Friday, January 27, 2017

Donald Trump still, quite literally, doesn’t know anything about anything

In First Network Interview as President, Trump Confirms Things That Aren’t “Tremendous” Are “Disasters”

 
Well, that was pointless. ABC News scored the first sit-down network interview with Donald Trump five days into Trump’s world and the real takeaway of the hourlong back-and-forth with anchor David Muir is not particularly breaking news, but here it is: Donald Trump still, quite literally, doesn’t know anything about anything. If you missed the actual interview, here’s a summation of Trump’s vision. Everything that currently exists in America and the world is a “disaster.” Everything will be “tremendous” soon. How will this tremendousness happen? We’re going to be smarter and stronger. Donald Trump now speaks in tweets and David Muir let him get away with it.

Before we get to Trump’s know-nothingism, there was one exchange that provided an unusually succinct summation of Trump’s worldview, if you can call it that. Muir asked if Trump’s proposed “Muslim ban” was going to anger the vast majority of Muslims around the world who are just living their lives and might feel unfairly targeted.
Muir: Are you at all concerned it's going to cause more anger among Muslims around the world?

Trump: Anger? There's plenty of anger right now. How can you have more?

Muir: You don't think it will exacerbate the problem?

Trump: David, David—I mean, I know you're a sophisticated guy. The world is a mess. The world is as angry as it gets. What you think this is going to cause a little more anger? The world is an angry place. All of this has happened. We went into Iraq. We shouldn't have gone into Iraq. We shouldn't have gotten out the way we got out. The world is a total mess. The world is a mess, David.
“How can you have more?” I don’t understand. Is that a serious question?
Here's something an actual president of the United States said in an interview:
I can be the most presidential person ever, other than possibly the great Abe Lincoln, all right? But I can be the most presidential person. But I may not be able to do the job nearly as well if I do that.
I'm not sure where that leaves us, but let's move on, David Muir certainly did.
 
Should undocumented immigrants be worried about being deported?
They shouldn't be very worried. They are here illegally. They shouldn't be very worried. I do have a big heart. We're going to take care of everybody. We're going to have a very strong border. We're gonna have a very solid border. Where you have great people that are here that have done a good job they should be far less worried. We'll be coming out with policy on that over the next three to four weeks.
So should they be, perhaps, just a normal level of worried then? Because I'm not sure where that leaves us. Let's, however, move on. David Muir certainly did.
Trump using the fact that a report was done to disprove voter fraud as evidence there must, in fact, be voter fraud.
Muir: You say you're gonna launch an investigation.

Trump: Sure, done.
Muir: What you have presented so far has been debunked. It's been called—

Trump: No it hasn't.

Muir: —false.

Trump: Take a look at the Pew report.
Muir: I called the author of the Pew report last night. And he told me that they found no evidence of voter fraud.

Trump: Why did he write the report?

Muir: He said no evidence of voter fraud.
Trump: Excuse me, then why did he write the report? Somebody—Pew report. Then he's—he's groveling again. You know, I always talk about the reporters that grovel when they want to write something that you want to hear, but not necessarily millions of people want to hear, or have to hear.
Trump declaring his speech to the CIA a "home run" and suggesting David Muir check out the Fox News coverage of it to get some perspective on just how far out of the park he hit it.

So I went to the CIA, my first step. I have great respect for the people in intelligence and CIA. I'm—I don't have a lot of respect in particular one of the leaders. But that's OK. But I have a lotta respect for the people in CIA. That speech was a home run. That speech, if you look at Fox, OK. I'll mention you—we see what fox said. They said it was one of the great speeches. They showed the people applauding and screaming and—and they're all CIA. There was—somebody was asking Sean—"Well, were they Trump people that were put—" we don't have Trump people. They were CIA people. That location was given to me. Mike Pence went up before me, paid great homage to the wall. I then went up, paid great homage to the wall. I then spoke to the crowd. I got a standing ovation, in fact.
People loved it. They loved it. They gave me a standing ovation for a long period of time. They never even stay down, most of them, during the speech. There was love in the room. You and other networks covered it very inaccurately. I hate to say this to you and you probably won't put it on but turn on Fox and see how it was covered. And see how people respond to that speech. That speech was a good speech. And you and a couple of other networks tried to downplay that speech. And it was very, very unfortunate that you did.
Trump being surprised that his secretary of defense is not a casual supporter of torture.

Muir: We are still waiting on the word for any decision involving those so-called black sites. We do not torture. Will you say that?
Trump: I have great respect for Gen. Mattis. I was a little surprised he is not a believer of torture. As you know, Mr. Pompeo was just approved, affirmed by the Senate. He is a fantastic guy. He is going to be the head of the CIA. You will have somebody fabulous as opposed to the character that just got out. He was not fabulous at all. And he will, I think, do a great job, and he is, you know—I haven't gone into great detail, but I will tell you I have spoken to others. In intelligence. And they are big believers in as an example, waterboarding.
To quote the 45th president of the United States: "It's a disaster."



Elliot Hannon is a writer in New York City. Follow him on Twitter. 
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