Trump in Transition (v44): The Proper Treatment

Earlier this week, I watched ABC News anchor David Muir interview the president. I pulled the transcript to make sure that what I heard was really what the president said. 

Right from the very first question, Trump did what Trump does: lie, deflect, self-promote - things we are, sadly, so very used to. I recommend setting beverages aside while reading this one.

after mentioning Trump's widely reported statement that "the decision to open the economy is the biggest decision I've ever had to make," Muir asked the president how we save livelihoods without risking more lives. Trump wasted no time being Trump.

Well, I think actually the decision to close the country was the biggest decision I've ever had to make, and I've said that very loud and clear. I mean, we had the greatest economy in history, in the history of the world, not only our economy, it was our greatest economy. Best employment numbers, best numbers in every single way. And they said, sir, we have to close the country... But the biggest decision I've ever had to make is closing the country, and certainly this is now also a big decision but the people want to go back to work.

Now, if he had said that closing the country was the biggest decision, wouldn't you think there would be searchable proof that didn't tie back to this very interview?

Asked if he believed lives could be lost to reopen the country, he started out OK, saying "It's possible there will be some because you won't be locked into an apartment or a house or whatever it is" and he even talked about the increase in suicides that could come from the quarantine, but that "we have to bring it back and that's what we're doing. Again we're going to do it safely." 

A normal president, or pretty much any human being, would have stopped there, having answered the question. But not this one.

And not in all cases but most of the governors are working very much with us on this. We've had a very good relationship pretty much with all the governors because we’ve produced like nobody's ever produced before. What we've done with ventilators, and by the way testing which has been a tremendous success, even though we don't get the proper treatment on it... Nobody's ever done -- this is the biggest mobilization since World War Two and it's -- it's been incredible.

Muir tried to get an answer to whether people going back to work should have access to testing or "do they have to go back to work, having faith in their leaders and you, Mr. president, that the workplace will be safe?" Trump talked about some new data on testing, noting among other things that "it's also, every importantly, we have the best testing. We have the best testing."  Which wasn't an answer, so Muir tried again. Workers "should have no problem" getting tested, Trump said, adding,

And as good as this is, we're even getting better. We came up - don't forget, the cupboard was bare. The other administration - the last administration left us nothing. We didn't have ventilators, we didn't have medical equipment, we didn't have testing. The tests were broken. You saw that. We had broken tests. They left us nothing. And we've taken it and we have built an incredible stockpile - a stockpile like we've never had before.

Muir fought back again, asking what Trump did "to restock those cupboards."

****Please put down any beverages before continuing****

Well, I'll be honest. I have a lot of things going on. We had a lot of people that refused to allow the country to be successful. They wasted a lot of time on Russia, Russia, Russia. That turned out to be a total hoax. Then they did Ukraine, Ukraine and that was a total hoax, then they impeached the president of the United States for absolutely no reason, and we even had 197-to-nothing vote by the Republicans.

And essentially, the same thing by the -- by the, if you take a look at the Senate and the House, I mean it was the same thing. Look, what they've done and now they continue to do it. Remember this: when you see these numbers and testing, you're probably even surprised because I watch Chuckie Schumer get on television, and they have sound bites.

No matter what you do, it's never good enough. But you don't hear about ventilators anymore. That was a big problem. You don't hear about testing much anymore but the other night I saw him go on a show of a very unfunny comedian, and he looks at the camera, says, “testing testing.” They will complain, no matter how good we did. If we took these numbers -- 7 million. This is 7 million tests.

And if I doubled or tripled it, they’d still say -- because it's a sound bite. Because they want to try and win an election, which hopefully they won't win because they're going to double everybody -- the taxes are going to double. All the problems that are going to have, and you're going to be back into a bad economy. We had the greatest economy ever, and we're going to do it again.

Just under 300 words, to avoid having to say only four words: "Nothing. I did nothing."

As to whether he agreed with my Sonofa Gov Andrew Cuomo that governors who were trying to reopen might have to stop, or "turn off the valve...slow things down" if they see spikes in key metrics.

No, I don't know -- I’d have to see his full statement. But look we've gotten along very well. Don't forget Governor Cuomo last week said the President and the federal government had done -- have done a phenomenal job. He said that. A phenomenal job.

Huh?

I can only tell you what he said last week. I mean, David, I can only tell you what he said last week. I mean, it wasn't - two years ago. He said the President and the federal government have done a phenomenal job. That was the word he used and he's right.

We built him 2,900 beds. We moved the ship in. Now, they didn't use it too much, which I'm frankly happy about because they didn't need it because we were right about the numbers. We were actually right about the numbers, but we took the Javits Convention Center and made it into a major hospital in a period of four days. So, he's been you know he's been actually very nice, I think.

