Q So you don't see that forecast being a factor - the one that I cited you?
THE PRESIDENT: No, look. Look. Yeah, but you didn't hear me. If we didn't do what I said, we would be at 2 million deaths right now.
Q But they're taking that into account. It's just going forward.
THE PRESIDENT: No, they're not taking that into account. I had a choice to make; if we made the wrong choice, the number that you have, which is less than other countries - but the other countries don't report tests. They don't report them to the extent, and they're not accurate. You know that, and so do I. Because we have - you take a look at some of the things happening in certain other very large countries. First of all, we're a very large country. But you take a look at things happening with respect to the reporting of deaths in other countries, and I say, "Give me a break."
So it's been amazing. But we made some moves at the beginning: China, big; Europe, big. But the biggest of all was closing it down, understanding the disease. And we did, and now we know it's the elderly. It's especially elderly if they have heart, diabetes - if they have problems. And we're watching it, and we're watching it very closely. And, by the way, we're doing super testing with respect to that. Super testing.
But if we did it a different way, instead of the number that you said - but basically, the number that we're at now is approximately 180,000 - we'd be at 2 million people right now. Could be higher than that.
Q Have you spoken to -
THE PRESIDENT: Yeah, please. Go ahead.
Q - President Putin about the Russia - the Russia vaccine, Mr. President? The Russia vaccine?
Q Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Mr. President.
THE PRESIDENT: I don't know anything about the Russia vaccine. I'm not sure. We have our vaccine, and our vaccine is - I think, it's going to be the standard. It's going to be great. And these companies are incredible. They've come up with the great vaccines over the years, and that's the vaccine that probably most of the people in this room are going to want to take. All right?
Q Thanks, Mr. President. A quick clarification, and then my question. The $300 billion, is that from the Main Street Lending Program or is that from a different part? Where - where are you pulling it?
THE PRESIDENT: It's sitting in an account; has not been spent, but we're willing to spend it.
Q But you're not sure which account.
THE PRESIDENT: No, we're willing to spend it. I'd like to get approval from Congress. There's a theory that I don't have to do that, but I'd rather be up front, and I'd like to get approval from Congress. Let it go directly to the people. It would be a great stimulus. It's actually more stimulus than we're asking for, in terms of pure stimulus. This would be pure stimulus.
I wouldn't have to let prisoners go - some very evil prisoners go. Like, think of it: The Democrats, in order to get what they want and in order to give us what we - they're talking about allowing prisoners to be released; prisoners that we don't want to be released. So in order that we get money to the American people, they want to say "release prisoners" and other things like that that are very bad. And we just can't do that. We don't want to do that.
Q And then, just to follow on Jon's question: I know you spoke you earlier about the Atlantic story, and you referenced the number of administration officials who have come out to support your -
THE PRESIDENT: Well, no, we have 11 people. I was just told - I was just told we have 11 people. There is nobody that feels more strongly about our soldiers, our wounded warriors, our soldiers that died in war, than I do. It's a hoax, just like the fake dossier was a hoax, just like the "Russia, Russia, Russia" was a hoax. It was a total hoax. No collusion. Just like so many other things. It's a hoax.
And you'll hear more of these things, totally unrelated, as we get closer and closer to election. The magazine is a failing magazine, and nobody called me - nobody called me from the magazine and said,
"Do you have a comment about it?" No, they just write whatever they want to write because they figure you can't get sued. You can't get sued, but it's very - it's a very hard - bringing lawsuits.
But we have many witnesses, and it's a total - it's a total - it's just a continuation of the witch hunt, so that it can hopefully effect the election.
But the American people are too smart. So whether it's the fake dossier that turned out to be a total fraud or so many other things - so many other things have turned out. I've been under investigation from before I even get elected. These people have gone after me more than any president in the United States in history - in the history of the United States. And it's a shame. It's a shame.
And despite that, we've done more in the first three and a half years than any administration. There's been no administration that's done more. When you add it all up, there's been no - despite all of the horrible political games that have been played.
But there's nobody that's been - that's been able to do what I've done, and that includes the great MISSION Act, because what Obama passed was a joke. It was a joke. And we took it to a level that nobody thought possible, and that includes Accountability.
So it's a disgrace that somebody is allowed to write things like that. It could have been - you know, a lot of times, the sources aren't sources; they don't exist. And sometimes the sources are just people that are disgruntled, former so-called employees.
