Pool Reports of November 14, 2025

in-town pool report #1 - lunch lid

Good morning. The White House has called a lunch lid until 12:30 p.m.

There have been no changes to President Trump's schedule. If that changes, your pooler will let you know. He is slated to depart the White House at 6 p.m. More TK.

in-town pool report #2 - Homan link + Marine outside

White House border czar Tom Homan gaggled with reporters around 12:20 p.m. on the north driveway for just over 7 minutes following a television hit. He declined to comment on whether options for land strikes in Venezuela had been presented to POTUS, as well as whether ICE agents would soon be operating in Charlotte, NC.

Homan, describing himself as a lifelong Catholic, criticized the church's stance on the Trump administration's mass deportation program. There was an idling box truck about 15 feet behind Homan during the gaggle, using its hydraulic rear lift, rendering your pooler's Ottr audio and transcript files unusable. Our friends at C-SPAN, however, captured the gaggle. A link is below.

On a POTUS-related matter: No U.S. Marine had been spotted outside the West Wing since your pooler arrived at 8:57 a.m. Asked by your pooler what President Trump has been doing today, a White House official replied at 12:20 p.m.: "The President has a packed day full of private meetings and has been active as you have seen via Truth Social."

As of 12:45 p.m., a Marine was posted outside the West Wing on a cool day in Washington that has become overcast.

Homan gaggle: https://www.c-span.org/program/white-house-event/border-czar-tom-homan-speaks-to-reporters/669116

More TK.

in-town pool report #3 - Rose Garden music

Music was playing loudly from the sound system President Trump installed on the Rose Garden side of the West Wing. From the press area and Lower Press office, your pooler could hear tunes from "Phantom of the Opera" and other songs. Colleagues reported hearing "It's A Man's Man's Man's World" by James Brown and other hits. In the far distance, construction noise mixed in from the President's White House ballroom project, creating a unique symphony on an otherwise still autumn afternoon. The Press Office had nothing to share about the reasons for the impromptu concert.

More TK.

in-town pool report #4 - POTUS calls/engagement

A White House official shared the below about what President Trump has been doing today:

"President Trump held calls with Thailand and Cambodia in an effort to mediate the most recent conflict. He engaged with Malaysia as well to help end the violence."

More TK.

In-town pool report #5 - gathered

Pool has gathered at the briefing room doors for President Trump's departure. More TK.

In-town pool report #6 - no questions/departure

President Trump emerged from the Oval Office at 6:01 p.m. as the theme of WWE legend The Undertaker played on the Rose Garden sound system. He boarded Marine One at 6:03 pm and it was wheels up at 6:06 pm.

He did not take questions as poolers and others shouted about Venezuela, regime change there, Epstein and other topics. Nikki Schwab asked if he would sign the House Epstein resolution. He did stop and pump his first toward the assembled media. A sizable group followed behind POTUS.

As the pool and other media assembled on the South Lawn, the Rose Garden music started again. "Jolene" and "Monday, Monday" led off. "God Bless the USA" blared as the decoy helicopter zoomed over the South Lawn and ballroom construction site. The executive chopper landed at 5:44 pm, drowning out Lee Greenwood. Other tunes played as the helicopter idled, but your pooler could not quite make them out over the powerful engines.

Handing off to the out of town pool.

Out of town pool #1 — JBA arrival

Good evening from a chilly runway --

Marine One was wheels down at JBA at 6:15PM. POTUS disembarked at 6:18 PM and stepped onto Air Force One at 6:19 PM.

He did not answer shouted questions but waved and pumped his fist at the press.

White House passed along a list of travelers joining POTUS on AF1 today:
Viktor Knavs
Michael Boulos
Robert Gabriel
Karoline Leavitt
Ambassador Sergio Gor
Walt Nauta
Margo Martin

Out of town pool #2 — Wheels up

Air Force One is wheels up at 6:28 PM.

Out of town pool #3 — Wheels Down/AF1 Gaggle

AF1 was wheels down at 8:13 PM.

POTUS came back at 6:57PM for a wide-ranging gaggle with press that ended at 7:23PM.

He talked about a range of topics including Jeffrey Epstein, tariffs, trade, Venezuela, nuclear testing and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Below are some quotes and partial quotes.

On Thailand and Cambodia:

POTUS confirmed he spoke with leaders of both countries and said: "Just today I stopped a war with the use of tariffs … the threat of tariffs."

"They're doing great. They were not doing great and then… I spoke to the prime ministers of both countries and they're doing great. I think they're gonna be fine."

On Jeffrey Epstein:

"Jeffrey Epstein and I had a very bad relationship for many years… So he dictated a couple of memos to himself? Give me a break. You've got to find out what did he know with respect to Bill Clinton, with respect to the head of Harvard."

"I was never on his [Epstein's] island. Bill Clinton went there supposedly 28 times."

When asked later about a potential pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell, he said: "Haven't thought about it … I don't rule it in or out."

He declined to give a timeline on release of more Epstein files.

Said if Democrats 'had anything' in the files 'they would have used it before the election.'

On next steps in Venezuela:

"I sort of made up my mind."

"I can't tell you what it is, but we made a lot of progress with Venezuela in terms of stopping drugs from pouring in."

On if he will make more tariff changes:

"I don't think it'll be necessary. We just did a little bit of a rollback on some foods like coffee, as an example."

On $2,000 tariff rebate checks:

POTUS said the checks will not be distributed before Christmas and said they will be coming next year.

On BBC:

"We'll sue them for anywhere between $1 billion and $5 billion, probably sometime next week. Well I think I have to do it. They even admitted that they cheated… they changed the words coming out of my mouth. That's worse than what CBS did with Kamala."

On Marjorie Taylor Greene:

"I mean, she has very different thinking than I have. Something happened to her over the last period of a month or two where she changed, I think, politically. I think that her constituents aren't going to be happy. Already I have people calling me, they want to challenge her to a race in her district in Georgia."

POTUS said the MAGA movement 'lost a wonderful conservative reputation' and said he was open to endorsing someone in a primary bid against the congresswoman in Georgia.

On nuclear testing:

Trump insists he wants 'denuclearization… with the top 3' US, China and Russia.

Asked whether he'd erupt a warhead, POTUS said: "I don't want to tell you about that."

On his MRI:

Said his physician told him he had the 'best results he's ever seen as a doctor' and said it was just 'part of my standard yearly… physical.'

"I have no idea what they analyzed."

On campaigning in midterms:

"Oh yeah, I'll be helping people. I'll be on the road helping people. Sorry but the midterms are very important."

He again endorsed eliminating the filibuster.

Please check all quotes against recording.

Out of town pool #4 — PBI Arrival

Trump disembarked AF1 at 8:25 PM -- this time without his black coat.

He did not stop to speak with press but waved before he walked straight to The Beast waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs.

Out of town pool #5 — Rolling

Motorcade began rolling at 8:27PM.

Out of town pool #6 — drop off/lid

Motorcade arrived at Mar-a-Lago at 8:37 PM.

Some bystanders waved and took pictures as POTUS was rolling. Others along the road held up 'MAGA' and 'TRUMP' flags and played music from Trump's rally playlist.

White House called a lid at 8:38PM.