Before he addressed the nation on Tuesday night, President Trump told several television anchors he didn't want to make the speech and was only doing so because people like Kellyanne Conway said he should, The New York Times reports.
Trump met with the anchors in an off-the-record lunch on Tuesday afternoon. On Monday, Trump announced he would give a prime-time address from the Oval Office on border security, and would visit the border on Thursday. Two people with knowledge of the matter told the Times that during Tuesday's lunch, Trump downplayed both the speech and upcoming trip to Texas, calling them pointless.
"It's not going to change a damn thing, but I'm still doing it," Trump reportedly said. He then gestured to Conway, his counselor, as well as White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and White House Communications Director Bill Shine. "These people behind you say it's worth it," he said. Read more about the lunch at The New York Times.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Why does Donald Trump keeping showing up at major sporting events?Today's Big Question Trump has appeared at the Super Bowl, the Daytona 500 and other events
-
‘Democracy is under threat globally’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Job hugging: the growing trend of clinging to your jobIn the Spotlight People are staying in their jobs longer than ever
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to TrumpSpeed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raidsSpeed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raidSpeed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearingSpeed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mountSpeed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own listspeed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battleSpeed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants
