He suggested his popularity would rise if he shot a Russian ship out of the water. He speculated on a nuclear holocaust. He blamed journalists for reporting 鈥渇ake news鈥� and suggested that, in another life, he would鈥檝e made 鈥渁 pretty good reporter.鈥�
In an astonishing press conference that often took a combative tone, U.S. President Donald Trump turned a simple policy announcement -- his nominee for secretary of labor, Alex Acosta -- into an unbridled hour-and-a-half attack on the press, Hillary Clinton and whoever within the White House leaked information about Michael Flynn鈥檚 contact with Russia.
Here are 15 of the most surreal off-script statements from Trump:
He admitted he鈥檚 a politician now
鈥淚 think Putin probably assumes that he can鈥檛 make a deal with me anymore because politically it would be unpopular for a politician to make a deal. I can鈥檛 believe I鈥檓 saying I鈥檓 a politician, but I guess that鈥檚 what I am now.鈥�
He suggested that the public distrusts journalists because of him
鈥淭he press 鈥� the public doesn鈥檛 believe you people anymore. Now, maybe I had something to do with that. I don鈥檛 know. But they don鈥檛 believe you. If you were straight and really told it like it is, as Howard Cosell used to say, right?鈥�
Asked about incidents of ant-Semitism across the U.S., Trump silenced the reporter and told him to 鈥榮it down鈥�
鈥淥kay, sit down, I understand the rest of your question. Number one, I am the least anti-Semitic person that you鈥檝e ever seen in your entire life. Number two, racism 鈥� the least racist person. In fact, we did very well relative to other people running as a Republican.鈥�
When the reporter shouted to try to finish their question, Trump again cut him off.
鈥淨uiet, quiet, quiet. See 鈥� he lied, he was going to get up and ask a very straight, simple question. So, you know, welcome to the world of the media.鈥�
He asked an African-American reporter if she was friends with the Congressional Black Caucus and if she could set up a meeting with them on his behalf
鈥淒o you want to set up the meeting? Do you want to set up the meeting? Are they friends of yours?鈥�
She replied: 鈥淣o, no, no. I鈥檓 just a reporter.鈥�
Trump responded: 鈥淭hen set up the meeting! Let鈥檚 go, set up a meeting, I would love to meet with the black caucus. I think it鈥檚 great.鈥�
He admitted he can鈥檛 get his cabinet approved
鈥淚 turn on the TV, open the newspapers and I see stories of chaos. Chaos. Yet it is the exact opposite. This administration is running like a fine-tuned machine, despite the fact that I can鈥檛 get my cabinet approved.鈥�
He said what Michael Flynn did 鈥榳asn鈥檛 wrong鈥� and he was 鈥榡ust doing his job鈥�
鈥淢ike Flynn is a fine person, and I asked for his resignation. He respectfully gave it. He is a man who there was a certain amount of information given to Vice President Pence, who is with us today. And I was not happy with the way that information was given.
He didn鈥檛 have to do that, because what he did wasn鈥檛 wrong 鈥� what he did in terms of the information he saw. What was wrong was the way that other people, including yourselves in this room, were given that information, because that was classified information that was given illegally. That鈥檚 the real problem.鈥�
鈥淎s far as 鈥� as far as the actual making-the-call, fact I鈥檝e watched various programs and I鈥檝e read various articles where he was just doing his job.
That was very normal. You know, first everybody got excited because they thought he did something wrong. After they thought about it, it turned out he was just doing his job. So 鈥� and I do. And by the way, with all of that being said, I do think he鈥檚 a fine man.鈥�
He suggested that his popularity would spike if he shot down a Russian ship
鈥淚f we could get along with Russia, that鈥檚 a positive thing. We have a very talented man, Rex Tillerson, who鈥檚 going to be meeting with them shortly and I told him. I said, 鈥業 know politically it鈥檚 probably not good for me.鈥� The greatest thing I could do is shoot that ship that鈥檚 30 miles off shore right out of the water. Everyone in this country鈥檚 going to say, 鈥極h, it鈥檚 so great.鈥�
That鈥檚 not great. That鈥檚 not great. I would love to be able to get along with Russia.鈥�
He speculated on a 鈥榥uclear holocaust鈥�
鈥淚f Russia and the United States actually got together and got along 鈥� and don鈥檛 forget, we鈥檙e a very powerful nuclear country and so are they. There鈥檚 no upside. We鈥檙e a very powerful nuclear country and so are they. I have been briefed. And I can tell you one thing about a briefing that we鈥檙e allowed to say because anybody that ever read the most basic book can say it, nuclear holocaust would be like no other.
They鈥檙e a very powerful nuclear country and so are we. If we have a good relationship with Russia, believe me, that鈥檚 a good thing, not a bad thing.鈥�
Asked if anyone from his team had contact with Russia during the election, he said 鈥榥obody that I know of鈥�
鈥淣o. Nobody that I know of. Nobody.鈥�
He called stories about Russia 鈥榝ake news鈥� and blamed former Obama staffers
鈥淩ussia is fake news. Russia 鈥� this is fake news put out by the media. The real news is the fact that people, probably from the Obama administration because they鈥檙e there, because we have our new people going in place, right now.鈥�
Speaking to a CNN reporter, Trump said the TV network is less popular than Congress
鈥淵ou鈥檙e not the only one so don鈥檛 feel badly. But I think it should be straight. I think it should be 鈥� I think it would be frankly more interesting. I know how good everybody鈥檚 ratings are right now but I think that actually 鈥� I think that鈥檇 actually be better.
People 鈥� I mean, you have a lower approval rate than Congress. I think that鈥檚 right.鈥�
He accused journalists of not covering an election story
鈥淣ow, when WikiLeaks, which I had nothing to do with, comes out and happens to give, they鈥檙e not giving classified information. They鈥檙e giving stuff 鈥� what was said at an office about Hillary cheating on the debates.
Which, by the way, nobody mentions. Nobody mentions that Hillary received the questions to the debates. Can you imagine 鈥� seriously 鈥� can you imagine if I received the questions? It would be the electric chair. OK, he should be put in the electric 鈥� you would even call for the reinstitution of the death penalty, OK.鈥�
He said reporters have a tone of 鈥榟atred鈥�
鈥淎nd I鈥檒l tell you what else I see. I see tone. You know the word 鈥榯one.鈥� The tone is such hatred. I鈥檓 really not a bad person, by the way. No, but the tone is such 鈥� I do get good ratings, you have to admit that 鈥� the tone is such hatred.鈥�
He said that, if he were a journalist, he鈥檇 be a 鈥榩retty good鈥� one
鈥淚 know what鈥檚 good and bad. I鈥檇 be a pretty good reporter, not as good as you. But I know what鈥檚 good. I know what鈥檚 bad. And when they change it and make it really bad, something that should be positive 鈥� sometimes something that should be very positive, they鈥檒l make OK. They鈥檒l even make it negative.鈥�
He speculated on how the press conference would be covered
鈥淭omorrow, they will say, 鈥楧onald Trump rants and raves at the press.鈥� I鈥檓 not ranting and raving. I鈥檓 just telling you. You know, you鈥檙e dishonest people. But 鈥� but I鈥檓 not ranting and raving. I love this. I鈥檓 having a good time doing it.
But tomorrow, the headlines are going to be, 鈥楧onald Trump rants and raves.鈥� I鈥檓 not ranting and raving.鈥�
