"I'm not allowed to tell you that."

[PatSeg]

So yesterday Trump said he has evidence showing that the coronavirus originated from a lab in Wuhan, China, but he can't share what it is.

"And what gives you a high degree of confidence that this originated from the Wuhan Institute of Virology?" Roberts asked.

"I can't tell you that," Trump said. "I'm not allowed to tell you that."

Trump is president. He has shared classified information with our adversaries in the past, so how is it he is "not allowed to tell you that" now? Maybe he heard it from Putin.

[LonePirate]

1. Theoretically, he can declassify or share anything he wants. The question is whether he should.

Of course, it’s also possible this is a complete line of bullshit his dementia stricken mind may or may not have made up on the spot. It’s probably best not to listen to a single word he utters or tweets.

[gratuitous]

9. He certainly has unilaterally declassified selected information in the past

The notion that Trump has suddenly developed discernment about classified information is a total fabrication. He's lying his ass off and hiding behind some bullshit "that's classified" excuse.

[SoonerPride]

2. Do not believe anything he says about anything ever. You will be better off if you just see it as BS

All he does is lie and spout bullshit.

[Talitha]

25. THIS!!!!

[dewsgirl]

3. He is full of shit. Period.🙄

[Under The Radar]

12. Yep, best explanation to most Trump questions there

[nykym]

4. He can't tell us that because

he has no direct connection to validate his claim.

[PatSeg]

6. He gets most of his information

from Fox News hosts. That is undoubtedly where he learned about the miraculous benefits of hydroxychloroquine. He has also admitted that Putin has told him things that differed with what his intelligence agencies have said and he takes Putin's side.

Meanwhile of course, this is yet another attempt to divert blame from him to someone else.

[maxsolomon]

5. VIRUSESLIKE THIS ARE NOT ENGINEERED IN LABORATORIES.

Last edited Fri May 1, 2020, 12:57 PM - Edit history (1)

This virus does not have the markers.

Poor reporters, having to treat preposterous lies with respect and seriousness.

[PatSeg]

7. I know

I can't begin to imagine what goes on in their minds during these press events. I can't believe someone hasn't gone off on him yet.

[maxsolomon]

11. I keep coming back to this Sartre quote from 1945:

"Never believe that Anti-Semites are completely unaware of the absurdity of their replies. They know that their remarks are frivolous, open to challenge. But the are amusing themselves, for it is their adversary who is obliged to use words responsibly, since he believes in words.

The anit-Semites have the right to play. They even like to play with discourse, for by giving ridiculous reasons, they discredit the seriousness of their interlocutors. They delight in acting in bad faith, since they seek not to persuade by sound argument but to intimidate and disconcert."

The WHPC is obliged to be responsible with their speech.

[PatSeg]

13. Oh, that is perfect!

Apparently this tactic has been with us for a long, long time.

I've seen many abusive spouses use it as well.

[smirkymonkey]

22. +1000

[Blue_true]

28. Scientists have pointed out that while the virus doesn't have the markers

for being manufactured, there is the possibility that the virus could have leaked from a lab by accident, as scientists study the wild virus. They can't rule the leaked out route, because the markers would be those of the wild virus.

The people who first raised the leaked from a lab idea were British Intelligence agents, their agenda unknown. Trump and his lackies are grasping at that straw.

[maxsolomon]

29. I'm not sure I know what difference it would make

if it leaked from that lab or it jumped from a bat to a pangolin to a human in a wet market.

Either way, Trump is a racist Carny Barker.

[Blue_true]

30. I agree with you. If it leaked out of a well intentioned lab or

jumped from an animal to humans, it doesn't matter. Trump had a big headstart on the virus and squandered that advantage, that is AFTER dismantling the early warning infrastructure that President Obama had perfected.

But Trump uses racist dog whistles when that suit his needs, so that is no surprise.

[dmr]

8. He's just bragging on how much more superior he is than the rest of us.

Of course he knows, or at least should have more knowledge about things. Good grief, he gets a PDB everyday! Geeezzz

This isn't saying he understands any of it, we are talking about Trump, after all.

But never no mind, he likes to brag about how much more he knows than the rest of us. He's a big shot, ya know.

[PatSeg]

10. Yeah, it was kind of cocky, wasn't it?

Being a big shot is what Trump has always been about.

[Totally Tunsie]

14. That's very similar to the answer he gives to questions about Kim Jung Un.

Frankly, coming from Chump, I just take that to mean he doesn't have a clue. He just cloakes it under the guise of being privy to top-secret info not available to the masses. It' another of those answers where he can appear to be superior to the lowly us.

[PatSeg]

19. Yes, it is almost exactly like the

Kim Jung Un comment, giving him a phony air of authority when most likely he doesn't know anything. He's probably disappointed that reporters didn't press him further on either of the elusive comments. He likes his diversions.

[Squinch]

15. Also, he's got people in Hawaii looking into Obama's birth certificate and you won't believe

what they are finding.

He'll be revealing it any day now.

[ProfessorGAC]

17. Must Be One Heckuva Investigation

11 years and counting. Must be huge stuff!

[Squinch]

18. Well, since he said that, I haven't heard him say he's stopped investigating, and

he hasn't revealed anything, so I am guessing it's still going on.

[ProfessorGAC]

21. Tons Of Info To Gather!

It's amazing how much you have to dig through in order to not find what is right in front of them!

[Squinch]

23. So much! You won't believe it when he reveals it.

[LuckyCharms]

16. You're not allowed to be President either, Donald.

[Baitball Blogger]

20. Defamer-in-chief, mud-raker-in-chief.

Gaslighter-in-Chief.

His resume is boundless.

[pecosbob]

24. If I had done that while in the service I would have lost my security clearance

Oh, wait, that's right...he never had to submit to a background investigation like all the rest of us that have ever held clearances. For that matter, neither have his illegally employed offspring.

[Talitha]

26. He's just blowing smoke again, hoping we'll forget how he fucked up the pandemic response.

Deflect and distract, rinse and repeat.

[PatSeg]

27. Yeah

Pretty hard to forget when more and more people are testing positive or dying of the virus every day. His old tactics of deflect, lie, and distract just won't work this time.