In-town pool report #20

Trump’s comments from gaggle on his meeting with Zelenskyy:

“I would say it didn’t work out exactly great from his standpoint. He very much overplayed his hand. We’re looking for peace.”

“I’m looking for peace. We’re not looking to go into a 10-year war and play games. We want peace.”

“He’s looking for something that I’m not looking for. He’s looking to go on and fight, fight, fight. We’re looking to end the death.”

“Somebody would say why do you care about the Ukrainian and Russian soldiers? I care about them. I care about everybody.”

“He’s dealing with a very weak set of cards.”

“He’s gotta say I want to make peace. He doesn’t have to stand there and say Putin this, Putin that, all negative things. & I don’t want to fight a war any longer.”

Asked if Trump asked Zelenskyy to leave the White House, Trump said, “I don’t have to tell you that.”

Asked whether he trusts Putin or Zelenksyy more, Trump said, “I don’t trust or distrust anybody, I just want to get the deal done.”

“We’re not going to keep fighting. We’re going to get the war done or let them go and see what happens.”

Asked if he wants Zelenskyy gone, “I want anybody that’s going to make peace. If he’s capable of making peace, which he may or may not be, but I want somebody who’s going to make peace. Again, he doesn’t have the cards. When we signed up, he’s got all of the cards. That doesn’t mean he can fight. He’s got to stop the fighting, stop the death.”

Pooler didn’t hear the question, but I believe someone asked about further talks with Zelenskyy, and Trump responded, “He said he wants to come back right now, but I can’t do that.”

“Ceasefire could take place immediately & but he doesn’t want to do that, that’s fine.”

“I want a ceasefire now. He says, ‘oh, I don’t want a ceasefire.’ Well all of a sudden he’s a bigshot because he has the U.S. on his side. Either we’re going to end it or let him fight it out, and if he fights it out, it’s not going to be pretty. Because without us, he doesn’t win.”

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Less notable comments Trump made at the beginning of the gaggle:

Trump said he is going to FL for a big MAGA event tomorrow night.

Mentioned Apple is investing $500 billion. “That’s going to be a tremendous investment.”

“The country is really doing well. We’re respected again all over the world.” Mentions prime ministers from Japan, UK, India. Others who want to come.

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Faith E. Pinho

Reporter

Los Angeles Times

m. XXX-XXX-XXXX

@faithepinho