4 takeaways from Trump's press conference with Norwegian prime minister
U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre to the White House Thursday.
Also joining the meeting were Secretary of State Marco Rubio and former Secretary-General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg, who now serves as the financial minister of Norway. Trump has repeatedly criticized NATO, of which Norway is a member state.
Norway has expressed support for Ukraine and has at times opposed the Trump administration's stance on the conflict.
Nevertheless, the meeting with Støre appeared to go well, with Trump reiterating the strength of the U.S.-Norway relationship multiple times and expressing his enjoyment of the visit.
'We've had a great relationship, I think now maybe closer than ever. ... Just keep it the way it is, kid. You (Norway) can't do better,' Trump told a reporter who asked him what he wanted from Norway.
Here's some of the biggest themes from the press conference.
Though Trump lacks support from Europe in his quest to make Greenland a U.S. territory, he established at the press conference that it is still a serious topic on his mind.
'Greenland's going to be interesting, but that's for another day,' he said. 'I think we need (Greenland) for international peace, and if you don't have that I think it's a big threat to our world, so I think Greenland's very important for international peace.'
At the beginning of Trump's second term, the U.S. annexation of Greenland appeared largely unattainable to many analysts, not least because Greenlanders themselves don't seem to want to join the United States.
However, a recent report from The New York Times detailed Trump's efforts to use 'persuasion over coercion' to convince Greenland to join the U.S.
The plan features public relations campaigns, including over social media, and will also emphasize the shared heritage of Greenlanders with Inuits, who are native to Alaska. Greenland has a native population that descends from ancient Alaskan immigrants.
At the press conference, Trump said Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell should lower interest rates.
'We should lower interest rates, that's the Fed, I hope they lower interest rates. That's the smart thing to do,' Trump said.
Trump has repeated this demand over the past week, and insulted Powell in the process. He called the chair a 'major loser' and called for him to be fired, saying it 'cannot come fast enough.' On Tuesday, he reversed course and said he has 'no intentions' of terminating Powell.
Trump and Rubio both condemned Russia's airstrikes on Kyiv on Thursday and signaled American desire for a swift end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict — while also criticizing leaders of both countries, especially Russian President Vladimir Putin.
'I have no allegiance to anybody,' Trump told reporters. 'I have allegiance to saving lives, and I want to save a lot of lives.'
He said the war 'never should have happened' and that it wouldn't have happened if he was president, again casting blame on former President Joe Biden's military aid to Ukraine.
'I believe (Russia) will accept (the ceasefire deal), and I think we're going to get this over with. Soon,' Trump promised.
Støre also expressed strong commitment to helping Ukraine.
'We have a common responsibility in securing democratic Ukraine for the future, and the best security guarantee they can have is the ability to defend themselves, and we are investing in that,' he said.
Trump levied a 15% tariff on Norwegian imports earlier this year. A reporter asked Trump if he is considering changing the tariff rate based on the success of the conversation with Støre.
Trump implied that the tariff rate might actually rise.
'Well, they (Norway) have a great fund of 2 trillion dollars ... and they don't have any debt, so I think they'd probably be willing to pay us more than that, I hope,' Trump told the media.
Norway is the third country Trump has invited to the White House since 'Liberation Day,' when he announced reciprocal tariffs on American trading partners. He said he invited Norway 'because I like them. ... I like your prime minister, and I like the way your government runs, and I respect the king.'
'He's highly respected in Norway. It's a great thing. He's done a great job. Not an easy thing to do,' said Trump, just before Støre said he had invited Trump to visit the king of Norway, Harald V.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
38 minutes ago
- Fox News
Hunt for Father Accused of Killing Three Daughters
Hunt for Father Accused of Killing Three Daughters, Sean 'Diddy' Combs is asking for a mistrial, President Trump appeared at a Ultimate Fighting Championship match in New Jersey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
39 minutes ago
Johnson: Trump did 'exactly what he needed to do' in sending National Guard to LA
House Speaker Mike Johnson said he is 'not concerned at all' over President Donald Trump's order to send 2,000 National Guard troops to respond to immigration protests in Los Angeles. 'I think the president did exactly what he needed to do,' Johnson told ABC News' "This Week" co-anchor Jonathan Karl on Sunday. 'That is real leadership and he has the authority and the responsibility to do it,' the speaker said, defending Trump's decision. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said he is prepared to mobilize Marines if the violence continues. Pressed if sending Marines into the streets of American cities is warranted, Johnson said, 'We have to be prepared to do what is necessary.'
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Who's Paying For Trump's Tariffs? You Are, Businesses Say
Companies are raising prices in response to President Donald Trump's tariff campaign, according to surveys. Some companies are passing the full cost to customers, while others are eating some of the costs themselves. Some companies have begun emailing customers to let them know prices are rising because of tariffs. One luggage company emailed its customers to say they were raising prices in response to the "dumpster fire" there was any doubt about who would ultimately pay the cost of Donald Trump's new import taxes, businesses have a clear answer: according to recent surveys and anecdotes collected by Federal Reserve banks and released this week. Separate survey results released this week from a few regional Fed outposts found that companies in their area are passing on at least some of their tariff costs to consumers. Most businesses in New York and northern New Jersey passed at least some of their tariff costs on to customers—a third of manufacturers and 45% of service firms passed along the entire cost, a survey by the New York Fed in May found. An April survey of regional businesses by the Atlanta Fed found that most firms would pass at least some of the tariff costs on to customers, with nearly 20% saying they'd pass on the entire cost of a hypothetical 10% top of that, the Fed's "beige book" compilation of reports from around the country was full of stories about businesses raising prices to make up for the increased cost of surveys and report shed light on a question with major implications for household budgets and the economy: how much will Trump's tariffs push up prices for everyday goods and services? Since February, Trump has imposed a dizzying and frequently changing array of import taxes, including a 10% tariff on items from most countries and a 25% tariff on many foreign cars. Averaged together, goods imported from overseas are facing a 15.6% tariff, the Yale Budget Lab calculated last issue of who, exactly, will pay the cost of those tariffs has been politically explosive. Amazon drew a barrage of criticism from the White House in April after it floated plans to show the cost of tariffs on the price tags in its online store. Similarly, Trump blasted Walmart after its executives said tariffs would push up prices, and the president demanded the retailer "eat" the cost of the tariffs. As recent surveys suggest customers will be chowing down on at least some of the tariff costs, companies are giving their customers the bad news up front. Companies in various industries are emailing their customers and alerting them to price increases, blaming example, Typology, a company that sells imported skincare products from France, emailed its customers to say it was absorbing much of the cost of the tariffs, but was implementing a "modest price adjustment" between 0.5% and 4.5%. Tonies, a maker of an audio player for children, said it was raising prices for some of its figurines to $19.99 from $14.99. BÉIS, which sells imported luggage, went viral on LinkedIn last month for its notably candid email about the unpredictable tariff policies. "This tariff situation is a complete dumpster fire, and we're all getting burned," the company's marketing team wrote. "Costs are up, and unfortunately our prices will have to follow suit." Read the original article on Investopedia Sign in to access your portfolio
