FPI / June 30, 2020
Republicans must come together to stand up to those seeking to destroy America's history, President Donald Trump said.
America is in “a political war … where the Left will use anything to win, including the culture,” Trump told The Federalist in an interview published on June 27.
Republicans who are allies of the president “need to be stronger. They’ve got to get much tougher,” or risk losing in November, Trump said.
“Republicans need to be fighting,” Trump said, citing the ideology of the more radical agitators in the streets as “vicious” and “seditious.” He cited party unity during the battle over impeachment and judicial nominees.
Trump said the goals of those sowing the seeds of unrest are clear: “You see their leaders on TV saying ‘give us what we want, or we’ll burn down this system and replace it.’ That’s almost terrorism.”
According to Attorney General Bill Barr, there are currently over 500 riot-related investigations.
In the Federalist interview, Trump indicated he was frustrated that he was being called in to deal with problems within Democratic-represented states and Democratic-run cities.
“This should be about the mayor, and then the governor, before it even gets to the president,” Trump said, noting that while he has made the National Guard available to restore order in many cities, “they haven’t called for them.”
“But you look at a place like Seattle, and if I had to go in there, I will,” Trump said, referring to the autonomous zone that has taken over several blocks of the city for weeks.
Referring to Joe Biden as “a Trojan Horse” for leftist policy, Trump said that he fully expects the left flank of the Democratic Party, represented by socialist New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, to push Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer to deploy the “nuclear option,” banning the filibuster to jam radical, far-left policies through the Senate.
“Schumer will go ‘nuclear option’ on day one if we lose,” Trump said.
Ben Domenech, publisher of The Federalist, noted: "Despite the current political challenges, Trump’s enduring popularity among Republicans is still a source of strength for the president.
In response to a question on whether he expects to soon be banned by Twitter — where he has over 82 million followers — Trump said: “Yes, I do.”
“Some people say I should join Parler,” Trump said. “Maybe. We do have over 194 million followers, though, across multiple sites.” Trump complimented Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, saying he had been far more open and less biased in his treatment. But as for a Twitter ban: “I expect it will hurt them more than they realize.”
Meanwhile, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Sunday that the country is “long overdue” for a national mask-wearing mandate to combat the coronavirus.
Asked whether it was time to “mandate the wearing of masks across the country,” she said, “I definitely — long overdue for that.”
“My understanding is that the Centers for Disease Control has recommended the use of masks but not required it because they don’t want to offend the president,” Pelosi said on ABC’s “This Week.”
Pelosi also said that Trump should wear a mask in public, declaring, “Real men wear masks.”
“The president should be an example... Be an example to the country and wear the mask. It’s not about protecting yourself, it’s about protecting others.”
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar noted Sunday that Trump and Vice President Mike Pence are in unique positions, given that they are both tested daily for COVID-19, as are the people around them. Neither has tested positive for the coronavirus.
Free Press International