الرئيس ترامب لطاقم الصحافة في مار-إيه-لاغو: «لنفترض أنني فعلت ذلك. هل كنت سأخبركم؟»

A gaggle at the party

Reporters traveling with President Donald Trump caught up with him on Saturday, Oct. 31, at a Halloween party at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, three days before the midterm elections. Surrounded by guests in feathers and animal prints, Trump explained his own outfit: "I came as Donald Trump tonight." Below are the main questions and his answers.

Iran: talks and the threat of war

Is there a time frame for the Qatari-mediated negotiations?

"Look, we're not in that much of a hurry from the standpoint that we've knocked out their navy. We've knocked out their air force. We've knocked out their anti-aircraft. ... We've knocked out a lot of their manufacturing capability. ... We've knocked out their nuclear. We still have to take care of, I would say, one or two sites, but we can do that in 10 minutes. Ten minutes. So we have that plan. You probably could look at Pickaxe Mountain, and you have to take care of that. We can do that all very quick."

Earlier in the exchange, when a reporter brought up the negotiations, Trump said: "They're going fine, but, you know, they're not very reliable, I will tell you. They make a deal and then they back out."

Do you expect to go back to war against Iran as soon as this week?

"Why would you ask such a stupid question? New York Times. Okay, let's say I did. Would I tell you?"

Turning back to the question, he added: "Do I expect to go back to war next week? Let's say I did. Would I tell you? Let's say I didn't. Would I tell you? I can't tell you."

Russia, Ukraine and the G20

The Russians say that they were warned by the U.S. about a potential terrorist attack. Did we give them intelligence? And who are the suspected terrorists?

"I get a report on that tomorrow morning. We'll let you know."

Asked about Ukrainian strikes on a couple of big Russian refineries in the previous day or two, Trump said: "We talked to them. I think that the war between Ukraine and Russia is going to come to an end in the not-too-distant future."

Sir, will you invite Zelenskyy to the G20? You've invited Putin.

"I would. No problem."

The G20 leaders' summit is scheduled for Dec. 14-15 at Trump National Doral near Miami. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Russian President Vladimir Putin's invitation in September.

El Salvador and Haiti

Have you spoken to the leader of El Salvador about Haiti? Have you spoken to Bukele about Haiti?

"I did speak to him. He said that he has a big problem with Haiti. I said, look, you're running your country. You have to do what you have to do. He had a big problem with Haiti. They killed some of his people. And I said, you're running your country. You have to do what you have to do."

Is the U.S. considering helping in any capacity?

"He doesn't need help. He's in pretty good shape."

El Salvador has sent troops to Haiti to search for four Salvadoran soldiers serving with the U.N.-backed Gang Suppression Force, who went missing after a gang ambush near Port-au-Prince on Oct. 18.

The midterms

And how are you feeling about Tuesday, Mr. President?

"I leave early tomorrow for Iowa. I leave early tomorrow for Kansas. And then on Monday we're doing a lot of different events. And I feel very good. I mean, I feel like we're doing well."

Asked about his Halloween plans as the exchange wound down, Trump said: "I'll have about 15 minutes of Halloween and then I go back to work."