Pool Reports of August 1, 2025

pool report 1 -- good morning

Good morning from a drizzly but refreshingly cool morning Washington DC.

There is nothing on the president’s public schedule today other than to leave for a weekend at his New Jersey golf course.

Pool will advise if that changes.

WHCA report 2 -- lunch lid

At 1144 the White House press office announced a lunch lid until 1230.

WHCA report 3 -- good wx call

Colleagues -- WH press office has advised a good weather call for the trip to Andrews, so there should be a normal Marine One departure as per the daily guidance.

report 4 — gather for departure

Pool has been called to gather at the Palm Room doors.

WHCA report 5 — Trump emerges

The president came out the Oval Office at 1630 from the side door.

He is approaching the gathered press.

WHCA report 6 — brief q and a - no real news

Trump said he fired the BLS commissioner for putting out false numbers, that Russia’s former president that had threatened the US, that Brazil President Lula is mistreating Bolsanaro.

He said he did not an understand a question about It taking him seven years to break with Jeffrey Epstein.

Some of the answers at the end were inaudible because he was at the far end of the media line.

Quotes coming ASAP. He is not chatting with what appears to be staffers and interns on the other side of the S Portico entrance.

WHCA report 7 — wheels up for golf resort

The president finished greeting WH staff and walked across the grass, climbing up the steps into Marine 1 at 1648.

At 1652 Marine One is aloft and en route to Joint Base Andrews for the flight to New Jersey.

This will be Trump’s 8th trip to Bedminster in his second term. He already played golf on 55 days in the six months he has been in office, including his just-completed trip to Scotland.

Handing off to travel pool.

Quotes from avail coming soon.

report 8 -- some quotes from first 5/8 of avail

WHY SUCH HIGH TARIFFS ON BRAZIL?
"People running Brazil did the wrong thing."

WHY DID IT TAKE SEVEN YEARS FROM THE TIME HE LEARNED OF PEOPLE BEING "STOLEN" FROM MAR-A-LAGO TO KICK OUT JEFFREY EPSTEIN?
"I don't understand your question."

WHY DID HE ORDER REDLOYMENT OF NUCLEAR SUBMARINES?
"We just have to be careful. And a threat was made and we didn't think it was appropriate, so I have to be very careful. So I do that on the basis of safety for our people. A threat was made by a former president of Russia, and we're going to protect our people."

WHY DID HE FIRE THE HEAD OF THE BLS?
"Because I think their numbers were wrong, just like I thought our numbers were wrong before the election. Days before the election, she came out with these beautiful numbers for Kamala, I guess Bide- slash-Kamala and she came out with these beautiful numbers trying to get somebody else elected. Then right after the election, I think on the 15th, November 15, she had an eight or $900,000 massive reduction since you made a mistake."
[Yes, he said "dollar.']

WHY DID HE TRANSFER GHISLAINE MAXWELL TO A MIN SECURITY PRISON?
[Ignored question; possibly didn't hear.]

ASKED ABOUT OPENING ON FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD:
"I just found out that I have a open spot on the Federal Reserve Board. I'm very happy about that."

Trump then moved further away and out of earshot of pool. Trying to get that audio now.

report 9 -- quotes from second half of available (far side of press rope line)

ASKED WHY SHOULD ANYONE TRUST HIS GOVERNMENT'S NUMBERS, GIVEN HIS FIRING?
"Why should anybody trust numbers? You go back to election, election day. Look what happened two or three days before, with the massive, wonderful job numbers, trying to get him elected or her elected, trying to get whoever the hell was running. Because you go back and they came out with numbers that were very favorable to Kamala. Okay, you're trying to get them elected. You're trying to get her elected. And then on the 15th of November or thereabouts, they had an eight or 900,000 over statement right after the election. It didn't work, because, you know who won? Jon, I won."
[Jon is Jon Karl, from ABC. No, I don't know why.]
"We're doing so well. I believe the numbers were phony, just like they were before the election. And there were other times. So you know what I did? I fired her, and you know what I did? The right thing."

