Travel pool report #6: Gaggle quotes

The AF1 gaggle was streamed in real-time to the White House YouTube, so please cq there.

Here are highlights:

On Israeli strikes:

“As I understand it, they took out an Israeli soldier,” speaking of attack that provoked strike.

Israelis, he said, “have a right” to retaliate.

Says despite strikes and fighting, the ceasefire remains intact “Nothing’s going to jeopardize” the ceasefire.

He said Hamas is “a very small part” of Middle East peace process.

On Hamas: “They have to behave. They’re on the rough side.” Suggested fringe groups are trying to upend the deal.

Says Phase 2 of peace deal has started.

On his recent talk of a third term. Is he trolling or serious?

“It’s a very interesting thing. I have the best polling numbers for any president in many years. Any president. I would say that if you read it, it’s pretty clear, I’m not allowed to run. It’s too bad. But we have a lot of great people.”

On recent military strikes in Pacific:

“We took out tremendous amounts of death. Each is estimated 25,000 people die from each boat that we take out. Not even talking about the destruction it does to families in terms of people that become addicted.”

“The last two days we took out four, but there are very few of them. It’s down about 80 percent, the drugs by water.”

“We’re actually making a country safe. It’s a beautiful thing.”

On the outcome of his visit with PM Takeuchi in Japan:

“Hundreds of billions of dollars are coming into our country primarily because of the election results. But the real reason are tariffs.”

On his meeting with Japanese business leaders:

“Mr. Toyota was there, Toyota, and he has agreed to invest $10 billion in building auto plants.”

“If you build in the United States, you don’t have tariffs.”

On lowering tariffs relating to fentanyl/China:

“I expect to be lowering that because I believe they can help us with the fentanyl situation.”

“They have an industry that has to do with drugs and the fentanyl has other reasons for being. We have to get rid of it.”

Does he expect Xi to pressure him on Taiwan?

“I don’t know that we will even speak about Taiwan. Taiwan is Taiwan.”

On China’s one-year delay on rare earth guidelines: “We’re going to work out something. We’re doing very well in rare earth as you know:”

What did he mean by sending more than the National Guard into American cities?

“Sure I would do that if it was necessary. It hasn’t been necessary. We’re doing a great job without that. As you know, I’m allowed to do that.”

Does that mean other branches of the military?

“If I want to enact a certain act I’m allowed to do it routinely. I’d be allowed to do whatever I want. But we haven’t chosen to do that because we’re doing very well without it. But I’d be allowed to do that, you understand. The courts wouldn’t get involved, nobody would get involved.”

“I can send the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines. I can send anybody I wanted.”

On North Korea missile launches:

“I don’t know. He’s been launching missiles for decades

Doesn’t think he will have a Kim meeting this trip. POTUS says he’s busy. “I also want to focus on China.”

On the Trump-Kim relationship: “We had a really good understanding of each other.”

Says Dems must open the government to negotiate on health care.

“We can do something with Democrats better than Obamacare. That’s something that I think can come out of this with Democrats.”

Hurricane Melissa: “I’ve never seen numbers like that. You don’t see 5’s very often.”

Said US would help on a “humanitarian basis” if storm progresses.

Thanks to Aurelia End and Trevor Hunnicutt for helping check some quotes.

Katie Rogers

White House Correspondent

The New York Times

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