*From:* "Kumar, Anita" <xxx@mcclatchydc.com>
*Date:* August 9, 2018 at 5:38:10 PM EDT
*Subject:* *Travel pool report #6*

Berkeley Heights, NJ August 9, 2018
POTUS for about six minutes.
POTUS mentioned at the start of his remarks that he was in Bedminster because they were renovating the White House. I said I guess this would be a good place to be In the meantime, he said.
POTUS on prison reform. I can tell you my administration feels very very strongly about it. One of the single most important things were doing is to help former inmates in creating jobs. Were creating so many jobs that former inmates really for the first time are getting a shot at it. They werent sought and now theyre being sought because our unemployment rate is so low, historically low, 50 years.Its a great feeling. Its a great thing that weve all accomplished.
We want to hire and treat our Americans fairly. For many years jobs have been taken out of our country. We lost our businesses. We lost the hiring abilities that we had. Not anymore. Those companies are coming back. They are coming roaring back.They are coming back faster than anyone even thought possible.
Our first duty is to our citizens, including those who have taken the wrong path and seeking redemptionThats people that have been in prison.
POTUS said the House passed a bill. We are working very hard in the Senate. We think well be successful in that regard.
We also agreed we must be tough on crime and drugs We have a trafficking problem. Were very very tough on that and thats going to remain tough or even tougher.
POTUS said the unemployment is the lowest and created 3.9 million more jobs since Election Day, including 400,000 more manufacturing jobs. I guess I have helped you a lot on a national basis.
POTUS thanked his daughter for the Pledge of Americas Workers, which launched last month.
I want to thank Ivanka Trump for having done on incredible job on that. She has really working hard on that. Its something very important her.
POTUS thanked Kushner. I want to thank Jared for whats happening on prison reform because youve really been leading it. Its something close to your heart.
Kushner and Kellyanne Conway did not speak.
When he introduced Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, he said Ken just filed a very interesting lawsuit.that I hope is going to be successful. This appeared to be a reference to Texas lawsuit on DACA. Later, Paxton told POTUS he had a hearing yesterday and it went well. I know were right on the law and were right on the Constitution, he said.
Florida attorney general Pam Bondi, who spoke second, stressed the value of reentry programs and especially the need for people who leave prison to be able to find a job. How do we expect people to succeed without being able to get a job? she said.

The only Democratic elected official in the room was Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards. He spoke about criminal justice reform efforts in his state, which includes sentencing reform, prison reform with a real focus on reentry. He also touted that Louisiana no longer has the highest incarceration rate in the country. POTUS then asked Bel Edwards which state does. The Louisiana governor responded, Oklahoma does. POTUS responded: Really?
The two Cabinet officials in the room Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Labor Secretary Alex Acosta also spoke. Acosta spoke of prison reform as an economic engine, saying that reentry programs are needed for the economy. Perry discussed how he handled criminal justice reform as governor of Texas and said no one got him confused with being soft on crime.

Kentucky Gov Matt Bevin, the last person to speak, touted the bipartisan nature of criminal justice reform. Gesturing to Bel Edwards, Bevin noted that criminal justice reform transcends anything political.
Thanks to co-poolerSeung Min.Kim for helping transcribe. One more piece to come.
--
Anita Kumar White House Correspondent McClatchy Newspapers 202-xxx-xxxx (office) 202-xxx-xxxx (cell) xxx@mcclatchydc.com @anitakumar01
Share tips with McClatchy securely: >http://bit.ly/MCCsecure<

Public Pool is an automated feed of White House press pool reports. For live updates, follow @WHPublicPool on Twitter.