U.S. President Donald Trump gestures after disembarking Marine One, as he departs for Scotland, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., July 25, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
On Friday morning, July 25, U.S. President Donald Trump spoke to reporters outside the White House before leaving for a trip to Scotland. Trump covered a lot of ground during the press conference, discussing everything from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation to U.S. economic policy.
Here are five of the wildest moments from the presser.
1. Trump said he hadn't thought about Ghislaine Maxwell pardon.
The day before the press conference, Deputy U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche met with Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell — who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in Epstein's sex crimes. The meeting has fueled speculation that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) might be considering some type of deal involving a reduced sentence, and MSNBC legal analyst Lisa Rubin has speculated that a presidential pardon for Maxwell might be on the table.
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Reporters asked Trump about the possibility of a Maxwell pardon on July 25, to which he responded, "That's something I haven't thought about…. I'm allowed to do it."
Trump didn't get into specifics, but he didn't rule out the possibility of a Maxwell pardon if she cooperates with DOJ.
2. Trump implied that Jerome Powell may be ready to lower interest rates.
Trump has been angrily railing against U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell for not lowering interest rates, calling him everything from a "numbskull" to a "stupid person." But the two of them met on Thursday, July 24, and during the July 25 press conference, Trump told reporters, "We had a very good meeting.... I think we had a very good meeting on interest rates."
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3. Trump bragged about a Japan deal.
Trump is drawing criticism from many economists, both left and right, for imposing steep tariffs on Canada and other longtime U.S. allies. But during the Friday morning press conference, Trump bragged about his trade deal with Japan (which includes a 15 percent tariff).
Trump told reporters, "We have great economic numbers. The deal with Japan is amazing. You give us 550 billion, and we have totally open access into Japan. Those numbers are great."
4. Trump described NYC lawsuit as a "pretty routine filing."
During the press conference, Trump was asked about his lawsuit against the City of New York and Mayor Eric Adams in response to its sanctuary city laws. Trump told reporters, "That's DOJ going against New York, but we're going against a lot of other places too. We want to bring safety to our cities, but that's going to be a pretty routine filing…. We've started numerous lawsuits with other cities."
5. Trump said Hamas terrorists "want to die."
When reporters asked Trump about Israel's ongoing military operation in Gaza, he argued that the terrorist group Hamas is resisting a peace deal.
Trump told reporters, "They pulled out of Gaza; they pulled out in terms of negotiating. It was too bad. Hamas didn't really want to make a deal. I think they want to die, and it's very bad. And it got to be to a point where you're going to have to finish the job…. Don't forget, we got a lot of hostages out. So now, we're down to the final hostages, and they know what happens after you get the final hostages."
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Watch the full press conference below or at this link.