Des Moines International Airport
Des Moines, Iowa

5:23 P.M. CDT
 
Q    Mr. President, what made you use the word “genocide” today?
 
Q    Mr. President, have you seen enough evidence to declare genocide in Ukraine, sir?
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Yes, I called it genocide.  It has become clearer and clearer that Putin is just trying to wipe out the idea of even being — being able to be Ukrainian. 
 
And the amount — the evidence is mounting.  It’s different than it was last week.  The — more evidence is coming out of the — literally, the horrible things that the Russians have done in Ukraine.  And we’re going to only learn more and more about the devastation.
 
And we’ll let the lawyers decide internationally whether or not it qualifies, but it sure seems that way to me. 
 
Thank you.
 
5:23 P.M. CDT