In an Oval Office interview with Terry Moran of ABC News, Trump clearly expected this journalist—and every viewer—to swallow his lies. This is intolerable.
“To argue with a man who has renounced the use and authority of reason, and whose philosophy consists in holding humanity in contempt, is like administering medicine to the dead, or endeavoring to convert an atheist by scripture.” - Thomas Paine
I’m so glad you wrote this piece and published the conversation between Terry Moran and DJT because it demonstrates exactly how Trump tries to use his position to overpower anyone who disagrees with him. This is his presidency in a nutshell. His cabinet members have taken an oath to the following: Agree to NEVER disagree with any idea or order, no matter how cruel, insane, or inane. Agree to praise him. Agree to humiliate themselves and/or be humiliated by him. Agree to lie. Agree to put him before their oath to uphold the Constitution. Agree to turn a blind eye to the rule of law. Agree to support any inhumane and cruel response to anyone Trump unleashes. Agree that lies can be ‘truths’ if they are told by Trump. Agree that Trump never makes a mistake, nor should he take responsibility for his actions.
You can’t fix stupid. That a stable genius would believe that a gang member would tattoo his affiliation is absurd. My understanding is that they use colors to identify themselves. Perhaps I’m the one that’s wrong. In any event, Terry attempted to end the topic with, agree to disagree. Unfortunately trump is like a dog with a bone. Can someone look at the photos of the Senator meeting with Kilmar. In any of them, are his hands visible? That might help.
Bondi is as delusional as trump. To claim that they removed several thousand pounds of fentanyl from the streets and saved some 258 million lives boggles the mind. I don’t recall seeing any press conferences showing such seizures. DEA/DOJ typically holds press conferences. To say they saved 2/3 of the country, perhaps she’s one of the 258.
According to the news sources I was able to find, it looks like fentanyl seizures so far this year are lower than they were in 2022, 2023 and 2024. In other words, President Biden already saved everyone and there was no one left for trump to save. :-)
Yes, Blond Bambi claimed 258 Million American lives were saved because of their fentanyl seizures so far. Uh, there are less than 350Million people in the US. That 258M is most of the population.
As you point out - previous seizures in recent years makes that absurd.
I guess we are to believe the US population was wiped out and resurrected to vote for him?
The only way to respond to a bully is, sadly, by being a bully yourself. So what if Trump tries to pressure you? So what if you don't get to interview him again? Say the truth and tell him he is mistaken. The US "media" should take a course from BBC reporters, who hold everyone's feet to the fire, access be damned. The softball questions, the obsequious fawning, the nodding along to lies--when I hear such cautious reporting on radio or TV, I can't take it.
After all this time, even solid journalists and interviewers do not know how to handle this man when he blatantly lies. He wants the interview as much as the interviewer wants it. The response is - when you are sure you have the facts - "Mr. President, that is simply not accurate. I understand why you do not want to admit that. I accept and for the moment will respect that you do not want to admit that. Now, we can proceed or not." Call bullshit, call the bluff, respectfully if you must (remember how malleable he is in response to flattery). If the interview is lost at that moment, and interviews are lost repeatedly because interviewers will not agree with the lies, eventually his insatiable need for attention, to have another opportunity to dominate, will outweigh his need to get the lie of the moment across. Then the story becomes, "Unable to accept when confronted with his lie, stormed out of interview like petulant child," not the content of the lie. Or the worse story, "Journalist agrees with known lie in order to complete interview." Remember his openness to access by Woodward through - what was it - four books? He thought he could bullshit his way through that pro; sway him to come on over to the dark side. Yeah, didn't work.
I agree that is the story we would see. It is not what everyone would see. Especially ones who only read or follow “influences” for their news.
I found it hilarious that he thought giving Bob Woodward access to his thoughts and confessions would turn out well. Donnie doesn’t understand books. He understands TV and social media. Usually there is staff in the wings at interviewers who will step in if something goes awry. Social media claims are cleaned up recast by his staff or appointees. Not so for his personal phone calls. It was very disappointing that Woodward’s books and interviews made hardly a ripple.
Agree that the people who ought to see the clip (if it would get that far without, as you note, a handler stepping in to cut off the interview) probably wouldn't, but an interviewing network - if they have the stones (and the deep pockets) - could flood the internet with it and it would live there forever. Eventually it might seep to the MAGATs.
Also agree he doesn't understand books which are hard print (and hard to read, does he at all?) once they're in print and the only way to delete those is - as we see - to burn books. Cannot burn 'em all.
