POTUS press conference/Commentary 2-16-17

"I don’t think there’s ever been a president elected who in this short period of time has done what we’ve done."

"But a new Rasmussen poll just came out just a very short while ago, and it has our approval rating at 55 percent and going up." 

Rasmussen's daily Presidential Tracking Poll found a 55 percent approval rating for Trump among voters. But Pew Research Center only found Trump with 39 percent support — a 16 point-difference between the two polls. Rasmussen, which has traditionally found results that are more positive for Republicans than other polls, seems to be an outlier among major polls, with Gallup also giving Trump a lower 41 percent approval rating in its most recent weekly average. The Pew poll was conducted between Feb. 7-12 and surveyed a pool of 1,503 adults. The poll revealed that a 56 percent majority of Americans disapprove of the president while 46 percent strongly disapprove of the commander-in-chief. The Pew survey also noted that Trump's strong disapproval has surpassed the strong disapproval of former President Obama during his entire presidency. On the other hand, the Rasmussen poll showed that only 45 percent of Americans disapproved of the president and 36 percent felt strongly about their disapproval. The Rasmussen poll surveys 500 likely voters per night and presents the results on a three-day rolling average basis .The survey's full sample includes 1,500 likely voters with a margin of error of 2.5 percent.

"This morning, because many of our nation’s reporters and folks will not tell you the truth, and will not treat the wonderful people of our country with the respect that they deserve." 

"The press has become so dishonest that if we don’t talk about, we are doing a tremendous disservice to the American people. Tremendous disservice. We have to talk to find out what’s going on, because the press honestly is out of control. The level of dishonesty is out of control." 

"As a result, the media is going through what they have to go through too often times distort - not all the time - and some of the media is fantastic, I have to say - they’re honest and fantastic." 

I assume the test for which camp you fall into is According to Stephen Miller, advisor to POTUS, "...our opponents, the media and the whole world will soon see as we begin to take further actions, that the powers of the president to protect our country are very substantial and will not be questioned."  

"To be honest, I inherited a mess. It’s a mess. At home and abroad, a mess. Jobs are pouring out of the country; you see what’s going on with all of the companies leaving our country, going to Mexico and other places, low pay, low wages, mass instability overseas, no matter where you look. The middle east is a disaster. North Korea - we’ll take care of it folks; we’re going to take care of it all. I just want to let you know, I inherited a mess." 

You volunteered and spent millions to assume responsibility for the mess.  Quit whining and blaming others.  Address the issues, provide solutions.  Please stop telling me how great you will make it and do it. 

"On foreign affairs, we’ve already begun enormously productive talks with many foreign leaders," 

"We have had great conversations with the United Kingdom, and meetings. Israel, Mexico, Japan, China and Canada, really, really productive conversations. I would say far more productive than you would understand." 

OK, he also said he was speaking directly to the populace and allowing the media to be there.  So, just what does POTUS consider to be the limits of our understanding?  I am an Army veteran, I have assembled nuclear weapons, I was a part of the Initial Response Group for American Airlines on 9/11.  I am well-read and even adequately educated.  Personally, I have always held that if you cannot explain something in a manner which allows me to understand it that is actually a reflection that you have not fully grasped the concept you wish to share.  Get back to me when you are prepared.  This kind of condescension pisses me right the F off.   

"I’ve ordered plan to begin building for the massive rebuilding of the United States military." 

"We’ve pursued this rebuilding in the hopes that we will never have to use this military" 

"But our country will never have had a military like the military we’re about to build and rebuild" 

Mr. President, here is the ranking of the U.S. military for 2016 based on weapons systems, available manpower, logistics, and capabilities according to Global Fire Power;

United States of America

Ranked as 1 of 126

GFP Power Index rating of 0.0897 (0.0000 being perfect)  

What the hell are you afraid of that we need more? 

"We have to have a strong law enforcement also. So we do not go abroad in the search of war, we really are searching for peace, but its peace through strength." 

Here's the deal.  A lack of conflict based upon possessing an overwhelming military superiority is not peace.  Peace is the desire of each party to not inflict harm upon the other.   

"We got 306 because people came out and voted like they’ve never seen before so that’s the way it goes. I guess it was the biggest electoral college win since Ronald Reagan." 

Actually, here are the electoral votes received by the winner over the past 44 years from 2012-1972 respectively; 332, 365, 286, 271, 379, 370, 426, 525, 489, 297, and 520.  So, Reagan garnered 489 electoral votes in his first campaign and 525 in his second.   Since Reagan's 2nd success there have been 7 Presidential election prior to yours.  You received more electoral votes than 2 of those.  

"I turn on the T.V., open the newspapers and I see stories of chaos. Chaos. Yet it is the exact opposite. This administration is running like a fine- tuned machine, despite the fact that I can’t get my cabinet approved." 

No comment 

"We’re going to make trade deals but we’re going to have one on one deals, bilateral. We’re going to have one on one deals." 

Outstanding, do you intend to withdraw from the WTO?  Does this mean you will be unable to conduct business with groups of trading partners? 

