This is very bad and not normal.
President Donald Trump spoke to reporters at the White House this morning on his abrupt firing of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and word that he plans to replace him with CIA director Mike Pompeo. Trump sure sounds like he is providing a fig leaf to Putin yet again, this time over the poisoning of a former Russian spy.
MR. TRUMP: Well, it sounds to me. I’m speaking to Theresa May today. It sounds to me like it would be Russia based on all of the evidence they have. I don’t know if they’ve come to a conclusion. But she’s calling me today.
As you know, now we’re going to the wall. We’re going out to the wall. We’re going to be looking at the prototypes, which is very important for our country. But Theresa May is going to be speaking to me today. It sounds to me like they believe it was Russia, and I would certainly take that finding as fact.
REPORTER: Mr. President, do you believe there should be a response from the United States?
MR. TRUMP: As soon as we get the facts straight. And we’re going to be speaking with the British today. We’re speaking with Theresa May today. As soon as we get the facts straight, if we agree with them, we will condemn Russia or whoever it may be. But I have not spoken to her. I’ll speak to her some time today.
PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with the media before boarding Marine One helicopter to depart for travel to California via Joint Base Andrews from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., March 13, 2018. REUTERS/Leah Millis
A brief timeline.
1. Monday, 3:14 PM: White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders refuses to blame Russia for nerve agent attack in UK https://t.co/36DxdZdUkV— Robert Mackey (@RobertMackey) March 13, 2018
2. Monday, 6:55 PM: @AP reports that Rex Tillerson says nerve agent "clearly came from Russia." Adds that "we didn’t get very far" in effort to improve relations with Moscow. "Instead what we’ve seen is a pivot on their part to be more aggressive." https://t.co/wmbcSbWfiZ
— Robert Mackey (@RobertMackey) March 13, 2018
3. Monday night, press corps flying on Tillerson's plane back from Africa report his vow that if attack was sanctioned by Russian government, "it certainly will trigger a response." https://t.co/kP7wQGRhqg
— Robert Mackey (@RobertMackey) March 13, 2018
4. Tuesday, 4:11 AM: Tillerson's plane lands in Washington https://t.co/zL0KddXzap
— Robert Mackey (@RobertMackey) March 13, 2018
5. Tuesday, 8:44 AM: Tillerson discovers that he has been fired from Trump's tweet about his replacement, Mike Pompeo https://t.co/ayClfUtCUt
— Robert Mackey (@RobertMackey) March 13, 2018
6. Tuesday, 9:32 AM: Trump says "I'm speaking to Theresa May today, it sounds to me like it would be Russia based on all the evidence they have…. As soon as we get the facts straight, if we agree with them, we will condemn Russia or whoever it may be." https://t.co/aQeRoqr4P7
— Robert Mackey (@RobertMackey) March 13, 2018