TRUMP: give you a report on drones one day into; Doocy: My longest interview with a president

During a wide-ranging press availability with Republican governors ahead of his January 20 inauguration, President-elect Trump promised to deliver a public report on the mysterious drone sightings that had been reported across the country, called the governors’ meeting a “love fest,” and declared his intention to usher in what he called a “golden age of America.” Fox News reporter Peter Doocy noted it was his longest-ever interview with a president, to which Trump quipped that under Biden, reporters got “one question and then getting kicked out.”

Doocy’s Longest Presidential Interview

The exchange between Trump and Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy set the tone for the entire press availability. Doocy observed that the session represented his “longest ever interview of a president,” a comment that highlighted the contrast between Trump’s freewheeling approach to the press and the Biden administration’s more controlled media interactions.

Trump seized on the comparison. “Yeah, well, the longest ever before this was one question and it would rush you out of the room, right?” he said. “But we have nothing to hide.” The remark underscored a point Trump had made throughout his campaigns: that he was willing to engage with the press extensively and without scripted guardrails, a style that both energized his supporters and generated controversy.

The extended session allowed for a broader range of topics than a typical presidential press conference, including the drone mystery, the meeting with governors, crime statistics, and Trump’s vision for his second term.

Trump Promises a Report on the Drone Mystery

The most newsworthy exchange came when Doocy asked about the mysterious drone sightings that had been making headlines across the country. The drones had been spotted over New Jersey, near Trump’s Bedminster golf club, and over various military and critical infrastructure sites.

“Do you have any idea what ever happened to the drones?” Doocy asked, noting that the story had “disappeared very suddenly.”

Trump confirmed that the drones had been visible near his property. “There were over Bedminster a lot, so I can imagine,” he said. He then made a commitment that would generate significant attention: “I’m going to give you a report on drones about one day into the administration, because I think it’s ridiculous that they’re not telling you about what’s going on with the drones.”

Trump noted that the drone issue extended far beyond New Jersey. “Glenn was telling me today that in Virginia, they have drones all over the place too, and nobody’s reporting it,” he said, opening the floor to the governors present.

Republican Governors Weigh In on Drones

The Virginia governor provided additional context on the drone situation, noting the severity of the issue given the state’s military infrastructure. “We are home to the largest naval base in the world, and Quantico, and we house a lot of the SEAL teams, and have a huge national security infrastructure,” the governor said. “And now for two years running, we have had drone incursion over secure airspace, and we still don’t know why. And I think that’s absolutely unacceptable.”

The governor expressed confidence that the incoming Trump administration would address the issue, stating: “I think President Trump and the new leadership coming in will work diligently to understand who’s behind this and what we do in order to stop the digital surveillance of all of our secure infrastructure.”

A Louisiana governor added that drones had been observed over nuclear reactors in his state during a period that coincided with a terrorist attack in New Orleans. “While we were dealing with a terrorist attack in New Orleans, we had drones being thrown over our nuclear reactors in Louisiana, and we brought that attention to the FAA,” the governor said. “We’ve been asking the FAA to give these states the ability to mitigate these drones, and it’s sitting on some bureaucrat’s desk.”

Wyoming’s governor echoed the frustration. “We have drones in Wyoming flying over our infrastructure as well,” the governor said. “And it’s incredibly frustrating that we not only have no way of knowing what it is, but nobody knows how to deal with them.”

Trump acknowledged the collective frustration and floated one possibility. “That could be us sending drones. I hope that’s the case, us doing it and doing research, and maybe they don’t want to talk about it from that standpoint,” he said. “I hope it’s not an enemy, but we’re going to find out on the 21st, the day after. You have to give me a little time for the inauguration, but shortly thereafter, we’ll give you a report on it. We’ll tell you exactly what it is. They know, and it’s very strange that they aren’t talking about it.”

The Republican Governors “Love Fest”

Trump described his meeting with the assembled Republican governors in characteristically effusive terms. “We had a great meeting with almost every senator, Republican senator, and I would say that first it was a love fest,” he said. “It was, this is a love fest too. I believe I’ll let you know in about an hour, but this is pretty much a love fest.”

He praised the governors’ track records in office. “The governors aren’t exactly chopped liver, right? This is a group of people that have done a phenomenal job, and especially when you see what’s going on in Los Angeles and all, you look at the way they’ve run their states. It’s incredible.”

Trump drew a sharp contrast between Republican-governed and Democrat-governed states, particularly on crime. “I talk about it all the time, the top 25 states, and I don’t believe we have any in the list of crime. So every one of them is a Democrat-run state,” he said. “You look at the crime, it’s all on the shoulders of Democrats and the way they run their states. And if these people ran those states, same people, same everything, but you put these people in those states, you wouldn’t have crime like that at all.”

The Golden Age of America

Amid the discussion of specific policy issues, Trump offered a broader vision for his second term. “We want to get along with the Democrats. I’m trying to be nice. We’re going into a new term,” he said. “It’s going to be a great time for — I’m going to call it the golden age. I believe we have a chance at the golden age of America.”

The “golden age” framing would become a recurring theme in Trump’s pre-inauguration messaging, positioning his second term not merely as a continuation of his first but as the beginning of a transformational era for the country. The phrase combined optimism with ambition, suggesting that the incoming administration intended to pursue an agenda far more sweeping than typical second-term governance.

Key Takeaways

• Peter Doocy noted the session was his longest-ever interview with a president; Trump quipped that under Biden, reporters got “one question and then got rushed out.”
• Trump promised a public report on the mysterious drone sightings “about one day into the administration,” saying it was “ridiculous” that the Biden administration was not disclosing information.
• Republican governors from Virginia, Louisiana, and Wyoming all reported drone incursions over critical infrastructure in their states, with the FAA failing to act on requests for mitigation authority.
• Trump called the governors’ meeting “a love fest” and contrasted Republican-governed states’ crime rates favorably against Democrat-governed states.
• Trump declared his intention to usher in what he called “the golden age of America” during his second term.

Transcript Highlights

The following is transcribed from the video audio:

• This is my longest ever interview of a president. Yeah, well, the longest ever before this was one question and it would rush you out of the room, right? But we have nothing to hide.
• I’m going to give you a report on drones about one day into the administration, because I think it’s ridiculous that they’re not telling you about what’s going on with the drones.
• We are home to the largest naval base in the world, and Quantico, and we house a lot of the SEAL teams, and have a huge national security infrastructure. And now for two years running, we have had drone incursion over secure airspace.
• While we were dealing with a terrorist attack in New Orleans, we had drones being thrown over our nuclear reactors in Louisiana.
• I hope it’s not an enemy, but we’re going to find out on the 21st, the day after.
• This is pretty much a love fest. This is a group of people that have done a phenomenal job.
• I believe we have a chance at the golden age of America.

Full transcript: 760 words transcribed via Whisper AI.