On Tuesday 15 August, President trump held a press conference after the dispute that arose around his reaction to the brutal clashes between white racists and their opponents in Charlottesville, which killed three people. Then killed one woman in the car was hit man, which is assumed to be a supporter of neo-Nazis and two policemen, died in a helicopter crash. The purpose of the press conference was to tell about the earlier meetings trump on infrastructure projects in the trump tower, but after his brief remarks that he plans to simplify the rules of the Federal approval, the reporters took the chance to ask the President about his unwillingness to speak out against the Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazis.
President Trump: Hello. Very nice to be back in new York together with all of our friends, and some of our friends waiting for us on the street.
I want to thank all our distinguished friends who are present with us today, including members of our Cabinet Ministers: Minister of Finance Steven Mnuchin (Stephen Mnuchin), Director of the office of management and budget Malvani Mick (Mick Mulvaney) and, of course, our Minister of transport, which copes with its task, Elaine Chao (Elaine Chao).
Thank you all for the incredible and creative work on the theme of our meeting today — infrastructure projects. We had a nice talk about the problems of infrastructure projects. My administration is every day working to create the infrastructure that deserves our people and our country. So I just signed the new decree about carrying out significant reforms related to our poorly organized process of approval of infrastructure projects. Just a couple of blocks away is the Empire state building. Its construction took 11 months. But today, construction can take a decade or more. How many of these stories, when required by 20-25 years to get consent to start construction of the ordinary highway.
Road builders should get up to 16 different permits, the process involved nine different Federal agencies that are regulated by 29 different statutes. One Agency can delay the project for many years, even decades.
It’s not just costs our economy billions of dollars, it robs our citizens with modern and reliable infrastructure that they deserve. This overly complicated process of coordination is a huge wound which we inflict our country. It’s a shame. We deprive our nation of much-needed investment in its community and I just want to show you this as it showed me and I said perhaps we should show this to the media as real, and fake, by the way.
That’s what it means today to obtain approval on something. Elaine, do you see it? Here’s what you need. Here is a diagram of the approval process. That is, it can last up to 20 years, here we can see only 10. But you can spend up to 20 years in the approval process. It’s about roads. I recently saw a highway in the same state — I will not call it — it took 17 years. I’d built him for 4-5 million dollars without the approval process. It costs hundreds of millions of dollars, but it took 17 years for his coordination and many pages of studies on the impact on the environment.
And that’s what we reduce. It’s less than two years. It will happen quickly, and this decree I’ll be signing tonight. On the construction of the highway will require less than two years. It will be fast, it will be a very streamlined process and, by the way, if he would not meet environmental standards, we agree to it. Quite simply, we don’t agree on it. So, maybe someone will offer to throw out the second option. Someone from the media will like it? If someone liked this beautiful long scheme that can take it.
My decree also requires effective collaboration of different agencies, with one Agency should manage each major infrastructure project. The decree also stipulates the responsibilities of agencies, if they are able to simplify your review process, and the responsibility each Agency. We want to achieve rapid construction of infrastructure at low cost, objectively speaking, the approval process will happen very, very quickly. We will no longer tolerate the persistent delays that hinder the implementation of projects. We will not tolerate this loose system, benefit consultants and lobbyists at the expense of workers of Americans.
I was well acquainted with this process, probably better than anyone else. I had to obtain a permit for the construction of this building and many other buildings that I built. All the buildings that I built in Manhattan and in many other places — and I can tell you, consultants — rich. They try to complicate things immensely. They lobby Congress, lobby state government, in city government, you had to hire consultants and you have spent years and paid them a fortune. Therefore, we optimize the process, and this will be no more.
We will not allow the infrastructure of our beautiful country collapsed and fell into disrepair, while protecting the environment, we will build a new shiny roads, bridges, Railways, waterways, tunnels and highways. We rebuild our country by American workers, using American iron, American aluminum, American steel. We will create millions of new jobs and realize the American dream of millions of people.
Our infrastructure will once again be the best in the world. We had the best infrastructure in the world, and now you can compare us with third world countries. We literally become like some third world country. Our infrastructure again would be the best and we bring pride in our cities, in our nation, in all of the United States, we will again be proud of.
And I want to thank all of you who have gathered here. Yes, God bless you, God bless America. If you have any questions, Mick, can you come here. Mick Mulvany. If you have any questions, you can ask them.
Reporter: Mr. President, why do CEOs come from Your production Board?