But his granting that much time to Woodward also is a testament to T's narcissism and psychopathy believing he can charm anyone, or run them over. As effective as Ted Bundy and Manson (not Marilyn). And he can, most everyone. I think Woodward even mentions feeling both the charm and the bullying in the interviews at some point in the books. And, agree, unfortunate they might not have gotten the readership they deserved. (I wonder if Woodward's on Substack). They provide perfect views of the man. His niece's book (a psychologist herself) "Too Much and Never Enough" maybe the best available on developmental/family how he got to be the way he is. (Will he plead emotionally abused childhood if he is ever criminally charged again?) Also, his biographer, can't remember name right now, who later wrote that he regretted ever having given him favorable print.
All in all, I wish interviewers would have intensive training in how to interview this man with these particular pathologies. Not easy to say the least. (Can you think of anyone who's done it well?)
Not really good interview of him. Even with Chris Wallace it was a flood of lies & distortions. His staff was waiting with props for his lies. Wallace did state trump had agreed no subject was off limits.
Where is the value to the public? He gets video clips for social media and free TV time to do his president act. The public especially those less political see 2 guys arguing about whose ‘facts’ are real. (His campaigns have never agreed not to use faked videos.)
With every appearance, every statement like Trump’s bald “gang tattoo”, we need to keep shouting “Lies! Lies!” As a lifetime pathological liar, Trump may no longer be able to distinguish his own lies from facts. In business, a non-oligarch this damaged would not be given any responsibility, not even managing the salad bar in Whole Foods.
I read the transcript of the Terry Moran interview, and I thought Moran did pretty well. Think of Trump as a potentially violent individual, one who could blow up without apparent cause at any moment -- and who happens to be president of the U.S. Moran took some risks in pushing Trump as much as he did. The cabinet and most congressional Republicans, OTOH, seem to be suffering from Stockholm syndrome.
I don't think it is Stockholm syndrome for most of the congressional Republicans and all of the Cabinet members. They willingly campaigned to be in this position by prostituting themselves and choose to remain there by more of the same.
I agree that Terry Moran did pretty well, certainly he was more effective than other media interviewers. I would not have been aware of this interview, since I usually do not watch or read them, as I know Trump will lie and most reporters let him get away with his lies. Trump thought he could flatter someone of whom he had never heard and get him on his side by granting the interview and "making him a star." Moran did not take the bait.
It is worth watching the body language of the interview. Also, the disbelief on Moran's face when Trump calls the Declaration of Independence "a document of love and unity" is priceless. (Kudos to the camera operator!). Clearly, Trump has never read the document, just as he has never opened a Bible in his life.
"Stockholm syndrome" isn't the best analogy, but I do think of the ones who claim (privately, of course, and off the record) to be getting death threats, and of course some of them really do seem to be representing their constituents' views -- at least until the constituents realize what it's gonna cost them. Their funders seem to be happy enough.
Terry Moran might get to be somewhat of a star without Trump's help!
The number of "deals" is less the issue than the underlying premise. This is not a zero sum game. The way things have worked for 80 years has been through the creation of win-win scenarios, not the winner-loser arrangement trump is trying to negotiate. As a result of the win-win approach, prior to January 20, 2025, the USA had become the richest country in history that possessed an economy that was the envy of the world. That was accomplished by creating an environment where it was to another country's advantage to do business with the USA. He is creating an environment where it is advantageous for that other country to find a different trading partner. That is why our economy is being devastated by his nonsensical approach. Even if he cuts these "deals," they are likely to result in the other country involved in the deal looking for a better and more reliable trading partner. China is taking the smart approach: you can't trust him, so don't do business with him. Nearly everyone who has ever done business with Trump has found out the wisdom of that approach at one point or another.
I agree. China began changing the economic plan. Pundits panned them for a slowing economy but part of it was due to creating an emphasis on producing & buying Chinese products. After they get the technology they need, their ‘partners’ are no longer needed. They take it, improve and produce their own.
China also began slowly selling its US Treasuries. So it is no longer the largest holder of our debt. Forbes & some others thing the foreign bond market trading that took place after US markets closed was due to China quietly selling. Then US Treasury investors ‘got a little queasy.” Another sign of not trusting the US. Fewer investors drove up yields. That in turn raises the interest rates on our debt ….
Our allies are not only our trading partners, they own a lot of our debt.
