Pool Reports of September 15, 2020

In-Town Pool Report 1 — Arrival Bahrain's Foreign Affairs Minister

??Good Morning from the White House...

The Minister of Foreign Affairs for Bahrain and delegation arrived at 10:38am.

POTUS gave a thumbs up to reporters. Asked about the day, said he felt "fantastic" before going back into West Wing without taking more questions.

Uniformed U.S. Service members were lined up along the driveway on both sides, each carrying a state flag (photo attached)

Will keep you posted if any of the bilats on today's schedule open up. Pool was tested earlier this morning.

In-Town Pool Report #2 - Pool called to gather

???Pool called to gather. More TK.

Pool will not be able to report from UAE and Israel delegation arrivals as we hold.

In-Town Pool Report 3- POTUS and UAE

?Pool entered Oval Office at 11:27am

Escorted out at 11:37am

POTUS welcomed the foreign minister of UAE.

"Your country is a great country"

Also on hand , VP Pence, Pompeo, Mnuchin, Jared Kushner, Mark Meadows

POTUS: "you can say it's a backdoor, but i call it a smart door."

UAE Foreign Minister: "This is just a clear message that more should be done between the united states and the UAE"

Asked what message the accords send to Palestinians, POTUS replies:
"I think they see what's happening..."
said he stopped payment to Palestinians
"I think we'll see the Palestinians at some point"
"You're going to have peace without blood in the sand."

Asked about Iran
"we'll see what happens with Iran"
Predicted that after election we'll see "Iran coming back" looking to make a new deal with US.

Asked about other countries normalizing relations with Israel:
POTUS said others will join but does not provide more.

Pool Report 4 — Holding for Israeli bilat + details of UAE arrival

?Holding for bilat with Israeli PM Netanyahu

Also passing along details from UAE arrival at the West Wing provided by Hamodia reporter Reuvain Borchardt.

"At 11:19 Trump greeted the UAE foreign minister in front of the west wing. Neither one wore masks but they did not shake hands. They did not make comments, and reportera did not shout questions

Feel free to pass along

Reuvain Borchardt

In-Town Pool Report 5 - POTUS + Netanyahu bilat

??Pool entered Oval Office 12:05/ Leaves 12:15

POTUS presented Netanyahu with a Gold Key. Said it was the "key to the White House"

Netanyahu: "You have a key to the hearts of the Jewish people"

POTUS on UAE: "they very much wanted to do this."

"We have many nations ready to follow."

Reporter: Can you name them? POTUS says not now. "we're very far down the road with 5 additional countries."

Q: Will you promote f-35 deal even if Israel objects
POTUS: "we'll work that out"

Q: Does israel feel isolated
POTUS: "I think Israel is not isolated anymore"

Netanyahu: "Heck no." Touts relationship with U.S. Says Tehran feels pressure.

POTUS on Iran: "I really believe Iran wants to make a deal"

"I want Iran to be a great country."

Repeats his claim that Iran, China, Russia want Biden to win.Asked if he will negotiate a deal with Palestinians:
"They've come a long way"
"The palestinians will absolutely be a member...at the right time"
"We are talking to the Palestinians"

"Even Bibi gets tired of war," Potus says as Netanyahu laughs

*****
From ARRIVAL via Reuvain Borchardt, Hamodia

11:54 am
Trump and First Lady greeted Netanyahu and his wife Sara. They chatted briefly and posed for media.Once again, no masks, no handshakes, no public statements. No shouted questions from media

In Town Pool Report 6- Signing Ceremony Starts

???Greetings from the South Lawn where about 200 attendees are on hand. (Seeking count from press office.)

A mixed bag in terms of masks— some attendees wearing, some not.

POTUS and Netanyahu emerged from Oval Office at 12:45pm. They joined foreign ministers from UAE and Bahrain on colonnade before walking inside to Blue Room.

The leaders appeared on the Blue Room balcony at 12:54pm, arriving to cheers, whistles and applause.

