Or listen live on the free cspan radio app. White House Press SecretaryKayleigh Mcenany briefed reporters into questions on a number of topics, including president trumps tweet about nascars Confederate Flag ban and driver Bubba Wallace. We will show as much of this as we can until the Appropriations Committee begins its work. Ms. Mcenany over the weekend, speeches toump gave those that speak that advance policies that lift up all americans. The president outlined a vision for the future. The president outlined a vision for stronger and safer communities. President trump said after all, what do we want . We want a strong military, great education, housing, low taxes, law order. He went on to say, we want safety, we want equal justice, we want religious liberty, we in great andiving happy communities and safe communities. Wantnt great jobs and we to be respected by the rest of the world, not taking advantage of by the rest of the world. He went on to say that we should all want the same thing. How can it be any different than those things. . This message is now more important and more timely than ever. Radical leftwing mobs seek to tear down our monuments and memorials. Everyone from George Washington to a prim link to Frederick Douglass and even gandhi. Misguided movements such as defund the police seek to leave our communities more vulnerable than ever. Case in point, this weekend alone. In new york, there were 44 shootings with 11 killed. In chicago, 75 people were shot with 13 killed. Tragically, at least five of these individuals were children who were killed in cities across the country. Absolutely devastating loss. We grieve for those families. Crime such as this is dark and divisive. This july 4, the president said, our movement is based on lifting all citizens to reach their fullest godgiven potential. Never forget, we are one family and one nation. We will teach our children to cherish and adore their country so they can build its future. This vision is not a culture war, as the media seeks to falsely proclaim. It is an embrace of our american family, our values, freedom, and future. With that, i will take questions. A couple questions. The first one, why is the president so supportive of flying the Confederate Flag . Ms. Mcenany i think you are referring to a tweet this morning. Is that right . I think you are mischaracterizing the tweet. The tweet was aimed at pointing out that the fbi report of the alleged hate crime at nascar concluded that the garage door pull, which had been there since last fall, was obviously not targeted at a specific individual, because in fact it was a garage pull and in fact it was there since last fall, long the 43 team arrived. And it was determined not a racist act. Mike bush and is, why is the president so supportive of flying the Confederate Flag . Ms. Mcenany the president never said that you are taking his tweet out of context. The president said nascar saw bad ratings because they took down the Confederate Flag. Does he believe they should fly the Confederate Flag . Ms. Mcenany the whole point of the tweet was to note the incident, the alleged hate crime that is in fact not a hate crime at the very end. The ban on the flag was mentioned in the broader context of the fact that he rejects this notion that somehow nascar men and women who go to these sporting events are racist. When in fact, as it turns out, what we saw with the fbi report in the alleged incident of a hate crime was a complete indictment of the medias rush to judgment once again, calling this a hate crime when the fbi completely dismissed that. Let me ask you about some of the president s comments this weekend. The president said 99 of coronavirus cases are totally harmless. Which levers of the White House Coronavirus task force agree with that statement . Ms. Mcenany so what the president was pointing to, and i am glad you brought it up, was a factual statement. One that is rooted in science. And one that was pointing out the fact that mortality in this country is very low. I have two charts we will pull up to illustrate that. The first chart is the case fatality rate in the united states. As you can see, the mortality rates have gone like this. Chart,o, in the second you will see the fatality rate in this country visavis other European Countries is much lower than lets say france and italy. What that speaks to is the great work of this administration with therapeutics and remdesivir, and that is what the president was pointing out. Just a followup quickly. So if you dont die, is it not harmless . Ms. Mcenany the president was noting the fact that the vast majority of americans who contract coronavirus will come out on the other site of this. Of course he takes this very seriously. Of course no one wants to see anybody in the country contract covid, which is why the administration has fought hard to make sure that is not the case with a historic response effort. A followup on his question. What is the president s position . Does he think nascar made a mistake by banning the Confederate Flag . Ms. Mcenany he said he was not making a judgment one way or the other. The intent of the tweet was to stand up for the men and women of nascar and the fans and those who have gone and the rush to judgment of the media to call some thing a hate crime when the fbi report concluded this was not an intentional racist act. It very much mirrors other times when there has been a rush to justice with the covington boys or Jussie Smollett. Lets drill down on the Confederate Flag. Does he think it was a mistake for nascar to ban it . Ms. Mcenany the president said he was not picking a judgment one way or the other. You are focusing on one word at the bottom of a tweet that is completely taken out of context and neglecting the complete rush to judgment on this. He said the readings are down because they ban the flag. That is what he said. Ms. Mcenany the president was noting that it would get, the nascar men and women who have gone and are being demeaned and called racists and being accused in some venues of committing a hate crime against an individual, they were just dead wrong. So he thinks it is important to take the flag to trump rallies . Ms. Mcenany trump rallies, all flags that are not official Campaign Gear ouare banned. Why is it his response of a little apologize for a report that he did not file . It was nascar that found it and filed it. Referred to it. Why is the president adjusting mr. Wallace should apologize . Ms. Mcenany the fbi concluded this was not a hate crime. He believes it goes a long way if bubba came out and acknowledged that as well. Why . Why ask mr. Wallace . Ms. Mcenany this is where the president comes from and where the president stands. He actually hinted at this in