Donald Trump's Unscripted Mar-a-Lago Press Conference: Polio Vaccine, Eric Adams, and Numerous Media Lawsuits
The president-elect addressed a variety of subjects during his first press conference following his victory in the 2024 election.
TroibNews 
President-elect Donald Trump on Monday vowed to intensify his actions against the media, announcing plans for further litigation following a $15 million settlement in a defamation case against ABC.
He accused the Des Moines Register of committing “fraud” with a pre-election poll conducted by veteran Iowa pollster Ann Selzer, which indicated a 3-point lead for Vice President Kamala Harris over Trump in a state he ultimately won by over 13 points. Trump also expressed recurring frustrations with “60 Minutes” regarding its interview with Harris, which is part of an ongoing lawsuit involving Trump.
Additionally, he mentioned lawsuits against publisher Simon & Schuster concerning the rights to recorded interviews he gave to journalist Bob Woodward, as well as against the Pulitzer Prize board for reaffirming awards given to the New York Times and Washington Post for their reporting on connections between his 2016 campaign and Russia.
His remarks were made during his first press conference after being elected president. He touched on various subjects, including vaccine mandates, foreign relations, and a potential pardon for New York Mayor Eric Adams.
“You need a fair press,” Trump said, referencing the lawsuits. “I’m doing this not because I want to. I’m doing this because I feel I have an obligation to.”
Trump’s press conference, which provided an uncommon opportunity for media interaction since his election win, coincided with an event attended by outgoing President Joe Biden at the Labor Department to promote the establishment of a national monument in honor of Frances Perkins, the first female Cabinet secretary in U.S. history.
Among other issues addressed by Trump:
**Polio vaccine and vaccine mandates:** Trump expressed his belief in the polio vaccine, stating, “you’re not going to lose” it due to personal experiences with the disease's effects on friends. He praised polio vaccine creator “Jonas Salk did a great job” but stated he was “not a big mandate person” when it came to schools instituting vaccine mandates. He avoided a question regarding whether he believes vaccines cause autism but noted, “We’re looking to find out,” suggesting that pesticides could be contributing to rising autism diagnoses.
**Eric Adams pardon:** Trump indicated he “would certainly look at” pardoning Adams and suggested that the mayor’s indictment in a federal bribery case was linked to his comments on migrants in New York City. “He essentially went against what was happening with the migrants coming in,” Trump said of Adams.
**New Jersey drone sightings:** Refraining from visiting his Bedminster property this weekend, Trump remarked on reports of drones in New Jersey, saying, “Something strange is going on — for some reason, [the government doesn’t] want to tell the people. And they should.” He declined to answer whether he had received intelligence briefings on the activity, later adding, “I decided to cancel my trip.”
**Threat to fire federal employees:** Trump reiterated GOP plans to target the federal workforce, threatening to dismiss employees who fail to return to the office. He criticized a recent collective bargaining agreement between the Biden administration and Social Security Administration employees, stating, “It is ridiculous. It was like a gift to a union.” The American Federation of Government Employees responded that they would defend their contracts, asserting that “collective bargaining agreements entered into by the federal government are binding and enforceable under the law,” according to AFGE National President Everett Kelley.
**Ron DeSantis’ Florida Senate pick:** Trump downplayed the possibility of his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, being appointed to the Senate by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, affirming “Ron is doing a good job” and asserting the appointment was DeSantis’ decision.
**World leaders at the inauguration:** Trump did not specify which world leaders would attend his January inauguration but mentioned a desire to meet with them, saying it would be “rude not to.” He noted, “I spoke to over 100 countries. You wouldn’t believe how many countries there are,” and commented on the attendance of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, stating, “If he would ‘like to come, I would love to have him.’”
**Relationship with President Xi:** Trump reflected positively on his past relationship with Xi, saying they had a good rapport “until Covid.” He indicated that while the pandemic created challenges in their relationship, it was “a bridge too far.” He recalled that Xi sent him a “beautiful note” after Trump faced an assassination attempt.
**Tariffs:** He announced plans to leverage tariffs to create a fair trade environment with nations that impose high tariffs on U.S. products. “We’re going to make great deals, and we have all the cards,” Trump stated, emphasizing the importance of tariff reciprocity. His Commerce secretary nominee, Howard Lutnick, noted that reciprocal treatment would be a priority in their negotiations.
**Russia and Ukraine:** Trump expressed intentions to reverse the Biden administration’s decision permitting Ukraine to use long-range missiles against Russia. He criticized this move, stating, “I don’t think they should have allowed missiles to be shot 200 miles into Russia,” attributing increased tensions to this decision.
