Pool Reports by David Smith, The Guardian
| Sent: | Reports: |
| July 9, 2020 10:02 |
WH in-town pool report 1/ Hello Greetings from the White House on a hot and humid day. Your pooler spotted Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on the driveway, heading to the area where TV interviews are done. POTUS has issued a few tweets so far, including on the coronavirus and testing. |
| July 9, 2020 11:53 |
WH in-town pool report #2/ Press briefing at 1.30pm The daily guidance was updated to note the press secretary will hold a press briefing at 1.30pm. |
| July 9, 2020 11:59 |
WH in-town pool report #3/ Lunch lid A lunch lid has been called until 1pm. |
| July 9, 2020 13:11 |
WH in-town pool report #4/ Dutch Prime Minister Judd Deere, White House Deputy Press Secretary, sent the following: 'Today, President Donald J. Trump spoke with Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the Netherlands. President Trump expressed condolences to the Dutch people affected by the coronavirus pandemic. President Trump and Prime Minister Rutte agreed that the United States and the Netherlands will emerge stronger than before as our countries and economies reopen. The two leaders also discussed critical global and bilateral issues, including diversifying supply chains and improving telecommunications security.' |
| July 9, 2020 14:03 |
WH in-town pool report #5/ Two minute warning The White House has given a two minute warning for the press secretary's briefing, which had been scheduled for 1.30pm. |
| July 9, 2020 14:07 |
WH in-town pool report #6/ Briefing starts Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany came to the podium and began the briefing at 2.05pm. Livestream here: https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44f... |
| July 9, 2020 14:51 |
WH in-town pool report #7/ Hispanic leaders The press briefing ended at 2.37pm and the pool was quickly ushered into the cabinet room for POTUS's roundtable with Hispanic leaders. In short introductory remarks, POTUS said, “We've done really well with Hispanics.” He invited each person to speak and commented: “We're setting records on jobs.” He also made reference to the border wall. More to follow. |
| July 9, 2020 15:02 |
WH in-town pool report #8/ Reaction to Scotus POTUS on Supreme Court decisions on his tax returns: “The rulings were basically starting all over again” sent back to lower courts. “It's a pure witch hunt, a hoax... A political witch hunt.” He said Obama and Biden were spying on his campaign. Full quotes to follow. Earlier POTUS said: “We had a deal on DACA and the Democrats broke it.” He promised it will be resolved. Thirteen people were sitting around the cabinet table and none was wearing a face mask. Kellyanne Conway was among them. Guests included actor and film maker Eduardo Verastegui, who said: “Thank you for your leadership in defending the unborn.” He described POTUS as “greatest pro-life president” in history. Pool left at 2.57pm and is now gathering for rose garden event. |
| July 9, 2020 15:25 |
WH in-town pool #9/ More detail on POTUS's reaction to Supreme Court POTUS took one question from reporters at the roundtable. It was about his reaction to today's Supreme Court decisions on his financial records. He said: "Well, the ruling's basically starting all over again, sending everything back down to the lower courts and start all over again." He said he was "satisfied" with one ruling and "not satisfied" with the other. POTUS continued: "It's a political witch hunt, the likes of which nobody's ever seen before. It's a pure witch hunt, it's a hoax, just like the Mueller investigation was a hoax that I won, and this is another hoax. This is purely political. "We won at the federal level and we won very decisively and so they sent it to New York, and you know what's going on in New York, everyone's leaving, it's turned out to be a hellhole, and they'd better do something about it because people are leaving New York. "It's a political witch hunt, it just continues. It's been from before I got here when Obama and Biden and everybody else was spying on my campaign illegally – they were illegally spying on my campaign. And it's a very grave crime. It's the biggest political crime in the history of our country and I want to thank Hispanic Americans for being with me. They're great people." Pool is now in the rose garden awaiting executive order signing. |
| July 9, 2020 15:27 |
WH in-town pool report #10/ Hispanic leaders roundtable list Judd Deere, White House Deputy Press Secretary, sent the following: Today, President Donald J. Trump will hold a roundtable discussion with several Administration officials and Hispanic American business, community, and education leaders. The following individuals are expected to attend: The White House Trump Administration External Participants |
| July 9, 2020 15:29 |
WH in-town pool report #11/ Executive order on Hispanic Prosperity Initiative Judd Deere, White House Deputy Press Secretary, sent the following: Today, President Donald J. Trump will sign an Executive Order on the Hispanic Prosperity Initiative in the Rose Garden. This Executive Order establishes the White House Hispanic Prosperity Initiative, focused on improving Hispanic Americans' access to educational and economic opportunities. The Initiative includes the Departments of Education, Commerce, Labor, Housing and Urban Development and Small Business Administration. Members of the commission will research and identify best practices for school choice, encourage private-sector initiatives, and foster public-private partnerships in Hispanic American communities across the country. The following individuals are expected to attend: The White House Trump Administration External Participants |
| July 9, 2020 15:44 |
