Kayleigh McEnany holds press briefing at White House | 8/4/2020
Vote the deluge, of 400. 000. Mail and ballots. Previewing, the quote challenges, facing the nation as it looks towards conducting. The november, general election, with mass, mail-in, voting. Now i'd like to highlight, the trump administration's. Actions on telehealth. Which the president, detailed, yesterday. The president, signed an executive, order to make regulatory. Reforms, allowing for greater. Access, to telehealth, than toward, making it permanent. The trump administration, has cut red tape allowing, telehealth, services, for seniors, and for other americans. 35. Percent of medicare beneficiaries. Took advantage, of the president's, reform. Seeking telehealth. Services, over the phone, rather than through video conference. A simpler, and a smarter. Way to go about things is now available. To medicare, beneficiaries. The president, also, took executive, action to boost. Rural health care services, according to a 2019. Study by navigant. Rural hospitals, would be devastated. By, medicare, for all, otherwise, known as government, takeover, of health care. And under that analysis, they found that if democrats, had their way 55. Percent of rural, hospitals. Or, 1037. Hospitals, across 46. States. Would be at high risk of closure. The president's, executive, order calls for strategic. Investments. In our rural communications. Infrastructure. Which will expand. Telemedicine. And rural broadband. Access. Democrats, seek to deny, americans, their health care freedom, but president, trump is working hard to save, your health care, by guaranteeing, protections, for people with pre-existing. Conditions. Eliminating, the highly, unpopular. Individual, mandate, of obamacare. Stopping, surprise, medical, billing, increasing. Transparency. And lowering, drug prices. President trump will continue to work hard to enact these health care principles, by requiring, price transparency. Allowing, states to purchase drugs from other countries, and improving, medicare, to lower drug prices. And reduce, out-of-pocket. Costs for seniors. And by ending surprise, medical, billing, and making companies, compete, for your business. By providing, more options, and more affordable, plans. Lastly, later today adviser, to the president, ivanka, senior advisor to the president ivanka, trump will be joined by attorney, general barr. Director of the domestic, policy council, brooke rollins, executives, from organizations. That combat, human trafficking. And survivors, from across the country, for a round table to highlight, newly awarded. Department of justice, grants to provide, safe. Stable, housing, to survivors, of human trafficking. Doj, will award over 35, million in housing assistance, grants for victims of human trafficking.
To Provide, supportive, housing, and appropriate, services. To survivors, of human, trafficking, and with that i'll take questions. Yes. Thank you bailey uh two questions about the coronavirus. The president, of the minneapolis. Federal reserve, he said two days ago that he believed that the only way to have a real strong. Robust, economic, recovery. Would be to shut the country, down. Again, for a month to six weeks. I know that this idea, of. Short-term. Pain for long-term, gain has been. Shot down before by president trump but has has it been given, any. More consideration. Given the recent flare-ups, across the country. No and i would refer you to what, dr fauci, said, back in may he said we can't stay locked down for such a considerable. Period of time that you might do, irreparable. Damage, and have unintended. Consequences. Including, consequences. For health and several of those consequences. I've outlined for you. Before. For instance, the fact that, in any given year you have 120. 000 americans, who die from. Drug. Overdose, or suicide, and we saw during the lockdown, previously, that. We saw, overdoses, nationally, jump by 18. In march and 29. In april, 42, percent in may. Overdoses, do go up suicides. Do go up cancer cases are missed as dr scott atlas has pointed out. That, in the u.s, alone there are 150. 000 new cancer cases that arise every month among patients. Most have not been seen and that was referring to the lockdown, the american cancer society. Um also noted that during the pandemic, they've seen an 80. Drop in cancer cases being identified, so there are many health consequences. Those are uh three, of what are a long list, but so no matter how bad it gets you don't think there's, any way that president trump would. Look at it i'm certainly, not going to engage in hypotheticals. But no the president is not considering. A national lockdown what he is encouraging. Is mitigation. Efforts. Like wearing a mask which is patriotic.
