Kayleigh McEnany holds White House press briefing
Nominated, for the nobel, peace prize. In recognition, of his work in brokering, an israel. United arab emirates, peace deal, was a historic, deal, and the first such deal, in over two decades. This is a hard-earned. And well-deserved. Honor for this president. President trump's foreign policy, will always, be one of peace, through strength. And that is what the american, people are seeing abroad. Career, politicians, merely, talk about the kind of results, this president, has achieved, on the world stage. End endless wars we hear that often, not too often do we see it actually done, today. The president. And the pentagon, department of defense are announcing a drawdown, of troops in iraq, just announced from 5200. To 3 000.. We are getting our allies to pay their fair share, now nine nato countries, are meeting their two percent, spending, obligations. We've secured, better trade deals for the american worker, president trump negotiated, the usmca. The u.s south korea deal ended. The trans-pacific. Partnership. Brought back manufacturing. Jobs. President trump has stood up to china, the phase one, china deal, uh also tariffs hold china accountable, and actions to block huawei. President trump's also defeated, terrorists. The isis caliphate, is destroyed, al-baghdadi. Is no longer on the battlefield, along with iranian, general solomoni. In addition to these priorities, president trump has made peace a cornerstone. Of his recent foreign policy, efforts. The peace deal between, israel and the united arab emirates led to the first flight from israel, over saudi arabia's, airspace, to the united arab emirates. The signing ceremony, for this historic, deal will be september, 15th, at the white house. President trump has also brokered, economic, normalization. Between, serbia, and kosovo, a major, breakthrough. In this decades-old. Conflict. It's a fact, president, trump, has broken the 39-year-old. Streak of american, presidents, either starting a war or bringing the united states into an international, armed conflict. As a great washington. Examiner, peace, headline, read. These wins are possible, because of the president's, leadership. And outsider, perspective. President trump addresses, old challenges, with new solutions, and delivers, results. For the american, people and with that i'll take questions. Paula. Haley thank you i'd like to ask you about the woodward, interviews. Did president trump, intentionally. Mislead, the american, people about the threat of covet, a pandemic, that has now caused the lives of nearly 200, 000 americans. Absolutely, not um this president, at a time when you're facing insurmountable.
Challenges. It's important, to express. Confidence, it's. Important to. Express, calm please play it down is playing it down is that is that expressing, calm, it seems dishonest. Can you read the rest of the clone, that's how much they put in there oh you excluded, the last part um. Please please do it do you have to explain. Please of course i deny that, and he makes clear that he doesn't want to see chaos by the way is the second part of the quote which you failed to read, um the president, just days after having this discussion. Um with bob woodward. Said this from this podium, on march 30th he said. I do want them to stay calm we are doing a great job if you look at the individual, statements, they're all true stay calm. It will go away but it's important to stay calm so this president. Does what leaders do good leaders, it stay calm, and resolute, at a time when you face an insurmountable. Challenge that's what this president hates it will not appear that the president, lied to the american public about the threat posed by copenhagen, the president, has never lied to the american, public, on covid the president's, been, very the president was expressing, calm and his actions reflect that. On january, 6th. The cdc, issued a wuhan, travel notice before any confirmed u.s cases. Among another, a number of other actions and i'd refer you to, dr falchi, who said that this president has an impressive, response. I can't imagine under any circumstance. That anyone could be doing anything, more that is the record of this president, john. Kelly but how do you how do you square the president's, words to woodward, when he said. This is a very delicate, one it's also. More deadly than even. Your strenuous. Flu this is deadly, stuff. And then, just two weeks after he told woodward, that, he said this is a flu. This is like a flu. And of course he also said it was going to quickly go to zero but, that seems to be in direct contradiction, of what he told woodward well the president was listening to his medical experts because you also have at the same time period dr falchi. Who said this. Asking, asked if the seasonal flu was a bigger concern, he said this on february, 17th, so right now at the same time, people are worrying about going to a chinese restaurant, the threat is that we have in this country. We're having a pretty bad influenza, season particularly, dangerous for our children so he was reflecting, that point and again. Days later, in a briefing he said the statements, i made are this i want to keep the country calm that is what leaders do and that's what president trump does but in that statement, he's not comparing, the two he's not saying chronovirus. Is it was like, that was a covet interview and he was asked about seasonal, flu, vis-a-vis. Covid. Saying exactly, what the president said and in fact the president was taking it more seriously, because on the tape he noted. That flu could be worse and he was taking action to address it. Once again context, matters, that, zero reported coveted cases the cdc, was implementing public health screenings. House dems were preparing, to file their first briefs and impeachment, one reported, case. Cdc. When there was one reported case the cdc was activating an emergency, operations, center while pelosi. Was releasing a statement criticizing, mcconnell, over impeachment. On january 31st, the president issued a travel ban, um on china. One that the former vice president, called xenophobic. That's what democrats, were doing while this president was acting. And his actions reflect the seriousness, with which he took coven 19.. Yes. You quoted dr fauci dr fauci is also. Apparently, on the record saying of president, trump that his attention span, is like a minus number, and his sole purpose, is to get re-elected, that's according to veteran journalist, bob woodward, i think the bottom line here is that the president, by his own admission, in private on the record, acknowledged, the depth of this crisis.
