Pool Reports of August 26, 2025

In town pool report #1: gathering

Good morning from your Print Pooler. 

We are gathering for the president’s cabinet meeting.

In town pool report #2: still waiting

Pool is still waiting to enter the cabinet room.

In town pool report #3: entering cabinet room

Pool entered at 12:10 PM. 

The president started speaking at 12:11 PM. 

I’m told the event is being streamed live. It’s ongoing.

In town pool report #4: trump remarks ongoing

Service is spotty. 

With Rubio to his right and Hegseth to his left, Trump recapped the last 8 months of his administration. Bondi and Vance are sitting across from Trump. 

POTUS is wearing a navy suit with a red patterned tie. He has an American flag pin on as well.

He says domestic auto building is going to be booming in two years. Adds that factoring are pouring into the US. 

POTUS says the US is leading China in AI. He touted the First Lady's presidential AI challenge. 

The president repeatedly emphasized that prices are down. He predicted that upcoming job numbers will be positive.

Trump said Marco is "born for this job" and joked that he should never run for another office. Added that the VP is involved in everything. 

On DC crime: he shout out Iris Tao of NTD to tell her story of being robbed at gun point in Washington DC. She then told her story. 

The president is still speaking. 

My otter on the remarks: 
https://otter.ai/u/KgkgB9S84DAcH8XijDheZlzXojo

In town pool report #5: news: trump on death penalty in dc

Trump just announced that in DC, if someone kills someone, they will be seeking the death penalty. 

Cabinet meeting is on going with Secretaries now talking about their work.  

My earlier notes below: 

After Iris’ story, the president continued to talk about his DC crackdown. 

He said he is willing to go into Chicago but the governor won’t admit they have a problem. 

The president spoke for 49 minutes before kicking it to Secretary Kennedy to speak on lowering drug prices. He went around the horn to have every cabinet official recap their work. 

Kennedy addressed the physical challenge he did with Hegseth. He says Hegseth beat him but added that Turner beat Hegseth.

In town pool report #6: cabinet meeting on going

We are now in hour 2 of the cabinet meeting. The president is still going around the table asking each cabinet official to speak on what they are working on. 5 officials left. 

The room clapped after Witkoff’s remarks in which he called for the president to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. 

Otter from the second hour: 
https://otter.ai/u/t5hTsW8_y-JwM7zxoa1ra_oRviU

In town pool report #7: questions + Taylor swift

POTUS is now taking questions. 

Your pooler broke the news of Swift and Kelce engagement to POTUS. Trump says he wishes them well and says he is a great football player. 

Also quick correction on last report. We are in hour 3 of the cabinet meeting. Just completed hour two.

In town pool report #8: cabinet meeting ends -- 3 hrs 17 min

The cabinet meeting ended after three hours and 17 minutes. Per Bill Frischling at Roll Call, this is Trump's longest on-camera appearence in their database. 

I lost service in the middle of the questions, will send pool report on Q + A in a few.

in town pool report #9: lunch lid

until 4:45!!!

In town pool report #10: Q + A

The president took questions for about 30 minutes. 

On Lisa Cook, the president indicated that he was ready for a legal battle. "You always have legal fights," he said.

The president added that he has some "very good people" to replace Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, but didn't give specific names. He added that he was talking with Bessent and Lutnick on the choice.

Your pooler asked the president to clarify his policy on Chinese students in the U.S., given Rubio's past statements on revoking such visas. He stressed their importance to keeping American universities afloat. 

QUOTE: "It's very insulting to say students can't come here... I like that their students come here. I like that other country's students come here."

Trump slammed recent comments from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Zelensky: "...everybody's posturing. It's all bullshit."