WH out-of-town pool report #19 Trump gaggle quotes

Here’s some of the comments from Trump’s gaggle outside AF1. As always, check the video tape to match quotes.

These are not Trump’s full remarks but cover the gist.

Trump started off by calling the Fort Bragg rally and military display “incredible,” adding that it was “an honor to see it.”

Question: Is there something you think you can do to de-escalate the tension with Gov. Newsom?

Trump: “I mean, I've always had a good relationship with him. He just doesn't do a very good job. He should have never been allowed to start. And if we didn't get involved, Los Angeles would be burning down right now, just like the houses burned down.”

Question: Are you concerned about anything that could go wrong by having the military there?

Trump: “No, it can only go right by having the military de-escalate. That way is the only way. These people are agitators and troublemakers. I believe many of them are paid. I watch them breaking up the sidewalk with a big hammer. … Somebody is paying for that. I watch total professionals. Watched total professionals. He's banging the curbs, banging the granite, banging the concrete. They lined up like totally professionals, and they dropped it on the soldiers. They dropped it on the Los Angeles police. These are insurrectionists. They're agitators.”

Question: Mr. President, Gov. Newsom says he did not speak to you a day ago, as you said in the Oval Office earlier. What’s your response to that?

Trump: “It wasn't a day ago, a little longer than that, and I presented the phone conversation to Fox News’ John Roberts and Molly Line at Fox News, because they were the ones that said it. And we actually spent 16 point something minutes on the phone. And I told him, he's got to get his act together. …. We had a pleasant conversation. …. I'm sure you all saw it. You saw them, yeah? But why would you ask me that question if you saw it?

Question: Do you believe the LA mayor and governor paid the agitators?

Trump: “I didn’t say the governor or the mayor. I said, somebody's paying them, I think. And if they're not, they just troublemakers. What can I tell you? But I believe somebody's paying them.”

Question: What impressed you most about the military demonstration?

Trump: “I think all the love for the military. I mean, I was with the generals there explaining the different maneuvers and the love they have for the army. The military is beautiful. They're really great people, and I've never seen anything quite like that. I don't think any other president has either. You know, they really, they really put on a good show. I asked them, ‘Did you do that for Biden?’ They said, ‘No.’ I wonder why.

Question. There could be some really big protests this weekend. Are you —

Trump: “I don’t know. As long as we have the military there, the protests won't mean anything. Last night, If we weren't there, they would have burned down the city, but they did not do a lot of damage, other than they broke up a lot of concrete looking for weapons. You know those are weapons. If that hits somebody in the head, the person's dead. You know that, right?

Question: What did you mean when you said protesters would be met with a “very heavy force?”

Trump: “The military will be a very heavy force. I’m very proud to tell you that. They might as well turn around. Some of them will end up in jail for a long period of time.“

Question: Do you think you will be successful Thursday in the first hearing in the case brought by Newsom?

Trump: “Well, even Senator Fetterman said very strongly that this is horrible, what they're doing, and that the Democrats are making a big mistake by not talking about it. And I agree with that.”

Question: What rules of engagement do you want for the military?

Trump: “It’s a very simple rule of engagement. If they're dangerous, if they're throwing concrete or bricks, if they're spitting in the face of the police or whoever's in front of them, if they're punching people, if they're doing all of the things that you see done for the last three nights, that I would say is engagement.

“I want to save Los Angeles, and Newsom is totally incompetent. Look at the fires he had. He had fires where half the city had seen burned down. What was it, 25,000 houses? All because he wouldn’t take water.

“There’s something wrong with these people. All I want in terms of engagement — I just want to see peace. If there's peace, we get out. If there’s even a chance of no peace, we stay there until there’s peace.”

With that … have a great night

Joey Garrison

White House correspondent

USA Today

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