Trump's 'Fox & Friends' call-in was bizarre, and here's why that matters
For all of his tweets and the news they generate, we don’t actually hear from President Donald Trump in an interview setting all that much.
But we did Thursday morning, when he called in to his happy place, “Fox & Friends .”
Boy, did we.
Since Trump has taken office, the standard for what qualifies as jaw-dropping has been raised. There’s just so much, all the time, that it’s impossible for the media to keep up (which is a real problem).
But this? This qualifies. When you’ve gone too far for the hosts of “Fox & Friends,” well, you’ve crossed some kind of line.
President Donald Trump spoke by phone Thursday to "Fox & Friends," providing a wide-ranging interview where he reacted to the withdrawl of his nominee for Veterns Affairs Secretary and his views on his own Justice Department. (April 26) AP
It wasn’t so much an interview as it was a long rant, the kind of thing where the show’s hosts, Steve Doocy, Ainsley Earhardt and Brian Kilmeade — usually the gentlest of inquisitors, whose show Trump famously watches and often paraphrases when discussing policy — would broach a topic and Trump would just take off on what might charitably be called a stream-of-consciousness, state-of-his-mental-union address.
There were, however, a couple of recurring themes.
One is that he would like to remind you, in case you had forgotten, that he won the election in 2016. He talked about that, a lot.
Also, he doesn’t care much for James Comey, the former director of the FBI Trump fired last May. Here’s a sample of the regard in which he holds Comey: “The top people in the FBI, headed by Comey, were crooked! You look at the corruption at the top of the FBI, it’s a disgrace!”
(Quick aside: One could say the use of an exclamation mark shows bias, that it’s meant to make him sound excitable. In this case, it does not. Everything the president said should be followed by several of them. To say that he was wound up is to understate the case considerably.)
Trump doesn’t watch CNN, except Anderson Cooper did a nice job with his Comey interview. He doesn’t think Chuck Todd does a good job on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” but he doesn’t watch NBC, for whom he made a lot of money with “The Apprentice.” And so forth and so on.
Doocy and Kilmeade tried to rein him in a few times (Earhardt was mysteriously unengaged), but to no avail. This was like trying to put a saddle on a hurricane.
The interview made news because of some of the things Trump said, like this about his personal attorney Michael Cohen, who has acknowledged paying porn star Stormy Daniels hush money: “ He represents me, like, with this crazy Stormy Daniels deal, he represented me .”
'He had a lot to say'
"Fox & Friends" co-hosts (from left) Steve Doocy, Ainsley Earhardt and Brian Kilmeade appear on their set in New York in January 2018. (Photo: Associated Press)
What that ultimately means is best left to political and judicial experts. Sometimes people say it’s not so much what he said as how he said it.
This is the rare interview that was both.
The hosts offered Trump a chance to grade his performance in office so far. To the surprise of no one, he gives himself an A-plus.
Even when it was done, the hosts seemed a little shell-shocked. “You know, I think he was awake,” Doocy said. “He had a lot to say.”
And he kept saying it, no matter how hard the hosts tried to help Trump protect himself just by being quiet or changing the subject. If Kilmead hadn’t cut him off — “We could talk all day but looks like you have a million things to do” — Trump would probably still be talking.
Whatever the fallout, no matter the topics, the interview was important. With so few chances to see and hear the real Trump, appearances like this are a chance to see how his mind works, how he creates and administers policy, how closely his angry and occasionally bizarre tweets mirror who he really is.
Close, if this was any indication. Very close. Whether that’s encouraging or alarming is best left up to you.
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Trump was on speed this morning.
He brought up the electoral college, for cripes sake. Among other things.
It sounds like he really gets to you, which makes you angry and unhappy. He is occupying your mind rent free and it's fun to watch!
Greg, I can very calmly discuss Donald Trump's malfunctions. He hasn't done anything to my mind or my ability to do critical thinking. People like you, who EXCUSE this insanity and try to normalize it, are the ones we have to worry about.
Sounds like he got to the fox and friends hosts too, they couldn't get rid of him fast enough.
I'd just prefer to have an adult in the White House, regardless of whether or not I agree with their policies.
Some of these random rants were in response to a question (from very sympathetic interviewers, who were trying to make Trump look good) about a very important political meeting .. Trump made it all about his hurt feelings and his ego. You actually think this is acceptable in a President? Even his sycophants couldn't save him from this one.
He lied and then contradicted himself in the very same sentence.
