Pool Reports of October 26, 2025

Out of town report #16: AF1 Wheels down

Good morning from Kuala Lumpur. AF1 is wheels down at 9:53am. For the last stretch of the flight, AF1 was escorted in by two F-18s, one on each side of us. Photo attached. AF1 also did a fly-by of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, the same airport that we just landed in.

There will be an arrival ceremony with the Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Greeters on arrival:

H.E. Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim

Prime Minister of Malaysia

H.E. Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution bin Ismail

Minister of Home Affairs, Malaysia

H.E. Tan Sri Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob

Ambassador of Malaysia to the United States

H.E. Dato' Yubazlan Haji Yusof

Chief of Protocol, Malaysia

H.E. Datuk Rozainor Ramli

Chief of Ceremonial, Malaysia

YB Datuk Seri Itama Hj Mohamad bin Hj Hassan

Foreign Minister

Ambassador Edgard Kagan

United States Ambassador to Malaysia

Cynthia Gire

Wife of Edgard Kagan

A.I. Joy Sakurai

Charge d'Affaires at the US Mission to ASEAN

Out of town report #17: Greeting

POTUS walked out of AF1 at 10:06am. He gave the press a thumbs up and walked down the red carpet with the Prime Minister, flanked by Royal Regiment of the Malaysian Army. Performing at the welcome ceremony were dozens of rows of dancers of different ethnicities representing Malay, Chinese, Indian, indigenous, Sabah and Sarawak.

Out of town report 18: Wheels rolling

Motorcade wheels rolling 10:16am to the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center for the Cambodia-Thailand signing ceremony.

Out of town report #19: Arrival at convention center

Motorcade arrived at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center at 11:01am. Pool did not see POTUS. We are holding until the signing ceremony.

Out of town report #20: Lula pull aside

White House shares that POTUS is expected to do a pull aside later this afternoon with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Out of town report #21: Peace Ceremony

POTUS entered the room at 12:37pm with leaders of Malaysia, Thailand and Malaysia.

Ahead of the peace ceremony, Secretary Rubio was working the room, speaking with the U.S. Ambassador to Malaysia, the Thai Foreign Minister and others

Cambodia Minister of Commerce sat next to Susie Wiles and two women exchanged pleasantries

Also in the room:
Stephen Miller
James Blair

The setup includes a blue backdrop with repeated "Delivering Peace" logos and two sets of US, Malaysian, Thai and Cambodian flags. The leaders were seated at a long table draped in blue on a red carpeted platform.

Out of town report #22: Peace Ceremony

POTUS started speaking at 12:38pm.

Extended his condolences to Thailand for the passing of Thailand's former queen.

On Thailand and Cambodia:
"They really like each other. I'm not used to that when I do these deals, usually there's a lot of hatred. They like each other, so it made it a little bit easier. But millions of people are alive today because of this peace treaty."

He described being on calls with both the Thai and Cambodian PMs while at Turnberry in Scotland

"Alongside this peace treaty, we also are signing a major trade deal with Cambodia and a very important critical minerals agreement with Thailand."

"This is one of eight wars that my administration has ended in just eight months.
We're averaging one a month.

"There is only one left, although I heard that Pakistan and Afghanistan have started up."

POTUS complained about the malfunctioning teleprompter and escalator at the UN, earning chuckles from the other three leaders and across the room.

Out of town report #23: Signing

Cambodian PM said he nominated POTUS for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Following the speeches, the leaders signed four copies of the agreement, passing the documents to the right until each one had been fully signed.

The Thai PM joked that Trump's signature can't be forged.

"We don't want the autopen," Trump quipped.

POTUS then proceeded to sign an agreement on reciprocal trade with Cambodia and a memorandum of understanding on critical minerals with Thailand.

"This is a great deal for both countries," POTUS said of the trade deal with Cambodia.

Out of town report #24: Malaysia bilat

POTUS and the U.S. delegation lined up at 1:20pm for a pool spray with the Malaysian delegation including the Malaysian PM and eight members of his cabinet.

