Trump in Palm Beach: President squeezes in a wall tweet before Super Bowl

Feb. 04--President Trump ended a relatively quiet weekend in Palm Beach Sunday by stirring suspicions his administration might squelch a report by Special Counsel Robert Mueller -- and then returning to Washington for yet another high stakes week for the White House.

In an interview with the CBS weekly program Face the Nation, Trump was asked if he would commit to making public a report by Mueller on his 26-month long investigation into Russian election meddling and potential collusion by Trump's 2016 campaign. The president demurred.

"That's up to the attorney general," he said. "I don't know. It depends. I have no idea what it's going to say."

The president started his day at his West Palm Beach club with a round of golf with Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney. The main event on Sunday, however, was the Trump family's annual Super Bowl party at Trump International in West Palm Beach.

See our Trump in Palm Beach photo gallery

The Trumps arrived to greet Florida Atlantic University's marching band. Trump, First Lady Melania Trump listened to the band play before entering the main ballroom where they and their guests watched the NFL championship game. "Thank you very much," he told the band members. He then pointed to the press corps and elicited chuckles from the band by asking, "You heard of the media?"

By the time he arrived at the Super bowl party, CBS had aired the president's 85-minute interview. In addition to his comments on Mueller's investigation, Trump stated his opposition to son Barron playing football saying "it's a dangerous sport."

He also stated his belief that he did the NFL "a big favor" by denouncing national anthem protests by players. "Roger Goodell called me and he thanked me. And I appreciated that," Trump said according to a transcript of the interview. "But they haven't been kneeling and they have been respecting the flag and their ratings have been terrific ever since."

Trump otherwise kept a fairly low-profile this weekend on social media.

The president and first lady arrived at Mar-a-Lago on a rainy Friday night and briefly greeted the club's members and their guests in the Palm Beach club's various ballrooms. They had dinner on a Mar-a-Lago "stage" -- a nook in the main dining room on a table set aside for them.

On Saturday, the president golfed with Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods at Trump's Jupiter club -- even tweeting a photo with the two legends. He subsequently disclosed in a follow-up tweet that Woods shot a 64, and Nicklaus' "putting is amazing." "Jack & Tiger really like each other," the president added.

Trump also weighed in on the political firestorm engulfing Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam. Trump tweeted that Northam's response to the racist photos from his medical school yearbook was "unforgivable." He added that had the photos emerged during the 2017 campaign, Republican Ed Gillespie would have won the election "by 20 points."

Back in Washington from his 19th visit to Palm Beach as president, Trump faces a major showdown Tuesday when he delivers his State of the Union speech. Later in the week, his erstwhile lawyer and so-called "fixer," Michael Cohen, is scheduled to testify before Congress behind closed doors.

The State of the Union speech, postponed a week by the historically-long government shutdown, will have a very different vibe than last year.

His political nemesis, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, will be seated behind him as he delivers the annual address. In front of him, the president will see a host of new faces reflecting the 40 House seats Democrats won in the 2018 midterm election -- many by women, dressed in white, who now hold a record number of seats in Congress.

For that reason, U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, D-West Palm Beach, tweeted last week that she is eager to attend this year's speech.

"I'm looking forward to wearing suffragette white to #SOTU next week with all @HouseDemWomen!" the tweet read. "We'll honor all those who came before us & send a message of solidarity that we're not going back on our hard-earned rights!"

Perhaps with an eye toward the showdown on Capitol Hill Tuesday, the president on Sunday returned to themes he trumpeted in heavy-handed fashion in his last visit to Palm Beach during Thanksgiving -- caravans, immigrants and the border. Late Sunday afternoon, he tweeted about "caravans marching through Mexico and toward our Country." He concluded the tweet saying: "Human trafficking, Drugs and criminals of all dimensions -- KEEP OUT!"

Still, Trump will be speaking to a less receptive audience in the House chamber, and recent polls show the public is skeptical of his signature budgetary want -- billions for a border wall.

