Donald Trump talked to reporters on the White House lawn this morning. During the almost 20 minute q & a he told journalists to “be quiet,” declared “I did a great job this week,” and “I did nothing wrong.” And that barely scratches the surface.
Today’s POTUS performance was breathtaking in the sheer number of provable falsehoods, intentional mischaracterizations and outright lies uttered. Clearly someone feels emboldened. Will GOP leaders continue to shrug this off? Bury their head in the sand?
— Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) June 15, 2018
Here are some of the more memorable moments and you can watch the whole “performance” above.
Reporter: You spoke passionately about the circumstances that led to Otto Warmbier's death. In same breath, you're defending Kim Jong Un's human rights records. How can you do that?
Trump: "You know why? Because I don't want to see a nuclear weapon destroy you and your family" pic.twitter.com/RZLElM3qOV
— NBC News (@NBCNews) June 15, 2018
Pres Trump said the Inspector General's report, "maybe more importantly than anything – it totally exonerates me.”
"There was no collusion. There was no obstruction. And if you read the report you'll see that," he told reporters. pic.twitter.com/uR8w0piMbJ
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) June 15, 2018
Reporter: How can North Korean leader Kim Jong Un love his people if he's killing them?
President Trump: "I can't speak to that. I can only speak to the fact that we signed an incredible agreement." https://t.co/BAWPUkVTyG pic.twitter.com/djhrOh64Pg
— CNN (@CNN) June 15, 2018
President Trump says he wants "my people" to sit at attention for him like people do for Kim Jong Un: "He is the head of a country and I mean he is the strong head" https://t.co/q29pKEjKk3 pic.twitter.com/GHBUarM1rc
— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 15, 2018
The North Korean people are forced to do this, because it’s a dictatorship https://t.co/BLp9taWLQ9
— Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) June 15, 2018
“You’re the president — you can change it right now,” @kwelkernbc tells President Trump while questioning him on his administration’s policy to separate children from their parents at the border. pic.twitter.com/URUgkgCSlj
— NBC News (@NBCNews) June 15, 2018
"It's possible that we'll meet," President Trump says when asked if he'll meet with Russian President Putin this summer https://t.co/iDFgMpAMgu pic.twitter.com/pozOm6LKFb
— CBS News (@CBSNews) June 15, 2018
President Trump says Michael Cohen is no longer his personal lawyer: "I haven't spoken to Michael in a long time" https://t.co/1QD4TU3hQl pic.twitter.com/8wcj04eMSa
— CNN (@CNN) June 15, 2018
Trump this morning would not say if he dictated the misleading statement to the NYT about Don Jr’s meeting with Russians. “Let's not talk about it. You know what that is, it's irrelevant. ..That's not a statement to a high tribunal of judges. That's a statement to the phony” NYT
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) June 15, 2018
Pres ended a 19-minute WH driveway press conference asserting that Pres Obama lost Crimea to Russia. "Because Putin didn't respect Pres Obama," said @POTUS. Said Putin didn't respect America under Obama and didn't respect Ukraine. "Pres Obama gave away Crimea." pic.twitter.com/iYAGNXXAD7
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) June 15, 2018
He repeatedly ignored questions he didn’t like and shushed reporters for asking them https://t.co/aFdTNbVJhE
— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) June 15, 2018