Out of town note #11 - POTUS out of AF1, and quotes from POTUS gaggle

POTUS descended down the big steps from AF1 at 7:31pm trailed by Walt Nauta and Elon Musk. He saluted his greeter, then turned toward pool, pumped his fist and mouthed "thank you."

Entered Marine One at 7:32pm along with the others mentioned. Marine One took off at 7:37pm.

Quotes from the gaggle:

Russia sanctions?

"We're going to be looking at a lot of things. We have big meetings coming up, as you know, in Saudi Arabia, that's going to include Russia, but Ukraine, we'll see if we can get something done, like to get something done."

"A lot of people died this week, as you know, in Ukraine, not only Ukrainians, but Russians. So I think everybody wants to see it get done. We're going to make a lot of progress. I believe this week."

Tariffs: "I think the tariffs are going to be the greatest thing we've ever done as a country. It's going to make our country rich again."

Amy Coney Barrett: "she's a very good woman. She's very smart, and I don't know about people attacking her, I really don't know. I think she's a very good woman. She's very smart."

government shutdown this week?- "the Democrats want that. They want to destroy the country. So I can't tell you, but it could happen. It shouldn't have happened, and it probably won't. I think the CR is going to get passed. We'll see. But it could happen."

wont commit to resuming aid to ukraine even if there's a minerals deal: "I think they will sign the minerals deal. But we want them to, I want them to want peace, right? ... Well, right now they haven't shown it to the extent that they should. I think right now they haven't, but I think they will be, and I think it's going to become evident over the next two or three days. I think eventually, look, we have to have peace."

recession? "I tell you what, of course, you hesitate. Who knows? All I know is this, we're going to take in hundreds of billions of dollars in tariffs, and we're going to become so rich you're not going to know when spend all that money. I'm telling you, you just watch."

Michael Birnbaum

White House Reporter

The Washington Post

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