Pool Reports of July 16, 2025

In-town print pool #1

Good morning from the White House,

I am your in-town print pooler for the day.

Here's President Trump's schedule for Wednesday July 16

EDT
11:00 AM THE PRESIDENT greets the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain
Stakeout Location
Open Press

11:15 AM THE PRESIDENT participates in a Bilateral Meeting with the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain
Oval Office
White House Press Pool

11:45 AM THE PRESIDENT participates in a Bilateral Lunch with the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain
Cabinet Room
Closed Press

3:00 PM THE PRESIDENT participates in a Bill Signing Ceremony
East Room
Pre-Credentialed Media

7:00 PM THE PRESIDENT participates in a Dinner with the Prime Minister of the State of Qatar
Red Room
Closed Press

In-town print pool #2

President Trump greeted Bahrain's leaders as they arrived at the White House after an over 30 minute delay from the scheduled 11:00 am arrival time.

Trump and the officials from Bahrain were surrounded by members of the U.S. armed forces holding flags. Trump waved to the crowd, gave a thumbs up and went into White House with Bahrain officials

In-town print pool #3

Pool just entered Oval Office where trump is seated next to prime minister of Bahrain

Trump says they'll talk about Iran and the U.S. bombing of Iran

In-town print pool #4

Bahrain's leader says the country is moving to $17 billion worth of investments and projects the U.S.

Secretary Rubio chimed in on the situation in Syria- called it an "unfortunate situation" and has been engaged with all sides

On Jerome Powell
Trump says he is not planning to fire Powell but when asked if he's ruling it out entirely, he said he never ruled anything out

In-town print pool #5

Trump says the U.S. is in "no rush" to make a deal with Iran

On Trump's truth social post on Jeff Epstein:

Trump called the situation with Epstein is a "hoax" and took aim at some members of his own party for continuing to ask questions about Epstein

"I call it the Epstein hoax… they are wasting their time with a guy who died three or four years ago"

Trump later pushed back on the reports he's considering firing Powell

In-town print pool #6

On trade

Trump says he plans to send over 100 countries notes of how much they are required to pay in tariffs to do business with the United States

On doj releasing Epstein documents

Trump says the DOJ should release documents related to Epstein as long as those records are "credible"

In-town print pool #7

Pool was just escorted out of Oval Office after speaking with the president and his guests for approximately 30 minutes

In-town print pool #8

The White House called a lunch lid until 1:30 pm

Next up: a bill signing in the East Room scheduled for 3:00 PM

For planning: the White House plans to stream the signing through their website/ YouTube page
Monitor this for more
https://www.whitehouse.gov/

Also for planning - a White House official confirms Trump will sign a bill that strengthens prison sentences for fentanyl traffickers. Check out this CNN report for more details.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/07/16/politics/fentanyl-trump-legislation

In-town print pool #9

Pool is gathering for the 3 pm bill signing event

In-town print pool #10

Pool has entered the east room - a host of lawmakers are here including Gov Youngkin, Sens. Thune and Grassley

White House has advised this event will be streamed live

In-town print pool #11

Families holding pictures have entered the east room.

President trump entered the room just before 3:15

Also spotted is Kristi Noem and other senior admin officials

Here's the YouTube live link for this event
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IfWtPnOmjQ0&pp=uAQw

In-town print pool #12

As I'm sure you saw live, trump signed the bill that strengthened prison sentences for fentanyl traffickers.

Pool is now holding in the east room as President Trump mingles with the crowd

Correction: your pooler thought he saw Sen. Thune. At second glance- it wasn't thune but someone who looked similar to him. Check with his office to see if he was in attendance

In-town print pool #13

Pool is back in White House

Reporters shouted questions to trump- he took two but pooler was not close enough to hear either the questions or answers

In-town print pool #14

The White House has called a lid

Goodnight!

Foreign Pool #1 Visit of Bahrain's Crown Prince to the White House

Good morning,

I will be your foreign pooler for the visit of Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain, to the White House today.

Today's visit to the White House is part of a broader diplomatic and economic engagement aimed at deepening cooperation across defense, trade, technology, and regional security.

Background on Today's White House Meeting

This marks the Crown Prince's third visit to the White House during President Trump's first and second terms.

• On November 30, 2017, his first official meeting with President Trump focused on defense and economic cooperation, with discussions involving approximately $9 billion in military agreements.
• A second visit, on September 16, 2019, included Bahrain's signing of a Patriot missile defense agreement, alongside broader talks on regional stability and trade.

Developments Earlier This Morning

At 9:30 a.m., Secretary Rubio hosted Bahraini Foreign Minister Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani at the State Department for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Nuclear Cooperation. The agreement reflects Bahrain's commitment to safe, peaceful nuclear energy development and deeper scientific collaboration with the United States.

