Journalists Whisper at Trump’s Crazy Press Conference: ‘This Is Insane’
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[url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/02/16/journalists-whisper-at-trump-s-crazy-press-conference-this-is-insane.html]The Daily Beast[/url]
[quote]He shouted about Russia, Vladimir Putin, and Russian intelligence. He vented about how unfair and nasty “the media” was to him, but took time to specifically praise friendly outlets such as Fox News. He tried to settle old scores in public. He touted the single national poll that showed a favorable approval rating. He continued to protest too much about charges of racism, and even anti-Semitism in his ranks. And President Trump revived Candidate Trump’s favorite campaign-rally applause line about how he has “never seen more dishonest media than, frankly, the political media.”
It was like he had never left the campaign trail or all the old talking points, pugnacity, and vitriol that came with it. The only thing that was missing was a jab at “Crooked Hillary.”
[B]And as the official White House press conference disintegrated further into unhinged criticism and belligerent sniping, reporters seated in the East Room could hardly contain themselves. There was an awkward mix of laughing with Trump, and chuckling at him as the president kept venting and sneering. The reporters present couldn’t stop quietly gossipping about Trump.
“What is going on?” one journalist whispered to another. “This is insane” and “What the hell?” were other popular refrains in the room.
It was, again, time for Trump’s very public airing of the grievances and insecurities—all of them too familiar.[/B]
The most jarring parts of the president’s therapeutic-sounding, televised meltdown were when his extended monologues took aim at his media enemies-list, or when the conversation shifted to Russia and Michael Flynn, Trump’s recently resigned national security adviser.
This was when Trump deployed a fast clip of back-to-back contradictory statements and bizarre conspiratorial claims—the kind of almost improvisational routine Trump has perfected in his rise to power, and also his era of reality-TV stardom.
[B]“I don’t think he did anything wrong. If anything, he did something right,” Trump said, defending the just-sacked Flynn as “a fine person.”
“You know, you can talk all you want about Russia, which was all, you know, fake news, [a] fabricated deal, to try and make up for the loss of the Democrats and the press plays right into it,” Trump alleged. “It’s all fake news. It’s all fake news. The nice thing is, I see it starting to turn, where people are now looking at the illegal… giving out [of] classified information.”[/B][/quote]
[quote][B]Trump was later asked by a reporter if he can “definitively” say that nobody on his campaign had “any contacts with the Russians during the campaign,” and if it’s all “fake news” as Trump says, then how “are these real leaks?”
“Well, the leaks are real…I mean the leaks are real,” he shot back. “The leaks are absolutely real. The news is fake because so much of the news is fake…The reporting is fake.”[/B]
Continuing on his routine tirade against “fake” reporting, the president couldn’t resist taking a couple shots at CNN, one of his biggest media adversaries during the election. (The channel’s reporter Jim Acosta—no relation to Trump’s Labor pick—was present to take the roasting.)
Trump, the most powerful man in the world, is still petty enough to mock the network’s ratings, all the while sneaking in a plug for his favorite cable-news allies.
“Fox and Friends in the morning, they’re very honorable people,” Trump, the media critic, said. “They have the most honest morning show. That’s all I can say. It’s the most honest.” (Not long before he became leader of the free world, Trump had a regular guest-slot on Fox and Friends.)
[/quote]
For anyone who doesn't like that source, [URL="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38987938"]here's the BBC's full transcript[/URL] of the Trump Press conference, proving the article perfectly accurate.
[quote]Still, President Trump wanted to remind the room and the American people that he wasn’t mad. He says he’s just having the time of his life at the expense of the media elite.[/quote]
Here is a man having the time of his life, clearly.
The President also took the time to try and deflect the blame for any damage he does to the country during his term:
[quote]“To be honest, I inherited a mess—it’s a mess, at home and abroad, a mess,” Trump emphasized toward the start of the presser, complaining about all the work he has to do, from job creation to the Middle East.
“I just want to let you know, I inherited a mess,” the president reiterated, cementing his excuses.[/quote]
Wow he's actually going to try and become a despot isn't he
[quote]“Well, the leaks are real…I mean the leaks are real,” he shot back. “The leaks are absolutely real. The news is fake because so much of the news is fake…The reporting is fake.”[/quote]
What the fuck does this tautological mess of a sentence even [I]mean[/I]?
[QUOTE=Sitkero;51833983]What the fuck does this tautological mess of a sentence even [I]mean[/I]?[/QUOTE]
It means that the journalist just caught him in a lie and he was too flustered to come up with a coherent response.
