Pool Reports of May 13, 2020

In town pool report #1

Greetings from the White House on this sunny morning. I will be your print pooler today. Members of the pool were lined up in the briefing room to get tested for the novel coronavirus when your pooler arrived at the White House.

The only event the president has on his schedule is a 4 p.m. meeting with the governors of North Dakota and Colorado in the Rose Garden.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

In town pool report #2 -- meeting with governors moved to Cabinet Room

The White House has issued updated daily guidance saying the president's meeting with the governors of Colorado and North Dakota will now take place in the Cabinet Room at 4 p.m., not the Rose Garden.

Your pooler has taken her Abbott COVID-19 test, which was administered by two men in lower press. I also received a temperature check at the entrance of the White House.

I will keep you apprised of any further developments.

In town pool report #3 -- lunch lid

At 1:01 p.m., the White House called a lunch lid until 2:30 p.m.

In town pool report #4 -- gathering

Pool was called to gather at the Palm Room doors at 3:48 p.m. We're awaiting the president's meeting with the governors of Colorado and North Dakota in the Cabinet Room, scheduled for 4 p.m.

More to come.

In town pool report #5

A quick correction on my previous pool report — we are gathering ahead of the meeting in lower press, not at the Palm Room doors. Reporters had their temperatures checked in lower press as we wait for the meeting between the president and the governors. More to come.

In town pool report #6 — attendees

Passing along the following from the White House:

Today, President Donald J. Trump will meet with the Governors of Colorado and North Dakota in the Cabinet Room of the White House.

The following individuals are expected to attend:

The White House
President Donald J. Trump
Mark Meadows, Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff
Ambassador Debbie Birx, M.D., White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator
Eric Ueland, Assistant to the President & Director, Office of Legislative Affairs (OLA)
Kayleigh McEnany, Assistant to the President and Press Secretary
Nic Pottebaum, Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director, Intergovernmental Affairs (IGA)

Trump Administration
Secretary David Bernhardt, Department of the Interior

Members of Congress
Senator John Hoeven, North Dakota
Senator Cory Gardner, Colorado

State Officials
Governor Jared Polis, Colorado
Governor Doug Burgum, North Dakota
Jill Hunsaker Ryan, Executive Director, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Michelle Kommer, Commissioner, North Dakota Department of Commerce

In town pool report #7

Pool was escorted into the Cabinet Room around 4:40 pm. Officials are distanced at a table. The president and officials from North Dakota as well as Dr. Birx were not wearing masks. Officials from Colorado were wearing masks.

The president said that they surpassed 10 million tests for coronavirus.

He also said that states should work to open schools and said he didn't consider states open if they didn't open the schools.

"I think you should absolutely open the schools."
The president noted it was up to the governors.

He was asked about news on the unmasking of Michael Flynn in intelligence reports. "The unmasking is a massive thing."
The president questioned Joe Biden's answers in an interview on GMA.
"He said he knows nothing about anything," Trump said, before saying Biden was an unmasker and questioning why he could say he knew nothing.

The president was askef about Afghanistan and whether he is concerned the peace deal is falling apart. "I don't know. We will have to see."

He was asked if lawmakers should move forward on stimulus. "I don't know it depends." He signaled disapproval for the Democrats proposal.

"It's as they say DOA."

He said he just spoke to Gen. Milley about Michael Flynn.
"He thinks General Flynn is a great great gentleman and a real fighter." "The FBI said he didn't lie."

On a pardon for Flynn, the president said he didn't want to talk about it

Do you have concerns about reopening like Dr. Fauci?
"He wants to play all sides of the equation." He said he believes the country will bounce back in the fourth quarter.
Asked what he meant by his comments regarding Fauci, the president said:
"I was surprised by his answer ... To me it's not an acceptable answer especially when it comes to schools."

More to come.

In town pool report #8

The president said he has been speaking on the phone to VP Mike Pence as they have kept distance from one another. He said he misses him.

Gov. Jared Polis spoke about efforts to reopen Colorado. He removed his mask as he spoke.

Senators Hoeven and Gardner, Secretary Bernhardt, and press secretary Kayleigh McEnany are also in the room and are not wearing masks but are distanced at the table.

More to come.

In town pool report #9

The president also asked Gov. Doug Burgum, Sen Hoeven and and ND Department of Commerce Commissioner Michelle Kommer to speak about efforts to reopen North Dakota.

Secretary Bernhardt said the department is "right on the shoulder of the governors" when it comes to reopening national parks.

"I hope everybody is listening. The parks are opening, and rapidly," the president said.

Pool was escorted out of the Cabinet Room at 5:13 pm. Please check quotes against the transcript. I'll send along fuller quotes.

