At a glance: During a White House interview with TIME, President Trump sidestepped a question about Senator Mitch McConnell's future and instead criticized the magazine for asking only "negative" questions. He accused the media of unfair treatment compared with President Biden, defended White House repairs he says he funded, and pointed to his record on foreign policy—including remarks about Venezuela—as reasons he deserved credit.
Trump Deflects McConnell Question, Launches Broad Critique of TIME in White House Interview
Photo Credit: Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images
President Donald Trump turned a question about Senator Mitch McConnell into a broader rebuke of TIME magazine during a White House interview, accusing the outlet of asking only "negative" questions and using the exchange to renew his long-running criticism of the press.
When asked whether McConnell should resign amid concerns about his health, Trump declined to answer directly and instead attacked the interviewer and the outlet's line of questioning. He contrasted his treatment by the media with what he described as favorable treatment for President Joe Biden, using the nickname "Sleepy Joe" while making claims about presidential pardons.
"It was a disappointment to a lot of Republicans. So that's just—well, Sleepy Joe gave pardons to everybody. He gave them to Fauci. He gave them to this. But you mean I'm not allowed to give them, but Sleepy Joe's allowed to give them? This ain't gonna be much of a story."
Trump continued by complaining that reporters had not asked him any positive questions and that coverage focused disproportionately on negatives. He used colorful language to emphasize his frustration with the interview's tone.
"You haven't asked me one f*cking positive question. All of this. What about this? What about that? All negative. Why are you devoting all this time to the White House?"
He also defended work he said he had overseen at the White House, claiming he paid for some repairs out of pocket and describing past problems with leaks and crumbling masonry. Trump argued those repairs and his handling of foreign-policy issues—he specifically referenced Venezuela—deserve credit and attention.
"You know how I do, I do that out of my back pocket. I pay for a lot of it, but I fix it because the White House should look like that... Every time it rained, it was leaking; horrible. Now it's perfect, and I would say that I should be given credit for fixing the White House because I'm also doing very well with the war. I'm doing very well with another war that we already won, Venezuela."
Trump also reproached the outlet for not asking him about Venezuela: "Do you notice you haven't asked me a question about Venezuela?" The questions about McConnell followed the senator's return to the Senate after a three-month absence for health treatment.
The exchange illustrates how Trump often redirects interviews away from direct questions about political allies or controversies and toward critiques of the media and reminders of his own accomplishments. The interview segment was first reported by Reality Tea.
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