1. “The Department of Justice is also consulting with local authorities about ways that they can maintain public safety without restricting the right of peaceful protest and while avoiding unnecessary escalation.”
“I mean IDK but don’t worry guys because I’ve got people that are consulting about ways right now. I don’t know what ways, but I can assure you that ways are definitely being consulted about.”
2. “I made clear to the attorney general that we should do what is necessary to help determine exactly what happened and to see that justice is done.”
“I don’t know how to get justice, but don’t worry because I told the attorney general that the necessary stuff is definitely the stuff we should go with. So the plan is to find a good plan and then do that plan.”
3. “I also just spoke with Governor Jay Nixon of Missouri. I expressed my concern over the violent turn that events have taken on the ground, and underscored that now’s the time for all of us to reflect on what’s happened and to find a way to come together going forward.”
“In case you think I don’t know how to solve a problem, I totally do: You think about the problem and then you find a way to solve it. And I am very concerned. Seriously, I am so concerned. I even told the governor how concerned I am.”
4. “There are going to be differences in terms of what needs to happen going forward.”
“I mean, no, I haven’t mentioned a single idea that either I nor anyone else in the government has about ‘what needs to happen going forward.’ But like, don’t worry because when people get ideas, different people are going to have different ones.”
5. “I’m confident that working together, he’s going to be able to communicate his desire to make sure that justice is done and his desire to make sure that public safety is maintained in an appropriate way.”
“I have no idea what Governor Nixon plans to do. But don’t worry, because I can tell you that not only does he want people to be safe, he is definitely able to communicate how bad he wants those people to be safe.”
6. “Now is the time for an open and transparent process to see that justice is done.”
“So yeah, I mean I can’t talk about like the steps to this process, but I totally agree with you and I’m being very open and transparent about it. Now is definitely time for a process.”
7. “And I’ve asked that the attorney general and the U.S. attorney on the scene continue to work with local officials to move that process forward.”
“I still don’t know what the process is going to be here, but I can assure you that I’ve told people to work on the process and then hopefully they will totally move forward with that process and, yeah, I’m sure it will be fine.”
8. “They will be reporting to me in the coming days about what’s being done to make sure that happens.”
“Wait, what are they doing right now? Dude, I don’t know, but don’t worry I told them to hit me up. When? Dude, I just told you, in the coming days! You know, definitely like one of these days that is coming up at some time in the future.”
— Katherine Timpf is a reporter for National Review Online.