Pool Reports of May 6, 2025

Pool Report 1/Carney arrival

President Trump greeted Canadian PM Mark Carney at the northern entrance of the West Wing at 11:55. Trump did not orally reply to shouted questions.

We expect the subsequent Oval pool spray to be live-streamed by the White House.

Pool Report 2/Oval underway

The pool entered the Oval Office at 12:06.

President Trump and PM Carney were seated in front of the fireplace.

I'll send along highlights.

Pool Report 3/Yemen news

President Trump kicked off the pool spray by congratulating Carney on his election victory, saying it may have been an even better political comeback than his own.

"We have a lot of things in common," Trump said.

Trump then said that he has called off airstrikes on Yemen after hearing word from the Houthis that they would no longer attack ships.

Trump said the Houthis said "that they don't want to fight anymore... we will honor that and we will stop the bombings... they have capitulated."

Trump also said a "very, very big" and "postive" announcement is coming before he departs for his Mideast trip, without specifying the subject.

Pool Report 4/More Oval

President Trump said that USMCA was a transitional deal that needs renegotiating. 

Trump said he still believes Canada should be the 51st state, "but it takes two to tango."

"We're not going to be discussing that unless someone wants to discuss it," Trump said, adding "it really would be a wonderful marriage."

Carney added "there are some places that are never for sale... but the opportunity is in the partnership."

Trump added, "never say never."

On removing tariffs on Canada, Trump said he wants to protect the US car industry before noting both countries' energy resources. 

On China, Trump said "they want to meet and they're doing no business now." 

Trump clarified that the major announcement he teased earlier in the pool spray may not be about trade.

He also mentioned unilaterally dictating new tariff rates for other countries that would be "fair" and "low."

"We are going to put down some numbers and say our country is open for business... one day we'll come and give you 100 deals" that don't require signatures, he said, clarifying the some bilateral deals will be signed.

"Think of us as a super luxury store," he said of access to the US market.

Both leaders mentioned an interest in renegotiating USMCA.

Trump also mentioned Obama's presidential library having construction issues and cost overruns with a California rail project, which Trump said would drag on Newsom' potential presidential bid.

The spray is ongoing.

Pool Report 5/Spray over

President Trump said "no" to whether he expects to change his mind on tariffing Canada as a result of today's talk.

The pool was led out of the Oval at 12:41.

Pool Report 6/Lunch lid

We have a lunch lid until 2:45.

Pool Report 7/Gathered for FIFA

The pool has gathered for the FIFA event in the East Room.

Pool Report 8/East Room

The pool entered the East Room at 4:07.

President Trump sat before the large golden FIFA trophy, with a smaller one in front of him.

VP Vance and AG Bondi sat to one side and FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Scott Bessent and Kristi Noem to the other around a horseshoe-shaped arrangement of tables.

Also in attendance were Trump's newly announced FIFA task force executive director Andrew Giuliani, FBI Director Kash Patel, Sean Duffy and Howard Lutnick.

Trump said that the FIFA world cup events would be "safe and successful" and that it would be "the best run soccer tournament the world has ever seen."

"We're going to blow them away," Trump said of prior event hosts. 

"I have a son who loves soccer, Barron.... he's a little tall for soccer, but that's ok," Trump also said.

His opening remarks concluded at 4:15. Infantino and administration officials now will take turns speaking.

Pool Report 9/More FIFA

VP Vance, who is serving as vice chairman of the FIFA task force (with Trump as chairman), joked about how he almost broke a college football trophy at the White House recently.

"I appreciate the president giving me a second chance," said Vance.

Noem said the US expects 2 million foreign visitors and that the games are an opportunity to create a friendlier world.

In a Q&A with reporters, Trump said there would be cooperation with Canada and Mexico on the games.

Trump said he "had a lot of fun" calling Justin Trudeau "governor" but that Mark Carney's election was "a good step up" for Canada.

The pool exited the East Room at 4:39 as Trump picked up a soccer ball and handed it to Bondi.

Pool Report 10/Oval

The pool entered the Oval at 5:04.

President Trump is swearing in Steve Witkoff. "He has my absolute confidence," Trump said, saying he believed success was close on his various initiatives and praising his role in Gaza hostage talks.

