Trump Goes Off on LA and San Francisco When Asked About Putin Comments on Western-Style Liberalism
President Donald Trump took a question about Vladimir Putin‘s comments about western-style liberalism and ended up going off on Los Angeles and San Francisco.
At today’s big Japan press conference, The New York Times‘ Peter Baker brought up a recent interview Putin gave and asked Trump, “Do you agree with him that western-style liberalism, as it’s been defined over the post-war period, is now obsolete and no longer relevant to today’s world?”
“I haven’t heard him say that, but he did invite me to Russia for the defeat of Nazis,” Trump said. He talked about Putin’s invite and said he would give it “very serious consideration.”
Baker again brought up Putin’s comments and said the Russian president believes “western-style liberalism is obsolete.”
Trump responded by invoking Los Angeles and San Francisco:
“He may feel that way. I mean, he sees what is going on. I guess, if you look at what’s happening in Los Angeles where it’s so sad to look and what’s happening in San Francisco and a couple of other cities which are run by an extraordinary group of liberal people. I don’t know what they’re thinking. But he does see things that are happening in the United States that would probably preclude him from saying how wonderful it is. At the same time, he congratulated me as every other leader of every country did for what we’ve done economically because we probably have the strongest economy we’ve ever had and that’s a real positive. But I’m very embarrassed by what I see in some of our cities where the politicians are either afraid do something about it or they think it’s votes or––Peter, I don’t know what they’re thinking. But when you look at Los Angeles, when you look at San Francisco, when you look at some of the other cities––and not a lot, not a lot. But you don’t want it to spread. And at a certain point I think the federal government maybe has to get involved. We can’t let that continue to happen to our cities.”
This was not quite what Putin’s comments were in reference to:
Peter Baker asks Trump if he agrees with Putin about demise of "Western-style liberalism." Trump then criticizes LA and SF run which are "sad to look at" because they are run by "liberal people" … which was not the question.
— David Nakamura (@DavidNakamura) June 29, 2019
As his lack of comprehension of the words used in @peterbakernyt’s question shows, the President of the United States is breathtakingly ignorant. https://t.co/g0fh7HwYD1
— George Conway (@gtconway3d) June 29, 2019
Trump also responded to a question about Putin declaring Western liberalism dead…by agreeing that San Francisco and LA are “sad to look at" because they are run by "liberal people"
The spectacular ignorance of this president remains as mind-boggling as ever https://t.co/5ps9HhmR1N
— Mark Follman (@markfollman) June 29, 2019
Trump thinks “Western-style liberalism” refers to liberals on the West Coast, not the form of government of the country he is currently president of https://t.co/S0UhzVYqUH
— Adam Serwer? (@AdamSerwer) June 29, 2019
You can watch above, via CNN.
