In-town pool report #10: EO on retirement accounts

Pool entered Oval at 2:50. POTUS was flanked by members of Congress and SAO’s, including Kevin Hassett. POTUS introduced Trump IRA’s. He spoke of stock market increases and new manufacturing in US, then read from a statement describing the new IRA’s.

“To take it to the next level, we need congressional approval.”

Hassett spoke of how to take the program to the “next level.” Involves a match for lower income people.

5 million signups so far for Trump Accounts (for babies), per Hassett

Staff Secretary Will Scharf handed POTUS the EO for signature.

Then a presidential permit for a pipeline allowing oil and gas to travel across borders

Then an EO on federal contracts. Establishes fixed price contracts.

Next, withdrawal of previous surgeon general nominee and nomination of new candidate, as announced on Truth Social.

Next: proclamation for this weekend honoring fallen firefighters.

Last: proclamation on foster case month.

Q and A with reporters:

Q Will this help small business?

A. as you know, more people are working right now than at any time in the history of our country. We're doing great, and there's more investment being made in the United States, in any country at any time, any time in history.

AI is going wild… we are making them build fire own electric plants.

Q tax refunds up, will Econ keep humming

A. Speaks of benefits of one big beautiful bill, war effort in Iran,

They are in very bad shape, he said of Iran.

Q are you getting antsy to break the ceasefire?

A they want to make a deal badly

Q iran in FIFA

If Gianni says so it’s OK

Q reports that APPRENTICE coming back with Don Jr,

A he Mused about that possibility

Q talk re changes to security after Saturday

“There’s always room for improvement”

Q price of gallon of gas now averaging $4.30

Will come down as soon as war ends

Q. Space Force. What do you re race exploration in rest of term?

It is going to go down as one of my more important things [in presidency]

Re lifting tariffs on whiskey: Kentucky is a “great place”

Scotland and Kentucky can start dealing again.

Q re possibly pulling troops from Spain and Italy

“I probably will”

Re NATO: “They made a mess of Ukraine”

When we needed them they were not there.

“We don’t need the Strait of Hormuz”

“Germany, he’s doing a terrible job”

Q on Iranian regime. Also, why is Rubio not involved in these negotiations?

He is involved.

“They killed 42,000 innocent people for protesting. This is a rough group.”

Q Saudi pulling plug on LIV golf. Should PGA welcome defectors back?

Spoke of how he wants all the best players playing each other.

“They’ll all be accepted by the tour”

They’re playing on my course on Potomac in 2 weeks. Now at Doral.

Q re Trump Ira’s. Reax to Powell staying on Fed

“If he stays on he stays on.” “I think he’s a negative force.”

Hassett spoke re match in new IRA’s.

Trump: today is phase one, asks Hassett to speak of phase 2

Hassett: look at Australia on its system with retirement accounts

“No contemplation of harming Social Secueitu in any way. This will be an add-on to this”

Q missing scientists. Have you been briefed

A. Yes. Some are sad cases, some are sick, some left this earth self-inflicted. So far we are finding there’s not much of a connection

Q was USSS agent shot friendly fire?

They’re saying it’s not friendly fire

Q talk of you wearing bullet proof vest at events going forward

“I don’t know that I can handle looking 20 pounds heavier”

“I guess it’s something to consider”

Q think about more assassinwtion attempt?

I don’t think about it at all

Q blow up filibuster?

Speaks of being hindered by a few:

“I guess because they have three or four that are like hard line, same ones, same ones that are hard line note, everything.”

Filibuster should be terminated.

Dems will to it immediately (if they have opportunity) so why shouldn’t we do it? “Dems really want 21 Supreme Court justices.”

Talks about “transgender mutilization” in this country.

Re war power: every 3 days they put in a thing to end the war. …

“If you see CNN, you’d think they (Iran) are winning the war. “ same with NYT, he says.

“I’m supposed to be negotiating, and they’re making we negotiating from weakness instead of strength.”

“They’re being decimated”

“They have to respect our military”

Q the tile looks beautiful- re the tile outside Oval on the Colonnade

“What I do best is build…

Black granite is the most power stone there is”

“I saved the ramp in honor of FDR”

Press leaves Oval at 3:50, escorted out via the colonnade so we can see the new black tile

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Linda Feldmann

Washington Bureau Chief

The Christian Science Monitor

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Twitter: @linda_feldmann