Press Briefing by Press Secretary Sarah Sanders | Eastern North Carolina Now

    MS. SANDERS: I'm not going to get into specifics on that matter because it involves two candidates running for office, and I'm not going to impact that due to the Hatch Act. I'll leave that to the President to make those types of statements.

    And your second question?

    Q Yes. Second question: The President talks about voter fraud at a time when there are allegations and proof of voter suppression going - taking place in the state of Georgia, where Stacy Abrams is ahead of the Republican contender, and also in North Dakota, where Native Americans who don't have a street address but have a P.O. box if they live on a reservations - they're not able to vote. So what's going on with that? Is the President talking about that? Is he working on that issue?

    MS. SANDERS: Certainly we don't support any type of voter suppression. What we do support is voter integrity. Again, I'm not going to weigh into specifics that have an impact on an election that's a few days away. We'll leave that for the President to lay out that specific case.

    Saagar. Saagar, go ahead.

    Q Thanks, Sarah. Could you tell us, does the White House currently believe that they have the legal authority to close the southern border? And is it an option that's being explored, with relation to the caravan?

    MS. SANDERS: Again, we have a number of options on the table. We're exploring each one of those.

    Q But does the White House Counsel believe?


    MS. SANDERS: When we have a decision on that, we'll let you know.

    Vivian.

    Q Thanks, Sarah. Two questions, please. First, last week, we asked the President whether he had called President Obama or any of the others that the bombs were addressed to. And he said, "If they want[ed] me to. But...we'll probably pass." Can you explain why that decision was taken?

    MS. SANDERS: The President did speak with Governor Cuomo of New York last week. And as of this time, there aren't any plans for other calls. If there are, we'll let you know.

    Q Just one quick one -

    MS. SANDERS: Hallie, go ahead. Last question. Sorry.

    Q One more about Jamal Khashoggi. Can you tell us if CIA Director Haspel actually heard the tape that the Turks allegedly have proving that he was killed in the embassy - in the consulate?

    MS. SANDERS: I can't confirm or deny the specifics of the intelligence that Director Haspel saw while she was there.

    Last question. Hallie, go ahead.

    Q Thanks, Sarah. So throughout the course of this briefing, you have repeatedly defended the President's attacks on his political opponents as valid because the midterms are coming up. So at what point -

    MS. SANDERS: No.

    Q - does the White House -

    MS. SANDERS: Not because of the midterms. I've defended the President -

    Q You said you've supported drawing contrast.

    MS. SANDERS: I've defended the President fighting back when he's regularly attacked. There's a difference. It doesn't matter if there's a midterm or not, the President is going to defend himself, and he's going to fight back.


    Q From a political perspective, right? You're making that point.

    MS. SANDERS: From any perspective.

    Q But at what point does a national tragedy take precedence over the President needing to punch back? If not now, when?

    MS. SANDERS: I think you saw the President do exactly that in the wake of a national tragedy, not just this week, but every time our country has experienced the type of heartache and pain that we have over the last week.

    This is a President who's risen to that occasion and worked to bring our country together in a number of occasions - whether it's the hurricanes, whether it's the Las Vegas shooting, whether it was the Pittsburgh shooting. All horrible, horrible tragedies that this country has experienced. And this President has come out, condemned the attacks when it is caused by an individual, and tried to look for ways to provide and bring the country together when it was a natural disaster.

    Q But both he and you have also acknowledged that, in the next breath, after he calls for unity, he does talk about division and what you describe as "drawing contrast." Is he incapable of - in the words of some - "toning it down" and toning down the rhetoric?

    MS. SANDERS: Again, I think the President has had a number of moments of bringing the country together. Once again, I'll remind you that the very first thing -

    Q But when would you say those were?

    MS. SANDERS: - the President did was condemn the attacker. And the very first thing -

    Q And the second thing he did was go after the media and press.

    MS. SANDERS: - the media did was blame the President.

    You guys have a huge responsibility to play in the divisive nature of this country, when 90 percent of the coverage of everything this President does is negative, despite the fact that the country is doing extremely well, despite the fact that the President is delivering on exactly what he said he was going to do if elected. And he got elected by an overwhelming majority of 63 million Americans who came out and supported him, and wanted to see his policies enacted.

    He's delivered on that. He's delivered on the promises he's made. And, if anything, I think it is sad and divisive the way that every single thing that comes out of the media - 90 percent of what comes out of the media's mouth is negative about this President, despite the fact that the economy is booming, despite the fact he said he would fix the trade deals. And he's done exactly that -

    Q But Sarah -

    MS. SANDERS: He said he would defeat ISIS and he has. The President has been delivering day in and day out. And I think it would be nice if, every once and a while, we could focus on a few of the positive things the President has done, instead of just attacking him.

    Q Sarah, more broadly, though -

    MS. SANDERS: Thanks so much, guys. Have a great day.

    END

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