Trump is *so* insulting. ‘Frankly, I never heard of you.’ He’s negating someone’s career because all he ever did was listen to Hannity. To every reporter: push back harder. So what if he throws you out and calls a halt to the interview? He’s thrown tempers tantrums before; he’s looking for obeisance. Don’t give in!
As a former journalist, including a brief stint in the White House Press Corp, this sickens me to new depths. The wire service I represented was too small to have designated seating, but my questions were taken and answered and never ever did Marlin Fitzwater or his deputies obfuscate or lie. What has happened to this country? Its corporate-controlled legacy media sane-washed this wholly unfit lying monster and when they helped engineer his election, they rushed to bend the knee and obey in advance so they “wouldn’t lose access.” Disgusting. Terry Moran’s predecessor from my time was Sam Donaldson. Can you imagine Sam buying any of the garbage spewing from that mouth?
I didn’t hear Moran ‘buying’ the story the Orange Menace was spewing. I think it is a useless format for a meaningful discussion with a lying liar who spends a most of his time reiterating his lies, interrupting and trying to change the subject.
Trump is apparently serving, ahem, in an interim capacity, as head of the Ministry of Truth. He might as well have said, "Terry, the truth is what we tell you." Sickening.
The sad thing about this, is his supporters with their deeply embedded confirmation bias, believe everything he says and nothing from anyone that contradicts him. Facts and truth don't matter.
Because we all can read or hear or watch dump's endless diatribe actually digging a deeper hole was a gift. And showing the photoshopped picture of his knuckles is priceless... looks like a child taped numbers on a picture.. it makes dump look more of a fool every second of every day ... his childish insistance the interviewer should be grateful... the irony of lambasting the journalist has actually caused this exchange to be shown over and over.. ( I'm not praising his journalistic attributes my guess is he was more than likely scared )
Childish indeed. This looks like a 78 year old man. No. This is a spoiled irrational ignorant Child. Only a Bad Seed child would behave like this. Instead of a mature, Adult, world leading public servant. we American citizens, and 535 Adult members of Congress, and 9 Supreme Court Justices are allowing a rotten little kid to mismanage the federal government.
I suspect there were orders from headquarters. These interviews are not at the total discretion of the journalists. It is someone above them who does the negotiating. At the beginning there was 5 minutes of ‘admiring’ the Oval Office and his “beautifying” additions. — The Gulf of America sign always present.
I also suspect the Orange Menace knows it is better for him to spend time haggling about what is in a photo image than why it is not being used in court. IOW, why no due process?
On the one hand I was disappointed he did not take trump up on his ‘do you want me to’ show the image. A staff person may have been there with it - or not. But it likely would have just prolonged his lying on that topic.
Overall, I’m tired of the interviews. I used to think I should watch them to get a better idea of what was said - beyond blurbs. There is no ‘there there’. They’ve become a ratings gimmick for networks & free political advertising for this administration.
Imagine that Terry Moran was interviewing a 10 year old boy. A spoiled playground bully. A dishonest, dishonorable, disrespectful Child. A Child who doesn't care about the truth or accountability or honor or morality. Read the transcript and imagine the words from Trump as coming from a 10 year old boy. Read his tweets. Listen to his words. The President of the United States of America is living in a Child Ego State. Only a child would behave like this. A little boy who expects the Adults to bend to his will. Or he will throw a shit fit and retaliate. He expects the Adults to agree to his "reality" or he will hurt them.
Now realize that the 535 honorable, respectful mature Adults, who we Americans have elected to high offices of public service, are afraid of this little boy. 9 Supreme Court Justices are afraid of him. Senator Lisa Murkowski and every other GOP Senator and Representative is afraid. The Press is afraid. Some cowardly law firms and universities and big corporate CEOs are afraid.
We are reliving the Twilight Zone TV episode where the all powerful little boy brat must be stroked by the Adults to avoid being killed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxTMbIxEj-E
The difference in our reality is that we, the people, the free and equal, honorable and honest American Citizens, are in control. If there is a danger to the Republic the Citizens will remove it.
This is a President who is violating his oath of office. Breaking laws by the hundreds. Rewriting the Constitution to his desires. Third term? Bullshit. Revoke citizenship? Bullshit. Steal from and harm Americans and others without consequence? Bullshit.
Sending innocents to hellish prisons without legal due process--and threatening each of us with the same treatment. Using the government Treasury for crypto coin con scams. Taking bribes from corporations and foreign governments.
