Donald Trump He makes a deliberate effort to tone down his tone.
Or is he?
I've thought about this a lot, having interviewed Trump twice this year, including two weeks ago Elections. He was focused and objective, trying to reach a more independent audience, and while he took some campaign-style shots, he was relatively restrained by Trump standards.
Now that he's the actual president, I've seen a similar Trump on display in a Meet the Press interview. Kristen Welker's follow-ups must have bothered him, because he told her she asked “bad” questions.
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During the campaign, such events were overshadowed by Trump's rock 'n' roll rallies, where he would talk about the great Hannibal Lecter or Arnold Palmer's genitals. But his announcement on NBC that he also wants to represent those who didn't vote for him is a far cry from his 2017 “American Carnage” inauguration speech.
However, the president-elect also masters the art of saying things that can be interpreted two ways, or sending unencrypted messages.
the Washington Post Editorial BoardHe, who is not a big fan, says Trump “tried to strike a conciliatory tone” with Welker, backed by substance.
President-elect Trump appears to be making a concerted and deliberate effort to moderate his tone and rhetoric. (Screenshot/NBC)
Trump announced that he will not fire Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, and wants to work with Democrats to protect Dreamers. Trump said he would not restrict the availability of abortion drugs nationally, and that the United States would “absolutely” remain in NATO, as long as other member states spend what they pledged on defense.
Why doesn't he seem more rational? He got the job that he believes was unfairly taken from him. He can't run again. He knows that his first term was brutally attacked by the left-leaning media establishment. If he is able to achieve a more successful second term – after turning against some of his senior aides in the last round – he may be able to change the verdict of history.
This brings us to the issue of retribution. He said on NBC that the best punishment is success, which is the same phrase he used with me. On “Meet the Press,” he even retracted his campaign announcement that he would appoint a special prosecutor to prosecute him Joe Biden.
Biden and Trump both tear apart the Justice Department after the president pardoned Hunter
When Welker asked whether he would order the Justice Department, which he believes has persecuted him, to investigate Biden and his administration, Trump gave a response that I doubt he would have given in the first term.
No, he said, that would be the prerogative of the Attorney General and the Director of the FBI, which would almost certainly be Pam Bondi and perhaps Cash Patel. Would he tell them to do it? no.
It's called spacing.
Now one could argue that he was actually suggesting they do this by announcing it on national television. But I'm sure they know his views anyway.
The only mistake Trump made on NBC was attacking members of the network January 6 Committee of the House of Representatives. Trump told moderator Kristen Welker that Liz Cheney “did something unforgivable, along with (Penny) Thompson and people on the Un-Select Committee made up of political thugs who are, you know, creeps,” arguing without evidence that they “deleted and destroyed” testimony. “Frankly, they should go to prison.”
So this was a gift to his critics, enabling most journalists to lead with him wanting lawmakers behind bars. By the way, their investigations and hearings are protected by the Speech and Debate Clause, which gives members immunity.
This “Trump 2.0” reared its head during an interview with the press with Kristen Welker on NBC. (Screenshot/NBC)
Jason Miller, Trump's senior adviser, told CNN that his boss's words were taken “out of context” and that he “wants everyone he puts in key leadership positions… to apply the law equally to everyone,” referring to Bondi and Patel. .
In a similar vein, Trump has mainly avoided attacks on individual journalists, having said he would reach out even to hostile outlets. But he made an exception and made fun of Maggie Haberman New York Times When I co-wrote two stories they didn't like it.
So will we get a Trump 2.0, or a Trump 1.0 with plenty of fancy packaging?
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Veteran Trump watchers know that he can veer off the highway when he's angry, and that it's not just about mass deportations, hypoinflation, and exercise.
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But I still think we're seeing a more disciplined, controlled, and moderate Trump so far. He campaigned on shaking things up, so there are plenty of clashes that could unfold. What's amazing is that he's already running the country while Biden fades away, refusing to talk to the press since the pardon failed.