Jared Kushner is here, as are Morgan Ortagus, Marco Rubio and Pam Bondi. 

Bernard Arnault and his son Alexandre also are here, standing near Howard Lutnick.

Pool Report 11/Q&A

President Trump said that Witkoff has made "a lot of progress" with his visits to Russia.

Trump said he just heard of clashes between India and Pakistan and hopes fighting ends quickly.

He said that a big looming announcement that he teased earlier as coming within days would be "Earth-shattering."

He said he would be having "a meeting after this" with the Arnaults.

Trump also called Tish James "a total crook" and "a sick person," but said that his opinion has "nothing to do with" how AG Bondi will handle a recent criminal referral. 

The pool exited the Oval at 5:21.

Foreign Pool Report #1 - Backgrounder on Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's Visit to the WH

Good morning,

Happy Canada Day!... 56 days before the real one.

I will be the Foreign pooler for Prime Minister Carney's visit to the White House.
Here's a quick backgrounder on Mark Carney and US-Canada relationship.

CARNEY, NEW PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA

Mark Carney was elected Prime Minister of Canada on Monday, April 28th.
He had been chosen to succeed Justin Trudeau as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada on March 9th. On March 14, he was sworn in as the 24th prime minister of Canada.

Carney and the Liberal Party won last week's federal election, falling three seats short of a majority.
The victory is widely lauded as impressive for the Liberals considering that in January of 2025, the Conservative Party of Canada was almost 23 points ahead of the Liberals in the polls. At that time, PM Justin Trudeau was still the leader of the Liberal Party.

CARNEY AND TRUMP

It appears that Carney and Donald Trump have not met in person in the past. They have spoken at least twice since Carney succeeded Trudeau:
first on March 28, a conversation during which "The Prime Minister and the President had a very constructive conversation about the relationship between our two countries," according to a communiqué from the Prime Minister's Office.

https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/readouts/2025/03/28/prime-minister-carney-speaks-president-united-states-donald-j-trump

They also spoke on April 29th, the day after the Canadian election, and it appeared to have been just as cordial, according to President Trump who, during the cabinet meeting the following day, acknowledged:

"I think we're gonna have a great relationship. He called me up yesterday, he said, 'Let's make a deal.' You know, he was running for office. They both hated Trump. And it was the one that hated Trump, I think, the least, that won. I actually think the Conservative hated me much more than the Liberal. And the so-called liberal. He's a pretty liberal guy. But, no, I spoke to him yesterday. He couldn't have been nicer."

TARIFFS – U.S. vs CANADA

The USMCA, or Unites States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, is a trade agreement that replaces the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). It came into force on July 1, 2020. It's known as CUSMA in Canada. 

Canada was exempted from Trump's most sweeping "reciprocal" tariffs. Still, Canada faces 25% duties on steel and aluminum exports and 25% duties on cars exported to the U.S. and on certain auto parts since May 3rd.

So, the rate of duty for non-USMCA-originating goods remains at 25%.
The rate of duty for non-USMCA-originating energy or energy resources and potash imported from Canada remains at 10%
The rate of duty for USMCA-originating goods remains at 0%, except for the sectoral tariffs, such as autos, steel and aluminium.

The tariff rate on Canadian softwood lumber remains at 14.54%.
The additional 25% tariff proposed in March was delayed and ultimately exempted for lumber on April 2, avoiding a jump to 39.5%.

TARIFFS – CANADA vs U.S.

Canada has imposed a 25% tariff on $30 billion worth of U.S. goods (orange juice, peanut butter, wine, spirits, beer, coffee, appliances, etc.).

In response to the U.S. tariffs on aluminum and steel, Canada has introduced 25% reciprocal tariffs on a list of steel products worth $12.6 billion and aluminum products worth $3 billion, as well as additional imported U.S. goods worth $14.2 billion, for a total of $29.8 billion

Canada has imposed a 25% tariff on all U.S. vehicles that don't meet USMCA requirements, in response to similar tariffs introduced by the U.S.

AS FOR CANADA BECOMING THE 51ST STATE

Carney has firmly rejected Trump's repeated suggestions that Canada should become the 51st U.S. state.

