In a disturbing, clearly staged, on-camera performance that felt ripped from Vaudeville, President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence in the Oval Office, surrounded by several Republicans, discussed with reporters the president’s latest target: the “caravan” of migrants making their way toward the U.S. border.
Asked about his recent claim that there are “Middle Easterners” in the caravan of women and children, many presumably seeking asylum, President Trump Tuesday afternoon insisted “there could very well be” terrorists among them.
“I have very good information,” President Trump, sitting at the Resolute Desk, his arms folded, repeatedly told reporters.
“And if you look at what’s happened with Honduras, and statements made about Honduras, and even a phone call that our Vice President had,” Trump said, nodding at the Vice President. “I think that maybe you can reveal – Do you want to mention that Mike? Is that OK? Probably,” he ordered.
On cue, Vice President Pence continued the show.
“At the President’s direction I spoke with President Hernandez of Honduras,” Pence told reporters, saying the Honduran leader told him the caravan “was organized by leftist organizations and financed by Venezuela –”
Trump then interjected.
“And the Democrats, maybe? And the Democrats,” the President said.
The room fell into laughter.
The reporter then demanded proof from the President.
“Ah, you know what? You’re going to find out, and we’re gonna see – well maybe they made a bad mistake too, we’re going to find out about that,” Trump said, not actually answering the question.
“What else did they say, Mike, about ISIS?” Trump continued with his Vaudevillian stage show. “Did they say something?” he pressed, his voice leading.
The Vice President, waving his hands, opted to not expand the lie that far, and repeated his claim about “leftist groups,” which are not, in fact, Democrats.
Pence then repeated the administration’s talking point, created after Trump had tweeted there were “unknown Middle Easterners” among the asylum-seeking women and children who are fleeing gang violence, drugs, and poverty.
“The United States of America intervenes, and prevents ten terrorists, or suspected terrorists, from coming into our country every day,” he emphasized, his fingers pointing to the ground.
“So it is inconceivable that there would not be individuals from the Middle East as part of this growing caravan,” he added, using the terms “terrorists” and “individuals from the Middle East” interchangeably. They are not interchangeable.
Watch: