Thread by @jseldin

Starting now: @POTUS news conference from Bedminster, New Jersey...called less than an hour ago

* Correction - it was called shortly after 6pm ET and set to start at 7pm

.@POTUS starts with economic data, hailing job creation - "the single greatest 3-month period of job creation in American history"

.@POTUS says administration still working to reach #coronavirus relief deal with Democrats but blasts @SpeakerPelosi @SenSchumer

"You have ppl in Congress who don't want to help our ppl" he says

.@POTUS says he spoke today w/@EmmanuelMacron of #France about "the catastrophic even which took place in #Beirut...horrible, horrible, event"

Says he also told #Lebanon President Aoun that US supplies and that medical personnel on their way, too

"In this administration we live by 2 rules: buy American and hire American" per @POTUS, switching to Tennessee valley Authority "You can't fire all our workers and hire ppl back from other faraway parts of the world for lower prices

#COVID19 "Every nation on earth continues to combat the virus. A number of countries are seeing a surge in new cases..." per @POTUS, calling #LatAm "...the most infected place anywhere in the world"

"We're doing very well" @POTUS says of the US vs #COVID19 "More than 80% of jurisdictions report declining cases..."

"We have to remain vigilant" vs #COVID19, @POTUS adds

#COVID19 vaccines - "3 vaccines candidates have now moved into phase 3 trials. This would be years ahead of schedule" says @POTUS "We have done wonders w/the @US_FDA"

"In the not too distant future we'll have so many [#COVID19] tests where it's a quick test... 5 minute to 15 minutes" @POTUS says

"Over the next 2 weeks I'll be pursuing a major executive order requiring health insurance companies to cover all preexisting conditions for all customers. That's a big thing" per @POTUS "It's time the ppl of our country are properly represented & properly taken care of"

"It's had a very very big impact" @POTUS says, switching to the #BorderWall

"#Portland, finally, I'd like to address that situation" per @POTUS "Portland is a disaster. it's been a disaster for many many years"

Says federal officers "single-handedly saved the federal courthouse from lawless rioters & agitators & anarchists, & that's what they are"

"But if the radical left gets in, they look at #Portland as a thing that they want...why? Who knows" says @POTUS

"No city, no town & no suburb would be safe" he claims

"A vast majority of ppl agree with me" says @POTUS "They don't speak up as much as they could, but we know they're there"

Answering questions, @POTUS says executive orders on #COVID19 relief could be ready by end of next week

"People feel that we can do it" he adds, saying lawsuit might be likely

NEW: @POTUS reacts to US intel #Election2020 Threat warning

"The last person #Russia wants to see in office is Donald Trump bcs nobody's been tougher on Russia than I have, ever" he says

"I don't care what anybody says" says @POTUS when told assessment claimed #Moscow looking to hurt @JoeBiden

"Nobody with any common sense would say..."

"#China would love us to have an election where Donald Trump lost to sleepy Joe Biden. They would dream. They would own our country" says @POTUS

"#Iran would love to see me not be president" per @POTUS

"I'll make this statement, if and when we win, we will make deal w/ #Iran very quickly" per @POTUS "We'll make deals with #NorthKorea very quickly"

"If I didn't win the election in 2016, our country would now be, maybe it would be over by now, in war w/#NorthKorea" @POTUS claims

"We actually have a relationship w/North Korea"

"Every one of them will make a deal with us very quickly" says @POTUS "#Iran is dying to make a deal but they're waiting to see bcs they would much rather make a deal with Biden"

"The last thing that #Russia wants, and #China wants and #Iran wants would be for Donald Trump to win" says @POTUS

Asked what he plans to do re election interference, @POTUS says, "Well, we're going to look at it very closely. You're telling me that this came out a little while ago? And I've heard that it came out, it came out just a little while ago &we're going to look at that very closely"

"But you started off w/ #Russia, why don't you start off with #China?" @POTUS asks reporter "Do you think China is maybe a bigger threat? I mean, I think maybe it is. I mean, you'll have to figure it out. But we're going to watch all of them"

"The biggest risk that we have is mail-in ballots" says @POTUS "It is a much easier thin for a foreign power, whether it's #Russia or #China, #Iran, #NorthKorea, many others...it's much easier for them to forge ballots & send them in. It's much easier for them to cheat"

"One of the things we'll have to look at is exactly that. That's a big problem" says @POTUS