Pool Reports of March 7, 2025

In-town note #1 - driveway gaggles

Good morning from the White House. Tracking one, perhaps two pooled events today — the crypto summit and the EO signings beforehand that may get opened up to pool. Departure at 5p will be open.

NEC director Kevin Hassett and border czar Tom Homan both spoke in the driveway following TV hits just now.

Hassett spoke for over 10 minutes about the jobs numbers and tariffs before Homan walked by and several reporters, including your pooler, walked away to grab him (and missed the last few minutes of the Hassett comments. Otters below:

Hassett: https://otter.ai/u/ivI9kuxflzPxB8NcyaKbK77DUug
Homan: https://otter.ai/u/j6SWxgiQkMI9Ca7GOYq62QtTPag

In town note #2 - POTUS Oval remarks added to schedule

Flagging that the daily guidance has been updated and we will now have remarks from POTUS in the Oval at 11.

TV folks have gone to preset so the expectation is this will be broadcast live.

In town note #3 - still holding

Just an update to note that pool is still waiting to go back to the Oval, so that 11a start time has slipped.

Also, the comments will be NOT be carried live on TV as we were initially told they would be — so it’ll be the usual tape playback situation instead.

I’ll aim to provide news/rough quotes in real time.

In town note #4 - heading to Oval now

Pool entering Oval at 11:53

Otter link if you want to follow live: https://otter.ai/u/VGP24NfgaZ72z1CGbnDhgkFJl8c

In town note #5 - POTUS on the econom

Pool entered the Oval at 11:53. POTUS was seated behind the desk chatting with Kevin Hassett. Two poster boards were set on easels behind him showing gains in manufacturing jobs and reductions in federal government jobs.

Please check all quotes against audio/video/transcript.

As POTUS began, he read from a piece of paper and cited some economic data.

He said the 10K gain in manufacturing jobs came largely in the auto industry. "So we created 9000 new jobs already in the auto production, auto parts manufacturing."

"We're trying to shrink government and grow the private sector. That's what we've been doing — under the final two years of Biden, one in every four jobs created in America was a government job."

"For the first time in 15 months, the job gains for native born Americans, for American people, people born in America, exceeded job gains for migrant and foreign born workers."

POTUS asked Hassett to speak around 12:01. He said the numbers provided "a glimpse of the golden age to come."

Trump began speaking again two minutes later and mentioned action to remove protections for forests because of the US dependence on Canadian lumber.

"We're freeing it up on an emergency basis, because Canada has been ripping us off for years on tariffs for lumber and for dairy products."

"These numbers really reflect a lot of things that have happened since Nov. 5."

POTUS wraps remarks at 12:08 and is now taking questions. More TK.

In town note #6 - POTUS Q&A on economy, Russia/Ukraine

Asked how long Americans could feel pain from tariffs, POTUS said it hasn't been that bad yet:

"There could be some disturbance, a little bit of disturbance."

"I solved a little bit of that because I have respect for our auto companies, and I gave them a little bit of a one month reprieve, because it was a it was unfair, although I'm sure they'll take advantage of it."

On the on/off nature of tariffs:

"There will always be changes and adjustments."

"If you have a wall in front of you, sometimes you have to go around the wall instead of through it."

Why do you want to overturn the bipartisan Chips act?

"Because it's hundreds of billions of dollars and it's just a waste of money."

Do you still believe Putin when he says he wants peace?

"I believe him. I think we're doing very well with Russia, and right now they're bombing the hell out of Ukraine. I'm finding it more difficult, frankly, to deal with Ukraine. They don't have the cards."

He asks Waltz to speak briefly, then says he thinks "we're gonna get it settled and stopped."

Is Putin taking advantage of pausing US military aid to Ukraine?

"I think he's doing what anybody else would do… And I think he's hitting him harder than he's been hitting him. And I think probably anybody in that position would be doing that right now."

Why not give Ukraine air defenses to prevent Putin from pounding them?

"I have to know that they want to settle. I don't know that they want to settle. If they don't want to settle, we're out of there because we want them to settle."

Still going at 12:22…

In town note #7 - Oval spray wraps

A few more quotes below…

On Iran:

"We're down to final strokes with Iran. That's going to be an interesting time".

"Something is going to happen very soon."

Security guarantees for Ukraine?

"Before I even think about that, I want to settle the war."

After war ends, security "will be the easy part."

POTUS thanked the press at 12:28 and wranglers led us out.

In town note #8 - Sacks gaggle

David Sacks gaggled with reporters in the driveway from 1-1:15 and spoke about the EO on crypto and today’s crypto summit.

Otter: https://otter.ai/u/tGs7-6U5mLbsX58NpKCrq8MS2pI

In town note #9 - heading back into Oval

Pool is holding now outside the Oval. Seems like the EO signing just got opened up.

In town note #10 - Oval

Pool entered the Oval at 2:58

POTUS is seated back at the desk.

You can follow here: https://otter.ai/u/TURth1XiOg1mXWzClsLxBW8vWbM

In town pool #11 - World Cup EO

POTUS announces an EO setting up a task force on the World Cup.

FIFA head Gianni Infantino is here and spoke for a moment.

