*Date:* May 29, 2018 at 5:09:22 PM CDT
*Subject:**Out-of-town pool report #3 Gaggle with Sarah Huckabee Sanders on AF1 en route to Nashville *
Below is a rough transcript of the roughly 8 minute gaggle by WH press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on AF1 en route to Nashville.
SHS: Well keep the intro quick. Obviously theres been a lot of news today around all the conversations with North Korea. The president thinks that the ongoing discussions are going very well and the meetings taking place this week that I talked about earlier this morning are certainly signs of progress. As you know, Prime Minister Abe is in D.C. and were looking forward to that meeting. Otherwise, Ill jump right in and take a few questions.
Q: POTUS reaction to Roseanne cancellation?
SHS: Look, as you know, the president has been extremely focused, as I just walked through, on the things going on with the upcoming summit, and the presidents focused on North Korea and hes focused on trade deals and hes focused on the economy. Thats what
On political turmoil in Italy: Certainly something that were watching, obviously. Were keeping a very close eye on that.
On Giulianis comments this weekend that calling Mueller probe a witch hunt is a PR strategy: I think the presidents stating a fact. It is a witch hunt.
More on immigration/family separation: again the president wants to see the system fixed. He doesnt just want to keep kicking the can down the road. He doesnt think thats the best way forward. he wants to close the catch and release system. Again, this wasnt a policy that was created under this administration but unlike previous administrations, we actually enforce the law. We actually think the law means something.
Noted earlier in gaggle that photos of migrants in detention that had been tweeted out were from 2014.
No specific conversations to read out re: House leadership race to succeed Ryan. I believe the presidents said that hed allow the House to make that decision.
Trumps tweets on Russia and impact on midterms, Sanders says he means Russia could meddle and impact the elections that are coming up.
Nothing to announce on whether Trump supports Italy staying in the eurozone.
On whether Trump will visit victims of Santa Fe shooting during Texas trip : Well keep you guys posted on the schedule but well likely have some engagement with the people that were impacted by that tragedy.
More North Korea: again were moving forward, and well be prepared either way and were planning as if it is happening and we, again, were expecting that to take place.
No comment on direct conversation with Kim Jong Un.hes spending his time on, not responding to other things.
Q: Hes focused on that show before. He called after show did well. Does he have a reaction?
SHS: Again, hes spending his day on the things coming up with North Korea, the trade rollout this morning, a lot of activity going on at the WH that the presidents been focused on.
Q: Does he think show shouldve been canceled?
SHS: Thats now what the president is looking at. Thats not whats hes spending his time on. I think we have a lot bigger things going on in the country right now, certainly, that the president is spending his time on. Certainly when it comes to policy weve had some major announcements today on trade and in the ongoing discussions on North Korea.
Q: Is the summit on or off?
SHS: look the presidents letter specifically said that we were open to the meeting at the time and, again, we expect it to take place but well see what happens. Were gonna be prepared. If it takes place on June 12 were gonna be prepared, if it for some reason takes place at a later date were gonna be prepared for that as well.
Q: What determines whether summit is back on?
SHS: I think there are a number of factors. Again, denuclearization has to be on the table and the focus of the meeting and the president has to feel like were making progress on that front and the only one that can make that determination will he the president.
Q: Why did POTUS say sr WH official who briefed press Thursday was made up?
SHS: obviously the president knows his team but the NYT put something in their story that was completely out of context and wasnt what that official said. They stated that he had said the meeting was impossible which never took place and wasnt the comment of that official.
Q: Does POTUS now think Puerto Rico constitutes a real catastrophe? Does he want to revise assessment of U.S. response?
SHS: Certainly we continue to be supportive of the governor of PR and of transparency and accountability and the people of Pr deserve nothing less than that and we are going to continue to be focused on helping in any way we can. FEMA has already done the largest response ever in the history of any natural disaster there in PR. We are going to continue to give as much assistance as possible.
Q: POTUS tweeted against policy of separation kids and parents at border. But its the policy of his own admin?
SHS: Its not what the president wants. The president has been extremely clear that he wants to close these loopholes. Its not a new policy that started under the Trump administration. In fact a lot of the photos that you guys have tweeted out from the media blaming the president are from 2014 during the Obama administration. The president wants to close the loopholes, he wants to fix the system, and hes called on Democrats in Congress to stop blocking this from happening and help get these things passed and actually fix our immigration system.
On political turmoil in Italy: Certainly something that were watching, obviously. Were keeping a very close eye on that.
On Giulianis comments this weekend that calling Mueller probe a witch hunt is a PR strategy: I think the presidents stating a fact. It is a witch hunt.
More on immigration/family separation: again the president wants to see the system fixed. He doesnt want to just keep kicking the can down the road. He doesnt think thats the best way forward. he wants to close the catch and release system. Again, this wasnt a policy that was created under this administration but unlike previous administrations, we actually enforce the law. We actually think the law means something.
Noted earlier in gaggle that photos of migrants in detention that had been tweeted out were from 2014.
No specific conversations to read out re: House leadership race to succeed Ryan. I believe the presidents said that hed allow the House to make that decision.
Trumps tweets on Russia and impact on midterms, Sanders says he means Russia could meddle and impact the elections that are coming up.
Nothing to announce on whether Trump supports Italy staying in the eurozone.
On whether Trump will visit victims of Santa Fe shooting during Texas trip : Well keep you guys posted on the schedule but well likely have some engagement with the people that were impacted by that tragedy.
More North Korea: again were moving forward, and well be prepared either way and were planning as if it is happening and we, again, were expecting that to take place.
No comment on direct conversation with Kim Jong Un.