Event will be livestreamed at: whitehouse.gov/live

In-Town Pool Report 7 - List of Attendees

>From WH's Judd Deere:

Today, President Donald J. Trump will participate in the signing ceremony of the Abraham Accords, a historic agreement that is a culmination of President Trump's strong leadership and the vision of the leaders of the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the State of Israel. These agreements mark a major step toward peace in the region and a more vibrant future filled with endless possibilities.
The following individuals are expected to attend:

The White House
President Donald J. Trump
First Lady Melania Trump
Vice President Mike Pence
Mark Meadows, Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff
Robert O'Brien, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
Jared Kushner, Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor
Avi Berkowitz, Assistant to the President and Special Representative for International Negotiations
Kayleigh McEnany, Assistant to the President and Press Secretary
Dan Scavino, Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications
Robert Greenway, Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Middle East and North African Affairs

Trump Administration
Secretary Mike Pompeo, Department of State
Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Department of Treasury
Secretary Mike Pompeo, Department of State
Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Department of Treasury
Secretary Mark Esper, Department of Defense
Attorney General Bill Barr, Department of Justice
Secretary David Bernahrdt, Department of the Interior
Secretary Sonny Perdue, Department of Agriculture
Secretary Wilbur Ross, Department of Commerce
Secretary Gene Scalia, Department of Labor
Secretary Ben Carson, Department of Housing and Urban Development
Secretary Elaine Chao, Department of Transportation
Secretary Dan Brouillette, Department of Energy
Secretary Betsy DeVos, Department of Education
Secretary Robert Wilkie, Department of Veterans Affairs
Acting Secretary Chad Wolf, Department of Homeland Security
Administrator Andrew Wheeler, Environmental Protection Agency
Director Russell Vought, Office of Management and Budget
Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, United States Trade Representative
Administrator Jovita Carranza, Small Business Administration
Director John Ratcliffe, Director of National Intelligence
Ambassador David Friedman, U.S. Embassy Jerusalem
Ambassador John Rakolta Jr., U.S. Embassy Abu Dhabi
Brian Hook, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State
Major General Miguel Correa, Senior Director for Gulf and North African Affairs

Members of Congress
Lindsey Graham, United States Senator from South Carolina
Ted Cruz, United States Senator from Texas
Thom Tillis, United States Senator from North Carolina
John Boozman, United States Senator from Arkansas
Mike Braun, United States Senator from Indiana
Tom Cotton, United States Senator from Arkansas
Steve Daines, United States Senator from Montana
Chuck Grassley, United States Senator from Iowa
John Hoeven, United States Senator from North Dakota
Cindy Hyde-Smith, United States Senator from West Virginia
James Lankford, United States Senator from Oklahoma
Mike Lee, United States Senator from Utah
Kelly Loeffler, United States Senator from Georgia
Jerry Moran, United States Senator from Kansas
Jim Risch, United States Senator from Idaho
Todd Young, United States Senator from Indiana
Mitt Romney, United States Senator from Utah
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, CA 23rd District
Matt Gaetz, FL 1st District
Michael Waltz, FL 6th District
Xochitl Torres Small, NM2nd District
Chris Stewart, UT 2nd District
Abigail Spanberger, VA7th District
Chris Smith, NJ 4th District
Jim Sensenbrenner, WI 5^th District
Brad Schneider, IL 10th District
Austin Scott, GA 8th District
Steve Scalise, LA 1st District
Scott Perry, PA 10th District
Greg Pence, IN 6th District
Devin Nunes, CA 2nd District
Donald Norcross, NJ 1st District
Stephanie Murphy, FL 7th District
Mike McCaul, TX, 10th District
Brian Mast, FL 18th District
Elaine Luria, VA 2nd District
Doug Lamborn, CO 5th District
David Kustoff, TN 8th District
Adam Kinzinger, IL 16th District
French Hill, AR 2nd District
Mike Guest, MS 3rd District
Sam Graves, MO 6th District
Kay Granger, TX 12th District
Josh Gottheimer, NJ 5th District
Vicente Gonzalez, TX 15th District
Virginia Foxx, NC 5th District
Eliot Engel, NY 16th District
Ted Deutch, FL 22nd District
Scott DesJarlais, TN 4th District
John Curtis, UT 3rd District
Paul Cook, CA 8th District
Bradley Byrne, AL 1st District
Tim Burchett, TN 2nd District
Anthony Brindisi, NY 22nd District
Jack Bergman, MI 1st District
Jim Banks, IN 3rd District
Don Bacon, NE 2nd District
Robert Aderholt, AL 4th District
Liz Cheney, WY At-large District

External Participants
His Excellency Benjamin NETANYAHU, The Prime Minister of the State of Israel
His Highness Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan,Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
His Excellency Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid AL-ZAYANI,Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain
His Excellency Ron DERMER, Ambassador of the State of Israel to the United States
Meir BEN SHABBAT, National Security Advisor and Head of the NSC
His Excellency Obaid Bin Humaid Al Tayer, Minister of State for Financial Affairs
Her Excellency Reem Bin Ebrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation
His Excellency Sultan Bin Ahmad Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology
His Excellency Abdula Bin Touq Al Mari, Minister of Economy
His Excellency Yousef Al Otaiba, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the US
His Excellency Ali Saeed Matar Al Neyadi, Chairman of the Federal Customs Authority
His Excellency Shaikh Abdulla Bin Rashed ALKHALIFA,Ambassador of Bahrain to the United States
His Excellency Shaikh Abdulla Bin Ahmed ALKHALIFA,Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Her Excellency Huda Ezra Ebrahim NONOO, FormerAmbassador of Bahrain to the United States
Sara NETANYAHU, Spouse of the Prime Minister

State & Local Participants
Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida
Additional State & Local Officials

Intown Pool Report 8 — Details on singing ceremony table & chairs

>From WH's Judd Deere...

Today's signing will take place at The Lee Dining Room Table from Blair House.

President Truman held weekly luncheon meetings with his cabinet at this dining room table. Discussions at this table helped to chart the progress of American diplomacy - fundamentals embodied in the Marshall Plan and Truman Doctrine were discussed at this table. The legacy of high-level meetings continues, as this table is now in the Lee Dining Room of the Blair House, the President's Guest House - where visits are exclusively reserved for meetings presided over by the guest chief of state or head of government. It has also served new and former First Families when they stay at Blair House for inaugurations and state funerals.

The chairs for the signing are from the current Cabinet Room in the White House.

Intown Pool Report 9 — Ceremony Ends at 1:38pm

POTUS and leaders walked away from signing table at 1:38pm.

In-Town Pool Report 10 — Pool gathering

Pool called to Palm Room Doors. More TK
Laura Figueroa

In Town Pool Report #11 — No questions. Brief remarks at luncheon

Pool escorted into State Dining Room at 1:57p and escorted out a minute later. No questions.

Netanyahu seated across from Trump, joked that he wasn't sure he wanted to be seated with press behind his back.

POTUS on signing accords: "Its something we should all be proud of."

In Town Pool Report #12 -- Lunch Lid until 3:15

enjoy your lunch!

In Town Pool Report 13- Gathered for depature

? Pool gathered on the South Lawn as of 3:17pm, awaiting Marine One and POTUS' departure

In-Town Pool Report 14- Departure with Q's

??POTUS left Oval Office at 3:40pm, walked side by side with Press Sec. Kayleigh McEnany.

Took some questions. As always please check transcript for full quotes as it was hard to hear over chopper.

Q:What are u doing to reach out to suburban voters?
Touted "law and order" and ending Obama era AFFH housing rules.
Said he is running a "very powerful law and order campaign."
Ticked off list of police union endorsements.

Asked about his claims yesterday on climate change and if he believes in climate change, said he's a "big believer" in the claims he made yesterday.

Asked about World Trade Organization on China Tariffs.
Said will have to examine issue. "Not a big fan" of WTO

Asked about Tik Tok
Said he'll take a look at deal and he's a fan of Larry Ellison

On Mattis
He didn't do the ISIS job...

