We’re no longer surprised, dumbfounded or aghast. Clearly, a decision has been made that the truth doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter to his base who will apparently hang with him at any cost. So, what’s real and what’s not? A lot of what was said today was not. As we get closer to full campaign mode, Trump will no doubt make himself more available for opportunities like this, eight minutes on the White House lawn talking with reporters. Here’s some of what was covered.
DON MCGAHN’S TESTIMONY THAT TRUMP ORDERED HIM TO FIRE ROBERT MUELLER
President Trump: "I’m a student of history. I see what you get when you fire people and it's not good. But there would have been nothing wrong with firing him. Legally I had absolute right to fire him, but I never told Don McGahn to fire Mueller." pic.twitter.com/BdFUrwg7pe
— CSPAN (@cspan) April 26, 2019
FALSELY CLAIMING HE’S THE MOST TRANSPARENT PRESIDENT IN HISTORY
In response to Q about whether he’ll let WH aides testify to Congress, Trump blatantly lies, says, “in the history of our country there has never been a president that has been more transparent than me or the Trump administration…there’s never ever been transparency like this.” pic.twitter.com/5Tj2fbVIC8
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 26, 2019
WHETHER JOE BIDEN’S AGE IS A FACTOR IN THE ELECTION (Note: Trump is just 3.5 years younger than Biden)
Reporter: “How old is too old to be president?”
Trump: “I think that I just feel like a young man…I am a young, vibrant man. I look at Joe [Biden], I don’t know about him.” pic.twitter.com/GXl4nHl62D— POLITICO (@politico) April 26, 2019
WHY HE SAID THERE WERE VERY FINE PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES IN CHARLOTTESVILLE
Trump tries to defend his Charlottesville response by praising Robert E. Lee.
He claims the 'very fine people' remark was about people who "felt very strongly about the monument to Robert E. Lee. A great general, whether you like it or not."
Via Politico pic.twitter.com/01W4IwGx8y— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) April 26, 2019
GETTING A BILL FROM NORTH KOREA FOR CARE OF OTTO WARMBIER
Trump says the U.S. did not pay North Korea for Otto Warmbier.
This comes in response to a Washington Post report that said his administration signed a pledge from North Korea to pay $2 million in medical costs for the American student pic.twitter.com/gqh9RiIvll
— Bloomberg Originals (@bbgoriginals) April 26, 2019
THE MEASLES OUTBREAK
President Trump on measles outbreak: "They have to get the shot. Their vaccinations are so important. This is really going around now. They have to get their shots." pic.twitter.com/utgJcymycl
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) April 26, 2019
This piece contains opinion and analysis.