And instituting a National Sales Tax out of his faulty imagination, and roiling the world financial markets on his childish whims, causing real financial harm on American families.
We are not powerless. When a parasite turns into a predator and threatens harm, the predator must be removed. When we give the keys to the bus to a child and he crashes it into the guardrails along the cliff, on purpose. We take away the keys.
It is time for the Adults in public office to become Parents. And put a stop to Little Donnie. Send him kicking and screaming back home. 340 Million free Americans will not tolerate this out of control, spoiled rotten, destructive little boy for much longer.
Waiting for the next election is unwise when the predator is destroying us. King Charles I, who believed he was appointed by God and would not be second guessed by Parliament, learned he could not tax and torture his subjects forever.
Trump is incredibly stupid, and “he is talking” and “he is lying” are virtually the same thing. But I suspect that sometimes we assume the latter when it’s more a case of the former. Take the PhotoShopped picture of Abrego Garcia’s knuckles. For Trump to be actually lying he’d have to understand what PhotoShop is, that it was used on the photo in question, and that it was given to him for the purpose of deceiving. I’m not willing to make those assumptions. It was probably, “Here, look at this!” and he doesn’t have the brain power to discern that it’s altered. Just sayin’.
It is shameful that the press has still not learned to stop playing footsie with Trump. Journalists need to call out his lies to his face in clear unequivocal terms regardless of the pressure from their corporate bosses to play ball with this mentally unfit, criminal thug.
Yes, and journalists need to push back with follow up questions when Trump either rambles on incoherently or fabricates things out of thin air.
The failure of the press has brought us to this sorry pitch.
I think the interviews are worthless for informing the public. Instead they are now a ratings gimmick for networks & free political advertising for him. Reporters don’t set the terms of an interview. The networks do the ‘big fish’. I have no clue what the terms were.
I did see he was peeved enough at one point when pressed on whether he had 100% confidence in Hegseth to include in his response “I don’t have 100% confidence that we’re going to finish this interview.” Every time Moran corrected him the Orange Menace interrupted and/or talked over him.
They could do that for 30 minutes or until he walked out. I don’t see the point. I think he digs his heels in on less meaningful things to avoid hot topics - like Hegseth. Just as the photo is not as important as the real issue - lack of due process.
I’ve read a couple pieces of reporting that show Bukele’s ulterior motive for wanting MS-13 prisoners. To meet his request DOJ dumped their own cases. To me these articles are more important than listening to more of his lies.
It is their job. I really believe good reporting is crucial. Verbally sparring with him is pointless. It’s like trying to hold a handful of jello. The reporter is bound by facts & rules but the interviewee is bound by nothing.
Contrast and Compare can be more effective. When he blathers on some topic, tie the new story to his trail of comments on the subject. His election - the ‘trump effect’ made the markets go up. He took office & boasted it made the Dow Jones hit 45,000 in February. Now he says ‘these are all Biden numbers’ ‘We’ came into office in January. No one points to February! Now the Dow is struggling at about 40,000. Same story on other economic indicators which he said it might still be ‘Biden numbers’ next quarter.
Or more to what has the public’s attention - his tariff talk when running. Other countries will pay blah blah blah. Tariff talk evolution until with a touch of arrogance the other day — maybe children will have ‘2 dolls instead of 30’ for Christmas - and they’ll ‘cost a couple bucks more.’
He can be discredited by his own words. If people are open to listening.
Talk to ‘people on the street’ not always analysts. MSNBC did this. It was funny sort of Art Linkletter show moment in light of the ‘2 dolls’ comment. 😊
The statements made by the Cabinet members absolutely made me gag. How do these people look at themselves in the mirror every morning?
Maybe they don't actually see a reflection.
No reflection: vampire?
Means they have no soul.
“To argue with a man who has renounced the use and authority of reason, and whose philosophy consists in holding humanity in contempt, is like administering medicine to the dead, or endeavoring to convert an atheist by scripture.” - Thomas Paine
Same as it ever was…
https://open.substack.com/pub/albellenchia/p/land-of?r=7wk5d&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
I’m so glad you wrote this piece and published the conversation between Terry Moran and DJT because it demonstrates exactly how Trump tries to use his position to overpower anyone who disagrees with him. This is his presidency in a nutshell. His cabinet members have taken an oath to the following: Agree to NEVER disagree with any idea or order, no matter how cruel, insane, or inane. Agree to praise him. Agree to humiliate themselves and/or be humiliated by him. Agree to lie. Agree to put him before their oath to uphold the Constitution. Agree to turn a blind eye to the rule of law. Agree to support any inhumane and cruel response to anyone Trump unleashes. Agree that lies can be ‘truths’ if they are told by Trump. Agree that Trump never makes a mistake, nor should he take responsibility for his actions.