But he's looking good, Billy Ray.
If the Justice Dept were as corrupt and criminal as Trump claims it is, the Republican Congress would be investigating the hell out of Comey, Mccabe, Clinton, Obama, etc. They are not, because they know there is no "there" there. None of the GOP leaders in either the House or the Senate agree with any of this about the 'corrupt DOJ', but are too cowardly to say so.
In his ranting today Trump says that at some point he intends to reform the DOJ to his liking. Yet another reason Trump needs to be removed from office asap.
No.....he makes me embarrassed that he is the person sitting in the highest position of our country and acting like a mad hatter lunatic in front of the entire world.
Sad you enjoy watching people needing to worry about our leadership. Personally I liked it when we were able to spend more time and energy just enjoying our lives and leaving the details of government to those we trusted and hired to do the job.
Probably got it from Doctor Feelgood .
For the people of the United States to have to look at this joke of a human being be presented as the leader of this country is the greatest embarrassment this nation can suffer at this time. Intelligent people around the world have to be laughing their asses off when they see something like this.
This idiot literally could not shut up long enough to catch his breath for a solid half hour.
His latest is calling Kim Ju Un (Little Rocket Man) an honorable man. He had his uncle and an ex gf executed and had his half brother poisoned. Where does the honorable part come in?
Donald trump is not well. The three Fox and Friends hosts were barely able to get a word in during a half hour interview. The president of the United States spills out his misjudgements, misunderstandings, fantasies and prejudices about his political "enemies" as if he will lose his voice in a half hour and has to get everything off his chest.
The fact that so many of our people see this as "normal" is bizarre and disturbing.
I'm still listening to his rantings..... and still shaking my head... and this really is the president ?
I am pretty sure that those who live in N Korea have a less honorable name for him, they are just scared to death to say it.
So why in the world are you watching "Fox and Friends"?
Every news outlet is running this unhinged rant. No need to watch fox fake news at all.
This interview came up in news reports throughout the day, and then Lawrence O'Donnell talked about it tonight. I saw this Arizona newspaper story online and there was a link to the entire interview.
He goes by 'Dotard' in North Korea!
Skirting the CoC [ph]
This interview was posted around the world, anyway, so whether or not one watches Fox and Friends, this travesty is wide open. How telling that instead of you admitting that your hero screwed up, you're deflecting. Do you really have no issues with Trump's unhinged tirade?
Yes, I heard that as well. Very fitting. (grin)
Why would he do that? Trump is the one true hero of all the GOP.
To Trump, this is honorable.
This is who and, what the Alt-Right wants in the White House.
And the FSB.
You know you have gone off the deep end when Trumps propaganda arm, (fox fake news), cannot get him off the phone fast enough... "Well, we know you have a million things to do...." Yea, like go golfing again, watch tv and complain.
Cohen has GOT to be furious after that interview. Trump, for the most part painted Cohen as the covfefe boy. The fact that trumpy is distancing himself from Cohen as fast as he possibly can speaks VOLUMES about trumps liability. And did I hear him right? "Michael represented me in that crazy Stormy Daniels thing...". Wait, the Stormy Daniels thing that you said never happened? Seriously, does trump realize that he just admitted that he boned Daniels.....while his wife was at home taking care of their 4 month old son? Holy crap trump is dumb. I can see why the evangelicals keep right on screaming, "Trump is great!!!! Praise Jesus!!!!!!!!!!! Thank GOD for Trump!!!!"
SMDH
In this Fox & Friends rant, Trump admitted that Cohen represented him in that Stormy Daniels thing. It's Trump's lawyers who are freaking out about that.
Oh you bet they are... This rant has already received some unwanted attention..
Forgot the link to the information...
And thus Trump also unwittingly admitted that he previously lied about the issue.
He lies about his lies. And then forgets he lied
I'm listening to it as I write this all I can say is.
LOL LOL LOL
Let trump be trump .... What a character for the world to revolve around.
LOL LOL LOL
I don't think the world is revolving around him. And while I don't want to get too off-topic on John's seed, I don't think trumpy has any business taking any credit on the unification of the Korean Peninsula.
Did anybody see trumpy anywhere in the vicinity when Kim walked across the border and shook hands with the SK President?
That I don't understand either. How he can take credit for that, especially when the SK leader went behind trumps back to talk to NK. Yet he is touting what he did. SMH.
And the NT idjits that have their fingers planted firmly in their ears are all slapping each other on the back over trumpy's victory this morning.