"It's like three Super Bowls a day for a month," POTUS said of the tournament.

He signed it with the usual Sharpie at 3:03. Some banter about the tournament with Trump asking who is favored to win, whether the US team can. Trump says he wants to attend matches.

POTUS got a question about reporting on yesterday's cabinet meeting and disputed that there was a clash.

"No clash, I was there, you're just a troublemaker," he told NBC's Gabe Gutierrez. "Elon gets along great with Marco and they're both doing a fantastic job."

He didn't answer a follow up. Instead, he got up out of his chair and Infantino pulled a black cloth off the World Cup trophy.

He asked for only FIFA questions but then said about the reported clash:

"Marco has done unbelievably as Secretary of State. And Elon is a unique guy and has done a fantastic job."

Asked about tensions w Canada and Mexico affecting the World Cup, POTUS said "it makes it much more exciting."

He posed for photos with other FIFA representatives when Sec. Kristy Noem pointed out that they were there and then thanked the press and the wranglers shooed us out at 3:11.

In town note #12 - crypto summit begins

POTUS entered the state dinning room at 3:44 and received a standing ovation.

He took his seat in the middle of a large U-shaped table. He’s got three cabinet members to his right (Bessent, Lutnick and Loeffler) and David Sacks and Bo Hines to his left. Crypto folks seated all around.

He asked FIFA’s Gianni Infantino, who is also here, to show off the gold World Cup trophy we just saw in the Oval.

This event should be live on the WH YouTube page so I’ll be sending fewer quotes. Please reach out with questions.

In town note #13 - crypto summit remarks

Trump opens by outlining his EO allowing the government to hold and maintain its crypto holdings and criticizing the Biden administration for selling off Bitcoin that would have increased in value. A few quotes:

"From this day on, America will follow the rule that every Bitcoin knows very well, never sell your Bitcoin. That's a little phrase that they have. Is it right? Who the hell knows."

"They strong-armed banks into closing the accounts of crypto businesses and entrepreneurs, effectively blocking some money transfers to and from exchanges, and they weaponized government against the entire industry. But I know that feeling also maybe better than you do."

"This is a tremendous opportunity for economic growth and innovation in our financial sector, and we'll really go a long way."

Trump then called on others to speak: Sacks, Bessent, Lutnick, Loeffler and Rep. Tom Emmer.

Then he turned it over to Sacks to call on some of the crypto industry folks, starting with Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss.

Comments ongoing…

In town note #14 - press exits

At 4:05p after that initial round of comments, POTUS thanked the press and we were escorted out.

In town note #15 - departure

POTUS — spotted chatting for a few minutes inside the Oval with Elon Musk, Howard Lutnick and others — emerged from the door at 5:44 in his belted overcoat and walked across the South Lawn. He pumped his fist to the large group of press gathered in the driveway but did not stop to chat and boarded Marine One.

Musk, Susie Wiles and Lutnick walked several paces behind. Musk only waved in response to shouted questions about whether he is getting along with the rest of the cabinet. That trio boarded M1 using the rear door.

M1 lifted at 5:49.

Over to the out of town pool at JBA.

Out-of-town note #1 - JBA arrival

Greetings! I'll be your out-of-town print pooler this weekend.

Light haze this evening at JBA.

Marine One touched down at 5:57pm.

POTUS stepped off 6:00pm, walking deliberately toward AF1 and speaking with his escort. Waved toward the pool but did not speak before going up the big stairs.

Elon Musk, Howard Lutnick, Susie Wiles, Walt Nauta all following. Musk gave us a wave but also did not speak.

Out-of-town note #2 - AF1 wheels up

Margo Martin was also spotted on the tarmac prior to departure - forgive my lapse.

We are wheels up on AF1 at 6:12pm.

Out-of-town note #3- wheels down in Palm Beach

We are wheels down at PBI at 7:53 pm.

An uneventful flight to Palm Beach, with no one coming back to speak to the press onboard Air Force One. There was some light turbulence in the early portion of the flight; it tussled our drinks but left them unspilled.

Fox News was on for the duration of the trip. Howard Lutnick managed the feat of being somewhere up front on the plane and on Laura Ingraham’s show on our screens at the same time, a prerecord from the WH.

Out-of-town note #4- PBI departure

Walt Maura walked out at 8:04pm and deposited a binder on the seat of the Beast, then walked away to a staff vehicle.

POTUS walked out of AF1 at 8:06pm along with Viktor Knavs. Elon Musk trailed behind several steps. POTUS pumped his fist at the pool, and got into the Beast. We're on the move.

Out-of-town note #5- Mar-a-Lago arrival

Motorcade made its way to Mar-a-Lago, arriving at 8:18 pm.

We passed several clusters of supporters along the way, each a couple dozen people. Some were waving blue Trump flags. One person was blasting "YMCA" loud enough to shake our press van.

Pool is holding in the Mar-a-Lago parking lot as POTUS and team have proceeded onward into the club.

Please forgive the earlier autocorrect error. It was of course Walt Nauta, not Maura, who deposited a binder into the Beast.

Out-of-town note #6- Lid

Travel/photo lid was called at 8:30pm.