Trump's White House gaggle Iran, economy and campaigns

Sep 30

Before leaving the White House on October 1, Trump answers reporters on foreign policy, the economy and elections. Asked about Kevin Warsh and a reported TIME interview, he says Warsh should vote as he wants, but that Trump personally would oppose higher rates. He claims inflation is controlled, blames Biden and argues that rates would hinder growth. Asked about a possible Venezuelan base, he describes good relations and shared oil revenue and pledges to begin filling U.S. strategic reserves with inexpensive Venezuelan oil; he gives no amount or timetable. Trump acknowledges the Iran war could hurt Republicans in the midterms, while arguing that emphasizing prevention of an Iranian nuclear weapon should help. He defends campaigning in strongly Republican states to thank supporters, support candidates and encourage turnout. He credits his endorsement for an unnamed Oklahoma candidate's primary victory after an alleged 22-point deficit, later identifying Drummond as the defeated opponent; his confidence about the general election is a prediction. Asked about Ken Paxton's criticism of the Dallas convention, he calls it successful and claims 107 million views against 24 million for the NFL. These are his claims, not verified ratings or election outcomes. Trump gives his government and economy an A-plus assessment, claims record poverty, retirement-account and stock-market performance and $21 trillion in investment over 15 months, and says inflation and costs are falling. He blames unfavorable press coverage, admits he has not explained his case well and predicts that a Democratic victory instead would have produced a depression. He also claims more oil is moving through Hormuz than before the war and predicts further price relief. On the Flydubai incident, Trump says the investigation is ongoing and, based on what he is hearing, he believes the pilot is linked to Iran. He says it could have involved IRGC placement or other radicalization, without establishing either. Asked about retaliation if Iran were responsible, he says Iran would be hit hard but does not explicitly confirm a U.S. operation. His closing remarks claim Iran's economy and military are devastated, U.S. forces control Hormuz and oil movement is at a record level; he threatens that Iran must sign what he calls a fair deal or cease to exist. These assertions and threats do not establish an investigative finding, completed agreement or verified military outcome. Brief exchanges include tentative remarks about a U.S. base in Poland, Iran's nuclear weapons and Hezbollah, a prediction of resolution in Ukraine, an assurance to allies in Iraq, praise for Brazil and its election, surprise at the British suspects' bail release alongside respect for Scotland Yard, and a possible 2028 endorsement without naming a nominee. He says aide pardons are not presently on his mind, mentions a planned Peterbilt ribbon cutting, jokes about press-secretary applicants and says he lacks detail on a Cornell allegation while expressing confidence in the university.

