President Donald Trump spoke to reporters outside the White House before departing for Nebraska on October 5, addressing the midterms, an early-ballot mistake in Arizona, attacks on Russian oil refineries, possible talks with Iran, U.S. military security concerns in Britain, Brazil’s election, Canada, gasoline prices and the possibility of a permanent American military presence in Lithuania.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump delivered a wide-ranging press gaggle before leaving the White House on October 5, 2026, moving rapidly from domestic campaign politics to Russia, Iran, Europe, energy prices and U.S. military security.
The White House published the approximately 14-minute exchange under the title “President Trump Gaggles with Press Upon Departure from the White House, Oct. 5, 2026.”
Trump opened by saying he was traveling to Nebraska to support a governor and Senate candidate, while also previewing an upcoming trip to Michigan and suggesting Maine could be added to his political schedule.
“We’re sort of scheduled to be someplace almost every night,” Trump told reporters.
Trump Attacks Maricopa County Over 3,126 Early Ballots
One of the sharpest exchanges concerned Maricopa County, Arizona.
Trump was told that thousands of ballots had been mailed early because of what officials described as an error.
He immediately rejected the characterization.
“There were no errors,” Trump said, later calling Maricopa “a very, very dishonest county.”
But an official statement from the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office provides important context.
According to the county, election vendor Runbeck Election Services mistakenly mailed 3,126 early ballots on October 1, six days before the scheduled October 7 mailing date.
The county said the problem involved only the timing of the mailing.
“The correct ballots were mailed to the correct voters,” the Recorder’s Office stated.
County officials said the ballots remain valid and that any received before early voting begins will be stored unopened until processing begins. The county also said no voters were adversely affected.
That makes the dispute fairly clear:
Trump portrayed the incident as improper ballot distribution and rejected the county’s explanation of an error. Maricopa County says the ballots themselves were legitimate and went to the correct voters, but were mailed prematurely by a private vendor.
The general election is scheduled for November 3, 2026, and Maricopa County’s official calendar says October 7 is the start of early voting and the scheduled date for early ballots to be mailed.
Trump Still Prefers In-Person Voting — But Tells Supporters They Can Vote by Mail
A reporter then confronted Trump with an apparent contradiction:
Why encourage supporters to vote by mail if he believes mail voting is vulnerable to fraud?
Trump answered that voters could use either method.
“Vote by mail or vote in person,” he said. “I’d rather have them vote in person, but they can vote by mail if they want.”
He then reiterated his longstanding criticism of mail voting, claiming there is widespread cheating associated with it.
The exchange illustrated the practical dilemma facing Republican campaigns: even as Trump continues to criticize mail voting, campaigns cannot simply abandon a voting method used by millions of Americans.
Russian Refinery Strikes and the Diesel Market
Trump was also asked about attacks on Russian oil refineries.
He said the strikes were creating problems because of reduced refining capacity and later returned to the subject while discussing global fuel prices.
Trump distinguished between crude-oil supply and refinery capacity, particularly for diesel.
“The refineries in Russia are being hit pretty hard having to do with diesel,” he said near the end of the gaggle.
Earlier, Trump said there were “tremendous amounts of oil” available but described refinery shortages linked to the war as a problem.
That distinction matters economically: abundant crude-oil supplies do not automatically translate into equally abundant gasoline or diesel if refining capacity is disrupted.
Trump said European countries and the United States were using diesel reserves and argued that energy prices were moving downward.
“The War Is Going to End Very Soon”
Asked about gasoline prices, Trump predicted further declines.
“Gasoline prices are going down very rapidly,” he said.
Trump then linked future price reductions directly to the end of the war, saying prices would “drop like a rock” and predicting that the conflict would end “very soon — one way or the other.”
He did not provide a timetable or explain what he meant by “one way or the other.”
Trump Says He Is Open to Direct Talks With Iran
When asked directly whether he would be open to negotiations with Iran, Trump gave an unusually concise answer:
“Yeah, always.”
Later, however, the president struck a much harder tone when questioned about possible Iranian involvement in security threats affecting U.S. forces.
Asked whether Iran might have brought combat drones into Britain, Trump declined to disclose intelligence but warned:
“If they did, they’ll suffer greatly.”
He also closed another portion of the exchange by reiterating:
“Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.”
Taken together, the remarks reflected the administration’s dual message toward Tehran: Trump says diplomacy remains available, while threatening severe consequences for attacks or military escalation.
Trump Confirms a Threat Prompted Movement of U.S. Aircraft
Several reporters pressed Trump about the relocation of American military aircraft from the United Kingdom.
Asked whether specific intelligence or a specific threat was behind the decision, Trump answered:
“Yeah, I think we can say that. I mean, they didn’t fly out by accident.”
He declined to disclose the intelligence but said there had been threats and questioned why the aircraft should remain exposed when they could easily be moved.
Later, Trump returned to the matter.
“We had an idea that there might be a threat,” he said, adding that U.S. officials knew the people making the threat and that those responsible could face “some big problem.”
Trump did not publicly identify the threat, its source or the intelligence behind the decision.