That was the most deranged, frantic rant we have ever seen from Trump; he is truly starting to lose it. 4 out of 10 Americans still support this moronic lunatic... One thing Trump has taught us, well, me at least, is that discussion with right wingers truly is an exercise in futility. All we can do at this point is laugh at them and shake our heads, I mean, what are we supposed to do, debate the merits of having Donald fucking Trump for a president?
Defenders of this president are simply not people we can take seriously, they are not worthy of a serious response to their political views.
That is what bugs me most of all. No rational person could ever take this lunatic seriously. I agree with you. The people that continue to support this idiot are not worthy of any rational thought or discussion.
They call themselves patriotic yet trump is nothing but an embarrassment of epic proportions.
That is disturbing in so many ways...
and so telling in many more !
but friggin hilarious!
Mr Frost 2020.
Well, I already have the gray hair...lol
I listened to the whole thing and it was a couple of steps beyond bizarre. He sounded totally out of control...
Indeed he did!! He is becoming more and more deranged by the day. I think his fear, with the on-going investigations he is involved with are beginning to take a toll on his rationality and mental stability, which is very fragile at best.
This would actually be funny as Hell If it weren't reality and the leader of the most powerful country on the planet.
All SNL has to do is copy Trump's actual, real live performance as closely as they can. Script writers are not needed at all for this clown!
Yes indeed. What is even scarier, is the fact that the Republican party so overwhelmingly stand behind all his craziness. It is almost as if they have a death wish for America and its allies. In their greed and desperation for the WH, they are willing to sell out their country and its people
What kind of scares me worse is his opposition walking away one by one. IMO We the people are losing power as trump and his robotic figureheads gain it.
Well, more likely they want to be re-elected. After the mid-terms, if it goes the dems way, you'll see a LOT of republicans turning against trump in an effort to play to their voters. Trumps job approval never gets above 41% and it's never been above 46%. Support for trump is falling off in the mid west where he did really well because the tariffs are hurting the farmers bottom line. While the dem lost in Arizona, she didn't lose by very much at all, MUCH less than what trump won Arizona by in the first place. Alabama saw a democrat win as well. Overall support for trump nationally is getting softer by the day and this unhinged rant isn't going to help him at all.
That will soon be changing. When the majority of the American people have had enough of him and his Godfathers, they will take care of them at the voting booths. And that is what is really scaring the crap out of the Republicans at this point, so much so that many of them have seen the handwriting on the wall and are jumping ship by either resigning or choosing not to run again in the upcoming mid-terms.
Yes...we are taking over, all 60 some million of us. You will be assimilated and will become worker drones. Resistance is futile!
Totally agree. A Dem in NY won a seat that had been readily in the hands of the GOP for decades. And the Dems are winning seats back at the state level across the country.
While it was embarrassing as an American, I have to say that I enjoyed the way that Macron played Trump's ego during his visit here. And Trump ate it up like the fool he is.
Keep on dreamin'. You are losing more people in Congress at a record pace than you are gaining due to Trumps insanity.
And 60 million?
YEP! I noticed that too. Trump is so embarrassing....every day its....just another shitshow. I mean, looking back at Obama...it was normal, presidential...not a daily or even yearly embarrassment. Now it's just effing chaos, every damn day. Look at how many of his, "best people" are now gone...in just over a year? WOW.
David Shulkin
H.R. McMaster
Rex Tillerson
John McEntee
Gary Cohn
Hope Hicks
Rob Porter
Omarosa Manigault-Newman
Dina Powell
Tom Price
Sebastian Gorka
Steve Bannon
Anthony Scaramucci
Reince Priebus
Sean Spicer
Mike Dubke
James Comey
Mike Flynn
Sally Yates
Preet Bharara
Walter Shaub
And that's the short list. Can you imagine the right wings outrage if Obama had gone through that many people in one year? Trump complained that Obama had 3 different press secretaries in 5 years....trump had 3 in 5 months. Trump is a disgrace...
Trump blames the Democrats for slowing down the approvals, but if he'd actually have his nominees get vetted, it wouldn't be such a problem.
He's dredging up the worst of the swamp creatures, while pretending to drain the swamp. And his adulators are eating it up, and worshipping him for not valuing expertise. Only a total idiot would want a total idiot in office; the rest of us actually want someone who's capable and intelligent.