Like Social distancing. And engaging, in these really common, sense. Safe measures, to safely reopen and avoid the health consequences. Of a lockdown, okay and one more thing about the negotiations. Going on today on capitol hill, given the amount of money that is involved the amount of americans, that would be impacted, by this next. Stimulus, bill, why isn't president trump more more personally, involved or at least, more visible. Uh in these negotiations. Well he is through his chief of staff and through his secretary. Of the treasury he's regularly, updated. Um i was just in oval office with him um and the chief of staff was, updating, him on that very. Measure but right now the democrats, are being fundamentally. Unserious, they've offered no concessions, they've offered no plans. If anything they're moving the opposite, way and to demonstrate, their own seriousness. Their three trillion dollar plan they've now said oh it needs to be 3.4. Trillion, when the president has had a very, narrow specific, focus right now it's. Extending unemployment, insurance, it's making sure americans, don't get evicted and when democrats, as i noted on friday, were offered the martha mcsally, bill which would have been, extending, unemployment, insurance, for at least seven days while these negotiations. Continue. That was rejected, by chuck schumer, which should tell you exactly, where democrats, stand and it's against hard-working, americans, who lost their jobs, through no fault of their own. The president about ten minutes ago tweeted about vote by mail absentee, voting, he says in florida, the election system is safe and secure, tried, and true. What in his view changed was he advised by republicans, that he was potentially, suppressing, his own vote, by, stoking, unfounded, fears. About mail and voting and will he admit now, is the fact that. Voting across the country, by mail is safe and secure, and tried and true well the president has always said that absentee, voting. For a reason. Is different than mass mail out voting like what nevada, is seeking to do which leads to mass it's the same thing, and also. I'd refer you to the campaign, on this but there was a victory. In florida. With regard, to ballots, so i believe that's what he was referencing, would refer you to the campaign for details. On that but he's been unmistakably. Clear. That when you have this mass mail out voting like what nevada, wants to do the consequences. Are, real, um when the las vegas journal review. Uh was, reporting, did extensive, and very good reporting, on nevada's, first all-male, primary, election. They note that there were photos of ballots, tossed in trash cans. Littering apartment, mailbox, areas dozens, pinned on the complex's, bulletin, boards, um in various apartment, complexes. And and you have a postal worker who said that, um, when she went to go deliver, some of these ballots in several cases people had moved or died she kept 65, ballots on her first delivery. 100, on her second, um it is riff, with fraud, um with delay, and that is what the president stands firmly against he wants a free and fair election extensive research shows that there is. Fraud in vote by mail system is extraordinarily. Rare the president votes by mail you vote by mail, and a dozen other top trump administration, officials, vote by mail. So um with regard to the absentee, system that's right and there is, ample, evidence, of fraud. I would point to the best example, of this and very recent was may 12 new jersey's, special election in paterson, new jersey. Um where, one in five, mail-in, ballots, were found to be fraudulent, in the election. Uh new jersey officials, were charged, in that case, um and resident, ramona, javier, said this this is corruption, this is fraud there are eight relatives, and immediate neighbors, she knows of, listed, as having voted, but who insists they never, even received, a ballot their ample. Examples, of fraud and we can get those two more than just paterson, new jersey. Another question on a different issue what can the administration, tell us about the deadly explosion, in beirut what led to it, so that was breaking as i came out um we're tracking it closely, and, just rest assured that we're taking a very good look at that, yes, caleb, thank you, the environmental, bill the president signed this morning it was passed, overwhelmingly. By both houses of congress. Both republicans. And democrats, signed on to that legislation. Can you explain why there were no democrats. At the ceremony, or even mentioned, in the president's, remarks. Um the president, is very proud of what happened today the single largest investment, in america's, national parks. And public lands, and history. The most significant. Conservation.
