What the president is going to talk about at the World Economic forum. Reporter one for the general also. General mcmaster, there have been reports in the news recently that leaders authoritarian leaders in other countries particularly Southeast Asia are using one of the president s favorite phrases, fake news, to describe reporting that is not flattering and reflects poorly on their country and reports inconvenient truths, and President Trump has made a point of not publicly talking about things like human rights and freedom of speech, freedom of expression. Is he concerned at all, or are you concerned that the president s rhetoric combined with his silence on these issues is creating a climate where authoritarian leaders feel they have free rein to do what they want and the United States will not speak up publicly . Well, just not true. Just not accurate that the president has enspoken loudly both in words and indeeds and against those who violate human rights. Go to his speech he delivered in warsaw where he talked about the importance of individual rights and rule of law. I would say go to his speech in riyadh he said all nations of the world have to come together to defeat this wicked ideology that perpetuates terrorism. Look at u. N. General Assembly Speech where he defined sovereignty as sovereign nations who respect the sovereignty of their citizens and sovereignty of their neighbors. Look at his deed, deeds confronts most brutal dictatorial reason gem in the world. How could that not be human rights issue . How about the Syrian Regime committed mass murder on it is own people with the heinous weapons on other. What dud the president do. He struck at regime and ability to deliver weapons. How is that not human rights . Look at cuban rights, when the policy did nothing so strengthen the grip to authoritarian regime it has Different Power Centers within cuba than better protect the rights of the cuban people. Look what the president has said and done on venezuela. The list goes on, this premise, this false premise that the president hasnt spoken on human rights, it is demonstrably false in words but also indeeds. Thanks for that question. [shouting questions] reporter general mcmaster there is lot of talk about you possibly going back into the military. Can you tell us today if you plan on staying in your current role or if there is consideration . No, i have a job. It is a tremendous honor to do this job every day, to, advance and protect the interests of the American People, to do my best to provide options to our president and once he makes decision to assist with the execution of those decisions. So i have a job and it is my intention to to as long and as hard as i can in service of the president and the nation in this job. Thank you. [shouting questions] reporter gary, i wonder if you tan talk about by the way he does a really good job. Reporter actually, dont let me forget to ask you if youre staying in your current job too . Over here. You can answer that one. Reporter first youre going to davos. I want to make sure, what went into the president s decision to go to davos . He is the first sitting president to to since 2000. A lot of what this forum is about seems to go against his populist americanfirst agenda. Can you explain the process. America first, not alone. The president is very proud of the accomplishments he createed in the first year, gdp growth on unemployment numbers what is going on in the stock market, what weve done in reg reform, artificial tax on businesses what weve done on tax reform. We are competitive today. We are competitive with the rest of the world. We have a tax rate competitive with the rest of the world. The president is going to davos to speak to World Leaders about investing to the United States, moving businesses to the United States. Hiring American Workers. Changing the direction of our economy to be one of the best, most efficient economies in the world. The president has done that, as i said, as he has gone around the world, that is what he talked about. He is firmly committed to doing that, being the best salesperson the United States has to drive Economic Growth and drive prosperity and drive a better quality of life for american citizens. Reporter you talked a great deal about some of the positive economic numbers. Can i get you to drill down on workforce Participation Rate, dol, gave it a 62. 8 back in june of 2017. What can or is the administration doing to get number up 70, 75, higher. So i talk about it, the first friday of every month, sometimes the second, when unemployment number comes out. We had two really disappointing components of the unemployment rate, of the unemployment report, not just this year but for the last three, four, five years. We had no wage growth in the United States and our Participation Rate has remained stagnant at best. Part of our tax reform plan was to get people back into the workforce. We need to create more jobs. By creating a tax system that allow us to compete globally with the rest of the world, were now at 21 corporate rate and effective rate for personal businesses allows them to compete with the rest of the world. We can now compete. With you come beat against the rest of the world you grow your brings and hire people. When you compete for labor you compete by wages. We need to see wage growth in this country, something weve havent seen in almost a decade. When we see wage growth well mick it economically realistic for people to come back into the