In-town pool report #9: POTUS gaggle quotes 1/2

Highlights from the first half of the more than 10 minute gaggle that President Trump brought Secretary of State Rubio along for on the South Lawn

Q: Iran executed three people, you vowed strong action in the past, what message would you send:

“We’ll be hitting them awfully hard. I don’t know if you can possibly get hit harder. But these are thugs and animals and horrible people…But I’m not surprised.”

Q: Do you plan to escort ships through the strait of Hormuz with or without allies:

“We don’t use the strait, the United States, we don’t need it, Europe needs its, Korea, Japan, China, a lot of other people, so they’ll have to get involved a little bit on that one.”

Q: Do you think Israel will be ready to end the war when you’re ready?

“I think so yeah…We want, more or less, similar things. You know what we want? We want victory, both of us. And that’s what we’ve got.”

Q: What is your plan for Kharg Island?

“I may have a plan or I may not, but how would I ever say that to a reporter? If I said that to a reporter, Marco would say, please sir, let’s bring you over to the helicopter immediately. I can’t tell you that.”

Q: how will Epic fury affect talks with Russia on Ukraine? Are they on the back burner?

“No, no, we’re talking, we’re talking about it, I think it will get done.”

Q: When is the next round?

“They take place almost every day.”

Q: what did you mean when you said the war was militarily won in Iran?

“I think we’ve won…We’ve knocked out everything, we’re roaming free. From a military standpoint – all they’re doing is clogging up the strait – but from a military standpoint, they’re finished.”

Q: You said opening the strait is a simple military maneuver, what did you mean?

“It’s a simple military maneuver. It’s relatively safe, but you need a lot of help, in the sense of you need ships, you need volume. And NATO could help us, but they so far haven’t had the courage to do so. And others could help us, but we don’t use it. You know, at a certain point, it will open itself.”

Q: is Tulsi Gabbard’s job safe as DNI?

“I thought she did a good job yesterday actually.”

Q: Graham has asked you to reconsider bases in Spain, Germany after strait of Hormuz

Trump said Graham was “right” for asking about that. “I think NATO’s gone down a long way.”

“And don’t forget, he was a big NATO guy for awhile, and now he’s not.”

POTUS said that “a lot of senators and congressmen” are upset with NATO for doing nothing.

Francesca Chambers

White House Correspondent, USA TODAY