Travel pool #16: Dinner

POTUS entered the banquet room with Christopher Luxon, the prime minister of New Zealand, at 6:37 pm.

Then he stood with Lee: “We reached a deal. We did a lot of different things. Great session,” he said in response to a reporter question.

Lee walked away when Trump kept answering questions.

Then the leaders assembled for a family photo.

Of note: Mark Carney of Canada declined to answer questions about POTUS on the way into the dinner. Pooler couldn’t make out his full answer but he motioned to Lee and said, “this president.”

The two leaders appeared to exchange pleasantries before Lee delivered a welcome speech. The leaders all raised a glass a before Trump began speaking.

Trump said “we came to a conclusion on a lot of very different items.” He seemed to walk back what he said minutes earlier and said they’d “pretty much” finalized a trade deal.

“You rolled out a red carpet that was a very good red carpet.”

“I appreciate it very much and I won’t forget the trip.”

“You have a neighbor that hasn’t been as nice as they could be and I think they will be.”

Said again that he knows Kim Jong Un “very well.”

Said he looks forward to tomorrow’s meeting with Xi.

“Your voters are very impressed with you” for investing in the United States, he told the other leaders.

Pool was ushered out at 6:47 pm.

Katie Rogers

White House Correspondent

The New York Times

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