workforce. It will make sense for them to come back in the workforce. The alternative cost of staying out of the workforce will be way too high once we start seeing wage growth. Big catalyst for everything we are doing, betterpaying jobs, higherpaying jobs and grow the economy, tax a broader base. That is exactly what our whole premise is behave on. So far the very early data looks very good. So were excited about where were going. Reporter thank you. Today the president announced new tariffs and the Prime Minister of canada also announced big trade deal with 10 other countries. What do you say to critics who argue the president is giving up the United States seat at the global trade table . First of all i disagree, today the president announced the culmination of something that has been going on for a long time. These were individual companies that tried various remedies, i mean if you read the cases theyre extraordinary what these companies had to go through to try to protect american jobs and American Workers against unfair practices from other countries. So you finally see Companies Bring cases in a bipartisan system. They go through the system. It goes up to the the ustr the ustr make as recommendation based on bipartisan commission. The president make as ruling. The president made a ruling that will make the u. S. Competitive to help us grow our economy. Just so happen on the washing machine side both of the companies that have been creating enormous problems for the u. S. Manufacturers of washing machines are going to open up manufacturing fa submits the United States, hiring over 1600 workers. That is exactly what the president wants to see. He wants to see Companies Moving to the United States to build their products in the United States. Ultimately were getting the outcome that we want to get. On the solar panels, he left enormous amount of latitude in that decision that where we actually have a business which is making the, making the panels, not the actual cells, the cells can be imported. Were protecting our panelmakers because we do make panels here in the United States and we should continue to make panels an hire more workers in the United States. On broader question of having canada, you know, take the lead on a big global trade deal, and the United States really pulling out of some of the global trade deals, are you not concerned, not concerned within this administration giving up the United States the president said this through his asia trip. He said in europe. We are very open to free, fair reciprocal trade. If you treat us one way, we will treat you the same way. If you have no tariffs, we will have no tariffs. If you have tariffs we will have a reciprocal tariff. It is hard to argue that we would trade people equally. That is our trade policy, that is the trade premise. Reporter related to that a year ago at davos president xi made a big splash internationally. Seen asserting himself as taking World Leadership at the expense of the United States in some respects. Is President Trump going to make any effort to counter that . Is his appearance here any effort to to counter that. The president s appearance is there to sell his accomplishments, to remind the world that we are open for business. That were a competitive country. That we have made america very competitive, and that everyone should understand what he has accomplished in his first year what were going to continue to accomplish in the next three remaining years. The ceos were having dinner with as i said. They are europeanbased companies with large presence in the United States. There is no reason for those presence shouldnt be much larger. The president wants to hear from the ceos. What do they need to have more of their business in the United States. This, he is doing exactly what he should be doing to grow our economy and create jobs in the United States. Reporter about china and the influence that it is exerting now and a lot of people observing that it is exerting because the u. S. Has pulled back from a lot of these international the u. S. Is pulling back from nothing. The u. S. Is involved, when the president was out in asia, he talked about trade agreements and his willingness to have bilateral trade agreements with many of the countries he visited in asia. Were more than willing to have bilateral trade agreements. [shouting questions] behind you. Reporter like to get both of to you talk about good. Reporter about the africa meeting. It deals with economics. It deals with National Security, as well as immigration. In light of all the controversy over immigration and alleged racist comments that were made can you both talk about that . Also how youre trying to quell the upset of the African Union and African Leaders after last week. Well the president will be building on what was very successful meeting with African Leaders on side of the u. N. General assembly, late last year. And it was in that meeting, in some remarks that i think could have received broader attention the president laid out a very clear direction for our relationship with key african nations in particular. And the need is obvious for to us Work Together on issues of security. Our interests overlap completely in the area of transnational terrorist organizations, and others who are attempting to polarize societies, create cycles of violence, tribal and sectarian violence is a grave threat to security and prosperity as a result. And our interests overlap in encouraging american, American Investment