COMMENTARY
‘What Two People Keeping a Story Straight Might Look Like’: Why Are Trump’s ‘I Want Nothing!’ Mad Pad Remarks Going Viral?
President Donald Trump’s remarks to reporters Wednesday are going viral, and one might wonder what level of co-ordination it takes to make that happen.
The President appeared on the White House lawn Wednesday with notes scratched on a pad in big black marker during the damning, bombshell testimony of his Ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sondland.
Trump’s words were clear and direct, and he read from his notes to reporters – an extremely rare event given this president who generally talks off the top of his head with the press several days a week.
“I WANT NOTHING, I WANT NOTHING, I WANT NO QUID PRO QUO,” his notes read, and the president said those words in front of reporters.
Trump was speaking about Ukraine, and his bribery scheme for which he currently is speeding toward being impeached.
It’s important to note, as CNN’s Marshall Cohen did, that this new “script” is totally in conflict with Trump’s comments that the White House released from the July 25 call summary:
Trump’s new “I WANT NOTHING!” defense doesn’t make sense when you look at the July 25 phone call. Trump told Zelensky: “I would like you to do us a favor, though…”
— Marshall Cohen (@MarshallCohen) November 20, 2019
Attorney, commentator, and writer for Yahoo News and Just Security, Luppe Luppen, posted a copy of the photo a reporter took of the president’s notes.
One for the history books. (📷 Mark Wilson/Getty Images) pic.twitter.com/unhsYwznA8
— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) November 20, 2019
Luppen offers this insight, apparently suggesting Sondland and Trump might be trying to keep their stories straight.
This is generally what two people keeping a story straight might look like. Sondland has been word for word consistent w the version of the call written on these two pages. It’s possible this is how it went. Also possible that this is a version they think is survivable for POTUS.
— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) November 20, 2019
Those words also made their way into a Trump tweet:
….”I WANT NOTHING! I WANT NOTHING! I WANT NO QUID PRO QUO! TELL PRESIDENT ZELENSKY TO DO THE RIGHT THING!” Later, Ambassador Sondland said that I told him, “Good, go tell the truth!” This Witch Hunt must end NOW. So bad for our Country!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 20, 2019
And in comments during the impeachment hearings – courtesy of top Trump defender Rep. Jim Jordan and another Republican.
.@Jim_Jordan on point, again.
“It’s not 2+2—it’s 0-3”
❌NO pressure
❌NO conditionality
❌NO quid pro quoSondland: What do you want from Ukraine?
POTUS: “I want nothing. I want no quid pro quo. I want Zelensky to do the right thing. I want him to do what he ran on.” pic.twitter.com/NvwaSyFJlV
— John Pence (@jepence) November 20, 2019
And then in a Fox News segment – which Trump just happened to see and tweet out almost immediately:
I WANT NOTHING! pic.twitter.com/KKUfwSIRAi
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 20, 2019
The White House press secretary also tweeted out the same script:
”I want nothing. I want nothing. I want no quid pro quo. Tell President Zelensky to do the right thing…I want him to do what he ran on.” – @POTUS @realDonaldTrump
— Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 20, 2019
But many are clear: Trump wanted something.
TRUMP: I want nothing. I want nothing.
VINDMAN, WILLIAMS, TAYLOR, KENT, VOLKER, SONDLAND: He wanted something.#ImpeachmentHearing
— Max Burns (@themaxburns) November 20, 2019
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