Travel pool note #21 // POTUS remarks at presser

Please as always verify quotes against audio.

On his closed-door gathering with NATO leaders: "I just want to say there was tremendous love in that room. The press got to see the sitting, but they didn't get to see the speaking. I actually said, it's too bad the press didn't see this, because every one of them spoke for a little while, and I spoke for a little while, and it's a big — a lot of speeches. We kept it short, but it's too bad the press couldn't have seen what we were doing in that room, because it was very smart people, and they have a lot of good in their heart, not evil — good — and they're doing a great job for their country, the world is doing well.”

He teases that one country “in particular, was, I didn’t think a good player” but “today was a great team player,” but does not name the country.

On his message to countries moving more slowly toward the 5 percent GDP benchmark: "I urged all nations to accelerate their plans to get the benchmark. benchmark as quickly as possible.”

On a list of new defense investments, most or all of which I believe have already been announcement:

"Lockheed Martin will establish a world-class vacant missile sustainment facility. A big deal in Europe, given a tremendous incentive by Europe to do that, always to the benefit of us and Europe, because they're getting the best equipment.”

"Northrop Grumman is moving forward with the sale of advanced American drone technology, we're actually the leader in drone tech. A lot of people don't know that we have the most sophisticated drones in the world."

"Lockheed and Rheinmetal are announcing a partnership to build the Army Tactical Missile Systems, which is a big deal."

“And Anduril is announcing a deal to build their new Barracuda missiles, which is a very highly sophisticated, fast missile, and we're doing that for Poland.”

On his discussions with other leaders at the summit: "Over the course of the past few days, I had a number of excellent discussions with other leaders at the summit and held productive bilateral meetings with essentially all of them. We had dinner last night, just about all of them were there, President Erdogan of Turkey, as well as President Zelensky, and he just came in as you probably saw.”

More on the “love” he felt in the closed-door session of NATO leaders: "I said it's too bad the press could not see what's happening in this room. You saw the big round circle with all of the leaders of all of those countries, and I don't know, I think they should allow the theory is that they won't be speaking quite as clearly and it won't be quite as good, but Who knows, it was amazing, actually the unity in that room was incredible.”

Moving onto taking questions. More TK.

Megan Messerly

White House reporter

POLITICO