The Republican Senators and Representatives similarly debase themselves.
You can’t fix stupid. That a stable genius would believe that a gang member would tattoo his affiliation is absurd. My understanding is that they use colors to identify themselves. Perhaps I’m the one that’s wrong. In any event, Terry attempted to end the topic with, agree to disagree. Unfortunately trump is like a dog with a bone. Can someone look at the photos of the Senator meeting with Kilmar. In any of them, are his hands visible? That might help.
Bondi is as delusional as trump. To claim that they removed several thousand pounds of fentanyl from the streets and saved some 258 million lives boggles the mind. I don’t recall seeing any press conferences showing such seizures. DEA/DOJ typically holds press conferences. To say they saved 2/3 of the country, perhaps she’s one of the 258.
This shows the photoshopped tattoos. They are not on his hand in the photos with the Senator taken last week in El Salvador.
https://www.theverge.com/politics/658612/donald-trump-kilmar-abrego-garcia-tattoos-photoshop
Thank you.
According to the news sources I was able to find, it looks like fentanyl seizures so far this year are lower than they were in 2022, 2023 and 2024. In other words, President Biden already saved everyone and there was no one left for trump to save. :-)
Yes, Blond Bambi claimed 258 Million American lives were saved because of their fentanyl seizures so far. Uh, there are less than 350Million people in the US. That 258M is most of the population.
As you point out - previous seizures in recent years makes that absurd.
I guess we are to believe the US population was wiped out and resurrected to vote for him?
Well, they and he believe he was sent by God. That to me is blasphemy.
🤣
She lies as well as her boss!
s
The only way to respond to a bully is, sadly, by being a bully yourself. So what if Trump tries to pressure you? So what if you don't get to interview him again? Say the truth and tell him he is mistaken. The US "media" should take a course from BBC reporters, who hold everyone's feet to the fire, access be damned. The softball questions, the obsequious fawning, the nodding along to lies--when I hear such cautious reporting on radio or TV, I can't take it.
After all this time, even solid journalists and interviewers do not know how to handle this man when he blatantly lies. He wants the interview as much as the interviewer wants it. The response is - when you are sure you have the facts - "Mr. President, that is simply not accurate. I understand why you do not want to admit that. I accept and for the moment will respect that you do not want to admit that. Now, we can proceed or not." Call bullshit, call the bluff, respectfully if you must (remember how malleable he is in response to flattery). If the interview is lost at that moment, and interviews are lost repeatedly because interviewers will not agree with the lies, eventually his insatiable need for attention, to have another opportunity to dominate, will outweigh his need to get the lie of the moment across. Then the story becomes, "Unable to accept when confronted with his lie, stormed out of interview like petulant child," not the content of the lie. Or the worse story, "Journalist agrees with known lie in order to complete interview." Remember his openness to access by Woodward through - what was it - four books? He thought he could bullshit his way through that pro; sway him to come on over to the dark side. Yeah, didn't work.
I agree that is the story we would see. It is not what everyone would see. Especially ones who only read or follow “influences” for their news.
I found it hilarious that he thought giving Bob Woodward access to his thoughts and confessions would turn out well. Donnie doesn’t understand books. He understands TV and social media. Usually there is staff in the wings at interviewers who will step in if something goes awry. Social media claims are cleaned up recast by his staff or appointees. Not so for his personal phone calls. It was very disappointing that Woodward’s books and interviews made hardly a ripple.
Agree that the people who ought to see the clip (if it would get that far without, as you note, a handler stepping in to cut off the interview) probably wouldn't, but an interviewing network - if they have the stones (and the deep pockets) - could flood the internet with it and it would live there forever. Eventually it might seep to the MAGATs.
Also agree he doesn't understand books which are hard print (and hard to read, does he at all?) once they're in print and the only way to delete those is - as we see - to burn books. Cannot burn 'em all.
