Trump relays falsehoods, spins to 2016 election win in post-transcript release press conference
President Trump's press conference after the Ukraine transcript release was fully within his comfort zone.
The White House on Wednesday released a memorandum from a call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which shows Trump pushed Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden. But Trump didn't want that to be the focus of his post-United Nations General Assembly press conference, and he blatantly avoided the subject throughout it.
Trump kicked off his press conference by trying to compare his current scandal with some past actions by Senate Democrats, prompting MSNBC to cut away and confirm what he was saying was false. Trump stayed uncharacteristically low energy throughout the rest of his prepared comments, and kept that lack of enthusiasm when questions rolled around.
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.
But even though he was asked about the Ukraine debacle and the impeachment investigation against him, Trump only said he'd release his other conversations with Zelensky, as well as Vice President Mike Pence's, before spinning off to other subjects. He decried the "viscousness" of House Democratic leaders and claimed they "laugh" about him behind closed doors, and heaped his usual praise on Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and other allies. He then bemoaned his loss of his title as "the king of getting good press," which apparently faded when he became president and stopped being his own anonymously laudatory source.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
The Sound of Music: a ‘richly entertaining’ festive treatThe Sound of Music: a ‘richly entertaining’ festive treat Nikolai Foster’s captivating and beautifully designed revival ‘ripples with feeling’
-
Nnela Kalu’s historic Turner Prize winTalking Point Glasgow-born artist is first person with a learning disability to win Britain’s biggest art prize
-
Bridget Riley: Learning to See – an ‘invigorating and magical ensemble’The Week Recommends The English artist’s striking paintings turn ‘concentration into reverie’
-
Judge orders release of Ghislaine Maxwell recordsSpeed Read The grand jury records from the 2019 prosecution of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein will be made public
-
Miami elects first Democratic mayor in 28 yearsSpeed Read Eileen Higgins, Miami’s first woman mayor, focused on affordability and Trump’s immigration crackdown in her campaign
-
Ex-FBI agents sue Patel over protest firingspeed read The former FBI agents were fired for kneeling during a 2020 racial justice protest for ‘apolitical tactical reasons’
-
Trump unveils $12B bailout for tariff-hit farmersSpeed Read The president continues to insist that his tariff policy is working
-
Trump’s Comey case dealt new setbackspeed read A federal judge ruled that key evidence could not be used in an effort to reindict former FBI Director James Comey
-
Moscow cheers Trump’s new ‘America First’ strategyspeed read The president’s national security strategy seeks ‘strategic stability’ with Russia
-
Trump tightens restrictions for work visasSpeed Read The length of work permits for asylum seekers and refugees has been shortened from five years to 18 months
-
Supreme Court revives Texas GOP gerrymanderSpeed Read Texas Republicans can use the congressional map they approved in August at President Donald Trump’s behest
