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President Donald Trump talks about his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a meeting with House Republicans in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on July 17, 2018 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
Trump Insists Putting Word Into Helsinki Transcript That He Absolutely Didn't Say "Probably Clarifies Things Pretty Good"
"Trump has a pattern: Say or do something horrific, dutifully read a statement his staff wrote for him the next day, then double down later on his original statement."
Jul 17, 2018
In an attempt to clean up the enormous mess he made during his joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, President Donald Trump insisted in carefully prepared comments to reporters in the White House Cabinet Room on Tuesday that he misspoke when he accepted Putin's denials of election meddling and urged reporters to fix the transcript of his remarks.
"We're not fooled--and neither are the American people."
--Indivisible
"I said the word 'would' instead of 'wouldn't.' And the sentence should have been--and I thought I would be maybe a little bit unclear on the transcript or unclear on the actual video," Trump said. "The sentence should've been, 'I don't see any reason why it wouldn't be Russia.' Sort of a double-negative. So you can put that in and I think that probably clarifies things pretty good by itself."
Trump claimed that he had no idea why his comments in Helsinki prompted so much outrage until he read the transcript of the press conference, during which he called Putin's denials of election interference "strong and powerful."
Watch:
Advocacy groups were quick to call Trump's rapid reversal into question, arguing that it fits with a pattern of responding to outrage that Trump has followed throughout his presidency.
"Trump has a pattern: Say or do something horrific, dutifully read a statement his staff wrote for him the next day, then double down later on his original statement," the advocacy group Indivisible wrote on Twitter. "We're not fooled--and neither are the American people."
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This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
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In an attempt to clean up the enormous mess he made during his joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, President Donald Trump insisted in carefully prepared comments to reporters in the White House Cabinet Room on Tuesday that he misspoke when he accepted Putin's denials of election meddling and urged reporters to fix the transcript of his remarks.
"We're not fooled--and neither are the American people."
--Indivisible
"I said the word 'would' instead of 'wouldn't.' And the sentence should have been--and I thought I would be maybe a little bit unclear on the transcript or unclear on the actual video," Trump said. "The sentence should've been, 'I don't see any reason why it wouldn't be Russia.' Sort of a double-negative. So you can put that in and I think that probably clarifies things pretty good by itself."
Trump claimed that he had no idea why his comments in Helsinki prompted so much outrage until he read the transcript of the press conference, during which he called Putin's denials of election interference "strong and powerful."
Watch:
Advocacy groups were quick to call Trump's rapid reversal into question, arguing that it fits with a pattern of responding to outrage that Trump has followed throughout his presidency.
"Trump has a pattern: Say or do something horrific, dutifully read a statement his staff wrote for him the next day, then double down later on his original statement," the advocacy group Indivisible wrote on Twitter. "We're not fooled--and neither are the American people."
In an attempt to clean up the enormous mess he made during his joint press conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, President Donald Trump insisted in carefully prepared comments to reporters in the White House Cabinet Room on Tuesday that he misspoke when he accepted Putin's denials of election meddling and urged reporters to fix the transcript of his remarks.
"We're not fooled--and neither are the American people."
--Indivisible
"I said the word 'would' instead of 'wouldn't.' And the sentence should have been--and I thought I would be maybe a little bit unclear on the transcript or unclear on the actual video," Trump said. "The sentence should've been, 'I don't see any reason why it wouldn't be Russia.' Sort of a double-negative. So you can put that in and I think that probably clarifies things pretty good by itself."
Trump claimed that he had no idea why his comments in Helsinki prompted so much outrage until he read the transcript of the press conference, during which he called Putin's denials of election interference "strong and powerful."
Watch:
Advocacy groups were quick to call Trump's rapid reversal into question, arguing that it fits with a pattern of responding to outrage that Trump has followed throughout his presidency.
"Trump has a pattern: Say or do something horrific, dutifully read a statement his staff wrote for him the next day, then double down later on his original statement," the advocacy group Indivisible wrote on Twitter. "We're not fooled--and neither are the American people."
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