Irked Trump defends actions, assails media
New administration a ‘fine-tuned machine,’ president insists.
President Donald Trump dismissed reports about contacts between his advisers and Russia on Thursday and defended his performance in his first four weeks in office in a contentious news conference that showcased his unconventional and unconstrained presidency.
At a hastily organized White House event ostensibly intended to announce a new labor secretary, Trump engaged in an extended attack on the news media and boasted that his new administration was a “fine-tuned machine,” not the chaotic operation perceived by many in Washington.
The challenges, he said, were a result of his predecessors.
“To be honest, I inherited a mess, a mess, at home and abroad, a mess,” he said.
Over the course of about an
hour and a half, the president revealed that he had asked the Justice Department to investigate leaks, said he would sign a new executive order next week restricting travel to the United States and promised to produce in March a plan to repeal and replace his predecessor’s health care system, followed by another plan to overhaul the tax system.
But the session was marked by an extraordinarily raw and angry defense the likes of which has never been seen in a modern White House.
At times abrupt, often rambling, characteristically boastful yet seemingly pained at the portrayals of him, Trump seemed intent on reproducing the energy and excitement of his campaign after a month of grinding governance.
He returned repeatedly to his contest with Hillary Clinton and at one point plaintively pleaded for understanding.
“The tone is such hatred,” he said, referring to the commentary about him on cable television. “I’m really not a bad person.”
Trump disputed any contention that the White House was out of control or not fully functional.
“There has never been a presidency that has done so much in such a short period of time,” he said. “And we haven’t even started the big work that starts early next week.”
“Jobs are pouring out of the country,” he said. “See what’s going on with all of the companies leaving the country, going to Mexico and other places.”
Overseas, he said, he found “disaster.”
“We’re going to take care of it all,” he said. “I just want you to know I inherited a mess.”
Trump offered his first extended description of his decision to fire Michael Flynn, his national security adviser, for misleading Vice President Mike Pence and others in the White House about the contents of a conversation with Russia’s ambassador in December.
Trump said he was not bothered that Flynn had talked with the ambassador before even arriving at the White House.
“When I looked at the information, I said, ‘I don’t think he did anything wrong,’ ” Trump said. “In fact, I think he did something right.”
The problem, he said, was that Flynn had told Pence that sanctions did not come up during the conversation, an assertion belied by a transcript of the call, which had been monitored by U.S. intelligence agencies.
But reports about contacts between his campaign aides, other associates and Russia were “fake news put out by the media,” he said. In response to questions, he said he had no contact with Russia during the campaign but did not directly respond to questions about whether some of his advisers had.
The New York Times reported this week that phone records and intercepted calls showed that some of his associates had repeated contacts with Russian intelligence officials in the year before the election.
His expansive review of his accomplishments, though, included some misinformation.
He asserted that his victory in the Electoral College was the largest since Ronald Reagan’s. But he won fewer Electoral College votes than three of the four presidents since Reagan: Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush.
When a reporter pointed that out, Trump brushed it off.
“I was given that information,” he said.
Polls show Trump retains support among Republicans, and solid majorities of Americans say he is following through on his promises and is viewed as a strong leader, according to a Gallup survey. But on other questions Americans express deep reservations. Majorities say he doesn’t inspire confidence and is not honest and trustworthy.
Trump’s job approval rating is much lower than those of past presidents at the same point in their administrations. According to a Pew Research Center survey, 39 percent of Americans approve of his job performance while 56 percent disapprove.