TWH134-Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Briefs Members of the Media, Sep. 9, 2025

At today’s White House press conference, officials outlined upcoming presidential travel while emphasizing public safety, border security, religious liberty, and free speech abroad. The briefing also addressed questions on the economy, Israel–Qatar tensions, and ongoing crime-reduction efforts in Washington, D.C. President Trump will commemorate the 24th anniversary of 9/11 with events at the Pentagon Memorial and Yankee Stadium, and next week he and the First Lady will make a state visit to the United Kingdom. The administration highlighted the tragic murder of 23-year-old Ukrainian refugee Arena Zerutska in Charlotte, North Carolina, pointing to repeat offender policies and cashless bail as the root cause. The President has signed an executive order directing the Attorney General to track jurisdictions with such policies and explore withholding federal funds. On border security, officials reported that for the fourth straight month zero illegal entrants were released into the U.S., with nationwide encounters down 93% from the Biden-era peak. CBP apprehensions in August were lower for the entire month than what Biden’s border agents encountered in just four days a year earlier. Turning to free speech, the administration reaffirmed it as a top priority globally, citing sanctions in Brazil and readiness to leverage U.S. economic influence to defend expression abroad. On the Middle East, officials confirmed Israel struck Hamas targets in Doha, Qatar. President Trump disagreed with the location but supported the goal of eliminating Hamas, while stressing peace, hostages’ release, and preventing further strikes on Qatari soil. In Washington, D.C., the administration reported 2,177 arrests since August 7, including violent offenders tied to carjackings, shootings, and drug trafficking. Officials credited federal–local cooperation and said the same approach could help other Democrat-run cities. On the economy, the White House pointed to Bureau of Labor Statistics revisions showing the Biden administration overstated job growth by two million, claiming Trump inherited a weaker economy than reported. They urged the Federal Reserve to cut rates while touting steady inflation near 1.9%, GDP growth revised to 3.3%, rising wages, productivity, and a capital spending boom. On religious liberty, Trump announced the “Pray America” initiative encouraging weekly prayer gatherings ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary, emphasizing protections for all faiths and for students to express their beliefs in schools. Immigration enforcement was also stressed following a Supreme Court ruling upholding targeted ICE stops in Los Angeles. Officials said enforcement is focused on violent illegal alien criminals, citing deportations and federal reviews of recent high-profile cases. Addressing renewed attention on Jeffrey Epstein documents, the White House maintained the alleged signatures are not authentic, with litigation pending. Officials characterized Democrats’ focus as a political hoax and distraction, while highlighting the administration’s record on prosecuting sex crimes and deporting offenders. Additional notes included review of visa policies for foreign companies investing in U.S. industries and clarification that reports of a DOJ discussion about banning transgender Americans from owning firearms were only preliminary and not an active policy. Overall, the administration emphasized restoring law and order, securing the border, protecting religious liberty and free speech, and projecting U.S. leadership abroad, while pressing cities and states to abandon policies that release repeat violent offenders back onto the streets.

Categories: The White House