Why doesn't Trump give a straight answer to these questions? Why does he veer off-topic and attack the questioners? Insult the media? And then he starts talking in sentence fragments forcing the listener to fill in the blanks without really saying anything.
From a Q&A session last week:
REPORTER (a bearded orthodox Jew wearing skullcap): "What we haven’t really heard being addressed is an uptick in anti-Semitism and how the government is planning to take care of it. There’s been a report out that 48 bomb threats have been made against Jewish centers all across the country in the last couple of weeks. There are people committing anti-Semitic acts or threatening to——”
TRUMP (interrupting): "He said he was going to ask a very simple easy question, and it's not. OK, sit down, I understand the rest of your question. So here’s the story, folks. No. 1, I am the least anti-Semitic person that you’ve ever seen in your entire life. No. 2, racism, the least racist person. In fact we did very well relative to other people, running as a Republican..."
REPORTER: <unintelligible>
TRUMP: "Quiet, quiet, quiet. See he lied about getting up and asking a very straight simple question. So, you know, welcome to the world of the media."
[Note: The reporter never said any such thing.]
But let me tell you something....I hate the charge, I find it repulsive
[Note: what charge?] I hate even the question because people that know me...and you heard the Prime Minister, you heard Netanyahu yesterday...did you hear him, Bibi? He said I've known Donald Trump for a long time, and then he said 'forget it'" (Trump waves hand dismissively.) So you should take that instead of getting up and asking a very insulting question like that."
See it here:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/17/us/politics/trump-press-conference-jake-turx.html
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From last week's press conference:
REPORTER: “Mr. President, since your election campaign and after your victory, we’ve seen a sharp rise in anti-Semitic incidents across the United States,” a journalist asked. “And I wonder what you say to those among the Jewish community in Israel, around the world, who believe that your administration is playing with xenophobia and racist tones?”
TRUMP: "Well, I just want to say that we are, you know, very honored by the victory that we had. 306 electoral college votes. We were not supposed to crack 220. You know that, right? There was no way to 221 but then they said there’s no way to 270. And there’s tremendous enthusiasm out there.
I will say that we are going to have peace in this country. We are going to stop crime in this country. We are going to do everything within our power to stop long-simmering racism and every other thing that’s going on, because a lot of bad things have been taking place over a long period of time. I think one of the reasons I won the election is because we have a very, very divided nation. Very divided, and hopefully, I’ll be able to do something about that. And I—you know, it's something that was very important to me.
As far as people, Jewish people—so many friends, a daughter who happens to be here right now. A son-in-law, and three beautiful grandchildren. I think that you’re going to see a lot of different United States of America over the next three, four, or eight years. I think a lot of good things are happening and you’re going to see a lot of love. You’re going to see a lot of love. OK? Thank you."
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