pool report Apr 21, 2025 · 4:45 PM UTC

WH in town note 7/ POTUS on Pete Hegseth and immigration

From: David Smith
Sent: Monday April 21, 2025, 12:28 PM

Second gaggle continued. On another question about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Signal messages:

POTUS: "We have the highest recruitment numbers I think we've had in 28 years. No, he's doing a great job. It's just fake news. They just bring up stories. I guess it sounds like disgruntled employees. He was put there to get rid of a lot of bad people and that's what he's doing so you don't always have friends when you do that."

On a question about visiting his golf course in Scotland:

POTUS: "We're opening a fantastic project... and I hope I'm going to get to see it. It's going to be great. Thank you."

On a question about Haitian immigrants finding it nearly impossible to go back to Haiti because flights have been suspended:

POTUS: "We have to have a safe country. If people are in the country illegally – and the people who have records that are very bad in particular – we have to get them out. I was, as you know, elected on the basis that we would have very little crime in our country... We closed up the border. The border's now the strongest border we've ever had."

Q: These are Haitians who came in legally through that Biden-era programme. There are communities, even in Texas, conservative voters, who say these people should not be forced to leave.

POTUS: "Well, if they came legally then they're going to be in good shape."

Q: You talked about Jesus in your opening statement. How important is this country right now [inaudible]?

POTUS: "It brings the country together. It's so important that we do that. Religion. I said bring religion back. Religion keeps it together. Such a great thing."

POTUS walked to the Oval Office at 11.45am.

And from POTUS's first gaggle (which your pooler could not get to), CSPAN has a clip:

https://www.c-span.org/program/white-house-event/president-trump-speaks-about-death-of-pope-francis-and-second-hegseth-signal-chat/658861

David Smith

Washington bureau chief

Guardian News & Media

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