Pool Reports of May 9, 2025

In-Town Pool Note #1: Lunch Lid Until Noon

White House called a lunch lid until noon.

In-Town Pool Note #2: Five Minute Warning for Briefing

White House gives five-minute warning for press briefing.

In-Town Pool Note #3: Stephen Miller Gaggle

White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller gaggled at the sticks. A link to the Otter is below. As always, check the quotes against the transcript. Link: https://otter.ai/u/q9sW5EuET_Ylb68Jcn-CAbZMXNQ?utm_source=copy_url

Asked about becoming the national security advisor, Miller replied, "I am very thrilled with the job that I currently have. My focus right now is, I'm supporting Secretary Rubio Marco," who he called a "close friend" and "truly one of the all stars in this government."

Asked about suspending the writ of habeas corpus as part of deportation efforts, Miller said the administration was exploring the idea:

"The Constitution is clear, and that of course, is the supreme law of the land, that the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus could be suspended in time of invasion. So that's an option we're actively looking at. A lot of it depends on whether the courts do the right thing or not."

Asked about Border Czar Tom Homan's prior comments concerning Eric Adams' compliance with ICE operations, Miller replied:

"All I would say to that is, this administration is going to pursue immigration enforcement and cooperation in every city, and anyone who doesn't comply with the laws…will face the appropriate legal consequences. That applies to Eric Adams, and that applies to every other mayor in this country. The law is the law is the law."

Miller touched on South Africa, saying that "what's happening in South Africa fits the textbook definition of why the refugee program was created. This is persecution based on a protected characteristic, in this case, race. This is race based persecution."

"The US Refugee Program has been a catastrophic failure," he said of past administrations' application of the program. Trump's changes, he continued, are "an example of the president returning the refugee program to what it was intended to do."

In-Town Pool Note #4: Oval Begins

Pool entered Oval just now. Otter is below to follow along. POTUS signing bills now.

https://otter.ai/u/quLMZA-K8QlpJ0vux89x7q6AE00

In-Town Pool Note #5: Oval Exit

The president took a handful of questions. Quotes to follow. The event was live streamed on White House socials.

Pool will inquire about members of Congress who were participants.

Some color:
There was a statue of Trump at Butler to his left. A bust of Lincoln to his right as well as a copy of the Art of the Deal.

Behind him, there is a poster for the Gulf of America in the background as well as a poster advertising the Gold Dome for America.

In-Town Pool Note #6: Oval Quotes

The president answered questions about tariffs, SALT, raising tax rates on the wealthy, and New York Mayor Eric Adams. Check quotes against transcript (you know the drill).

Asked about a baseline 10% tariff, POTUS told your pooler:

"You are going to always have a baseline. I mean, there could be an exception, at some point, we'll see somebody does something exceptional for us. It's always possible. But basically, you have a baseline of a minimum of 10%, and some of them will be much higher--40% 50% 60%--as they've been doing to us over the years.

"We had a wonderful deal yesterday. We have four or five other deals coming immediately. We have many deals coming down the line, and ultimately we're just signing the rest of them in."

"But we always have a baseline of 10 years," Trump concluded.

Asked about the possibility of raising tax rates on the wealthy, Trump told your pooler, "I would love to do it frankly."

"You're giving up something up-top in order to make people in the middle income, and the lower income brackets, save more. So it's really a redistribution, and I'm willing to do it if they want," he said, seeming to motion to the members of Congress present.

"I would love to be able to give people in a lower bracket a big break by giving up some of what I have," he said of himself and other wealthy taxpayers.

He noted, however, that some are cautioning against raising rates because of political liability, citing specifically President George H.W. Bush's ‘Read My Lips' vow.

"But I don't think they're going to be doing it," he continued. "But I actually think it's good politics to do it, where richer people give up--and it's a very small, it's like a point-- but they give it up to benefit people that are lower income."

Asked about SALT deductions, POTUS told your pooler, that "it is a very complex issue" but that it was "being worked out" on Capitol Hill. He predicted that "they'll settle it up pretty quick."

As the pool was being ushered out of the Oval Office, POTUS said of NYC Mayor Eric Adams, "he just came in to say hello." When asked what they discussed, Trump replied, "almost nothing." The mayor came to visit, he said, "I think he came in to thank me frankly...that would be, I would say, the primary reason."

In-Town Pool Note #7: Oval Office Participants

White House passes along the following lists of members of Congress who were in the Oval Office:

Senator Jon Husted (R-OH)
Senator Ashley Moody (R-FL)
Representative Gary Palmer (R-AL-06)
Representative Stephanie Bice (R-OK-05)
Representative Craig Goldman (R-TX-12)
Representative Brian Jack (R-GA-03)

In-Town Pool Note #8: Lid

The White House called a lid at 6:00PM.

Happy Friday.