The 29 most eye-popping lines from Donald Trump's press gaggle in Vietnam
5. "He said he didn't meddle, he said he didn't meddle. I asked him again. You can only ask so many times."
Trump said he asked Russian President Vladimir Putin during their meeting whether Russia meddled in the 2016 election. And, this is what Putin told him. I'm satis-- wait. The US intelligence community has, unanimously, agreed that not only did Russia actively interfere in the election but that they did so to help Trump and hurt Hillary Clinton.
6. "Well, look, I can't stand there and argue with him."
This is Trump's response to whether he believes Putin's claim of not meddling. Imagine if Trump had simply said: "No, I don't believe him because the intelligence community in our country is very clear that Russia did actively interfere in our election."
7. "I would rather have (Putin), you know, work with him on the Ukraine than standing and arguing about whether or not... because that whole thing was set up by the Democrats."
Um, no. Again, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, the US intelligence community has unanimously said that Russia worked to meddle in the 2016 election with the express goal of helping Trump and hurting Clinton. Trump's reference to the Democrats here, I think, is about the dossier put together by ex-British spy Christopher Steele that Clinton and the Democratic National Committee paid for. Steele did talk to Russians in the information-gathering process. Of course, that has zero to do with Russia's active measures to interfere in the election.
8. "But Putin said he did not do what they said he did. And you know, there are those that say if he did do it, he wouldn't have gotten caught."
So, the evidence that Russia didn't meddle in the US election is that had they done so, they wouldn't have been caught? Got it! Have I mentioned that US intelligence community has unanimously said that Russia worked to meddle in the 2016 election with the express goal of helping Trump and hurting Clinton? I can't remember if I have.
9. "And because of the lack of the relationship that we have with Russia, because of this artificial thing that's happening with this Democratic-inspired thing."
Trump seems to believe that the reason we have a poor relationship with Russia is solely to do with "this Democratic-inspired thing." There was also the Cold War, Russia's unlawful seizure of the Crimea and their effort to meddle in our election but, yeah, "this Democratic-inspired thing" is probably it.
10. "He just, he just, every time he sees me, he says, 'I didn't do that,' and I believe, I really believe that when he tells me that, he means it."
Trump here says that he believes that Putin means it when he says Russia didn't meddle in the election. That's not the same thing as saying that he believes that Russia didn't attempt to meddle in the election but it's pretty damn close.
11. "I think he's very insulted by it which is not a good thing for our country."
Putin is bothered by the allegation that his government actively sought to interfere in a US election. An allegation that the entire US intelligence community stands behind. But, it bothers him so we should stop saying it? Or something?
12. "Hillary had her stupid reset button that she spelled the word wrong, but she doesn't have what it takes to have that kind of a relationship where you could call or you could do something and they would pull back from North Korea, or they would pull back from Syria or maybe pull back from Ukraine."
The 2016 election ended 368 days ago. Hillary Clinton lost.
13. "But this is really an artificial barrier that's put in front of us for solving problems with Russia, and he says that very strongly that he really seems to be insulted by it, and he says he didn't do it."
Trump here describes aggressive efforts by Russia to meddle in a presidential election an "artificial barrier" to the US having a better relationship with Russia. Also, Putin is annoyed we say he did it. Also, he didn't do it.
14. "I think that he's, he is very, very strong in the fact that he didn't do it."
Very, very strong, eh? Does the US intelligence committee know about that second "very"?
15. "Then you hear it's 17 agencies. Well, it's three. And one is (former CIA Director John) Brennan, and one is whatever. I mean, give me a break, they're political hacks."
This is Donald Trump actively taking on the intelligence community -- pure and simple. And calling at least some of them "hacks." That will go over well!
16. "So you look at that and you have President Putin very strongly, vehemently says he had nothing to do with that."
This is stunning stuff. Trump is saying that the former CIA director, the former FBI director and the former Director of National Intelligence are, essentially, liars and political hacks. Meanwhile, he is reasserting -- for about the eighth time -- that Putin says he didn't do it. Amazing.
Alan: For more dimwitted blather: http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/11/politics/trump-hanoi-gaggle/index.html
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