But his granting that much time to Woodward also is a testament to T's narcissism and psychopathy believing he can charm anyone, or run them over. As effective as Ted Bundy and Manson (not Marilyn). And he can, most everyone. I think Woodward even mentions feeling both the charm and the bullying in the interviews at some point in the books. And, agree, unfortunate they might not have gotten the readership they deserved. (I wonder if Woodward's on Substack). They provide perfect views of the man. His niece's book (a psychologist herself) "Too Much and Never Enough" maybe the best available on developmental/family how he got to be the way he is. (Will he plead emotionally abused childhood if he is ever criminally charged again?) Also, his biographer, can't remember name right now, who later wrote that he regretted ever having given him favorable print.
All in all, I wish interviewers would have intensive training in how to interview this man with these particular pathologies. Not easy to say the least. (Can you think of anyone who's done it well?)
Not really good interview of him. Even with Chris Wallace it was a flood of lies & distortions. His staff was waiting with props for his lies. Wallace did state trump had agreed no subject was off limits.
Where is the value to the public? He gets video clips for social media and free TV time to do his president act. The public especially those less political see 2 guys arguing about whose ‘facts’ are real. (His campaigns have never agreed not to use faked videos.)
Gosh, there are so many who’ve had regrets about puffing him up. Maybe you are thinking of the ghost writer for Art of the Deal? https://www.yahoo.com/news/trumps-art-deal-co-author-142754334.html
That's who I was thinking of, thank you!
PS, hat tip to our host here...have you seen Beschloss's "Oswald and His Mother"? Fantastic. Explanatory how that killer developed.
With every appearance, every statement like Trump’s bald “gang tattoo”, we need to keep shouting “Lies! Lies!” As a lifetime pathological liar, Trump may no longer be able to distinguish his own lies from facts. In business, a non-oligarch this damaged would not be given any responsibility, not even managing the salad bar in Whole Foods.
I read the transcript of the Terry Moran interview, and I thought Moran did pretty well. Think of Trump as a potentially violent individual, one who could blow up without apparent cause at any moment -- and who happens to be president of the U.S. Moran took some risks in pushing Trump as much as he did. The cabinet and most congressional Republicans, OTOH, seem to be suffering from Stockholm syndrome.
I don't think it is Stockholm syndrome for most of the congressional Republicans and all of the Cabinet members. They willingly campaigned to be in this position by prostituting themselves and choose to remain there by more of the same.
I agree that Terry Moran did pretty well, certainly he was more effective than other media interviewers. I would not have been aware of this interview, since I usually do not watch or read them, as I know Trump will lie and most reporters let him get away with his lies. Trump thought he could flatter someone of whom he had never heard and get him on his side by granting the interview and "making him a star." Moran did not take the bait.
It is worth watching the body language of the interview. Also, the disbelief on Moran's face when Trump calls the Declaration of Independence "a document of love and unity" is priceless. (Kudos to the camera operator!). Clearly, Trump has never read the document, just as he has never opened a Bible in his life.
"Stockholm syndrome" isn't the best analogy, but I do think of the ones who claim (privately, of course, and off the record) to be getting death threats, and of course some of them really do seem to be representing their constituents' views -- at least until the constituents realize what it's gonna cost them. Their funders seem to be happy enough.
Terry Moran might get to be somewhat of a star without Trump's help!
The number of "deals" is less the issue than the underlying premise. This is not a zero sum game. The way things have worked for 80 years has been through the creation of win-win scenarios, not the winner-loser arrangement trump is trying to negotiate. As a result of the win-win approach, prior to January 20, 2025, the USA had become the richest country in history that possessed an economy that was the envy of the world. That was accomplished by creating an environment where it was to another country's advantage to do business with the USA. He is creating an environment where it is advantageous for that other country to find a different trading partner. That is why our economy is being devastated by his nonsensical approach. Even if he cuts these "deals," they are likely to result in the other country involved in the deal looking for a better and more reliable trading partner. China is taking the smart approach: you can't trust him, so don't do business with him. Nearly everyone who has ever done business with Trump has found out the wisdom of that approach at one point or another.
I agree. China began changing the economic plan. Pundits panned them for a slowing economy but part of it was due to creating an emphasis on producing & buying Chinese products. After they get the technology they need, their ‘partners’ are no longer needed. They take it, improve and produce their own.
China also began slowly selling its US Treasuries. So it is no longer the largest holder of our debt. Forbes & some others thing the foreign bond market trading that took place after US markets closed was due to China quietly selling. Then US Treasury investors ‘got a little queasy.” Another sign of not trusting the US. Fewer investors drove up yields. That in turn raises the interest rates on our debt ….
