Eddie Calvo/YouTube(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump spoke Friday with Guam Gov. Eddie Baza Calvo, who posted to his social media accounts a video of the three-minute phone conversation, assuring the lawmaker that his constituents are safe in light of North Korea’s threat to fire ICBMs at the island.
The president also predicted a boon in tourism for the U.S. territory in light of the North Korean threat.
“Good morning, good morning,” the president said to Calvo. “It’s great to speak with you. Good morning. I just wanted to pay my respects, and we are with you 1,000 percent. You are safe. We’re with you 1,000 percent. And I wanted to call you and say hello. How are you?”
Calvo, a fellow Republican, responded, “Mr. President, as the governor of Guam representing the people of Guam and as an American citizen, I have never felt more safe or so confident than with you at the helm. So, with all the criticism going on over there from a guy who is being targeted, we need a president like you, so I’m just so thankful. I’m glad you’re holding the helm, sir.”
The president then takes a jab at his predecessors, telling Calvo, “They should’ve had me eight years ago or at least somebody with my thought process because that was the time. Frankly, you could’ve said that for the last three presidents. But you’ll be taken care of.”
Trump then changed direction, and informed the governor of his apparent newfound status as a celebrity.
“Eddie, I have to tell you, you’ve become extremely famous,” said the president, who telephoned from Bedminster, New Jersey, where he is on a working vacation. “All over the world, they’re talking about Guam, and they’re talking about you. And I think tourism, I can say this, your tourism, you’re going to go up like tenfold with the expenditure of no money, so I congratulate you.”
“It looks like a beautiful place,” Trump added.
Calvo agreed, saying, “It’s paradise. We’ve got 95 percent occupancy, and after all this stuff calms down, we’re going to have 110 percent occupancy.”
Trump also spoke cryptically about North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, telling Calvo, “You notice that he hasn’t spoken recently. He doesn’t talk so much more anymore, and we’ll see how it all works out. But you’re not going to have a problem.”
Trump continued, “This is between you and I, but you don’t talk like they talk, you can’t do that, and you can’t do that with people like us.”
The pair then spoke about partisanship in the nation’s capital.
“I wish there would be less partisanship up there,” Calvo told Trump. “This is a time of threat to the United States. It shouldn’t be Democrats or Republicans. It should be everybody unifying behind our president.”
Trump responded, “Well, you’re right about that, but unfortunately, you know, we’re living with a very obstructionist group, but maybe that will change. But regardless, our military is so incredible, and there’s no partisanship there, believe me. We are rock solid, and we have the best in the world by a factor of five. So you just take care of yourself. I’ll talk to you anytime you need. And again, it looks like just a beautiful place.”
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