President Trump Gaggles with Press on Air Force One En Route Joint Base Andrews, Jan. 22, 2026

Overview

President Trump, speaking aboard Air Force One en route to Joint Base Andrews after press interactions, reiterated foreign-policy, defense, and domestic economic themes. He also promoted a proposed “Greenland” arrangement framed as a long-term, negotiated deal offering the U.S. broad freedom of action.

Greenland / “Board of Peace” concept and U.S.-NATO role

• Trump described a “Greenland concept” as a deal “like no other,” negotiated with an effectively unlimited time horizon—calling the “time limit” “infinity… it’s forever.” He dismissed shorter benchmarks (e.g., 50 or 99 years) in favor of permanence.
• He asserted the U.S. would be able to “do whatever we want,” while also emphasizing coordination with NATO, saying NATO would be involved in relevant parts.
• When pressed on whether the U.S. would own or control Greenland land, he responded broadly that the U.S. can do what it wants.
• Trump said the deal is attractive to multiple parties and claimed Denmark’s response would be known “in about two weeks.” He also referenced NATO Secretary General Mark, saying Mark has spoken to others and is “convinced this is a good deal.”
• He discussed a major element he called building a “golden dome,” saying the U.S. would participate in costs and presenting it as a technological and strategic advantage. He suggested it benefits both the U.S. and Europe—particularly if Europe is “holding it all together.”

Ukraine and Russia talks: desire to end the war; unclear “main hold up”

• Trump said he has had numerous conversations with President Volodymyr Zelensky, describing a meeting as “very good,” with Zelensky reportedly wanting “to make a deal.”
• On Russia, Trump suggested Vladimir Putin would like a deal too, implying both sides are now more serious.
• He framed the war as “Biden’s war,” saying it should have never happened, and argued it is costly in lives while the U.S. is geographically distant (“thousands of miles away… separated by an ocean”).
• When asked what is preventing a deal, Trump said the “main hold up” is the same as last year: the complexity of boundaries and locations—“meets and bounds,” including rivers and streets. He said he solved similar boundary problems quickly in other contexts, but this case has dragged on longer.
• He said he hopes a deal will save lives, and described prior periods when Putin didn’t want and when Zelensky didn’t want—contrasting that with the current possibility that both may want one.

Security deal prospect and trilateral diplomacy framing

• Trump referenced discussions that could lead to a trilateral arrangement (U.S.-Russia-Ukraine) and argued that meetings matter—stating that if leaders don’t meet, “nothing happens.”
• Asked what concessions Putin would need to make, Trump replied that concessions are being made by everyone, with Europe expected to be central to any settlement.

Venezuela and sanctions/energy: oil exports and optimism about leadership

• Trump praised Venezuela’s leadership, referencing Delí Rodriguez and Maria, saying Venezuela is showing “strong leadership.”
• He claimed the U.S. and Venezuela are moving toward major increases in U.S.-bound oil shipments, citing tens of millions of barrels as already moved or moving.
• He argued negotiations would reduce oil prices (and cost of living) in the U.S., attributing current affordability improvements to increased production (“drilling more oil… at any time in the history of our country”).

Financial policy claims: tariffs, credit card rate cap, and markets

• Trump said the market reaction to tariffs in prior days was positive, citing gains in major indexes and ongoing business investment.
• He said a major domestic priority is a one-year 10% cap on credit card interest, requiring congressional approval.
• He framed high credit card interest as harmful to “regular people,” who end up in bankruptcy, arguing the cap would prevent that outcome.

Fed and Jay Powell / Supreme Court issues

• Trump said he is not concerned about investigations into Jay Powell.
• He also reacted to Supreme Court skepticism about his ability to remove Lisa Cook, saying he expects the outcome may depend on procedure/timing rather than innocence.

Iran: monitoring, deterrence, and further retaliatory posture

• Trump said the U.S. has naval forces and a flotilla moving toward/positioned in response to Iran, and that they are watching closely.
• He claimed Iran’s leadership canceled an imminent action (he described preventing 837 executions/killings and said Iran “cancelled” rather than postponed).
• Trump said renewed Iranian escalation would trigger broader strikes and emphasized that prior destruction of a nuclear-related effort severely limits further capability.

Other policy themes: health care, Iran tariffs, and “Board of Peace” governance

• Health care: Trump reiterated a proposal to channel money into healthcare accounts so individuals buy care directly, criticizing Democratic ties to insurers (framed around the Obamacare-era model).
• Iran tariffs: He said if businesses deal with Iran, there would be a 25% tariff, described as taking effect “very soon.”
• “Board of Peace”: Trump discussed contributions by permanent members and framed the funding as minimal compared to the value of preventing wars. He suggested the board could extend beyond Gaza and coordinate with the UN.
• He also raised the possibility that Putin may join the board and contribute using money from frozen Russian assets, arguing that if Putin uses his own money, it is acceptable—while also saying “it’s important to have everybody in.”

Campaign and elections

• Trump discussed upcoming campaigning, including a trip to Iowa, and said his strength with farmers improved his support.
• He expressed general confidence ahead of the midterms, acknowledging that presidents often lose seats midterm, but arguing his policies and current economic trajectory should prevent that.

Presenters / contributors mentioned

• Donald J. Trump (main speaker)
• Mark (referenced as the NATO secretary general)
• Vladimir Putin
• Volodymyr Zelensky / Zelensky (spelled variably)
• Denmark (unspecified official(s); Denmark “signed off”)
• Maria Pachado (name referenced)
• Delí Rodriguez (name referenced)
• Jamie Diamond (name referenced)
• Jay Powell
• Lisa Cook
• Xi Jinping (President Xi)