In-town pool report 4 remarks on entering

The president and the first lady entered the Kennedy Center at 6:21, walking on the red carpet. They very slowly made their way along the carpet, pausing to take multiple questions from pre-positioned reporters. Unfortunately for the pool, those answers began coming at least 50 feet away from the pool and none could be heard by the pool until he inched his way closer to where the pool had been stationed. The reporters and cameras were to the president's left. To his right and stretching the distance of his walk was a backdrop alternating CBS and The Kennedy Center.

The first lady was wearing a long black dress; the president in black tie.

We know that some of the early questions were on Russia and President Putin, but no earthly idea what they were. As he inched closer to the pool, he could be heard saying, "I think I'm going to nominate myself." To a question that must have been about the night, he said, "No president has ever hosted." He also could be heard commenting on the color of the columns in the entry hallway, not painted gold. "Gold never gets old," he said. He also said something about the importance of "one hundreth of an inch" in design. He also boasted, "I will build better than anybody."

As he got within 25 feet of the pool, the answers were more audible: "We have a very different country than we did a year ago... I won the young vote. I won it easily.... The speeches last night were great.... Sylvester Stallone is one of the greatest movie stars in the world... We (he and the first lady) both love Elton John... I have a great playlist... We're going to have lots of events here."

He talked with some enthusiasm about the plans for a South Lawn UFC fight, which he said, will be "the biggest fight they've ever had. They are already holding back fights now." He said he expects 100,000 people to watch it."

He was asked about the Warner Brothers/Netflix deal. The questions were inaudible. To one, he said, "That's for some economists to say." He added, "Ot is a big market share. It could be a problem."

Back on musical tastes, he said, "That's why they have menus in restaurants. I like country music." Then: "We are saving the Kennedy Center" On the naming of the honorees, he said, "We were politicked by a lot of people, including artists." He said he whittled the list down from 50 to five. He said that together they satisfy "100 percent of the public."

Asked about his meeting last week with the leaders of Canada and Mexico, he said, "We spoke for half an hour.... mostly about trade." He said he has "a very good relationship with Canada." Will he resume trade talks with Canada? "We'll see... we're work it out." Then, unprodded by a question, he added, "They really are good at ice hockey."

Asked again about his hosting of the show, he said, "I hosted the Apprentice when it was Number One" and had an audience of 42.5 million." Asked about the ratings tonight, he said, "They'll be good. It will do very good." He said it already is doing better than any President

Biden.

Finally, he said he had not prepared much for the night's duties. "I didn't prepare a lot. I have a good memory." He added, "You have to be yourself. Johnny Carson was always himself."