Muir tried a third time, and Trump talked about Westchester County and how the state did well there, "... it was actually quite a good job." So, we still don't know whether Trump agrees or disagrees with what Cuomo said. These are not hard questions, folks, that the president isn't answering.

After talking about the models and the projected numbers of cases and mortality (Trump says they've been wrong from day one, in both directions), it was time to blame China for a sec, and then he said, "just one thing, if I could."

I think the American people have to consider themselves now -- and I am considering them to be warriors. We are warriors. We are fighting a war against an invisible enemy. We are warriors, and we have to go back to work and that's what they want to do.

YES! I am a warrior princess! I need a costume and a cape! 

Comparing today to the 1918 pandemic, Trump said this is "Not as lethal, individually, but more contagious." He went on to say that no one's seen anything like it before, and 

The people of this country have done a great job. But now I'm looking at them, and I think they're looking at themselves, as being warriors.

We're warriors. We're fighting something that should have never happened but it's an invisible enemy, and it's tough and it's smart. So -- will it happen to other people? Yes, it could happen to me and it could happen to you. And I'm prepared for that. But look, we're out and we're distancing. We're far away, and a lot of things are happening. We've changed... We’re gonna get back to our normal life... I hope it’s gonna be soon. 

And then, it was time to talk about one of his favorite things.

Somebody said to me like, everybody’s longing for the rallies. We all have a lot of fun at my rallies. And -- I hope we can do that soon. I mean, I hope we can do that. I can’t have a rally with, you know, 7 seats in between everybody. And I hope we can do that soon. The rallies are the least of it, but you know, people are asking me all the time. Just last night, I got three calls -- “When are we gonna do a rally?” I said, “Just relax. Take it easy.” But we’re gonna do -- I hope before the election.

He moved on to how need sporting events, in full arenas. Trump recounted a call he had with sports owners about having full arenas. And, he said

You know, the virus will pass. There'll be more death, that the virus will pass, with or without a vaccine. And I think we're doing very well on the vaccines but, with or without a vaccine, it's going to pass, and we're going to be back to normal. But it's been a rough process. There is no question about it.

Muir wondered how bad it was going to get, the jobs numbers and whatnot.

Well, that is what it is. And you know, it's very interesting. Even the Democrats aren't blaming me for that.... The third quarter, I think, is going to be -- I call it a transition quarter. A lot of people -- you see it. I’ll tell you what. I got on the plane today, there was such spirit. People are starting to feel -- we land in Arizona, I leave from DC, I get calls from everybody, all over the country. I just spoke to the governor of Florida. Florida is really active.

I mean, a lot of these states are really getting back into gear. There's a spirit out there right now that's pretty incredible. But even the Democrats, they're not hitting me with “Oh gee, it's your fault” from that standpoint. Nobody's blaming me. What I want to do is, we have a transition period coming. I think the fourth quarter will be very good. And I think next year is going to be one of the best years we've ever had, economically. There is a pent-up demand that's incredible. The oil's going back up. We're going to start saving some energy jobs. I really think next year is going to be one of the best years we've ever had. Watch it happen.

Muir noted that lots of people, "they're just trying to get through next week, or the next dinner they put on the table."

Well, we've done a lot for that. We've done our small business, as you know, our PPP, paycheck, if you want to call it that, where small businesses are given billions of dollars, so that they can take care of their employees. We've done a lot of other -- look, we've done $2 trillion. And it's actually close to three if you really add it up but $2 trillion has been approved, and we'll probably do more. It's a stimulus. It's to keep people employed, to keep small businesses open.

We just saved the airlines. We just put up 25 billion and 25 billion we're saving the airlines. They are paying a price for it, but we're saving the airlines. The airlines were doing the best business they've ever done, David, the best. And then one day, boom, they have no business left. I mean it's gone. So we just saved the airlines... the markets are working. It's a beautiful thing. 

Look, I think that you're gonna have a very, very terrific transition third quarter. I see it happening. The spirit I see now. People are calling. It's an incredible spirit that's going on, and I'm a person that believes in spirit because you need spirit for success.

Muir tried to turn the conversation away from corporations and back to people, who maybe haven't gotten their stimulus checks or their unemployment, or were eating donated food. Trump said he wanted to give unemployment money directly to the people, but "the Democrats wanted it to go through the system." And lots of states have old equipment that can't handle the process. 

You know, you have really well managed states in this country, and you have some that aren't so well managed, but they have the money. They have to get the money out. Again, I would have rather sent the money directly. They wanted it to go through the unemployment, through the system and exactly what I said. I told you, I told you a lot of people exactly what I said has happened in some cases, where the equipment can’t handle the money. But it's going to get out. That's the state's problem. But we’ll take over that problem if they don't get the money out soon.

He doesn't mention the delay in getting newly approved administrative money to the states, among other issues with getting all of the stimulus money out, because that wouldn't look good.

