Pool Reports of June 20, 2025

In Town Pool #1

Greetings all

Your pooler is advised that there is a lunch lid until 1 p.m.

In Town #2

Pool has been informed that 2 p.m. Marine One departure is delayed. No updates on how long.

In town pool #3

Gathering now for Marine One departure.

In Town #4

President Trump emerged from the Oval Office around 2:10 p.m. and walked to speak with workers who have been laying gravel in the Rose Garden, where the grass has been removed. With Marine One noise, his words were not captured for history.

He later spoke briefly with Chief of Staff Susie Wiles outside the Oval doors, and then walked to Marine One directly, without stopping to speak with the dozens of journalists who had pre-positioned to ask him questions. He waved at us, showed a fist, and appeared in a positive mood.

He was followed to the helicopter by Steven Cheung, Natalie Harp and several other staff, not including Wiles.

Liftoff at 2:21 p.m. for Andrews. Beautiful summer day in Washington. Happy weekend, y'all.

The out of town pool will take it from here.

Travel Pool #1 M1landing/AF1 wheels up

Marine One landed at JBA at 2:30 pm.

Trump exited M1 at 2:33 pm. He gave the press a thumbs up but continued to board the small AF1 at 2:34 pm.

Wheels up shortly.

Travel Pool #2 AF1 landed

Air Force One landed at Morristown Municipal Airport at 3:22 pm.

Travel Pool #3 gaggle ongoing Iran comments

Trump deplaned at 3:32 pm wearing a red MAGA hat.

He opened his gaggle talking about a peace deal between the Congo and Rwanda

He took several q's on Iran. He said gabbard is wrong in her assessment of how close Iran is to a nuclear assessment.

He said he isn't inclined to press Israel to stop airstrikes so negotiations with Iran can continue.

"I think it's very hard to make that request right now. "If somebody is winning, it's a little bit harder to do than if somebody is losing, but we're ready, willing and able, and we've been speaking to Iran, and we'll see what happens."

Trump said he might support a ceasefire, but added: "It's very hard to stop when you look at it, Israel's doing well in terms of war, and I think you would say that Iran is doing less well. It's a little bit hard to get somebody to stop."

More to come. Please double check quotes.

Travel Pool #4 More gaggle/M1 liftoff

Trump boarded M1 after a nearly 10 min gaggle.

M1 took off at 3:51 pm.

More notes from the gaggle. I'll go through audio and send anything else important.

(Thanks to my WSJ colleague Alex Leary for helping with quick transcribing help)

Is an aerial campaign in Iran enough? Or do you need ground forces?

Trump: "Well, I'm not going to talk about ground forces. The last thing you want to do is ground force."

Does Iran have two weeks? Or could you strike before that? Are you essentially giving them a two week timeline, giving them a period of time.

Trump: "We're going to see what that period of time is, but I'm giving them a period of time, and I would say two weeks would be the maximum."

Mr. President, the Iranian foreign minister this afternoon said, if the US is serious about negotiations, that you would call up Israel and request that they stop their airstrikes, will you make that request?

Trump: "Well, I think it's very hard to make that request right now. If somebody is winning, it's a little bit harder to do than if somebody is losing, but we're ready, willing and able, and we've been speaking to Iran, and we'll see what happens. We'll see what happens."

On immigration, Trump said the focus should be on deporting those with a criminal record. Said he and Miller are on the same page.

Trump: "We're looking at doing something where, in the case of good reputable farmers, they can take responsibility for the people that they hire, and let them have responsibility because we can't put the farms out of business."

"I never want to hurt our farmers. Our farmers are great people. They keep us happy and healthy and fat."

Worried about reputation as a peacemaker?

"Always a peacemaker, that doesn't mean, sometimes you need some toughness to make peace, but always a peacemaker."

Travel Pool #5 more gaggle

Q: thinking behind two-week timeline:

"Just time to see whether or not people come to their senses"

Q: did the Europeans help with Iran?

"Iran doesn't want to speak to Europe"

Q: 20 years ago, you were skeptical of a Republican administration that attacked the Middle East country on the idea of questionable intelligence of weapons of mass destruction. How is this moment different with Iran?
Trump: "Well, there were no weapons of mass destruction. I never thought there were. And that was somewhat pre-nuclear. You know, it was, it was a nuclear age, but nothing like it is today. And it looked like I'm right about the material that they've gathered already. It's a tremendous amount of material.

"And I think within a matter of weeks, or certainly within a matter of months, they were going to be able to have a nuclear weapon. We can't let that happen. I was very much opposed to Iraq. I was, I said it loud and clear, but I was a civilian, but I guess I got a lot of publicity, but I was very much opposed to the Iraq War. And I actually did say, Don't go in, don't go in, don't go in. But I said, if you're going to go in, keep the oil. But they didn't do that."

In response to a different q, Trump said NATO countries should pay more and specifically called out Spain as a low payer.

Travel Pool #6 lid

WH called a travel/photo lid at 4:02 pm.