President Trump’s interviews to sum up his First 100 Days have, of course, been largely self-promotional. He whipped out printouts to brag about his electoral college win. He seemed clueless on basic facts about U.S. history. And he lamented how he missed his old life. Yet in this CBS This Morning interview, Trump’s self-assured tone evaporated when John Dickerson pressed him on those baseless wiretapping accusations against Obama.
Yes, the issue is back. And not too long after a New Yorker report about the White House manufacturing the Devin Nunes saga to make Trump’s tweet rambling about Nixon/Watergate look less insane. In the above clip, Trump spoke about how he values actions more than words, and Obama was very nice to him in person, but Trump thinks he’s not really a nice guy. What?
Dickerson then asked Trump whether or not he stood by his accusations against Obama, and Trump responded by making stuff up:
“I don’t stand by anything. I just … you can take it the way you want. I think our side’s been proven very strongly. And everybody’t talking about it. And frankly it should be discussed. I think that is a very big surveillance of our citizens. I think it’s a very big topic. And it’s a topic that should find out what the hell is going on.”
To be clear, Trump’s “side” was not “proven very strongly” at all.
Dickerson requested that Trump follow up on why he called Obama “a bad (or sick) guy” while making serious allegations against a former president. Trump repeatedly cut him off, even as Dickerson played devil’s advocate by asking for Trump’s thoughts to avoid “fake news.” Then the president began to say that he was only giving an “opinion” about wiretapping:
Trump: “You don’t have to ask me.”
Dickerson: “Why not?”
Trump: “Because I have my own opinions. You can have your own opinions.”
Dickerson: “But I want to know your opinions. you’re the President of the United States.”
Trump: “Ok, it’s enough. Thank you.”
And with that, Trump waved Dickerson away with a flick of his wrist.
(Via CBS News)