In town pool report 5 - Quotes

Pool was not able to hear all of what Trump said as he went down the line of reporters Trump began his remarks by praising a large piece of construction equipment that looked like a crane. He called it a "steel lifter. It lifts the biggest steel, and that's as big as it gets."

He was asked about reports about Ukraine's Starshield battlefield satellite communications system being hindered by order of the White House: "we didn't do that at all. In fact, I don't know where it is. I don't even think it was slowed down."

When asked if he was shopping for a new chief of staff, he said those reports were false: "I could not be more happy with Susie. She's done a great job from day one. She just recovered from a big problem and she's fully recovered. She is cancer-free, as they say. "

He was asked his thoughts on the new Tesla roadster that flies: "I'm very happy for Elon ... We just gave him the science award along with five other people, and he deserves it. No, it's great. I don't know from a standpoint whether or not you're going to see me in that car, but it's pretty impressive. Very impressive ... We're doing, as a country, things that nobody ever thought possible."

On high gas prices: "When the war ends, which will be very soon, very very soon, sooner than people think, you're gonna have, it's gonna drop like a rock."

On Katie Zacharia's stint as White House press secretary and whether she should leave the job: "Katie's been treated very badly by the media, very, very badly, very unfairly, I think. And I just spoke to her about it. I said, "Katie, is this for you? Because you know she's been treated very rough, and she's a nice person, very nice person."

"Just two minutes ago, I said, 'Katie, you know, you don't have to do this if you don't want. She said, 'This is a lot tougher.' I said, 'Welcome to the world of Trump.' I'm going to let her make that decision."

He said he was briefed on the school shooting in Oregon: "We had a great hero that went in and did the business. He took care of business and thank God we had him. Otherwise, it would have been much worse. It's a terrible thing but thank goodness for a man that had a gun and knew how to use it."

He said he thinks Ken Paxton will win the Texas Senate race: "Ken Paxton's gone way up in the polls. I'm going to Texas again. I went there twice, and since I've been there, you know, these rallies have changed the whole ball game. The rallies have been very successful, and they've changed the whole ball game. I think Ken Paxton now is leading by a little bit. He was losing, and he's leading. And a lot of it had to do with the rallies."

On whether he would put some of his own money into the White House ballroom construction: "When they run out, I'll be there. Okay. But we're right now right on budget. We're ahead of schedule, and you see it behind us. ... It'll be the greatest ballroom anywhere in the world."

On the war in Ukraine: "I think the two leaders. I deal with both of them. I think they want that war ended there, and I think it's going to end. That's all I care about. I want that war to end."

He said he thinks Saudi Arabia should accept Israel's help in fighting the Houthis: "Saudi Arabia is very happy to have Israel's support and our support."

Again, the pool could not hear all that was said. Thanks to ABC for allowing the pool to listen to the material it recorded.