Achievement, Since teddy roosevelt, won the support of more than, 850. Conservation. Groups and provides 900 million a year, and permanent, funding to the land and water. Conservation. Fund and you're asking about recognition, of congressional, democrats, right now and the only thing that we're recognizing, about congressional, democrats, right now is how appalling, it is that there are americans, who are going without paychecks. Because they refuse to partner with martha mcsally, republicans, and the president, and ensuring that those payments go out okay. The president has said, um in recent as recently in this axios, interview that he believes that there, that many people believe that there's disadvantages. To testing can you walk us through. What those disadvantages. Are and if, as he stated back in june he still believes, that testing, is overrated, and makes the us look bad. So i would know what the president, um, refers to with regard to testing, is that. You know the media doesn't often acknowledge, that when you do, do, the most testing, in the world lead the world in testing. That you do identify. More cases, so that is what he, refers to. With testing and he's made that point a few times. But look we lead the world in testing and the president's very proud of this, uh the administration, is very proud of this we've done more than 60 million. Tests, on track, according to hhs, to do, 100. Million by september, that's extraordinary. And when you compare that to the next highest number india. In the ballpark, of about 16 million tests what we've done in this country is impressive. And the president is very proud of that effort people believe that testing, in the u.s is overrated. The president, again points out, that the media refuses, to acknowledge that when you test so much you do identify, more cases. That's the point he was making and he's very proud that actually since march 12th we have increased, daily testing, by 32. 000. Worth mentioning this is a novel virus, there wasn't a test and this president, led the way, and getting emergency use authorizations, to one identify, working test, and then to surge the testing capacity, by 32. 000, percent, since march 12th and that's thanks to president trump. Kelly on tick tock the president has argued that the united states should receive money in return for a potential, sale but he hasn't really explained, how. Under what authority, could the treasury, collect, fees from china. From microsoft, or from any other u.s buyer. Um to get, this done as the president demanded. So i'm not going to get ahead of the president, on any official, action but he has, made that point and he and both secretary, pompeo, have said. That the u.s act the u.s will take action in the coming days, on chinese, apps including, tick tock, tick tock excuse me due to the national. Security, risk and we all agree that there needs to be a change, especially, with tick tock collecting. Significant, amounts, of private data on users it's unacceptable. But i won't get ahead of the president on what those actions look like. Thanks very much i wanted to. Ask also and to talk about, uh beijing, has said that it may hit u.s, firms. As a response, it sort of slammed. This, smack you know, and grab of tick tock, what do you say to that uh in regard to china. And, secondly, china, has. Not complied, with, its, uh commitments, under the u.s china phase one trade deal. We're reporting, today, that you know they're gonna completed, five percent, for instance of the energy purchases. In this first half of the year can you just sort of say. Yeah we um, encourage china to fulfill their obligations. And the phase one china deal and uh to fulfill their end of the agreement. But the president, remains keenly, focused, on, tick-tock, and protecting, the private data, of millions of people in this country. And prcs. The people's republic of china's laws require, chinese companies, to cooperate. With prc, security, and intelligence, services, enabling, the ccp. To access. Foreign user data and what this means, is that these, entities, ultimately, answer to the ccp. Which actively, undermines, u.s interests and is hostile to american, values, and the rights of individuals, and the president will stand firmly. Against china on this can i just guess john thank you kaley i wanted to ask you about the, covid relief bill the president has suggested, if there is no. Agreement. That is reached the president, would. Act unilaterally. As you know. The power of the purse resides. With congress. So what would the president, do. Unilaterally. Explain, what he could do unilaterally. As it relates to providing, relief to, american, families and american, businesses, yeah again i won't get ahead of the president, on determining, what that action would look like or would be i will leave that to him to determine, but, what i would say is this is you know right now we have secretary, mnuchin, and chief of staff mark meadows once again, um asking nancy pelosi and chuck schumer to come to the table the ball is in their court here, we've made at least four offers.