Trump: Because they take their work not so seriously, as it should do in our country. We want our country had jobs, it was industrial production. If you look at some of those people you mentioned, they are outside the country, they produce a significant portion of its products abroad, it is enough to look, for example, at Merck.
I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Look where are made their products. It is produced outside of our country. And we want our goods produced in our country. Now I want to tell you that some of those who come out of the Council, they are leaving because they are ashamed that they produce their goods abroad, and I told them including the man you were talking about, I was told that I have to return manufacturing to our country. You don’t have to produce in Ireland, in other countries. You need to return manufacturing back to our country. That’s what I want, I want, industrial production returned to the United States to their benefits received by American workers.
Reporter: Mr. President, why are you so delayed the condemnation of neo-Nazis?
Trump: It’s not, I’m not delayed. I just wanted to make sure — unlike most politicians — that my words are correct, I didn’t want to make hasty statements. You can’t make statements until you know the facts. To read them takes time. You still don’t know all the facts. This is a very important process for me and very important statement. I don’t want to rush and just want to make a statement in order to make a political statement. I want to know the facts. If you go back to my… In fact, I even brought him Yes I brought it.
As I said on Saturday, as I recall: “We strongly condemn the blatant manifestation of hatred, fanaticism and violence. This has no place in America.” Continued from this place. Here it is. I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Don’t worry.
Here’s the thing. When I make a statement I want to make this right. I need facts. These events took place. Actually, much hasn’t even happened, when we were talking. This event just happened. Before you make a statement, I want to know the facts. I don’t want to make hasty statements, so I did it at the right time.
In fact, the young lady, as I said, an amazing young woman, her mother wrote to me, it seems Twitter, the social network, the most pleasant word, but her mother on Twitter thanked me for my words, and frankly, if the media had not lied, if they wrote everything honestly, then they would have written that I said very good words.
Sorry. But, unlike you, and unlike the media, before you make a statement, I want to know the facts.
And they don’t want. They do not want.
Let you ask the questions on infrastructure.
Reporter: the CEO of the network, Walmart said that you missed a crucial moment to unite the country. Is that so?
Trump: No, not at all. Listen. I have created a million jobs since he became President. The country is booming, the stock exchange set records, we have the highest unemployment rate in the entire history of our country, we are doing a record business, we have the highest level of enthusiasm, so head to Walmart with which I’m familiar, he’s a lovely man, made a political statement. I mean, ask him how it is and they do exactly the same, and you know why? Because I want to make sure when I make the statement that it is true. Impossible, it was impossible to make the right statement so early. I had to deal with the facts, unlike many journalists.
I didn’t know there was a David Duke (David Duke). I wanted to understand the facts, and the facts as soon as they began to appear, was quite clear. It is actually said: “He made a wonderful statement. It would be nice if he did it before.” I couldn’t do it before, because I didn’t know all the facts. Honestly, people still don’t know all the facts. It was very important…
I’m sorry, I apologize. For me it was very important to get the facts and say, all right. Because if I made a hasty statement and the first statement I made, knowing only what we saw. The second statement was made after that, with knowledge, with significant knowledge. Still remain the facts, that people don’t know. I want to make a statement with knowledge of the matter, I wanted to see the facts. All.
Reporter: Two questions: was it terrorism? And can you tell us what you think about his main strategist Stephen Bannon (Stephen Bannon)?
Trump: Well, I think the car driver has disgraced himself, his family and his country, and it is possible to call it terrorism, you call it murder, call it what you will. I would simply say that this is the first version that comes to mind here is how I call it, because the question is it murder? Is terrorism? And then you are in the area of legal semantics.
The driver of the car is the killer, he made a terrible, terrible, unforgivable crime.
Reporter: Can you tell us what you think about his main strategist, Mr. Bannon?
Trump: I never discussed this with Mr. Bannon.
Reporter: But could you in General, do you trust until now, Steve?
Trump: Well, let’s say. Now, listen, I like Mr. Bannon, he’s an old friend. But Mr. Bannon appeared very late, as you know. I was ahead of 17 senators, governors, won all the primaries. While Mr. Bannon appeared much later, and I like it. He’s a good man. He is not a racist, I’m telling you. He’s a good man. Press is very unfair to him in this matter. Well, we’ll see what happens with Mr. Bannon. But he’s a good man, and I think that the press refers to him, frankly, very unfair.
Reporter: McCain approached you with the request that you have protected from the attacks of his national security adviser, Mr McMaster (H. R. McMaster).
Trump: I have done this and did last time.
Reporter: And he again turned to you.
Trump: Senator McCain, do you mean someone who voted against repeal of Obamacare? You mean Senator McCain, who voted against the fact that we got good medical care?
Reporter: Senator McCain said that these attacks are alternative right-wing forces, and he bound them with the same group that attacked Charlottesville, VA.
Trump: Well, I don’t know, can’t tell you. I’m sure Senator McCain knows what he’s talking about. But when you talk about the alternative right, explain to me what it is. Give me a definition. Explain to me, I’m listening.
Reporter: Senator McCain identified her as the same group…
Trump: Okay, but what about the alternative of the left, who began to attack them. Excuse me, but what about the alternative of the left, who began to attack them, as you say, on the alternative right? They have some semblance of guilt?
(Inaudible)
Let me ask you this question: what can you say about the fact that they came and began to attack that they came with bats, these baseball bats? Do they have problems? I think there are. And so, you know, for me, it was a terrible, terrible day. Wait a minute — I’m not finished yet, false news. It was a terrible day.
(Inaudible)
That’s what I’ll say. I carefully watched much more carefully than you watched that, and there was a group on the one hand, the bad group, and there was another group on the other hand, which was also very violent. And no one wants to say, but I’ll say it right now. There, on the other hand was the group that began to attack, but they didn’t have permission and they are very, very aggressive.
(Inaudible)
Reporter: In your opinion, those people whom you call alternative left, it’s the same thing that the neo-Nazis?
Trump: These people, all these people, excuse me. I condemn the neo-Nazis. I condemn a lot of different groups. But not all of these people were neo-Nazis, believe me. Not all of them were supporters of white Suprematists, no matter what. These people came there because they wanted to protest against the demolition of the monument to Robert E. Lee.
Reporter: whether it was Necessary to demolish this monument?
Trump: Excuse me. If you look at some of these groups, you will see — and would you admit it if you were honest reporters, although in many cases you are not, — that many of these people came there to protest against the demolition of the monument to Robert E. Lee. I noticed that the statue of Jackson “Stonewall” also demolished. And I have a question: tomorrow it will be George Washington? And in a week will be the turn of Thomas Jefferson? You know, you really have to ask yourself: where will this process stop?
But these people came there to protest — I’m sorry if you see that the night before they were there and protested against the demolition of the monument to Robert E. Lee. The infrastructure issue. Continue.
Reporter: whether it was Necessary to keep the statue of Robert E. Lee?
Trump: I would say that it is a matter of local town, community or Federal government, depending on where the monument.
Reporter: are you concerned about the issue of race relations in America? Do you feel that the situation has become better or worse after your coming to power?
Trump: I think the situation has improved or remained the same. Look, they have long irritated each other. And you can ask President Obama about this because he gave speeches on this topic. But I believe that I mentioned the fact — soon it will be done — millions of jobs — you see that company come back into the country — I believe that this will have a tremendous positive impact on race relations. Companies are coming back to our country. Two car companies have just announced it. I am saying that we have many companies returning to the country. I believe that it will have a huge positive impact on race relations.
And you know why? Because it’s jobs. What people want today? They want to work. They want to have great jobs with good pay, and when they will receive it, you will see what will be race relations. But I’ll tell you what — we spend a lot of money on city centres. We handle town centres. We do a lot more than others, in the Central part of the city. For me this is a priority and is very important.
Reporter: Mr. President, do you not, in your terms, the alternative left and the white Suprematists on one moral level?
Trump: I don’t put on any moral level. I say this: there was a group on one side and there was a group on the other hand, they attacked each other with baseball bats — it was wrong and it was awful. And look at it was awful. But there is another side. There was a group of people on this side. You can call them left — did you just call them left, and they violently lashed out at another group. You can say anything, but everything was just so.
Reporter: You said that there was hatred and violence on both sides. Whether…
Trump: Yes, I believe that you need to blame both sides. If you look at both sides — I think both parties are to blame. And I have no doubt about this, and you, too, no doubt about it. And if you inform exactly what you think.
Reporter: It started the neo-Nazis. They appeared in Charlottesville in order to protest…
Trump: Excuse me, excuse me. They didn’t do it… and there were some very bad people in this group, but there were very good people on both sides. There were people in this group.