-- A Quinnipiac University National Poll says voters oppose by a 63 percent to 32 percent another government shutdown to force funding for the wall.

-- A Politico/Morning Consult poll found only 36 percent of voters said they support re-allocating money to pay for the border wall through a national emergency, while 51 percent oppose such a declaration.

-- A CNN poll put the President Trump's approval rating 37 percent -- 20 percentage points less than his disapproval rating.

It's a very different lead-up to last year's State of the Union, too. On that evening in January 2018, the president was coming off a major political victory over Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in a short-lived shutdown.

The president carried that momentum into the speech, which congressional Republicans in the Capitol Rotunda's Statuary Hall hailed afterward as the moment Trump completely won over the GOP.

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Below are earlier updates from Palm Beach Post reporter Christine Stapleton.

5:03 p.m.

With just four hours remaining in his break from the cold in Washington, DC, the president has managed to get in a wall tweet before leaving Mar-a-Lago.

With Caravans marching through Mexico and toward our Country, Republicans must be prepared to do whatever is necessary for STRONG Border Security. Dems do nothing. If there is no Wall, there is no Security. Human Trafficking, Drugs and Criminals of all dimensions -- KEEP OUT!

-- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)February 3, 2019

4:14 p.m.

In his second, apolitical tweet of the day, the president answered what apparently has been nagging golf enthusiasts all day. How's Tiger's game?

Everyone is asking how Tiger played yesterday. The answer is Great! He was long, straight & putted fantastically well. He shot a 64. Tiger is back & will be winning Majors again! Not surprisingly, Jack also played really well. His putting is amazing! Jack & Tiger like each other.

-- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)February 3, 2019

Nicklaus, 79, has won 18 major tournaments, the most of any golfer. Woods, 43, is in second place with wins in 14 majors.

The president played with Woods and Jack Nicklaus at Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter on Saturday and tweeted a photo of the threesome.

Great morning at Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter, Florida with@JackNicklaus and@TigerWoods!pic.twitter.com/mdPN4yvS8e

-- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)February 2, 2019

Today, the president returned to Trump International Golf Club in suburban West Palm Beach, his usual golf destination while visiting Mar-a-Lago, and played with chief of staff Mick Mulvaney.No word from the president on how Mulvaney played. The president and White House have never released the president's golf scores.

The president's visit to Mar-a-Lago this weekend ended the longest golf drought of his presidency by playing Nicklaus and Woods -- the two most prolific tournament winners in golf history who rarely play together. Both Nicklaus and Woods live near the president's Jupiter course.

Saturday's outing was only the third time Trump has visited his Jupiter club as president. He played golf there with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and PGA Tour member Ernie Els in February 2017. In November 2017, Trump played at Jupiter with Woods and PGA star Dustin Johnson. Woods also played with Trump when he was president-elect in December 2016 at Trump International.

Trump played golf with Nicklaus in November at Trump International along with Nicklaus' son Gary and grandson G.T. The president also golfed with Jack and Gary Nicklaus in November 2017.

4:03 p.m.

Looks like the president and first lady will miss the Super Bowl kickoff at 6:30 p.m. and will likely leave Palm Beach during halftime.

According to @POTUS_Schedule, the president's official public schedule posted to Twitter, the first couple will arrive at Trump International Golf Club at 6:30 p.m. -- the scheduled kickoff for Super Bowl LIII. As he did for his prior two presidential Super Bowl parties, the Trumps will listen to a couple of songs by a local marching band, greet band members then go into the club for the festivities.

The first family will leave the club at 8:35 p.m. to head to Palm Beach International Airport, about a mile away. Air Force One is scheduled to depart at 8:50 p.m. and return to the White House at 11:15 p.m. according to the schedule.

2:22 p.m.

The president played golf today with his new chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, according to the White House. He is headed back to Mar-a-Lago now but will return to the club this evening for his Super Bowl party.