WH in-town pool report #12/ POTUS speaking before signing EO POTUS, wearing dark blue suit, white shirt and red tie, emerged from the Oval Office at 3.38pm and walked to the lectern in the rose garden, describing the occasion as "very exciting". He also spoke in defence of charter schools. Hispanic leaders are standing behind him. Livestream here: https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44f... |
| July 9, 2020 16:00 |
WH in-town pool report #13/ POTUS on coronavirus POTUS said, "Before the plague from China came in – you know what that is, the China virus... we built the greatest economy in history." He promised to do it again. POTUS said: "We have to open our schools. Open our schools. Stop this nonsense. Germany, Norway, so many countries... they're doing just fine." He also cited Denmark and Sweden as positive examples and said those who oppose school reopenings are doing so for political reasons. POTUS said the US is doing record coronavirus testing and so cases show up. He said millions of lives have been saved and ruled out more lockdowns. POTUS also criticised "an aggressive effort to defund the police", adding: "These people are crazy." The event is ongoing, with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos now speaking. |
| July 9, 2020 16:11 |
WH in-town pool report #14/ POTUS signs EO POTUS invited Mike Garcia of California, recently elected to Congress, to make remarks. He said: "I am the American dream. I am a first generation American... Now is the time we really need to unite as Americans." He said it's like 1776 all over again. HUD Secretary Ben Carson spoke next. Then POTUS sat down at a desk, surrounded by people not wearing masks or physically distancing, and signed the executive order. There was applause. A reporter shouted: "Mr President, will you take some questions from us?" He did not. Pool has left the rose garden. More details to follow. |
| July 9, 2020 17:02 |
WH in-town pool report #15/ Highlights of POTUS remarks in rose garden Some highlights from POTUS's rose garden remarks launching the White House Hispanic Prosperity Initiative on what he noted is a "sweltering day". POTUS said: "Before the plague from China came in – you know what that is, it's the China virus – before it came in and hit us, we achieved the lowest Hispanic American unemployment rate and the lowest poverty rate ever recorded in the history of our country. Ever recorded. And we're getting back to it very quickly. "We achieved the highest ever incomes for Hispanic Americans and many other American groups and communities. We built the greatest economy in history, not only for our country but for the world. We were number one by far. China had the worst year in 67 years. They weren't happy with what was going – they were going in the wrong direction. "And then the plague came in. But together we will do it again and we will do it very quickly and we're already doing it. We will achieve a swift, full and complete recovery for Hispanic Americans and the Hispanic American community, and we're doing it very, very rapidly. "Our strategy focuses on sheltering the most vulnerable, including older Americans and nursing home residents, while allowing those at lower risk, such as young and healthy children in many cases – the immune system is so powerful, so strong – but the young and the healthy to safely return to work and to school. "We have to open our schools. Open our schools. Stop this nonsense. We open our schools. Germany, Norway, so many countries right now, they're open, the schools are open and they're doing just fine. And they're opening in the fall. So we have to get our schools open. "Denmark, Sweden. We have to get our schools open and stop this political nonsense. And it's only political nonsense, it's politics. They don't want to open because they think it will help them on November 3rd. I think it's gonna hurt them on November 3rd. Open your schools. "At the same time, we're unleashing the scientific brilliance of our people. We have multiple effective therapies in use already with more being developed and you have to see some of them, the results are looking incredible. And we are on track to produce a vaccine in record time and very, very soon it's going to be announced, I believe, very, very soon. "So we have therapies and we have vaccines. Utilising these advances and the skill of our doctors and nurses, we have dramatically reduced mortality rates. We have among the lowest mortality rates anywhere in the world. Done a great job, whether it's ventilators or anything you want to look at. "Testing. We test so many people that we have more cases. Everybody says, 'We have so many cases!' That's because we test so many people. We're up to approximately 40 million tests, going up to 45 very quickly. So we have tests. Other countries don't do tests like we do. So we show cases. Other countries don't show cases. "But what we do have is we have perhaps the lowest, but among the lowest, but perhaps the lowest mortality rate, death rate, anywhere in the world, and that's a tremendous sign as to what we're doing and what our doctors have learned and the kind of things that we're using. It's an incredible number, statistically, an incredible number. "A policy of never ending lockdowns, month after month, would ultimately do more harm than good to public health and so bad for our children, As a result, it really is more loss of life. We can't do that. We have to get back now. We did it right. We saved millions of lives by what we did. We shut it down. "We saved millions of lives. I put a ban on China, heavily infected; I put a ban on Europe very early. Both of them very early. We saved millions of lives. Now it's time to get back to work. A lot of people were against those bans and now they admit, most of those same people admit, that ban was the greatest thing. It saved so many lives. "Crucially, we realise that the health of the nation's economy is fundamental to the health of its