Journalist Jonathan Swan praised as 'hero' after cornering Donald Trump in car crash interview

[LiberalArkie]

Jonathan Swan, national political correspondent at the Axios news site, grilled the president on the Covid-19 pandemic during a car crash interview aired by HBO on Tuesday.

Segments show a frustrated Mr Trump rifle through sheets of papers as Mr Swan questioned him on the US's death toll.

He also asked him to explain himself as the embattled president claimed the country had done an "incredible job" and that he had saved "millions of lives".

After the interview was aired, Mr Swan, who is Australian, was described as "one of the best interviewers on the planet" and lauded as an "American hero".

Link to tweet

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https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/jonathan-swan-praised-donald-trump-interview-a4516221.html?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1596542867

[ProudMNDemocrat]

1. Bingo......

Great clips for Biden or Lincoln Project ads showing Trump caring less about the death rates due to COVID.

[lagomorph777]

20. This interview is a goldmine of ad footage.

I hope Mr. Swan / HBO can make a few $$ on it!

[underpants]

2. I was wondering why the coverage again on this. Good. I thought it was already available

I guess not in full until today. The part about Epstein is just strange. Suddenly Trump is Mr. Sunshine and rainbows.

[slumcamper]

19. the part about Epstein...soft COVERUP.

This type tends to avoid or minimize any matters that might impugn him. He's feigning, dismissive, but is VERY LIKELY guilty as hell of the most despicable (dare I say DEPLORABLE) perversions imaginable.

Still, the fundies will line up and march in lock-step to elect him because they think Pence is their ace-savior.

Sick, shallow, muthas…

[tman]

3. In any other country, this would be called 'standard journalism'

[Sneederbunk]

6. +1

[SharonClark]

7. K&R

[uponit7771]

13. Right !!

[dalton99a]

33. But we don't have journalism schools in the U.S.

[SoonerPride]

4. It is sad that so few journalists can do their job.

It really isn't that hard to make him look like a moron.

Just ask follow up questions to his bullshit lies.

[underpants]

5. Like "What do you mean?"

That seems to throw Trump off.

Look! I have color charts and stuff.

[Harker]

15. Bill Moyers is master of my favorite question...

Last edited Tue Aug 4, 2020, 02:42 PM - Edit history (1)

"why?"

[I_UndergroundPanther]

26. Our press is not free

When rich republicans own all the tv,radio and media stations. Media is beholden to rich people and profits,so the press is not free anymore. Reagan killed free press when he destroyed the fairness doctrine that and pay tv.

[Johnny2X2X]

8. Swan actually went soft on him

Trump tells a lie every 5 seconds, Swan lets most of them go and concedes to him on points he didn't even make. This was not a tough interview for a President, not even close considering the garbage that Trump spewed the whole time.

[BannonsLiver]

10. What interviews have you seen that are tougher?

I’d love to watch those. Any on YouTube?

[Johnny2X2X]

12. In the past

Barbara Wolters was tougher.

But that's the thing with Trump, since he's become president, no one has really gone at him tough and hard. Certainly not like Bush, Clinton and Obama had to deal with more than a few times.

It's because Trump is so full of lies and a bully who will talk over people, no one goes hard because then it would just devolve into Trump yelling and pouting.

[SiliconValley_Dem]

16. Barbara Walters? lol

[BigmanPigman]

18. This one was posted on DU recently.

[SiliconValley_Dem]

24. not really that important. she wasn't speaking truth to oower

she was interviewing a celebrity businessman whose divorce was driving tabloid sales.

[ananda]

17. So what?

Let him be seen melting down.

[lagomorph777]

22. Yelling and pouting.

That would make a pretty cool bit of footage, wouldn't it?

[Cha]

29. Barbara Walters was a long time ago.. anybody

recently?

[uponit7771]

14. Actually focusing in one point during a Gish Gallop is the way to defeat them. First point out the

... false hood, hyper focus on the fact the person told the false hood some way. then do the same with just the slightest inaccuracy and it stops the Gish Gallops in their tracks.

[Blue Owl]

32. Donny's Gish Gallop should be called the Trump Toddle

n/t

[no_hypocrisy]

9. What I'd like to know is

how did Swan get the interview?

If he isn't vetted and/or from FOX, why would the WH allow him anywhere near Trump?

[BannonsLiver]

11. Well that's sort of why I'm not going to call him a hero

He has had regular access to Dump. How was that access obtained? That’s my question. My guess is that that access will be cut off now, but he had it before. I always found him to be slightly awestruck by Dump before this interview.

[stopdiggin]

23. you make a solid point

Trump only interviews when he thinks he "owns" the house. Has to be a pretty good reason that he felt he owned this one, prior to the interview.

[JI7]

34. I think that was the plan. He purposely kept going soft on him so he can get into an interview

like this one where he would have more control to ask what he wanted without Trump being able to get away so easily.

[canetoad]

31. He was a well respected journalist

Working for Fairfax media (ie. anti-Murdoch) here in Oz before moving to the US. I've only just made the connection to his father, Dr Norman Swan who worked for our ABC as a science and medical journalist. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Swan

According to Wikipedia:
Former Washington Post journalist Ronald Kessler claimed in his 2018 book, The Trump White House: Changing the Rules of the Game, that Swan is among a handful of reporters to whom President Trump feeds information, with instructions to attribute quotes to an unnamed White House official.

[nolabear]

21. He's being interviewed on CNN now. Just stunning.

He’s very careful. But it’s clear how Spanky could not care less about facts, black lives, America, anything but himself.

[nuxvomica]

25. He's no hero but I think he's a damn good interviewer

He's done interviews with Mnuchin and Kushner that also made headlines. He comes across as affable and deferential, picks his battles, and the victim thinks they won. Don't underestimate the personality factor here. Mike Wallace and David Frost had the same talent.

[progressive nobody]

27. Seriously , my first thought was how did John just not go off on him?

My second thought was how many drinks did He have after that interview? (no offense to anyone recovering.)

[Cha]

28. Yes! Lazy Scared Journos take NOTE! JS is Australian!

Those Peeps are so Cool!

This is from an Aussie, too.. Melbourne to be exact.

[Skittles]

30. haha, Swan's expession

like he is looking at a pubic hair in his soup

[JI7]

35. This interview is NOT an example of heroism. It's just doing his job and more of them should do it .