Our current president is breaking records in several ways: he’s the first to lack any prior government or public service experience, the first to label his golf club as the “Winter White House,” and the first to profit from a global business while in office. Now, we can add another distinction: he’s the first president whose statements are so muddled that accurately capturing his words has become a daunting task.
The transcript released on April 21 by the Associated Press from a recent interview highlights 16 instances where Trump’s comments are simply marked as “unintelligible.” Here’s a glimpse into the confusion:
TRUMP: “You have to love people. And if you love people, such a big responsibility. (unintelligible) You can take any single thing, including even taxes. I mean we’re going to be doing major tax reform. Here’s part of your story, it’s going to be a big (unintelligible). Everybody’s saying, ‘Oh, he’s delaying.’ I’m not delaying anything. I’ll tell you the other thing is (unintelligible). I used to get great press. I get the worst press. I get such dishonest reporting with the media. That’s another thing that really has — I’ve never had anything like it before. It happened during the primaries, and I said, you know, when I won, I said, ‘Well the one thing good is now I’ll get good press.’ And it got worse. (unintelligible) So that was one thing that a little bit of a surprise to me. I thought the press would become better, and it actually, in my opinion, got more nasty.”
And another example:
TRUMP: “I get treated so badly. Yesterday, about the thing, you know when I said it’s a terrorism … it may be. I said it may be a terrorist attack and MSNBC, I heard, went crazy, ‘He called it a terrorist attack.’ They thought it was a bank robbery. By the way, I’m 10-0 for that. I’ve called every one of them. Every time they said I called it way too early and then it turns out I’m … Whatever. Whatever. In the meantime, I’m here and they’re not.”
Throughout the interview, Trump consistently redirects conversations to his belief that he has been unfairly treated. The transcript reveals 55 instances of ellipses, indicating incomplete thoughts. For example:
TRUMP: “I want to do the job, but not many more. … This is an important story. I’ve done a lot. I’ve done more than any other president in the first 100 days and I think the first 100 days is an artificial barrier. And I’m scheduled … the foundations have been set to do some great things. With foreign countries. Look at, look at President Xi. I mean …” (end of answer)
Journalists and commentators quickly reacted to the disjointed nature of the interview. One noted that it resembled “a babbling brook of incoherence and obsession.” Another pointed out that the AP had to label some of Trump’s remarks as “unintelligible,” even during a one-on-one Oval Office discussion.
The interview also featured numerous inaccuracies and misstatements. ABC News mentioned it demonstrated Trump’s lack of familiarity with his own promises to voters. The Washington Post characterized Trump’s claims as a “revisionist history” regarding his early days in office.
For example, Trump asserted he had never supported WikiLeaks, despite his own past tweets and rally footage suggesting otherwise. He also claimed to have accomplished more than any previous president within the first 100 days, a statement that an AP fact-check contradicted, revealing that only 10 out of 38 promises had been fulfilled, mostly through executive actions.
Trump even created new inconsistencies during the interview itself:
TRUMP: “OK. The one thing I’ve learned to do that I never thought I had the ability to do. I don’t watch CNN anymore.”
AP: “You just said you did.”
TRUMP: “No. No, I, if I’m passing it, what did I just say (inaudible)?”
AP: “You just said —”
TRUMP: “Where? Where?”
AP: “Two minutes ago.”
TRUMP: “No, they treat me so badly. No, I just said that. No, I, what’d I say, I stopped watching them. But I don’t watch CNN anymore. I don’t watch MSNBC. I don’t watch it. Now I heard yesterday that MSNBC, you know, they tell me what’s going on.”
In a moment of clarity, Trump made sure to remind everyone that he won the election. When discussing funding for his border wall, he stated:
TRUMP: “I don’t know yet. People want the border wall. My base definitely wants the border wall, my base really wants it — you’ve been to many of the rallies. OK, the thing they want more than anything is the wall. My base, which is a big base; I think my base is 45 percent. You know, it’s funny. The Democrats, they have a big advantage in the electoral college. Big, big, big advantage. I’ve always said the popular vote would be a lot easier than the electoral college. The electoral college — but it’s a whole different campaign (unintelligible). The electoral college is very difficult for a Republican to win, and I will tell you, the people want to see it. They want to see the wall, they want to see security. Now, it just came out that they’re 73 percent down. … That’s a tremendous achievement. …”
Ultimately, the interview stands out as an intriguing, albeit confusing, glimpse into Trump’s mindset. As Maura Quint, a contributor for various publications, puts it: “This AP Trump interview transcript is a lovely-horrible gift, like fancy bath salts to make the water smell nice as you slowly drown.”
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Summary:
This article dives into an interview with President Trump, highlighting the incoherent nature of his statements, marked by numerous moments of confusion and contradictions. Journalists and commentators noted the unusual difficulty in transcribing his words, with many comments labeled “unintelligible.” The interview reveals a pattern of Trump redirecting discussions to his grievances about media treatment and misrepresenting his accomplishments.