Travel report #4: Arrival & gaggle

AF1 landed at 8:56 pm. The flight was uneventful with no visitors.

POTUS’s Truth Social account went live with a long post attacking Pope Leo while we were waiting for him on the tarmac. He came over after several shouted questions about Iran and the pope.

POTUS, wearing a red USA hat, came over and answered questions on the tarmac for six minutes.

He said the ceasefire is “holding well,” the blockade will go into effect tomorrow at 10 am, and that “there are many boats heading toward our country to fill up with oil.” He said other nations are working so that Iran cannot sell oil but didn’t say which ones.

On why he thinks Iran might negotiate:

“I think Iran is in very bad shape. I think they’re pretty desperate. Iran will not have a nuclear weapon.”

On how long he would wait for Iran to come back to the table —

“I don’t care if they come back or not. If they don’t come back I’m fine.”

On why he attacked Pope Leo: “I don’t think he’s doing a very good job he likes crime I guess.”

On NATO:

“I’m very disappointed in NATO, they weren’t there for us. We pay trillions of dollars for NATO and they weren’t there for us.”

Did not answer questions about Orban’w loss as he strode away.

M1 lifted at 9:20 pm.

Handing off to in-town pool. ✌️

Katie Rogers

White House Correspondent

The New York Times

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