Sometimes Chuck Todd does not disappoint. He was ready for Trump’s lawyer’s misrepresentations and false equivalences that would previously go unanswered.
Chuck Todd was prepared for Trump’s attorney.
Chuck Todd did not disappoint in his interview with Trump’s attorney James Trusty. It turns out Mr. Trusty is not trustworthy at all. He came equipped to mislead. Fortunately, Todd seemed to have had his playbook.
Todd started the interview with a Washington Post report that read as follows.
“Investigators now suspect, based on witness statements, security camera footage, and other documentary evidence, that boxes including classified material were moved from a Mar-a-Lago storage area after the subpoena was served and that Trump personally examined at least some of those boxes.”
Trusty said that the statement was nonsense and attempted to bloviate. Todd was ready. He played a clip from an interview between Hannity and Trump where Trump all but fessed up.
“Where in the law that they have a right to these classified documents?: Todd said. “Presidential Records Act is clear. There’s no vagary here.”
Again Trusty bloviated about how long former President Nixon took to turn over his stuff. Once again, Todd was ready after a few back and forth about the Presidential Records Act.
“You seem to be, I think, maybe unintentionally misrepresenting the law when you talk about Nixon,” Todd said. “The law was passed after Nixon. Nixon had a case because the law wasn’t in place. The law was effective with the Reagan presidency in 1981.”
Chuck then dinged Trump with a probative question to Trusty.
“Does Donald Trump think he should get paid?” Todd asked. “Is that what’s going on here? Because Nixon got paid $18 million, he wants — is he just holding these documents for some sort of financial settlement?”
Trusty accused Todd of a cheap shot. But it was clear where the interview would proceed. It would not be one of Chuck Todd’s soft interviews.
The excerpted clips in the video get the full essence of the interview. Check it out. I am sure you will find it worth your while.
