press conference today, after a weekend of false attacks from the Left, including rumors that President Trump was taken to Walter Reed for an undisclosed illness. It was a revealing moment: Biden went days without speaking to the press, and his White House repeatedly lied and refused to let him answer questions. Meanwhile, President Trump speaks to the press routinely, answers hundreds of questions, and they still lie about his ability to run the nation.

The White House announced the press conference yesterday. It comes days after President Trump said Iran had until 8 pm Eastern on Tuesday to agree to a deal or face obliteration of its bridges, energy plants, and more.

TOMORROW 🇺🇸

President Donald J. Trump joins the military in the Oval Office for a news conference.

American strength. Full display. Don’t miss it. pic.twitter.com/5yJpErS0wz
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 5, 2026

And according to Fox News, President Trump is reading to go after the Easter weekend and those unfounded rumors.

🚨 JUST IN: President Trump is about to STORM the White House briefing room packed to the brim with reporters, for a blockbuster military briefing on Iran

This is going to be huge!

They theorized Trump was "hospitalized" and "hiding," in reality he's been working hard all… pic.twitter.com/ooERFVOd5h
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 6, 2026

Over the weekend, the military also pulled off a tremendous rescue of a downed F-15 pilot in Iran. They did so without losing a single American life and destroyed some of our fighter planes so they wouldn't fall into the hands of the Iranians.

Fox News attributes President Trump's silence in part to the execution of that military operation and the secrecy surrounding it.

During the White House Easter Egg Roll this morning, President Trump spoke with reporters about Iran's ceasefire proposal this morning, too.

BREAKING 🚨🚨 US President Trump says Iran ceasefire proposal 'very significant step' pic.twitter.com/xCBt8JaXG1
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) April 6, 2026

"I've seen every proposal you can imagine," the resident said. When asked if Tuesday was his final deadline, the President responded, "Yes."

He also told reporters they'd "have to watch" if the war would continue if Iran doesn't meet the deadline. "It's an easy question. The answer is 'yes,' but you have to watch." He also called the proposal a "significant step."

"We're here today to celebrate the success of one of the largest, most complex, most harrowing combat searches, I guess you would call it a search and rescue mission, every attempted by the military," President Trump said in his opening remarks. "We were helped by a lot of great people, and it was an honor to be involved with it."

"Late Thursday night, an American F-15 fighter jet went down deep inside enemy territory in Iran while participating in Operation Epic Fury," the President recapped. "Both members of the crew ejected from the aircraft and landed alive on Iranian soil. ... I ordered the U.S. Armed Forces to do whatever was necessary to bring our brave warriors back home. A risky decision."

.@POTUS holds a press conference on the historic rescue of two American airmen from Iran:

"I ordered the U.S. armed forces to do whatever was necessary to bring our brave warriors back home... In the United States military, we leave no American behind." pic.twitter.com/Cwz7kWhz2I
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 6, 2026

He also alluded to his vow to destroy Iran's infrastructure if they don't meet his negotiation deadline.

TRUMP ON IRAN:

“The entire country could be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night!” pic.twitter.com/tEH19mWk65
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) April 6, 2026

"In the United States military, we leave no American behind," the President said. "The flight crews and war fighters aboard those aircraft took extraordinary risks to rescue their fellow servicemembers. The first wave of search and rescue forces successfully located the pilot of the F-15, and he was extracted from enemy territory."

Then the President addressed the Weapons Systems Officer (WSO). "Despite the peril, the officer followed his training and climbed into the treacherous mountain terrain and started climbing towards a higher altitude ... in order to evade capture," the President said.

"And he was injured, and it was an amazing, amazing thing," the President added.

"We immediately mobilized a massive operation to retrieve him from the mountain holdout," the President continued. "The second rescue mission involved 155 aircraft, including four bombers, 64 fighters, 48 refueling tankers, 13 rescue aircraft, and more. We were bringing them all over, and a lot of it was subterfuge." The President noted that these aircraft were scattered all over to conceal the location of the missing servicemember.

President Trump noted that we destroyed planes that were bogged down in the sand. "We didn't want anybody examining our anti-aircraft and other equipment," he said.

"God was watching us," President Trump said of the miraculous outcome of the operation. He said the equipment took damage during the rescue, but that no troops were injured during the mission.

President Trump on the rescue mission:

"God was watching us." pic.twitter.com/bIV4UFIhYO
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) April 6, 2026

"Over the past 37 days, America's armed forces have carried out more than 10,000 combat flights over Iran," the President said, "striking more than 13,000 targets." He noted that the F-15 was the first aircraft to be downed by enemy fire. "With thousands and thousands of flights, they got lucky."

WHOA: President Trump announces the "UNPARALLELED" air operations in Iran over the past 37 days!