his july 4 speech. To those in the media who falsely and consistently label their opponents as racists, who offered clear and truthful defense of american unity, we want a clear an defense. When you level false charges, you slander me and the American People. He believes the American People are good. The allegations and rush to judgment with Jussie Smollett in the Bubba Wallace case and with the Covington Catholic boys, we should not be so quick to jump. Those are just three examples. It was proven by investigation that someone else initiated. The governor of south dakota flew back on air force one after having contact with somebody who had tested positive with the virus. Why was that allowed to happen . Did he have contact with the did she have contact with the president on the trip back . Has the president continued to test negative since that interaction . Ms. Mcenany yes. The president is tested constantly. He tested negative and those around him are tested as well. But my original question is, why was she allowed to fight back on air force one with the president when it was known she had had contact with somebody who tested positive for the virus . Ms. Mcenany i would have to refer you to secret service on that. But i will tell you they take the president s Health Seriously and would not put him in a situation that would put him in harms way. A followup please. On executive orders, the president has set a pretty brisk pace on those this year. As a candidate, he had been critical of president obamas use of executive orders. But he seems to have really stepped up the pace on these. Is thed to ask, what strategy behind issuing more than one a week so far this year . I know he is getting ready to issue more in the coming weeks. Ms. Mcenany he will use the powers and his executive toolkit to further the agenda of the American People. That is what he has intended with the executive orders. I would just note that with regards to the docket decision, the Supreme Court had wide discretion to act. About the 99 thing, harmless. Does the president worry at all that by downplaying the severity of the virus that it will lead americans to be less careful . Ms. Mcenany the president is not downplaying the severity of the virus. What the president is noting is that at the height of this pandemic, we were at 2,500 deaths per day. We are now at a place were on july 4, there were 254. On july 5, 209 individuals. Down 23 from last sunday, the lowest sunday since march 28. The president has made clear we grieve when one life is lost, but he wants to know the progress we have made. Treating this very serious virus likewe have treatments remdesivir and convalescent plasma spearheaded by this administration. He pulled down bureaucracy and allow it to a place where we can have this declining mortality rate. Just a followup on the nascar thing. You say we are taking the tweet out of context. This is what he tweeted. Has Bubba Wallace apologized to all the nascar drivers who came ,o his aid, stood by his side only to find out the whole thing was another hoax. That and the flag decision has caused the lowest ratings ever . How are we into putting that . Ms. Mcenany we will try again. In aggregate what he is pointing out is this rush to judgment to immediately say there is a hate crime as happened in this case, as happened with Jussie Smollett, as happened with the Covington Catholic boys. In aggregate, those actions made it seem like nascar men and women were racist individuals who were roping around and engaging in a hate crime. The president s intent was to say no. Most American People are good, hardworking people. We should not have this rush to judgment, kneejerk reaction before the facts come out. The fbi did their job and determined there was no hate crime. Hold on. Hold on. A followup question. Why should mr. Wallace have to apologize for that when his whole team and all the colleagues came around him to show support . Ms. Mcenany that is the best of america, coming around when the media says it is a hate crime. It shows how loving nascar fans are, and the fellow drivers. I think it is important that we point out the fact that there was no hate crime. The fbi concluded that. President trump really saying mr. Wallace should agree with that consensus. But he should apologize. He is saying he needs to apologize. That is what we are asking you. Ms. Mcenany i am not going to answer the question. You have been asked this but have not answered it. On the confederate part, why would the president not praise nascar for removing the Confederate Flag . Particularly given the history of the flag, the symbol it has for africanamericans, and also what it represents with the treasonous acts and insurrection against the republic . Why is he not for taking that down . Kneejerk reactions of summed up as racist permit in aggregate, the picture being painted here in this incident seems to be that there was that suggestion when in fact what we are seeing across the nation is the cancel culture where we are going to tear down our monuments, we are going to tear down gandhi, we are going to tear down George Washington, we are going to tear down lincoln. It is really quite appalling what we have seen across the country. The president wants no part in cancel culture. He wants no part in the tearing down and defacing of Matthias Baldwin, an abolitionist, civil war soldiers, john greenlee. He wants no part in this. He stands against the demonization of americans and stands firmly on the side of preserving our history. That is not the issue. Ms. Mcenany i have said from the start of this briefing, he has not given an opinion one way or the other on that. I just spoke to him this morning. What exactly does the presidency as positive or uniting about the Confederate Flag . Why did he decide to tweet about it this morning . Ms. Mcenany the president never used those words. Those are the words of a reporter, not the president of the united states. The president argued on friday and again on saturday that many of the problems the country faces stem from extreme indoctrination and bias in the education system. If that is the case, is he working with secretary devos to address what he sees as a major problem . What steps is he taking . Can you give us an example . Ms. Mcenany i would have to inquire about that, about specific steps he has taken. I am not aware of his conversations with secretary devos but will certainly follow up. We have a real problem in this country. Riders where writers there seems to be zero understanding of history when you take the statue of Matthias Baldwin and John Whittier and ulysses s grant. There seems to be a lack of understanding and historical knowledge. Remembering victims of all crimes against humanity