06/26/20
Even with Fox News’ Sean Hannity holding his hand, the president drew a blank when asked about a possible four more years
By PETER WADE
Trump had it all: Home-field advantage, an adoring audience, a pitcher who was determined to make him look good by serving up nothing but softballs, and yet again the president struck out. Somehow, in the midst of a campaign season, Trump could not name a single thing he’d prioritize if American voters are kind enough to give him another term in office come November.
Fox News’ Sean Hannity teed one up for the president during a Thursday interview that was filled with simple, leading questions.
Hannity asked Trump: “If you hear in 131 days from now, at some point in the night or early morning: ‘We can now project Donald J. Trump has been re-elected the 45th president of the United States’—let’s talk. What’s at stake in this election as you compare and contrast, and what is one of your top priority items for a second term?”
A completely stumped Trump decided to riff and wound up rambling off a mess of words that were tailor-made for the viral comedic sensation Sarah Cooper’s next lip-synch video.
“Well, one of the things that will be really great, you know, the word experience is still good,” Trump said while turning to the audience. “I always say talent is more important than experience. I’ve always said that. But the word experience is a very important word. It’s an, a very important meaning.”
The president continued to answer the question about some of the important issues he’d conquer during a second term if given the chance.
“I never did this before. I never slept over in Washington. I was in Washington, I think, 17 times. All of a sudden, I’m president of the United States. You know the story. I’m riding down Pennsylvania Avenue with our first lady and I say, ‘This is great,'” Trump said. “But I didn’t know very many people in Washington, it wasn’t my thing. I was from Manhattan, from New York. Now, I know everybody, and I have great people in the administration.”
Without taking a breath, Trump then pivoted to his former national security adviser John Bolton, whose new book about his time in the White House has gotten under the president’s skin—but also, who has nothing to do with the question Hannity asked.
“You make some mistakes. Like, you know, an idiot like Bolton. The only thing he wanted to do was drop bombs on everybody. You don’t have to drop bombs on everybody. You don’t have to kill people,” Trump said.
Hannity finally jumped in to help by continuing Trump’s focus on Bolton and left the topic of a second term as though the question was never asked.
With the ongoing pandemic, the economy in shambles, and even some of Trump’s pet issues like immigration, it’s hard to fathom why he drifted the way he did. But thankfully for the president, Hannity was there to hold his hand and guide him through an interview that short on substance, but long on propaganda.
https://www.rollingstone.com/politic...ected-1020846/