Travel pool note #30 // Wheels down + gaggle

We are wheels down at JBA at 1:12 a.m.

POTUS came back shortly after takeoff, 11:31 p.m. local time in the UK, and gaggled with us for about 15 minutes. Keeping this brief, as we are told it was broadcast live, and it will be 6.5 hours old by the time we land, but some highlights below:

What was the security concern that caused us to change planes?

“We sent this one in so that the Air Force Base here, it was in the same exact line, so you saw, did you see the picture? … There are hundreds of people out there,” he said, referencing a printout White House staff had brought us before the gaggle of his Truth Social post, of service members with the plane. “So they came a little bit earlier. We switched planes.”

So you’re saying there wasn’t a security concern?

“No, no.”

No issues?

“No, no, except we sent it a little early. Same line, going back. We sent it a little bit early so we could let them see it — the base, the whole base came out and saw the plane.”

Do you know why the had us close our window blinds?

"Well, yeah, because you’re probably on a dangerous flight because of the sleaze bags that we have to deal with."

So you think that Iran was possibly thinking of trying —

"They asked you to close your windows, they probably feel that way. They didn’t ask me to close mine, but if they did, I would’ve done it. No, these are sick people. So I could see something like that. I didn’t know they did that, but I could see something like that."

Were you aware of any credible threat by Iran against Air Force One?

“Well, I have a threat all the time. I’m number one on their list, before you. But if I go, you go. Right? Perhaps someday you want to change professions."

On new Iran strikes:

"We just hit them very hard, and I say we hit them 20 to 1. Every time they hit us, we’ll hit them 20. And we did it last night. We did something today, but it was really retribution for last night."

Are we returning to a full-scale military conflict sir?

"I don’t know. We’d win it very quickly … We have many ways we could win."

Have you spoken to Sen. Mitch McConnell since his hospitalization?

"No I haven’t. I have no idea how he’s doing."

Before the NATO summit, you had issues with leaders of Spain, UK, various others —

"Spain came back all the way today. Spain was very generous today. You know, I told them we’re going to stop trading."

What did Spain do today?

"They honored a request for lots of payment, and if they didn’t we wouldn’t even talk to them. They were very bad. They behaved very badly in my opinion."

Are you going to pull more U.S. troops out of Europe?

"I haven’t made that final determination. A lot’s going to depend on Greenland. A lot. If we make a very good deal on Greenland, and if we don’t, maybe I will. A lot’s dependent on Iran. I mean, they want to help now, it’s a little late."

Did President al-Sharaa make any commitments on helping with Hezbollah in Lebanon?

"I’m not going to say what he said, but yeah, he was great today."

Was this your last NATO summit?

"I think they came a long way today. We had some good sessions. I think NATO came a long way today."

The housing bill, what do you plan to do?

"It’s a very good question. See, I’m a big fan of many bills, but I’m a much bigger fan of the most important bill, it’s called the SAVE America Act. It’s voter ID, it’s proof of citizenship, and it’s mail-in ballots."

Friday is the deadline after which the housing bill would become law without your signature —

"I’ll make a decision. Not that I dislike it, I dislike the fact that people aren’t voting for voter ID with a picture. How could you not vote for vote ID?"

On Venezuela, did you tell Machado not to go back to Venezuela the other week?

"No, no, not at all. No she’s terrific. She’s a wonderful person. Did she go back?"

She did not.

"I did not tell her not to go back. She’s a good — she gave me the Nobel Prize, right? So how can I dislike her."

Medicare covering GLP-1 drugs starting July 1?

"Because of Most Favored Nations, drug prices have come down tremendously."

Speaking of Democrats, do you think Democrats should be able to pick a replacement for Graham Platner?

"So he won the primary. It’s very hard for them to do. It’s really a question of whether or not you believe the woman. A lot of people say big falsehoods. It’s, he’s in a bind, he’s in a bind. But should they be able to do it? Well, I guess he’s going to lose. I’d imagine he’s going to lose. It’s very interesting when the Republican woman came out with the same charge, nobody believed her, when this woman came out, everybody believed her."

Megan Messerly

White House reporter

POLITICO