White House Itinerary

11:00 AM – The President greets the Crown Prince (Stakeout Location | Open Press)

11:15 AM – Bilateral Meeting in the Oval Office (White House Pool)

11:45 AM – Bilateral Working Lunch in the Cabinet Room (Closed Press)

03:00 PM – President Trump participates in a Bill Signing Ceremony | East Room

Key Topics on the Agenda

1. Defense & Regional Security
• Continued U.S. arms sales and Fifth Fleet support
• Maritime security and counterterrorism operations
• Strategic coordination on multilateral defense (C-SIPA)

2. Iran & Gulf Stability
• Deterring Iranian threats in the region
• Securing maritime trade routes and infrastructure

3. Economic Cooperation
• Advancing a potential U.S.–Bahrain trade agreement
• $17.56 billion in Bahraini investment targeting U.S. tech, defense, and aviation
• Enhanced industrial ties, including with Aluminium Bahrain (Alba)

4. Connectivity & Aviation
• $4.6B Gulf Air–Boeing deal for Dreamliners and engines
• Launch of direct Gulf Air flights between BAH and JFK in October

5. Digital & Technological Transformation
• Cyber and AI collaboration (Oracle, Cisco, Beyon)
• $191M in regional connectivity infrastructure, including the "Khaleej North" cable

6. Middle East Peace
• Follow-up on Bahrain's role in the Abraham Accords
• Regional diplomatic normalization and Palestinian dialogue

Strategic Significance

This visit reinforces Bahrain's long-standing status as a Major Non-NATO Ally (since 2002) and key U.S. security partner in the Gulf. From hosting U.S. Naval Forces Central Command to playing a pivotal role in Operation Enduring Freedom and the Afghan evacuation in 2021, Bahrain continues to serve as a critical logistical and strategic hub in the region.

The breadth of this week's agreements signals an enduring commitment to joint prosperity, peace, and regional resilience.

On Tuesday, July 15, Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa met with U.S. Trade Representative Jameson Greer as part of his official visit to the United States.

During the meeting, He reaffirmed the depth and strategic importance of the Bahrain–U.S. partnership, which spans more than 130 years. He emphasized that strategic cooperation and enduring bilateral ties form a solid foundation for continued advancement in areas of mutual interest.

Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa underscored the importance of expanding joint collaboration, particularly in trade, investment, and economic development, to foster greater integration and prosperity. He also highlighted the value of capitalizing on existing bilateral agreements to unlock further opportunities for both nations.

The meeting also included discussions on recent developments in the global economy and other topics of mutual concern.

Foreign Pool Report #2 Arrival of the Crown Prince of Bahrain.

Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain arrived at 11: 38 am, honor guards representing different branches of the military lined up both side of his motorcade. President Trump greeted him, he waved to the press.

Here is a list of the Bahraini delegation at the White House.

Principal: His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

1. His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman Alkhalifa. Minister of the Prime Minister's Court
2. His Excellency Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashed AlZayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs
3. His Excellency Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Alkhalifa, Minister of Finance and National Economy
4. His Excellency Mr. Yusuf bin Abdulhussain Khalaf, Minister of Legal Affairs
5. His Excellency Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce
6. His Excellency Shaikh Abdulla bin Rashed AlKhalifa, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to United States
7. His Excellency Mr. Hamad Yaqoub Al Mahmeed, General Director of Prime Minister's Office

Oval office spray is to follow.

Foreign Pool Report #3 Oval Spay - Crown Prince of Bahrain

Pool entered the oval office at 11:49 am, the two leaders were already seated.

Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa spoke in English, there were no translators.

He said: "It is indeed a great honor to be here on this fine morning, to put into action the relationship that exists between our two countries. We will be discussing security issues. We'll be discussing trade and investment, which is very important. We're very happy to be announcing $17 billion worth of deals that are coming to the United States. And this is real. It's real money. These aren't fake deals. Thank you, Mr. President, You honor us."

Highlights of what the Crown Prince said.

On US tech:

American technology is the best.

On Ukraine:

Asked about the Patriot missiles that Bahrain is going to receive from the United States; if they are going to be used to help Ukraine? Crown prince said: "We have no current plans, as we have an operational requirement inside Bahrain to keep them there for the present time."

On Iran, Your pooler asked him about the stability of the region and if talks with Iran is a necessity now.

"I definitely believe that the volatility of the situation has been reduced, and We didn't know where it was going to go on the Sunday, we were very glad when we found out on the Monday. Let me put it that way. And should the Iranians want to negotiate? I believe the ball is in their court. That is the true reality of where we stand today. They are the ones that stand to benefit from a negotiation."

I tried to ask about the progress of a Gaza deal, he didn't respond.

Pool was ushered out after 30 minutes.