Pool Reports of May 8, 2020

In-town pool report #1

Good morning from the White House, where the sun is poking through the clouds but rain is expected later. I'll be your print pooler today.

President Trump called into Fox & Friends for about an hour this morning to discuss the new House Intel transcripts, the jobs numbers and the 2020 race, among other subjects.

The president has two events open to the pool on his schedule today: A trip to the WWII memorial for a wreath laying ceremony and a meeting with congressional Republicans. There is also a briefing with the press secretary scheduled for 12:30 p.m.

Please let me know if you have any questions for the briefing and I'll try and get them in, or any questions in general.

In-town pool report #2: Japan readout

Deputy press secretary Judd Deere passses along the following:

Yesterday, President Donald J. Trump spoke with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan. The two leaders discussed their respective nations' responses to the coronavirus pandemic. President Trump highlighted the great progress being made by American researchers to develop a vaccine. Both leaders reaffirmed the strong ties between the United States and Japan and agreed on the need for continued cooperation and transparency between the two countries to defeat the coronavirus and restore the strength of the global economy.

In-town pool report #3: Kudlow gaggle

Larry Kudlow stopped to take questions for about 10 minutes after a series of TV hits to discuss today's jobs numbers.

Please check quotes against video, which can be found here: >https://www.c-span.org/video/?471921-1/larry-kudlow-calls-april-unemploy... Will the jobs reports get worse before they get better?
"May is going to be another tough month. Look, these numbers, these are numbers that are full of hardship and heartbreak. This is a function of the pandemic as we know. It's a pandemic contraction as we know."

"The reason I've dodged specific numbers is simply because I don't think any economic models are any good in this particular environment."

Where do you think the trough is going to be? Sometime in Q3?
"I have noted a number of times that the Congressional Budget Office and most private forecasting surveys show very strong growth rebound in Q3. And that does jibe with what we're thinking. Which is interesting to see it in those other sources."

"Second half of the year should be very strong, and then I think if we can get a pro-growth, pro-incentive policy mix, which the president firmly believes in, 2021 could be a fantastic year. You can really get a big, big, big, big recovery in 2021."

"I would expect the numbers for May will be difficult. I would expect that. Now the weekly unemployment claims are worth looking at. They're still still rising... but the rate of decline is slowing. So that's a glimmer. I don't want to put too much emphasis on that."

"I think the rescue package has had a cushioning effect." He said about 3/4 of today's 20 million jobs losses look to be "temporary layoffs."

"That doesn't lessen the hardship, but it does suggest that things like the payroll protection program, and the unemployment insurance, and the economic impact checks and other things has had some cushioning effect."

How confident are you in this rebound, and is there a danger in giving people a false sense of optimism?
"I don't want to give anybody a false sense of anything. I say with great humility and deference. These are heartbreaking numbers. Nor do I want to suggest we have accurate forecasting models."

"I don't want to give false hope. I just think reasonably good economic analysis suggests that a reopening of the economy, a safe reopening of the economy, will provide much better numbers. And, again, you have to go to the health care experts... but those numbers are flattening out nicely.

"So to me the rescue plan, now we're in the reopening phase... and that will lead to good growth rebound in the third quarter."

"If we're right about the temporary layoffs, then people will go back to work fairly rapidly. Not all of them, mind you, but a good chunk."

Are you committed to doing a phase four package?
Said he and Kevin Hassett had a "great" phone call yesterday with about 50 House lawmakers in both parties.

"We're in a lot of conversations right now. We're kind of paused as far as formal negotiations go."

He cited Trump's support for a payroll tax cut, some kind of liability insurance for businesses and opening America up to boost the economy.

"His philosophy from day one was lower taxes, lower regulations, opening up energy and fair trade deals. And I would argue those worked and produced a very strong economy, even as recently as January and February. So whatever policies we come up with will be consistent with that point of view. It's a free enterprise point of view."

"But on specifics, we're at a lull right now."

Is there discussion about reopening international travel?
"It's being looked at by the health experts and by the president, but I can't help you on that.

Anything specific on getting the American public comfortable again on airlines?
"I don't want to get ahead of myself. There will be a number of guidelines. we're working with private industry. Very important matter. Extremely important. I just don't want to mislead you into specifics."

He said in response to one question that it's "hugely important" for kids to be back in the classroom this fall in order for the economy to rebound, both for social reasons and for childcare reasons.

Why is now the time to hit pause?
"We just had another big infusion. We put all this money in, which is fine. It's well worth it. Let's see what happens. As we move into the reopening phase this month, maybe spillover to June, let's have a look at it before we decide who, what, where when."

Shouldn't there be urgency to give businesses the incentive to do that?
"Yes. And we'll be talking about that. We'll be talking about that... let's just see. You know you had, again, heartbreaking numbers today. Weekly claims, nothing but hardship. I think a safe reopening in phases nationwide, let's just see how far that takes us, and we'll regroup."

In-town pool report #4: Rolling to WWII memorial

The president loaded into the motorcade at 11:32 after walking over from the Oval Office. He was joined by the the First Lady.