I was watching it live. I'd love for someplace to make an abridged list of all of his lies because there was a point where literally every sentence he said was an utter falsehood.
[editline]16th February 2017[/editline]
[QUOTE=archangel125;51833987]It means that the journalist just caught him in a lie and he was too flustered to come up with a coherent response.[/QUOTE]
He also said "Russia is fake news" (verbatim) when his own administration has said twice on record that it was true, just not technically illegal (supposedly).
Watch as he uses this as an excuse somehow to kick out all the news agencies except for Fox and Breitbart.
"The dishonest media was conspiring against me in my own press conference! FAKE NEWS"
[QUOTE=Raidyr;51833991]I was watching it live. I'd love for someplace to make an abridged list of all of his lies because there was a point where literally every sentence he said was an utter falsehood.
[editline]16th February 2017[/editline]
He also said "Russia is fake news" (verbatim) when his own administration has said twice on record that it was true, just not technically illegal (supposedly).[/QUOTE]
Methinks the cheeto doth protest too much.
[QUOTE=archangel125;51834004]Methinks the cheeto doth protest too much.[/QUOTE]
Don't forget the part where he whined about leaks after praising leaks during the campaign.
[QUOTE=Raidyr;51833991]I was watching it live. I'd love for someplace to make an abridged list of all of his lies because there was a point where literally every sentence he said was an utter falsehood.
[/QUOTE]
[URL="http://www.npr.org/2017/02/16/515608127/transcript-and-analysis-trump-press-conference-on-labor-secretary-russia"]NPR's annotations[/URL] are pretty comprehensive. Not exactly abridged though.
[QUOTE=Radical_ed;51833981]Wow he's actually going to try and become a despot isn't he[/QUOTE]
you've taken an ignorant, incompetent man who's slowly melting down over his (short) time as president, being unable to be taken seriously or perform basic duties
and you jump to the conclusion that he's somehow undermining american politics to become a dictator
like guys, at this point you sit back and laugh. he's bumbled his way into presidency and everyone is seeing how poorly he's doing. it's time to stop fearmongering.
tbh I wouldn't be surprised if he's trying to be a dictator but he's doing such a shit job at it he can't hold it together.
[QUOTE=WillerinV1.02;51834021]you've taken an ignorant, incompetent man who's slowly melting down over his (short) time as president, being unable to be taken seriously or perform basic duties
and you jump to the conclusion that he's somehow undermining american politics to become a dictator
like guys, at this point you sit back and laugh. he's bumbled his way into presidency and everyone is seeing how poorly he's doing. it's time to stop fearmongering.[/QUOTE]
Alone, he wouldn't be a problem, Willerin. The problem is that the Republican-controlled Congress and Senate are enabling his crazy ideas, because they'd look bad to Trump voters if they didn't, and because he's allowing them to absolutely gut the protections Americans and the environment have enjoyed for decades - something they'd never have gotten away with before. They're defending him when he and his have literally broken the law in the past, and they'll continue to do so. If he isn't stopped soon, he will become something very like a dictator.
[QUOTE=WillerinV1.02;51834021]you've taken an ignorant, incompetent man who's slowly melting down over his (short) time as president, being unable to be taken seriously or perform basic duties
and you jump to the conclusion that he's somehow undermining american politics to become a dictator
like guys, at this point you sit back and laugh. he's bumbled his way into presidency and everyone is seeing how poorly he's doing. it's time to stop fearmongering.[/QUOTE]
At what point do you see someone doing something stupid and stop laughing and stop genuinely worrying about everyone else in the room?
For me it was the initial "Press is the opposition party" line which has now escalated to outright antagonism against everyone that doesn't agree with him.
[I]"The news is fake because so much of the news is fake"[/I]
...
As an Australian it's really easy to sit back and laugh about it but from an American perspective we haven't really dealt with this kind of behavior in recent history. I'm pretty sure every president has lied at some point in their tenure but few lie with such a cavalier attitude and only one goes out of his way to attack institutions that merely publish the truth.
[QUOTE=gman003-main;51834014][url=https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/United_States_of_America_1992#235]Section 4[/url] when?[/QUOTE]
I'm getting extremely worried about a lack of impeachment, because it really seems GOP is going along with trump.
