Latest on Iran from @CBSNews: Trump and US negotiators **discussing** a process to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, unfreeze some of Iran's assets, and continue negotiations, sources briefed on the conversations told @edokeefe and me. Trump was mulling the proposals Saturday morning BUT hasn't made up his mind yet. He is consulting with various advisers and talking to foreign leaders, sources said.
https://t.co/tG0YNRt0md
NEW: I just spoke to President Trump, who said "there's a draft" of an agreement with Iran that he has already read. He did not say whether he had signed off on the draft agreement -- "I can't tell you before I tell them, right?" -- but he did say "they're getting a lot closer."
Q from @nancycordes : Do you believe people who committed violence against Capitol Hill police officers on January 6th should be eligible for compensation from this DOJ fund? And are you or your family members going to be seeking compensation from that fund?
TRUMP: "It'll all be dependent on a committee. A committee is being set up of very talented people, very highly respected people. I think it's a committee of five. And again, I didn't do this deal. It was told to me yesterday. They said they're doing something. I do believe there has to be compensation for people that were destroyed. You have families absolutely destroyed. And it's all going to be determined by a committee of four or five people that are respected and are very brilliant at what they do."
Full writeup on my conversation with President Trump about the federal gas tax, an airline bailout, Iran's "badly written, badly delivered" proposal, and Netanyahu's 60 Minutes interview:
https://t.co/b8ntk9o4V2
I asked Trump what it was about the latest Iranian proposal that he found "totally unacceptable." He said “It was just a bad proposal, a stupid proposal, actually...done by people that have no clue as to the danger they're in. Very stupid proposal. Badly written, badly delivered”
In a phone interview, President Trump told me that he wants to pause the 18 cent federal gas tax “for a period of time.”
“I think it’s a great idea,” he said. “Yup, we’re going to take off the gas tax for a period of time, and when gas goes down, we’ll let it phase back in.”
In our interview, Trump did not embrace the idea of a bailout for US air carriers as they contend with jet fuel costs that have doubled since the start of the war. A bailout proposal “hasn't really been presented,” he said. “The airlines are doing not badly.”
@HunterMw Hunter, your political acumen, contacts, writing prowess and work ethic will be major assets to whichever news organization is smart enough to snap you up next. I benefitted so much from your insight over the past several years. Thank you so much — we will really miss you here.
Hunter is a politics wizard with good relationships in the political world and total dedication to the job. He's also just a great guy. You'd be very smart to hire him ahead of the midterms.
When pressed on President Trump’s conflicting comments about the reasoning and the timing for attacking Iran, and whether he’s “making this up,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told CBS News’ @nancycordes, “The president is not making anything up.”
“This was a feeling the president had based on facts, facts provided to him by his top negotiators who had been engaged with the Iranian regime in a good faith effort,” Leavitt said.
NEW—In a phone interview, President Trump told me the war could be over soon: “I think the war is very complete, pretty much. They have no navy, no communications, they’ve got no Air Force.” He added that the U.S. is “very far” ahead of his initial 4-5 week estimated time frame.
Speaking at an electricity ratepayer event, POTUS gives his administration’s handling of the Iran War so far a 15 “out of 10.”
“Their leadership is just rapidly going.”
CBS News’ @nancycordes: “Why wasn't there more of a focus on evacuation plans from the Middle East that could have been at least put in place, ready to go before the strikes this weekend?”
“There have been plans in place,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says. “We actually have identified the number of people in the region who have requested help. We are in direct contact and engagement with them.”
At least one member of the Gang of Eight was surprised by the scope of the US bombings on Iran, even after receiving a heads up from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. "We didn't have a hint that the strikes would be so expansive or the goals so broad," a source told me.
NEWS: President Trump just told me he is not happy with the way talks with Iran are going and that he doesn’t think the Iranians are willing to give up enough. He said conversations will continue today.
https://t.co/UkzltalDOq
Since federal agents shot and killed a Minnesota ICU nurse in south Minneapolis on Saturday, top administration officials have made numerous claims about the encounter that are contradicted by bystander video and witness testimony.