Pool Reports of December 29, 2025

Travel pool report #1- holding at MAL

Good morning! It's another sunny day in Palm Beach.

The pool has been swept and is holding outside of Mar-a-Lago.

Here is the timing for today--

1:00 PM THE PRESIDENT participates in a Bilateral Meeting with the Prime Minister of Israel
Palm Beach, Florida
Out-of-Town Travel Pool

Travel pool report #2- arrival

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's car just pulled into the driveway at Mar-a-Lago.

More TK

Travel pool report #3- more arrival

President Trump came out of the doors at Mar-a-Lago at 1:25pm. Netanyahu's car then pulled up and he exited at 1:26pm, walked up to Trump.

"Hi Bibi," Trump said and they shook hands.

"Does anybody recognize this man? Not too many people. The they've been very fair actually, for the last three days," Trump said.

He was asked how quickly he would like to love to phase two of Gaza ceasefire.

"There would have to be a disarming or a Hamas," he said. "Otherwise very quickly."

He was asked about the explosion in Venezuela-

"They load the boats up with drugs so we hit all the boats... and that is no longer around."

"I don't know about it actually," he said about the alleged strike on Putin's residence.

"I had a very good talk this morning," he said about his talk with Putin. "We had a very good talk, we spoke at 8 o'clock in the morning our time."

Do you expect Turkish forces to be stationed in Gaza-

"If it's good, I think that's good."

Trump said Netanyahu is a "wartime prime minister"

On if Iran resumes its missiles development program-

"Now I hear that Iran is trying to build up again... We'll knock the hell out of them, but hopefully that's not happening"

Do you support an Israel attack on Iran?

"If they continue with their missiles, yes. With their nuclear, fast."

Can you guarantee last hostages released before continuing second phase?

"None were released in the Biden administration, none. They were all released because of us... we have one wonderful young man whose parents are right now inside"

"They're waiting for their son. He's the only one left and we're doing everything we can to get his body back."

Said reconstruction of Gaza can begin "soon," and didn't answer when asked if Hamas needs to disarm.
On his relationship with Netanyahu, said "I don't think it can be better"

"I think he will, how do you not? He's a wartime prime minister who's a hero... I spoke to the president, he told me it's on the way," Trump said about a pardon for Netanyahu.

Trump said he spoke to Maduro "pretty recently"

On the alleged strikes on Putin's residence-

"I don't like it, it's not good. I heard about it this morning.

"You know who told me about it? President Putin told me about it"

When asked if the US intelligence picked up the strike, Trump said: "Maybe the attack didn't take place, that's possible."

"I hope he's going to get along with Syria," Trump said on Netanyahu.

"We're going to be talking about Syria too"

"We'll see you in a couple hours"

He repeated again that the press corps can have lunch at MAL and asked Margo Martin to work on lunch again. A reporter said that the press corps pays for the lunch we receive.

Gaggle ended at 1:42pm.

Travel pool report #4- meeting room

The pool was brought into the meeting room at 1:50pm. Same dining room as the meeting with President Zelensky.

The president had eight officials, four on each side of him. He sat across from PM Netanyahu and they were speaking quietly to one another across the table.

"How about India and Pakistan?... and then I'll tell you the rest of them," Trump said before turning to the media.

"You all going to be outside in the beautiful sun?" He said to the press.

Trump added, "we made a lot of progress already. we had about a five minute meeting and we've already settled on three of the difficulties."

Pool left two minutes later. We are now holding.

At the table with Trump:

Sec Marco Rubio, Sec Pete Hegseth, chief of staff Susie Wiles, deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino, chairman of the joint chiefs general Dan Caine, Jared Kushner, Stephen Miller, Steve Witkoff.

Travel pool report #5- Trump visit to patio

President Trump visited the media out on the Mar-a-Lago patio briefly.

"They're waiting for their son to come home. From Israel. Their son is a very brave soldier and that's the only body..." Trump said, the rest of which was inaudible. He pointed to an area of the patio where there is the family of Ran Gvili.

His mother said they are going to bring her son home.

"Is everything fine, everything good?" Trump asked.

"Is the press all taken care of?"

He then went back inside.

Also correction to typos from pool report #3-

During arrival, Trump was asked how quickly he would like to move to phase two of the Gaza ceasefire.

"There has to be a disarming of Hamas," he said. "Otherwise very quickly."

Travel pool report #6- holding / lunch

Pool is still holding at Mar-a-Lago. We do not have a timing update but the Trump-Netanyahu meeting is ongoing.

Pool had lunch again at small tables on the club patio. We were served hamburgers, salad, fries, cookies and the water bottles again.

Note: lunch served to the travel pool is paid for by the press corps.

Travel pool report #7- 2 mins

We have a 2 min warning to a press conference.

Two podiums, with two American flags and two Israeli flags behind them, are set up in the Mar-a-Lago tea room.

You can watch live here- https://www.youtube.com/live/CJq1ijIQu1w?si=dGEI2CVpZLQUIAmM

Travel pool report #8- press conference starts

President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu entered the room at 3:49pm.

"We had a big meeting with a lot of people.... and I think we came to a lot of conclusions," Trump said. "There's very little difference in what we're looking at and where we want to be, where we want to go."

Trump thanked Netanyahu and they shook hands.

Press conference is ongoing.

Travel pool report #9- press conference ends

From inside the room--

Netanyahu said Trump will get an Israeli prize "for his tremendous contributions to Israel and the Jewish people." The prime minister invited Trump to join him on Israelis Independence Day.

The prime minister mostly looked on as the president answered questions. He smiled slightly when Trump said "where there's smoke, there's fire" when asked about evidence of Iran's capabilities.

As the president discussed Iran, at one point, Netanyahu turned to fully face him. He nodded when Trump said the Abraham Accords will be expanded.

Netanyahu briefly laughed when Trump turned to him while talking about the renovation at the Federal Reserve.

The president and prime minister shook hands to end the press conference and Trump quickly answered a question that he expects an announcement in "January sometime" for a new Fed chair.

He was also asked on his way out of the room if he would send F-35s to Turkey and responded, "we're thinking about it very seriously."

Press conference ended at 4:17pm. Pool was ushered out.

Travel pool report #10- lid

We have a travel/photo lid.

Enjoy the rest of your afternoon!