President Donald Trump asserted the U.S. would charge a toll for passage through the Strait of Hormuz because it had “won” the war in Iran, despite his threats to continue bombing the country’s infrastructure if they do not reach by Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET.
“Why shouldn’t we? We won,” Trump said of the toll-charging “concept” during Monday’s press conference.
Trump began the briefing by providing details about the military rescue operation to save a U.S. airman who hid for two days behind enemy lines after his F-15 fighter jet was shot down. The president also said he would put a “leaker” and a news reporter in jail for preliminarily reporting the news of the downed jets and missing service members.
Trump also used his press conference to bash his predecessors, claiming former President Barack Obama chose Iran over Israel in crafting a 2015 nuclear deal and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un “used to call Joe Biden a mentally r****ed person.”
The press conference comes after Trump spoke at length about the Iran war at the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, which he hosted alongside First Lady Melania Trump.
Key Points
- Trump threatens ‘leaker’ and media outlet for disclosing rescue of airman
- Iran war becomes the topic of White House Easter Egg Roll
- Trump tells children about Joe Biden using autopen and bashes 'fake news'
- Melania Trump says war will benefit children's future
Welcome to The Independent's live blog
13:50 , Ariana BaioWelcome to The Independent’s live blog coverage of the Trump administration today.
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will host the White House Easter Egg Roll at 10 a.m. on the South Lawn.
The president will later hold a press conference alongside military officials around 1 p.m.
What is the White House Easter Egg Roll?
13:55 , Ariana BaioThe White House Easter Egg Roll dates back to the 1870s, during Rutherford B. Hayes’s administration, when a group of children showed up to the White House hoping to use the lawn for an egg roll on Easter Monday, which Hayes agreed to.
Since then, the egg roll event has grown more elaborate with a designated area for activities and games on the South Lawn, a visit from the Easter Bunny and more.
This year, President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are hosting the egg roll with a more patriotic twist in recognition of the United States’ upcoming 250th anniversary.
The U.S. Marine, Army, Navy and Air Force bands will play. People will be able to write cards to American troops. Children can participate in a lunar exploration experience, courtesy of NASA and more.
Catch up from this weekend: Trump's foul-mouthed Easter morning rant
14:05 , John BowdenPresident Donald Trump began his Easter Sunday with another blustery warning to Iran and claimed that U.S. forces would begin a series of strikes against Iranian civilian infrastructure targets in two days.
The U.S. president wrote early Sunday morning on Truth Social that Tuesday would be “Power Plant Day” and “Bridge Day” for American forces selecting targets in the region, adding: “Open the F***in’ Strait, you crazy b*****ds, or you’ll be living in Hell.”
Read more:
Trump threatens to bomb Iran’s power plants and bridges in foul-mouthed Easter rant
What to know about Trump’s briefing today
14:27 , Ariana BaioTrump will hold a press conference today at 1 p.m. ET in the White House Briefing Room alongside military officials to speak more about the ongoing war in Iran, which U.S. officials tout they are “winning.”
It’s unclear what exactly the president will talk about during the presser, but he’s likely to provide an update on the U.S. service members rescued after an F-15 fighter jet was downed over Iran Friday. Trump boasted about the rescue operation in a Truth Social post over the weekend, in which he also announced his Monday press conference.
Watch Live: Donald Trump and Melania Trump host White House Easter Egg Roll
14:50 , Independent VideoIn Photos: White House Easter Egg Roll takes on a patriotic theme
14:57 , Ariana BaioIn celebration of America’s upcoming 250th anniversary, this year’s White House Easter Egg Roll features red, white and blue eggs, letters to U.S. troops and other patriotic-themed decor.
Prominent Trump critic defends Pam Bondi and Kristi Noem after firings
15:21 , Holly PatrickGavin Newsom's wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, defended former Trump administration officials Pam Bondi and Kristi Noem after the pair were fired from their respective roles as Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security.
Newsom said she was not a fan of either Bondi or Noem, but felt the need to "call out that it's no surprise... that the first two prominent people pushed out of this administration were women."
