Trump's very long post-election presser

Thank God for Daniel Dale.  I ccannot listen to Trump.

Trump says they did well in the "midtown" election, then says, "and midterm."

What??!!  He didnn't say, "Midtown and midterm."  That's gotta be a first.

Trump says they did great despite very unfair media coverage and Democrats' big money from special interests. Though Democrats did have big-donor money, as did the GOP, the difference this year was big money from Democratic small donors.

In the House, Trump says, they overcame "a historic number of retirements." Left unsaid: there were so many GOP retirements in part because incumbents knew this election would be bad.

Trump brings up Oprah campaigning for Abrams, makes sure to point out again that she allegedly used to like him: "I don't know if she likes me anymore, but that's OK. She used to."

!!! Trump is mocking defeated Republicans who distanced themselves from him: "Mia Love gave me no love. And she lost. Too bad. Sorry about that, Mia."

This is both very Trump and truly wild. Trump is bitterly arguing, against all evidence, that House Republicans would have done better if they hadn't run away from him: "Peter Roskam didn't want the embrace. Erik Paulsen didn't want the embrace."

It's also a threat to future Republican candidates.  He'll blast you publicly if you don't "want the embrace."  If that's not a mob expression, I don't know what is.

Trump also criticized Colorado's Coffman and Virginia's Comstock for distancing themselves from him. There is no question that he was the reason they got trounced. Trump also name-checked Carlos Curbelo in this criticism list, slightly mispronouncing his name.

Trump praises Pelosi: "She works very hard, and she works long and hard...I give her a lot of credit..." He says he hopes they can work together on various issues.

Is he afraid of her?  Does he think she's like him: praise her and she'll do your bidding?

Trump says Dems winning the House is good because now "the Democrats will come to us with a plan for infrastructure, with a plan for health care...and we'll negotiate." He spent the entire last month saying the Dems' health plans would kick citizens off their health care.

Trump warns House Dems that Republicans will investigate them if they try to investigate against him: "They can play that game, but we can play it better. Because we have a thing called the United States Senate. And a lot of very questionable things were done."

Trump: You can't "simultaneously" work in a bipartisan way and investigate me; I won't do both; and if you try to investigate me it'll be good for me politically. "Because I think I'm better at that game than they are."

Trump says they have a lot in common on infrastructure. Also, both parties want to "do something" on health care, so they can work on that. (They want to do basically opposite things on health care.)

And directly after all that....

Trump calls on Democrats to "put partisanship aside" to keep his "economic miracle" going.

They should put partisanship aside while he continues to blast them.

As usual, Trump gives the first question to Fox News. Asked if he expects investigations on everything from his tax returns to his cellphone use, Trump says, "If that happens, we're going to do the same thing. And government comes to a halt. And I would blame them."

Asked if he really believes they can work in a bipartisan way, Trump says, "There's a very good chance." Asked if he'll have to compromise in ways that'll hurt him, he cites prescription drug prices and other issues as areas where he and Dems agree.

Trump says he speaks to Democrats "all the time," and "they agree that the wall is necessary." The vast majority of Democrats do not agree the wall is necessary.

Trump won't comment on the future of Sessions and Rosenstein, saying, "I'd rather answer that at a little bit different time." He says he's looking at "different people for different positions," saying that's common post-midterms. He says he's "looking at" the Zinke situation.

Asked if he'll try to prevent Dems from getting his tax returns, Trump says, "Well, look, as I have told you, they're under audit. They have been for a long time...Complex...People wouldn't understand them...people don't understand tax returns."

LOfuckingL.

Trump says "nobody would" turn over their tax returns when they're "under audit." (The law says Democrats are now able to obtain them no matter their alleged status.)

And if they don't subpoena them, then shame on them.  He's operating a company by pretending his children have full control of it (children who promised to stay out of politics, and didn't), for one thing.  And he's mobbed up for another.  These are important to the nation's national security.

Challenged with numerous immigration questions from CNN's Acosta, Trump says, "You should let me run the country. You run CNN." Trump to Acosta after Acosta keeps pressing: "You are a rude, terrible person. You shouldn't be working for CNN. You're a very rude person. The way you treat Sarah Huckabee is horrible...you shouldn't treat people that way."

I wish Jim Acosta would turn that shit right back on him.

Reminded of his fearmongering about how a Democratic wave would mean a crime wave and such, Trump tells a reporter, "Are you trying to be him (Acosta)?" He explains that he said these things "because they're very weak on crime." He cuts off the reporter.

Pressed, Trump says he is not pitting Americans against each other. He says, "We won a lot of elections last night."

And how's that an answer?

Asked about the possibility of trying to remove Mueller, Trump says, "I could have ended it any time I wanted. I didn't. And there was no collusion."

Trump asked about voter suppression: "I will give you voter suppression...take a look at the CNN polls, how inaccurate they were. That's called voter suppression." (It is not.) He tells a female reporter repeatedly to "sit down." [ed: a black female reporter he has dissed several times in the past: April Ryan] Asked how he responds to criticism that his campaign message was insulting to minorities, "I don't think it has been at all." Told about the election of two Muslim women and asked if it's a rebuke, he says he doesn't understand the question.