****Please put down any beverages before continuing****

But nothing would make his next answer look good. The question was "how difficult it has been to balance" projecting optimism and hope with honesty on how "dire" things would be.

It's a very good question and it's a very difficult situation, and I have a media that's extremely hostile. And they have been from before I got elected, you know that, that's why it was called a miracle because I had a hostile media, which Republicans do but I had more than any other -- you know, I even had a, you know, group of Republicans that have lost to me so badly they formed committees. They're a dying breed, but I've had tremendous lack of support from Democrats. They should -- we should all be in this together.

I thought the one thing this is different at -- and what I really thought much different. I thought the Democrats -- because this is a crisis. I thought the Democrats would come together and work with us. They really don't. I see Schumer, you know, the guy is a loser from New York. Schumer’s up there the other day. He doesn't know anything about testing, and he's on a show, and he's going testing, testing, testing. He didn't see charts like this, he doesn't see that. He probably knows. I'm sure he knows, but it's a soundbite. It's a political sound bite. 

They don't use the ventilators anymore now they use the testing but now we've solved testing better than any country in the world. And they should be saying, Great job, not use it as a sound bite when they know it's not true. It's not good. So the one thing I'm most disappointed with, I never expected much from the media and I have to say this, you are included in this group. I know some great journalists; you’ve been very fair to me. 

I know some great journalists, but I know the vast majority. I've seen things that are so bad and so corrupt and so dishonest. It's a shame, especially when it comes to something like this, because our country needs spirit. And they should be given them the facts as to the positive. They can report the positive, there is positive also. There’s horrible death that should have never happened. It should have never have been let out of China. It should have been stopped. It could have been stopped right there, when I talk about putting out the fires. They should have stopped it. 

They didn't. They didn't know how. They probably made a big mistake. Maybe it was in confidence, maybe it was they made a mistake. Whatever it was, it wasn't good. It was very unfortunate. And you got to understand, I had just made a tremendous trade deal months before with China, where they're paying us billions and billions of dollars a month. And I made that, but to me, this supersedes trade deals.

And when Muir asked whether there was an intelligence failure, that we "didn't know the scope of this," there was more about China, and no one agreeing with him on closing the border (although previously he said others said he had to), and more, and then there was this.

Now, at the same time, I want to be optimistic. I don't want to be Mr. Gloom and Doom. It's a very bad subject. I'm not looking to tell the American people when nobody really knows what's happening yet, Oh, this is going to be so tragic. I want to be -- aside from everything else, and I'm going to use a term, and some people love it. and some people hate it, but I love it. I want to be a cheerleader for our country. I don't want to be Mr. Doom and Gloom. So, here I am in January banning, at the same time, I want to be optimistic, but they have a thing -- for instance they do false ads. 

They said I called it a hoax. No, I called the Democrats a hoax because of what they were saying because when I did the ban they're out there saying -- they call me a racist because I did the ban. They called me xenophobic. Sleepy Joe Biden. He said he's xenophobic. He doesn't know what the word means. He’s xenophobic. That's a terrible thing to call somebody. Then four or five weeks later, he sent out a statement that he agreed with what I did, but nobody picked up the statement. Look, we have handled a very bad situation very well. 

We started off with very few medical supplies. By the way, in the military. We started off with a depleted military with no ammunition. My first week in the office I was told we have no ammunition. Now we have the greatest military we've ever built. $1.5 trillion, you know because you reported on it. Same thing with medical. The shelves were bare, the cupboards were bare. We built unbelievable ventilate -- the ventilators now are being built by the thousands. You know we're doing with ventilators now? We're helping Italy, France, Spain, Nigeria, various countries all over the world.

They're calling us for ventilators, and we have so many now that we're able to give them or do whatever deal we make, but I would say it's a great -- it's a great thing to help people in distress. They can't make ventilators. You know, it's a very complicated process. It’s a big machine, and a complex machine. We're giving these ventilators to people and countries all over the world. We've got more than we can use. Governor Cuomo said he needed 40,000 ventilators. I said you don't need that much, Dr. Birx said you don't need that much.

We gave him the amount that he needed which was about 4,000 and he actually gave some recently to Massachusetts where they needed a --We have so many ventilators now. And it was a bad word for -- Two months ago nobody thought a thing like this could happen. And it's companies like Honeywell and General Motors and General Electric and a lot of our greatest companies. 3M really came through in the end. 3M with the face masks and other things they’ve done. We have mobilized -- this is the greatest mobilization since World War Two. 

And I’ll tell you what, I don't need the credit. I should get credit, but I don't need the credit. Who should get the credit is FEMA, the Army Corps of Engineers, and all of the millions of people that worked to get this done. You know, when we sailed the ship in, the comfort, we have the comfort and the mercy. The Mercy is in California, and they were very -- the governor there has been very gracious about it and other things too. But when we had the comfort come into New York harbor, we had a lot of doctors, they weren't expecting this. They were not set up for COVID-19. 

