# Trump's first press conference as president-elect **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 11, 2017, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-first-press-conference-as-president-elect/776878 "2017-01-11T17:33:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-first-press-conference-as-president-elect/776878/61 "2017-01-12T09:58:22Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Won’t release his taxes because “I won”. What an asshole. Is he not right? He didn’t release his tax returns because he was gambling that people wouldn’t care about the secrecy as much as they’d care about the unsavory things sure to be revealed in them, and…he won! Why would he not keep making that bet? ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-first-press-conference-as-president-elect/776878/62 "2017-01-12T10:23:22Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > Is he not right? He didn’t release his tax returns because he was gambling that people wouldn’t care about the secrecy as much as they’d care about the unsavory things sure to be revealed in them, and…he won! Why would he not keep making that bet? Sure, but what he’s pretending is that the reason he no longer needs to be transparent is that he won the **Presidential election**. Yes, he is probably right that the public is likely to be more pissed off at him if we **do** find out what’s in his tax returns than if we **don’t**. But he’s trying to spin that as the claim that we the public just don’t **care** about what’s in his tax returns, because of the massive display of trust and confidence in him that we’ve shown by electing him President. Mm-hmm. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-first-press-conference-as-president-elect/776878/63 "2017-01-12T12:27:19Z")
I only watched the excerpts, and all I can say is… what a circus. I guess we shouldn’t be surprised. I’ve been saying all along that dissing the CIA (and other spy agencies) is a dangerous move, and now I see he’s doubled down on that by calling them Nazis. That is not going to end well. ---
**Author:** ![Frankenstein\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ccd318/32.png) [@Frankenstein\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frankenstein_Monster)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-first-press-conference-as-president-elect/776878/64 "2017-01-12T12:32:10Z")
Mentioned in passing in the press conference, but what a stunning propaganda victory for Trump over the car makers! The Fiat Chrysler deal has been in the works for [at least a year](http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/chrysler/2016/01/27/fca-plan/79400188/), as far as I can tell. Obviously. Nothing to do with Trump. Then Trump comes along and the CEO [falls over himself](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-08/fiat-chrysler-commits-1-billion-to-u-s-plants-for-jeeps-rams) crediting and praising Trump. I thought I actually saw reporters pre-emptively crediting Trump even before the man himself tweeted to take credit. Mind-bogglingly, papers are crediting and applauding Trump [all](http://www.lesechos.fr/industrie-services/automobile/0211669675529-la-jeep-de-fiat-chrysler-pourrait-bien-etre-la-prochaine-cible-de-trump-2055271.php) [over](http://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/unternehmen/fiat-chrysler-verspricht-donald-trump-2000-neue-us-jobs-a-1129108.html) [the](http://www.iltasanomat.fi/taloussanomat/porssiuutiset/art-2000005037799.html?ref=rss) [world](http://www.volkskrant.nl/buitenland/fiat-chrysler-overweegt-stopzetten-import-mexico-bij-actie-trump~a4445941/) in unison! It’s a given that Trump made the car makers stay. Before the election, everybody noted how stupid Trump was for threatening to slap a tax on Mexican car factories, the president can’t set taxes, Congress won’t go along, he’s not a dictator, etc.etc. Now the mere _thought_ of Trump sending out an angry tweet, makes people fall in line. All over the world, people grovel before the mighty Trump, shellshocked by the awesome power of the angry tweet! How does he do it? ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-first-press-conference-as-president-elect/776878/65 "2017-01-12T12:47:31Z")
> [@AtomThought](#): > > Was anyone else slightly horrified by the applause Trump was getting (presumably from his staffers)? I thought the whole thing seemed a bit Kim Jong-esque. [He has a claque comprised of paid staffers.](http://www.sfgate.com/technology/businessinsider/article/Paid-staffers-were-on-hand-to-cheer-for-Trump-at-10852157.php) The guy can’t talk in front of a crowd unless he hears applause and cheering. It was funny when he was just a candidate. It’s frightening now that he’s about to be president. Also, all those folders were filled with [blank copy paper](http://www.politicususa.com/2017/01/11/trump-busted-empty-fake-folders-conflict-interest-docs-press-conference.html). Trump and his lackies wouldn’t allow the reporters to inspect them (so why even bring them out?!). I keep thinking to myself, “Are we seriously going to go through with this?!” ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-first-press-conference-as-president-elect/776878/66 "2017-01-12T12:52:19Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > 1. We’re building the wall. Don’t care if Mexico pays or not, but Trump is right that there are ways to make that happen even if Mexico doesn’t agree. You could tax remittances, for example. The underlying assumption is that this issue is at the top of our national priorities. It is not. The border is incredibly long, walling it all would be prohibitively expensive. At the core of this issue is the racist belief that Mexicans are coming in after our jobs. No, they’re doing stuff that Americans won’t do, sort of like how some disgusting urolangics have to bring in wives from Eastern Europe. > [@](#): > > 1. Repeal and replace should happen at the same time and Trump seems to be imposing his will on the Congressional GOP in that regard. That’s good. Repeal and delay was a chickenshit tactic. Actually, from what I understand Trump and Tom Price are supposed to unveil their own plan. They’ve had nearly eight years to come up with the alternative to the ACA. They haven’t lifted a finger. They aren’t going to start now. The Republican alternative is going to be selling insurance across state lines so that the least regulated state will write all the policies, and limiting torts. That’s it, with maybe HCAs. > [@](#): > > 1. Trump approaches the office differently from past Presidents, to put it mildly, but one good aspect is that he seems to be using his dealmaking and networking skills to do things others can’t do. One example that he mentioned today was getting Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic to ally with the administration to fix veterans’ health care. Getting people from affected industries to join in brainstorming solutions to problems is hardly groundbreaking. > [@](#): > > 1. Won’t release his taxes because “I won”. What an asshole. Now his excuse will be “I can’t release the tax forms because my prostitute peed on them!” But you are 100% right, he is an asshole. (apologies to assholes everywhere for associating you with him). He exposed himself again as a tiny little man who can’t stomach anything but effusive praise. He is incapable of speaking to any group other than his adoring brain dead fans. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-first-press-conference-as-president-elect/776878/67 "2017-01-12T13:42:48Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > The underlying assumption is that this issue is at the top of our national priorities. It is not. The border is incredibly long, walling it all would be prohibitively expensive. At the core of this issue is the racist belief that Mexicans are coming in after our jobs. No, they’re doing stuff that Americans won’t do, sort of like how some disgusting urolangics have to bring in wives from Eastern Europe. “Doing the jobs American won’t do” has never been very accurate except for agricultural work. When I was a kid, and I’m not THAT old, Americans washed dishes, cleaned hotel rooms, and worked in meatpacking plants. Immigrants are now even starting to displace American workers in low skill warehouse jobs. > [@](#): > > They’ve had nearly eight years to come up with the alternative to the ACA. They haven’t lifted a finger. They aren’t going to start now. The Republican alternative is going to be selling insurance across state lines so that the least regulated state will write all the policies, and limiting torts. That’s it, with maybe HCAs. They’ve come up with plenty of alternatives, what they haven’t done is agree on any one of them. It looks like Trump is going to have Tom Price, who also wrote out an actual alternative, submit his bill, possibly with some changes, and they’ll work from that template. > [@](#): > > Getting people from affected industries to join in brainstorming solutions to problems is hardly groundbreaking. I think what’s different this time is that Trump wants these private orgs to actually do things, whereas past Presidents just wanted them to head task forces or advisory boards. But we’ll have to see what actually happens. It seems to me that a lot of the business community really wants him to succeed. Liberals who have warned about corporate control of government are about to get it and then some, and it’s not going to be secret, but direct and public. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-first-press-conference-as-president-elect/776878/68 "2017-01-12T13:50:54Z")
“I have a no conflict situation because I’m president.” What the fuck? Is that his “if the president does it then it’s not illegal”? ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-first-press-conference-as-president-elect/776878/69 "2017-01-12T13:53:15Z")
The Hillary Rule: if it’s technically legal, there’s no scandal. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-first-press-conference-as-president-elect/776878/70 "2017-01-12T13:55:59Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > “I have a no conflict situation because I’m president.” > > What the fuck? Is that his “if the president does it then it’s not illegal”? Yes. He’s a laughably grotesque caricature. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-first-press-conference-as-president-elect/776878/71 "2017-01-12T13:57:59Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > The Hillary Rule: if it’s technically legal, there’s no scandal. What is your profession? Do you work in the glue factory, beating all the dead horses when they arrive? Color me unconcerned about the use of a server in a location secured by the Secret Service. There isn’t a single “scandal” about Hillary that has an ounce of merit. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-first-press-conference-as-president-elect/776878/72 "2017-01-12T14:00:06Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > The Hillary Rule: if it’s technically legal, there’s no scandal. You miss her, don’t you? Every day. It’s okay to admit it. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-first-press-conference-as-president-elect/776878/73 "2017-01-12T14:08:36Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > … > > 1. We’re building the wall. … I’ll believe it when I see it. ---
