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My thanks is for you, your administration, and these amazing people that have brought me home. And I just spend the rest of my life in debt to you and the country and I'm so excited. >> So good, thank you very much. >> Welcome home. >> Welcome home, speaker. >> Like this huge coat, right? >> Yeah, and it is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Squirrel. [LAUGH] I had a stealer hat on when I got off the plane. [LAUGH] I don't know where it is, but you know it's great to meet another good friend. >> Your mom came to our house. >> She told me that. I just talked to Vicki, and I know she was there. And I'm a proud Pittsburgher. [LAUGH] >> Mark, I'd like to call her another year. You've been an absolute star for me, and my family, and again. Like I said, for me to articulate all this in this particular time after what I've been through, and it's not the three and a half years, but the last six days. It has been- >> Nice to meet you. >> Mark, if you weren't sure- >> Yeah, I don't know. >> They came and pulled me out, and I just had a mask on. I could see where I was going, and they were moving me. And there was a point, I think it was today, where it is, but they brought me my clothes. >> Yeah, let's do that. >> Yeah, well, that's fantastic. >> Let's get you out of the cold room. >> I'm not one bit of cold, I came from Russia. [LAUGH] >> You know what, of the ten letters, I got one from you as well. And I had that in a scrapbook I was keeping, and they took that scrapbook from me today, and I wanted back. I want those journals back in that scrapbook. Your picture was in it, and as they were giving me the shake down, they were looking through, and I have the picture of you and my mom. And you should have seen these guys, their eyes lit up like in a nice light. >> >> [LAUGH] >> You just gotta start now. >> Okay, we'll get this. >> Be careful, I might be losing a lot of air. >> >> >> >> It's all cold in Russia. >> Yeah, yeah, it's a little cold. >> Everybody knows Mark, he's become a very famous guy. He's a very happy guy tonight, so it's just a real honor. >> It's an honor to have you at the White House. >> I feel like the luckiest man on Earth right now. And I want you to know that I am not a hero in this at all. And President Trump is a hero. These men that came from the diplomatic service are heroes. >> The senators and representatives that passed legislation in my honor to get me home are the heroes. I am in awe of what they all did, my family has been a force. >> That's true. >> I think my 95 year old mother is probably the most dynamic 95 year old on Earth right now. And I am so indebted to so many people. I think I remember a Churchill quote that he said when the RAF was fighting the Luftwaffe and he said that never have so many owed so much to so few. And I put myself fortunately and unfortunately into that category and I said never has one owed so much to so many. That this super organism of people that came to my support. And the love that I was given sustained me for three and a half years in a prison that had me in hospitals for more than 100 days. I was given more than 400 injections in that time. And knowing I had the support of my fellow Pennsylvanians, my family, my friends, it was so overwhelming that it brought me to my knees and it brought me to tears. But it was my energy. It was my being that kept me going that whole time. And I will forever be indebted to President Trump, to Steve over there, what a dynamic man this guy is. >> That's true. >> [APPLAUSE] >> When I met him, the energy, the can-do attitude just exudes from his body. And when he smiled at me and introduced me and I got the feel for what has happened, it's not just me, it's everybody. And Secretary Rubio, who met my son a while back, I'm a middle class school teacher who's now in a dream world. >> We're gonna show you the Lincoln bedroom. It's a very special place, appropriate for tonight, very appropriate. >> And thank you all. And I love our country and I'm so happy to be back here. And I wish I could articulate it better. >> You've done beautifully and he's got a great mother. And when I saw the mother at a rally, she said, if you win, will you get my son out? And I promise, she's 95 years old. And I said, we'll get him out, and we got him out pretty quickly. >> She told me that exact words. >> I remember, she made quite an impression. And you also did, and I'm in awe of what you've done and your team. >> It's great to have you back, and have a great life. >> Mr. President, could you speak directly to President Putin about- >> Well, I don't want to say that. I just want to say that I appreciate very much what they did in letting Mark go home. And I appreciate Steve Whitcoff, the job he did. And Marko behind the scenes was unbelievable. And so many of these people were unbelievable. They represent him, they're from his area. And we just wanted to get him back home. I had to get him back home because I would have big trouble with his mother. And we're going to take him for a little tour of the Lincoln bedroom, which nobody gets to see, and it's very special. Do you want to see it? >> I would love to, and I also should make mention that President Putin was very generous and statesman-like in granting me a pardon. I mean- >> What were the terms of this deal, Mr. President? >> Very fair, very, very fair, very reasonable, not like deals you've seen over the years. They were very fair, and I think that's going to lead. And somebody else is being released tomorrow that you will know of. But we wanted to get this done, very important. And Steve wanted to actually fly over, get Mark, and get him home properly, because it could be a pretty tough trip. >> So is this the beginning of a deal, sir? Is this the start of it? >> I think there's good will in terms of the war. A million and a half soldiers, young people have been killed. >> I've met many of them. >> Yeah, and it's a terrible thing going on, so we want to get that done. I think this could be the very important element. You could be a big part of it, actually, because it could be a big, important part of getting the war over with Ukraine. And we appreciate President Putin's, what he did. He was able to pull it off for you, right? He was able to pull it off, and we think, and you're here, and you're here. So it was great. We'll tell you a little bit more about it tomorrow, but I think we've made great progress on the war also. Getting the war, I want to get the war ended. That war should not have been. It would have never happened if I was president. It would not have happened, and it did happen. And now you have all blown up cities and dead people. So many dead people should have never, ever happened. And you could be a big catalyst for just this evening. It's a very important evening for ending that war, and I think they all want to see it ended. >> I mean, how does it change your perspective on Putin and your attitude? >> Well, I don't want to get into that. I only can say this, we got a man home whose mother and family wanted him desperately, whose state wanted him. He's become a big symbol, and it's an honor to have played a small role in that. And I just, I want to tell you, these people, they all played a role. And we got him home, and he's healthy. It looks good, actually. To me, you look damn good, I'll tell you that. I think expectations are low, maybe that helps a little bit. >> And you built a plug, correct? >> Can you tell us about the conditions that the president made for him, sir? >> I think I need a little bit of time to sort of digest all of that. There were times when it was extremely trying. There were times when I could manage it. But I think I need some more time to process. It wasn't easy, right? It wasn't easy. >> Every second, every minute, every day had a challenge. >> But you're in good shape. I mean, compare that to what we saw two days ago, come home. They were very, very ill. Those people are very ill, they were treated really badly. >> Mr. President, your predecessor left you almost $4 billion and used aid for Ukraine to Ukraine. Are you going to use those money? Are you going to send- >> We're going to see. We should have had this gentleman out a long time ago. You know, we did it in two and a half weeks. He had four years to do it. He should have had Mark out a lot earlier. It's a shame, it's a shame. >> It was very- >> Should have never had the war to start off with. Should have never had, that war would have never happened if I was president. But he should have had him back three and a half years ago. So it was too bad, but he didn't do it, but we did it. Thank you all very much. Thank you very much, come on in. >> Mr. President, are reciprocal tariffs still coming tomorrow? Or are you waiting until you meet with Modi? >> We'll see what happens. >> Have you spoken with President Xi? >> It's so not that I'm here. >> Okay.

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