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White House Press Pool Reports @WHPressPool - In-town pool report #6: dinner
Pool is assembled in the back of the State Dining Room for the President’s remarks before a dinner with Japan’s PM Takaichi. The event is live streamed.
There are seven round tables decorated with gold cutlery and gold tablecloths. On the menu is carrot ginger velouté, Maine lobster au gratin with corn puree and asparagus, and strawberry and vanilla cream gateau. Photo of the menu attached.
A podium is set up in the front of the room.
Several Cabinet members and senior Admin officials are seated at each table along with members of the Japanese delegation. Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Rubio are seated at the table that Trump and Takaichi will soon join. Palantir CEO Alex Karp is at a table with Bessent and Senator Risch. Vance is seated at a table with Stephen Miller. Also spotted: Hegseth, Bondi, Lutnick, Bessent, Greer, Rollins, McMahon, Turner, Loeffler, Wright, Burgum, and Blair.
Nik Popli
TIME
Thu. Mar. 19, 7:17 PM
https://x.com/WHPressPool/status/2034779303905239467

White House Press Pool Reports @WHPressPool - Foreign Pool Report #12 Dinner scene
Pool was held in the East Room while we listened to melodies come through the door such as, Kawa no Nagare no Youni “Like the Flow of the River” a famous 1989 Japanese song by Misora Hibari followed by a jaunty rendition of My Neighbor Totoro.
(Your pooler is an avid Ghibli fan and could not contain her excitement.)
Pool was escorted into the State Dining Room at 7pm. We were brought into a display of about 7 round tables filled with Japanese delegation and U.S. administration, elected officials and ambassadors and industry giants.
One of PM Takaichi’s favorite songs X Japan’s Rusty Nail played in the background while guests enjoyed lively conversations.
METI minister Akazawa sat at Secretary Bessent’s table, where Palantir’s Alex Karp stood up and bowed to him. At another table, VP Vance clinked glasses with Foreign Minister Motegi. Google’s Sundar Pinchai was also in attendance.
President Trump and PM Takaichi entered together around 7:18pm and President Trump began remarks, speaking of Takaichi’s electoral victory and how she is visiting at the cusp of the cherry blossom season.
President Trump said that the 250 gifted cherry blossom trees were in the process of being planted and that Takaichi would need to come back To check them out.
President Trump spoke on the trade deal between US and Japan “one of the biggest deals ever made”
He repeated that Takaichi was a spectacular woman and that it was a honor to have her at the White House.
Takaichi began speaking at 7:29pm.
She expressed the deepest gratitude of hosting a “beautiful dinner” (she said that part in English) for her and her delegation.
She wished Barron Trump an early happy birthday, saying he took after his parents and was very “ikemen” or good looking in Japanese slang.
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