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mahatmakanejeeves

(56,890 posts)
Fri May 22, 2020, 12:07 PM May 2020

Trump's Remarks During Tour of Ford Rawsonville Components Plant; May 21, 2020

REMARKS

Remarks by President Trump During Tour of Ford Rawsonville Components Plant
ECONOMY & JOBS

Issued on: May 21, 2020

Ford Motor Company
Rawsonville Components Plant

Ypsilanti, Michigan

4:12 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody. Hi.

Q Mr. President, so my question to you is this: Thanks to all of the work of manufacturers like Ford and other —

THE PRESIDENT: Who are you with?

Q I’m Carol Cain with CBS in Detroit and Detroit Free Press.

THE PRESIDENT: Good. Good. Very good.

{snip}

Q Mr. President, there was a lot of interest about whether you would end up wearing a mask today. Could you just take us through your thought process of why you decided not to wear a mask?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I did wear — I had one on before. I wore one in this back area, but I didn’t want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it. But, no, where I had it, in the back area, I did put a mask on.

Q Did you have the goggles on too, as well, sir?

THE PRESIDENT: I did. I had goggles. Goggles and a mask. Right back there.

Q But why would you not —

THE PRESIDENT: And here’s another one. Here.

(The President hands a member of the press a face shield.)

Q Why would you not be wearing it here?

THE PRESIDENT: Because in this area — you take it.

Q Why would you not be wearing it here, sir?

THE PRESIDENT: Not necessary here. Everybody has been tested and I’ve been tested. In fact, I was tested this morning, so it’s not necessary.

Q But the executives are wearing them.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, that’s their choice. I was given — I was given a choice. And I had one in an area where they preferred it, so I put it on and it was very nice. It looked very nice. But they said: Not necessary here.

Yeah, please.

Q What about the example that it would set for other Americans to see you wearing a mask?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I think it sets an example. I think it sets an example both ways. And, as they say, I did have it on. Thank you.

Yeah, please.

Q Mr. President, (inaudible) —

THE PRESIDENT: I just liked your question so much.

Q I know. (Laughs.)

THE PRESIDENT: You know what? It was such a nice question.

{snip}

Q Mr. President, there was a lot of interest about whether you would end up wearing a mask today. Could you just take us through your thought process of why you decided not to wear a mask?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I did wear — I had one on before. I wore one in this back area, but I didn’t want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it. But, no, where I had it, in the back area, I did put a mask on.

Q Did you have the goggles on too, as well, sir?

THE PRESIDENT: I did. I had goggles. Goggles and a mask. Right back there.

Q But why would you not —

THE PRESIDENT: And here’s another one. Here.

(The President hands a member of the press a face shield.)

Q Why would you not be wearing it here?

THE PRESIDENT: Because in this area — you take it.

Q Why would you not be wearing it here, sir?

THE PRESIDENT: Not necessary here. Everybody has been tested and I’ve been tested. In fact, I was tested this morning, so it’s not necessary.

Q But the executives are wearing them.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, that’s their choice. I was given — I was given a choice. And I had one in an area where they preferred it, so I put it on and it was very nice. It looked very nice. But they said: Not necessary here.

Yeah, please.

Q What about the example that it would set for other Americans to see you wearing a mask?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, I think it sets an example. I think it sets an example both ways. And, as they say, I did have it on. Thank you.

Yeah, please.

Q Mr. President, (inaudible) —

THE PRESIDENT: I just liked your question so much.

Q I know. (Laughs.)

THE PRESIDENT: You know what? It was such a nice question.

{snip}

Q Mr. Ford, can we ask another question?

THE PRESIDENT: And, by the way, here is my — here is my mask, right here. And I like it very much. I actually — honestly, I think I looked better in the mask. I really did. I look better in the mask. But I’m making a — but I’m making a speech, so I won’t have it now. But I did have it on right here, and I think some of you might’ve gotten a shot.

Thank you very much.

Q Mr. Ford, can you confirm that the President was told it’s okay not to wear one in this area?

MR. FORD: It’s up to him.

(The President resumes the tour.)

{snip}

Q And so you’re having this speech here this afternoon. What are you thinking about in terms of the campaign rallies? When will you be able to get back to big rallies?

THE PRESIDENT: So as soon as you’re able to have people get in — you know, we’ve never had an empty seat. Since the day I came down the escalator with our future First Lady, we’ve never had an empty seat. You know that. And we’d have thousands of people we sent away.

And I think the demand now, from what we see, is greater than ever before. We’re going to have to go to certain states where we’re able to — look, I don’t want to have a stadium where you’re supposed to have a person and then seven empty seats, and then another person. So we might do some outdoor big ones. And we may also just wait until the stadiums can open up. I think it’s going to be soon. We’ll go to a place like Florida. We’ll go to a place like maybe Georgia or some other place where they’re going to be opening up. Whoever opens up first.

The demand has been incredible to get going with the rallies. I just hear the music in the background. I’m saying, we’ve had rallies like nobody has ever had, and we would love to get back to that. I think it’s going to be sooner rather than later.

{snip}

Q Are you looking to replace Dr. Redfield? Or is —

THE PRESIDENT: No.

(The President resumes the tour.)

END 4:28 P.M. EDT
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