Donald Trump is making a deliberate effort to soften his tone.
Or is he?
I’ve given this a lot of thought, having interviewed Trump twice this year, including two weeks before the election. He was focused and substantive, trying to reach a more independent audience, and while he took some campaign-style shots, he was relatively restrained by Trumpian standards.
Now that he’s the de facto president, I saw a similar Trump on display in the "Meet the Press" interview. Kristen Welker’s follow-ups must have annoyed him, because he told her she had asked "nasty" questions.
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During the campaign, such episodes were overshadowed by Trump’s rock-n-roll rallies, where he’d ramble on about the great Hannibal Lecter or Arnold Palmer’s genitalia. But his declaration on NBC that he also wants to represent those who didn’t vote for him is a long way from his 2017 "American carnage" inaugural address.
And yet, the president-elect has also mastered the art of saying things that can be interpreted two ways, or sending not-so-coded messages.
The Washington Post editorial board, not a big fan, says Trump "tried to sound a conciliatory tone" with Welker, backed by substance.
Trump declared he wouldn’t oust Fed chief Jerome Powell, and wants to work with Democrats to protect the Dreamers. Trump said he "would not restrict the national availability of abortion medication, and that the United States will ‘absolutely’ remain in NATO, as long as other member states spend what they have pledged on defense."
And why shouldn’t he appear more reasonable? He’s got the job he believes was unfairly taken from him. He can’t run again. He knows his first term was savaged by the left-leaning media establishment. If he can have a more successful second term – after turning on some top aides in the last go-round – he could modify history’s verdict.
And that brings us to the question of retribution. He said on NBC that the best retribution is success, the same line he used with me. On "Meet the Press" he even retracted a campaign declaration that he would name a special prosecutor to go after Joe Biden.
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When Welker asked whether he’d order the Justice Department, which he sees as having persecuted him, to investigate Biden and his administration, Trump gave a response that I doubt he would have offered in the first term.
No, he said, that would be up to his attorney general and FBI director, which will definitely be Pam Bondi and probably Kash Patel. Would he tell them to do it? Nope.
It’s called distancing.
Now one could argue that he was in effect suggesting they do it by announcing it on national television. But I’m sure they knew his views anyway.
Trump’s one misstep on NBC was lashing out at members of the House Jan. 6 Committee. He said Liz Cheney "did something that’s inexcusable, along with [Bennie] Thompson and people on the Un-Select Committee of political thugs and, you know, creeps," Trump told moderator Kristen Welker, arguing without proof that they "deleted and destroyed" testimony. "Honestly, they should go to jail."
So that was a gift to his critics, enabling most journalists to lead with him wanting the lawmakers behind bars. By the way, their investigation and hearings are protected by the Speech and Debate clause, which gives the members immunity.
Trump senior adviser Jason Miller told CNN that his boss’ words had been taken "out of context," that he "wants everyone who he puts into key positions of leadership ... to apply the law equally to everybody," mentioning Bondi and Patel.
In a similar vein, Trump has mainly avoided attacks on individual journalists, this after saying he would reach out to even hostile outlets. But he made an exception and mocked Maggie Haberman of the New York Times when she co-authored a couple of stories he didn’t like.
So will we be getting Trump 2.0, or Trump 1.0 with plenty of fancy packaging?
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Veteran Trump watchers know that he can slip off the high road when he gets angry, that it’s not just about mass deportations, slashing inflation and drill, baby, drill.
But I still believe we’re seeing a more disciplined, restrained and moderate Trump so far. He campaigned on shaking things up, so there are plenty of clashes to unfold. What’s fascinating is that he’s already essentially running the country while Biden has faded and, since the pardon fiasco, is refusing to talk to the press.