On today's signing
Said he believes Saudi Arabia will join other countries in normalizing relations with Israel

On Nevada:
The Gov of Nevada should not be in charge of ballots.

Marine One wheels up at 3:52pm

[APP Note: Report #15 does not exist or was not received by the APP.]

In-Town Pool Report 16 — WH Arrival

???Marine One landed on the South Lawn at 8:05p.m.

POTUS entered White House at 8:08pm without taking questions.

In-Town Pool Report 17 - Travel/Photo Lid

??Travel/Photo Lid called at 8:12pm

Good Night!

Foreign pool report #1

?Around 200 people were invited , at this most of the guests are here on the South Lawn , some are seated .

There is a band playing in the background , I spotted heads of think tanks who are working on the Israel Palestinian conflict . Few lawmakers , I saw Kevin McCarthy, former peace enjoy Jason Greebblatt, state spokeswoman , Morgan Ortagus .

A stage is set with four brown chair and a table ready for

Some guests are wearing masks , many are not .

Foreign pool #2

UAE Attendees

Foreign Minister Abdullah Bin Zaid
Ambassador Al Otaiba
HE Reem Al Hashemi
HE Omar Ghobash
HE Dr. Sultan Al Jaber
HE Abdulla bin Touq
HE Obaid Al Tayer
Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh of the UN.

Travel pool report 1

Marine One touched down at JBA at 4:04 p.m.

President Donald Trump exited and boarded Air Force One at 4:07 p.m.

Also spotted boarding: McEnany, Hicks, Scavino, Meadows.

Taking off soon for Philadelphia.

Travel Pool Report 2

Air Force One left the ground at 4:15 p.m. - touched down hard in Philadelphia at 4:40 p.m.

President Trump disembarked at 4:57 p.m., spoke briefly with some guests who greeted him, and entered the limo.

The motorcade will soon be headed downtown to the National Constitution Center, site of the ABC town hall.

A list of greeters at the airport, per the White House:
Martina White
State Representative for Pennsylvania's 170th Legislative District

Lou Barletta
Former United States Representative from Pennsylvania

John McNesby
President, Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police

Travel Pool Report 3

Motorcade rolled from the tarmac at 5:01 p.m.

We arrived at the National Constitution Center at 5:13 p.m.

After exiting the airport, a line of uniformed officers stood at attention and saluted the motorcade as it rolled past. Don't know where those officers were from.

No issues during the motorcade. It took freeways into downtown, which was not very crowded - there were more police than pedestrians, most of whom took video and snapshots of the motorcade.

We are now in a holding room - it doesn't look like we will get access to the taping of the town hall.

Travel Pool Report 4

The town hall taping is just about done and the travel pool is packing up at 6:30 p.m.

We had no access to the event, which ABC will broadcast starting at 9 p.m., eastern.

Also: The White House passes along that a fourth person greeted President Trump at the airport earlier in the day:

John Bland

Business Manager and Secretary Treasurer, Boilermakers Local 13

Repeating from previous pool report: Other greeters at the airport, per the White House:

Martina White
State Representative for Pennsylvania's 170th Legislative District

Lou Barletta
Former United States Representative from Pennsylvania

John McNesby
President, Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police

Travel Pool Report 5

Motorcade pulled away from the National Constitution Center at 6:51 p.m.

Lots of police lined the streets leading to the freeway. Motorcade raced past the ballpark, where the lights were on ahead of the (fan-less) Phillies-Mets game.

Arrived at airport at 7:03 p.m.

A few Trump fans gathered near the airfield entrance.

President Trump boarded Air Force One quickly.

Taking off soon for JBA

Travel Pool Report 6

Air Force One lifted off from Philadelphia at 7:13 p.m.

Touched down at JBA at 7:39 p.m.

Uneventful flight (though President Trump tweeted out a picture of himself with a large Philly cheesesteak).

Trump exited AF1 at 7:50 p.m. He boarded Marine One and it took off from JBA at 7:56 p.m.

Over and out.