The White House rarely divulges the president's golf partner but yesterday put out a statement saying the president played with Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus. The president followed up with a photo of the threesome. t The White House rarely divulges the president's golf partner but yesterday put out a statement saying the president played with Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus. The president followed up by tweeting a photo of the threesome. The president did not tweet photos on the links with Mulvaney.

As for Mulvaney, he has not tweeted since the president named him chief of staff in December.

Party preparations are underway at Trump International Golf Club where the Florida Atlantic University marching band is scheduled to perform for the president and first lady outside, before the game.

Last year the FAU Marching Owls performed two songs -- Earth Wind & Fire's Boogie Wonderland and Walk the Moon's Shut up and Dance.

12:45 p.m.

No word yet on whether the president showed up at the Heroes Ball for veterans at Mar-a-Lago last night. Among the performers, a James Brown tribute band and the conservative comedy show The Deplorables.

P.J. Schrantz, who founded Veleve, the charity that sponsored the event, told the New York Times he was betting on Trump to make an appearance at a $600-a-plate fund-raiser.

"I chose to have it there because I've attended galas there," Schrantz told the Times. "The members are such giving people that we could raise a couple of million dollars in an evening."

10:30 a.m.

President Trump is at his West Palm Beach golf club. He has not tweeted, but the country heard plenty from him in a previously taped interview that was aired on the CBS weekly show Face the Nation.

Here are five takeaways from the interview:

1. Trump said another govt shutdown is on the table.

2. Trump said he is keeping troops in Iraq partly to watch Iran.

3. Asked if he would pardon Roger Stone, Trump said Stone seems to be defending himself very well.

4. Trump said he would not meet with embattled Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

5. Trump said he "did the NFL a big favor" by denouncing the national anthem protests.

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8:30 a.m.

President Trump has arrived at Trump International Golf Club in suburban West Palm Beach.

8:18 a.m.

Palm Beach Post political editor Antonio Fins is embedded with the national press pool today -- following the president's whereabouts wherever he goes.

Good morning from@realDonaldTrump Mar-a-Lago where press pool assembled and ready to follow@POTUS on@SuperBowl Sunday.#TrumpInPalmBeachpic.twitter.com/toyrPCDF0M

-- Antonio Fins (@PBPoliticsFins)February 3, 2019

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7:02 a.m.

Good morning. It's 64-degrees at Mar-a-Lago, with sunny skies and a high of 73-degrees expected before the president's Super Bowl watch party this evening.

The White House has not released the president' schedule for today but if he follows his presidential Super Bowl routine, he will tweet, golf and then get gussied up in a suit and tie to watch the big game with members and friends at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach.

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The president ended the longest golf drought of his presidency in legendary fashion on Saturday by playing on his Jupiter course with Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. The president returned to Mar-a-Lago mid-afternoon and did not leave the club for the rest of the day.

At 7:39 p.m. -- after 24 hours of uncharacteristic silence on a trending social media firestorm -- the president weighed in on a photo from the medical school yearbook of Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam that showed two individuals, one in blackface and the other in a KKK hood and robe. Northam, a Democrat, apologized for the photos in a statement and video but has refused to step down despite widespread calls for Northam's resignation.

Democrat Governor Ralph Northam of Virginia just stated, "I believe that I am not either of the people in that photo." This was 24 hours after apologizing for appearing in the picture and after making the most horrible statement on "super" late term abortion. Unforgivable!

-- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)February 3, 2019

Three minutes later the president followed up with another tweet, taking aim at the campaign staff of Ed Gillespie, Northam's opponent, for failing to find the photo during the campaign.

Ed Gillespie, who ran for Governor of the Great State of Virginia against Ralph Northam, must now be thinking Malpractice and Dereliction of Duty with regard to his Opposition Research Staff. If they find that terrible picture before the election, he wins by 20 points!

-- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)February 3, 2019

Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrived in Palm Beach on Friday evening with their 12-year-old son Baron and the president's daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner and the couple's three young children. This is the president's first Palm Beach visit in more than two months, having opted to stay in Washington, DC during the shutdown.

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