Trump did not provide any timing on when Alexander is expected to be released.
The White House said on Sunday that it reached a trade deal with China as the two countries negotiated for a second day in Switzerland. China has yet to comment on Sunday's talks.
"We’re confident that the deal we struck with our Chinese partners will help us to work toward resolving that national emergency,” U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told reporters in Geneva. But Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said "substantial progress" had been made but stopped short of touting a full deal.
On Thursday, President Donald Trump announced a trade deal with the United Kingdom -- the first in what the White House said it hopes will be a flurry of agreements while the reciprocal tariff pause is in effect. With UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on speaker phone in the Oval Office, the leaders conceded that they are still working out the details of the agreement.
Trump said that he has not spoken with Chinese officials over the tariffs, despite claiming as much in the last few weeks.
A reporter asked Trump about the negotiations after Bessent testified that no such talks with China had taken place.
"They want to negotiate and we want to have a meeting, but we will have a meeting with them at the right time," the president claimed.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney pointedly told Trump that Canada is not "for sale" amid Trump's repeated suggestions that Canada become part of the United States as the "51st state."
"As you know from real estate, there are some places that are not for sale. And Canada is not for sale, it will never be for sale," Carney told Trump. "But the opportunity is in the partnership, and, and what we can build together. And we have done that in the past."
Trump was asked if Carney's comments made today's conversation more difficult, to which he said no.
"Time will tell. It's only time. But I say never say never," Trump said. "I've had many, many things that were not doable, and they ended up being doable and only doable in a very friendly way."
Trump claimed that he had some good news from Monday night.
"The Houthis have announced that they are not or they've been announced to us at least, that they don't want to fight anymore. They just don't want to fight. And, we will honor that. And we will, we will stop the bombings, and they have capitulated," Trump claimed.
"More importantly, ... we will take their word. They say they will not be blowing up ships anymore. And that's what the purpose of what we were doing," Trump added.
President Trump, in the Oval Office, teased a big announcement to come before he departs for the Middle East next week, possibly as early as Thursday or Friday.
Trump will be traveling to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar on Monday.
"I think before then, we're going to have a very, very big announcement to make, like as big as it gets. And I won't tell you on what, but it's going to and it's very positive," Trump said.
