Pool Reports of May 8, 2025

In-town Pool Report 1: Gathering

Good morning from the White House — I'll be your print pooler today.

After a bit of a delay, the pool is now gathering for the president's trade announcement, which he Truth'd earlier this morning is an agreement with the U.K. It should be available on your usual livestreams.

The full schedule for today is below:

10:00 AM THE PRESIDENT makes a Trade Announcement
Oval Office
White House Press Pool

12:00 PM THE PRESIDENT and FIRST LADY participate in a Celebration of Military Mothers
East Room
Pre-Credentialed Media

In-town pool report 2: Entering oval

The pool entered the Oval at 10:48 am. POTUS is seated behind the resolute desk, and he has UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer patched through on the phone

In-town pool report 3: Announcement begins

POTUS, reading from prepared remarks, called the agreement a "breakthrough trade deal" with the UK.

He noted the timing as, "today is a victory day for World War II. We won the war together"

POTUS repeatedly referred to the relationship with the UK calling the country one of the US' "closest and most cherished allies, and we're so happy that that's the way it worked out."

POTUS thanked Starmer and his team: "This is now turning out to be really a great deal for both countries"

"The actual deal is a very conclusive one, we think just about everything's been approved."

POTUS gave a brief high level rundown of the deal, saying it will open up access to American imports in agriculture in particular, and fast track American good through the customs process. Also said the deal will "bring the UK into the economic security alignment with the US"

VP Vance, Commerce Secretary Lutnick, and Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins were among those standing around POTUS, who has since handed off to Starmer for remarks. More TK

In-town pool report 4: Remarks ongoing

Starmer, on speaker phone, gave brief remarks, praising the agreement as one that "is going to boost trade between and across our countries"

He also acknowledged the timing, saying it "couldn't be more apt."

POTUS then had Commerce Sec. Lutnick give an overview of the deal's details:

"We've opened up new market access: ethanol, beef, machinery, all the agricultural products"

Confirmed the 10% tariff on the UK remains on

Deal includes provisions focused on automobiles (allows the UK to send 100,000 cars to the US and only pay a 10% tariff), steel, airplanes

"We feel really good about the deal"

"This is a perfect example of why Donald Trump produced Liberation Day

USTR Jamieson Greer is also among those standing behind POTUS, and gave brief remarks praising POTUS and the agreement.

As always, please check quotes against the video. Remarks ongoing

In-town pool report 5: Q&A

POTUS now taking questions.

On why the UK first, and whether the extent of the deal is being overstated

"It opens up a tremendous market for us and it works out very well"

"We've been trying for years and they've been trying for years to make a deal, including when I was in the first term"

"This is a very conclusive deal, we think we can grow it from there, but this is a maxed out deal, not like you said, you said it really incorrectly. This is a maxed out deal that we're going to make bigger."

How close to more deals

"Very close. We have numerous deals"

Says China "very much wants to make a deal. We'll see how that works out"

On the rest of Europe

"We intend to make a deal with Europe, we have found that the European Union treated us very unfairly"

"We'll be dealing with them and we are dealing with them currently"

Adds of the Uk deal came together because "one of the reasons it did is because we blew up the whole system"

Reiterates that he intends to put tariffs of some sort on the "moviemakers"

On lowering the tariffs on China if talks go well

"We'll see"

"I think we're going to have a very good relationship"

Q&A ongoing

In-town pool report 6: More tariffs, Powell, surgeon general, Ed Martin nomination

More on China
Said he may speak with Xi after the initial talks
"We are using tariffs now for our benefit"
Said he believes the upcoming talks will be "substantive" negotiations
"China wants to do something, and look, they have to at this point"

On US port volume slowdown
"That's good"
"That means we lose less money"
"When you say it slowed down that's a good thing not a bad thing"

Said the 10% tariff on the UK is not a template for other nations
"The template of 10 is probably the lowest, and therefore they made that deal"

On meeting with Ursula von der Leyen
"She's so fantastic, I hope we're going to meet"

On whether he'll meet with Fed chair Powell about interest rates
"It's like talking with a wall"
"He's always too late but in this case it's not going to matter that much because our country is so strong"

On pick for surgeon general
Said she was picked because RFK Jr. "thought she was fantastic"
"I don't know her, I listened to the recommendation of Bobby"