Greta Reich, Daniel Payne, Lawrence Ukenye, Nick Niedzwiadek, Doug Palmer, Mia McCarthy, and Jack Detsch contributed to this report.
Lucas Dupont contributed to this report for TROIB News
He accused the Des Moines Register of committing “fraud” with a pre-election poll conducted by veteran Iowa pollster Ann Selzer, which indicated a 3-point lead for Vice President Kamala Harris over Trump in a state he ultimately won by over 13 points. Trump also expressed recurring frustrations with “60 Minutes” regarding its interview with Harris, which is part of an ongoing lawsuit involving Trump.
Additionally, he mentioned lawsuits against publisher Simon & Schuster concerning the rights to recorded interviews he gave to journalist Bob Woodward, as well as against the Pulitzer Prize board for reaffirming awards given to the New York Times and Washington Post for their reporting on connections between his 2016 campaign and Russia.
His remarks were made during his first press conference after being elected president. He touched on various subjects, including vaccine mandates, foreign relations, and a potential pardon for New York Mayor Eric Adams.
“You need a fair press,” Trump said, referencing the lawsuits. “I’m doing this not because I want to. I’m doing this because I feel I have an obligation to.”
Trump’s press conference, which provided an uncommon opportunity for media interaction since his election win, coincided with an event attended by outgoing President Joe Biden at the Labor Department to promote the establishment of a national monument in honor of Frances Perkins, the first female Cabinet secretary in U.S. history.
Among other issues addressed by Trump:
**Polio vaccine and vaccine mandates:** Trump expressed his belief in the polio vaccine, stating, “you’re not going to lose” it due to personal experiences with the disease's effects on friends. He praised polio vaccine creator “Jonas Salk did a great job” but stated he was “not a big mandate person” when it came to schools instituting vaccine mandates. He avoided a question regarding whether he believes vaccines cause autism but noted, “We’re looking to find out,” suggesting that pesticides could be contributing to rising autism diagnoses.
**Eric Adams pardon:** Trump indicated he “would certainly look at” pardoning Adams and suggested that the mayor’s indictment in a federal bribery case was linked to his comments on migrants in New York City. “He essentially went against what was happening with the migrants coming in,” Trump said of Adams.
**New Jersey drone sightings:** Refraining from visiting his Bedminster property this weekend, Trump remarked on reports of drones in New Jersey, saying, “Something strange is going on — for some reason, [the government doesn’t] want to tell the people. And they should.” He declined to answer whether he had received intelligence briefings on the activity, later adding, “I decided to cancel my trip.”
**Threat to fire federal employees:** Trump reiterated GOP plans to target the federal workforce, threatening to dismiss employees who fail to return to the office. He criticized a recent collective bargaining agreement between the Biden administration and Social Security Administration employees, stating, “It is ridiculous. It was like a gift to a union.” The American Federation of Government Employees responded that they would defend their contracts, asserting that “collective bargaining agreements entered into by the federal government are binding and enforceable under the law,” according to AFGE National President Everett Kelley.
**Ron DeSantis’ Florida Senate pick:** Trump downplayed the possibility of his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, being appointed to the Senate by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, affirming “Ron is doing a good job” and asserting the appointment was DeSantis’ decision.
**World leaders at the inauguration:** Trump did not specify which world leaders would attend his January inauguration but mentioned a desire to meet with them, saying it would be “rude not to.” He noted, “I spoke to over 100 countries. You wouldn’t believe how many countries there are,” and commented on the attendance of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, stating, “If he would ‘like to come, I would love to have him.’”
**Relationship with President Xi:** Trump reflected positively on his past relationship with Xi, saying they had a good rapport “until Covid.” He indicated that while the pandemic created challenges in their relationship, it was “a bridge too far.” He recalled that Xi sent him a “beautiful note” after Trump faced an assassination attempt.
**Tariffs:** He announced plans to leverage tariffs to create a fair trade environment with nations that impose high tariffs on U.S. products. “We’re going to make great deals, and we have all the cards,” Trump stated, emphasizing the importance of tariff reciprocity. His Commerce secretary nominee, Howard Lutnick, noted that reciprocal treatment would be a priority in their negotiations.
**Russia and Ukraine:** Trump expressed intentions to reverse the Biden administration’s decision permitting Ukraine to use long-range missiles against Russia. He criticized this move, stating, “I don’t think they should have allowed missiles to be shot 200 miles into Russia,” attributing increased tensions to this decision.
Greta Reich, Daniel Payne, Lawrence Ukenye, Nick Niedzwiadek, Doug Palmer, Mia McCarthy, and Jack Detsch contributed to this report.
Lucas Dupont contributed to this report for TROIB News
