During a press conference outside the Rose Garden on Friday, President Donald Trump shrugged off the idea that he’s influenced by conservative firebrand and “In Trump We Trust” author Ann Coulter. Trump said he doesn’t “have time” to speak to Coulter, who’s been vocal in her criticism of the president’s movement on the promised southern border wall, and essentially called Coulter crazy, saying she’s “nice” but “off the reservation.”
“Ann Coulter, I don’t know her,” Trump told the press, as reported by The Hill. “I hardly know her. I haven’t spoken to her in way over a year. But the press loves saying, ‘Ann Coulter.'”
“Probably if I did speak to her, she’d be very nice,” he continued. “I just don’t have the time to speak to her. I would speak to her. I have nothing against her.”
Trump went on to talk about Coulter’s very early decision to back him during the 2016 Republican primary and general election, which is the “one reason” the president says he “like[s] her.”
“In fact, I like her for one reason. When they asked her right at the beginning, ‘Who’s going to win the election?’ She said, ‘Donald Trump.’ And the two people that asked her that question smiled. They said, ‘You’re kidding, aren’t you?’ Nope. Donald Trump,” Trump explained.
“I like her, but she’s off the reservation,” he added. “Anybody that knows her understands that. But I haven’t spoken to her. I don’t follow her. I don’t talk to her.”
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Coulter has since responded on Twitter, mocking Trump for what Coulter seems to believe is a subpar job on fulfilling his campaign promise to secure our southern border.
“He seems to think ‘the reservation’ is HIM, not his campaign promises,” wrote Coulter, referencing Trump’s “off the reservation” directed at her.
“THANK YOU, Mr. President for admitting that your total capitulation on campaign promises has nothing to do with me,” she jabbed.
Coulter also noted that the number one trending topic on Twitter is “25th Amendment.”
It was revealed Thursday that former Acting Director of the FBI Andrew McCabe reportedly discussed invoking the 25th Amendment to oust Trump from office after the president fired then-FBI Director James Comey.
Coulter also said it is President Trump who is “100%” to blame for failures at the border.
“This is not Paul Ryan’s fault. It’s not Mitch McConnell’s fault. Trump ran AGAINST the GOP and won. Responsibility is 100% his,” she said.
Though Coulter was an early and unflinching supporter of Trump during the 2016 primary and general election, the firebrand has been equally unflinching with her criticism of the president when she feels he’s being weak, particularly on immigration.
In December, for example, Coulter said Trump’s “safe word” with porn star Stormy Daniels was “wall.”
“In the end, we’ll probably find out ‘wall’ was Trump’s ‘safe word’ with Stormy Daniels. It’s just something he blurts out whenever he’s in trouble,” Coulter said, adding: “His business is convincing people with lowbrow taste to give him their money. Either Trump never intended to build the wall and was scamming voters all along, or he has no idea how to get it done and zero interest in finding out.”
Soon after the criticism, President Trump “unfollowed” Coulter on Twitter.