They've Made zero offers, it's unacceptable, for hard-working, americans, kelly on mail-in, voting which you talked about at the very top of the briefing. The president. Suggested, yesterday. That he has the right. To. Write some sort of an executive, order as it relates, to, male invaliding. Can you explain. What would empower, the president, in the constitution. To, take some sort of executive, action. As it relates to mail-in, voting. Again i won't get ahead of the president on his actions. And what those actions would be and i'm not going to get, engaged, in a hypothetical. As to what the actions would be and what authorities, they would be based upon for yet to be announced, actions. But just to once again underscore, the president's, concern when you look at the delays. And voting in pennsylvania. A very good report by cbs. Zack hudak. He got a quote from luzern, county manager, david, pedry. Who oversaw, or who. Identified, some of these delays, that they saw in pennsylvania, with mass mail and voting, and he said this quote i have this nightmare, of cnn, fox cbs, and everyone else waiting for these things to come in on election night, and we don't have them it is very hard to speed up this process. And luzerne's, experience, um was replicated. Across, the state. So as we've seen in pennsylvania. As we've seen in new york, as we see across the country, the president's, very concerned, about delays. And outright fraud. Finals and kaylee on tick tock if i may. The president, said yesterday. In the briefing that was, that took place right here in the briefing room, the united, states. Should get a very large, percentage. Of that price. Because we're making it possible, and that was referring, to. Microsoft's. Proposed, purchase. Of tick tock. I've never heard of that before. And maybe you could explain, that to me how the government, could get. A, percentage. Of a price, of a private, transaction. Can you explain i'm going to get ahead of the president, again on this action, yes francesca haley i i want to ask you something about the executive orders but i do want to follow up on kristin's, question. And just get a better understanding, of what the president, is doing, personally. To make sure that those extra, unemployment. Benefits. Are reinstated. Is he calling. Uh, senators, on capitol hill does he have any plans to meet with nancy pelosi. Or chuck schumer personally. And is the white house concerned. That all parties will be blamed, if there is no deal and voters will just stay home in november, no one has worked harder to ensure that those payments get to americans, than this administration. Um chief of staff mark meadows secretary. Treasury, um, steve mnuchin, have been on the hill. Many many days now trying to get this deal. Worked out. But it is democrats, it is nancy pelosi it is chuck schumer that are making an absolute. Mockery, of this process. Rather than coming, towards, us, and do a clean extension, of unemployment, insurance, they are moving beyond what their initial request, was of 3 trillion, and then they moved to 3.4. Trillion. They wanted a 100 billion dollars for schools. And we offered 105. Billion to which they rejected. They are making a mockery of this process, we're, still engaging, with them, but this president has been clear, he's ready to act on this and it is of paramount, importance to him, and again. Why would you reject, martha mcsally's, clean extension, democrats, are fundamentally, unserious, and they're making a mockery, of the crawling them, okay then if you don't want to if you don't want to move on that, with regards, to the executive, orders, the president has signed a flurry of those recently. He said yesterday, that he expects to have a health care plan by the end of the month and also an immigration, plan by next month does the white house feel a sense of pressure, to get everything on the president's, to-do list done before november. No but the president. Moves at a very rapid, pace. And he wants to get as much of his agenda. Accomplished, this term and going into next term, um this president's, done a lot already, but he will, work. On covid, and alongside, that, many other issues as he routinely, does this administration, often is accomplishing. Items, on two or three different topics, in a day as you can see today. With the human trafficking. The event this morning, and then, also, i have an announcement the president will have a covet briefing at 5 30, but um i do want to just step back and say this, with regard, to kovitt, i think, um it's really important to put the successes, of this administration, in context, and i got some new information from hhs, just before.