And Yet told the american, people something very different, how is that at its core. Not an abject, betrayal, of the public trust the president has always been clear-eyed with the american, people he was always clear-eyed, about the lives we could lose. Again from this podium he acknowledged, that this was serious, back in march that a hundred thousand two hundred thousand lives could be lost, um and with regard to dr fauci, you're referring to a quote he, allegedly, told bob woodward, and i can give you quotes that we can all play on loop and video of him saying that this response was impressive. And he can't imagine anyone under any circumstance, doing anything better, uh dr fauci, saying this i can just tell you the president. The first and only time i went and said you need to do mitigation, strongly, the response was yes, we will do it the second time i went with dr burks to the president, and said 15 days to slow the spread are not enough we need to go to 30 days, obviously there were a lot of people who had problems with that because of potential, secondary, effects, nonetheless. The president, went with the health recommendation. So there's a long litany of praise, from dr fauci, and you're referencing, something he allegedly, told bob woodward, it's on tape it's on tape kayleigh, oh i'm reading, this i'm reading to you what dr fauci has said very publicly, for all to see and we can all, play those video clips i can get them in your inbox. February, 7th says it's deadly stuff about coronavirus. In private on the record, in public though, february, 28th, he says, one day, it's like a miracle, it will disappear. It's one thing to as a as a public figure not to try to incite. Panic, it's a very different, thing respectfully. To lie and mislead, the american people. About a crisis that has claimed nearly 200 000 americans no one is blind to the american people one day covid, will go away i think we can all hope for that day, uh we will have a vaccine because of this president, tearing through bureaucracy. To get a safe and effective vaccine, one day it will go away that is a fact, it is not inciting, fear this president has expressed calmness, from this podium, mobilized, the greatest, mobilization. Of the private sector since world war ii uh got, more tests than any country, in the world. On covid, a vaccine, which by the way it will be a record, for a novel, pathogen. The timing of this vaccine should we get it by the end of the year or should we get it even, three years which was the timing of ebola, this president, has done an unprecedented. Job dealing with kovid, and one that dr falchi even acknowledged and like i said i will get you that clip to your inbox, yes okay kaylee, just.
You Mentioned a few minutes ago that this was an insurmountable. Problem i think that's a, quite a point of dispute if you look around the world the united states leads. The world in in confirmed, cases. In in debts, from copen 19.. So, doesn't the president have their responsibility. For that record as well as the testing. And the vaccine development that you're just talking about no when you've looked at the rest of the world um in particular, the case fatality, rate in the united states is about three percent. Uh the world is three point three percent the uk, 11.9. Percent france 8.8. Belgium 11.2. And um you can go through, the various western, world countries that have dealt with covid, and we've done a very good job the case fatality, rate notes that and that's a testament to our therapeutics, that the president has navigated us still is still of course very, fatality, rate is the metric that shows how well our response, has done with therapeutics, and we are leading, the world. And having the lowest, case fatality, rate it's a very important metric and one that's a testament once again, to a president who ripped through barriers getting us from desevere, convalescent, plasma. And other very good working therapeutics. You mentioned the president, is very focused on, the response there, then why did the president, have thousands, of people many. Not wearing masks, that are at a rally last night, you know in a state that has. Limited outdoor gatherings to 50 people, why is he going to, nevada, this, this weekend, to hold similar outdoor rallies. Uh uh gathering these large numbers. Of people in violation of his administration's. Own guidance, and of the, best advice and guidance of local officials, who you said, should have the final say in these matters people will have a first amendment, right if they so choose to show up and express, their, political, opinion, in the form of a peaceful protest, which is what. The president, held, and there's a real double standard, here cnn, had on a guest. Apparently, a doctor. Rob davidson, who said now true there are social distancing, issues with regard to the protests we've seen around the country, however this is a public health crisis, they are marching against, systemic, racism so if you're allowed to march in aggregate. Um in those protests you're also allowed to show up at a political, rally, you have a first amendment right in this country.
