After his national emergency declaration, but before he took off for his golf game, Donald Trump took time to sing the praises of his Fox Friends who directed him to make the announcement.
As Trump was flailing over his failure to get money for his signature issue of a border wall, the great dealmaker turned to his Fox News buddies to get him out of the jam with his base.
It just so happens that Hannity changed his tune from calling the Congressional bipartisan agreement on border security a “garbage compromise” on Monday night to a deal he supported if Trump declared a national emergency to get more money for the wall.
As you can see in the Media Matters video below, many Fox News pundits have been pushing Trump to declare a national emergency for weeks. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Republicans argued against it but Trump’s Fox Friends won out. Maybe McConnell just needs to spend a little more “executive time” with Trump.
Today, when asked about the role of “outside conservative voices” on his declaration of national emergency, Trump all but conceded he was acting on their say so. (Transcript via Media Matters, with my emphases)
KELLY O'DONNELL (NBC NEWS): Mr. President, could you tell us to what degree some of the outside conservative voices helped to shape your views on this national emergency?
TRUMP: I would talk about it. Look, Sean Hannity has been a terrific, terrific supporter of what I do. Not of me. If I changed my views he wouldn't be with me.
Rush Limbaugh, I think he's a great guy. He's a guy who can speak for three hours without a phone call. Try doing that sometime. For three hours he speaks. He's got one of the biggest audiences in the history of the world. I mean, this guy is unbelievable. Try speaking for three hours without taking calls. Taking calls is easy. OK, I'll answer this one, I'll answer that one. He goes for three hours, and he's got an audience that's fantastic. …
REPORTER: Should they be deciding policy, sir?
TRUMP: They don't decide policy. In fact, if I went opposite -- I mean, they have somebody -- Ann Coulter, I don't know her. I hardly know her. I haven't spoken to her in way over a year. But the press loves saying "Ann Coulter." Probably if I did speak to her she'd be very nice. I just don't have the time to speak to her. I would speak to her, I have nothing against her. In fact, I like her for one reason. When they asked her, like right at the beginning, "Who's going to win the election?" She said, "Donald Trump." And the two people that asked her that question smiled. They said, "You're kidding, aren't you?" "Nope, Donald Trump." So I like her. But she's off the reservation, but anybody that knows her understands that. But I haven't spoken to her. I don't follow her. I don't talk to her. But the press loves to bring up the name Ann Coulter. And you know what, I think she's fine, I think she's good. But I just don't speak to her.
Laura's been great, Laura Ingraham. Tucker Carlson's been great.
Of course, Trump “doesn’t follow” Ann Coulter because she has turned against him (for now). Oh, and also, Fox & Friends told him to ignore her.
Watch Trump talk about Fox pundits as if they are even better than Vladimir Putin below, from the February 15, 2019 declaration of national emergency below, via Media Matters.