I Came out here, um you know this was a novel virus, there were no tests, there were no therapeutics. But what did this administration. Do um, we as i noted, earlier. Surge testing, increased it by 32. 000 since march. Hhs, is project, projecting, 100 million tests completed, by september. Because of president trump's tearing down of red tape. There are more than 230. Clinical, trials of potential, covid. Drugs, and biological, products are underway. And over 510. Are in the planning stages today nia. Nih, announced two separate covid, treatment trials. Active two and active three and these are monoclonal. Antibody, treatments. And, also by september. We have secured. More than half a million, courses of treatment. Of rem desevere. That is one of the several therapeutics. That, this president, has achieved. Um, and finding for the american people to treat this novel. Uh disease this novel virus, and the vaccine, again moving to phase three clinical trial, at the fastest rate for any novel virus in history this could only be accomplished. By, president trump by a businessman, in the white house who is not only, uh on the race to get a vaccine, we have two and phase three clinical trial but is securing. A hundred million doses. In advance, so that we're ready to ship them out um this president, has been hard at work on covet along with a number of other issues and those eos will be forthcoming. Are you calling me can i please go yeah which i don't think israel, israel reopens. These are open schools, if you're open schools. Israel from schools and they got and they had issues with that there were outbreaks, students got sick, what do you think of the fact that israel, opened schools and had to close, you um i called on you and you didn't ask your questions and then i proceeded to speak over another reporter i wasn't going to do that so do you not want to answer my question now that i was not being rude to another, director. Okay um the president, said uh in his interview with axios that he's doing everything he can do, to address. Uh, the virus, is that really true i mean is there nothing more that he can do, at this point and um. Also is he willing is that does that does that suggest that he's willing to accept the number of deaths that we're seeing, no we are hard at work each and every day uh to defeat the invisible, enemy and in fact, just to give you an update on some of the actions. We've taken. Right now there are currently, 28. 220. Us government personnel, deployed. For coven 19 response. On top of that next week dr burks has visited states across the country and next week she'll be visiting, indiana, ohio kentucky. Tennessee. And virginia. We're hard at work at again getting more euas. For more treatments and therapeutics. And testing. So we every day we're rapidly, looking at. How we can make this, the the most robust, uh, response, and the history, um of this country. Um and i think that we've done that when you look at ramdesa, beer, in the therapeutics. At play and the case fatality, rate, uh is really indicative, of what this president has done when we have the lowest case fatality, rate one of the lowest in the world below the average of the world, um and below, europe, uh that shows that our therapeutics. Are working rendezvous. Convalescent, plasma. And dexamethasone. Uh this president's hard at work and he'll continue to, work you're doing everything. That you can possibly do when there are still. Waits for. Getting test results back when you have declined, to oppose it, to impose a national mass mandate when you're saying you won't shut down. The. Entire, country again. So um with regard to testing, and the timing. When we identify, a problem, we quickly identify, a solution, and. When there were delays, in testing, we immediately, identified, pool testing, as a way to, increase the speed of testing we already lead the world in testing so to increase the speed. We move towards pool testing and that's. The flexibility. With which this administration. Adapts, to, problems we identify, on the ground, and we, rapidly, develop a solution, uh to ameliorate, the problem. Yes, thank you kaylee, would the president, like to see mitch mcconnell. Put the. Uh 600. Extension, of the unemployment. Benefits. Through the end of the year on the senate floor to put the democrats. In the spot of having to vote, for that clean extension. So i haven't talked to him about that proposal, and i don't want to get into the middle of the negotiations. But what it's safe to say is there's been one proposal, one clean proposal, to extend unemployment, insurance. That was put forward by martha mcsally, the president was ready to sign it and it was rejected, by chuck schumer and nancy pelosi, i follow up and just asked on, a, slightly separate, topic.