In town pool report #10 -- full quotes on schools/unmasking

Here are some quotes from the meeting with governors.

President Trump was asked what his advice is to administrators and school principles on deciding on opening in the fall.

"I think they should open the schools, absolutely," the president said. "I think they should. It's had very little impact on young people. And I think that if you're an instructor, if you're a teacher, a professor over a certain age like let's say 65 or maybe even if you want to be conservative, 60, perhaps you want to stay out for a little while longer. But I think you should absolutely open the schools. Our country has got to get back and it's got to get back as soon as possible, and I don't consider our country coming back if the schools are closed."

"It's had very little impact on young people and I would strongly say they should open. It's up to the governors, it's the governors' choice, but their state is not open if the schools aren't open," the president said.

He was asked if he supports Sen. Graham's bill on sanctioning China.

"I respect Lindsey Graham and I'll certainly look at it," the president said.

Trump then was asked to comment on the unmasking news about Michael Flynn.

"The unmasking is a massive thing. I just got a list, who can believe a thing like this. And I watched Biden yesterday on Good Morning America being interviewed by one of your colleagues, George Stephanopoulos, and he said he knew nothing about anything. He has no idea, he knows nothing about anything. Nothing at all. And then it gets released today that he was a big unmasker. So how do you know nothing if you're one of the unmaskers."

In town pool report #11 -- travel/photo lid and more quotes

The White House called a travel/photo lid around 5:45 p.m.

More quotes from the Cabinet Room:

The president was asked about Federal Reserve Chairman Powell's statement today that he wasn't interested in bringing interest rates negative.

"I'm a believer in negative rates only if other countries that are competitors," the president said. "Look, Germany, they're an ally, they're friends of ours, they're still competitors on other things. So, Germany, Japan, others have negative rates and I think if they do, we're the most prime of the world."

"Certainly, if they have the advantage of negative rates, we should too."

On Powell: "He has done a very good job over the last couple of months, I have to tell you that. Because I have been critical but in many ways I call him my MIP. Do you know what an MIB is? It's the most improved player," the president said. "I disagree on one thing with him now and that's negative rates."

In town pool report #12 -- more quotes on Fauci/reopening

More from POTUS in the Cabinet Room.

Dr. Fauci was cautious about reopening in his testimony Tuesday. Do you share those concerns?

"He wants to play all sides of the equation," the president answered." I think we're going to have a tremendous fourth quarter, I think we're going to have a transitional third quarter, and I think we are going to have a phenomenal next year. I feel that we are going to have a country that is ready to absolutely have one of its best years. Next year, with all of the stimulus and all of the fact that it is a pent-up demand like I haven't seen. And you see it right now. These two really professional, good governors that work so hard. I know both of them very well. One happens to be a Democrat, we've worked together and I think we've worked together very well. And one you would expect me to say that but it happens to be very true, ok. Really good job, too. But we've worked very very well together. They want to get their states open. Some governors, and some perhaps partisans maybe for election reasons, don't want to have their states open, and then some shouldn't open them quite yet. Theywent through a lot and they're not quite ready. But no, we're opening our country, people want it open, the schools are going to be open."

When you say Dr. Fauci is playing both sides, are you suggesting the advice he is giving to you is different?

"I was surprised by his answer, actually, because, you know, it's just to me it's not an acceptable answer especially when it comes to schools," the president answered. "The only thing that would be acceptable as I said is professors, teachers, etcetera, over a certain age. I think they ought to take it easy for another few weeks."

In town pool report #13 -- quote on Pence

More from this afternoon in the Cabinet Room:

The president was asked how long he and the vice president planned to stay apart.

"Well, it's an interesting question. I haven't seen Mike Pence and I miss him," Trump answered. "But he was in the room with somebody that tested positive and he did not test positive, he tested the opposite. He's in good shape. But, I guess we said for a little while we'll stay apart because you don't know what happens with this very crazy and horrible disease. But we speak a lot on the phone. But I am in the White House. Mike is in his office but he is pretty much away from people. He's doing a great job."

In town pool report #14 -- quote on airlines

The president was also asked just before reporters were escorted out of the meeting how he would assess the confidence the American public has in traveling on airlines.

"They have great confidence, and they have great confidence in us and they have great confidence in the airlines. We saved the airlines with $25 billion and another $25 billion. We have airlines that are now in good shape, obviously they are going to pick up with the fares and with the seats. The airline industry is in good shape. We've been able to save the airline industry which would have been devastating if that happened. So, they're in good shape."

CSPAN also has full video posted of the meeting with the governors that you can view here: >https://www.c-span.org/video/?472078-1/president-trump-meeting-colorado-...Please don't hesitate to ask any questions and have a great night.