The Interior secretary gave special permission for President Trump to use the inside portion of the Lincoln Memorial for Sunday night’s virtual town hall with Fox News Channel.
‘Given the extraordinary crisis that the American people have endured, and the need for the president to exercise a core governmental function to address the nation about an ongoing public-health crisis, I am exercising my authority to facilitate the opportunity for the president to conduct this address within the Lincoln Memorial,’ Interior Secretary David Bernhardt wrote in a notice that allowed for certain security closures to be made around the monument.
Generally, ‘demonstrations and special events’ are not allowed on the main level of the Lincoln Memorial, where the Daniel Chester French statue resides, with the exception of the celebration of the 16th president’s birthday.
The Interior secretary gave special permission for President Trump (left) to use the inside of the Lincoln Memorial for Sunday night’s virtual town hall with Fox News Channel
Interior Secretary David Bernhardt allowed security closures to take place around the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday in order for the president to ‘address the nation about an ongoing public-health crisis’
The main level of the Lincoln Memorial around the Daniel Chester French is barred from being used for ‘demonstrations and special events’ with the exception of a celebration marking the 16th president’s birthday
Fox News Channel anchors Marha MacCallum (left) and Bret Baier (right) brought up during the program how using the Lincoln Memorial was President Trump’s idea (center), but Trump replied, ‘I thought it was your choice, not ours’
But Bernhardt, in his directive, called the Lincoln Memorial a ‘uniquely appropriate place’ where the president ‘will illuminate and reflect the values of our nation’ amid the coronavirus pandemic.
‘Such an action will allow the president and the nation to use Lincoln’s powerful presence and the solemnity of the memorial to reflect on and draw from our nation’s better angels, and to remind all of us that we can knit our often-divided nation together in a time of trial,’ Bernhardt said.
On Sunday, in the hours leading up to the town hall event, there was a fenced security perimeter around the Lincoln, which joggers and bikers were not allowed to pass.
The New York Times reported Monday on some of the details of how the town hall came together.
The White House said using the Lincoln Memorial for the Q&A was a ‘joint decision’ with Fox News.
However, three people involved in the planning told The Times that the White House made the decision.
A Fox News spokesperson pointed to a back-and-forth between Fox News anchors, Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, and Trump.
The Fox News hosts mentioned how the venue choice had been Trump’s – and had created controversy.
‘And I did say this would be nice, but I thought it was your choice, not ours,’ Trump said. ‘And I had not heard, what can you criticize? I don’t think it’s ever been done, what we’re doing tonight, here, and I think it’s great for the American people to see, this is a great work of art, aside from the fact that that was a great man, this is a great work of art,’ Trump said, referencing French’s statue of Lincoln.
Trump did strike some partisan and anti-press tones during the two-hour Fox News program.
He suggested that Democrats didn’t want to see the anti-Malaria drug he’s been touting – hydroxychloroquine – work in fighting COVID-19.
‘Here’s what we’ve been reduced to in this country,’ Trump said. ‘The Democrats, the radical left, whatever you – would rather have people, I’m going to be very nice, I’m not going to say die – would rather see people not get well because they think I’m going to get credit, if hydroxychloroquine works.’
When a Trump supporter pleaded with him to modify his behavior and asked why he didn’t directly answer questions from the press, the president compared himself to Abraham Lincoln.
‘Look, I am greeted with a hostile press the likes of which no president has ever seen,’ Trump said. ‘The closest would be that gentleman right up there. They always said Lincoln – nobody got treated worse than Lincoln.’
‘I believe I am treated worse,’ Trump said.