Not so at Thursday’s gathering. Mr. Trump steered clear of the more controversial news of the day — including his decision to revoke the security clearance of a prominent critic and the unflattering tell-all book by a former aide — and instead began by noting the death of Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul.

“I want to begin today by expressing my condolences to the family of a person I knew well,” Mr. Trump said as he opened the meeting. “She worked for me on numerous occasions. She was terrific: Aretha Franklin.”

It was not clear what the president was referring to, but Ms. Franklin did perform a handful of times at Mr. Trump’s properties during her lifetime, which was far more notable for her scores of chart-topping singles, her 18 competitive Grammy Awards, her induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and her performances at the inauguration of Barack Obama and for other presidents.

In the middle of a health care update from R. Alexander Acosta, the labor secretary, Mr. Trump engaged in some wishful thinking about the repeal of the health care law enacted under Mr. Obama. “We actually got rid of Obamacare,” the president said, “except for one vote.”

The Affordable Care Act remains law, although parts of it have been rescinded or weakened; a Republican effort last summer to repeal it was thwarted most famously by Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona. Two other Republicans also voted against its repeal, as did 48 Democrats.

Mr. Trump also offered his own, inaccurate explanation — one rejected by state officials and firefighting experts — for the scourge of wildfires ravaging California. He said they were the result of water being diverted into the Pacific Ocean to save fish.

“We’re spending a fortune in California because of poor maintenance and because, frankly, they’re sending a lot of water out to the Pacific to protect the smelt,” Mr. Trump said.