Leslie Stahl of 60 Minutes scored the first post-election interview with the President-Elect, Donald Trump. I tuned in as did millions of other Americans to share Trump’s historical victory. I didn’t know what to expect but started the evening with a sense of excitement to share Trump’s accomplishment. But my enthusiasm was soon dampened.
From the opening, Ms. Stahl was cool towards Trump and by the end of the interview she’d progressed to rude, petulant, and disrespectful. Throughout the interview she had an air of superiority, the snobby rich wife enduring a conversation with a commoner.
Leslie opened the interview asking Trump about his “feelings” when he found out he’d won. She says it’s reported Trump “went completely silent” with the news. Was that shock? Was he overwhelmed? Surprised?
She allowed him a sentence or two to respond then immediately moved to Hillary, did she call him. Trump says yes, very nice whatever. Then Leslie asks if Bill called. Trump again gives the details and Leslie moves to President Obama. What did they talk about, wasn’t it awkward?
Trump at this point is adrift, so far 90% of the conversation has been about everyone but him. Dumb stooge, he thinks being elected President of the United States makes him special, sheesh!
Then Leslie asks her first loaded question, if Trump will conduct himself properly now that’s he’s going to be President. Oh and by the way, is he going to “reign in” his rhetoric. Stunning show of ignorance and arrogance.
Trump actually answers this patronizing jab and assures her it will be ok. I half expected him to pull out a stuffed kitty and guide Leslie to a safe space.
On to immigration and those poor illegals. Leslie asks for the billionth time if he’s really going to build the wall. Then she tries to give him a way out, could it be a fence instead. Trump who’s actually thinking about the wall and not Leslie’s trap, says a fence might work in some places, a wall in others. But Leslie has her headline, “Trump caves on wall”.
Leslie stays on the attack for the rest of the interview. “What about the pledge to deport millions and millions of undocumented immigrants?” Isn’t Trump a hypocrite for hiring lobbyists, the very people he campaigned against? And is he really going to nominate a conservative for the Supreme Court. Is he going to try and repeal Roe v. Wade?
Then Leslie brings up the protesters, her own words reflecting her low opinion of our newly elected President.
Lesley Stahl: When they demonstrate against you and there are signs out there, I mean, don’t you say to yourself, I guess you don’t, you know, do I have to worry about this? Do I have to go out and assuage them? Do I have to tell them not to be afraid? They’re afraid.
Of all the unmitigated gaul, a member of the corrupt media that brought fear to these empty vessels lecturing Trump for not “assuaging” them.
She continues to chastise Trump, his awful Tweeting, is he going to stop? Trump rightly points out that he has a combined social media following of 28 million people. Great tool, the modern way to communicate he explains. She keeps hammering him on this tweeting issue for the same reason the media made such an issue of it during the campaign, he has a combined following of 28 million people and they don’t.
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Leslie turns back to Hillary. Is Trump going to prosecute poor Hillary. Trump says Hillary did some bad things. Leslie’s hyperventilating, “I mean a special prosecutor?” she says like the very thought is treasonous.
Trump then gives the best answer of the night, “I’ll give a much more detailed answer on this in our next 60 Minutes interview,” he says. Translation, when pigs fly.
Leslie can see Trump’s about to terminate the interview and possibly her so she turns her attention to Melania and the kids. The kids are pretty much glaring at Leslie now and who can blame them. She makes the rounds, Eric, Tiffany, Ivanka, and Don Jr., with the whole how did you feel when he was elected thing. Then she tries to nail Trump on nepotism and asks the kids if they’re going to be working in the Trump Administration. They all say no, fantastic business to run and they want to make their father proud.
Now Leslie has been on thin ice for the majority of this interview but her next question to the Trump kids cracks the surface and she slowly slips into the icy waters.
Lesley Stahl: Let me ask whether any of you think that the campaign has hurt the Trump brand.
The kids struggle with the absolute irrelevance of the question, the disconnect between this asinine woman and the real world. Its like Leslie didn’t get the memo that Donald Trump has been elected the 45th President of the United States. Ivanka looks at the vapid creature across from her and attempts to convey the magnitude of her father’s achievement.
Ivanka Trump: I don’t think it matters. This is so much more important. And more serious. And-- so th-- I-- I-- you know, that’s the focus.
Now Trump’s doing a not-so-slow burn. Then Ms. Stahl gets to see firsthand what happens when you poke the bear. Trump’s back the Trump we all know and love and his expression is killer.
Donald Trump: I think what Ivanka's trying to say, “Who cares? Who cares?” This is big league stuff. This is-- this is our country. Our country is going bad. We’re going to save our country. I don’t care about hotel occupancy. It’s peanuts compared to what we’re doing. Health care, making people better. It’s unfair what’s happened to the people of our country and we’re going to change it. As simple as that.
For some strange reason that answer ended the interview without so much as a ‘thank you’ from Leslie. What I’d give to see the outtakes on this baby.
There’s only one way to sum up this interview, shameful. Like so many other pious reporters, Leslie Stahl has no respect for the American people, for our choice. It’s not the President-Elect she despises, it’s us. How dare we break script and put an outsider in their domain? Who do we think we are to challenge the media’s power, their ability to control the populace with their narrative and propaganda.
I can only hope that our future President Trump will never again give one of the hacks the time of day. If he wants to reach the American people, use alternative media, Drudge, Breitbart, Conservative Treehouse, Your Voice radio, so many who were here every step of the way in the campaign. Or hell, just tweet, we’ll hear you. In fact that may be the only way we hear you as most of us are abandoning the corrupt mainstream media.
So, Mr. President-Elect Trump, don’t subject yourself to any more of their insults and degradation. You’re too good for that, too good for them. You built a multi-billion dollar company, have some of the greatest properties in the world. You ran for President and fought all of them, the media, both political parties, foreign governments, the President, even the Pope and you won.
The mainstream media will never change, still the gatekeepers for corruption and tyranny. And they’ll never give you fair coverage, you robbed them of their power, won the election not just without them but in spite of them and for that they can never forgive you. Fortunately you’ve proven you don’t need them, fortunately neither do we.
Peggy Ryan is an IT specialist. Currently she is an author and political commentator. She’s been widely published on multiple conservative Internet sites. Peggy Ryan can be reached at PeggyRyan1203 @ gmail.com
Leslie Stahl of 60 Minutes scored the first post-election interview with the President-Elect, Donald Trump. I tuned in as did millions of other Americans to share Trump’s historical victory. I didn’t know what to expect but started the evening with a sense of excitement to share Trump’s accomplishment. But my enthusiasm was soon dampened.
From the opening, Ms. Stahl was cool towards Trump and by the end of the interview she’d progressed to rude, petulant, and disrespectful. Throughout the interview she had an air of superiority, the snobby rich wife enduring a conversation with a commoner. 