Trump returns to his criticism of deceased Republican senator John McCain for his dramatic vote against Obamacare replacement. He claims, with his usual odd-and-amazing phrasing, that they actually had it repealed and replaced until they didn't.

Asked what lesson he took from the results, Trump says, "I think people like me. I think people like the job I'm doing, frankly."

It's striking to me that no one is directly challenging Trump about the big House defeat. Obama was peppered with "what did you screw up, why do you think people dislike you" questions after his midterms.

Trump on the Mueller investigation: "They're wasting a lot of money, but I let it go on." He says he could end it right now but doesn't wanna.

There was one (1) moment, the day before the vote, where Trump professed to have some regrets, telling Sinclair Broadcasting that he could have maybe adopted a softer tone all this time. That's all gone now.

Asked if China or Russia interfered with this election, Trump says, "We're going to make a full report. And unlike the previous administration, we've done a lot of work on that issue."

Trump is told that last night was not a complete victory for him. He says it was "very close to complete victory." He's giving the House defeat the silent treatment. Trump says it basically was, then touts the size of his rally crowds in Georgia and Florida which were followed by victories there, then talks about the Senate.

RIP imaginary middle-class tax cut: Trump says he doesn't have the votes in the Senate for his imaginary middle-class tax cut.

You mean the one he promised every single rally he held?

Trump on coming turnover: "People leave. People leave...I haven't heard about John Kelly, but people leave...it's a very exhausting job."

Reminded that people have died during this campaign, and asked if he could lower the temperature and make peace with the media, Trump says, "I would love to see unity and peace and love...we had to wait 'til after the midterms were over." Trump says that things could get better with the media if the media was better to him. The media is "a very divisive thing for our country"; "it really does bring disunity."

Asked which loss last night surprised him most, Trump says, "Nothing surprises me in politics. But there were some losses last night...and victories that were incredible."

Trump is asked by a religious reporter what kind of factor God plays in his life. He says, "God plays a big factor in my life."

Reminded he said that he maybe regretted his harsh tone, Trump: "I'd be very good at a low tone. But when things are done not correctly about you...you have to defend yourself." He says he would be "honoured" if he had a "modest" or "even boring" tone, but has to fight.

Honored???

Trump to a Japanese reporter: "Where are you from?" Reporter: "Japan." Trump: "Say hello to Shinzo." Reporter, startled: "Yes." Trump: He probably enjoys the threat of tariffs on his cars. Reporter, who has accent: (Continues asking question) Trump: I don't understand you.

Asked about the rise in antisemitic incidents and other hate crimes, and asked why he thinks it's happening, Trump says, "It's very sad to see it. I hate to see it." He touts Israeli PM Netanyahu's praise of him, then boasts about how he moved the embassy to Jerusalem.

Asked about healing the divides in the country, Trump touts the strong economy, boasts that China's economy is struggling. (It might be time to take a break from asking him this question over and over.)

Trump falsely claims that his tariffs on China are "taxes that China is paying for us." Americans who are importing Chinese products are paying the taxes.

Trump: "I think I am a great moral leader."

Trump says his endorsement of Pelosi's speakership was not "sarcastic": "I think she deserves it...she's a very capable person...I really believe she deserves that position." (At every campaign rally, he warned that a Pelosi speakership would mean an American apocalypse.)

Trump complains about the press conference: "I come in here as a nice person and I have people jumping out of their seats screaming questions at me."

Has he never seen a press conference before?

Trump just says stuff to get himself through the given moment. Asked why he said earlier in this press conference that he can't work with Democrats if they investigate him, why he can't do both at once, Trump says he can absolutely do both at once.

Asked about race-related criticism of his self-description as a nationalist, Trump says three times, "That's such a racist question." That makes no sense. [ed: also another black woman: Yamiche Alcindor.]

Trump says it's "false" that he used racist language about Black people, as Michael Cohen and...Lil Jon...said. Trump: "I don't know who Lil Jon is." Reporter: "He was on The Apprentice." Trump: Oh okay.

Trump, asked a clear question from an accented Lebanese reporter, again asks for clarification, mutters that he can't understand the man.

The president today told *three* reporters with accents that he could not understand them. One Japanese, one Lebanese, one I'm not certain.

Trump asked if he'll indeed sign an exec order trying to revoke birthright citizenship: "We are looking at it very seriously." He won't say yes, though this was a promise he made.

Trump again: "Midterm elections are disasters for sitting presidents...this has been an incredibly successful...you look at the races." Asked about suburban female voters, he talks over the question.

Asked if he thinks right-wing white extremism is a problem, Trump says he does. He adds that he believes all extremism is a problem, but also that kind.

Trump on Heitkamp: "They said Heidi could not be beaten." Nobody credible said that, everybody knew she was very vulnerable.

Trump says, "I was very well-received by this great country." He keeps talking over a female reporter's question about female voters.

Asked how he can improve the tone in the country, Trump says, "It begins with the media." He adds that the media used to be called "the press."

Trump has left the room.

Now if he'd just leave the planet.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.