Trump's interview seemed to serve two purposes: he denied responsibility for anything, and pictured himself as a victim of a hostile press. The mainstream media, of course, characterizes his behavior as immature and irresponsible. They are obviously correct. So why would he choose such a course of action? Let’s take a look at the alternative framework from which Trump was speaking.
At one point, when Stahl tried to ask him a question, Trump interrupted, said that she was being unfair, and claimed: “We have a great record. I mean, we got hit by a pandemic. Wasn’t my fault. It’s China’s fault.”
When she tried to get in a word to finish her line of questioning, Trump interrupted again: “But Lesley, we’re in the White House. The press is biased, very, very biased.” Was he trying to discredit the press? Trump's prompt response was, “You discredit yourself.”
Most professors and mainstream news media, and, for that matter,
many college-educated people probably find that astonishing. When he does
answer the questions? Every question that Leslie Stahl asked was entirely
predictable. Could he not have canned answers ready for them? To understand
that, we need to look at an alternative perspective. The conservative media do
not just deal in what Kellyanne Conway calls “alternative facts.” They also
live in an alternative value universe. It isn't just about facts; the conservative media depict a universe in which liberals, immigrants, and minorities are enemies, and that Trump is protecting his people from these evil forces.
Earlier Post: Franklin Graham Used Debate-Stoppers to Attack Trump's "Enemies"
First, when I was younger, conservatives liked to say that
their three values were “limited government, liberty, and personal
responsibility.” Let's think about "personal responsibility." When they say “personal
responsibility,” what conservatives mean is that they want poor people to fend
for themselves and not to expect government handouts. But isn’t it fair to ask
conservatives to be responsible for their own mistakes? Apparently not.
The United States has done poorly during the coronavirus epidemic, with approximately 19% of the known coronavirus deaths. The United States' unemployment rate is about 7.9%, far higher than when Trump took office. Does Trump take responsibility? No, he blamed it on China: “wasn’t my fault.”
Second, anyone who follows conservative media has been warned for years – decades – not to trust the mainstream media. Such outlets as Fox News, the Christian Broadcasting Network, talk radio shows, and Breitbart routinely tell people that the mainstream media are not to be trusted. An article in the conservative The Hill by Bernard Goldberg commented that, “A lot of us figured out a long time ago that many journalists had a political ax to grind — and it was a bias that usually went in just one direction.”
So, when Trump pictured himself as a helpless victim of the news media – carefully not letting Leslie Stahl explain her points or even finish her questions – he was not accepting responsibility for his own mistakes or opinions. He was, however, fitting into a preconceived narrative that tens of millions of Americans, including, presumably, pretty much his entire base, take for granted.
And so, many people live in a world of alternative facts. For some of us, reality takes second place to political agendas. Trump’s seemingly immature rejection of responsibility or truth, like his eagerness to blame his problems on China, the media, and any other convenient target, fits right into that alternative reality.
Yes, the mainstream media made fun of Trump’s ridiculous interview. That does not, however, mean that it hurt him politically. If anything, it is quite possible that his voters will be especially motivated to turn out and vote to resist what Trump called the biased and unfair media.
Think of it in
religious terms. Many Trump voters do! Conservative Pastor David Barton called Donald
Trump “God’s Guy.” For voters who think
that any criticism of Trump borders on sacrilege and blasphemy (and many voters
think just that!), questioning details about his policies and ideas makes no
sense at all. During his 60 Minutes interview, Trump pictured himself as a
warrior for good who is failing only because evil people and wicked, unnamed forces
stood in his way.
Earlier Post: Pastor Paula White Used Religion to Shut Down Political Debate
Trump was not
trying to have a dialogue. He was trying to shut down debate. He claimed that
the discussion was unfair, and therefore he did not need to participate.
There are many ways to stop a debate, and debate-stoppers have a long history
in the conservative media. The argument is not, "I'm right and you are wrong, and here's why." The argument is, "How dare you criticize me!"
Thus, Trump's theme is that it “wasn’t my fault.” His theme is not what he's done; his boast is that the problems aren't his responsibility. The buck stops everywhere except on his desk.
P.S. I wrote about debate-stoppers a few years ago in an article entitled "Spurious Quotations and the Gun Control Debate: The Manufacturing of an Argument from Tradition.” Click on “William D. Harpine’s Publications” above and scroll down. Most large libraries have the article’s text on their databases.
P.P.S. Not all Christians support Trump. A Christian group recently formed a political action committee to oppose Trump and his policies.
Image: Donald Trump, White House photo
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