Washington (CNN) President Donald Trump launched an extraordinary denunciation
Thursday of his critics, complaining he inherited a "mess" and
slamming stories that his campaign was constantly in contact with Russia as
"fake news."
Today is Thursday February 16th. Remember that day because it's the day President Trump did a total meltdown before the news media and the American people. It was the strangest performance since Captain Queeg testified at that court marshal in the Caine Mutiny. He just rambled and vented and appeared to not care the slightest what impression he was making on his hearers. It's stranger than anything Richard Nixon did before the press even at his most stressful moments. With all the talk of impeachment and all Trump did a complete case of projection saying that Flynn's firing was actually the fault of the press and not his own bad judgement. I can't imagine how Shawn Hannity reported the event on his show today but I imagine Shawn was equally detached from reality.
Trump held court during a news conference that
lasted an hour and fifteen minutes, carving out a stunning moment in modern
American political history. He displayed a sense of anger and grievance rarely
vented by a President in public -- let alone one who has been in office for
just four weeks.
"I have never seen more dishonest media,
frankly than the political media," Trump said, later slamming leaks to the
press from the intelligence community -- some of which led to the resignation
of national security adviser Michael Flynn.
"The leaks are real. The leaks are
absolutely real. The news is fake because so much of the news is fake,"
Trump said.
While it was a marked contrast with the normal
dynamics of a presidential news conference, the East Room show was vintage
Trump. He touted his own poll numbers, victory over Hillary Clinton and
discussed cable TV ratings and panel discussions.
"I'm here again to take my message
straight to the people. As you know, our administration inherited many problems
across government and across the economy. To be honest, I inherited a mess.
It's a mess. At home and abroad, a mess."
That was the kind of message -- directed at
large numbers of voters disgruntled with the performance of Washington's
political establishment and delivered in a plainspoken, unvarnished manner --
that helped Trump win the presidency against all odds.
But his manner is also likely to offend or
alarm other voters and may do little to alleviate skepticism towards Trump among
political elites in Washington. Trump in fact predicted how his animated and
unorthodox news conference will be interpreted in the press.
"Tomorrow, they will say: 'Donald Trump
rants and raves at the press,'" Trump said. "I'm not ranting and
raving. I'm just telling you. You know, you're dishonest people. But -- but I'm
not ranting and raving. I love this. I'm having a good time doing it."
The general impression was of a president who
is deeply frustrated at the way his new White House is being portrayed and who
had decided to take matters into his own hands with a dramatic intervention.
The news conference was not scheduled until
Thursday morning, but aides said Trump was itching to get out and defend
himself.
A senior administration official told CNN's
Jeremy Diamond that Trump walked into the Oval Office this morning and told his
top aides: "Let's do a press conference today."
The news conference was "the President's
idea, 100%" the official said.
"I'm here today to update the American
people on the incredible progress that has been made in the last four weeks
since my inauguration," Trump said, after quickly announcing his new pick for labor secretary, Alexander Acosta.
"We have made incredible progress. I
don't think there's ever been a president elected who in this short period of
time has done what we've done," Trump said.
And saying he resented picking up newspapers
and turning on the television to hear reports that his White House was in
chaos, Trump said, "This administration is running like a fine-tuned
machine."
Trump's appearance betrayed apparent deep
frustration not just with the media coverage of his White House and a desire to
talk directly to the American people but also possibly dismay with aides
charged with defending him.
"I don't mind a bad story if it's
true," Trump said, but complained much of what was reported about his
administration was unfair. The President lashed out, for instance, at
coverage of his temporary travel ban on nationals of seven mostly Muslim
nations that caused a weekend of chaos at the nation's airports before being
suspended by a federal court.
"We had a very smooth roll out of the
travel ban. But we had a bad court," Trump said. "We had a bad
decision, that is the only thing that is wrong with the travel ban." But the President also said a new executive
order would be tailored to the court's ruling to ensure that it could legally
go into force.
Trump also accused holdovers from the Obama
administration of leaking out information about his alleged contacts with Moscow
to hammer his administration.
Trump was repeatedly pressed on whether his
campaign staff had been in contact with Russia, as a widening drama over his
alleged connections with Moscow dominates news coverage.
"Nobody that I know of. How many times do
I have to answer this question? Russia is a ruse. I have nothing to do with
Russia. Haven't made a phone call to Russia in years," Trump said.
"I own nothing in Russia, I have no loans
in Russia, I don't have any deals in Russia," Trump said. "Russia is
fake news."
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