(Inaudible)
Excuse me, excuse me. I saw the same picture as you. There were people in this group who wanted to protest against the demolition, which is a very, very important monument and was renamed the Park and now the Park is Robert E. Lee it will be called differently.
Reporter: George Washington and Robert E. Lee is not the same thing.
Trump: George Washington was a slave owner. George Washington was a slave owner? So now George Washington will lose its status? Its monuments too will be demolished? Excuse me, are we going to demolish the monuments to George Washington? What about Thomas Jefferson? What do you think about Thomas Jefferson? You like it?
Reporter: I really like Thomas Jefferson.
Trump: All Right. But we will put him to demolish the monuments? Because he was a large slave owner. And now we will take down his statue? Now you know it’s good. Are you blaming the story. You blame the culture. You and your people — I’m not talking about neo-Nazis and white nationalists, because they should all be condemned. But there were a lot of people in this group who were not neo-Nazis or white nationalists. Right? And the press treats them completely unfair. That is, in another group, there were some good people. But there were instigators of the riots, and you can see them dressed in black, in white helmets and carrying baseball bats. There was a lot of bad people in the other group.
Reporter: And who are these good people? Sir, I just don’t understand what you said. You said that the press unfairly applies to white nationalists? I just don’t understand what you’re saying.
Trump: no, No. There were people at that meeting — I looked over last night — if you look, there were people who protested very quiet about the demolition of the monument to Robert E. Lee. I’m sure in this group there were some bad people. The next day it seemed that some of them were rude, very bad people — neo-Nazis, white nationalists, or whatever you want to call it. But in this group there were many people who came there to innocently protest, and quite legitimate protest — because I’m not sure that you know that they had permission. And the other group did not have permission. That is, I want to tell you only this: this story has two sides. I thought it was a horrible moment in our history — a terrible moment. But the country has two sides. Does anyone have a definitive…
Reporter: I Have a question about infrastructure.
Trump: about infrastructure…
Reporter: Why do you think that you will be able to hold the bill on infrastructure? You are unable to obtain the approval of the bill on health care…
— Well, you know, I’ll tell you. We were very close to it on the issue of health care. Unfortunately, John McCain at the last moment decided to vote against it. You should ask John McCain why he did it. But we were very close to success on the issue of health care. In the end, we get this law on health care. And we get a law on the infrastructure. In fact, infrastructure is the kind of question that, in my opinion, will get bipartisan support. In fact, I think the Democrats will support the bill on infrastructure.
Reporter: Mr. President, you’ve talked with family members of victims of collision of a car?
Trump: No, but I will contact them. I will contact them.
Reporter: When you communicate with them?
Trump: I think that made a statement — the statement of mother, in my opinion, was a perfect statement. I’ll tell you what — I really highly appreciate this. I thought it was awesome. And actually (it) — in this stress and the pain of loss… And so I thought that made a statement, in my opinion, it was important. I won’t forget. Many thanks to all. Thank you. Thank you.
Reporter: And you go to Charlottesville? You go there to check what happened there?
Trump: I own property in Charlottesville. Does anyone know that I have a home in Charlottesville?
Reporter: Where is it?
Trump: Oh, it will be…
Reporter: So where is he?
Trump: In Charlottesville. You will see.
Reporter: It’s a winery or something like that?
Trump: This winery. I mean, I know a lot about Charlottesville. Charlottesville is a wonderful place, and this city suffered greatly over the past few days.
(Inaudible)
In fact I own one of the largest wineries in the United States. And it is located in Charlottesville.
Reporter: do you Think that your words help at this point to cure this country? What, in your opinion, need to do in order to overcome racial conflict in this country?
Trump: Well, I think that jobs can have a big impact. If we will continue to create jobs — more than a million, considerably more than a million. And you saw the other day that a car company come along with a firm Foxconn. In my opinion, if we continue to create jobs at the level where I create jobs, it is, in my opinion, will make a huge impact — a positive impact on race relations.
Reporter: Your comments today… Like, in your opinion, it operates today on this sort of racial conflict?
Trump: People will get jobs, they will earn a lot of money — much more than they ever thought possible. But it will happen.
Reporter: Your comments today…
Trump: that’s another thing. This is very important. I believe that wages will rise. For a long time she did not grow. I believe that wages today is because the economy works so well, in terms of jobs and unemployment, and I believe that wages will start to increase. I believe this will have a tremendous positive impact on race relations.
