In-town pool report #9 - shutdown/Putin/POTUS wraps
- From
- John Bennett
- Sent
- Tuesday, October 14, 2025, 2:49 PM
POTUS on his Friday meeting with Ukraine’s Zelenskyy: “Look. I'm very disappointed, because Vladimir and I had a very good relationship. Probably still do. I don't know why he continues with this war. This war has been so bad for him.
“He's going into four years of a war that should have beaten he should have won that war in one week. He's now from soon be into his fourth year, he's lost a million and a half soldiers, probably plus, certainly in terms of wounded and no legs and no arms and all of the things that happened in horrible war it's horrible.”
POTUS said there are “long lines for gasoline in Russia,” and warned the Russian economy could “collapse,” if the war doesn’t end.
Trump did not answer directly when asked if Ukraine should get Tomahawk missiles. He jokingly asked Milei if he wants some for his “opposition” and quipped that American Democrats would like to use Tomahawks against him. There was laughter around the long oval table.
Trump signaled he does not feel urgency to end the shutdown because Democrats are “getting killed” and his administration is ending programs they like. Fuller quote on that coming next.
We left the Cabinet Room at 2:53 p.m.
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John T. Bennett
White House Correspondent & Editor-at-Large
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