President Trump said “everything’s active” when it comes to making a trade deal with China.

“We are going to have a fair deal with China. It’s going to be fair,” Mr. Trump told reporters Wednesday after walking on the North Lawn of the White House.

“Everything’s active,” he said. “Everybody wants to be a part of what we’re doing. They know that they can’t get away with it any longer, but they’re still going to do fine, and we’re going to have a country that you can be proud of.”

Mr. Trump made a surprise appearance on the North Lawn and told reporters that he was examining spots to place flagpoles.

“We’re putting up a beautiful, almost 100-foot-tall American flag on this side and another one on the other side, two flags top of the line,” he said. “And they needed flag poles for 200 years. It was something I’ve often said, you know, they don’t have a flag pole per se.

“So we’re putting one right where you saw us, and we’re putting another one on the other side, on top of the mounds. It’s going to be two beautiful poles.”

• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.