Terry and Trump

Interviewing a president is one of toughest assignments for any reporter especially one whose called the press “the enemy of the people.” Let’s not forget the often used “fake news” for any news remotely critical of him. ABC News correspondent Terry Moran got the big assignment. I worked with Terry back in the 1990’s when I was Executive Editor of Court TV and Terry was one of the anchors. He is a first-rate journalist. He recently covered the death of the pope. He’s covered the White House and the Supreme Court. He’s been ABC’s Chief Foreign Affairs correspondent and anchored Nightline. He’s an experienced reporter. I was initially concerned when the interview started with Trump sitting behind the Resolute Desk and Terry standing next to him asking about being back in the Oval Office. Terry asked about the different portraits of presidents on the wall. Trump didn’t have the courtesy to stand up while speaking with Terry as they admired the large portrait of Ronald Reagan. The president who wouldn’t enter the Oval Office without his suit coat on.

The interview got serious as they sat face to face in front of the big desk. Terry started off with an easy question. He asked what Trump thought his most significant accomplishment in the first one hundred days was. Trump talked about the border. All the gang members, murderers, and people from mental institutions that he has rounded up and totally closed down the border. Terry said he would get back to the topic but wanted to move on the economy.  Terry got into the tariffs Trump has imposed rattling the world economy and costing Americas millions of dollars in lost 401k and IRA funds and rising prices on just about everything. Terry said some people who voted for Trump have said “they didn’t sign up for this.” Trump, of course, said they did. He went on the say he campaigned on this telling people how the country was being ripped off by other countries. He went on to talk about how prices have come down since he took office and dismissed concerns of the majority of economists who believe the trade war will raise prices on everything. Trump told people to “hang tough” everything will get better. He went on the say how great everything was in his first term and Joe Biden term was a disaster.

Terry got back to the border issue, and it was here that Trump showed his dangerous misunderstanding of due process and the Constitution.

Terry asked, “Do you acknowledge that under our law every single person who gets deported gets a hearing first to make their case.?”

Trump answered, “Well are we talking about people that are citizens of our country or not?”

Trump doesn’t understand that being a citizen doesn’t matter. Everyone, citizen of not, is entitled to due process, a hearing before a judge.

Trump said Biden allowed twenty-one million people to come into the country with his open border policy. Terry pressed Trump on the issue of these people getting a hearing before getting deported.

Trump answered, “I’ll have to ask the lawyers about this: If you’re gonna have twenty-one million people, and we have to get a lot of ’em out because they’re criminals, we’re gonna have to act fast. We can’t–do you think we can give twenty-one million trials? Let’s say each trial takes two weeks. Is that what you want us to do?

Terry questioned, “The law is the law, sir.”

It’s shocking that the president doesn’t have a very fundamental understanding of a basic right guaranteed by the Constitution. He really should have asked the lawyers before making a fool of himself. He doesn’t understand the difference between a hearing and a trial.

After talking and disagreeing about the alleged gang members, they covered Putin, Ukraine, more blame on Biden, DOGE cuts, revenge, expanding presidential power, threatening law firms and universities. Fact checking everything would reveal the usual Trump lies and misstatements. Trump then got personal when the issue of MS 13 tattoos on Kilmer Abrego Garcia’s hand came up. Garcia is an alleged gang member whose been deported. Trump says he has pictures of the tattoos. Terry said officials in El Salvador didn’t see them and they may have been Photoshopped.

Trump said, “hey, they’re givin’ you the break of a lifetime. You know, you’re doin’ the interview, I picked you because–frankly I never heard of you, but that’s okay–”

Terry said, “This–I knew this would come–”

Trump answered, “But I picked you–Terry–but you’re not being very nice.”

It’s not a reporter’s job to be nice. Their job is to be respectful but challenging when trying to get answers.

The fall back is always blame and humiliation. Terry did his job with a respectful one due to any interviewee especially the president. I wonder what Ronald Reagan whose smiling portrait was looking down on all of this would have thought.