David Bridges
Donald Trump made an look on Lex Fridman’s podcast Tuesday as the previous president has slowly come to comprehend that internet-based media is significant to reaching folks in 2024. And whereas it’s not the primary podcast Trump has ever accomplished, it is among the bigger ones—proper up there with the tech-focused All-In podcast, which Trump appeared on again in June. Properly, one of many bigger ones till Joe Rogan doubtlessly invitations Trump on, one thing he talked about with Fridman.
Fridamn requested Trump about psychedelic medication, the warfare in Ukraine, and any secret alien information that could be launched sometime. Trump additionally stated that he loves to jot down on Reality Social in any respect hours, however that he will get criticism when he posts after 3 a.m. ET. The previous president usually writes significantly unhinged issues in the course of the night time on his social media platform.
“Trump was truth-ing at three o’clock within the morning,” Trump stated on the podcast, mimicking how he thinks reporters speak. “And there needs to be no drawback with that. When they give thought to time zones, how do they learn about, like, you already know, in a time zone, like an Japanese zone?”
Trump clearly bought very confused and misspoke quite a few instances, together with when he talked about showing on “The Reply” with Rosie O’Donnell when he meant the daytime speak present “The View.” The previous president additionally rambled about how Joe Biden “thinks he seems good in a showering go well with, which he doesn’t.”
One of many extra awkward moments throughout Trump’s comparatively brief 45-minute chat (most Fridman interviews are a number of hours), was when he was requested in regards to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and any information that Trump would possibly launch if he turns into president once more.
“Um, he was an excellent salesman. He was, you already know, a hailing, hearty sort of man,” whereas suggesting he would possibly launch information on Epstein.
In actuality, Epstein was one in every of Trump’s associates and there’s an extremely creepy video of the 2 dancing with their lecherous seems within the Nineties. So Trump is clearly mendacity about releasing no matter information the U.S. authorities could have locked up in regards to the man.
Fridman stored insisting he’s an unbiased however did the whole lot in his energy to normalize Trump as simply one other politician that common folks may vote for with a clear conscience. Fridman known as Trump “an ideal dealmaker,” and at one level even appeared to be doing political strategizing for Trump, telling the previous president, “you’re at your finest whenever you’re speaking a few optimistic imaginative and prescient of the long run.” Trump doesn’t have a optimistic imaginative and prescient for the long run, for no matter it’s value.
And that’s truly probably the most harmful aspect of interviews like these. A minimum of when Trump seems on Fox Information or some unhinged right-wing podcast, the viewers is already made up completely of individuals voting for Trump. However Fridman is slightly totally different. His chats can attraction to apolitical folks, and there are most likely many listeners who don’t care a lot about politics and can hear this as an endorsement of Trump as a traditional particular person.
Trump isn’t regular. He’s a wannabe fascist and adjudicated rapist whose darkish imaginative and prescient for the nation contains tearing aside households, denying girls the precise to well being care, and actually executing individuals who he believes have betrayed him. And clearly, none of that stuff was introduced up by Fridman, a horrible interviewer who achieves nothing however carrying water for a harmful man.
The podcast is out there on YouTube, however in case you don’t need to sit by all the factor, we’ve bought an inventory summarizing it under.
- Trump rambled about newer types of media exterior of TV with genius strains like, “The entire aircraft of platform is altering loads.”
- Fridman requested Trump what he’d particularly do to barter an finish to the warfare in Ukraine. Trump stated his ordinary bullshit that he’d finish the battle with Russia however didn’t need to give away an excessive amount of, saying “I can’t provide you with these plans.”
- Trump complained that Harris had a “softball” interview with Harris, which is a humorous factor to complain about in the course of a softball interview with Fridman.
- Trump stated there was a “nice chance” of World Struggle III.
- Trump stated changing Joe Biden on the ticket was a “coup,” and repeatedly stumbled over his phrases attempting to speak about how Biden is mentally checked out.
- Trump falsely stated the 2024 election was a “fraud.”
- Trump falsely stated undocumented immigrants vote in elections.
- Trump falsely stated different international locations are emptying their psychological establishments into the U.S.
- Trump known as the try on his life “not a pleasing expertise.”
- Fridman requested Trump about Undertaking 2025 and the previous president stated he hadn’t learn the 900-page coverage doc. Trump tried to distance himself from the plan however admitted there are “some issues I like” about it.
- Trump stated he agrees with the legalization of medical hashish however advised he doesn’t like leisure weed.
- Fridman informed Trump that he lately did ayahuasca and stated the religious advantages may assist members of Congress in the event that they used it. Trump simply appeared very confused throughout that portion of the interview.
- Trump stated “I assume I’d do it, however I haven’t been requested and I’m not asking them” in regards to the Joe Rogan podcast.
- Trump acknowledged his “reposts” on Reality Social can get him in hassle, with out recognizing that his regular posts are simply as fascist and unhinged. “I name it my typewriter,” Trump stated of his Reality Social posts.
- Trump additionally denied calling lifeless troopers “suckers and losers.”
- Trump spewed many lies about Kamala Harris, together with conspiracy theories about her being a secret Communist.
- Trump stated he must “struggle fireplace with fireplace” when persons are attacking him.
- Trump repeatedly praised authoritarian figures, together with Hungary’s prime minister Viktor Orban.
- Trump falsely stated NATO wouldn’t exist with out him.
- Trump stated he’s gotten extra publicity than “anyone who’s ever lived.”
- Trump stated, “you’re imagined to go to heaven, ideally, not hell. However you’re imagined to go to heaven in case you’re good.”
- Trump additionally denied breaking federal regulation when he used Arlington Nationwide Cemetery because the backdrop for his marketing campaign business.
- In one of many solely direct moments of the interview, Fridman identified that Trump “had some hesitation” about releasing among the paperwork on Epstein. Trump responded that he didn’t assume he had any hesitation and insisted “I’m not concerned.”
Arguably the funniest line of the interview was Trump saying “I don’t speak in regards to the previous, I speak in regards to the future,” which is kind of hilarious. All this man talks about is the previous and the way he was cheated in 2020. However Trump’s rhetoric isn’t very humorous general. It’s a risk to the protection and safety of the U.S. if this man takes energy once more.
Trump stated at one level within the interview that he’s “main within the polls,” however he’s truly struggling now that Kamala Harris has entered the race. Harris has taken a stable lead in nationwide polls, in addition to slight leads in most battleground states, throughout a number of totally different pollsters.
FiveThirtyEight’s nationwide polling common presently has Harris up 3.2 factors. However no one is aware of for certain what’s going to occur till folks truly go to the polls in November. And whereas it’s not clear whether or not Fridman will vote for Trump, it virtually doesn’t matter. The podcaster has already helped Trump with this interview greater than a single vote ever may.
Daniel Mercer
