Sunday School 11/18/18 (pt 3)

More of the president's interview with Chris Wallace; here are links to part one, with updates on the current state of the White House and the Russia investigation, and part two, discussing the midterms and the murder of WaPo journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

In this session, Trump shares his thoughts on the media. Oh, yeah - and attacks a Navy Seal, but we'll hit that separately.

The medial first. Wallace asked about CNN's Jim Acosta, who had his pass temporarily restored, and what Trump thought about that.

But I will say this, look, nobody believes in the First Amendment more than I do and if I think somebody's acting out of sorts, I will  leave, I will say thank you very much, everybody, I appreciate you coming and I'll leave. And those reporters will not be too friendly to whoever it is that's acting up.

Of course, that belief in the First Amendment doesn't extend to protesters, or authors.

On why he bothers to call on Acosta:

Actually I like to do it but in many cases I don't. He'll stand up. He's unbelievably rude to Sarah Huckabee who's a wonderful woman, unbelievably rude. And I see that and I actually ask here the same. Why do you call on these people who are so nasty?

Because he likes to fuel the fire, of course. He also offered a solution:

I think one of the things we'll do is maybe turn the camera off that faces them because then they don't have any air time, although I'll probably be sued for that and maybe win or lose it, who knows? I mean, with this stuff, you never know what's going to happen. 

In general, Wallace did his best to get Trump to understand that no presidents 'like' the media, but none have had the visceral reaction to them that Trump exhibits. Let's start with the fake news being the enemy of the people. Here are his answers strung together.

That's true. 100 percent. Not the media, I'm glad you're finally calling it correctly because they like to leave the 'fake news' -

So, the people that are supporting me in particular, they're very smart people. They're hard working, brilliant, great people. They know when the news is fake and they get angry when they see all of the fakeness that I  - frankly -  Chris, I'm calling the fake news is the enemy - it's fake, it's phony. 

On being "seen around the world as a beacon for repression" by authoritarian leaders (many of whom Trump admires),

I can't talk for other people, I can only talk for me. I will tell you - Chris I'm not talking about you - but you sometimes maybe. But I'm not talking about you. The news about me is largely phony. It's false. Even sometimes they'll say, "Sources say." There is no source, in many cases - in cases there is. But (the news about me) ninety-four percent negative.

The last word from him on this:

I am calling fake news, fake reporting, is what's tearing this country apart because people know, people like things that are happening and they're not hearing about it. 

See you around campus.