CNN Reporter Throws Cold Water On Trump Deal: ‘Desperate’ For ‘Any Kind of Win’

CNN Senior White House Correspondent Kristen Holmes threw cold water on President Donald Trump’s trade deal minutes before it was announced, saying the White House was “desperate” for a win but the deal is “not majorly significant.”

Trump scored a long-awaited victory when he announced a trade deal with the United Kingdom Thursday, then held an Oval Office photo op complete with a call-in from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. But even during his celebratory announcement, Trump faced skepticism from reporters about the significance of the deal.

Just ahead of the announcement, Holmes appeared on Thursday’s edition of CNN’s The Situation Room and delivered a very skeptical report from the White House lawn noting a lack of specific, an emphasis on future commitments, and the White House’s desire to announce “any kind of win”:

WOLF BLITZER: Conclave day two, soon, the cardinals will gather once again to vote on the next pope. Will they reach a consensus on this, the fourth ballot?

Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world. I’m Wolf Blitzer with Pamela Brown, and you’re in The Situation Room.

And we’re following breaking news. We’re keeping a very close eye on the White House right now after President Trump says he has a trade deal with the United Kingdom. It’s set to be announced any moment. This agreement would be the first of its kind since the White House imposed widespread tariffs on countries all around the world.

Let’s go live right now to CNN Senior White House Correspondent Kristen Holmes. Kristen, just how significant is today’s announcement?

KRISTEN HOLMES: Well, Wolf, it depends on what you mean by the word, significant. Do you mean significant in terms of an actual trade deal or just the fact that there is a deal at all? Because what we are hearing right now is that this deal between the two countries is not actually going to be any what majorly significant. For example, we’ve heard it’s limited in scope, that it is heavy on future commitments.

But it is a big deal in the sense that Donald Trump and his administration have been touting for weeks now that they were going to get a trade deal. In fact, when I talk to administration officials and allies of the president, they seem somewhat desperate to get a trade deal on the table to show that the economy was moving forward.

So, here’s what Donald Trump says about the agreement between the two countries. He says, the agreement with the United Kingdom is a full and comprehensive one that will cement the relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom for many years to come. Because of our longtime history and allegiance together, it is a great honor to have the United Kingdom as our first announcement, many other deals, which are in serious stages of negotiation to follow.

But, again, He says, full and comprehensive, sources telling Phil Mattingly that it’s limited in scope and heavy on future commitments. And, in fact, Trump’s own secretary of agriculture seem to say the same. Take a listen to what she said about the deal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BROOKE ROLLINS, AGRICULTURE SECRETARY: Again, more details coming. It is an agreement and concept. There’s a lot of details to be worked out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: It is a concept. We’ve heard that before, but again, a lot of this is all about the messaging. We had gotten to a place where Trump actually seemed to be backpedaling away from this idea of trade deals earlier in the week. They were looking for any kind of win, and you can guarantee that he and the administration will be celebrating this despite whether or not it is just heavy on future commitments.

BLITZER: Kristen Holmes reporting for us, Kristen, thank you very, very much.

Watch above via CNN’s The Situation Room.