Pool Note 5 - AF1 Gaggle, including Epstein, IRS lawsuit, Xi purge
- From
- Annie Linskey
- Sent
- Saturday, January 31, 2026, 10:55 PM
AF1 took off from JBA at 8:54 pm
AF1 landed at PBI at 10:53 pm
POTUS came back to the press cabin in the back of AF1 at 9:12 p.m. and took questions from the pool for about 17 minutes. He was wearing black tie, including a black bow tie; a tuxedo shirt with thin vertical pleats on the front and a black cumber bun.
COS Susie Wiles stood behind POTUS as he took questions. She wore a sparkling top and dark pants.
Topics included: Epstein (Trump says will probably sue writer Michael Wolfe for conspiring with Epstein to harm him, citing newly released documents that he says were described to him), VZ, Iran, Minn., changes he is making to DC; Cuba
Q: Iran, have you made a final decision about Iran?
POTUS: “I can’t tell you that”
POTUS: “I hope to negotiate something that is acceptable.”
POTUS: "They are talking to us."
Q. Did you have convo with Jeb Bush at the Alfalfa
POTUS “he’s a good fellow.”
Q. Did Warsh make any commitments [on rates]
POTUS: “No. No commitments. I didn't want to do that.”
Q. Did you make a comment at the dinner about suing Warsh if he doesn’t lower rates?
POTUS: “It’s a roast. It’s a comedy.”
Q. On the IRS lawsuit- what will it be like to be on both sides of a lawsuit? Have you talked to Bondi about this?
Trump referenced an earlier civil action he has lodged regarding the federal raid on MAL.
Turning back to the IRS related litigation, POTUS said “I think what we’ll do is do something for charity.”
Trump said that if there is a settlement in the case, and if it is a “substantial amount,” nobody will care because the money will be going to charity.
POTUS: “It’s going to go to numerous very good charities,” he says about the possibility of receiving a settlement from the IRS litigation that he has brought.
Q. Trump on his Truth today about no longer sending federal forces to cities with invitation
POTUS: “If we go in, all they do is complain.”
POTUS: “If they want help they have to ask for it.”
“And they’re going to need help.”
“They have to say please” Trump said of the cities that might want federal assistance
Q. On Dem demands re: DHS funding in Congress
POTUS: “We’ll talk about it.”
“We’ll have to talk about ti.
Q. What did you think about the latest release of Epstein files
POTUS complained about Wolfe. Said the documents show Wolfe was “conspiring with Epstein to do harm to me.” Said that those documents have been described to him.
POTUS said that the released documents "absolved me."
POTUS: “We’ll probably sue Wolfe on that and maybe the Epstein estate”
Q. On VZ
POTUS says his administration is “getting along well” with the leaders in VZ
Says that India will be buying oil from VZ, said that China is also welcome to strike a deal for VZ oil.
Q. On Machado returning to VZ
POTUS “I’d love to do something with it. Maybe putting the sides together.”
“I think she’s a very fine person. I have to say at the same time the current leadership is doing a very good job.”
Q. Did you know about the Don Lemon arrest ahead of time?
POTUS, “No, I didn’t know anything about the Don Lemon thing.”
Q. Reaction to comments from Mexican leaders about Cuba facing a humanitarian crisis
POTUS: “I think we’re going to work a deal with Cuba.”
“They have no money they have no oil.”
Q. Is he considering a 250 foot arch in DC?
Says that he is going to announce a committee to “go over it.” (Unclear to pool if the committee is just for the arch or for other changes to DC)
“I don’t know what the hight is” for the arch
“I’d like it to be the biggest” one (pool could not hear — either biggest of all of biggest in the world.)
Q. Could money from the settlement for the IRS lawsuit fund the new arch or ballroom?
“No.”
“I”m thinking about the American Cancer Society.”
They should be “established and respected charities” POTUS says.
Q. Reaction to China military purge
POTUS: “As far as I’m concerned there’s one boss in China, that’s President Xi.”
POTUS: “I think President Xi is the boss.”
Q. What is happening with Greenland?
POTUS: “We have started a negotiation.”
POTUS: “I think it’s going to be a good deal for everybody.”
Q. Do you think it’s good for cameras to be recording incidents with law enforcement.
POTUS “I think it would help law enforcement.”
Says he will talk to Tom Homan tomorrow.
Q. What do you think how Noem is handling of Mn
POTUS “She’s done great, we have a closed border.”
POTUS “I think she’s doing well. And She’s a good person. She works hard. Tom Homan is a star.”
POTUS “ The guy is incredible. Everybody likes him.”
Annie Linskey
WHITE HOUSE REPORTER
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