people. In the last two months, we have begun the fastest economic comeback in history, including an increase in Hispanic American employment, of more than 2.1 million jobs. It's a record. "The Hispanic Prosperity Initiative will help build on this programme. I will be naming a leader of incredible vision, former lieutenant governor of New Mexico, John Sanchez, and I know he's here, John, I'd love to have you come up and say a few words please." John Sanchez made a short speech and was followed by other speakers. Later, POTUS said: "Hispanic Americans are cherished members of our national family. They have been an integral part of building this country throughout all of American history. Over generations, Hispanic Americans have started countless small businesses, inspired our communities and served our country in every way imaginable. As police officers, service members, border patrol agents, pastors, teachers and business leaders they're incredible. "Now Hispanic Americans are watching as the cities they helped build, the communities they helped police, the businesses they created and the dreams they pursued are being threatened by an extreme movement that wants to tear everything down. At the centre of this movement is an aggressive effort to defund the police, if you can even believe that. Defund the police: think about that. It's a sad, sad thing. These people are crazy – they are crazy. "Which would inflict great harm on our hard working Latino communities. Great, great harm. Many immigrants came to the United States in order to leave counties where the rule of law had been eroded and they don't want those same conditions to be replicated here. They don't want them back. They know what it is first hand. They know what happens when the police cannot protect the innocent, when the rule of law is destroyed, when justice becomes an instrument of vengeance. "Hispanic Americans, they know. They're hardworking patriots who support our police, protect our communities and believe strongly in the rule of law. I will stand arm in arm with the Hispanic community to ensure that every child in America can grow up in safety, security, dignity and in peace. "We believe that the timeless principles of the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution are all shared and they have to be shared in a beautiful heritage of all Americans. Whether you're a first generation American or a fifth generation American, this is your home. American history is your history. It's about you. It's about your family. It's about our country and the American dream belongs equally to you. "American heroes inspire us all and their legacy falls to all of us to cherish and to protect and to revere. Every American, no matter your background, is entitled to a government that puts your needs and your families first. Americans of all walks of life are united by the same noble ideas and the same fundamental designs for good schools, strong families, safe communities and abundant opportunity, and I will not rest until we have delivered this future for every community – not only the Hispanic community, which is doing so well – but every community in our land. "Together, we will write the next great chapter of the American adventure and we will defend the greatness of America for your children, for your children's children and for generations to come. Before signing this executive order, which is such an important executive order, I'd like to invite Secretary DeVos to come up and say a few words." |
| July 9, 2020 17:24 |
WH in-town pool report #16/ Lid A travel/ photo lid was called at 5.22pm. |
| July 9, 2020 18:28 |
WH in-town pool report #17/ Mark Meadows gaggle Mark Meadows, the White House Chief of Staff, spoke to reporters for 10 minutes on the driveway on his way back from a TV interview. He said of today's supreme court decisions: "Most Americans don't care about his tax return. They expressed that in 2016 when they elected him to office. It seems like the only people that really care about it are my Democratic colleagues, or my previous Democratic colleagues on Capitol Hill, because this is the number one issue for them. "When you really look at it, this is a fishing expedition. It has been. I was there in Congress when they started it out and if we're really looking about a standard, it's critically important that we do not allow federal agencies, whether it's the IRS or tax returns or anything else, to be weaponized. We have a history of that. You can look back to Mellon and others where Lois Lerner and the Tea Party movement, really this is all about a political narrative, has nothing to do with seeking justice or anything else." On China he said: "Obviously there will be some of the executive order as it relates to Hong Kong and what is going on there. It's time for not only us to act, but to make sure that we do that decisively. I know there are ongoing discussions that are happening as I speak as it relates to some of the executive orders and what we should or should not do as it relates to Hong Kong and China more broadly. "But I think a lot of the American taxpayers just see China as not being a global power that was transparent with all the lack of disclosure as it relates to the early stages of the coronavirus, and so perhaps that makes us look at this and focus on it a little bit more closely. But Hong Kong's a separate issue and obviously we're going to stand on the side of freedom." Meadows was also asked about Roger Stone, Russia and coronavirus precautions at campaign events. At one point he produced a face mask from his pocket as evidence that he wears one when in close confined spaces for more than 15 minutes; he gets tested daily. "We can't operate in a spirit of fear," he said of POTUS's travels. |
Donald J. Trump (1st Term), Pool Reports of July 9, 2020 Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/336684