Transcript - Press Gaggle: Donald Trump Speaks to the Press Before Marine One Departure - September 22, 2020 | Factba.se

Donald Trump

00:00:00 - 00:00:19 (20 sec)

Hello, everybody. So we're going to Pittsburgh. We have a very big crowd, as always. We have a very, very big crowd. We are doing, actually -- I think it's a lot hotter than it was even four years ago. People like the job we're doing, and I think we're going to have a very successful day.

Donald Trump

00:00:19 - 00:00:23 (3 sec)

Do you have any questions, please?

Question

00:00:23 - 00:00:27 (5 sec)

Have you made up your mind on the Supreme Court or how close to it --

Donald Trump

00:00:27 - 00:00:32 (4 sec)

I'm getting very close to having a final decision made. Very close.

Question

00:00:32 - 00:00:33 (2 sec)

Are you going to meet with --

Donald Trump

00:00:33 - 00:00:39 (6 sec)

I'm going to make it, I believe, at 5 o'clock on Saturday. I'll be having a conference.

Question

00:00:39 - 00:00:42 (3 sec)

How many people have you interviewed? How many interviews?

Donald Trump

00:00:42 - 00:00:44 (2 sec)

I've talked to many people -- many people.

Question

00:00:44 - 00:00:52 (8 sec)

Why haven't you said anything about the U.S. hitting -- why haven't you said anything about the U.S. hitting 200,000 deaths from COVID?

Donald Trump

00:00:52 - 00:00:53 (1 sec)

Question

00:00:53 - 00:00:58 (6 sec)

Why haven't you said anything about the U.S. hitting 200,000 deaths from COVID?

Donald Trump

00:00:58 - 00:01:01 (3 sec)

Go ahead. Anybody else?

Question

00:01:01 - 00:01:12 (11 sec)

Mr. President, could you speak to the grim milestone today of 200,000 deaths to the virus? What do you want to say to the American people?

Donald Trump

00:01:12 - 00:01:29 (17 sec)

Well, I think it's a shame. I think if we didn't do it properly and do it right, you'd have two and a half million deaths. If you take a look at alternatives, you could have two and a half million deaths or something thereabouts. You could have a number that would be substantially more.

Donald Trump

00:01:29 - 00:01:54 (25 sec)

With all of that being said, we shouldn't have had anybody. And you saw my United Nations speech. China should've stopped it at their border. They should've never let this spread all over the world, and it's a terrible thing. But had we not closed our country down and reopened -- and now we're doing well in reopening; the stock market is up -- all of those things. But I think it's a horrible thing.

Donald Trump

00:01:54 - 00:02:08 (14 sec)

But if we had not done it right, you could have two million, two and a half million, or three million. But it's a horrible thing. It should've never, ever happened. China let this happen, and just remember that.

Question

00:02:08 - 00:02:13 (6 sec)

Do you think that we could hit another 200,000-death milestone?

Donald Trump

00:02:13 - 00:02:29 (16 sec)

Well, I know this: The original numbers were around 200,000, if you do it right, if you did a good job, and if the public worked along. And if you didn't do it right, you'd be a at two million, two and a half million. Those were the numbers.

Donald Trump

00:02:29 - 00:02:36 (7 sec)

But this should've never happened. This should've never come out of China. They should've never let it happen. So that's it.

Question

00:02:36 - 00:02:40 (4 sec)

Are you going to meet with Barbara Lagoa this week on Friday? Or when?

Donald Trump

00:02:40 - 00:03:00 (19 sec)

Well, I don't want to talk about who I'm meeting with, but I've spoken to many, and we're getting close to a decision. We're going to be doing it on Saturday. We're going to be meeting on Saturday. A lot of paperwork to do. And I think it's going to go very quickly.

Question

00:03:00 - 00:03:07 (8 sec)

And then one of the things that the Democrats are saying is that, if you go ahead with this, it could tear the country apart. What's your reaction to that?

Donald Trump

00:03:07 - 00:03:21 (14 sec)

Oh, I don't think so. I -- we need nine justices. You need that. With the unsolicited millions of ballots that they're sending, it's a scam; it's a hoax. Everybody knows that. And the Democrats know it better than anybody else.

Donald Trump

00:03:21 - 00:03:39 (18 sec)

So you're going to need nine justices up there. I think it's going to be very important. Because what they're doing is a hoax, with the ballots. They're sending out tens of millions of ballots, unsolicited -- not where they're being asked, but unsolicited. And that's a hoax, and you're going to need to have nine justices.

Donald Trump

00:03:39 - 00:04:15 (37 sec)

So doing it before the election would be a very good thing because you're going to probably see it, because what they're doing is trying to sow confusion and everything else. And, you know, when they talk about Russia, China, and all these others, they will be able to do something here because paper ballots are very simple -- whether they counterfeit them, forge them, do whatever you want. It's a very serious problem. And the Democrats know what they're doing is wrong, and all they want to do is go forward with it. So I think you're going to need the nine justices.

Donald Trump

00:04:15 - 00:04:37 (21 sec)

Also, I have a constitutional obligation to put in nine judges -- justices. So I think you're going to be very impressed when you see -- all of them. I mean, they're all great. These are all very talented people, and I think you'll be very impressed by the person chosen. Okay?