We check out President Trump’s July 4th speech, in addition to his reluctance to signal the bipartisan housing invoice supposed to assist make properties inexpensive for People.
AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
An excessive warmth warning, adopted by a extreme thunderstorm, created some chaos and delayed the deliberate Fourth of July celebrations in a number of cities, in addition to proper right here in Washington, D.C. However the present did go on, and President Trump gave a late speech.
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PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Our warriors didn’t battle communism on battlefields the world over, solely to have that menace rear its ugly head proper again right here in America.
RASCOE: We’re joined now by NPR senior nationwide political correspondent Mara Liasson. Good morning, Mara.
MARA LIASSON, BYLINE: Good morning, Ayesha.
RASCOE: OK. So the climate was wild. I imply, the thunder, the lightning, it was loopy. However, Mara, what stood out to you about final evening’s occasion?
LIASSON: Effectively, the climate was loopy, and Donald Trump needed to truly cancel the parade earlier within the day due to extreme warmth, which consensus of scientists say might solely be due to world warming, one thing that Trump has mentioned previously was a fabrication or a Chinese language hoax – though later, he mentioned that was a joke. And thunderstorms induced individuals to evacuate briefly from the mall, however the present did go on, and Donald Trump gave a form of mixture conventional July Fourth speech with a variety of partisan assaults.
RASCOE: And President Trump, while you talked about these partisan assaults he did, what have been a few of these form of poignantly political issues that he did say?
LIASSON: Effectively, identical to his Friday speech at Mount Rushmore, he excoriated Democrats. You simply heard him discuss communists. That is his new epithet for Democrats. He mentioned they do not imagine in america of America. And he is making the most of the truth that in a handful of primaries, members of the Democratic Socialists of America received some Democratic primaries, which in deep blue districts won’t matter a lot since these districts would have elected a Democrat anyway. However there are lots of Democrats who do fear that in swing states and districts, they may very well be nominating candidates which are too far left to win a basic election, and that is one thing that Republicans and notably President Trump suppose they will use to their benefit.
RASCOE: President Trump launched his obligatory monetary disclosures final week, and it confirmed that he is properly over a – he is added properly over a billion {dollars} to his wealth thus far throughout his presidency, and as a lot as $1.4 billion comes from his household’s cryptocurrency companies. I imply, these are actually eye-popping numbers.
LIASSON: These are eye-popping numbers. It is an unprecedented sum of money made by a sitting president. Lots of his earnings comes from industries or overseas natives which have enterprise earlier than him. And the Republican Congress doesn’t appear to object to this, though previously, they’ve objected very strenuously to any self-dealing by Democratic presidents or their households.
RASCOE: Effectively, and on the similar time, President Trump is refusing to signal the bipartisan housing invoice, which is geared toward making housing extra inexpensive. Is affordability solely off the president’s agenda now?
LIASSON: Effectively, that is a superb query. He did not signal the housing invoice. Though the White Home had praised the invoice, it was handed by large majorities. It was Congress doing precisely what the general public needs it to do, which is figure throughout the aisle on an issue that folks really feel is essential proper now. Huge majorities of People say they only cannot afford to purchase a house. And he refused to signal the invoice as a result of he needed Congress to go a unique invoice, a Republican elections invoice that Republican leaders in Congress inform him they only haven’t got the invoice to – the votes to go. Now, he may find yourself permitting the housing invoice to change into regulation with out his signature, however he does not appear to thoughts that he is giving up political credit score for signing a invoice that is extraordinarily standard.
RASCOE: Effectively, we will hear extra about Iran in a minute. However when talking on Friday evening at Rush – Mount Rushmore, President Trump repeated what he is been saying for the reason that begin of the warfare – that Iran is, quote, “dying” to accept a deal. He additionally mentioned this.
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TRUMP: We gave them every week off for a funeral as a result of we’re good. It is true.
RASCOE: I imply, he is referring to the funeral of Iran’s supreme chief.
LIASSON: That is proper. Iran’s supreme chief was killed alongside a number of of his members of the family, together with his 14-month-old granddaughter, and the funeral was for all of them. And Trump’s critics say that he has not been capable of obtain any of his army aims in Iran. He is – all he is left with is a disagreement and mocking the Iranian individuals. He is been making an attempt with out a lot success to spin the warfare as a win for america and the memorandum of understanding that began the most recent ceasefire as a win. However polls present the vast majority of American voters don’t suppose the U.S. received the warfare, don’t suppose the deal that he is made thus far to begin talks has been a win for america.
RASCOE: That is in NPR’s Mara Liasson. Thanks a lot.
LIASSON: You are welcome.
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