They were set up for regular things like car accidents and appendix and a lot of other things. We converted the ship over. When they didn't use it that much because frankly the numbers fortunately never hit a point where we needed it that much, those doctors and the doctors from the Javits Center went all over New York and parts of New Jersey, and they worked with other professionals. And the other professionals have told me to a T. Governor Cuomo told me, Mayor De Blasio told me...Your great governor of New Jersey... told me, he said these people were so professional it was un -- they'd walk into a room and everybody stood up. These are the medical professionals from the military... These are warriors. And just to finish. 

I watch and I see people walking into hospitals, and people from buildings, many, many different locations singing, and in some cases, you have people from Lincoln Center and from, you know, great musicians playing the horns and instruments. And I watch police and firemen applauding as they walk in, but I see things that I've never quite seen before I would imagine, other than actual warfare.  

Young men and women and some older and some doctors rushing through doors into a very dangerous building, a hospital, putting on outfits as the doors are opening and trying to get everything set. They're not outside taking their time. I'll tell you what, it's a beautiful thing to watch, David. I've never seen anything like it...

They are warriors... But you know what, the people of our country are warriors too. And that's what I'm saying, they have to think of themselves as warriors. We can't sit in a house for the next three years. We can't do it.

And how did the president respond to a question about what he'd say to the families who have lost loved ones?

I want to say: “I love you.” I want to say that we're doing everything we can. I also want to say that we're trying to project people over 60 years old. We're trying so hard and -- everything I've said today -- I'd like to preface it by saying, if you're 60 years old and especially if you're 60 or even less than that and you've had a heart condition or you've had diabetes or a problem of any kind -- it seeks out problems. This is a vicious -- it seeks out weakness, in terms of medical -- 

If somebody has any form of a heart problem or diabetes - anything - it seeks it out. It's a vicious, vicious virus. But I want to just say to the people that have lost family and have lost loved ones, and the people that have just suffered so badly, and just made it - and just made it - that we love you. We're with you. We're working with you. We're supplying vast amounts of money, like never before. We want that money to get to the people. and we want ‘em to get better. 

And we want them - you can never really come close to replacing, when you've lost some - no matter how well we do next year, I think our economy is going to be raging. It's going to be so good. No matter how well, those people can never ever replace somebody they love. But we're going to have something that they're going to be very proud of. And to the people that have lost someone, there's nobody - I don't sleep at night thinking about it. There's nobody that's taken it harder than me. But at the same time I have to get this enemy defeated. And that's what we're doing, David. That's what we're doing.

Finally, "if November becomes a referendum on your handling of the pandemic, are you comfortable with that?"

Well, I am and I'm not. You know, it's a very, it’s a very interesting thought. You know I’ve built the greatest economy and then it was turned off for good reason. We saved millions of lives by doing it. I think people are going to remember that. I think they're going to remember that I rebuilt the military, I think they're going to remember that I gave them the biggest tax cuts in history. I gave them the greatest regulation cuts by far in history. I've given them the best job numbers in history. I’ve rebuilt our military to a level it's never been built, I mean, look, I got for the veterans, I got Choice. They’ve been trying to get Choice for 50 years...

Nobody has ever done these things, and I've saved their second amendment. You wouldn't have a second amendment right now if it wasn't for me. And one other thing, I've always heard judges are the most important thing that a president can do. I set a record on judges. 252 judges. It's unthinkable. Every judge is so important.

252 judges, two Supreme Court justices. Nobody's ever done things like this. So, I hope it's not solely on what I've done here because this is a very, this is like rubber. It's very very amorphous. But you know what, I think in a certain way, and I hope I can say this to you in a couple of months. I think in a certain way maybe our best work has been on what we've done with COVID-19, but, but we haven't gotten- We haven't been treated properly.

Not me, the Army Corps of Engineers, FEMA, the medical people, the police, the nurses, - everybody, even the doctors, they haven't been treated properly. The job they've done is a miracle. We're low in morbidity, we're number one on testing, we’re number one - again - on ventilators and everything. Not number one, we're number one - there is no number two through ten. We're way ahead of every other country in the world, and very important - it's so important.

I think we're doing very well in vaccines, and we're doing very well therapeutically. I think we're gonna have some great answers and, hopefully by the next time we meet, we'll have some of those answers.

I encourage you to read through these responses a second time, if you're still reading now on the first go-round.

This is the person who was chosen by enough people to have become the president of the United States, using the process that we have to choose a president.

This is the person who is talking to our allies, and our enemies.

This is the person who is talking to you and me.

This is the person asking to be given another four years in office.