In his first news conference since winning the presidency, President-elect Donald Trump addressed pressing global issues on Monday, signaling his administration’s tough stance on international crises while offering glimpses of his foreign policy priorities. Trump fielded questions from reporters on topics ranging from ongoing efforts to secure the release of hostages in Gaza to the potential for preemptive military action against Iran. Regarding his recent discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Trump stressed his commitment to resolving the hostage crisis. “I’ll be very available on January 20,” he said, referring to the day he will assume the presidency. He issued a stark warning to those holding hostages, declaring, “I gave warning that if these hostages aren’t back home by that date, all hell’s going to break out.” When asked what he means by a previous comment he made saying there “will be hell to pay” if hostages aren’t released by the time he’s back in office, Trump said: “Well, they’re gonna have to determine what that means. But, it means it won’t be pleasant. It’s not gonna be pleasant.” The President-elect expressed optimism about progress on the issue, stating, “There is a light shining over the world. We are trying to help very strongly in getting the hostages back.” When questioned about the possibility of preemptive strikes against Iran, Trump dismissed the inquiry as speculative. “Is that a serious question? How could I answer a question like that?” he retorted. “You don’t talk about that before something may or may not happen.” Asked about the recent murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, Trump blasted those who are praising his killer: “That was a terrible thing, it was cold-blooded. And how people can like this guy – that’s a sickness, actually.” Trump on the drones seen over New Jersey: “The government knows what is happening. Look, our military knows where they took off from. If it’s a garage they can go right into that garage. They know where it came from and where it went. For some reason they don’t want to comment.” (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)