Your pooler saw one person out of roughly a dozen agents and officials standing outside the vehicles as they waited for POTUS wearing a mask. Two White House staff riding in our press van have masks on.

We are rolling at 11:34 for the World War II memorial for today's wreath laying ceremony.

In-town pool report #5: Memorial arrival

Motorcade arrived at the World War II memorial at 11:37 for today's event after an uneventful and brief drive.

President Trump and the First Lady walked you to the memorial at 11:39. They walked over to acknowledge the wreath laid at the base of the fountain, standing side by side. They stepped back and President Trump saluted at 11:41 as Taps began playing.

There are several veterans seated by the memorial's fountain, which is turned on for the event.

Kellyanne Conway, Mark Esper and Robert Wilkie are here as well.

There were a couple dozen onlookers on the ride over, including one who held a poster that said "Trump make trucking great again." Many has masks on, some didn't.

[APP Note: Report #6 was sent by the White House as identical to Report #2.]

In-town pool report #6: More color

Deputy press secretary Judd Deere passses along the following:
 
Yesterday, President Donald J. Trump spoke with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan. The two leaders discussed their respective nations’ responses to the coronavirus pandemic. President Trump highlighted the great progress being made by American researchers to develop a vaccine. Both leaders reaffirmed the strong ties between the United States and Japan and agreed on the need for continued cooperation and transparency between the two countries to defeat the coronavirus and restore the strength of the global economy.

In-town pool report #7: leaving memorial

The president and First Lady loaded back into the motorcade at 11:52 after completing their loop around the memorial. POTUS did not stop to make remarks or take questions.

We are rolling at 11:54.

In-town pool report #8: Back at WH

Motorcade arrived back at the White House at 11:59 after a short drive. Your pooler did not spot POTUS.

Next on the schedule is a press briefing with Kayleigh McEnany at 12:30. It will be live streamed on the White House website.

In-town pool report 8a: POTUS walks to Oval

Your pooler spoke too soon in saying we did not spot the president. After disembarking from the motorcade near the resident, he walked across the colonnade to the Oval Office, chatting with Mark Meadows and Robert O'Brien. They walked into the Oval Office a few minutes after noon.

Link to the upcoming press briefing is here: >https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyy-39kY9Gk

In-town pool report #9: WWII memorial attendees

The White House sent the following info about the president's visit to the World War II memorial this morning:

Today, President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump participated in a wreath laying ceremony in commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of Victory in Europe (V-E) Day at the World War II Memorial.

The following individuals were expected to attend:

The White House
President Donald J. Trump
First Lady Melania Trump

Trump Administration
Secretary Mark Esper, Department of Defense
Secretary David Bernhardt, Department of the Interior
Secretary Robert Wilkie, Department of Veteran Affairs
General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Major General Omar Jones, Commanding General, Joint Force Headquarters-National Capital Region
Superintendent Jeffrey Reinbold, Superintendent of National Mall and Memorial Parks

World War II Veterans
SSG Wilbur Myers
TECH SGT Steven Melnikoff
SGT Donald Halverson
SGT Gregory Melikian
SGT Guy Whidden
PVT Harold Angle
PVT John Coates

In-town pool report #10: Gathering for meeting with GOP lawmakers

Pool is heading in for the president's meeting with Republican members of Congress. Temperature checks were administered on the way in.

A couple notes from the briefing:

--Pool spotted all 14 seated reporters wearing masks as the press secretary spoke. All photographers were wearing masks.

--The White House stenographer was wearing a mask, but the press secretary and three press aides who joined her in the room were not.

In-town pool report #11: Meeting with lawmakers

The president entered the State Dining Room at 1:11 p.m. to applause from lawmakers. This event is being live-streamed on the White House website:
>https://youtu.be/kNty2Mog2zkI'll ask the White House for a full list of attendees, but there are roughly three dozen seats set up around tables in a rectangle. While there is spacing between each seat, it does not appear to be six feet. Some White House staff around the room have masks, but no lawmakers have them on.

Among the lawmakers in the room are GOP leader Kevin McCarthy, Dan Crenshaw, Devin Nunes, Elise Stefanik, Lee Zeldin, Warren Davidson, Jim Jordan, Andy Biggs and Debbie Lesko.

Administration officials in the room include Jared Kushner, Mark Meadows, Steve Mnuchin, Eric Ueland, Kevin Hassett and Larry Kudlow.

In-town pool report #12: Attendees and initial color

The president opened by speaking at length about his desire to rebuild the economy. He did not give specifics, other than to say he was confident the country could rebuild the economy to previous heights.

He deemed the idea "Transition to greatness."

"Because we're going to do something very fast, and we're going to have a phenomenal year next year."

"I think some people really don't want it to come back for political reasons," he said.

The president said he's spoken in recent days with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Japanese PM Abe, among other world leaders.

"Almost all of them... view is as the world leader. And they're following us."

Trump also briefly remarked on his trip to the WWII memorial.

"It was windy and beautiful, and we have a great country."

Trump went around the room to have each lawmaker speak. Each one has praised the president and offered an update on their particular districts and the impact of the coronavirus.