"Women are brought in, packaged Mar-a-Lago style, and lifted up as long as they commit to wholeheartedly serve the interests of the patriarch at the top," she added.
Members of the Trump administration attend White House Easter Egg Roll
15:49 , Ariana Baio
Trump boasts about military at Easter Egg Roll
15:57 , Ariana BaioPresident Donald Trump welcomed families to the White House Easter Egg Roll event by boasting about the U.S. military’s strength against Iran.
Teasing his speech at 1 p.m. ET, the president bragged about the U.S. military and its operation to remove a U.S. service member who was shot down over Iran.
“What about the rescue that took place yesterday? What about that. That’s something that you rarely see,” Trump said to the crowd of hundreds of people.
“In most instances, you’re really not able to go in because you’ll go in with 200 people and lots of jet fighters and helicopters and you really don’t have a chance. They get shot down,” Trump said.
Trump says US is 'hottest country' in Easter Egg Roll speech
16:14 , Ariana BaioThe president declared the US to be the “hottest country” in the world during his White House Easter Egg Roll welcome speech – a familiar claim he often invokes during speeches.
Among other topics, the president talked about the success of the stock market, the low prices of eggs, American farmers and new fencing installed for the event.
Trump takes questions from reporters on Iran
16:30 , Ariana BaioAt the Easter Egg Roll, the president took questions from reporters on Iran before taking a walk through the crowd to say hello to families who came to the White House for the event.
The president said he was engaged in talks with the new regime and hinted that the war could end if the Iranian leadership agreed to the president’s terms.
He also insisted that Iranians support his war.
"The Iranian people, when they don't hear bombs go off, they're upset. They want to hear bombs because they want to be free,” Trump said.
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Melania Trump says war will benefit children's future
16:33 , Ariana BaioWhen asked what her message to children in war zones would be, First Lady Melania Trump responded: “Well, all of this is happening for their future. So they will be safe in years to come.”
Trump tells children about Biden using autopen and bashes 'fake news'
16:43 , Ariana BaioSitting at a picnic table with children who colored pictures of the White House, Trump joked about liking the fake news and said former President Joe Biden had used the autopen.
"Who likes the fake news? Does anybody like the fake news?" Trump asked the group of children, which included one of his granddaughters, Carolina.
One child responded: “No.”
The president also signed autographs for the children and claimed Biden had used the autopen to sign things.
President returns to talking about Iran with reporters
16:57 , Ariana BaioAfter hanging out with children at the White House Easter Egg Roll event, the president returned to discussing the Iran war with reporters.
When asked how taking out Iran’s bridges and plants wasn’t a war crime, the president replied, “Because they’ve killed 45,000 people.”
President and First Lady hang out with children at White House Easter Egg Roll
17:05 , Ariana Baio
Trump calls Americans ‘foolish’ for opposing Iran war as children’s Easter Egg roll gets political
17:10 , Independent VideoTrump signs autographs for children
17:20 , Ariana BaioPresident Donald Trump sat at a table with a few children for a while, offering to sign their coloring pages.
The president joked that his signature was worth $25,000 on eBay while signing his autograph.
Trump appears to learn about legal challenge to his arch at Easter event
17:40 , Ariana BaioThe president appeared to learn that a group of veterans was opposing his proposed triumphal arch design while speaking with reporters at the White House Easter Egg Roll event.
When asked if he thought he could begin building his beloved arch, despite the legal challenge, the president asked the reporter who brought the lawsuit. The reporter informed him veterans.
“A group of veterans?” Trump questioned.
The veterans and a historian, represented by the nonprofit progressive advocacy group Public Citizen, have said Trump’s proposed arch would stand in Memorial Circle and obstruct the “historically significant view” between Arlington House at Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Trump added.
Iran becomes the topic of White House Easter Egg Roll
18:10 , Ariana BaioPresident Donald Trump was eager to talk about the ongoing war in Iran at the White House Easter Egg Roll Monday morning, making it the subject of his introductory remarks and discussions with reporters throughout the event.