Mario. Thank you. How can a president bear no responsibility. For the 200, almost 200, 000 lives. Lost. When he downplayed, the virus initially. And he knew that how contagious, and deadly it was. I don't understand, how that came. The president never downplayed, the virus once again, the president expressed, calm, uh the president was serious about this when democrats, were pursuing. Their sham impeachment. Uh he was expressing, calm and he was taking, early action, and his actions are reflective. Of how seriously. The attack that he took the language that he used. Yeah you said that he used hopeful language, does he regret that given where we are now no this president. Embodied the american spirit that when we face, a challenge, a crisis. A pandemic. We come together. We can be optimistic, we can be serious. About it we can take it seriously, with our actions which is exactly, what this president. Does it's why we lead the world in testing. I'm doing far more than number two which is india, he took this seriously. But he still expressed, calm. Our food supply, chains were at risk that we could not have mass runs on grocery, stores. The markets. Also the economy, was in play here. We didn't want so there to be a huge crash, in panic he expressed. Calmness, from this podium but he has always taken it seriously, and the response. An unprecedented. Response, really reflects, that. Yes. Thanks kaley um i wanted to ask you about, the, astrazeneca. Trial, so does that throw a spanner, in the works that they've halted those trials, in terms of getting a vaccine. Quickly. And and then i have a follow-up. Yeah so the astrazeneca. Um paused their trials, um. Phase three clinical trial, um was a routine response, when the when you see an adverse. Effect, and it was one that shows that the science, is guiding the way here, um and when there was an adverse response that was identified, in one individual. Astrazeneca. Chose to, pause that phase three clinical trial there are still two, american, vaccines, in phase three clinical trials showing great promise. Um but you know it's astrazeneca. What is happening there is showing that the science is guiding away on a vaccine which is what dr fauci. Um. Others like alex azar and the president have said all along are you still confident, that you'll see a vaccine. Sort of before the end of the year by the end of the year is the goal yes. Though because there was some discussion about seeing something around the time of the election so do you think it delays, that, our timing is not about the election it is about saving. Lives and by the end of the year has always been our goal but, of course, a safe and effective, effective, vaccine, we will take it as quickly as we can get it.
So, The customs, and border protection, was supposed to be. Announcing, or said that they would announce, a ban on, imports, of many products from xinyang, province, in china. Uh as a result of the human rights abuses there against the uyghurs. That announcement, hasn't come formally, it was supposed to be announced here at the white house are you intending to make that announcement, or has there been. Some. Backlash, against just the breadth of it it does it does encompass, quite a lot of different products including. Tomato, products, that you know. Yeah i i have no upcoming announcements, about how we'll publicly. Talk about that discussion, but if i get more information, i'll let you know, yes. Sure, my understanding, that the two rallies, this weekend in nevada, have been cancelled. Because of governor, siselek's. Order preventing, events, of 50 people or more, does the president have a reaction. And what is the white house policy. About, complying, with the state's orders. Limiting the size. Of an event i have not heard that about the rallies but i'd refer you to the campaign. For further information, on that but. As i discussed. With zeke here that we believe that if people want to show up. And, express their political, views that's their choice to do so we hand out mass we encourage. Individuals, to wear those masks a lot of people did i was in north carolina, last night and saw it, we give out hand sanitizer, but at the end of the day if you want to join a peaceful protest, you can do so, um and there's no, there's no reason just like the protests we've seen in the streets you can't show up and express your political view at a rally. Yes, haley um, can you give us some understanding, about why the president, agreed to sit down with bob woodward, for 18, interviews, when his first book about the administration, was so deeply critical. Because he's the most