"...more than 10,000 combat flights...striking more than 13,000 targets..."pic.twitter.com/lsUeqBIRy6
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) April 6, 2026

He also had a message for the person who leaked info on the downed pilots to the press:

🚨Trump has a message for the leaker who alerted Iran to the downed US pilot:

"We're gonna go to the media company that released it and we're gonna say, 'National security! Give it up or go to jail!' [...]

We have to find that leaker cause that's a SICK person [...] They put… pic.twitter.com/57UDa1eHhg
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) April 6, 2026

President Trump then asked John Ratcliffe to say a few words.

"It's a privilege to be here with you today, " Ratcliffe said, "to share with you what we can about this exceptional mission."

"As an agency, the CIA possesses unique capabilities that only the President can deploy," he continued. "At the President's direction, we deployed both human assets and exquisite technologies that no other intelligence service in the world possesses, to a daunting challenge: comparable to hunting for a single grain of sand in the desert."

"In addition to the human and technical assets deployed by the President to find our airman, CIA executed a deception campaign to confuse the Iranians who were desperately hunting for our airman. On Saturday morning, we achieved our objective by finding and providing confirmation that one of America's best and bravest was alive and concealed in a mountain crevice, still invisible to the enemy but not the CIA," Ratcliffe said.

"Our intelligence reflects the Iranians were embarrassed and ultimately humiliated by the success of this audacious rescue mission," Ratcliffe added.

"Mr. President, I've had the privilege of seeing you act with political courage in the best interest of the United States up close on a daily basis, and I'm grateful that this successful mission has given the American people a window into that as well," Ratcliffe said.

Secretary Hegseth also spoke about the rescue mission and thanked the CIA for their collaboration.

"Over this Easter weekend, the United States military has once again proved why we possess the greatest fighting force that the world has ever known," Hegseth said. "In two extraordinary combat search and rescue operations deep inside enemy territory in Iran, our warriors executed missions of breathtaking skill, courage, and precision."

"When our warriors are unleashed, as this President has allowed them to be, they are unstoppable," Hegseth added. "As the CIA Director mentioned, Iran's military, and we know this, is embarrassed and humiliated. And they should be."

SEC WAR HEGSETH: Iran is HUMILIATED! pic.twitter.com/IJuDMdNJSx
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) April 6, 2026

Hegseth said this was not just "routine operations."

"This was not just barely into Iran, this was deep into Iran," he said. "The Iranians are still asking themselves right now, how did the Americans do this? One downed airman evaded capture for more than a day ... when he was finally able to activate his emergency transponder, his first message was simple, and it was powerful. He sent a message: God is good."

"Shot down on a Friday, Good Friday. Hidden in a cave, a crevice, all of Saturday, and rescued on Sunday," Hegseth. "Flown out of Iran as the sun was rising on Easter Sunday."

"No American lives were lost, and we leave no man behind," Hegseth continued, "and that is not luck. It's the result of unmatched training, superior technology, and unbreakable warrior ethos, and sheer American grit."

General Caine said this was an "incredibly dangerous mission," but a promise to every American warfighter that they would not be left behind.

"As I said, and the nation needs to know this, this was an incredibly brave and courageous mission," Caine added. "The single most important contributor to a successful rescue operation is the spirit of attack inside the heart of that downed aviator. Their will to survive, their will to evade, their will to recover is everything. In this case, the back seater's absolute commitment to surviving made much of our efforts possible."

General Caine also reiterated that the lives of our service members are more important than equipment.

"These two gentlemen have, from day one, been perfecto," President Trump said as he returned to the podium. He then took some questions.

He was asked about the Iranians rising up against the regime during the ceasefire. "They should do it," President Trump said, but he acknowledged the consequences are great. "You saw what happened to the young wrestler ... he and his two friends were hung and all they did was say a little bit about liberty."

"We can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon," the President continued. "But we didn't do this for regime change."

He was also asked about Iranians being mad if the attacks stopped and asked about destroy infrastructure. "They would be willing to suffer that in order to have freedom," President Trump replied, noting numerous intercepts have begged for the bombings to continue.

"It's amazing when I see some of the stupid people like AOC ... they talk about freedom for Iran. They don't tell you the facts," he continued. "How about Gays for Iran? They kill the gays. They throw them off buildings ... I can only say this: they want us to keep bombing."

President Trump also noted not everyone was on board with the rescue mission when asked about it. "No, there were military people who said you just don't do this," he noted.

"This should have been handled by seven presidents," President Trump noted of Iran's ongoing terrorism and weapons programs.

"Israel would have been exercised," the President said of Iran's nuclear program ambitions. "Large portions of the Middle East would have been extinguished. If I didn't come along and terminate the Obama deal, which was terrible, the Iran nuclear deal was a road to a nuclear weapon. A big one."

Editor's Note: For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all.

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