When asked whether Britain remained safe for U.S. forces, however, he answered that he believed it did.
Canada: Trump Says He Is “In No Rush” to Resume Trade Talks
Trump also offered a blunt assessment of relations with Canada.
Asked whether he would resume trade talks before the midterm elections, Trump said:
“I don’t know.”
He accused Canada of treating the United States unfairly on trade and said he was “in no rush” to resume negotiations.
Trump argued that Canada depends heavily on the U.S. market and accused the country of having “been ripping us off for years.”
The comments suggest trade tensions with one of America’s largest commercial partners remain unresolved.
A Warmer Message for Serbia
Trump took a notably different tone toward Serbia.
Asked about the U.S.-Serbia strategic dialogue, he responded simply:
“We have a very good relationship with Serbia.”
The relationship has been developing for several years.
A State Department announcement in January 2025 described plans for a structured U.S.-Serbia Strategic Dialogue covering trade, energy, defense cooperation, rule of law and other areas.
Brazil: Trump Predicts a Very Close Race
Trump was also asked about Brazil’s presidential election.
“It’s going to be a very close election,” he said.
That assessment was consistent with the results of Brazil’s October 4 first round.
Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro finished narrowly ahead of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, forcing the contest into a runoff later in October.
Trump later referred to the result as a “big victory,” although Brazil’s election was not finished: the first round determined the two candidates advancing to the runoff rather than the final presidency.
Trump Praises María Corina Machado
A reporter also asked Trump about Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado.
Trump called her “a very fine woman” and said she had given him her Nobel Prize because “she knew I earned it.”
The president did not provide a detailed policy response about her possible return to Venezuela.
Possible U.S. Base in Lithuania
Near the end of the gaggle, Trump was asked whether he would consider Lithuania’s reported invitation to establish a permanent U.S. military base there.
Trump did not commit to the proposal but responded positively toward Lithuania.
“They’re friends of mine. They’re great people. So, we’ll certainly look at it,” he said.
A permanent American installation in Lithuania would carry major NATO and Russia-policy implications and would represent a significant expansion of the U.S. military posture on NATO’s eastern flank.
Trump’s answer was therefore notable, even though it stopped far short of announcing a decision.
Questions About a Reported Disease Outbreak in Russia
Reporters repeatedly asked Trump about reports of a disease outbreak in Russia described during the gaggle as pneumonic plague or pneumonia.
Trump said he had only recently heard about the situation and had not yet spoken with Russian officials about it.
“I hate to see them having it,” he said, adding that the United States would be willing to help countries facing a serious disease problem.
Later he said the administration was “looking at it very strongly” but again emphasized that the information was new.
Midtown Tribune has not identified an official CDC or WHO notice, in the materials reviewed for this article, confirming the specific outbreak as described by reporters. The disease claim should therefore be treated as unconfirmed unless public-health authorities provide additional information.
Campaigning Across the Country
Domestic politics remained the thread running through much of the conversation.
Trump said his appearances boost Republican candidates and pointed to rallies in Ohio, Texas and Oklahoma, while previewing trips to Nebraska, Michigan and Iowa.
“When I go there, they win,” Trump said, arguing that candidates gain momentum after his rallies.
The White House separately released a Nebraska-focused statement on October 5 highlighting the administration’s record in the state as Trump traveled there.
Trump Ends With Another Attack on CNN
The gaggle ended in familiar fashion.
Asked about polling and Latino voters, Trump rejected the premise, said his own poll numbers were strong and attacked CNN.
“CNN poll numbers are fake. And your whole outfit is fake. And so are you,” Trump told a reporter.
The exchange echoed Trump’s longstanding criticism of mainstream news organizations and came only days after the White House itself published a video titled “Fake News CNN.”
The Bigger Picture
The October 5 gaggle offered a compressed view of the issues Trump is carrying into the final weeks before the 2026 midterm elections.
Domestically, he is campaigning aggressively for Republican candidates while continuing his attacks on mail voting, election administration and major news organizations.
Internationally, he portrayed himself as simultaneously open to negotiations and prepared to respond forcefully to threats — particularly involving Iran.
On Russia and the war, he focused increasingly on the economic consequences of strikes against refineries and predicted an end to the conflict without explaining what agreement or military development would produce it.
And on Europe, his remarks ranged from reassurance about Britain to openness toward examining a permanent U.S. military presence in Lithuania.
The result was a characteristically broad Trump press exchange: campaign politics, energy, war, trade and national security — often compressed into only a few sentences each.
Official and Primary Sources
The White House — President Trump Gaggles with Press Upon Departure from the White House, Oct. 5, 2026
https://www.whitehouse.gov/videos/president-trump-gaggles-with-press-upon-departure-from-the-white-house-oct-5-2026/
White House YouTube Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuYkk0TxYuM
Maricopa County Recorder — Statement on Runbeck Early Ballot Pre-Mailing
https://recorder.maricopa.gov/news/RESmailing.html
Maricopa County — 2026 Election Calendar
https://elections.maricopa.gov/voting/election-calendar.html
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