Our allies are not only our trading partners, they own a lot of our debt.
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/ranked-the-top-20-countries-holding-the-most-u-s-debt/
Trump is *so* insulting. ‘Frankly, I never heard of you.’ He’s negating someone’s career because all he ever did was listen to Hannity. To every reporter: push back harder. So what if he throws you out and calls a halt to the interview? He’s thrown tempers tantrums before; he’s looking for obeisance. Don’t give in!
As a former journalist, including a brief stint in the White House Press Corp, this sickens me to new depths. The wire service I represented was too small to have designated seating, but my questions were taken and answered and never ever did Marlin Fitzwater or his deputies obfuscate or lie. What has happened to this country? Its corporate-controlled legacy media sane-washed this wholly unfit lying monster and when they helped engineer his election, they rushed to bend the knee and obey in advance so they “wouldn’t lose access.” Disgusting. Terry Moran’s predecessor from my time was Sam Donaldson. Can you imagine Sam buying any of the garbage spewing from that mouth?
I didn’t hear Moran ‘buying’ the story the Orange Menace was spewing. I think it is a useless format for a meaningful discussion with a lying liar who spends a most of his time reiterating his lies, interrupting and trying to change the subject.
The transcript is pretty clear.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/full-transcript-trumps-exclusive-100-days-broadcast-interview/story?id=121291672
Trump is apparently serving, ahem, in an interim capacity, as head of the Ministry of Truth. He might as well have said, "Terry, the truth is what we tell you." Sickening.
The sad thing about this, is his supporters with their deeply embedded confirmation bias, believe everything he says and nothing from anyone that contradicts him. Facts and truth don't matter.
Donald Trump: "Just remember: What you're seeing and what you're reading is not what's happening."
George Orwell wrote in 1984, "The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command."
Because we all can read or hear or watch dump's endless diatribe actually digging a deeper hole was a gift. And showing the photoshopped picture of his knuckles is priceless... looks like a child taped numbers on a picture.. it makes dump look more of a fool every second of every day ... his childish insistance the interviewer should be grateful... the irony of lambasting the journalist has actually caused this exchange to be shown over and over.. ( I'm not praising his journalistic attributes my guess is he was more than likely scared )
Childish indeed. This looks like a 78 year old man. No. This is a spoiled irrational ignorant Child. Only a Bad Seed child would behave like this. Instead of a mature, Adult, world leading public servant. we American citizens, and 535 Adult members of Congress, and 9 Supreme Court Justices are allowing a rotten little kid to mismanage the federal government.
I suspect there were orders from headquarters. These interviews are not at the total discretion of the journalists. It is someone above them who does the negotiating. At the beginning there was 5 minutes of ‘admiring’ the Oval Office and his “beautifying” additions. — The Gulf of America sign always present.
I also suspect the Orange Menace knows it is better for him to spend time haggling about what is in a photo image than why it is not being used in court. IOW, why no due process?
On the one hand I was disappointed he did not take trump up on his ‘do you want me to’ show the image. A staff person may have been there with it - or not. But it likely would have just prolonged his lying on that topic.
Overall, I’m tired of the interviews. I used to think I should watch them to get a better idea of what was said - beyond blurbs. There is no ‘there there’. They’ve become a ratings gimmick for networks & free political advertising for this administration.
Imagine that Terry Moran was interviewing a 10 year old boy. A spoiled playground bully. A dishonest, dishonorable, disrespectful Child. A Child who doesn't care about the truth or accountability or honor or morality. Read the transcript and imagine the words from Trump as coming from a 10 year old boy. Read his tweets. Listen to his words. The President of the United States of America is living in a Child Ego State. Only a child would behave like this. A little boy who expects the Adults to bend to his will. Or he will throw a shit fit and retaliate. He expects the Adults to agree to his "reality" or he will hurt them.
Now realize that the 535 honorable, respectful mature Adults, who we Americans have elected to high offices of public service, are afraid of this little boy. 9 Supreme Court Justices are afraid of him. Senator Lisa Murkowski and every other GOP Senator and Representative is afraid. The Press is afraid. Some cowardly law firms and universities and big corporate CEOs are afraid.
We are reliving the Twilight Zone TV episode where the all powerful little boy brat must be stroked by the Adults to avoid being killed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxTMbIxEj-E
The difference in our reality is that we, the people, the free and equal, honorable and honest American Citizens, are in control. If there is a danger to the Republic the Citizens will remove it.
