Out of town travel pool 27: JBA arrival and Trump gaggle

AF1 was wheels down at 4:57pm ET.

During the flight, Trump came back and gaggled for roughly 12 minutes, touching on a number of topics. Highlights below and will send a full recording shortly:

On his reason for leaving the G7 early and Truth Social post criticizing French President Macron, Trump said: “I’m not looking for a ceasefire, we’re looking at better than a ceasefire.”

“I didn’t say I was looking for a ceasefire. That was Emmanuel—nice guy but he doesn’t get it right too often”

Asked what he was looking for specifically, he said “An end, a real end, not a ceasefire, a real end.” He later referred to what he was looking for as a “complete give-up” by Iran.

Trump warned Iran against targeting U.S. assets, saying “we’ll come down so hard, it’d be gloves off” in response.

“I think they’re know not to touch our troops”

Trump said he was considering dispatching VP Vance and Steve Witkoff to meet with the Iranians but it “depends on what happens when I get back.” He later said “I’m not too much in the mood to negotiate” with Iran.

Trump said he’d be in the situation room early Tuesday morning. As for why he’s returned to DC, he said : “Just to be a little bit, I think, more well versed, not having to use telephones so much because I don’t believe in telephones, because people like you listen to them”

“Being on the scene is much better, and we did everything I had to do at the G7,” he continued.

On the G7 joint statement on the Middle East, Trump said he’d not yet seen it but had authorized staff “to say certain things. I don’t know whether or not they said them correctly, but I think they probably did.”

On trade:

Trump said he didn’t feel the EU was offering a fair deal yet.

He said he’d had a “great conversation” with the Japanese prime minister, and there was “a chance” they would reach a deal.

Trump was complimentary of Canadian PM Carney, but expanded on his reference earlier to Carney’s “complex” trade concept: “You get too complex on the deals and they never get done.”

Finally, Trump was asked whether he’d called Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz following this week’s shootings of two state politicians: “I don’t really call him,” Trump said. “I think the governor of Minnesota is so whacked out, I’m not calling him. Why would I call him?”

I could call him, say hi how are you doing? The guy doesn’t have a clue, he’s a mess.”

“So I could be nice and call him but why waste time.”

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Adam Cancryn

White House reporter, POLITICO