Posted on 02/05/2020 9:46:22 AM PST by Conserv
Donald Trump served various television news personalities a lunch described by one White House guest as soup and filet of sole Tuesdaybut soon the assembled anchorpeople were eating out of his hand.
Much to the disappointment of folks at CNN, nobody at the long tablewho included NBCs Lester Holt and Chuck Todd, ABCs David Muir and George Stephanopoulos, and CBSs Norah ODonnell and Margaret Brennanbothered to ask why the president had gone out of his way to exclude the cable network run by Trumps former friend Jeff Zucker.
MSDNC isnt here as well, Trump quippedto polite chuckles but zero protests (not even by Meet the Press and MSNBC anchor Todd) from his captive audience, who were there ostensibly for a briefing on tonights State of the Union address but instead were treated to a lot of presidential boasting about his poll numbers and the through-the-roof stock market, and a lot of gloating about the fiasco of Iowas Democratic caucuses and the general disarray in the out-of-power party.
Trump made sure to criticize his Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell for declining to lower interest rates further. Asked about the exploding trillion-dollar deficits his administration has created, the president claimed that lower interest rates will allow him to reduce the red ink in his second term.
He was chill, said a lunch guest. He wasnt angry at all. He was friendly, outgoing, and relaxed. He was confident that hell be re-elected.
Trump also was sanguine about his participation in the fall presidential debates, saying, Yeah, Ill do it, even though, he claimed, the debate commission is filled with a bunch of Never Trumpers.
Trump and his lovingly admiring vice president, Mike Pence, sat directly across from each other. The president was flanked by ODonnell and Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum; Pence, meanwhile, drew Todd and Fox News Bret Baier as his lunch partners. Also enjoying the cuisinebut staying away from the offered Chardonnaywere PBS Judy Woodruff, C-SPANs Steve Scully, CBNs David Brody, and Newsmaxs Emerald Robinson, formerly a Pizzagate conspiracy theorist at Trumps favorite media outlet, One America News Network.
Trump indicated that tonights speech will run to one-and-a-half hours, and he planned to mention but spend little time talking about the ongoing impeachment proceedings. That, he said, will be reserved for the barn-burner he plans to deliver on Wednesday after the Senate acquits him.
Its going to be low-key, Trump said.
Are you sure you want to call it low-key? Chuck Todd demandedwhich was about as hardball as the questioning got.
While Trump fielded earnest queries about troop deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the United States recent confrontation with Iran (Nobody knows how close we came to war, the president confided in an answer to Holt), nobody saw fit to challenge him on his regular attacks on members of the press the enemy of the people, scum, and other choice epithets.
At one point Trump recalled that he had been an early donor to Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumers first House race, and added: AOC is gonna run against him in the primary and shes gonna kick his ass, a lunch guest quoted the president as predicting.
As for his potential Democratic opponents, he said that Bernie Sanders is the nastiest and the smartesta compliment of sortsand said he didnt understand the appeal of former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg, the nations first out-gay major presidential candidate. Meanwhile he vowed to hammer Joe Biden on Ukraine and Burisma.
Trump also promised that the White House will spare no effort in blocking his former national security adviser John Boltons book from publication; he noted that he took a chance and hired Bolton when nobody else wanted him, and mocked Boltons use of the honorific ambassador because he couldnt even get confirmed; he was a recess appointment to be George W. Bushs top diplomat at the United Nations, Trump pointed out.
He said their relationship soured early on, in the midst of Trumps meetings with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, after Bolton went on TV to announce that the U.S. favored the Libyan model in its dealings with Kimthat is, a scenario where North Koreas tyrant gives up his nuclear weapons, only to be killed anyway, like Libyas Muammar Gaddafi.
In sum, at this White House lunch, a good time was had by all.
“Low-key.” Last night’s SOTU speech was “low-key”, according to Trump, vs the “barn-burner” he’ll deliver tonight.
Popcorn?
At one point Trump recalled that he had been an early donor to Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumers first House race, and added: AOC is gonna run against him in the primary and shes gonna kick his ass, a lunch guest quoted the president as predicting.
... but spend little time talking about the ongoing impeachment proceedings. That, he said, will be reserved for the barn-burner he plans to deliver on Wednesday after the Senate acquits him.
And also Fox News.
Maybe the new meds are doing the trick.
Post impeachment he may have a 6 month honeymoon to win some new friends after Pelosi’s meltdown last night.
Someone attending leaked what was said to a colleague. Because some info about the speech was printed before speech. A no no.
HUH? McCallum and Beir/bier/bare/bear were there.
Buh bye
It’s a bit contrarian but I think he should do things like this more often. “Friends close, enemies closer” sure, but there’s an inescapable psychology at work also. Of course it depends on him being on his best behavior and allowing them to see the thoughtful and intellectual side that they minimize otherwise.
If any of us were to sit down for a meal with someone we don’t like (short of Schiff, Nadless or Pelosi) - say a person like Steny Hoyer - we might well come away with a little more respect for that person. Not because we agreed any more with their ideas but because we’d seen them as a person, had a few laughs over meaningless crap, and came away having seen a side to them we weren’t aware of.
It’s how dating works, how kids make new friends in a new town, etc. Just human nature. Trump could gain maybe not new friends, but knock the edges of the sharp elbows off a bit.
Why was Martha wearing white last night?
barn-burner he plans to deliver on Wednesday after the Senate acquits him.
Never saw her. Was she doing an undercover into the demodrone cabal!
What kind did they switch you to?
At one point Trump recalled that he had been an early donor to Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumers first House race, and added: AOC is gonna run against him in the primary and shes gonna kick his ass, a lunch guest quoted the president as predicting.
What would the fake news do with that? Another opportunity for Trump to talk about the issues. Trump will do it in a way to frame and mold AOC, put words in her mouth.
Its a bit contrarian but I think he should do things like this more often.
Nancy was expecting a MAGA speech and prepared for that, what we got was a VERY PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH.
Chuck Schumers ... AOC is gonna run against him in the primary and shes gonna kick his ass, a lunch guest quoted the president as predicting.
THAT is an interesting prediction. I’m trying to reduce by carb intake, but the Democrats are providing too many popcorn-eating opportunities. AOC against Schumer would be hilarious.
Trump must have a strong stomach to eat them alive.
I doubt I could do it even if they were butchered, marinated for days and barbecued.
Maybe fully processed into Soylent Green, they would be edible.
I went to the SOTU and all I got was this ripped-up t-shirt.
Why was Martha wearing white last night?
To make us think she is a Vestal Virgin like the rest?
It’s good to be King.
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