Whether, Or not uh the white house has a view on whether or not members of the media, a pool, should be allowed, to cover the republican, national, convention's, official proceedings, in charlotte, which apparently. As of right now because of the space limitations. The the, convention, committee, is saying that that's not going to be possible, i'm yeah i'm not read into the convention, discussions, but i certainly, will inquire, about that and follow up with you and find out what the status, is yeah, thank you. Yes um thank you so much haley um, do you have anything, with regards to the massive explosion. In beirut, that occurred earlier. Again that was breaking as i came out here and safe to say we are monitoring, the situation. Yes. Thanks for calling on me i wanted to give my question over to you. Sure that's fine, thanks so much. Um, so my question is i have two questions the first, question is, israel, opened its schools back up they thought they had the virus under control. That virus. Then spread and it became an outbreak, students got sick they had to close schools down, how were you that what happened in israel might happen here given the fact that there are experts in israel who say, they made a mistake there, well i would refer to, our experts, and, cdc, director. Robert redfield. Answered. About, schools, on the hill last week and he said this i don't think i can emphasize, it enough, as the director, of the center for disease control. The leading public health agency, in the world, it is in the public health interest that these k-12. Students. Get back to schools, that are open for face-to-face. Learning i want these kids, back in school it is paramount. To the health of the child, the president just tweeted, to, you answer a question about this mail-in voting. Or absentee, voting whatever you call it he's saying essentially. It's the same thing, so why is it now something that can be done in florida but not in other states why is that the appropriate thing to do he's not saying he's always made the distinction, mass mail out voting. Is, with nevada, where, ballots, are mailed in mass out to the voter rolls so in a place like la for instance where 112, percent of la county. Is registered. Uh ballots go out and at least 12 percent of those we know are not active. Voters. So that is the distinction. From absentee. Voting which is where you proactively. Request, an absentee, ballot there's a dis difference there in the president. Uh the president repeatedly. Makes the difference, and he is also noting, as i told jeff you can follow up with the campaign, on this but there was a, a victory, um in the courts in florida, and that's what he was referencing, in the tweet, yes. Thanks kaylee, you mentioned extending, the eviction moratorium, and unemployment. Insurance, on saturday. Trump tweeted, payroll tax cuts plus dollars, is a payroll tax cut still on the table. Um the president would love to see the payroll tax holiday because it would in fact benefit low and middle income. Americans. The most. But right now his keen and laser, focus, is unemployment, insurance. And evictions, those are the preeminent, priority. Especially, with that friday deadline that nancy pelosi. Uh missed. Chanel. Thank you kaylee um this administration, has worked to, has identified, human trafficking, as a crisis and has worked to combat, it. Um, the national, center on sexual exploitation, has identified. Tick tock. An online, online, platform, that enables. Sexual exploitation. Of young, people especially in america. Um, would this administration. Ever consider. If tick tock became a u.s asset. Would this administration, ever consider, rules, or imposing, rules that would help. Mitigate, this risk against young people on the platform tick tock, yeah i haven't spoken to the president about that, specific. Fact scenario. But, absolutely, it is a priority, for this administration. To combat. Human trafficking, and the exploitation. Of children so, we would certainly, take a close look at that. But i i have not talked to him about that specific, fact pattern. Um i would like to end just by highlighting. A troubling, trend that i think we've seen, play out across, the country, and i believe we have a few graphics to illustrate, this, um it pertains to the defund the police movement. And when you look at across the country. The ties of defunding, the police with increases, in violence it's a cause for concern. As we saw in the beginning of this administration, violent crime was starting to come down. And then, bring in the defund the police movement. In los angeles, you had la mayor eric garcetti, proposing, a cut of 150. Million. From the lapd. La mayor garcetti, said this it starts someplace, and we have to say we are going, to be who we want to be or we're going to continue, being the killers, that we are with his quote in support of the defund, movement, and as a result we saw a 14.
Rise In homicides. This year over last year. In minneapolis. The d fund, the police movement was a foot as well with a unanimous, vote in minneapolis, city. And their counsel to dismantle, the police and you had, minneapolis. City council member jeremiah, jeremiah, ellison, saying this is one action of many that we need to take on the road to a more equitable. And just system, that keeps, people, safe in fact it did not keep people safe we've seen a 94, percent, increase. In homicides, compared to last year in minneapolis. And finally in new york city. Defund, the police you had the new york city council voting to cut police budget by one billion dollars. You had congresswoman. Alexandria, ocasio-cortez. Saying to fund the police meets defunding, the police it does not mean budget tricks are funny math so it wasn't enough for aoc. But you did have new york city mayor bill de blasio, saying we think it's the right thing to do it was absolutely, not the right thing to do, as we've seen a 177. Percent, increase. In shootings, from july, 2019. In new york. When you defund, the police there are consequences. And that's where the democrats. Of today, stand, and unfortunately, we've seen, a corresponding. Rise in violence in these democrat, cities and it's not acceptable, thank you very much and you'll see the president at 5 30., kaylee can i ask you a question about kodak. And the sec. Investigation. Thank. You. You.
2020-08-06 18:50
