President Donald Trump hosted 16-year-old California State Parks lifeguard Ryder Williams and the 10-year-old boy he rescued in the Oval Office on Monday, August 17, 2026. The event honored Williams for a July 25 rescue at Seabright State Beach in Santa Cruz, where he pulled Nathaniel Rai from heavy surf in a moment captured on video that drew national attention. Family members of both boys and California State Parks officials also attended.
Trump praised Williams as a “real hero” and an inspiration for young Americans. He described watching the rescue footage repeatedly and said of Williams, “What you did was incredible and everybody saw it.” Trump told Rai that Williams showed tremendous grace and remarked that he did not know if he himself would have done the same, adding that the beachgoers were fortunate Williams was on duty. He also spoke with Williams’ parents and commented on “good genetics.” Williams, when asked for a message to his generation, said he hoped young people would “try to help more people, try to look out for everybody around you, and just try to help everybody out as much as you can.” Trump discussed conditions on the California coast with senior lifeguards present and initially steered questions back to the rescue theme, calling it exciting.
The president then opened the floor to broader questions from reporters. Topics included the administration’s decision to scale back joint military exercises with South Korea. Trump defended the move, saying it made the situation safer and highlighting his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. He stated that Kim had treated him with great respect, that they understood each other, and that the exercises sent an inappropriate signal.
CNN White House correspondent Kristen Holmes followed up, asking whether Kim had requested the scale-back. Trump interrupted, telling her, “Quiet. Quiet. Quiet. You’re very disrespectful in front of this young man,” and turning toward Williams and Rai. He asked Williams if he found her disrespectful, then asked Holmes who she was with. When she replied that she was with CNN, Trump said, “Fake news.” As she continued trying to ask about talks with Kim Jong Un, he called her “a loud, boisterous person,” repeated “You’re fake news,” and said, “Be quiet. Be quiet. Be quiet. You’re a fake reporter and you report fake news.” The exchange lasted roughly 20 seconds.
A separate question addressed reports of conditions, including food supplies, aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has been deployed for an extended period. Trump dismissed those reports as “a CNN fake report,” saying the ship had been at sea for a good period of time but that vessels had stayed out longer in the past. He referenced a conversation with a retired admiral who said the ship was well maintained and that people aboard confirmed it was well taken care of.
Additional questions covered foreign policy matters including Iran and Oman, as well as the White House ballroom project. The White House later criticized Holmes in a social media post. CNN defended her work, stating she asked a relevant question on behalf of the public and that personal attacks on journalists for doing their jobs were inconsistent with principles of a free press.
