Pool Reports of July 30, 2025

In-town pool report #1 - Tom Homan gaggle

Good morning from the White House.

President Trump returned from Scotland last night and the first public event on his schedule today is a "Making Health Technology Great Again" event at the White House at 4PM.

His official schedule also shows a bill signing at 1:30PM. This is currently listed as closed press. I will advise if they open it up.

In the meantime, acting ICE director Tom Homan just gaggled at the sticks following a TV hit. Here is the Otter link: https://otter.ai/u/9gzRmD7BnsuTogwfde6HRpFu91Q?utm_source=copy_url

I would also flag that President Trump has posted several times on Truth Social this morning, including an announcement about 25 per cent tariffs for India, and reaction to the latest GDP figures, out this morning.

In-town pool report #2 - lunch lid

The White House has called a lunch lid until 12:45PM.

In-town pool report #3 - pool lining up

The lunch lid has been lifted and the pool has been asked to line up. More details to come.

In-town pool report #4 - Roosevelt Room

The pool has been brought into the Roosevelt Room. No sign of POTUS yet.

In-town pool report #5 - Trump enters to sign VA home loan program reform act

President Trump entered the Roosevelt Room at 1:38PM.

He is joined by Congressmen Van Orden and Bost. Will Scharf is also here.

There is a podium set up with the presidential seal as well as a small desk.

POTUS will sign the VA home loan program reform act.

More to come.

In-town pool report #6 - Trump remarks begin

President Trump began with brief remarks about ongoing trade talks and said he would send more letters "saying they will pay a certain tariff."

He then talked about today's VA bill, noting it would help homeowners who have fallen behind on their mortgage payments. He made reference to the Fed — "We have somebody that doesn't want to lower interest rates…probably won't…today."

He talked further about his administration's initiatives for veterans and handed over to the congressmen to speak.

In-town pool report #7 - Trump bill signing and Q and A

The president signed the legislation at 1:46PM, and noted he had not used an auto-pen.

He called it a "very important bill" and handed the congressmen pens.

He then took nine questions from reporters.

Partial quotes from Q and A below — I will send fuller quotes soon.

First question was on GDP and whether lowering rates would lead to inflation.

"Well if that happens then you raise them…we have a great thing going. I think we are going to have the richest economy that you have ever seen…we should be lowering the rates…he's done a bad job. Now he's got a meeting today. But I call him too late…I hear they are going to do it in September."

Second question on what India's additional penalty would be.

"We are negotiating right now…it's an attack on the dollar…it's partially BRICS, it's partially the trade situation…we are talking to India now, we'll see what happens…August 1 is a very big day for this country."

Third question on Hawley bill to ban stock trading for lawmakers.

"I like it conceptually. I don't know about it but I like it conceptually…Nancy Pelosi should be investigated…

Fourth question on Harvard settlement.

"It's a lot of money."

Fifth question on Afghan interpreters.

Sixth question on Indian tariffs.

Seventh question on Russia gate.

Eighth question on parents' rights in school systems.

Ninth question on trade negotiations with China.

In-town pool report #8 - more from Q and A

Passing along a few additional quotes from the president's answers.

You can access the full Otter recording of the Roosevelt Room event here: https://otter.ai/u/-raWvV6nlEI41jVOqN-dauTe8AY?utm_source=copy_url

On whether Afghan interpreters will be sent back to Afghanistan:

"We know the good ones, and we know the ones that maybe aren't so good. You know, some came over that aren't so good, and we are going to take care of those people. The ones that did a job, the ones that were told certain things."

On whether he is still open to negotiations with India:

"We are talking to them now. We'll see what happens...we're negotiating with India right now."

On reports that Kash Patel found bags of Russia-related material:

"I want everything to be shown, as long as it is fair and reasonable...the whole thing is a scam. It is a scam set up by the Democrats...I would like to see people exposed that might be bad."

On his message to parents ahead of back to school season:

"We've gotten rid of the woke. Woke is gone, and I think pretty well buried...the parents are now taking over the school boards. They are getting rid of these people that probably didn't like the children very much based on what they were doing."

He then talked a bit about trade negotiations, saying he was "dealing with a lot" of "leaders of other countries" today "on the tariff situation.

Asked about the status of trade talks with China: "We're moving along with China. We're doing fine with China. I think it's going to work out very well. We're right in step. I think we're going to have a very fair deal with China."

In-town pool report #9 - Making Health Technology Great Again Event + EOs

The pool is now gathering at the Palm Room doors for the Making Health Technology Great Again Event, which is slated to start at 4PM in the East Room, per the president's official schedule.

I also wanted to flag that since this afternoon's bill signing, the White House has sent out two executive orders signed by the president - "suspending duty free de minimis treatment for all countries" and "addressing threats to the United States by the government of Brazil" - and a proclamation on "adjusting imports of copper into the United States."

In-town pool report #10 - East Room

Press has been led into the East Room, where there are approximately 150 guests seated in gold chairs, facing a table with the presidential seal. There are five chairs and four name tags set up, left to right: David Sacks, RFK Jr, Mehmet Oz, Amy Gleason.

I have been told the event will be live-streamed.

In-town pool report #11 - event begins

Kennedy, Oz, Gleason entered the room at 4:35PM to piano music, followed shortly after by Sacks.

They remained standing until POTUS entered to Hail to Chief one minute later.

The pool has been moved far back from the front, so it is difficult to see all of the attendees, but Secretary Bessent is seated in the front row, as is Susie Wiles.

Reminder this event should be live-streamed.

In-town pool report #12 - event details

President Trump delivered opening remarks, celebrating today's GDP figures and repeating that the US is the "hottest country" in the world. He went through various economic indicators, adding: "This is truly the dawn of the Golden Age of America."

Today's event is to celebrate "easily transportable economic medical records finally becomes a reality" and bringing "healthcare into a digital age." Trump said healthcare providers can now "kill the clipboard."

POTUS name checked many tech companies who he said sent representatives to the event: Apple, Google, Samsung, Amazon, OpenAI, Anthropic, Oracle

He also named Senator Bill Cassidy, who is seated in the front row.

He has now turned over remarks to the panelists.

In-town pool report #13 - more remarks/event ends

RFK Jr spoke first, followed by David Sacks, Dr Oz, and then Amy Gleason.

POTUS thanked the companies in attendance, describing them as "big names, great, great people."

I have asked the White House if we can get a list of executives in attendance.

The event ended at 5:14. POTUS left while panelists stayed in the room, shaking hands with attendees.

The president did not take questions from the press, ignoring a shouted question about Brazil.

In-town pool report #14 - South Korea trade deal

The president has just announced a trade deal with South Korea on Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/114944494894008041

He has no further public events on his official schedule for today, but we do not have a lid yet.

In-town pool report #15 - lid

A travel/photo lid was called at 6:30PM.

Have a good night!