in africa and African Investment in the United States. The president and administrator green have laid out a very clear vision for how we want to evolve our economic relationships and our Development Initiatives in africa in particular in the National Security strategy. Africa is the Perfect Place for us to transition from just delivery of assistance to robust trade and economic relationships that benefit the people of the United States and the people of africa. As you know, there have been tremendously successful programs. The pepfar program, for example, that shows the power when the United States works with key African Leaders and communities to take on threats that are healthinvolved and you see tremendous security and operational relationships over time. There is a lot they will talk about, especially because president godifi over the head of African Union. This is the mutual agenda within the mutual interest of the african continent and interests of the United States. [shouting questions] reporter how would you characterize the relationship with britain at the moment given the decision of the president to pull out of trip to the uk next month . Do you think there will be a fresh arrangement made for visit to take place in foreseeable future . Well of course the president is prioritizing his meeting with Prime Minister may because we do have a special relationship. Its a special relationship not only in words but how we Work Together really on every issue. It is very, very hard to find any place where our interests dont overlap almost completely with those of the united kingdom. Were working together in effective manner with the u. N. On some of these problems in bilateral sense, International Nations but bilateral i, the president will talk about the key topics of mutual concern. You can imagine what those are. So, we have seen, obviously no diminishment, only growth and strength of our relationship and cooperation with a great ally. Reporter pull out of going . Two more. You, you. In the back. Reporter you mentioned the president wants bilateral trade agreements you made it pretty clear he doesnt like multilateral ones. Tell us what Bilateral Agreements are in the works right now and when do you think they will be complete . Look, we have ambassador lighthiser working on a bunch of different agreement as we speak here. He is also involved in nafta, nafta at that at that renegotiation. Conversations with korea, renegotiating some terms in korea. He has a lot on thinks plate. Reporter [inaudible] there are new discussions were starting to work on. Reporter specific discussion. Im not going going to. I will let ambassador lighthiser handle the negotiations. When he wants to make them public he will make them public. Ayman. Then sarah will come back. Reporter [inaudible]. The question often asked by critics isnt this just hurting American Consumers who want to buy washing machines or solar panels, that they will pay a i here price at the store when they do that. How do you answer that . On the washing machine situation, both these companies are opening manufacturing plants. One could be open within the next 30 days or less, which open, will hire 1000 new employees there. So they will be moving washing machines here in the United States. We do have a very large domestic manufacturing of washing emergencies. When we looked at it, we studied this quite extensively, i said this was a a very rigorous process. They made a recommendation. The trade ambassador held hearings as well. He made a recommendation. There was extensive meeting with the president. The president understands that. He understands the importance to the economy and the price of consumer goods to consumers. Weve taken all into account as we made decisions. The president cares enormously about growing the economy and keeping the economy on the right track. Making sure our consumers have the best opportunity possible. He cares very much about the workforce in the United States and making sure that we create a great job environment, we create workforce participation. And we create wage growth. We have got to get both of those right. Something were committed to do. Thank you very much. [shouting questions] reporter youve been to davos a lot during the course of your career. The president i dont believe has been there before. What is one thing you think he will find there that he wouldnt expect . A lot of snow. 14 feet of snow. [laughter]. Ive never seen 14 feet of snow there either. Interesting to see. Thank you, director cohn, general mcmaster, before we get started with questions, i have a story that i would like to read and deliver a special message from the president. Today an inspiring family and a brave little girl from brownsville, texas, are facing a challenge that inspiring their friend and neighbors and now hopefully an entire nation. Nineyearold Sophia Maria Peters suffers from a rare disease that causes the blood vessels in her brain it narrow and close. Three years ago this condition resulted in sophia enduring four massive strokes. The strokes left her partially paralyzed. Since then she has undergone numerous surgeries but faced each one of them with fearless exuberance for life that warms the heart of everyone she needs. When the doctors told her she would never walk again she disis them. When you talk about what i want do i dont want to hear it. Let me try. Not only tried bud succeeded leaving her doctors dumfounded. When they asked how she is doing these things, she