"We’ve stood up for the men and women of law enforcement, directing federal agencies to ensure they are protected from crimes of violence."

Awesome, because there is nothing local law enforcement and citizens prefer more than Federal oversight. 

"We’ve ordered the Department of Homeland Security and Justice to coordinate on a plan to destroy criminal cartels coming into the United States with drugs. We’re becoming a drug infested nation. Drugs are becoming cheaper than candy bars. We are not going to let it happen any longer" 

I'm on board with this.  However, there appears to be no discussion of curbing demand.  Were the U.S. not clamoring for the goods and services the cartels provide the would be no infestation.  Will your approach to curbing demand be to offer a health care system that treats addiction issues or incarceration in the name of economic growth with a burgeoning private prison system? 

"And the wall is going to be a great wall and it’s going to be a wall negotiated by me. The price is going to come down just like it has on everything else I’ve negotiated for the government. And we are going to have a wall that works, not gonna have a wall like they have now which is either non-existent or a joke." 

What everything else are you referring to and where is that data available? 

"We’ve ordered a crackdown on sanctuary cities that refuse to comply with federal law and that harbor criminal aliens, and we have ordered an end to the policy of catch and release on the border. No more release. No matter who you are, release. We have begun a nationwide effort to remove criminal aliens, gang members, drug dealers and others who pose a threat to public safety. We are saving American lives every single day." 

"The court system has not made it easy for us. And are even creating a new office in Homeland Security dedicated to the forgotten American victims of illegal immigrant violence, which there are many." 

"The court system has not made it easy for us. And are even creating a new office in Homeland Security dedicated to the forgotten American victims of illegal immigrant violence, which there are many." 

If there is 1 crime victim that is too many, regardless of the perpetrator.  However, I can find no report from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting that has this data.  What are the numbers, "many" is ambiguous and from where are the derived?  However, I do support saving American lives.  Hell, I support saving all lives.  I'd even try to save the lives of undocumented aliens who die making the trek with no water. 

"In fact, we had to go quicker than we thought because of the bad decision we received from a circuit that has been overturned at a record number. I have heard 80 percent, I find that hard to believe, that is just a number I heard, that they are overturned 80 percent of the time. " 

I presume POTUS means by overturned, a combination of reversed/vacated. This claim is at best disingenuous.  The body which would reverse a Circuit Court decision is the Supreme Court.  The Supreme Court hears an average of 64 cases a year from ALL the Circuit Courts.  That means SCOTUS will render some type of decision on less than 1% of the cases of the Circuit Courts.  Of the cases head by the Supreme Court, a significant number of those are reversed or vacated.  The vacated/reversed rate of cases heard ranges from 55.3%-83.3% depending on the particular Circuit Court.  There are 13 Circuit Courts. 

"We’re issuing a new executive action next week that will comprehensively protect our country." 

That's a pretty impressive claim for 1 Executive Order 

"We have also taken steps to begin construction of the Keystone Pipeline and Dakota Access Pipelines. Thousands and thousands of jobs, and put new buy American measures in place to require American steel for American pipelines. In other words, they build a pipeline in this country, and we use the powers of government to make that pipeline happen, we want them to use American steel." 

I am sure those CEO's will be thrilled to have you dictate their supply sources.  What's next, price controls?  Will Jimmy Carter be validated? 

"To drain the swamp of corruption in Washington, D.C., I’ve started by imposing a five-year lobbying ban on White House officials and a lifetime ban on lobbying for a foreign government." 

Good work.  

"We’ve begun preparing to repeal and replace Obamacare. Obamacare is a disaster, folks. It is’s disaster. I know you can say, oh, Obamacare. I mean, they fill up our alleys with people that you wonder how they get there, but they are not the Republican people our that representatives are representing." 

Who are these people and what alleyways are they filling up? 

"Jobs have already started to surge. Since my election, Ford announced it will abandon its plans to build a new factory in Mexico, and will instead invest $700 million in Michigan, creating many, many jobs." 

Excellent, according to Ford there will be 700 new jobs.  Is this many, many?  I don't know, but it's 700 so, GO FORD!  

"Fiat Chrysler announced it will invest $1 billion in Ohio and Michigan, creating 2,000 new American jobs." 

Again, well done.  

"Intel just announced that it will move ahead with a new plant in Arizona that probably was never going to move ahead with. And that will result in at least 10,000 American jobs." 

Well, almost, according to Intel CEO Brian Kraznich it will result in approximately 3000 new jobs.  So, it's not 10,000 but it's nice. 

"Walmart announced it will create 10,000 jobs in the United States just this year because of our various plans and initiatives."  

Wtg, Walmart.   

"This last month has represented an unprecedented degree of action on behalf of the great citizens of our country. Again, I say it. There has never been a presidency that’s done so much in such a short period of time. And we have not even started the big work yet. That starts early next week." 

Kinda difficult to quantify. 

"Mike Flynn is a fine person, and I asked for his resignation. He respectfully gave it."

Does this sound like POTUS requesting a resignation?

