Other reporters: Be like Kaitlin.Donald Trump has declared in a White House briefing that his “authority is total” when it comes to lockdown rules during the coronavirus pandemic, and he denied that he was weighing firing Dr Anthony Fauci, the country’s foremost infectious diseases expert who sits on the coronavirus task force.
After a weekend reprieve from presidential briefings that have been likened to Trump rallies for their uninterrupted flow of Trumpian id, the president returned to the lectern on Monday to deliver one of his most bizarre performances yet.
He played a campaign video produced by White House staff, in a possible violation of elections laws, that he said highlighted the media’s downplaying of the coronavirus crisis in the early stages of the pandemic.
He jousted with journalists who questioned a tweet he had sent earlier in the day, in which he claimed to have fiat power to override orders by state governors to close nonessential businesses and public spaces and encourage residents to shelter at home.
[...]
[H]e was challenged in the room, including by Paula Reid of CBS News, who asked him what his administration did in the month of February, when the health department declared an emergency, to fight the virus.
In response he attacked the media’s “approval rating”.
[...]
And Trump bristled at the suggestion that his power was restricted by the American federalist construct, which grants autonomy to the 50 states, and which he has repeatedly during the coronavirus crisis attempted to disrupt.
[...]
Trump was confronted by CNN White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins, who asked him about his “authority is total” line.
“That is not true,” Collins said. Trump spluttered in reply: “You know what we’re going to do? We’re going to write up papers on this. It’s not going to be necessary. Because the governors need us one way or the other. Because ultimately it comes with the federal government. That being said we’re getting along very well with the governors, and I feel very certain that there won’t be a problem.”
Has any governor agreed that you have the authority? Collins asked.
“I haven’t asked anybody. You know why? Because I don’t have to,” Trump said.
Who told you that the president has a total authority? Collins asked.
“Enough. Please,” said Trump.
Guardian
And Paula...
P.S. If that had been Yamiche Alcindor (a black woman), he'd not only have called her a disgrace, he would have gone to another reporter immediately. I like how he tried to talk about January when she was asking about February, and she didn't let him get away with it. So then he started talking about Biden and the Democrats, because the answer to what he did in February is "nothing".
Daniel Dale covers the event:
Trump invites Fauci up to speak much sooner than usual. Fauci says although it looks like we had a really bad week last week, "some areas" are now showing a "flattening."Well, not unusual for Trump.
Fauci says "the first and only time" that he and Birx "formally made a recommendation to the president" to actually have strong mitigation, "the president listened to the recommendation and went to the mitigation." Asked if he's making these comments voluntarily, Fauci says everything he does is voluntary. "Don't even imply that," he adds.
Fauci addresses his weekend comments. He says it's obvious that if mitigation had been started earlier, more lives would have been saved. He adds that if it was initiated later, more lives would have been lost.
Trump is now touting his China travel restrictions again, arguing that, actually, he acted fast on the virus. He mocks the media, which he calls "the fake news," for saying, in his words, "Ohh, he didn't act fast enough."
Trump complains that he was "brutalized" for his China travel restrictions, like he's been "brutalized" for other things, though he used to get good press, but anyway, things have worked out well because, "To the best of my knowledge, I'm the president of the United States."
Trump is now mocking and attacking Biden.
Trump is wrong that Biden has "apologized" for calling Trump xenophobic. His campaign says his "xenophobia" comments were about Trump's general record and about his Muslim-focused travel ban, not about the China restrictions. Believe that or not, it's not an apology.
Trump says he's been vindicated in his criticism of the number of ventilators states had been requesting. "You don't hear 'ventilators' anymore," he says.
Trump says he'll let us know "someday" which governors "don't know what they're doing."
Trump says he is not firing Fauci and thinks he's great. Asked why he retweeted somebody saying Fire Fauci, Trump says, "I retweeted somebody - I don't know..." Asked if he noticed the hashtag, he says, "I notice everything."
"That's not even really our responsibility," Trump says of making sure people have hospital beds, but they've done a good job and built thousands of them.
Trump touts the stock markets, citing the fact that they have rebounded somewhat from their virus-era lows. "To think that the stock market is at this tremendously high number..."
Trump again making his highly questionable claim about his power to reopen things, not citing any law/precedent/constitutional clause but declaring, "The president of the United States calls the shots."
Trump, pressed on state and federal powers, avoids the powers issue and says: If states refuse to open, I'd like to see that person run for election.
Trump on state (or local?) officials: "They can't do anything without the approval of the president of the United States." Extreeemely false.
A bit later, Trump says that "the authority is total" for the president with regard to this particular subject. (Still extremely false.)
Trump: When somebody is the president, "the authority is total." !?!?!
"We inherited broken testing," Trump says. "Now we have great testing." There were no inherited coronavirus tests. This virus was identified this year.
Trump says the country has been ripped off by everybody over the years, whether it's "World Health" or whether it's "World Trade." He adds: "I call 'em the Bobbsey Twins."
Pence is asked if he agrees with Trump's understanding of federalism, specifically that his power is "total" here. Pence says, "I support the president's leadership under the national emergency declaration that he signed."
Pence then adds when pressed: "Make no mistake about it," in this country's long history, the president's powers in an emergency are "unquestionably plenary."
One of the unusual things here is that Trump and co. are asserting total emergency power to stop states from continuing their emergency measures.
Dictator Tot
All those sycophants against the wall...that's not 6 feet apart.
Another impeachable offense.
Heck of a job, Brownie.
UPDATE:
This is the second time recently I've found myself agreeing with Liz Cheney. That's how I know the world is upside down.
However, he didn't even say "the federal government" - he said "the president".
UPDATE:
So...my question about whether he'll have another press conference today may be answered.
UPDATE:
UPDATE: More about that campaign video he snuck in.
UPDATE 4/25:
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