We’re now two years and some change into President Donald Trump’s first term, and just when you think there are no further depths to which the former reality star can sink — somehow, he still manages to surprise us. Case in point: during his “President Trump: 30 Hours” 20/20 special that aired on Sunday night, Trump kicked his chief of staff Mick Mulvaney out of the dang Oval Office for coughing during his interview.
At the time, Trump was trying to pull the wool over George Stephanopoulos’s eyes about his mysterious tax returns, which he claims will have people “very impressed.”
“When you see my financial statement, at some point, I assume it’s gonna be released, you’ll be very impressed with the job I’ve done,” he told Stephanopoulos. “Much, much bigger, much much better than anybody.”
“No, at some point I might,” Trump continued, when asked if he would willingly turn over his tax documents. “But at some point I hope they get it ’cause it’s a fantastic financial statement.” It was in the middle of this answer that Mulvaney made the mistake of coughing from the other side of the room. Most people likely would not have even noticed it, but Trump brought the whole interview to a standstill to address it.
Pres. Trump says he “might” turn over his “financial statement” to Congress.
“I hope they get it, because it’s a fantastic financial statement,” he tells @GStephanopoulos in the Oval Office. https://t.co/8q0FwFD9qt pic.twitter.com/fw1tIc0vxO
— ABC News (@ABC) June 17, 2019
“Let’s do that over, he’s coughing in the middle of my statement. I don’t like that, you know, I don’t like that,” the president fumed. “If you’re gonna cough, please leave the room. You just can’t, you just can’t cough.”
“Okay, you want to do that a little differently then?” Trump asked the producers, seemingly unaware that he is the President of the United States giving an interview to a major news outlet and not firing D-list celebrities from a fake boardroom on The Apprentice.
And it didn’t take long for people to pick up on the so-called outtake:
https://twitter.com/kouklateresa/status/1140416848137216000
HE THINKS IT'S A TV SHOW!!!! HE THINKS IT'S A TV SHOW!!!!
HE THINKS IT'S A TV SHOW!!!!
HE THINKS IT'S A TV SHOW!!!!
HE THINKS IT'S A TV SHOW!!!!
HE THINKS IT'S A TV SHOW!!!!
FFS!!!!! HE THINKS IT'S A TV SHOW!!!!!!!!— S. Soliz (@s_soliz) June 17, 2019
Text from former 2016 Trump campaign staffer: “I was told by multiple people when I came aboard to never cough or sneeze while in the presence of Trump. He thinks it’s a sign of weakness and lack of control. Nobody ever recovers.” https://t.co/9CmKeoH1iu
— Jacqueline Alemany (@JaxAlemany) June 17, 2019
The way he angrily snaps at Mulvaney, “if you’re gonna cough, please leave the room!”… who would put up with being treated like that, even by your boss? https://t.co/5a8MFWXDE1
— Marcus Baram (@mbaram) June 17, 2019
we strive for cough-free authenticity here people pic.twitter.com/4sF8I8qVX2
— David Mack (@davidmackau) June 17, 2019
If you're going to the Oval Office, play up Trump’s worst fears. Wear a "Biden 2020" shirt. Tell him the cable's out. Cough … a lot. pic.twitter.com/twVz1LD9tz
— shauna (@goldengateblond) June 17, 2019
https://twitter.com/Bretana_/status/1140416294749184000
"He's coughing in the middle of my answer. I don't like that, you know?"
"Your chief of staff."
"If you're gonna cough, please leave the room." https://t.co/0ZX123PFm9
— Evan McMurry (@evanmcmurry) June 17, 2019
https://twitter.com/JRehling/status/1140432563997069312
Some people wondered if there might be, you know, a reason why Mulvaney was distracting Trump:
https://twitter.com/Anne_Marie1974/status/1140514990836867073
Trump didn’t get it! Was it a signal telling Trump to shut up?
Trump asks Mulvaney to leave room during ABC interview due to coughing https://t.co/rYzDWcBFSl
— John Chen (@JohnChenJJ) June 17, 2019
If only Mulvaney hadn’t coughed! Trump was going to explain why he’s fighting to prevent the disclosure of his “fantastic” and “phenomenal” financial information, which he really wants everyone to see. But no. Mulvaney coughed. https://t.co/C4hA7gK14X
— James Gleick (@JamesGleick) June 17, 2019
As ridiculous as this all is, it’s worth a reminder that coughing is the least of Mulvaney’s recent sins:
https://twitter.com/pejamo/status/1140588748423532545