On the U.S. side:
US ambassador to Malaysia Edgard D Kagan
Secretary Rubio
Susie Wiles
Jamieson Greer
James Blair
Stephen Miller
Karoline Leavitt
Steven Cheung

POTUS then sat down across from the Malaysian PM. Pool was ushered out at 1:23pm.

Out of town report #25: Signing with Malaysia

POTUS at 1:41pm asked Jamieson Greer to talk about the trade deal he and the Malaysian PM are about to sign.

Greer: "we do have a trade deficit with Malaysia. However, we have engaged in very constructive discussions over the past few months, and we have drafted a substantive, comprehensive agreement on their support that will, on the one hand, address our trade deficit and also enhance trade between our two countries."

Documents were signed.

POTUS: "That's a very interesting signature he's got," POTUS said of the Malaysian PM's signature.

"Not as interesting as yours!" he responded

They also signed a second agreement on critical minerals.

Greer: "This ensures that trade investment in critical minerals between Malaysia and the United States can be as free as possible and as resilient as possible. We live in a world where having these critical minerals is important to our manufacturing, to our technology, for our economy, and it's very important that we cooperate as willing partners with each other to ensure that we can have smooth supply chains, secure supply chains, for the quality of life, for our people and security."

Next event is the ASEAN lunch.

Out of town report #26: Family Photo

ASEAN leaders started lining up shoulder to shoulder for a family photo at 2:10pm

POTUS walked in after other leaders were assembled. He greeted each of the four leaders on the left that he passed and filled in the spot at the center that had been saved for him.

"We should smile about that, right? Everybody smile," POTUS said as photos were being taken.

Toast remarks next.

Out of town report #27: Remarks

POTUS and ASEAN leaders watched a cultural performance that included the Rocky theme song and Gemilang by Jaclyn Victor.

POTUS sat beside Malaysia's PM, who is hosting the summit. They are in the center of a large square set up flanked by leaders of the other ten member states. Floral arrangements at the center.

At 2:24, Malaysian PM gave remarks followed by POTUS

POTUS again highlighted what he called the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accords.

"I also want to thank the other ASEAN countries for agreeing to send observers, and in most cases your heads of state, to help."

"Today's signing represents just one of eight conflicts that we've ended in eight months of the Trump presidency."

"It really is a new day. There's never been a period of time like this, the Middle East will have peace after 3000 years. Very strong peace is going to be an everlasting peace."

"The United States is having its golden age."

POTUS noted that at end of his first year, there will be over $20 trillion worth of investment into the United States.

Out of town report #28: Lula bilat

POTUS opened up his bilat with Lula at 3:45pm for a 9-minute exchange that left Lula increasingly frustrated and eager to move onto the private portion of their meeting.

POTUS:
"It's a great honor to be with the President of Brazil - a great country. It's a big, beautiful country"

"I think we'll be able to do some pretty good deals we've been speaking, and I think we'll end up having a very good relationship."

Lula mentioned he brought his agenda in writing and in English to discuss.

Q Will you reduce tariffs on Brazil?

POTUS "we'll be discussing it for a little while. We know we know each other. We know what each other wants."

POTUS praised Bolsonaro in front of Lula: "I've always liked him. I've always liked him. I feel very badly about what happened to him. I've always thought he was a straight shooter but he's been through a lot, he's been through a lot."

But when asked if he plans to discuss Bolsonaro with Lula today, he responded: "None of your business"

Q Besides Bolsonaro, is there anything that Brazil could offer that could improve relations with the U.S.?

"Probably. We'll know in 15 minutes. They can offer a lot and we can offer a lot."

When Lula complained that they were wasting time by talking to the media, POTUS responded, "The media don't even have to take that long time"

Out of town report #28: Lula bilat

Motorcade rolling 4:41pm

Out of town report #30: Arrival + lid

Motorcade arrived at the Ritz Carlton at 4:48pm. Pool did not see POTUS.

WH has called a lid.