Pool Reports of January 16, 2020

In Town Pool Report #1

Greetings,I will be your print pooler today. 

The only event open to the pool is the 2 p.m. in the Oval where POTUS will observe Religious Freedom Day by participating in the Announcement of the Guidance of Constitutional Prayer in Public Schools.

Kellyanne Conway gaggled after an appearance on Fox News during the 10 o'clock hour.

Basically Kellyanne chastised the press for giving Lev Parnas a platform. 
She also said that she had not read the GAO report that said OMB violated the Impoundment Control Act when it withheld funds slated for assistance to Ukraine.
Also, the defense team could be named today and as far as she knows Davos is till one.

For exact quotes, look here.

https://www.c-span.org/video/?468235-1/kellyanne-conway-reacts-lev-parna...

Later, gater. 

In Town Pool Report #2 - lunch lid until 1:30 p.m.

[APP Note: No additional text was included in this report.]

In Town Pool Report #3

Just got this statement from Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere:

"The President and his Administration support the bipartisan efforts of Senator Lindsey Graham and Senator Dianne Feinstein to return the Secret Service to its historic home at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. This transfer will improve the Secret Service's ability to carry out its integrated, dual mission of protection and investigations. It provides Treasury with a well-established enforcement capability to better protect the nation's financial infrastructure and payment systems. The move is supported by the current and most recent Secret Service Directors as well as former Presidents of both parties, and we look forward to its introduction and eventual passage."

In Town Pool Report #4/5

This is FPPO (For Planning Purposes Only)

Announcement of the Guidance of Constitutional Prayer in Public School is expected to start at 2:30.

In Town Pool Report #6

From press office:

Today, on Religious Freedom Day, President Donald J. Trump welcomes students and religious freedom activists of many faiths to the Oval Office to discuss their experiences and to present his Administration's latest actions to protect the religious freedoms of faith communities in America.

This morning, nine agencies (DOJ, USDA, DOL, DHS, VA, USAID, HHS, DoEd, and HUD) released proposed rules to ensure religious and non-religious organizations are treated equally by the federal government, and that organizations are not discriminated against simply because they are religious in nature.

As part of the rulemaking proposed by the Department of Education, its regulations would ensure that public institutions of higher education that receive Federal research or education grants comply with the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, as a condition of those grants.

In addition, OMB has released a memo instructing grant-awarding agencies to ensure that the terms of the federal grants they award make clear that states (or other public grantees) may not condition federal grant money in sub-awards in a manner that would disadvantage grant applicants based on their religious character.

The following individuals are expected to attend:

The White House
President Donald J. Trump
Joe Grogan, Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy Council
Tim Pataki, Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Public Liaison
Jennifer Korn, Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of the Office of Public Liaison
Jennie Lichter, Deputy Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy

Trump Administration
Secretary Betsy DeVos, U.S. Department of Education
Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen, U.S. Department of Justice

External Participants
William McLeod, Student, Utah
Chase Windebank, Student, Colorado
Hannah Allen, Student, Texas
Malak Hijaz, Student, California
Emily Chaney, Student, Kentucky
Ariana Hoblin, Student, Florida
Joe Kennedy, Football Coach, Washington
Marilyn Rhames, Teachers Who Pray
Eric Buehrer, Gateways to Better Education
Dr. Addie Richburg, National Association of Faith and Justice

In Town Pool Report #7

Some things happened today, Trump said, Including USMCA and Phase One yesterday

"Government must never stand between the people and God"

"Growing totalitarian" bent on left against religion

"We call this The Right to Pray"

Hannah Allen of Texas said she and others were told not to pray in the open.

Marilyn Rhames of Teachers Who Pray told her story. "Spiritual wealth" is legal, she wAnts others to know

Sec DeVos said First Amendment exists to protect religion from government.

In Town Pool Report #8

I recommend watching this on c-Span for stories of those who has to fight for their religion, including Catholic boy from Utah, Jewish girl from Florida and a Muslim girl who was harassed.

"It is a cultural war" Trump said.

Questions

Parnas? "I don't know him" except they had quick photo

"I meet thousands of people"

Told Acosta "quiet"

"I will probably be going to Davos"

In Town Pool Report #9

Doesn't know about Rudy letter to Zelensky

"Did a phenomenal job" Fighting crime as Mayor

Perfect call

In Town Pool Report #10

"A corrupt politician made Adam Schiff"

Made up stuff

More people working than ever before

In Town Pool Report #11

We are out

In Town Pool Report #12

Correction

Trump said "a corrupt politician named Adam Schiff" who made things up.

Also said story is "a big hoax" since probably "before I came down the escalator"

On Pernas

"I don't know him. Perhaps he's a fine man, perhaps not."

He meets "thousands and thousands of people" and takes thousands of pictures.

"I don't need the help of a man I never met before"

Paula White was in the room and spoke although she was not on the list.

While Trump said (in report #8) that he probably would go to Davos, he later said that he would go to Davos and meet with world leaders.

In Town Pool Report #13

These are notes from Oval meeting at request of recipients who want more, as was my last report.

"I don't know anything about the letter" from Giuliani to Zelenskiy,

Then praised Giuliani as mayor, "the greatest crime fighter"

"it was very important to Rudy that I be a great president and that's alright with me."

"It's totally partisan."

"195 to nothing" - an apparent reference to the number of House Republicans who voted against impeachment

In Town Pool Report #14

This from Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere:

Today, President Donald J. Trump spoke with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al Said of Oman. The President expressed condolences to the Sultan and the people of Oman on the passing of Sultan Qaboos bin Sa'id Al Sa'id. President Trump congratulated the Sultan on his new role and said that he looked forward to expanding the United States-Oman partnership. The President also expressed his hope to meet the Sultan in person soon.

In Town Pool Report #15

Travel photo lid at 5:13 p.m.