ASKED IF ALL GOV OFFICIALS SHOULD FEAR FOR THEIR JOBS IF THEY HAVE NEGATIVE NEWS:
"I've always had a problem with these numbers. You know, I was thinking about it this morning, before the numbers that came out, I said, 'Who is the person that does these numbers?' And then they gave me stats about before the election, I had a similar problem. I mean, she gave out numbers that were so good for the Democrats, it was like unbelievable. And then right after the election, She corrected those numbers with, I think, almost 900,000 corrections. I think nobody had ever seen anything like it. Well, today, she did the same thing with the 253,000 whatever the number was, no, no. We need people that we can trust."

ASKED AGAIN ABOUT BOARD OF GOVERNORS OPENING:
"I've got about three very good I have a lot of good candidates. I will say everybody wants it. I've had more phone calls, but I have three people. I can do a long term thing, or I could do a temporary it's a 14 year term."

WHY IS SWITZERLAND GETTING A HIGH TARIFF RATE?
"Well, the problem with Switzerland, we have a we have a 40, we have a $40 billion deficit with Switzerland. And I spoke yesterday to Switzerland, but we have a $40 billion deficit with Switzerland. That's a big deficit."

ARE YOU BLOCKING FOREIGNERS FROM DONATING TO HIS BALLROOM FUND?
"Honestly, I never even thought of it, but it doesn't matter. I'm putting up my money, but it doesn't even matter they've wanted a ballroom at the White House, and it's been very popular. You know, when we put it out yesterday, I'm not looking for that. You know, you have very strong restrictions. And we go by the restrictions."
Also says he will release the names of the donors.

ASKED ABOUT STEVE WITKOFF'S VISIT TO MIDEAST:
"He had a great meeting with a lot of people, and the primary meeting was on food. And he also had some other conversations that I'll tell you about later, but he had a meeting on getting the people fed, and that's what we want."

ASKED ABOUT INDIA'S TARIFF:
"Well, I understand India no longer is going to be buying oil from Russia. That's what I heard. I don't know if that's right or not, but that's a good step."

ASKED ABOUT SOME REPUBLICANS WANTING A TARIFF REBATE CHECK:
"A lot of people that would like to see us do sort of a dividend to the people of our country. It's something I'd consider. I also want to – I want to pay off debt, but there's a possibility I do a dividend."

report 10 - otter links

Pool would have, in the old days, advised everyone to check quotes against the official transcript.

But there is no official transcript anymore, or at least one available to the public.

So here are the two otter links:

https://otter.ai/u/cChSfTnyTcidhTnTVVCjLK7QePQ?utm_source=copy_url

https://otter.ai/u/tdM4i7QHdnfpwJTb3NVQTmq0l8Y?utm_source=copy_url

Regards, and bon weekend.

Travel Pool Report No. 1 - JBA

Good afternoon from a cloudy and unseasonably cool Joint Base Andrews. I'll be your pooler for this weekend's trip to Bedminster.

We’re on the small Air Force One today.

Marine One landed at 5 p.m.

Trump disembarked Marine One at 5:04 p.m.

He didn't come over to the pool, ignoring a question on Gaza and boarded Air Force One at 5:05 p.m.

Spotted waiting for Trump at the top of the stairs - Chris LaCivita and Meredith O'Rourke. They boarded the plane by the time M1 landed.

Travel Pool Report No. 2 - wheels down

Air Force One took off at 5:14 p.m.

We were wheels down at the Lehigh Valley International Airport at 5:45 p.m.

(There’s construction at the closer Morristown airport, so this was the planned landing spot.)

No visitors to the back of the plane on this quick flight.

Travel Pool Report No. 3 - Marine One departs/lid

President Trump disembarked Air Force One at 5:54 p.m.

He motioned to pool and mouthed something inaudible and then turned and walked to Marine One, boarding at 5:55 p.m.

Pool spotted Walt Nauta and Margo Martin among the group traveling with POTUS this weekend.

Marine One was wheels up at 6:01 p.m.

The White House will try to inform the pool when POTUS lands at Bedminster.

We have a travel/photo lid.

Travel Pool Report No. 4 - Bedminster wheels down

The White House informs the pool that Marine One was wheels down at Bedminster at 6:23 p.m.

Have a lovely Friday night all!