Indeed! The outrage would be so loud that it would be heard on the outer world. But, you see, Trump is the one that won them the WH, and their greedily coveting of that one thing that led them to sell their souls to the Devil. Now, they are, and will be, paying for it. And it won't end soon, as the Devil demands his due in spades.
Like the old saying goes, "Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it, and the price may be more than what you can pay."
GUESS AGAIN !!
trumps indoctrination to a one man lead government idea is failing. The masses will not be controlled.
It just goes to my theory that a lot of them just want government entities torn down.
Well of course he does. Trump literally takes responsibility for nothing, ever. It's ALWAYS someone else's fault. Think about it, (and I am sure you have)...
Republican president.
Republican congress.
Republican SCOTUS
Republican investigation.
But..........
It's all the dems fault? It's too stupid to make it up, yet the nutters buy it every time.
Yes, and it's ironic, considering how many Trump supporters are dependent on the government teat.
True. But it will only go so far before even trumps cronies in congress put a halt to it. I doubt anyone in congress, republican or democrat would sit by and watch trump literally take control of our government ala Castro, Hitler, lil kim, etc.
I've yet to see anyone stop him. I have seen many so far try. The best anyone seems able to do is mitigate him.
for now
.................................
If trump doesn't stop shooting himself in the foot and accidentally shots himself in the back, I dont see trumps rein ending anytime soon. In other words the only one I see capable of stopping trump at this point is trump himself.
In the end, He may.
I wish I shared your optimism. His cronies in Congress care about themselves first (and maybe their religion), not our country, and not our Constitution. They want to keep their power. There is nothing patriotic about that type of person, and they'll let the country die rather than grow some balls.
Maybe not. But, if the midterms go the way most think they will, trump will turn into a lame duck/empty suit president. The dems will do what the repubs did to Obama, oppose anything and everything trump tries to do. As far as re-election? I doubt it. Like I said above. Since trump has taken office, he has gained NO new supporters, but has LOST some of his base. I never say never, but I think his re-election is unlikely....if he isn't indicted and impeached first. A pipe dream?
Dems regain control of congress. Donny is found guilty of obstruction of justice. Donny is shown the door.
Do I think donny will ever be sentenced to actual prison? No. Never happen. But thrown out of office? It's not impossible.
I stopped underestimating this man long ago.
Very true. The Trumpites want to destroy anything they don't understand, thus they are wanting to burn the government down because they refused to get an education that might have actually taught them civics. Learning how things work and to work within them for substantive change is just too "elitist" so they prefer the tiki torch march method.
Yeah, but....the Devil is coming after us, too!
What do they want? Total anarchy? Or a totalitarian dictatorship?
And that would be Mitch McConnell primarily. The House passed a bill the other day to ensure Mueller can't be fired, McConnell refuses to let it be put to a vote.
What the hell does trumpy have on the Turtle?
Spare us. Trump eats dinner and the Left makes it out to be weird and creepy. The hate is never-ending. (And no, I'm not exaggerating about dinner.)
Trump’s first D.C. dinner as president: An overcooked, $54 steak. With ketchup.
Trump's Food Choices Grow More Disconcerting
Trump’s Fast-food Diet Gets Even More Unsettling
Did you actually LISTEN to trumps rant? No way any normal sane human being can listen to that and say it was completely normal and not bizarre. If Obama had done something like that the right wing would be coming out of their skin with outrage.
This is what a NORMAL presidential interview looks like.
What happened this morning on fox news? Not normal, not even close.
That is the point. He didnt say anything this morning that he hasnt said before, but he was ranting, carried away by his rambling thoughts, and unable to form proper sentences or speech patterns. His speech is radically different than any of the previous 44 presidents. Not only is he the worst public speaker of all the presidents, he is also the most frantic and mentally undisciplined.
Some would like Trump to become the norm. That is absurd and even frightening for the future of this country.
His public speaking ability makes Dubya look like a Toast Master
That's why I never listen to his speeches and talks...can't stand that weak voice. I'm more interested in what the gets done and having more right wing judges appointed, especially on the Supreme Court, the primary reason I voted for him. Looks like he should have at least a couple more on the SC when he leaves office in six and a half years.
So you don't care what he does or if he causes chaos, just as long as you get what you want in the end.
