In-town pool #8 — fuller quotes (and audio)

Here is the audio, save the first few minutes of the official event, with many (many!) thanks to Haley Bull of Scripps: https://otter.ai/u/ZaO1ok7UzkcS63hMG4z9Ure_cZ0?utm_source=copy_url

And below are fuller quotes on the news, though please refer to the audio for Trump's complete comments and, as always, check the below quotes against the audio. (Your pooler will send another report on the actual law enforcement event — also on the Otter — shortly).

QUOTES

*On if having Pope Leo take a bigger role in the Russia-Ukraine negotiations means the U.S. will take a step back: "No, no, no. I think it would be great to have it at the Vatican. Maybe it would have some extra significance.... So no, I think it would be maybe helpful. There's tremendous bitterness, anger, and I think maybe that could help with some of that anger. So having it in the Vatican would be—in Rome—would be a great, I think it'd be great idea."

*On if he brought up the 30-day cease-fire on his call with Putin today: "Well, what we've done, and very strongly, is we said, let's get this thing going."

*On if he still agreed with his previous comments, that nothing would happen until he and Putin get together: "I think something's going to happen. It's a very —very big egos involved. I tell you, big egos involved, but I think something's going to happen. And if it doesn't, I just back away and they're going to have to keep going. Again, this was a European situation, and should have remained a European situation."

*On if he asked Putin to meet with him: Of course I did. I talked to him about it. I said, When are we going to end this Vladimir? I've known [him?] for a long time now. I said, When are we going to end this bloodshed, this bloodbath. It's a bloodbath. And I do believe he wants to end it."

*On what makes him think Putin actually wants peace, as opposed to just buying time: "I think he's had enough. I think he's had enough. It's been a long time. It's been going on for more than three years."

*On if he brought up his previous appeal—"Vladimir, STOP!"—and Putin ignoring it on their call this morning: "I didn't bring that up, but I did say, 'It's time. You got to stop this thing.' And I believe he wants to stop. Look, I would be, I think, very able to tell whether or not he wanted to or what. I thought it was a very good chance, like 50-50 chance, that he would say, 'I want to take the whole thing.' I didn't know what he was going to say, and then they have a different kind of a problem. But I believe he wants to stop."

*On if he has a red line in his head, for backing the U.S. away from the Ukraine-Russia negotiations: "I would say I do have a certain line, but I don't want to say what the plan is, because I think it makes the negotiation even more difficult than it is."

*On Biden's diagnosis: "I think it's very sad, actually. I'm surprised that it wasn't— wasn't notified a long time ago. Because to get to stage nine, it's a long time. I just had my physical. You saw the results of that particular test. I think that test is standard to pretty much anybody getting a physical....

I think, frankly, anybody running for president should, you know, take a cognitive test. They say it's unconstitutional, but I would say in that particular case, having a cognitive test wouldn't be so bad. But when you take tests, medical tests, as a male, that test is very standard. I don't know if it's given to everybody, but it's given just about and it takes a long time to get to that situation. Now I think if you get to a stage nine, I think that if you take a look, it's the same doctor that said that Joe was cognitively fine. There was nothing wrong. If it's the same doctor who said there was nothing wrong there, that's being proven to be a sad situation...

In other words, there are things going on that the public wasn't informed. And I think somebody is going to have to speak to his doctor, if it's the same or even if it's two separate doctors. Why wasn't the cognitive ability—why wasn't that discussed? I think the doctors said he's just fine, and it's turned out that's not so. It's very dangerous. Look, this is no longer politically correct. This is dangerous for our country. Look at the mess where you're talking about all these questions on Ukraine and Russia— that would have never happened. As an example, if I were president, it would have never happened. The other thing is, you have to say, why did it take so long when you—this takes a long time. It can take years to get to this level of danger. So it's a— look, it's a very, very sad situation, and I feel very badly about it, and I think people should try and find out what happened."

Ashley Parker

Staff Writer | The Atlantic

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