On September 30, Dubai–Tel Aviv Flydubai 1073 descends sharply and sends emergency signals; the airline confirms a cockpit altercation. Passengers report subduing a suspected attacker and extra crew land in Saudi Arabia. Netanyahu alleges stabbing/crash intent, Katz calls it jihadism, and Steckelbach leaves identity, motive, Saudi findings and screening uncertain. Flydubai suspends Israel flights. ABC's September 30 airport report gives 174 passengers, four Americans, cockpit footage and witnesses; authorities describe a first-officer attack/nosedive, passenger/additional-pilot recovery, Saudi treatment, Tel Aviv arrival and detention. Trump's terrorist-or-other-motive speculation remains qualified. ARD gives about 180 people. TV Brasil gives about 150 Israelis, an over-4,000-metre descent in thirty seconds attributed to Flightradar24 and two injured/hospitalized men; its terrorism label is the Israeli government's and Israeli count is not a total. France 2 gives a 10,360-to-4,190-metre descent in six minutes, tail damage and two off-duty pilots taking control; entry is unexplained and nationality comes from Israeli press. Its separate simulator/security account leaves an emergency-axe hypothesis unconfirmed. RTVE gives over five kilometres in under two minutes, Netanyahu's 166 Israelis, returning-passenger and mother/daughter testimony, a detained pilot and open inquiry. TSN gives Abu Dhabi as origin, 174 passengers in the main item and about 200 people in recap, an Omani co-pilot attacking an Emirati captain, a 4,000-metre fall from 7,000 metres in under thirty seconds, intervention, reserve-crew landing in Tabuk, a seriously injured captain and detention. Its preliminary preview, terrorism/suicide suggestion and unresolved recap motive remain distinct. Vremya says an initial Russian–Ukrainian cockpit-fight rumour gave way to an Omani-attacker account, then cites Israel Hayom for an unofficial Russian/Ukrainian off-duty rescue-pilot account; identities and reserve/trainee roles stay qualified. Germanwings is context. IRINN's September 30 account gives about 170 passengers and witness/Israeli-outlet Omani/Emirati identities and Tabuk/onward travel. Olleik alleges a nationality agreement and pilots posing as passengers; al-Deirani alleges a Netanyahu charade. Netanyahu's reply and Lieberman/Lapid's political-exploitation criticisms remain alongside these disputed interpretations. His UAE visit is relatively dated two days earlier. DD India's October 1 accounts name Smit Machchhar, give a 14,000-foot descent, door opening, intervention and local/institutional praise. Radicalization is Netanyahu's claim, not a finding. One package reports Abu Dhabi transfer but later Saudi treatment. Its expert debate discusses vetting, possible weapons/motives, recruitment and remote-control risk pending findings; cameras are proposed, not policy. ABC's follow-up airs cabin video and dentist Shota Musaev's firsthand aid, fear death was seconds away and the suspect's request to be killed. It gives an unlocked door, recovery, 174 passengers/eight crew, Netanyahu's radicalization/suicide claim, an unnamed official's unexplained online-post allegation and Trump's qualified Iran suspicion. Fox's October 1 Schlichter/Netanyahu clips credit captain-led door opening and report captain/suspect UAE transfer. Its White House report contrasts Trump's Iran belief with Netanyahu's caution about direct involvement; Ailam's Iran-inspired lone-wolf view remains his interpretation. France 2 airs Yaniv Hayun removing the attacker and raising the aircraft, dentist/business-owner praise and a 2025 Machchhar interview; it says the captain is out of danger while the inquiry begins. The reception/security response is separately indexed. Kan adds Ohayon's cabin recordings and four rescuers' intervention, recovery and aid. Cohen cites officials finding no organizational/Iranian link yet without excluding Iran. Blumental places the conscious captain after UAE transfer; Alkaly later puts him in Saudi Arabia. Qualified Trump remarks, viral reaction and honors discussion establish no motive, Iranian role or completed award. ABC's October 2 report cites intelligence/law-enforcement sources for an unnamed Omani trainee's 2024 Oman Air suspension over extremist materials, administrative work and later Flydubai hiring. Israel crash intent and investigator cooperation are allegations. From hospital, Machchhar tells Modi he sensed the plunge while wounded, made a last effort to open the door and credits others equally. Netanyahu alleges radicalization and threatens whoever sent the attacker; officials say Israel will join the UAE inquiry. DD's edited excerpt and PMO's longer recording preserve door opening, equal credit, Saudi care and spiritual reassurance without fixing current hospital or motive. PMO adds continued beating, seventeen years flying/eleven as captain and confidence in recovery taking time. Fox puts him in Abu Dhabi, reports rescue/suspect transfer, attributes an Oman ban to familiar sources and crash intent/radicalization to Netanyahu. Modi's call is separate. Vremya's October 1 report airs Hayon's control recovery and Musaev's aid. Yaroshenko disputes amateur recovery; Yemelyanov questions coincidences and displaced rumours. Fars/Iranian-security sources allege an Israeli plan to blame Iran for aviation attacks. Netanyahu alleges Iranian pre-election threats but does not know whether this flight was part of them. Tsipis/Yemelyanov question credibility and incentives; the correspondent cannot establish the scenario. IRINN's October 2 opening/social-media package alleges political staging, citing an official's reported lack of an apparent Iran link and a Times of Israel campaign-ad characterization. Hinkle's false-flag claim, Murphy's incredulity, Kanani's accusation, anonymous flight objections and Rabbi Jeff parody remain suspicions/satire, not proof, alongside other broadcasters' emergency/open inquiry. ABC's October 4 account names Hamam Al Hammami and cites sources for Tel Aviv crash intent, an Oman security flag and 2024 trainee suspension. Machchhar recalls opening the door badly wounded; Opher Dubrovsky urges tighter screening. Royal Air Maroc denies employing him after three months' pre-employment training last year; Flydubai declines comment. In the full October 3 released Netanyahu call, Machchhar says the co-pilot's prayer request seemed ordinary before repeated blows impaired vision. With fragmentary memory he recalls the descent, opening the door, possible reclosing by the attacker and reaching the interior knob to admit colleagues. He corrects Netanyahu's pin suggestion: he twisted the knob after outside-code attempts were blocked. He credits the dentist with saving his life. These recollections establish no motive. ARD's October 3 brief attributes seizure intent to the UAE inquiry and an Oman ban to US media. On October 5 Haq awaits facts, declines Arora's bomb speculation and opposes civilian-aircraft misuse/terrorism. ABC's October 5 report identifies 29-year-old al-Hammami through Israeli sources and a deleted-LinkedIn image; those sources allege an aborted July Tel Aviv-flight crash plan, for an unknown reason, and intended September 30 Ben Gurion target. It recalls door opening and asks about recruitment after an earlier ban. Fox's MacCallum attributes radical indoctrination/Ben Gurion crash intent to UAE investigators and mentions a US Jordan air base as another possible target. She credits rescuers with averting airborne/ground deaths; El-Sayed thanks them and condemns terrorism. Sponsor, motive, plans and targets remain attributed and unresolved. Netanyahu's complete October 1 Fox & Friends interview preserves his correction from certainty to likelihood of crash intent and refusal of final conclusions. He does not know what was said before restraint, reports no religious-slogan account and leaves weapon, radicalization source, Iran connection and Omani cooperation unresolved. He praises restraint, aid, teamwork and off-duty pilots' landing. The screening pledge and September 30 reception retain separate scopes. Kan's October 4 follow-up airs the struck-while-praying recollection and attributes fuel-switch intervention and a 16,000-foot descent to Corriere della Sera, with a January 2026 hire. Its initial last-year Oman dismissal differs from its later 2024 suspension. It examines a classified 2024 audit, screening and reportedly unused Tax Authority access, and reports an NSC review. Regev assigns intelligence responsibility elsewhere; Weinberg holds Transport responsible; Riklin says it lacks intelligence tools. Eisenkot seeks an external inquiry and Regev's removal, reserving other agencies' responsibility for investigation and proposing suspension only of routes with uncertain pilot identities. Kan's October 5 reports allege failed MAMALAT vetting/authorization and Rubinstein's regulatory/private-training conflicts; neither he nor the ministry responded by broadcast. Cohen reports the ongoing UAE inquiry, Israeli updates and a team on the ground. Guttman relays anonymous-source crash-intent/lone-wolf claims and calls Trump's initial Iran assessment unfounded; Vance says he has seen nothing conclusive about Iran and is reviewing US screening. CBS rescuers describe intervention and another pilot's recovery; Musaev recounts mutual lifesaving acts. Screening allegations, competing employment/location/descent/crew claims and institutional criticisms remain attributed, without a final cause, sponsor, responsibility finding or implemented restriction.