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*Subject:**WH Travel Pool Report #3*

Bilateral with Malcom Turnbull now a trilateral with Trump, Turnbull, and Shinzo Abe

The headline is Trump said he would announce the results of trade talks on this trip at the White House, sometime on Wednesday.

“W’ve made some very big steps with respect to trade, far bigger than anything you know, in addition to about $300 billion in additional sales to various companies, including China,” he said.
“We have deficits with almost everybody. Those deficits are going to be cut very quickly and very substantially,” he said.
At that point, Turnbull cut in, “Except us.”
“That’s what you’re telling me,” Trump said. “If I check it, I’ll probably find out...”
“Oh no, oh no,” Turnbull shot back.

“This has been a very fruitful trip for us, and also in all fairness, for a lot of other nations,” Trump concluded.”The way they’re treated us — the respect that Japan and China and South Korea, in particular, because we went there, treated us — has been really a great respect to our country, to the people of the United States.”
“We very much appreciate it,” he said. “Red carpet like I think probably nobody has ever received. That really is a sense of respect, perhaps for me a little bit, but really for our country, and I’m very proud of that.”

Trump kidded the press about the timing of the trade statement:
“We’ll give you a chance to sleep. The press, I have to tell you, I’m very impressed. You stayed with us. You were able to hang in there. I’m very proud of you.”
Trump opened the meeting by introducing Turnbull and Abe:
“You know them well. I know them well. We’ve had many meetings. We’re having another one now, primarily on trade and North Korea,” Trump sai. “We’re very far along. The dialogue has been, I think, for all countries. We look forward to the continuation of that dialogue”
Turnbull said, “we’ve got the same values and the same focus — insuring that the North Korean regime comes to it senses and stops its reckless provocations and threats of conflict on our region.”
Abe said, “For the three of us, the immediate challenge is North Korea.” He said the three countries shared values and strategic interests.

Pool was ushered out, after trying fruitlessly to get Trump to answer a question on whether he plans to push Rodrigo Duterte on human-rights issues.

Mark Landler NY TImes

*Subject:* *WH Pool Report #3a*

Continued Issues with Access
The travel pool was informed when we returned to the hotel that we could send only three people into the trilateral with Trump, Turnbull, and Abe.
We objected, noting — among other things — that the meeting was in the president’s hotel and was with the leaders of close US allies.

WH officials negotiated again with their Japanese and Australian counterparts and informed us a few minutes later than the full pool would be admitted.

After a few uncertain moments standing in the hallway, the pool spray itself was a relatively civilized affair.
Mark Landler NY Times