In-town pool report #6 - Trump quotes

Some quotes from Q&A with reporters in Oval

Canada

The president complained extensively about how "our country has been taken advantage of by Canada."

He said people are "surprised" to hear him say Canada is worse than China (which US national security officials have long considered the country's top global competitor.)

"I have [Chinese leader Xi Jinping] coming here. A lot of people say, 'Who's the toughest one to deal with? Is it China, sir? Is it China? Is it Vietnam?' I said 'No, actually, it's Canada. Canada has felt emboldened."

Iran

Your pooler asked how long the renewed strikes on Iran will continue, and what is left to strike. Trump said: "They were trying to rebuild their radar systems and a missile system and a mine drop... They were trying to build a rocket that drops mines... They were building it. It was almost finished, so we took it out. We saw that they were building it... We took it out. We took out some other things, and then we hit them last night because they took a shot at us in Jordan, at our base in Jordan... There were, I guess, eight missiles that were shot. We they were all knocked down."

On how long the war will continue: "I don't think will be very much longer, I don't know how much more they can take."

Trump said in response to another reporter's question that "it wouldn't be appropriate" to send the CIA into Iran to back an uprising. The questioner referred to Trump's truth social post this morning, asking "When are the Iranian people going to rise up and fight?"

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/117198788283772326

Venezuela

Asked why he hasn't called for an election: "I just don't think they're ready yet."

Royals

He's "happy" that Prince Harry and Megan have returned to the UK.

Alaska

He said he will go to Alaska to campaign for incumbent GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan. He complained that the Democratic candidate is also named Dan Sullivan.

Film & TV tax incentive

He said actor John Vogt came to see him a few days ago and said: "'Sir, Hollywood is dying. You got to do something.' I said, 'What do you think we should be doing? And he talked about the tax credits.'"

As always, check quotes against transcript. Otter: https://otter.ai/u/KUj4Hhp1BdNiT7VJyWtoQvWmzZg?utm_source=copy_url

Abigail Hauslohner

Financial Times

US-Middle East Foreign Affairs Correspondent