[QUOTE=OmniConsUme;51834059]I'm getting extremely worried about a lack of impeachment, because it really seems GOP is going along with trump.[/QUOTE]
They have no incentive to unless his approval rating drops drastically to the point where propping him up could damage the Republican brand in the long term. Having someone who can be coached by Pence and senior leadership while rubber stamping every domestic issue they push through the House and Senate is too great a boon to bother throwing away over mere breaches of etiquette/law, especially when they don't have the support of the people.
[QUOTE=Sitkero;51833983]What the fuck does this tautological mess of a sentence even [I]mean[/I]?[/QUOTE]
It means his hair is finally ready to assume control
Reality is collapsing isn't it? This kind of shit it just beyond fucking surreal.
[QUOTE=HumanAbyss;51834120]Reality is collapsing isn't it? This kind of shit it just beyond fucking surreal.[/QUOTE]
When reality becomes satire, its a harbinger of awful things to come
[QUOTE=HumanAbyss;51834120]Reality is collapsing isn't it? This kind of shit it just beyond fucking surreal.[/QUOTE]
I genuinely gave him the benefit the doubt but it feels like he has already exceeded my worst expectations just a month into his four year term.
In terms of policies there are still things he has advocated for that I agree with but as a person, politician, and president he is simply repellent.
the part where he tells a jewish reporter to sit down after asking a question about the uptick in anti-semitic threats and attacks was fucking embarrassing, how can anyone defend trump after watching shit like that
like please, someone go ahead and watch that question, watch his answer, and try and defend him. i dare you
I am watching a replay of the Press Conference, he's gone full nuclear on the press
He got asked about the inner cities and started bragging about how he won there before he answered the question. I can't believe both the media and the president are still talking about the election at this stage.
Can't wait for his next conference
[QUOTE=RIPBILLYMAYS;51834156]
Can't wait for his next conference[/QUOTE]
Why do you appreciate being lied to straight to your face.
[QUOTE=RIPBILLYMAYS;51834156]I am watching a replay of the Press Conference, he's gone full nuclear on the press
He got asked about the inner cities and started bragging about how he won there before he answered the question. I can't believe both the media and the president are still talking about the election at this stage.
Can't wait for his next conference[/QUOTE]
I genuinely want to know what you find exciting about all of this and why we should consider this anything other than "Bad"
[QUOTE=Sitkero;51833983]What the fuck does this tautological mess of a sentence even [I]mean[/I]?[/QUOTE]
The news is both fake and real at the same time. Schrodinger's Media.
[QUOTE=RIPBILLYMAYS;51834156]
He got asked about the inner cities and started bragging about how he won there before he answered the question.[/QUOTE]
I don't remember this part about inner cities. The part I remember was when he was asked if he will work with the Congressional Black Caucus by a black reporter and his response was
[QUOTE]Well, I would. I tell you what: Do you want to set up the meeting? Do you want to set up the meeting?
...
Are they friends of yours? Set up the meeting.[/QUOTE]
So that was pretty funny.
If he did say he "won there" then that [URL="http://www.citylab.com/politics/2016/11/how-americas-metro-areas-voted/508355/"]isn't 100% true either.[/URL] He won more areas defined as cities but Clinton won the larger share of the vote as well as city-dwelling population. Of the top 10 most populous US cities, Trump won three, two by razor thin margins. He even lost Philadelphia, which some in the media predicted he would carry, by 61% to Clinton.
In the practical sense, he did not win the inner city vote.
I'm surprised anyone is surprised. Trump's given many signs already that he doesn't intend to change much from his attitude on the campaign. We got what we voted for.
My favorite part was when the subject of the Black Caucus and Rep. Cummings came up in a question and Trump just laid it out on that one reporter. A little cringey at times but I've since stopped expecting him to be presidentially cordial with the press.
[editline]16th February 2017[/editline]
Honestly, I was expecting it to be worse.
[QUOTE=Chonch;51834190]I'm surprised anyone is surprised. Trump's given many signs already that he doesn't intend to change much from his attitude on the campaign. We got what we voted for.
My favorite part was when the subject of the Black Caucus and Rep. Cummings came up in a question and Trump just laid it out on that one reporter. A little cringey at times but I've since stopped expecting him to be presidentially cordial with the press.[/QUOTE]
I wish I could understand how you can be so complacent about this
I don't have an option, I literally just have to sit back and deal with this, but you have options as to how to react, to really just be "Oh well, we got what we voted for, time to pray that he doesn't really fuck it up" seems...
well purely irresponsible
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