Pool Reports of October 15, 2025

In-town pool report #1: lunch lid until 12:40p

Good morning from the White House. We have a lunch lid until 12:40pm.

No updates to the schedule so far, which is below:

3:00 PM THE PRESIDENT participates in a Press Conference with the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Oval Office
White House Press Pool

7:30 PM THE PRESIDENT hosts a Ballroom Dinner
East Room
White House Press Pool

In-town pool report #2: delay

The pool hasn’t yet been called to gather for the press conference, which had been scheduled for 3pm. More TK.

In-town pool report #3: gathering

Pool has now been called to gather for President Trump’s press conference with FBI Director Kash Patel in the Oval Office. It should be livestreamed.

In-town pool report #4: Oval underway

Pool entered the Oval Office at 3:40pm. Spray should be livestreamed.

More TK.

In-town pool report #5: Trump comments on National Guard

POTUS was joined by FBI Director Kash Patel, AG Pam Bondi, and deputy AG Todd Blanche.

His opening remarks largely focused on crime in American cities. He said the "surge" is coming into Chicago.

On deploying the National Guard in American cities: "This is an amazing thing, and we're just at the start. We're going to go into other cities that we're not talking about purposely. We're getting ready to go in."

"Five months ago, they went into Chicago…and we brought them the numbers down a little bit but that really was just preparatory work for what we're going to do with the surge. We're going to have a surge of strong, good people, patriots, and they get to go in, they straighten it all out."

"I think you'll probably start with Memphis, because I'm hearing the numbers are much quicker than we even thought possible."

On Chicago, he added: "The people of Chicago are walking around with MAGA hats. You have women, beautiful Black women, walking around with MAGA hats. 'Please let the president in and we don't care how he does it ... bring in the Marines.'"

Please check all quotes against the transcript.

More TK.

In-town pool report #6: Trump says he's looking at land strikes on Venezuela

Trump was asked if he is considering land strikes on Venezuela. He said "We are certainly looking at land now because we've got the sea under control."

Later, he says: "A lot of the Venezuela drugs come in through the sea. So you get to see that, but we're going to stop them by land also."

In-town pool report #7: press conference ends

The pool was ushered out of the Oval Office at 4:42pm. Fuller quotes TK.

In-town pool report #8: quotes from press conference

Here are more quotes from President Trump's press conference, which was livestreamed. Standing with the President by a podium were FBI Director Kash Patel, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. Also in the Oval Office: Stephen Miller, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and his wife Callista (who was recently confirmed as U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein), U.S. Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, and others.

On Venezuela: Trump said that his administration is considering strikes on land amid his crackdown on drug cartels. "Well, I don't want to tell you exactly, but we are certainly looking at land now because we've got the sea very well under control."

Asked about why he doesn't use the Coast Guard to stop drug boats, Trump said: "Because we've been doing that for thirty years and it's been totally ineffective. They have faster boats. Some of these boats, seriously, they're world class speed boats, but they're not faster than missiles. But we've been trying to do that for years."

Trump: "And so much of the drugs— 25, 30 percent would come in through the seas. Right now would have, I would say, none coming in through the seas. In fact, I don't know about the fishing industry, if you want to go fishing, but a lot of people aren't deciding to go even go fishing. We've almost totally stopped it by sea. Now we'll stop it by land."

Asked why he authorized the CIA to go into Venezuela, Trump said in part: "They have emptied their prisons into the US. Prisoners from mental institutions, insane asylums ..."

On his meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky on Friday: "I'll be talking about the war with him... They want to go offensive. I'll make a determination on that."

On China, asked if we're in for a sustained trade war if he doesn't reach a deal with President Xi at their meeting in a few weeks, Trump says: "Well, you're in one now.. We have 100% tariffs... If we didn't have tariffs, we would have no defense. They've used tariffs on us."

