A president under stress
The rowdy, meandering and combative news conference yesterday began with President Donald Trump marvelling at the media.
‘‘Look at all the press that you attract,’’ he told Finnish President Sauli Niinisto¨ as the two men faced a room of reporters. ‘‘Do you believe this? Very impressive.’’
It ended with Trump excoriating the press as ‘‘corrupt people’’ who undermine US democracy.
‘‘If the press were straight and honest and forthright and tough we would be a far greater nation,’’ he said.
For the 40 minutes in between, the East Room of the White House played host to a roller coaster display of the grievance, victimhood, falsehoods and braggadocio that have come to define Trump’s presidency – a combustible mix that has only become more potent as the president faces the growing threat of impeachment.
Trump bared his frustrations in a heated exchange with a journalist who asked him about a July 25 phone call in which Trump pushed the Ukrainian government to investigate one of his potential Democratic challengers, former vice president Joe Biden. ‘‘Are you talking to me?’’ Trump said, glaring at Reuters’ Jeff Mason.
When Mason pressed ahead to ask what the president wanted the Ukrainians to do – a central question in the impeachment inquiry – Trump cut him off and told him to direct a question to Niinisto¨ .
‘‘Did you hear me? Did you hear me?’’ Trump said, raising his voice and telling Mason not to be ‘‘rude.’’ ‘‘I have answered everything. It’s a whole hoax and you know who’s playing into the hoax? People like you and the fake news media that we have in this country.’’
It was the coda to a foreign leader visit that began and ended with Trump’s complaints on full display, starting with a sour venting session earlier in the day in the Oval Office.
As the targets of Trump’s anger grow in number, Trump’s public outbursts have also become more vitriolic.
The president accused the whistleblower whose complaint alleges presidential abuse of power of being ‘‘fake’’ and ‘‘vicious’’ and into ‘‘some bad things.’’ He described the White House official who alerted the whistleblower about Trump’s call as a ‘‘spy.’’ He said House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who is running the Democrats’ impeachment inquiry, was guilty of ‘‘treason.’’
He blasted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. – who earlier yesterday urged her caucus to be somber and prayerful during the impeachment process – saying she ‘‘hands out subpoenas like they’re cookies.’’
– Washington Post