Trump engaged Press briefly on the South Lawn today, ahead of his departure for Japan, was very assertive.
“I was, and am, the most transparent president,” Trump said today, in a brief meeting with reporters on the South Lawn, as Marine One roared behind him. Trump will be out of the country for the next four days on a largely ceremonial trip to Japan. His brief pause on the lawn today was the last opportunity for domestic reporters to question the president until his return on Tuesday.
Many questions, several of which were dismissed by Trump as “phony” or by stating, “this just shows how fake you [a reporter] and the news are,” were about Nancy Pelosi, and her recent barbs at the president.
Pelosi has stated Democrats will not work with the president on infrastructure, trade and other issues until he begins to act more presidential. “I actually, ardently pray for the president,” she said, with respect to the President’s mental state.
The President has spent much of his time the past couple days responding to Pelosi’s perceived attacks, including by tweeting out a video highlighting the vocal fumbles by the Speaker, and Pelosi was on his agenda, again, today. Unprompted, he went off multiple times about the Democrats requesting a “re-do” on the Mueller report, along with asserting he has been watching Pelosi for a long time, and he believes she has changed. This echoed comments he made yesterday, where he referred to the Speaker of the House as “Crazy Nancy.” Still, he asserted: “I can work with these people.”
Trump also commented on Theresa May, expressing condolences to her regarding her resignation; the economy, which is, according to him, the best it has ever been; and potential pardons for US soldiers accused of war crimes, stating he may reserve his judgement until after the soldiers’ trials. Also, emphasized by the President were the “millions of pages of documents” he has declassified and allowed the Attorney General William Barr to release at his discretion.
After a relatively brief round of questioning, Trump moved towards Marine One, and his subsequent comments became hard to hear.