Thank you very much, everybody. It's an honor to be with the Prime Minister. He had a great election win. That was a big one, and I think he's going to be a great Prime Minister. I think he's got a lot of assets on his side. And we talked about everything from Rolls-Royce to energy to immigration. We covered a lot. And we're with Mr. Johnson. It's a really special country, and we are with you all the way, Mr. Prime Minister.
Thank you, Mr. President. That's wonderful. We really appreciate that this relationship matters so much to us, and we'll build on that relationship. You and I have established a good connection in our early discussions, and we've taken that further today. We've touched on Ukraine, and it's great to hear what you said today about the potential for progress there. You know that we're still ready to play our part in the Middle East in terms of helping you stop the conflict, open the straits. Obviously, we're with you that Iran must never be a nuclear power. We accepted a call from Saudi Arabia, where the Foreign Secretary called support. So we are prepared to play our part. So we're there. And obviously, you were good enough today to let us talk around some issues on trade. The Falklands that we mentioned, and you were good enough to listen to us on those issues amongst others. So it's been great to be with you and the team today. We really, really appreciate it.
Thank you very much. So, Mr. President, do you think he's a man you can do business with despite your political differences?
I think he's a natural business person. We've had a lot of discussions even before this meeting. We spoke to each other numerous times on the phone. Yeah, I think so. I think so. He gets it. He understands what he has to do, and yeah, I do think so.
Mr. President, what did you talk about immigration?
He talked about immigration. What did he talk about? Pretty much like everyone else talked about immigration. It's a worldwide situation to a large extent, but he understands. I'd like to have him maybe discuss whatever he feels. Immigration is a problem for many countries. I think we've to a large extent solved our problem. We have a very powerful border with 18 months now in a row where nobody came in illegally into our country. They come in legally. They go through a whole testing process, etc., but nobody's coming. We've closed up a border that allowed 25 million people in over a four-year period under the previous administration. But if you'd like to say something about immigration...
Yeah, thank you, Mr. President. I mentioned the fact that it was a very big issue at the make-up by-election. A lot of the British media will know that, and I spoke about it then. Our commitment is to get to a controlled approach. That's what people want to see. They're not against migration overall. They know that people work in the NHS and in the care system. It's a difference, though, when it's managed or when it's uncontrolled, and the small boats is a very big issue for people. Boat crossings this summer were down 50% there or thereabouts on the number six years ago. So sometimes people don't hear that the progress is being made, but the progress is being made, and we know we've got further to go. The Home Secretary and the Foreign Secretary are working with me on it, and we'll keep working on it. But that's a story that's not always out there, but we will continue to make sure we deal with it.
Mr. President. Mr. President, you said earlier on in your speech today you suggested that you'd annihilate Iran. Do you expect Britain to help you with that? And can I ask you if you have any sympathy for the many allies like the UK that are facing such pain on the cost of living in part because of US actions in Iran? Thank you.
Well, I think as soon as the war is over, the numbers are going to come way down pricing generally because oil is the big thing. When oil goes up, and we had to do that because we have to stop them, and I think we feel very united that we can't let Iran have a nuclear weapon. And people understand that in the United States, and they're paying more than less than Biden, by the way, less than the Biden administration, and yet he did nothing about the threat of nuclear terror. It's nuclear terror. Can't have it. So we've stopped them from having a nuclear weapon. We've literally stopped them. They're not going to have a nuclear weapon, and we'll see what happens. I think that a settlement is going to be reached. They want to talk to us. They have been talking to us even today. They've been talking to us, and the relationship is developing, let's say. But we can't let them, and they understand that. We can't let them have a nuclear weapon, and that's it. There's a price to pay for that. It should have been done by other presidents or, frankly, other countries. You know, some country could have stepped forward, but there aren't too many countries, frankly, that could have handled that. So I think we've done a great job. They will not have a nuclear weapon.
Mr. President. Mr. President, you just built a very strong case for patriotism over globalism. So I'd ask your advice for the UK if we were to pursue that same vision. And if I could ask Prime Minister Burnham as well, your predecessor famously said he was happier in Davos than Westminster. Are you happier in Manchester or Manhattan?
Ooh, that's a risky question. You want to go first?
Well, I... [laughter] I like to remind the President every now and again that he called the great city of Manchester, you know it so well, perhaps the banking capital of... She's great. You once called it 'S*** Town,' and you know, I don't hold it against you as the former mayor, but obviously I'm very much at home in Makerfield, Manchester, but here too. I love coming here. I love coming here, but I'm patriotic as well. And you know, I was explaining to the President today, Britain has been in too much turbulence, a sense of just not knowing where we're going. And I think you responded when I said we're going to lay out a plan for Britain, a 10-year direction. The country's got so much going for it, and it's time to turn the story about Britain to a positive story, get some hopefulness going around the country. And I think you were saying today that very much is how you see it, and there's a great opportunity for us as we go forward.
Well, Beth always asks good questions, but I think there's a tremendous patriotism in Britain. And you call it United Kingdom, Britain, they call it sometimes England, they go back to the old... it's got more names than any other place in the world, right? And sometimes I have to be educated as to what, but there's great patriotism in the country. They want to see great things happen. Tremendous potential. I mean, I see some countries and I'm with the leaders and I won't say it, but I don't see a lot of potential. They've got a tough road to hoe. This is a country with great patriotism. They love the country. The people love the country as much as any other country I can think of. And I think it's just waiting for success, waiting for good leadership, waiting for success.
Mr. President, two questions if I could. One relates to the UK and one relates to the press issue. If the district court decides against you, will you let the three media outlets back in?
Well, probably will, because this is a judge who's not a particularly fair judge. So you never know, but I'm talking about national security. And I think we have a right to clean out fake news, you know? News is fake. And by the way, they said they were going to be here, but they came. You know, I knew that would happen. What, are they not going to be with President Xi tomorrow? So, but they said, 'We will not cover Trump.' This is something you don't have to know about. You won't have this problem. But, you know, we have a lot of fake news. And I think when news is fake and it's actually dangerous, I think we have a right to clear it out.
How is it dangerous? Could you just elaborate? How are these news media outlets dangerous?
Oh, when they make statements about the war, when they make false statements, false, malicious, and they don't have sources, but they say they do. No, no, it's very dangerous for our country, and I won't stand for it.
And then on the UK, so do you... Earlier this month, the UK sanctioned certain settlement organizations in the West Bank. What did you think of that move? Did you discuss it with...
I know about the move. Do you know about the move?
