Vice Presidential Pool Reports of February 20, 2025

VPOTUS pool report #1 — CPAC fireside chat begins

VPOTUS stepped onto the stage here in National Harbor, Maryland, at 10:25 a.m. to cheers, applause and chants of "USA" in the packed ballroom. He is kicking off Day 1 of CPAC in DC 2025 with a fireside chat with Mercedes Schlapp, a CPAC senior fellow who served as White House director of strategic communications during President Donald Trump's first term. 

CPAC is carrying the conversation live here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BN-62AQT4Q&ab_channel=CPAC

VPOTUS pool report #2 — VPOTUS concludes CPAC remarks

VPOTUS concluded his conversation with Mercedes Schlapp at 10:59 after speaking for 34 minutes. They discussed the Trump-Vance administration's first month in office, highlighting the number of executive orders POTUS has signed and returning frequently to the administration's priorities to "secure the southern border," "drill baby drill" and "turn off the spigot and spend the American people's tax money on the American people's priorities." 

Please check quotes against the official transcript. 

On POTUS calling for one 'big, beautiful bill' 

"So the Senate obviously has its own approach, and the President has been very clear that his preference is to put everything in one. And part of that is just simple legislative strategy. I think the president has learned a lot about how DC works. And I actually talked to the president about this yesterday, and he said to me, 'Look, it's very rare that you can get two reconciliation bills done in one Congress,' which is why he thinks we've got to do a lot with that one big beautiful bill, that first reconciliation package that we're going to get through the House of the Senate." 

On Europe

The conversation halted momentarily when Schlapp brought up VPOTUS's speech last week in Munich, causing whistles and applause as about half the room stood. 

"Follow the lead of Donald J Trump, and that's free speech, borders and sovereignty — that is the future of our civilization," VPOTUS said.

Asked to give a message to hostages freed by Hamas and the family members of those still being held in Gaza, some of whom were seated near VPOTUS in the audience. 

"Our message is that President Trump loves you. He hasn't forgotten your loved ones."

Asked how the Trump administration would support the CPAC community's "pro-life" beliefs. 

"I think the most important thing that we can do — and as you know Mercedes, I'm very pro-life, I'm a devout Christian — is that we have got to persuade our fellow Americans, because now we've got the power, we've got the power of persuasion. We've got to persuade our fellow citizens that unborn life is worthy of protecting it is sacred in the eyes of God, and it should be sacred in the eyes of man, too." 

On a perceived attack on masculinity in American culture

"I think that it wants to turn everybody into, whether male or female, into androgynous idiots who think the same, talk the same, and act the same. We actually think God made male and female for a purpose."