In-Town Pool Note #3 — gaggle roughly verbatim

Here is the rough verbatim from the gaggle before POTUS took off in M1.

POTUS: “We’re here to celebrate the life of a great man. Really a great man. A young man. We look forward to it. That something like this could’ve happened is not even believable. Will be a very interesting day. A very tough day.”

Q: Will you fire Pam Bondi if Letitia James is not indicted?

A: She’s doing a great job. Pam Bondi is doing a great job. I think Pam Bondi is gonna go down as one of the best attorney generals—of the ages.

In response to another question on James:

A: I don’t do that. I look at the facts like everybody else. She is terrible. She looks like she’s very guilty but that’s gonna be up to the DOJ.

Q: What are you going to say to Erika and the rest of the family?

A: I’m just gonna give em my love. There’s nothing much you can say. Talk about the great things he’s done. He’s been amazing. He’s had a tremendous influence. For a young man, he did a great job. A tremendous job. He had a hold on youth because they loved him. They respected him. And if you go back 10 years, those colleges were dangerous places for conservatives. And now they’re hot. They’re very hot. Just like this country is hot. This country is doing so well—we’re the hottest country anywhere in the world.

Q: The President of Venezuela said he sent a letter asking you to negotiate. Did you get the letter and what is your response to it?

A: Well I don’t want to say but we’ll see what happens with Venezuela. I don’t want to say.

Q: Will you help defend Poland and the Baltic states from Russia if Russia keeps accelerating?

A: Yeah, I would. I would.

Q: Should the Pentagon be in charge of deciding what reporters can report on?

A: No I don’t think so. Nothing stops reporters.

Q: Have you been briefed on the situation in Estonia, Russian jets?

A: Yeah, we don’t like it.

Next note will be around 10pm back at the White House.

Marc Novicoff

Assistant Editor, Politics, Global and Ideas | The Atlantic

XXX-XXX-XXXX | [EMAIL ADDRESS] (mailto:[EMAIL ADDRESS])