“If
I'd have said that Donald Trump
would be the next president, they would have put me in a room with
only soft furnishings,” says Jon Sopel. Not that he would have. The
BBC's North America correspondent, tasked with interpreting for a
British audience the vast outpouring of unfiltered babbling coming
from the now president's mouth, quickly accrued a huge amount of
news- solid, hard facts- from his time reporting from Washington.
What he learned out there, though, was that facts didn't matter to
the Trump administration- making Mr. Sopel's time covering this
presidency totally unique to any other assignment he'd ever been
given.
It's
Wednesday 18th September, and we're in Manchester's Dance House Theatre for the launch of A
Year at the Circus: Inside Trump's White House. Interviewing him is
BBC's political editor Jim Hancock.
“If
Hillary had won,” claims Mr. Sopel, “My golf swing would be
better. I never have time now. Every time I got away, Trump would do
something batshit crazy, and I'd get called back to DC.” He goes on
to reel off some of Trump's falsehoods- claiming he'd predicted the
outcome of Brexit while at a golf course with Sopel himself, when the
plane's flight manifesto clearly showed him landing the day after the
result, for example. There were plenty more. Some you'll remember
from the news, some may have passed you by.
The
discussion, including questions from the audience, covers Trump's
child-like sharpie drawings tracking Hurricane Dorian, his paying off
of Stormy Daniels (“Our job is not
to normalise really weird behaviour,”) Melania's cluster of secret
service agents filling an entire corner of a restaurant (That Mr
Sopel found himself in) just days after the Stormy Daniels story
broke (“the atmosphere was not great. Trump was sat like he was on
the naughty step. I couldn't help but gawk”) and much, much more.
Say what you like about Trump's politics, but his presidency is never
dull.
If
Mr Sopel had been American, he claims, the book could have been more
damning. Americans are protected by the 1st Amendment, which prevents the government from making laws which
abridge the freedom
of speech, or the freedom
of the
press.
Given Trump has sued (UK news outlets) The Telegraph and
the Daily Mail, Mr Sopel didn't want to
take any chances. What remains in the book- at least what's discussed
a the event- is still riveting. Mr Sopel has read the Mueller report
(“He didn't conspire. But most reports are dull. The Mueller report
is a page-turner”).
Mr.
Sopel and his team had to discuss the precedent of dropping the
F-Bomb on TV. (Trump, after hearing the guts of the aforementioned
expose, had allegedly uttered, “It's the end of my presidency. I'm
fucked.”) Mr Sopel describes the blatant difference between this
presidency and any other in US history: “'Pussy,' 'shithole
countries,' 'we're fucked...' The language I've used on the BBC...”
He brings a fist to his head and expands his grip: mind-blowing.
After
some skilled questioning from Mr. Hancock, we go over to the audience
for questions. First off the bat: Who does Mr Sopel back in the 2020
elections?
“It's
Trump. Due to the economy, employment, stocks. Biden makes a lot of
mistakes. Elizabeth Warren, she's possible.”
Are
you surprised there's been no assassination attempt?
“No-
the people with the guns like him, and the Secret Service do an
incredible job.”
Do
you think when he ran it was a publicity stunt?
“He's
having the time of his life. It was a branding exercise when he
attacked John McCain, who was was
praised as a PoW. Trump trashed him and everyone loved it. The
original plan was to be in for 6 weeks and throw it to Chris Christie.”
If
there's a US-UK trade deal, should we worry about the NHS?
“No.
Johnson couldn't trade with the USA.
He knows it would be devastating. The NHS is like a live rail: touch
it at your peril.”
Trump
encourages violence towards journalists- have you experienced it?
“Hell
yeah. My cameraman was pushed over, and he's a heavy-set guy. I've
been jostled, spat at. Secret Service were guarding the journalists.
We weren't allowed out of the rallies until about an hour after
they'd finished. Someone asked (then Press Secretary) Sarah Sanders
how she copes, and straight off the bat she replied, 'bourbon.'”
Is
Mike Pence dangerous or anti-women? And why is Trump orange?
“I'm
mesmerised by Pence. When Trump is speaking...” Mr Sopel breaks off
in impression, staring, statically fawningly at an imagined Trump.
“Like a taxidermist had been there. Pence introduced Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which limits gay rights and abortion. Legislation
changed, but public opinion didn't. Why is he orange? I took a photo
in the (White House) Rose Garden and I knew that there was something
wrong. He looked like he'd been tangoed.”
Can
we have free and fair elections given the Facebook misinformation
campaigns?
“I
bloody hope so. It's never been more challenging. Social Media has a
huge responsibility, and they're fumbling and groping towards that.
We need swift mechanisms put in place now.”
Mr
Hancock asks, will Russia try again?
“Yes,”
predicts Mr Sopel. “Trump retweeted a video of a woman dancing,
claiming it was a celebration on 9/11. It was total fake news.”
It's this ease of manipulation, he suggests, that makes Trump and his
social media use the perfect target for political hackers.
What
do you think the plans are for the Trump family?
“There
was a TV series called Succession, about a media empire ran by a man
with children, where we're always wondering which child will take
over. Donald Trump Jr is like his dad. US viewers loved the Bush
family, now they love the Trumps.”
Given
Trump's narcissistic tendencies, will he try for 3 terms?
“The
republican party will not overturn the Constitution. Trump would be
83. People would push back.”
Does
the Trump media circus take attention away from Mitch McConnell and
others who are dangerous?
“They'll
see diminishing returns on attacks. And what else is there to say?
Mitch will be played hard. The Dems will broaden their attacks to
other Republicans.”
To
what extent is Jared Kushner behind
this?
“Jared
was tasked with bringing peace to the Middle East...”
There
are a few laughs from the audience. Mike Pompeo (Secretary of
State), Mr Sopel claims, is the biggest
influence.
In
your travels around the world, has Trump's presidency damaged how
others view America?
“Yes,
but Americans don't give a damn. It's collateral damage of Donald
Trump doing his job. But he has lost influence abroad.”
Are
the Dems doing the right thing by not impeaching?
“When
Bill Clinton was impeached he saw a
huge surge in popularity.”
You
come across as liberal and level-headed- are you ever drawn into
Trump's appeal?
“I
love his Twitter. With the Mayor Saddiq Khan or Boris Johnson, you
know 16 people wrote it. Trump's spelling mistakes tell you, 'This is
real.'”
As
depressing as the geo-political sphere may be right now, the evening
has been anything but.
The book tour was produced by Penguin Live.
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