The president quipped that he thought more about Rep. Nunes in the last couple days than anybody else. He then launched into attacks on the Russia investigation.

The White House sends the following details on today's meeting:

Today, President Donald J. Trump will meet with Republican Members of Congress in the State Dining Room to discuss policies to make America's economy strong again.

The following individuals are expected to attend:

The White House
President Donald J. Trump
Mark Meadows, Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff
Jared Kushner, Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor
Dan Scavino, Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications
Larry Kudlow, Assistant to the President and Director of the National Economic Council
Eric Ueland, Assistant to the President and Director of Legislative Affairs
Christopher Cox, Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs for House
Kevin Hassett, Senior Advisor

Trump Administration
Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Department of the Treasury

Members of Congress
Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)
Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND)
Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY)
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ)
Rep. Ted Budd (R-NC)
Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX)
Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH)
Rep. Greg Murphy (R-NC)
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL)
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX)
Rep. Mark Green (R-TN)
Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA)
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH)
Rep. Debbie Lesko (R-AZ)
Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA)
Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA)
Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA)
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY)
Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-NY)

In-town pool report #13: Lawmakers still going around

Lawmakers continue going one by one to thank the president and shower him with praise. We're about halfway done as of 2 p.m. They lauded his travel ban on China, criticized Democrats over the Russia investigation and sometimes spoke about issues in their district.

Some color from the room:

Rep. Gohmert defended the lack of masks and social distancing in the room, saying everyone was tested. He suggested nobody in the room had the virus "unless it's someone in the media."

Jordan portrayed the House select committee on the coronavirus response as an effort to get the president. "They're never going to stop," Jordan said.

Trump seemed to agree, saying the Democratic committee members are the "greatest Trump-haters in history."

Kevin Hassett said there was a "silver lining" in today's jobs report. "Almost everybody who accounted for the increase in unemployment said they expect to go back to work in six months."

Larry Kudlow wiped his brow with a red handkerchief at one point, as the room was a bit warm.

One lawmaker told reporters as the event was about to get underway that he was tested for the virus at the White House today. He indicated he had not been tested previously.

In-town pool report #14: POTUS takes questions

The lawmakers/administration officials concluded going around the table at 2:26 p.m., more than an hour after they started.

Pool escorted out of the room at 2:49 p.m. Live stream is here for those who need it: >https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNty2Mog2zkThe president took questions for about 20 minutes. He seemed to indicate the Vice President's press secretary tested positive for coronavirus.

Chief of staff Mark Meadows said there are additional precautions in place but wouldn't get into specifics on what is being done beyond testing and social distancing. He said the White House is "probably the safest place you can come to."

Meadows said people in close proximity to the president have tested negative for the virus in response to a question about why those around him aren't wearing masks.

Trump said he's satisfied with the measures that have been taken so far to guard against the virus.

He again claimed that the virus will eventually go away even without a vaccine. Asked why he believes that, he cited unnamed doctors. Asked how often he's meeting with Dr. Birx, Dr. Fauci and White House medical experts, he said "a lot."

He said he would support a payroll tax cut or a capital gains tax measure to boost the economy.

Trump called Rick Bright a "disgruntled employee" when asked about a new watchdog report that found Bright's removal was improper.

The president said he didn't think about wearing a mask at the World War II memorial earlier, noting he stood relatively far away from the veterans.

A few odds and ends that may not have been visible on camera. Kevin Hassett, Warren Davidson and a few others jotted down notes as others spoke.

Multiple lawmakers had their hands in their faces at various times or wiped their brows or noses with their hands. A few had to pick up the microphones and place them closer before they spoke.

In-town pool report #15: Saudi call readout

Deputy press secretary Judd Deere passes along the following on the president's call with the king of Saudi Arabia:

Today, President Donald J. Trump spoke with King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The President and King Salman discussed the latest positive developments in defeating the coronavirus pandemic and re-energizing global economies. The two leaders agreed on the importance of stability in global energy markets, and reaffirmed the strong United States-Saudi defense partnership. The President and King Salman also discussed other critical regional and bilateral issues and their cooperation as leaders of the G7 and G20, respectively.

In-town pool report #16: Lid

White House called a travel/photo lid at 4:29 p.m.

Have a good night, and stay safe, everyone!

In-town pool report #17: Merkel readout

Deputy press secretary Judd Deere sends along the following:

Today, President Donald J. Trump spoke with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany to commemorate and reflect upon the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day. President Trump thanked Chancellor Merkel for her elegant message. The two leaders also discussed positive developments in defeating the coronavirus pandemic, research efforts, and reopening the American and German economies. The President thanked the Chancellor for Germany's strong response to the pandemic. The two leaders also discussed critical regional and bilateral issues.

In-town pool report #18: Malaysia readout

Deputy press secretary Judd Deere sends the following:

Today, President Donald J. Trump spoke with Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin of Malaysia to discuss efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic. President Trump thanked Prime Minister Muhyiddin for the Government of Malaysia's assistance with Project Air Bridge and efforts to keep supply chains open. The two leaders committed to continue working together to promote a swift economic recovery and enhance the United States-Malaysia Comprehensive Partnership.