A photo of the president’s notepad with the words ‘I want nothing. I want nothing. I want no quid pro quo.’ is going viral.
Author: TEGNA, Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Images of President Donald Trump’s handwritten notes are gaining attention on social media. Trump said Wednesday that he wanted “nothing” from Ukraine and declared that impeachment hearings should be brought to an end.
The president read from handwritten notes when speaking to reporters on the White House lawn nearly an hour later than his scheduled departure for Texas.
Trump addressed the ongoing testimony from Gordon Sondland, ambassador to the European Union, who linked the president to a decision to withhold military aid from Ukraine in exchange for an investigation into a political rival.
But he only highlighted specific, helpful parts from Sondland’s remarks, saying “it is the final word” that he did not demand a quid pro quo.
Trump, who claimed that means “it’s all over” for the impeachment proceedings, did not take questions from reporters.
One of the sheets of notes that has gained attention online said “I want nothing. I want nothing. I want no quid pro quo.” in large capital letters. Close up shots of the notes prompted the phrase “I WANT NOTHING” to trend on Twitter.
President Trump's handwritten notes as he spoke to reporters on the White House South Lawn before departing for Texas on Wednesday morning. https://t.co/17lXLvmssC
(Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images) pic.twitter.com/EwEOglAkUp
— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 20, 2019
Some users took the contents of the notes and put them to music. Twitter user Alex Kliment created a song inspired by 1970s punk band The Ramones.
somebody on twitter today: trump's weird hand-scrawled denial today sounds like a ramones song.
me: pic.twitter.com/mynZjx0E0M
— Alex Kliment (@SaoSasha) November 21, 2019
Another Twitter user, Nick Lutsko created a song using Trump’s notes in the emo music genre.
Emo Trump recites poem on White House lawn pic.twitter.com/rAD3xRjX4L
— Nick Lutsko (@NickLutsko) November 20, 2019
Twitter user @victoryrhoad song a version of the notes herself, inspired by rock star Morrisey.
Inspired by @pattonoswalt , here's Trump's notes as if Morrissey wrote them into song, performed by me pic.twitter.com/Emka5wVwzM
— Appa the Flying 🅱ison (@victoryrhoad) November 20, 2019
“I am always trying to take a picture that no one else has,” Mark Wilson, the photographer who snapped the iconic photo said in an email to Wired. “As news consumers, we tend to see the same images from press conferences day after day, and sometimes situations arise that allow me to use my expertise to take a picture that is really quite unique and different.”