On Ed Martin
Said he has a backup plan and indicates he is pulling Martin's nomination
"We have somebody else that will be great"
Indicates he'll try to place Martin somewhere else, potentially within DOJ
"We have somebody else who we'll be announcing"

In-town pool report 7: End Q&A and gathering for next event

Message to Wall Street
"They said this is all a pipe dream, and this was a tough one"
"It's very conclusive and it's a great deal"
"This is just the beginning"

Air traffic control and potential new system
Says he's going to be talking to the heads of the airlines
Says Buttigieg "didn't have a clue"
"He didn't know what he was doing"
"We are now in the market to buy a gorgeous brand new system"
"We have a system that's obsolete"

Pool exited the Oval at 11:53am, now gathering for the military mothers event.

In-town pool report 8: POTUS enters Military mothers event

POTUS entered the East Room with FLOTUS at 12:13pm.

He began remarks shortly after, beginning with a celebration of the Uk tariff agreement. The event is being live-streamed.

Among those spotted in attendance: Usha Vance, Pam Bondi, Karoline Leavitt, Sen. Joni Ernst

In-town pool report 9: Event ends, reax to new Pope

POTUS wished everyone a happy Mother's Day, specifically thanking FLOTUS for being "one of the best moms I've ever seen. Sometimes she's almost too good. She's so good with Barron."

Jokes that Karoline Leavitt has become "a big star. Don't ever leave us."

Delivered a tribute to mothers of military members: "You make the sacrifices in your family so that all of our families can be safe and be free."

Touted enlistment numbers, said before the election "nobody wanted to sign up. They weren't proud of our country." Said that's since changed.

FLOTUS also gave remarks on motherhood, which she called a "life changing event that makes women invincible."

Urged military mothers to "prioritize your wellbeing" and "nurture yourself"

"Your journey matters. Embrace it."

FLOTUS ended her remarks at 12:26.

POTUS and FLOTUS exited shortly afterward, but not before POTUS answered a shouted question about the election of a new Pope:

"I saw the smoke but I haven't seen the pope."

In-town pool report 10: Military moms attendees

Per the WH:
Mrs. Melania Trump, First Lady of the United States
Mrs. Usha Vance, Second Lady of the United States
Mr. JD Vance-Vice President of the United States
Attorney General Pamela Bondi, Department of Justice
Ms. Jennifer Hegseth, Spouse of the Secretary of Defense
Mrs. Hayley Harrison, Assistant to The President and Chief of Staff to the First Lady
Ms. Karoline Leavitt, Assistant to the President and Press Secretary
Claudia Tenney U.S Rep. NY 22nd district
Representative Anna Luna, Florida
Senator Jodi Ernst-Iowa
Representative Mariannette Miller Meeks, Iowa

In-town pool report 11: Lunch lid

We have a lunch lid until 2

In-town pool report 12: Trump gaggling

Outside the Oval entrance, more TK

In-town pool report 13: Trump gaggle on new Pope, trade, Ed Martin

POTUS gaggled unexpectedly for roughly five minutes outside the entrance to the West Wing. Most of the questions and his answers were hard to hear, so please check the tape.

On the election of an American Pope:
"That's a great honor, that's a great honor"
"I was watching it and they said, he's from America. I said, that's great."

POTUS briefly spoke on trade, saying there would be more deal signings in the Oval Office.

On pulling the nomination of Ed Martin: "We'll have somebody great."
Of Martin, said "I really thought he was terrific"

In-town pool report 13a: Tiger Woods

Prior to gaggling, POTUS indicated that he had just met with the golfer Tiger Woods: "We just left Tiger, you saw Tiger," he said, gesturing toward West Exec. (Big thanks to the AP for the help on quotes and the chain of events)

In-town pool report 14: Navarro gaggle on digital tax, EU retaliatory tariffs

Trade adviser Peter Navarro gaggled in the driveway for roughly 10 minutes about the agreement with the U.K.

On the UK digital services tax, Navarro said it's "still in negotiations."
"That's a very big deal to President Trump"

Navarro also addressed the EU's blueprint for retaliatory tariffs:
"Any country which retaliates against the United States, which is simply trying to get fairness, is making a grave mistake"
"For them to publish stuff like that, I don't think it's in the interest or the spirit of negotiations that are going to be as affective as they otherwise would"