WH Travel Pool Note #3: Plane Gaggle and Wheels Down

AF1 touched down at Ben Gurion Airport at 9:44am Local Time.

AF1 flew over a “Thank You” sign for Trump on the beach.

President Trump gaggled for about 25 minutes at 5pm ET shortly after takeoff.

Toward the end of the gaggle he made some newsy comments regarding Ukraine,saying he would consider sending them Tomahawks. But he said he would talk to Putin first, to tell him that if he doesn’t settle the war, he may send the weapons to Ukraine:

“Do they want to have Tomahawks going in their direction? I don’t think so. I think I might speak to Russia about that. I told that to President Zelenskyy. Because Tomahawks are a new step of aggression….I may say look - if this war doesn’t get settled, I may send Tomahawks.”

More on that in rough transcript below.

Now to the Middle East:

To a question about Netanyahu not going so far as to say the war is over, he said unequivocally: “A: The war is over – you got that? The war is over.”

He said it would take time before Gaza is rebuilt, but said the process will start “immediately.” Trump said this is “the first chance it’s had in centuries of being peaceful. It’s always been a very very strange area.”

He said the new “Board of Peace” will step in to govern “very quickly” and that all the leaders in the world have been calling him asking to be a part of it. He said he knows who will be on it but is not ready to share. He said he spoke to Tony Blair but he has to first “find out if he’s an acceptable choice for everybody.”

He spoke about his relationship with Netanyahu saying “I had some disputes with him and they were quickly settled.” He said he think’s Netanyahu has done a great job and “he was the right person at the right time.”

He spent a great deal of time praising Qatar, saying they were an amazing help to getting this done, and emphasizing that they are in the middle of “unbelievably hostile territory.” He said “It was very tough and very dangerous for Qatar and they were very brave. And Qatar should start getting some credit.”

To a question about his comments from 2017 saying they were funding terrorism he said he didn’t know them very well at the time, and continued to praise them.

When asked if he would ever visit Gaza: He also said he would visit Gaza: “I’d like to put my feet on it at least.”

On China, he said of President Xi’s recent statement: “I know what happened. I really understand what happened. I’m not even saying he’s wrong. But then we met him with something much tougher than what he did to us.

He said the plan for Nov 1 tariffs is still in place but also said that Nov 1 is “an eternity” so “Let’s see what happens”

On the shutdown he said, “We’re ending some programs we never wanted and we’ll probably never allow them to come back.”

ROUGH TRANSCRIPT OF MOST RELEVANT MOMENTS;

On shutdown

“Were ending some programs we never wanted and we’ll probably never allow them to come back.”

On peace deal

“It’s a point in time I don’t think you’ll ever see again.”

“Everybody is into this deal”

Q: Netanyahu has not gone so far as to say the war is over. Is the war over?

A: The war is over – you got that? The war is over.

Q: Will the ceasefire hold?

A: I think so…I think people are tired of it. It’s been centuries. Yeah the ceasefire is gonna hold.

Q: How long until developers can come in and make it the Riviera of the middle east?

A: Well I don’t know about the riviera for a while….//Take a look at what you have - you have to get people taken care of fist. But it’s really going to start immediately…

But t’s like a demolition site, so you have to get rid of what you have there.

That process is going to start immediately

Q: What will it look like a year from now?

A: A year is very quick but over the years I think it’d going to look very good. It’s the first chance it’s had in centuries of being peaceful. It’s always been a very very strange area…it’s always been loaded up with problems.

Q: How soon will the new governing board be in place?

A: Very quickly, and everybody wants to be a part of it…//the board of peace…//I’ve had calls from all of the leaders of countries.

Q: Do you know who will be a part of it?

A: I do I do

Q: Can you share?

A: Not yet

Q: Have you spoken to Tony Blair?

A: I have. I want to find out that Tony would be popular. I don’t know that. I want to find out if he’s an acceptable choice for everybody.//

Q: What guarantees have you been able to get from Israeli’s and the Arab countries?

A: We have a lot of guarantees…//a lot of VERBAL guarantees and I don’t think they’re gonna want to disappointment…//a lot of guarantees that haven’t been put down in writing but they’ve been given to me.

Q: I’m sure you’ve seen reports about Hamas arming themselves as police officers, killing rivals. What is your message to Hamas?

A: We’ve given them approval for a period of time….//

We are having to watch that there won’t be big problems.

I think it’s gonna be fine.

Q: What did you do so differently?

A: I resonated with Arab leaders, Muslim leaders, and Jewish leaders.

Q: Relationship with Netanhahu?

A: He just put me up yesterday for the Nobel Prize.

Q: Has he made commitments to you personally about moving on to the next phase?

A: He’s a wartime President and he did a very good job. I had some disputes with him and they were quickly settled. As far I’m concerned I think he’s done a great job. I think he was the right person at the right time….//working with me he was fantastic…

Q: Have you talked to Qataris about their changing behavior to stop funding terrorism?

A: The Qataris really helped us with this deal. The Emir is an amazing man who really helped us….You have to understand his country is in the middle of unbelievably hostile territory… Qatar was an amazing help to getting this done and I hope people understand that. It was very tough and very dangerous for Qatar and they were very brave. And Qatar should start getting so credit.

Q: Have they changed from 2017 when you said they were funding terrorism?

A: In 2017 I didn’t know them very well…//As I got to know them I started to realize they are right in the middle of everything.

Q: Ceasefire earlier this year in March…//

A: Sometimes you have to go through pain before it all happens…//

NOTE: He thanked Turkey, Saudia Arabia, UAE, Jordan, and Indonesia.

NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

“In all fairness to the Nobel committee…//it was for 2024…//but there are those that say you can make an exception…but i did this not for Nobel, but for saving lives”

Q: What can you take from this peace process into Russia/Ukraine?

A: Never give up…//

I give Ukraine credit for doing so well. They’re good fighters. I think President Putin will look great if he settled. I think he’s gonna settle. If he doesn’t, it’s not gonna be good for him

Q: President Xi has been putting out tough statements regarding your tariffs…

A: Tariffs have given us diplomatic strength….I’ve settles a few wars just with tariffs…//

I have a great relationship with Xi….//I know what happened i really understand what happened. I’m not even saying he’s wrong. But then we met him with something much tougher than what he did to us.

Q: Would you ever visit Gaza?

I would. I’d be proud to, I see it - I know it so well without visiting. I’d like to do it…I’d like to put my feet on it at least. I think it’s going to be a great miracle over there over the coming decades. And you know if you go too fast it’s not gonna be good. You have to go at the right speed.

Q: Are you still planning for the Nov 1 tariffs on China?

A: Right now it is. Let’s see what happens. November first is an eternity.

Q: Can you tell us about your conversations with Zelenskyy?

A: We had a great talk….//

We talked about the weapons they need…they need patriots very badly, they’d like to have Tomahawks, that’s a step up. We talked about that.

Q: Will you send Tomahawks?

A: Maybe…I may have to speak to Russia…do they want to have tomahawks going in their direction? I don’t think so. I think i might speak to Russia bout that. I told that to President Zelenskyy. Because Tomahawks are a new step of aggression.

Q: Are you saying you will speak to Putin first about Tomahawks?

A: I may say look - if this war doesn’t get settled I may send Tomahawks. A Tomahawk is an incredible weapon. And Rusia does not need that. IF the war is not settled we may do it. We may not. But we may do it.

Dasha Burns | White House Bureau Chief | Host of The Conversation

POLITICO | XXX-XXX-XXXX |@DashaBurns