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Trump Untruncated: Post Your Favorite Excerpts
They could be positive or alarming, however you view the candidate. The Washington Post interview transcript is here.
Some of my favorite moments about the First Amendment:
RYAN: But how would you fix that? You’ve said that you would open up the libel laws.
TRUMP: What I would do, what I would do is I’d – well right now the libel laws, I mean I must tell you that the Hulk Hogan thing was a tremendous shock to me because – not only the amount and the fact that he had the victory — because for the most part I think libel laws almost don’t exist in this country, you know, based on, based on everything I’ve seen and watched and everything else, and I just think that if a paper writes something wrong — media, when I say paper I’m talking about media. I think that they can do a retraction if they’re wrong. They should at least try to get it right. And if they don’t do a retraction, they should, they should you know have a form of a trial.
And:
RYAN: But there’s standards like malice is required. Would you weaken that? Would you require less than malice for news organizations?
TRUMP: I would make it so that when someone writes incorrectly, yeah, I think I would get a little bit away from malice without having to get too totally away.
Fine legal distinction, that. And:
HIATT: But just – given the Supreme Court rulings on libel — Sullivan v. New York Times — how would you change the law?
TRUMP: I would just loosen them up.
RUTH MARCUS: What does that mean?
[Crosstalk]
TRUMP: I’d have to get my lawyers in to tell you, but I would loosen them up. I would loosen them up. If The Washington Post writes badly about me – and they do, they don’t write good – I mean, I don’t think I get – I read some of the stories coming up here, and I said to my staff, I said, “Why are we even wasting our time? The hatred is so enormous.” I don’t know why. I mean, I do a good job. I have thousands of employees. I work hard.
Mind you, he wants there to be a trial when someone says something inaccurate and there’s no retraction. Because he’s so scrupulously accurate:
HIATT: Just back to the campaign. You are smart and you went to a good school. Yet you are up there and talking about your hands and the size of private …
TRUMP: No …
HIATT: … your private parts.
TRUMP: No, no. No, no. I am not doing that.
HIATT: Do you regret having engaged in that?
TRUMP: No, I had to do it.
There’s lots of this:
Right now, look, you know, I went to a great school, I was a good student and all. I am an intelligent person.
The insecurity of the man is … what’s the word, Dr. Carson? Pathological?
Published in General
Well, if I were president, I’d give those libel laws some ex-lax a big dose of ex-lax, well, I’d make those libel laws ingest a diet high in fiber, you know, to loosen them up. I’m great on fiber, fiber is fabulous. I love raisin bran or something like that.
His command of the English language is almost Shakespearian… almost.
But then again it’s really more Curlyian… Wooo Wooo Wooo! soitenly ! Hey Moe!
“If The Washington Post writes badly about me – and they do, they don’t write good”
Does he mean they use the same grammar as him bad, or does he mean they say he’s bad?
Because I could get behind suing them for the grammar mistakes…
To what end? Page views?
The man is who he is and all here are already politically involved and have long since reached their conclusions. What is the purpose?
Lileks, you are fantastic.
Here’s a Trump gem I found – he loves Putin, Putin kills journalists, but hey, Americans kill people too. Oh yeah, I totally am not on board with killing journalists, but Putin’s a good leader.
I started the season as a Walker supporter. I switched to Rubio. I would be fine with Cruz, but I am, above all, #NeverHillary.
It’s a republic guys. We deal with the choices the voters have made. If it’s Trump, I hold my nose like I did for Dole, Romney, and McCain.
What is wrong with you people? The Clintons are a crime family. EVEN Trump is preferable. Ask the Benghazi families…and all the agents compromised because of Hillary’s server.
Trying to decide whether to drop my membership or just come back after inauguration day. What a waste this site has become.
Have you not listened to Trump actively and vociferously oppose major provisions in the bill of rights? Does that not strike you as unique among all candidates of both parties? Does Trump’s utter lack of experience and demonstrated contempt for the U.S. Constitution not scare the living you know what out of you? I know that Hillary, unelected, tried to shove single-payer down the throats of the American people and that she did nothing during Benghazi. I get it. But in what way would Trump be better than Hillary? I have yet to hear, at all, from anyone, how Trump would be better than Hillary. He lacks the temperment, the capability, the experience, and the knowledge of our values and institutions. Trump is an unmitigated disaster.
And a guy who bilks people of ten’s of thousands of dollars is …?
From the WaPo interview, and he’s said this before, but seriously, this is of a piece with “I can see Russia from my house,” except Trump actually says this stuff:
Trump sympathizeers/supporters – defend the man. I dare you.
“The power of strength.” Churchillian in its majesty. It would bring tears to Cicero’s eyes. O tempora, O mores!
The man is not a serious person. Anyone who believes this man is remotely qualified to be president is not a serious person either.
Source for these two
Second source
Open borders!
Betrayal!
The Establishment!
Anger!!
I think I’ve read criticism of the NYT v Sullivan decision in National Review and/or The Weekly Standard over the years.
There’s a guy named John McCain running for reelection to the Senate this year. No First Amendment fan he:
– “Sending Brad Smith to the F.E.C. is akin to confirming a conscientious objector to be secretary of defense.”
– “These ads are direct, blatant attacks on the candidates. We don’t think that’s right.”
Add #NoMoreMcCain to #NeverTrump to protect the First Amendment.
More good stuff. He can’t just laugh about the hands and shake it off. He HAS to go on a diatribe…
Did I miss McCain announcing he was running for president again?
He’s hoping to be drafted at the convention…
Klaatu: He’s running for reelection to the Senate, has tried to gut the First Amendment, and has done a LOT of damage to the Republican Party as a Senator. He should go, yes?
Last I checked, the qualifications were pretty minimal. Age, natural-born citizen, and wins votes…
Well, Trump assures us Saddam didn’t have any, so we know one place they are not.
It’s going to be a pretty entertaining time if he wins.
I can say this: I do find reading what he says to be pretty entertaining. Sort of awe and shock combined at what comes out of his mouth.
Most politicians I can’t even stand to listen to. Bush/Clinton/Bush/Obama were dry years for me listening to politicians.
This is actually making me look forward to his first State of the Union.
That’s going to be a hoot.
Thank you for reiterating my point about the lack of seriousness.
BD is spot on. McCain and Trump differ in that McCain disdains a portion of the first amendment, Trump hates the majority of it.
22 I am glad freedom’s fall fascinates you so.
Why is this news? Personally, I think the media is about 51%-75% responsible for every problem we have w/r/t politics today. Questions like these are considered “appropriate”.
“I presume you condemn anyone who says its ok for cops to shoot people who have no gun and have their hands up in the air?! “
Yes, Arizona can do better.
Discussion of what the front-runner says and thinks and how he says it seems relevant, no? Otherwise we might as well just go dark until November. There’s also the psychological aspect of the interview – everyone in the room knew more details about the issues than he did, and I think on some level he knows that. How does he react?
Which front runner are you talking about? Hillary or Donald? Does it matter?
By telling them how good looking they are, at least that is how he avoided answering a question about nuking ISIS.