My Thought on the George Stephanopoulos Interview

[erpowers]

Last night I watched the Donald Trump George Stephanopoulos interview. I was not pleased. I did not like the way George Stephanopoulos conducted much of the interview. I thought Stephanopoulos was weak during many parts of the interview. I think there were points were Stephanopoulos could have pushed back against things Trump was saying, or he could have demanded proof from Trump to support what Trump was saying. I also did not like that towards the end of the interview Stephanopoulos asked Trump if he (Trump) thought President Obama had anything to do with the investigation of the Trump campaign during the 2016 election. Who cares what Trump thinks? What are the facts involving the case? I do not think Stephanopoulos should have asked that question.

I do realize that Stephanopoulos did challenge Trump on the Mueller Report. However, I think he could have done a better job of challenging Trump even on that issue. I think Stephanopoulos could have done more to push back against some of Trump's talking points.

[hlthe2b]

1. His failure to push back more strongly is why he got 30 hours of interviews on separate occasions...

Not a defense by any means, but that is how they ensure access. Just ask Maggie Haberman.

[Wounded Bear]

2. Bullying reporters is right in Trump's wheelhouse...

[trev]

3. This has been one of the bigger problems all along.

The media generally defer to Trump. This is changing slowly, but he still receives nothing but softball interviews. We need interviewers who will demonstrate the falsity of Trump's claims.

[demmiblue]

4. Just a fleeting thought... an Ali Wentworth interview would have been epic.

[SWBTATTReg]

5. Because this was a friendly interview, I won't listen to it. George S. lost my respect a long ...

time ago...more and more media personalities need to challenge rump more and more, since he's known as a pathological liar...they don't.

[rufus dog]

6. Trump just lies

Interviewees need to stop and challenge one by one. Will tRump have a meltdown, hell yes, will that is the point. To display that he makes decisions based on incorrect assumptions, the hallmark of ignorant racists.

[sop]

7. I remember when Obama sat for an interview with FOX's Bill O'Reilly

It was an hour of O'Reilly constantly interrupting Obama, not letting him answer a question, twisting his answers, bringing up all sorts of debunked Republican talking points and generally acting like an asshole. Obama, dignified as always, got through it, but you could tell he was frustrated.

These things only happen when it's a Democrat being interviewed. Trump is treated with a degree of deference he doesn't deserve by corporate media in these one-on-one encounters, and during press conferences. Stephanopolous let him off easy from the excerpts I've seen. But, then, he works for ABC.

[FakeNoose]

8. You're calling it a failure, but it was Stephanopoulos' plan all along

He clearly planned to give Chump all the rope he needed to hang himself, and I thought it worked splendidly. Even the Repukes watched this and thought he must be out of his mind. Any American who watched the show (or clips of it) had to think "This is not normal. There's something really wrong with him."

We on DU hate the sight and sound of Chump, and we want to see the journalists swinging punches at him. But if Stephanopoulos had really done that, the interview would have been over in 2 minutes.

[maxsolomon]

9. And that's how Trump establishes his normalcy with the Great Unwashed.

He's anything but normal. He's a ignorant, sociopathic blowhard.

[Sneederbunk]

10. Don't expect a BBC-type interview from American networks.

[RockaFowler]

11. It also bombed in the ratings

So there's that . . .

Link to tweet

ABC’s Sunday interview with President Trump earned ratings that were a sharp drop from last week’s Celebrity Family Feud in the same timeslot