On DOJ: Trump called Jack Smith a "deranged criminal" and said he hopes Andrew Weissmann, Lisa Monaco, and Adam Schiff get looked into. "I think it was the worst weaponization of a political opponent in the history of the world ... Deranged Jack Smith in my opinion is a criminal. I hope they're gonna look into Weissmann too ... Lisa Monaco should be looked at very strongly... I hope they're looking at Schifty Schiff. I hope they're looking at all these people. And I'm allowed to find out. I'm in theory the chief law enforcement officer."

On government shutdown: "We have the people that we want paid, paid. We want the FBI paid...We're getting rid of programs that we didn't like...They're going to be terminated on a permanent basis, and it's thousands of people...tremendous numbers of Democrat projects... Russell Vought is really terminating tremendous numbers of Democrat projects. Not only jobs. I mean the project in Manhattan... The project in New York. It's billions and billions of dollars that Schumer has worked 20 years to get. It's terminated."

On No Kings: "They have their day coming up. I hear very few people are gonna be there, by the way. But they have their day coming up and they want to have their day in the sun."

On tariffs: "We're allowed to do whatever we want. We just had presidents that didn't want to do it for whatever reason. Of the eight wars, tariffs are directly responsible for me ending 6 of them. 5 or 6." He said the lawyers challenging his power to impose tariffs are "aligned with foreign nations" and that he plans to go to the Supreme Court to watch the arguments of the tariffs case.

Threatening to move FIFA games out of Boston: "Somebody said, 'would we think about taking the World Cup away from Boston if they don't straighten it out?' The answer is yes. We have the right to do that with FIFA. So if we think that LA is gonna be bad, or that applies a little bit to the Olympics too."

In-town pool report #9: Dinner lid until 6:15

We have a dinner lid until 6:15pm.

In-town pool report #10: gathering for ballroom donor dinner

The pool has been called to gather for a dinner between President Trump and ballroom donors in the East Room, where he is expected to deliver remarks that will be livestreamed.

Your pooler will send any color and info on notable guests in the room.

Also adding to pool report #9 that your pooler spotted Palantir CEO Alex Karp standing in the back of the Oval Office during the President's press conference earlier today.

In-town pool report #11: Trump remarks underway at ballroom dinner

President Trump entered the East Room at 7:39pm for a dinner with ballroom donors. He was greeted with standing applause as he walked to a lectern, where he is now giving remarks. Beside him are posters depicting an arch in Washington, DC that he is considering building. His remarks are livestreamed.

Trump says "We have a lot of legends in the room tonight, and that's why we're here to celebrate you, because you gave, given tremendous amounts of money to see a ballroom for the first time at the White House."

He adds: "The White House for 150 years plus, they wanted to have a ballroom, and it never happened because they didn't have a real estate person."

There are several tables spread out across the East Room, each seating donors for the President's new $250 million ballroom under construction at the White House. Photos attached.

More TK

In-town pool report #12: dinner remarks over / Lid

POTUS ended his remarks at 8:17pm. He spoke for roughly 45 minutes about ballroom construction, his proposed arch in DC, crime, the Middle East peace agreement, and more. His remarks were carried live.

Your pooler was not provided a guest list despite numerous attempts asking the press office. It did not appear guests had been served dinner yet.

Some laughs in the room as Trump mentions Venezuela: "Nobody wants to go fishing anymore. No one wants to do anything near the water. If they have a beautiful boat they might as well get rid of that boat."

On the ballroom: "So many of you have been really, really generous. A couple of you, here saying, sir, would 25 million dollars be appropriate? I said, I will take it."

"So, we are going to have a phenomenal ballroom. It's going to be one of the best anywhere in the world. There won't be anything like it, actually. It's four sides of beautiful glass."
"We will be able to have state dinners. We would literally not even have state dinners because it is not set up."

Trump also showed plans for an arch in Washington, DC: "Every time somebody rides over that beautiful bridge to the Lincoln Memorial, they literally say something is supposed be here. We have versions of it… This is a mockup."

"That's Arlington Memorial Bridge.. at the end of it you have circle… In 1902, they were going to put a statue of Robert E. Lee up, would have been ok with me—would've been on with a lot of the people in this room."

We have a lid. Thanks everyone.

Have a good night.