"America wants our land, our resources, our water, our country. But these are not idle threats. President Trump is trying to break us so that America can own us. That will never, that will never ever happen."
- Mark Carney's Victory Speech, April 29th 2025

At the beginning of March, a poll by Canadian firm Leger indicated that 9% of Canadians agreed with Canada becoming the 51st State, while 85% did not.
At the end of March, the same polling firm found that more Americans were in favor of the idea of their state becoming a Canadian province - 20% - than Canadians wanting to join the U.S.

CARNEY HIMSELF

Mark Carney is 60 years old. He is married and his brother-in-law is the 3rd Baron Rotherwick, to whom his wife's sister is married. Carney and his wife have four children.

Foreign Pool Report #2 - PM Carney's Comments

The Prime Minister and the President were sitting at the usual place.

Facing the couch on which Vice-President Vance, Secretary of State Rubio and Secretary of Commerce Lutnick were sitting, were – closest to the Prime Minister – Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Melanie Joly and David McGuinty, Minister of Public Safety.

The entire pool spray was carried live, but as the foreign pooler, let me go over the comments made by the Canadian Prime Minister.

"Thank you, Mr President. I'm on the edge of my seat. (The President had just said that "we're gonna have a very, very big announcement today" without adding details.)

But thank you for your hospitality and above all, for your leadership. You're a transformational president, who focus on the economy, focus on the American workers, security borders, providing ending the scourge of fentanyl and other opioids and securing the world.

And I've been elected with my colleagues here - with the help of my colleagues here, I'm spreading the credit - to transform Canada with a similar focus on the economy, clearly on borders, again on fentanyl, much greater focus on defense and security, securing the Arctic and developing the Arctic it and the history of Canada and the U.S. is that we're stronger when we work together. (Inaudible few seconds)

(After a question and an answer by POTUS on making Canada the 51st U.S. State…)

CARNEY
Well, if I may, as you know, from real estate, there are some places that are never for sale. Buckingham Palace that you have visited as well, and having met with the owners of Canada over the course of the campaign in the last several months, it's not for sale, will not be for sale ever.
But the opportunity is in the partnership and what we can build together. We have done that in the past, and part of that, as the President just said, is with respect to our own security and my government is committed for a (…) change in our investment in Canadian security and our partnership. I'll say this as well, the President has revitalized international security.

(After POTUS talked about the USMCA – "The USMCA is a good deal for everybody. I won't say this about Mark, but I didn't like his predecessor. I didn't like a person that worked. She was terrible (He's talking about former Finance Minister, Chrystia Freeland.). Actually, she was a terrible person. And she really hurt that deal very badly because she tried to take advantage of the deal and she didn't get away with it.")

CARNEY
I'll say a word on USMCA, if I may, Mr President. It is a basis for broader negotiation. Some things about it are going to have to change. And part of the way you conducted these tariffs has taken advantage of existing aspects of USMCA, so it's going to have to change. There are other elements that are (…), and that's part of what we'll be discussing.

(After a question on tariffs on Canada – "Is there anything the Prime Minister can say to you today that could (…) tariffs on Canada? No! Why not? That's the way it is!")

CARNEY
"Respectfully, the Canadians view on this is not going to change, on the 51st State. Secondly, we are the largest client of the United States, in the totality of all goods. We are the largest buyer. We have a tremendous auto sector between the two of us. And the changes to date were helpful. You know, 50% of the cars come from Canada.
That's not like anywhere else. And to your question, "Is there one thing?" No, this is a bigger discussion. There are much bigger forces involved, and this will take some time to have those discussions."

As we were pushed out of the Oval Office by the wranglers, I (respectfully) shouted to the President:
"Easier to deal with this Prime Minister than the previous one?"
Off the camera, the President answered me "Yes. I like this guy." To which, PM Carney reacted with a huge smile.

Foreign Pool Report #3 - Departure

Prime Minister Carney left the White House at 2:12p.

He waved to the reporters without answering shouted questions.

As she was walking to the van waiting for the other members of the Canadian delegation, I asked in French to Melanie Joly, the Canadian Foreign Minister, "How did it go?" (Comment ça s'est passé?) and she nodded with a smile.

According to the Prime Minister's schedule, he will give a press conference at the Canadian embassy at 3pm.