What Does (Ph) Mean ...

[Bert45]

... in the transcript of Trump's press conerence?

[ToraToraTora]

getting desperate sunshine, I am correct you know it.

[jno]

Mamya, I'm guessing these transcripts are not Trump's own (I doubt he had one, he seems to just make it up as he goes), but those of news organisations, who want to publish it all as quickly as possible and don't have time to check the source - particularly as this particular source is unlikely to tell them anything. As he doesn't necessarily speak coherently it will be more than usually unclear.

[Mamyalynne]

True Jno.

[Bert45]

I can understand (ph) being given with names, especially surnames, that are unfamiliar and which may be spelled in a different way from the way that the transcriber has chosen to use, but in the transcript the words are rarely names (except Mara and Jim). However, the words in the transcript that I've checked are a little bit garbled, and I suppose the transcriber is just being cautious.