"And, you know, you can talk all you want about Russia, which was all a, you know, fake news, fabricated deal, to try and make up for the loss of the Democrats and the press plays right into it".

"It’s all fake news. It’s all fake news."

So, why did Flynn resign?  

"I called, as you know, Mexico. It was a very, very confidential, classified call. But I called Mexico. And in calling Mexico, I figured, oh, well that’s — I spoke to the president of Mexico; I had a good call. All of a sudden, it’s out there for the world to see. It’s supposed to be secret. It’s supposed to be either confidential or classified, in that case."  

"Same thing with Australia. All of a sudden, people are finding out exactly what took place. The same thing happened with respect to General Flynn. Everybody saw this. And I’m saying — the first thing I thought of when I heard about it is: How does the press get this information that’s classified? How do they do it?" 

"You know why? Because it’s an illegal process and the press should be ashamed of themselves" 

OK, something being classified does not mean it is always secret or confidential.  Saying something is classified does not have any inherent meaning.  However, I guess this is an example of that fine-tuned machine in action.  For your edification, here are the levels of classification used by the U.S. government:  Restricted, Controlled, Public Trust, Confidential, Secret, Top Secret, Code Word, and Restricted Data/Formerly Restricted Data.  I am unsure what classification the above phone calls would be subject to and apparently so is POTUS. 

"Well, I don’t know, I was given that information. " 

Response to being advised of the inaccuracy of his electoral college victory description.  Always easier to place blame than to take responsibility. 

"Because there’s nobody I have more respect for — well, maybe a little bit but the reporters, good reporters." 

"People — I mean, you have a lower approval rate than Congress. I think that’s right. I don’t know, Peter), is that one right?" 

I thought you were addressing the "people".   

"I think we’re setting a record or close to a record in the time of approval of a cabinet." 

Maybe some of that extreme vetting could have helped. 

"They’re giving stuff — what was said at an office about Hillary cheating on the debates.

Which, by the way, nobody mentions. Nobody mentions that Hillary received the questions to the debates." 

Why would they?  You were sworn in on January 20, 2017.  The campaign is over. 

"QUESTION: Did you direct Mike Flynn to discuss sanctions with the Russian ambassador —

TRUMP: No, I didn’t.

No, I didn’t direct him, but I would have directed him if he didn’t do it. OK?" 

So, you would have instructed him to violate the Logan Act?  No, it's not ok. 

"I won. I won. And the other thing, chaos because zero chaos. We are running - this is a fine-tuned machine and Reince happens to be doing a good job but half of his job is putting out lies by the press .

You know, I said to him yesterday this whole Russia scam that you guys are building so that you don’t talk about the real subject which is illegal leaks, but I watched him yesterday working so hard to try and get that story proper. And I’m saying “here’s my chief of staff,” a really good guy, did a phenomenal job at RNC. I mean, he won the election, right?

We won the presidency. " 

Yes, you did.  Why is that being addressed? 

Flynn resigned after reports that he had discussed U.S. sanctions against Russia with the Russian official before Trump took office.  Where is the scam part of this?  

"I think they don’t believe it. I don’t think the public - that’s why the Rasmussen poll just has me through the roof. I don’t think they believe it. Well, I guess one of the reasons I’m here today is to tell you the whole Russian thing, that’s a ruse. That’s a ruse." 

How big is your conspiracy world?  

"Hillary Clinton gave them 20 percent of our uranium" 

Yeah, that's just not true. 

"The greatest thing I could do is shoot that ship that’s 30 miles off shore right out of the water." 

Wait a minute, you think engaging in an act of war is the greatest thing you could do? 

"Tax reform is going to happen fairly quickly. We’re doing Obamacare. We’re in final stages. We should be submitting the initial plan in March, early March, I would say. And we have to, as you know, statutorily and for reasons of budget, we have to go first. It’s not like, frankly, the tax would be easier, in my opinion, but for statutory reasons and for budgetary reasons, we have to submit the health care sooner.

So we’ll be submitting health care sometime in early March, mid- March. And after that, we’re going to come up, and we’re doing very well on tax reform." 

So, you intend to put together a replacement for the ACA in 1 month?  I ask that question because I spoke to Senator Cruz' office today and they said there was no plan at this point.  This being the middle of February I think your time frame may be a little hopeful. 

"QUESTION: On the travel ban — we could banter back and forth. On the travel ban would you accept that that was a good example of the smooth running of government...

TRUMP: Yeah, I do. I do. Let me tell you about this government...

QUESTION: Were there any mistakes...

TRUMP: Wait. Wait. I know who you are. Just wait.

Let me tell you about the travel ban. We had a very smooth rollout of the travel ban. But we had a bad court. Got a bad decision. We had a court that’s been overturned. Again, may be wrong. But I think it’s 80 percent of the time, a lot.

We had a bad decision. We’re going to keep going with that decision. We’re going to put in a new executive order next week some time. But we had a bad decision." 

See above regarding 9th Circuit 

"I am the least antisemitic, least racist, person in the world." 

I am going to take you at your word.  According to what you said, you are a racist and antisemitic, however you are the least of these.