In an interview on the “Today” show this morning, Vice President Mike Pence walked back President Trump’s claim that some former presidents had told him privately that they should have built a wall on the southern border.
Pence told NBC’s Hallie Jackson that the president was left with that “impression” because these past presidents had talked about “border security”:
The president falsely claimed his predecessors encouraged him on the border wall. Pence, w NBC this AM, tries shifting him away from the lie by calling it an "impression" about "border security:" 1/2
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) January 8, 2019
“I know the President has said that that was his impression from previous administrations, previous Presidents. I know I've seen clips of previous presidents talking about the importance of border security, the importance of addressing the issue of illegal immigration.” 2/2
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) January 8, 2019
WATCH:
“Which former presidents told President Trump, as he said, that he should’ve built a wall? All their representatives have denied that that was the case.” @halliejackson to @VP Mike Pence pic.twitter.com/7xAH05aheE
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) January 8, 2019
But does Pence think he helped here?
Not really sure that Pence intended this, but the implication is Trump couldn’t distinguish between his own impressions and objectively-held reality in the form of previous comments.
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) January 8, 2019
Reminder: Here’s what Trump did say about it:
Trump did not say it was his “impression”: Trump said “This should have been done by all of the presidents that preceded me, and they all know it. Some of them have told me that we should have done it."
Pence implying Trump thinks former presidents speak to him through TV clips https://t.co/KlRnndeWV3
— Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) January 8, 2019
Recommended
Representatives from all four living former presidents denied that the conversations took place:
Trump claimed without evidence that past presidents privately confided to him that they regret not building a border wall.
But now reps for every living president — Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Carter — have confirmed with news outlets that they did no such thing. https://t.co/mZQYyaUkoz
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) January 7, 2019
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Related:
THERE it is! Pelosi & Schumer demand equal time from networks after Trump’s Oval Office address on border security https://t.co/Q6bQaP4685
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) January 8, 2019
As networks fret over Trump’s border speech, Michelle Malkin counts the times Obama spoke in prime time https://t.co/E8uZh4Or8n
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) January 8, 2019
ICYMI ===> Rep. Jim Jordan tells Nancy Pelosi what to do if she truly thinks border walls are ‘immoral’ https://t.co/btX6vo1tjd
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) January 8, 2019