This is a President who is violating his oath of office. Breaking laws by the hundreds. Rewriting the Constitution to his desires. Third term? Bullshit. Revoke citizenship? Bullshit. Steal from and harm Americans and others without consequence? Bullshit.
Sending innocents to hellish prisons without legal due process--and threatening each of us with the same treatment. Using the government Treasury for crypto coin con scams. Taking bribes from corporations and foreign governments.
And instituting a National Sales Tax out of his faulty imagination, and roiling the world financial markets on his childish whims, causing real financial harm on American families.
We are not powerless. When a parasite turns into a predator and threatens harm, the predator must be removed. When we give the keys to the bus to a child and he crashes it into the guardrails along the cliff, on purpose. We take away the keys.
It is time for the Adults in public office to become Parents. And put a stop to Little Donnie. Send him kicking and screaming back home. 340 Million free Americans will not tolerate this out of control, spoiled rotten, destructive little boy for much longer.
Waiting for the next election is unwise when the predator is destroying us. King Charles I, who believed he was appointed by God and would not be second guessed by Parliament, learned he could not tax and torture his subjects forever.
Trump is incredibly stupid, and “he is talking” and “he is lying” are virtually the same thing. But I suspect that sometimes we assume the latter when it’s more a case of the former. Take the PhotoShopped picture of Abrego Garcia’s knuckles. For Trump to be actually lying he’d have to understand what PhotoShop is, that it was used on the photo in question, and that it was given to him for the purpose of deceiving. I’m not willing to make those assumptions. It was probably, “Here, look at this!” and he doesn’t have the brain power to discern that it’s altered. Just sayin’.
It is shameful that the press has still not learned to stop playing footsie with Trump. Journalists need to call out his lies to his face in clear unequivocal terms regardless of the pressure from their corporate bosses to play ball with this mentally unfit, criminal thug.
Yes, and journalists need to push back with follow up questions when Trump either rambles on incoherently or fabricates things out of thin air.
The failure of the press has brought us to this sorry pitch.
I think the interviews are worthless for informing the public. Instead they are now a ratings gimmick for networks & free political advertising for him. Reporters don’t set the terms of an interview. The networks do the ‘big fish’. I have no clue what the terms were.
I did see he was peeved enough at one point when pressed on whether he had 100% confidence in Hegseth to include in his response “I don’t have 100% confidence that we’re going to finish this interview.” Every time Moran corrected him the Orange Menace interrupted and/or talked over him.
They could do that for 30 minutes or until he walked out. I don’t see the point. I think he digs his heels in on less meaningful things to avoid hot topics - like Hegseth. Just as the photo is not as important as the real issue - lack of due process.
I’ve read a couple pieces of reporting that show Bukele’s ulterior motive for wanting MS-13 prisoners. To meet his request DOJ dumped their own cases. To me these articles are more important than listening to more of his lies.
This is by Mother Jones.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/04/el-salvador-nayib-bukele-trump-deportation/
The NYT story is more detailed & indicates Bukele only wanted actual criminals which caused a mad scramble at the WH. That’s when the Enemy Alien Act became the tool. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/30/us/politics/trump-deportations-venezuela-el-salvador.html
Yes. But Trump needs to be exposed for the utter charlatan that he is. It is the job of the press to do so.
It is their job. I really believe good reporting is crucial. Verbally sparring with him is pointless. It’s like trying to hold a handful of jello. The reporter is bound by facts & rules but the interviewee is bound by nothing.
Contrast and Compare can be more effective. When he blathers on some topic, tie the new story to his trail of comments on the subject. His election - the ‘trump effect’ made the markets go up. He took office & boasted it made the Dow Jones hit 45,000 in February. Now he says ‘these are all Biden numbers’ ‘We’ came into office in January. No one points to February! Now the Dow is struggling at about 40,000. Same story on other economic indicators which he said it might still be ‘Biden numbers’ next quarter.
Or more to what has the public’s attention - his tariff talk when running. Other countries will pay blah blah blah. Tariff talk evolution until with a touch of arrogance the other day — maybe children will have ‘2 dolls instead of 30’ for Christmas - and they’ll ‘cost a couple bucks more.’
He can be discredited by his own words. If people are open to listening.
Talk to ‘people on the street’ not always analysts. MSNBC did this. It was funny sort of Art Linkletter show moment in light of the ‘2 dolls’ comment. 😊
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/b5ud7lKJ9Sk