Trump exits press conference claiming he has ‘an emergency call’ amid Breonna Taylor questions
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Donald Trump made a swift exit from his Wednesday night press conference claiming he had ‘to leave for an emergency call’, as reporters demanded answers over the lack of charges brought against cops in the killing of Breonna Taylor.
‘I have to leave for an emergency phone call… I’ll be back. I will see you tomorrow,’ the president said abruptly.
Trump refused to divulge what the emergency was, simply repeating that it was a ‘big call’ when pressed over who the call was with.
‘I have a big call. A really big call,’ he responded.
Donald Trump made a swift exit from his Wednesday night press conference claiming he had ‘to leave for an emergency call’, as reporters demanded answers over the lack of charges brought against cops in the killing of Breonna Taylor
However, sources cast doubt on the authenticity of the emergency, claiming he made it up and just wanted to get to two TV appearances.
‘Although Trump told us he was ending his remarks at the press briefing because “I have to leave for an emergency phone call,” he doesn’t have an emergency, I’m told,’ reported Bloomberg News‘ Sr. White House reporter Jennifer Jacobs on Twitter.
‘He’s got politicking to do. He’s speaking on two tele-events tonight.’
His swift exit also came as he faced multiple questions during the news conference about the decision not to charge cops with murder for shooting dead unarmed black EMT Taylor in her home back in March.
As he walked out of the room, ABC News reporter Rachel Scott tried to ask another question about the Kentucky grand jury’s decision, but was ignored by Trump.
‘Mr. President, one more question about Breonna Taylor,’ she shouted.
‘People are protesting in the streets – what is your message to them?
‘People feel like we are on this carousel where another black life is being taken.’
‘I have to leave for an emergency phone call… I’ll be back. I will see you tomorrow,’ the president said abruptly. Trump refused to divulge what the emergency was, simply repeating that it was a ‘big call’ when pressed over who the call was with
However, sources cast doubt on the authenticity of the emergency, claiming he made it up and just wanted to get to two TV appearances
Trump didn’t acknowledge the question and walked out of the room, as White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany quickly approached the podium, introducing Atlas and Director of the National Economic Council Larry Kudlow and telling the room to ‘be respectful and show a little bit of decorum here.’
The president faced several questions about the Taylor decision during the press conference, which came hours after a grand jury decided not to bring murder charges against the three officers involved in the black EMT’s death.
Taylor, 26, was killed on March 13 when Sgt Jonathan Mattingly and Detective Myles Cosgrove and Brett Hankison burst down the door to her home in Louisville, Kentucky, while executing a botched late-night raid and shot her five times.
The search warrant for the EMT’s home related to a drugs investigation over her ex-boyfriend who was not present at the property and who had been arrested at a different address earlier that night.
More than six months on from her killing, a grand jury returned a decision Wednesday on possible charges against the three cops, choosing to indict just one of the officers Hankison on the lesser charges of wanton endangerment.
The first-degree charge, a Class D felony which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, relates to Hankison shooting into the neighboring apartments during the incident.
No charges were brought against him in relation to the death of Taylor and Mattingly and Cosgrove face no charges over the incident.
Protests erupted in Kentucky and around America as soon as the charges were revealed as many – including Taylor’s family – voiced outrage over the cops not facing murder charges.
Trump’s swift exit also came as he faced multiple questions during the news conference about the decision not to charge cops with murder for shooting dead unarmed black EMT Breonna Taylor (pictured) in her home back in March. As he walked out of the room, a reporter tried to ask another question about the Kentucky grand jury’s decision, but was ignored by Trump
Fired Louisville detective Brett Hankison (left) was charged with three counts of wanton endangerment in connection to the police raid that killed Taylor (right) on March 13
Officers Myles Cosgrove (left) and John Mattingly (right) who were present during the police raid on March 13, were not charged on Wednesday. Hankison was fired from the LMPD while the other two officers were placed on administrative assignment
Much of the questions directed at Trump in Wednesday’s press conference related to the decision, and the president see-sawed between saying he didn’t ‘know enough about it’ and praising his own record in having ‘done more for the black community than any other president’.
‘I don’t know enough about it. I heard the decision was just made. We’ve been together here, and so we haven’t discussed it. But after I see what the decision is, I will have a comment on it,’ Trump said of the verdict.
He then praised Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s ‘fantastic’ handling of the case, calling Cameron ‘really brilliant’ and a ‘star’.
Trump, who has repeatedly railed against Black Lives Matter protesters, went on to claim he ‘loves the black community’ and has done more than any other president for the community.
‘Well, my message is that I love the black community. And I’ve done more for the black community than any other president. And I say, with the possible exception of Abraham Lincoln,’ Trump said.
‘And mean that with opportunities zones and with criminal justice reform, with prison reform, with what we’ve done for historically black universities, colleges, schools, what we’ve done – nobody has done more.
‘Abraham Lincoln, let’s give him the nod, but beyond that, nobody’s done more. I love the black community.’
His departure also came after he briefly answered a question about the development of a coronavirus vaccine, in the week that the US death toll soared past the grim 200,000 people milestone.
‘He handed the podium to White House coronavirus adviser Scott Atlas who described the speed that a vaccine was being developed by the Trump administration as ‘unprecedented’ and insisted the pace would not compromise on the safety.
Trump added that it will have ‘great results’.
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