Donald Trump delivered a remark that was quickly seized upon by critics during a speech Tuesday launching the government's new AI-powered America.gov website.
Trump was speaking about the new digital gateway to government services when he recounted a conversation he allegedly had with "serious, high-tech people" who were impressed with the site. He claimed they told him, "This will be the single biggest thing you’ve done." Trump initially demurred, calling the website "damn good" but not necessarily his greatest achievement.
He then appeared to adopt the persona of someone else, stating, "Sir, sir, there’s no question this will be the biggest thing you’ve ever done." Returning to his own voice, Trump then said, "If it is the biggest thing I’ve ever done, I’ve done a shitty job as president, I tell you. But you know what, it’s damn good."
Trump's intention, according to reporting, was to convey that if the AI website represented his administration's crowning achievement, then his overall tenure as president would have been a failure. However, the phrase "I’ve done a shitty job as president" was clipped from the exchange, widely shared on social media, and rapidly went viral.
The America.gov website is intended to serve as a portal to government services. Notably, the site has already presented information that contradicts false claims about the 2020 election, according to one report.