President Donald Trump contended at a Tuesday press conference that foreign leaders were afraid of him winning last year because they knew he meant business.
The comment came after a White House reporter confronted Greece’s prime minister with his charge last year that Trump’s beliefs are ‘evil.’
‘I will not allow our country, the United States of America, to be taken advantage of by so many other countries all over the world,’ Trump said at the joint White House news conference with Greece’s Alexis Tsipras. ‘So, I can understand how certain countries, and the leaders of certain countries may feel.’
President Donald Trump contended at a Tuesday press conference that foreign leaders were afraid of him winning last year because they knew he meant business. The comment came after a White House reporter confronted Greece’s prime minister with his charge last year that Trump’s beliefs are ‘evil’
Fox News Correspondent John Roberts tee’d Tsipras up with a question about a statement he made last year that Trump’s presumptive nomination for president.
‘The ideas it represents, the appeal it reaches and the threat to become even President — I hope we will not face this evil,’ Tsipras said in 2016.
Tsipras did told Roberts, according to the White House translator, ‘The US is a very strong power and their ability to intervene for good are very, very important.’
His meeting with Trump today was ‘productive,’ the Greek leader added.
‘Not a moment did I feel threatened at any time. I saw that there was a very fertile outlook here, in order to set aside any difference we may have to find the common ground.’
Trump signed and shook his head as his counterpart extolled on the countries’ important traditional, historical and common objectives.
‘The value of democracy and freedom was born in Greece,’ he said, and American culture carries on that tradition. ‘The president today of the US continues this tradition, and I think our collaboration will be very substantial, and I’m very optimistic after the meeting that we had today,’ Tsipras said.
Trump jumped in to add that ‘a number of countries were a little bit nervous at the beginning’ of his candidacy, ‘and I have very good relationships with the leaders of virtually every country that I’ve dealt with.’
‘The reason they were concerned is because I will not allow our country, the United States of America to be taken advantage of by so many other countries all over the world,’ Trump proclaimed.
The former businessman brought up the United States’ trade deficits, the jobs that have left, and the products that are made overseas and sold back into US.
‘I’m not gonna be allowing that. So, I can understand how certain countries, and the leaders of certain countries may feel. But we’re just not going to allow the United States to be taken advantage of by other countries anymore,’ he asserted. ‘And there’s nothing we can do about that.’
Roberts question had generated laughter from both the US and foreign press, as well as Tsipras. Before the Greek leader could answer him, Trump said in a teasing tone, ‘I wish I knew that before my speech!’
Roberts question had generated laughter from both the US and foreign press, as well as Tsipras.
Before the Greek leader could answer him, Trump said in a teasing tone, ‘I wish I knew that before my speech!’
Trump, in his opening remarks, had been laudatory of Tsipras and his country.
‘He’s a special man who’s done a very special job,’ Trump had said. ‘Greece is a cradle of Western civilization….America looks on that glorious heritage with wonder and with awe.
Continuing, Trump said, ‘You do indeed have a tremendous heritage, Mr. Prime Minister.’
Trump said he was pleased that the United States would be the country of honor at next year’s International Trade Fair in Greece.
‘I look forward to having many productive discussions with you, and to having a very close and warm cooperation on a wide range of shared objectives,’ Trump said. ‘We will build upon our foundation of shared history and shared values to pursue a future of security, prosperity and peace for both your nation and ours.’
Tsipras said in his remarks that the friendship between countries ‘very strong’ and based on democratic values.