The White House press pool is now holding along a red carpet outside Mar-a-Lago, where New Year's Eve festivities are set to begin.
(We're here, so presumably Trump will attend.)
(We're here, so presumably Trump will attend.)
The President is retweeting from somewhere as guests begin to trickle in along the red carpet (though many are veering off the carpet, one door over, away from the cameras a bit.)
The music just started.
The music just started.
So basically Mar-a-Lago guests are walking by the WH pool as they enter the party.
Guests include Ben Carson, Lou Dobbs and the My Pillow guy.
Rudy held court for a while.
Jared and Ivanka.
Eric and Lara Trump.
Don Jr.
Tiffany Trump.
Gidley, Hogan Gidley.
Rudy said he would testify
Trump arrived. He said he hopes Kim Jong Un's Christmas gift to him is a beautiful vase; he said a partial vaping flavor ban is coming soon (but expressed hope the flavors will be deemed safe and put back on the market soon); he said the China deal likely only needs two phases.
They brought press into the actual event for a few minutes. We're now being brought out of Mar-a-Lago.
Catching up: on vaping, Trump said "hopefully" the banned flavors would all be on the market again soon, if deemed safe. This is a bit of a shift for him.
"We have to protect our families. At the same time, it's a big industry, we want to protect the industry," he told us.
"We have to protect our families. At the same time, it's a big industry, we want to protect the industry," he told us.
"Certain flavors" will come off the market "for a period of time," he said. (WSJ reported all flavored pods other than tobacco and menthol.)
"Hopefully, if everything's safe, they're going to be going very quickly back onto the market," Trump said.
"Hopefully, if everything's safe, they're going to be going very quickly back onto the market," Trump said.
Trump said vaping can be good if it stops people smoking. "If you can stop smoking, that's a big advantage," he said.
"So we think we're going to get it back on to the market very, very quickly, but we have to protect the children, we have to protect the families. At the same time: we have a very big industry, it's become a very big industry, we're going to take care of the industry."
On North Korea, and missile tests:
"I have a very good relationship with Kim Jong Un. I know he's sending out certain messages about Christmas presents and I hope his Christmas present is a beautiful vase. That's what I'd like, a vase, as opposed to something else."
"I have a very good relationship with Kim Jong Un. I know he's sending out certain messages about Christmas presents and I hope his Christmas present is a beautiful vase. That's what I'd like, a vase, as opposed to something else."
"Look, he likes me, I like him, we get along. He's representing his country, I'm representing my country, we have to do what we have to do. But he did sign a contract, he did sign an agreement talking about denuclearization, and it was signed...." (1/2)
"... Number one sentence: denuclearization. That was done in Singapore. And I think he's a man of his word. So, we're going to find out, but I think he's a man of his word." (2/2)
Anyhow Happy New Year
