In what was ostensibly meant as an announcement on his infrastructure initiative but was turned into a contentious press conference after he unexpectedly began to field questions from gathered press representatives, questions primarily on his response(s) to the violence in Charlottesville. Despite his attempts to return to his original topic, the reporters continued to hammer him in a way I don't feel any president has ever been causing him to get out-rightly hostile to some of those in attendance, calling many individually out (but not by name, only by using his Deadly Digit) "fake news", saying many times "let me finish" and other times talking over or simply cutting them off.
Now I have neither the time nor the stomach to go through the entire encounter but I'll go through it pulling out examples of those which show how even under pressure (or because of it) he finds it so easy to stretch, bend and warp the facts to his own benefit.
FOR CLARIFICATION: Anything in bold print is for the purpose of emphasis only; that which is enclosed in [ ] are my comments while that in quotation marks (" ") are direct quotes from the parties involved. Italics are used just for the hell of it. Bits of editorializing may be scattered throughout and may not be indicated as such so it's up to the reader to understand my usual snark and sarcasm.
Beginning with a lengthy statement on how his executive order (which he treats as if it's something he's signing into law) will be a boon to the economy and goes on a short diatribe about the evils of the permit process and environmental impact studies, at one point saying that all they do is add 'hundreds of millions of dollars" to the cost and that something that may be 17 years in construction because of the little unnecessary bits today will hereafter, because of him, be able to be completed in two. Finally, calling on Mick Mulvaney, his Director of the Office of Budget and Management, to join him. i'm sure expecting to continue this discussion on his Glorious Proposals, he opened the floor to questions and Hell was opened in it's place. Needless to say, Mick was no longer needed. We begin with a warm-up question on the CEOs abandoning ship before moving on to the Main Event. Asking parties are not identified.
QUESTION: "Why do you think that CEOs are leaving your manufacturing council?"
TRUMP ignores the fact that many have used the excuse that they said they could no longer be associated with him the way he responded to Charlottesville, instead saying "...they're not taking their jobs seriously as it pertains to this country." and perhaps he should know a thing or two about that. He infers they're just upset with him "lecturing them" on bringing businesses and jobs back to this country. Yes, like he and his daughter?
CROSSTALK including last part of a QUESTION:"....take so long?"
By his answer it can be assumed the question had to do with his statements concerning the weekends violence. TRUMP says "I didn't wait long. I didn't wait long."
CROSSTALK
TRUMP, repeating that he "didn't wait long....I wanted to make sure, unlike most politicians, that what I said was correct" and that his initial statement on Saturday "was a fine statement. But you don't make statements that direct unless you know the facts" and, again stressing that not all the facts were in at that time, he goes on "So, I don't want to go quickly and just make a statement for the sake of making a political statement. I want to know the facts."
[At this point I'd like to remind everyone of the June 2016 attack on London Bridge. Immediately after it occurred, before any investigation had begun and no one had yet been identified (i.e. NO FACTS) Trump was tweeting "terror attack" based solely on a Drudge Report bulletin. However, once confirmed as such, Trump went on to use them as more 'proof' of the need for his ban. Another incident took place in the Rose Garden when he made an announcement to his guests gathered to hear his words on the Paris climate accord by saying "I would like to begin by addressing the terrorist attack in Manila." The unfortunate part in this instance is the attack was still on-going and, as it ended up was determined not to be an act of terror. BUT, NO, he doesn't like to comment until he has ALL THE FACTS.]
CROSSTALK, during which he takes the time to pull a piece of paper out of his jacket pocket he just coincidentally happened to have on him [Maybe he was wearing the same suit] from which he read [We can only trust that he was reading from the same statement since the initial one was read from a teleprompter. now, had he pulled out a teleprompter....] saying "I brought it. I brought it. I brought it."
QUESTION: "Why did you...." trailing off and ignored.
TRUMP proceeds to 'read' his initial statement, but not in it's entirety, stopping to rebuke those to whom he was speaking "...excuse me. excuse me. take it nice and easy", reminding everyone that when he spoke events were still unfolding and saying again that "Before I make a statement I need the facts."
[Is anybody else picking up a pattern here?]
Trump at this time, amid all his saying he 'needs the facts', makes a point of mentioning the 'young woman' who died [without bothering to mention her by name if he even took to learn it without having someone write it down to remind him] but not in a 'we express our condolences' manner. To further defend his initial statement he says he's heard from [or somebody told him he's 'heard from'] her mother who took the time to "write" him or "said through, I guess Twitter, social media, the nicest things and I very much appreciate that. Her mother on Twitter thanked me for what I said. And honestly, if the press were not fake and if it was honest, the press would have said what I said was very nice."
[Because, after all, isn't that what's most important, strewing compliments and flowers on a POS. And I'm sorry (kind of but not really) if I took my editorializing a bit too far with that one.]
CROSSTALK
TRUMP: "They don't. They don't" [Taken out of context it means little.]
CROSSTALK
TRUMP: "How about a couple of...."
CROSSTALK
Obviously trying to steer the conversation back to the originally scheduled topic, TRUMP asks "How about a couple of infrastructure questions?"
QUESTION: "Was it terrorism, that event? Was that terrorism?"
TRUMP: "Say what?"
QUESTION: "The CEO of Walmart said you missed a (inaudible) opportunity to help bring the country together. Did you?"
TRUMP, after saying "Not at all", goes off on a brief litany of what he feels are his 'Greatest Hits' before returning to his 'facts, facts, I must get all the facts', saying that though the first statement 'was nice', "The second statement was made was made after, with knowledge, with great knowledge. There are still things, excuse me, there are still things that people don't know", stressing once again [but not for the last time "I want to make a statement with facts. I wanted to know the facts. OK..."
CROSSTALK
TO BE CONTINUED....
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