Despite having a press conference scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on the war, Trump jumped into praising the U.S. military for rescuing a crew member shot down in an F-15 over Iran this past weekend, claiming the U.S. was decimating Iran, insisting the U.S. could bomb Iran’s plants and bridges and asserting he had large-scale support for the war.
As the president boasted about the military operation, children scurried around and enjoyed family-friendly activities in celebration of Easter.
The discussions on tens of thousands of Iranian protesters killed and the U.S. bombing the country appeared to juxtapose the event tailored to small children with events such as coloring, an egg roll and a read-aloud with First Lady Melania Trump.
Trump begins his 'major' press conference
18:27 , Louise BoylePresident Donald Trump began his “major” press conference Monday afternoon discussing the rescue mission of American service members shot down in Iran, calling it “genius.”
The president, accompanied by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and special envoy Steve Witkoff, began by describing the rescue efforts this past weekend after two airmen ejected and landed alive “deep in enemy territory” in Iran.
Trump said 21 aircraft were deployed in the first wave of the mission, flying for hours under “very, very heavy enemy fire.” He said the U.S. has one helicopter with many bullets in it.
Trump details the scale of rescue mission
18:38 , Louise BoyleSome 155 aircraft were involved in the rescue of the second Air Force member behind enemy lines in Iran.
It included four bombers, 64 fighters, 48 refueling tankers, 13 rescue aircraft, among others, Trump said.
A lot of the efforts were decoys for the Iranians who were also hunting for the missing American service member.
“We were bringing them all over and a lot of it was subterfuge,” Trump said.
President Trump speaks to the press at the White House
18:39 , Louise Boyle
Trump threatens ‘leaker’ and media outlet for disclosing rescue of airman
18:49 , Ariana BaioTrump expressed frustration at a leaker and media outlet for reporting on the F-15 pilot successfully rescued in Iran Friday, before a second service member was determined safe. He threatened to throw the leaker and the news reporter in jail.
The president said he planned to go to the news outlet and the reporter who reported the story to determine who leaked the information and threatened jail time unless they revealed the source.
“We’ll be able to find it out because we’re going to go to the media company that released it, and we’re going to say, national security, give it up or go to jail,” Trump said.
The president did not specify what news outlet or reporter he was talking about.
Hegseth compares rescue operation to Easter
19:00 , Ariana BaioHegseth, a devout Christian, compared the rescue operation of a U.S. airman to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Weekend.
“Shot down on a Friday. Good Friday. Hidden in a cave, a crevice, all of Saturday. And rescued on Sunday. Flown out of Iran as the sun was rising on Easter Sunday. A pilot reborn. All home and accounted for, a nation rejoicing. God is good,” Hegseth said during the press conference.
Trump says he's unsure about war winding down
19:19 , Ariana BaioWhen asked if he was winding down the war or ramping it up, Trump responded: "I can't tell you. I don't know."
"It depends what they do. This is a critical period. They have a period of—well, until tomorrow at 8 o'clock."
Trump says Kim Jong Un insulted Biden
20:02 , Ariana BaioWhile complaining about U.S. allies who refused to assist the U.S. in its war with Iran, President Trump said North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un insulted former President Joe Biden.
“He used to call Joe Biden a mentally r****ed person,” Trump told reporters Monday afternoon
President insists God supports his war in Iran and hints he deserves Nobel Peace Prize
20:30 , Ariana BaioWhen asked by a reporter if he thought God would support his war in Iran, Trump responded affirmatively and insisted God would want to see people taken care of – which he asserted he has done by ending eight wars.
“God wants to see people taken care of,” Trump told reporters during Monday’s press briefing.
The president went on to insist that he doesn’t like to see people killed during war but that he’s doing so to protect others.
“I’ve ended eight wars; nobody’s ever done it. The person who won the Nobel Prize came to me and said, ‘You deserve the Nobel Prize.’” The president insisted.
Trump has often mentioned his desire for the Nobel Peace Prize.
