Remarks in an Exchange With Reporters at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware

Situation in the Middle East

Q. Mr. President, will you deploy more U.S. troops to the Middle East?

The President. No.

Q. Mr. President, has Netanyahu gone too far?

Negotiations Between United States Maritime Alliance, Ltd., and the International Longshoremen's Association

Q. Any comment on the strikes in Yemen, Mr. President?

The President. I spoke with both sides at the outset of the strike. We support the collective bargaining effort. I think they'll settle the strike.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel

Q. Are you going to talk to Netanyahu? Are you going to talk to Prime Minister Netanyahu? Do you have anything to say to him?

The President. Yes. I will be talking to him, and I'll tell you what I say to him when I talk to him.

Q. Yes, sir.

Hurricane Helene/Response and Recovery Efforts

Q. Do you have any words for the victims of the hurricane?

The President. Yes, it's tragic. As a matter of fact, they're trying to get the exact number. My FEMA adviser is on the ground in Florida right now. There's a distinction between the numbers that FEMA has used and the ones that are used by the locals.

So it's—it really is amazing. You saw the photographs. It's stunning.

Q. So many——

The President. But it really is.

Q. So many—so—such a wide area.

The President. And we—gave—are giving them all the—everything we have. Were on the ground ahead of time. So we're working hard.

Federal Disaster Assistance

Q. Are there any more resources the Federal Government could be giving them?

The President. No. We've given them—we have preplanned a significant amount of it, even though they didn't ask for it yet—had—hadn't asked for it yet.

Negotiations Between United States Maritime Alliance, Ltd., and the International Longshoremen's Association

Q. Mr. President, will you intervene in the dockworkers strike if they go on strike on Tuesday?

The President. No.

Q. Why not?

The President. Because there's collective bargaining, and I don't believe in Taft-Hartley.

Situation in the Middle East

Q. Can all-out—can an all-out war in the Middle East be avoided?

The President. It has to be. We really have to avoid it.

And we've already taken precautions relative to our Embassies and personnel who want to leave, and—but we're not there yet, but we're working like hell with the French and many others to—[inaudible].

Thank you.

Q. Thank you, sir.

Q. How hopeful are you for the cease-fire?