His incompetence isn't a bug to his followers, it's a feature. It would be like having an opposing group of inventors at the time of the Wright Brothers who believed that not only would humans never fly, they shouldn't even try because that was an affront to their God who ruled the heavens. So when the Wright Brothers began testing their first planes the opposing group demanded they use a test pilot chosen by them. Of course, the test pilot they picked was the town drunk who couldn't tie his own shoes let alone test pilot a new flying machine. So of course the test flight ended in failure with the opposing group saying they knew it all the time, man was just not meant to fly. To them, the pilots incompetence was the feature, not the bug.
Trump supporters are ideologically opposed to government working for the people by the people. They don't believe in an entity that prevents discrimination, enforces safety laws and protects the most vulnerable from the tyranny of the majority. So they hired the most incompetent pilot they could find and laugh with glee as he fumbles around destroying 240 year old Presidential norms and embarrasses our government. It makes it that much easier to chop up and discard government so they won't have to be a part of a diverse America, their tax dollars won't go to help gays, minorities, immigrants or anyone who doesn't look or believe just like they do. They're practically squirting in their pants with excitement over the thought of demolishing the American government, they haven't been this excited since the last time the protectionist bigots almost destroyed America during the civil war.
So as long as Trump keeps stomping around DC like a clumsy actor in a rubber Godzilla costume stomping a miniature Tokyo, the Trumpites will continue to cheer him on.
Oh please.....spare us your inane attempts to excuse Trumps insanity.
LOL ... How about you spare us the false surprised idea that president trump has ever spoken in the normal way most Americans speak.
His sentence structure has always been an object of interest, question, ridicule and highly unusual.
As the stress of this office takes it's toll of each president it changes them. To me it appears trump is experiencing some changes in his speaking it is even less organized, less focused and more defensive.
Maybe he should play more golf.
lol
"Maybe he should play more golf."
That appears to be the only balls he has left.
You didn't MEAN to leave the ( S ) tag off of your very funny post, right?
.
Well I guess you got one part correct. For more than 8 years the hate was, " Never Ending ", for about a third of the country.
It continues to this day. Everyday we still see Obama hated while this current megalomaniac president quietly gains more and more power over us as he appoints robotic yes men to his team.
President trump does not like to be questioned he believes he has the answers. IMO, He appoints people to great power some who have seemingly little more than loyalty to him at the expense of the citizens these positions are designed to serve.
Trump has always been the Boss, we dont hire a Boss, we hire a president who JOB it is to work with congress who is a collective of individuals with difference ideologies. not a bunch of robotic figureheads loyal to one man as trump is installing anywhere he can.
That's how individuals gain power, by giving power to those who answer to the one giving them the power. I like it better when the appointees usually had experience and answered more to us, we the people.
So to sum up my answer, trump is gaining power in a slow, quiet way of governing that I see dangerous to our long term way of governing. For 241 years America has had 537 Bosses, now we have one man who thinks he's the alpha boss who needs to destroy anyone who dares challenge him, his ideas or his methods.
That scares me.. I think it should all of us.
THat won't help. It doesn't change reality.
true enough after explaining my logical reasoning to you in some detail if you dont see what I see I guess we have agreed to disagree.
Time will tell whether my interpretation of current practices by this president lessens our power over this country or not. I actually hope I am wrong !
However, I do seem to have a knack for seeing where things are, where they are headed, and following the trajectory forward.
I say "Good luck America, I think you're gonna need it."
individuals gain power, by giving power to those who answer to the one giving them the power.
but no concrete evidence
Look at the people trump has appointed to many positions of power, many are more loyal to trump than have qualifications or experience for the position they now hold.
and no I'm not spending my time creating a list.
Trump has a Congress willing to ignore everything he says and does, even some that may border on illegality.
Trump has a Congress unwilling to properly vet any appointees that Trump nominates, to determine their fitness for the job.
Trump has a Congress unwilling to force him to put laws into action that they voted for and he signed off on.
Trump has a Congress unwilling to force him to follow standard security protocols while in power.
you mean he has come out and said he doesn't have to get congressional approval to enact new law but can do it with his pen and his phone and bypass them?
You seemed to think Obama was abusing his power, why don't you hold the same standards for yourselves?
Great post AH!
NO read my posts I didn't even think about executive power, they all had that.
Most Presidents give speeches, this guy gives us Tweets and Rants.
Bonkers !!! .. What's next a ranting confesion and half ass apology blaming others.
Can we say this was slightly out of control ?
lol
Let trump be trump, it's probably the quickest way to end his rein.
I had a good chuckle watching Trump destroy his legal team's strategy over the course of less than a minute lol.