transparent, president in history. Okay. When um, when do you expect that we'll get the list, the shortlist, of who the president, is considering, for the scotus, picks and what's the criteria, that he's using to assemble that list, yeah that's a good question um you'll get that list in short order um, the president, is very excited. To share, who he would nominate. To the supreme, court, and what will guide on his choices are people who follow the constitution, he wants constitution. Abiding, judges. He wants textualists. Who, believe, the words of the statue, actually, are what they are not subject to interpretation. He wants judges guided by the constitution. Um judges. And the ilk, of the two that he's nominated, like justice kavanaugh and gorsuch. Yes, thanks kelly um did the president or anyone at the white house have conversations. With, the department of justice about their decision to intervene in the evening, carol lawsuit. And if so what were the nature of those conversations. I'm not aware of any discussions, that have been had. Hey. The president, has claimed he signed the most favored nations, executive, order on prescription, drugs he mentioned this again last night. Um we haven't seen the text has he actually signed the eo, and if so when will we see the text, and can you tell us what the status of negotiations. Are with pharma. Yeah so the um. The eo, i believe he's referring to there is the previous one he's signed. A provision, of that was most favored, nation. Which means that for medicare, programs, you have two ways to get prescriptions. Part d, or part b, part b are drugs you would receive at the doctor's, office. And the executive, order tells the secretary, to peg prices for part b, to a most favored nation, price to make sure that american, citizens, are getting, uh their medications. At a price, equally. As cheap as other countries, so that was the initial eo i believe he was referring, to but any updates. Um i'll let you know in the upcoming. Days, yes. Just in. Just following up on, the. Coronavirus. Issues. How is it not misleading. For. His advisers. To tell him. And compare, this. Virus, potential, to the spanish flu of 1918. But then for the president, to say. That this could disappear, by april.
The President. Again, was expressing, calm the president. Was hopeful, that you know kovid. Um, would, uh, that, we would be able to manage this and handle it in a way that we could make it go away as quickly as possible, and the president rose to the occasion. Um and did just that this was, a lot more, i by the way it's worth mentioning, um. The misleading, that the who. In china did on this. When you had the who. They were repeating. China's claim that the virus, does not transmit, this was a novel virus no one had seen and you have the world health organization. Saying this vibrant, virus does not transmit, readily, that is the information. We were getting. You had. The white brian, said that this virus, could be the biggest threat to his presidency. Uh matt pottinger, agreed with that assessment. And then president trump would later, say, that no one, could have predicted, this when his own. Experts were predicting, this look you're referring, uh to the, intel community, and they've, what the president knew was and i've walked you through this before on january, 23, the intel community briefed president trump, for the first time about covid, and the briefing, said, uh coronavirus. From china is poised to spread globally, but the good news is that it is not deadly, for most people this is the information, president, trump, was getting and the next time he was briefed on it was january, 28th. When he was told that the spread was happening outside of china and the deaths remained, all inside, china, he was told then that china is not sharing key data indeed china was not, because as i noted to you on january, 9th, the world health organization. Said it does not readily, transmit between people and on january, 14th. The world health organization, said no clear evidence of human to human transmission, clearly that was not true. Even on february, 29th, as the virus was spreading the who. Put political correctness, first by opposing, travel restrictions. Note that on january 31st. President, trump, put into place, those travel restrictions, that democrats, called, xenophobic. Shame on them, yes. On the same day the president, tweeted that the virus would become weaker when the weather started getting warmer he told bob woodward it was going to be deadly, stuff, so why does bob woodward get the president's, unvarnished, opinion when the american, people don't.