**Author:** ![Pearl\_Clutching\_Provocateur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pearl\_Clutching\_Provocateur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pearl_Clutching_Provocateur)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-first-press-conference-as-president-elect/776878/74 "2017-01-12T14:24:27Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > At the core of this issue is the racist belief that Mexicans are coming in after our jobs. No, they’re doing stuff that Americans won’t do, sort of like how some disgusting urolangics have to bring in wives from Eastern Europe. Are you saying that it’s beneath the dignity of white people to do some jobs? When I see weeping Hillary supporters, I think doing some honest hard manual labor might do them some good. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-first-press-conference-as-president-elect/776878/75 "2017-01-12T14:31:13Z")
> [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > Is he not right? He didn’t release his tax returns because he was gambling that people wouldn’t care about the secrecy as much as they’d care about the unsavory things sure to be revealed in them, and…he won! Why would he not keep making that bet? What I think will happen is that, as usual, this alone will not be much damaging; but the effect of all the items Trump will try to push under the rug will eventually begin to trip even his big time supporters. In essence it will take some time but I do think it will eventually drive away a good chuck of the coalition of the ignorant away because they will realize they were had. > **[Trump is wrong; Americans want to see his tax returns](https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2017/jan/11/c-trump/trump-wrong-reporters-are-only-ones-who-care-about/)** > > In his first press conference since July 2016, President-elect Donald Trump scolded reporters for asking about his tax r > [@](#): > > Our ruling > > Trump said Americans don’t “care at all” about his tax returns. > > Several polls, including one released the day before his latest press conference, show that a sizable portion of the public does think Trump’s tax returns are an important issue. These polls word their questions differently, but most results showed a majority of Americans believed the issue was relevant, undermining Trump’s assertion that only the media wants to explore the issue. > > We rate Trump’s statement False. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-first-press-conference-as-president-elect/776878/76 "2017-01-12T14:32:24Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > I’ll believe it when I see it. Yeah, the wall promise has about much legs as the tax return promise. Trump absolutely doesn’t give a flying fuck about building a wall, repealing the ACA, or locking Hillary up. (If I could remember anything else he promised, I’d add it to the list of things he won’t do.) ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-first-press-conference-as-president-elect/776878/77 "2017-01-12T14:33:42Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > I’ll believe it when I see it. I will not be surprised that in a section of the border some improvements and a more modest fence (in comparison to what he told many it was going to be) will be raised, Trump will claim victory… Profit! ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-first-press-conference-as-president-elect/776878/78 "2017-01-12T14:33:51Z")
> [@Pearl\_Clutching\_Provocateur](#): > > Are you saying that it’s beneath the dignity of white people to do some jobs? When I see weeping Hillary supporters, I think doing some honest hard manual labor might do them some good. No, I’m saying that there are a lot of jobs that are hard to attract US citizens to do. Chief among them is picking produce. If you want to pay five bucks for a tomato, build that wall. Day workers, maids and the like are hard to find Americans who will do the work. Ditto marrying ferret-wearing orange-skinned shitgibbons. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-first-press-conference-as-president-elect/776878/79 "2017-01-12T14:56:55Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > The Hillary Rule: if it’s technically legal, there’s no scandal. I think your version of the Hillary Rule is better stated, “If Hillary did it, it’s a scandal.” ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2017, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-first-press-conference-as-president-elect/776878/80 "2017-01-12T15:08:10Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > Now he’ll just have a Reddit AMA session /snip That didn’t work too well for Julian Assange [recently](http://bgr.com/2017/01/10/wikileaks-news-julian-assange-reddit-ama-dumpster-fire/), and he’s much more well-spoken and coherent than Trump has ever managed. > [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > stream on Facebook while his staff reads him (vetted) questions that the public submits, or something like that /another snip Until Zuckerberg tags it as fake news. It isn’t the media boycotting Trump. It’s the media refusing to be bullied by an insecure narcissist. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-first-press-conference-as-president-elect/776878.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trumps-first-press-conference-as-president-elect/776878.md?page=5)