President Trump spent his Friday morning spouting his most unhinged thoughts on a variety of timely topics on live television. From attempts to clean up his remarks about accepting foreign dirt to accusing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of fascism, Trump covered a lot of ground.
An attempt to clean up his foreign dirt comments
While Trump insisted earlier this week that he wouldn’t necessarily alert the FBI if he received information about a political opponent from a foreign power, Trump sort of walked that back on Friday during an interview on “Fox and Friends.”
“You have to look at it because if you don’t look at it, you’re not going to know if it’s bad, how are you gonna know if it’s bad?” he said. “But of course you give it to the FBI or report it to the attorney general or somebody like that, but of course you do that.”
When speaking to ABC earlier this week, Trump admitted not only that he would take opposition research if a foreign entity gave it to him, but he also waffled on whether he would call the FBI.
“If I thought there was something wrong, I’d go maybe to the FBI — if I thought there was something wrong,” he told ABC at the time. “But when somebody comes up with oppo research, right, they come up with oppo research, ‘oh let’s call the FBI.’ The FBI doesn’t have enough agents to take care of it. When you go and talk, honestly, to congressman, they all do it, they always have, and that’s the way it is. It’s called oppo research.”
Trump tries to clean up foreign dirt comments pic.twitter.com/4i3KEX7lMN
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) June 14, 2019
Accusation that Pelosi is ‘fascist’
Trump continued flinging his vexations at Pelosi, who he’s been visibly upset with for nearly two weeks, ever since she reportedly told members of her caucus that she would rather see Trump in prison than impeached.
Today, he decided she’s being “fascist.”
Trump: Pelosi's criminal talk is "fascist!" pic.twitter.com/x6sU4YkyM9
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) June 14, 2019
Refusal to fire ‘loyal’ Conway
President Trump also confirmed what the White House said on Thursday after the Office of Special Counsel announced in a statement that it’s recommending Trump fire White House counselor Kellyanne Conway: He has no plans to let one of his most “loyal” aides go.
Trump doesn't plan to fire Kellyanne Conway pic.twitter.com/Ja8JKrvxyN
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) June 14, 2019
Dodge on endorsing Pence
Trump confusingly dodged questions about whether he would support his current Vice President Mike Pence if he decided to throw his hat in the presidential ring in 2024.
“You can’t put me in that position!” Trump said when asked if he’d “automatically” endorse his veep if he ran, clearly thinking it’d be an easy answer for the President. “I certainly would give it strong consideration.”
Trump won't commit to supporting Pence in 2024 pic.twitter.com/48vnynsNCg
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) June 14, 2019
A Jackie O comparison
Trump compared the first lady to the iconic Jackie Kennedy.
“We have our own Jackie O,” he said when asked why he’s gunning to redesign Air Force One, which was famously blueprinted by Jackie Kennedy. “It’s called Melania…we’ll call it Melania T.”
Trump: "We have our own Jackie O, it's called Melania…Melania T" pic.twitter.com/FNfbQd5fzb
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) June 14, 2019
Thoughts on his 2020 opponents
Trump also offered his opinion on who he thinks will be his biggest threat in 2020. It’s been widely reported that Trump is most worried about Vice President Joe Biden, who Trump said never had enough support to win the presidency until President Obama picked him up off the “trash heap.”
“Now I see that Pocahontas is doing better, I would love to run against her,” Trump said, referring to Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). “I see that Bernie Sanders is not doing well at all, I would have frankly liked to have run against him, I don’t see the other ones. They talk about Kamala, I don’t see Kamala. It’s probably between the three of them.”
Trump thinks Biden, Warren and Sanders are currently leading the pack pic.twitter.com/6SMMCUnGlg
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) June 14, 2019