Q Well, my question is sort of about that. I mean, the notable voice that's been missing from the denials is your former Chief of Staff, John Kelly, who was obviously intimately involved in this. What - how are we supposed to read -
THE PRESIDENT: Well, look, here's the thing: -
Q - the fact that John Kelly hasn't - hasn't denied this?
THE PRESIDENT: I know John Kelly; he was with me. Didn't do a good job, had no temperament, and ultimately, he was petered out. He got - he was exhausted. This man was totally exhausted. He wasn't even able to function in the last number of months. He was not able to function. He was sort of a tough guy. By the time he got eaten up in this world - it's a different world than he was used to - he was unable to function. And I told him, "John, you're going to have to go. Please give me your letter of resignation." And we did that. And now he goes out and bad - bad mouths.
Now, there are people that are jealous. There are people that are upset that they're not here anymore. There are people that - we've done an incredible job. The virus came in, and now we're doing an incredible job again. And we're going to build it up bigger than it was before the virus came in.
But I don't know that it was him. I haven't seen that. I mean, I see
"Anonymous," but it could have been a guy like a John Kelly because he was -
Q Did you make that comment at his son's grave?
THE PRESIDENT: Just so you understand, he was a very - if you look at some of his news conferences, what happened to him: He got eaten alive. He was unable to handle the pressure of this job. This job was a tough job. Mark Meadows is doing a great job, but Kelly was unable to do that.
And as far as that day, I mean, we have so much proof as to going to the - I went to Paris and the environs, and I was all set to go. They had a rainstorm the likes of which you've rarely seen. The fog was so great; it was - it was as dense as I've ever seen. And I almost knew that you couldn't use the helicopter. And because they had to drive through, I guess, certain parts of Paris, the Secret Service, who - by the way, we have people here that were on the trip. They're writing a report. Unable to even think about it. And I said,
"Nope, I want to go. I insist on going." It would have taken us forever.
The Paris police said,
"Please, you can't do this." They'd have to shut down various parts of Paris, and it just was not a possible situation. The helicopter would have been very quick. They had the helicopter all set, but the helicopter could never fly in that kind of weather. So - and that turned out - and that's all documented, by the way. We have all of the information from - and probably will release that information.
But I think it's a shame when a second-rate magazine - I don't read it; I know very little about this magazine. But when a second-rate magazine can write things like that about somebody that's done so much for the military, can write things like that and get away with it, where you actually ask questions on it, it's a disgrace, and you ought to be ashamed of yourself.
And let me just tell you, I watched the interview with Sleepy Joe Biden, and he didn't ask questions. You didn't ask questions like that. Read the questions you asked. They were, like, meant for a child. Those questions were meant for a child. Smiles on faces of reporters - not like you and you. There were smiles on the reporters. "What do you think?" Take a look at those questions that they ask him. They were not meant for a grown-up; they were meant for a child.
Q Can I ask about law and order?
THE PRESIDENT: So I just want to just tell you - I just want to tell you it's a disgrace, because if you look at what I've done for the United States military, I love those people. I've gotten them pay raises when they didn't get anything near what I've been able to do. And I've rebuilt - $2.5 trillion. I've rebuilt the United States military. Now we're including Space Force. Nobody has done more for them.
And then, when I have to have a report read like that from a third-rate magazine that's not going to be in business much longer, I look at that and I think it's a disgrace. And then when I watch Biden getting asked questions that are really meant for a child to answer - anybody could answer - and I look at the level of question that you people ask, I mean, honestly, it's disgraceful.
So I want to thank you all very much.
Q Law and order?
THE PRESIDENT: We appreciate it. And we're doing very well. We're very, very proud of what's happened with respect to the economy. And I think that before the election, you're going to see a third quarter announced. The third quarter will be at a level that our country has never seen before. Next year, we're going to have a year that was better than last year. And I feel very certain it'll be better than last year. It'll be the greatest year we've had.
And the whole reason this is working out this way is because we set a foundation for this country like we've never had before. So next year is going to be a fantastic year.
But remember this: The third quarter is going to be announced sometime prior to the election - by a few days, actually - and I think it's going to be record-setting-type numbers on GDP and other things.
Thank you all very much. Thank you.
END
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