That He was giving bob woodward the same opinion he gave from the podium, and he said, i am here i want to express, calm, that is what a leader, does, he has always shared the facts he has always been forthright. And he's always followed the advice of his medical, experts, like dr fauci who called his response. Impressive. Yes, said this was deadly stuff yes the american people. Yes he did he acknowledged, that hundreds of thousands could die and he took the right response which was to temporarily. Shut down the country. Saved millions, of lives, and so too of his therapeutics, so too will the vaccine, that's being developed. Yes. The protests, in belarus, continue. As well as the crackdown. On the opposition. What concrete, steps. The president, is going to take. To support. Uh, belarusians. In their, struggle, for democracy. And to stop. Human rights abuses. Yeah that's another very good question um the u.s is extremely, concerned, by continued, human rights violations. In the wake of belarus's, election. Reports, of, opposition, figures being kidnapped, forcibly, expelled. Or otherwise, threatened are just a few of the many meth, methods that the belarusian. Government is using. In its attempts to deny, freedom of speech. The u.s is working with our international, partners to hold all of those committing these abuses, accountable. And we call on the belarusian. Government to release, all, who are being unjustly, detained, as for the election. The election there was not a real election, it was neither free, nor fair, it was fraudulent. The massive number of belarusians. Protesting, peacefully, makes clear that the government, can no longer ignore, the people's calls for democracy. Yes. President, keeping his promise of ending, endless, wars if this announcement, on iraq is just a draw down not a withdrawal. There are still troops in afghanistan. Saudi arabia, bahrain. There's still troops it's, not really keeping the 2016, promise, is it um the president's, drawing down our troops these things take time, uh we want to ensure, that the iraqi, security, forces, are well trained. Um and, our u.s troops have done a magnificent, job doing just that we believe. That now is the time when we can make this draw down, uh keep the country stable. Uh because of the training that our troops have done, so, we have an attempt to kind of try and make it look like the promise is being kept in advance of the election. No not at all this is an expression that we believe that iraqi, security forces. Can do this alongside, the troops that will remain there, um and the facts tell the story that, this president, broke the 39. Year old streak of american, presidents, either starting a war, or bringing the united states into an international, armed conflict, so, unlike, past presidents, um this president has prioritized. Peace through strength, which is his. Just on foreign. Breaking the 39th. Year, trend. How does that work if. The president sent troops into saudi arabia. Chanel. Kaylee thank you um, with kosovo, and united arab emirates these are muslim-majority. Countries, spanning two continents, now, each. Bringing, some kind of agreement, with israel, towards peace. Um. So my question is two points, number one, have the palestinians. Opened up any kind of discourse, with the white house as to, their reaction. To these developments. In. With israel, and middle eastern countries and number two. Have the palestinians. Actually expressed, any interest, in, distancing, themselves, from iran. In the interests of release peace. Through the deal president trump, made additional, progress on reaching peace in the middle east. Kosovo. And israel, agreed to mutual, recognition. And normalization. Of ties. And serbia, committed to moving its embassy to jerusalem.
Only A few weeks after the historic, abraham, accords, between israel, and the united arab emirates, this is another huge step forward for broader peace in the middle east and the rest of the world, i'd refer you to the palestinians. For their reaction. Uh but it is quite telling, that, this historic. Agreement between serbia. And kosovo, addressing, a decades-long. Conflict, was only mentioned, one time, on cnn, and one time on msnbc. Yes. About the, winter olympics, in beijing, in 2022. More than 160. Human rights groups have called on the international. Olympic committee, chief to revoke, the games, from beijing. Would president, trump, support, an american, boycott. Of, the games, over. The chinese. Regime's, human rights abuses. I haven't spoken to him, specifically, on that so i'd have to, get back to you but this president has always held china accountable, his actions. Very clearly, show that, he has stood up, to the to china. Unlike, any president, before him. In modern history. But, one thing, i do want to address, is, um just this, really, egregious. And i addressed, it on friday but it's worth. Updating, this this atlantic. Uh story, written by, a liberal activist. Now you have 25. People who have spoken, out and dismissed. This story, and now you even have, uh the author of the story. Who said quote i share the view, that it's not good enough, quote referring to the fact. That he. Uh did this false report based on anonymous, sources. Um, and. Basically, when you look at um the liberal activist, who wrote this, he has a very bad history. He can't be trusted the left's new hero. Used to be their number one enemy for his role in the u.s entry, into, iraq. Indeed, in the early, 2000s. This author. Was then at the new yorker and he extensively. Wrote on the possible, links between iraq. And al qaeda a suggested, link, that was key behind the decision of u.s involvement, in iraq. He relied on people who, in her his words, quote seemed to me to be credible. Who said that they had information, about such connections. Between al qaeda, and iraq, and goldberg's, reporting, simply backed up his view that the u.s should invade, iraq. In slate in 2002. This author argued in favor of the u.s invading, iraq. And later, he even admitted, that he knew people. Blamed, him for helping to get the us, into the war. He wrote a sarcastic. Piece saying yes, yes, i know i started, the iraq war. His reporting cannot be trusted, as noted by the fact that 25. People, have come out on the record, dismissing. Uh his report, the report by liberal activists, thank. You.
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