Newsmax just loves its Donald Trump stenography, lavishing attention on his rallies and TV appearances. That stenography falls apart — exposing Newsmax as little more than a Trump toady — when speeches he makes draw attention from non-Newsmax outlets would have the temerity to go beyond stenography to report what actually happened. In an Oct. 14 forum at the Economic Club of Chicago headed by the editor of Bloomberg, Sandy Fitzgerald lovingly wrote this:
Former President Donald Trump, in an interview with members of the Economic Club of Chicago on Tuesday, argued that his plans for higher tariffs for foreign manufacturers, combined with other plans including tax cuts, will return the United States to prosperity, despite claims from a bipartisan group that said his proposals would add $7.5 trillion to the U.S. debt.
“To me, the most beautiful word in the dictionary is tariff,” Trump told his interviewer, Bloomberg Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait. “It’s my favorite word.”
But Newsmax didn’t tell readers all that Micklethwait said about Trump’s tariffs. Fortunately, Mediaite did:
Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday was pressed by Bloomberg Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait for his support of tariffs in his proposed economic policy.
Throughout his campaigns, Trump has repeatedly stated that should he win the presidency in November, his solution to decrease the national debt will be by imposing larger tariffs. That plan has been challenged by many; a recent report from The Wall Street Journal revealed that nearly 70% of surveyed economists believe another Trump term would be more inflationary than a Kamala Harris one.
During a forum in Chicago, Trump was given the chance to explain how it would be beneficial to impose such tariffs on his allies. In the middle of one of Trump’s patented “weaves” about his presidency being free of wars, Micklethwait brought the conversation back to the economy.
That’s because stiff tariffs on foreign manufacturers wanting to sell goods in the U.S. will boost U.S. manufacturing, Trump said.
“We will bring the companies back,” he said. “We will lower taxes further for companies that will make their product in the USA. We will protect those companies with strong tariffs because I am a believer in tariffs. I am not sure you are. I don’t think you are.”
Jim Thomas served up this gushing account of Trump talking about his economic policies:
During a Tuesday interview at the Economic Club of Chicago, former President Donald Trump boasted about accomplishments in his first term and presented bold plans to revitalize American prosperity, confidently discussing tariffs, job creation, and foreign policy.
An interview with Bloomberg Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait covered various topics, including trade policy, the Federal Reserve, and foreign relations, and Trump used the platform to defend his aggressive tariff plans and reaffirm his stance as the candidate voters trust most on economic issues.
He made a strong case for his America First agenda, promising to impose tariffs on companies that outsource manufacturing. He said he believes this policy would protect American jobs and bolster the domestic economy.
Although Micklethwait questioned the potential fallout of such tariffs, especially regarding U.S. relations with allies, Trump was undeterred, arguing that his approach would strengthen the country.
Meanwhile, Mediaite offered a more realistic account that showed Trump’s testiness and arrogance:
John Micklethwait, the editor in chief of Bloomberg News, grilled former President Donald Trump over the national debt on Tuesday during an in-depth sit-down interview focused on Trump’s economic agenda.
“You’ve actually, you talked about it at the New York Economic Club. You said that if you lost the dollar as a reserve currency, it would be like America losing a war,” Micklethwait said at one point turning the conversation.
[…]Micklethwait tried to move back to talking about debt, “President Trump– the markets are looking at the fact you are making all these promises. Latest one was car loans. You’re flooding the thing with giving giveaways. But I was also I was actually quite kind to you. I used 7 trillion. The upper estimate is 15 trillion. People like the Wall Street Journal, which is hardly a communist organization, they have criticized you on this as well. You are running up enormous debt.”
“What is [sic] The Wall Street Journal know? I’m meeting with them tomorrow. What is The Wall Street Journal that they’ve been wrong about everything. So have you, by the way,” Trump shot back.
“You’ve been wrong,” Trump added as the crowd roared.
“You’re trying to turn this. You’re trying to turn–” hit back Micklethwait.
“You’ve been wrong,” Trump repeated.
“I know you’re trying, you’re trying to turn this into debate. There are business people. There are business people–” Micklethwait replied.
“You’re wrong. You’ve been wrong. You’ve been wrong all your life on this stuff. You know, let me tell you about currency. You kind of you know, you go and jump in a lot of a lot of different subjects,” Trump added.
Newsmax cranked out more Trump stenography:
- Trump: President Has Right to Have Input on Fed’s Decisions
- Trump to Bloomberg: Pa., Mich., Focus on Election Night
- Trump: Would Be ‘Smart Thing’ to Maintain Dialogue With Putin
The Putin piece is actually a wire article that Mediaite concurred with. Meanwhile, Mediaite reported what Newsmax didn’t on how Trump gave an utterly irrelevant answer to a question he was asked.
In another example, here’s what Newsmax wrote about Trump’s speech at the Al Smith dinner in New York City on Oct. 17:
- Trump Pokes Fun at NYC Legal Woes at Al Smith Dinner
- Trump Ribs Schumer: He’ll Bring Back Biden if Polls Worsen
- Trump Pans Harris’ Absence at Al Smith Dinner
- Trump: Why Take Shots at Myself With Others Shooting at Me?
But Newsmax won’t tell you when a Trump joke bombs. Mediaite, no the other hand, did that job:
Guests at the annual Al Smith Dinner on Thursday were left unimpressed with former President Donald Trump’s jokes, which included taunting former President Barack Obama by using his full name, “Barack Hussein Obama,” and claiming President Joe Biden had the “mental faculties of a child.”
Speaking at the dinner next to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Archbishop of New York Timothy M. Dolan, Trump remarked, “It was announced this morning that at a funeral yesterday, in a rare moment of clarity, Joe told Barack Hussein Obama that–”
As a lone laugh could be heard from the audience, Trump responded, “Heh. Only a few people got that. Or, as Rush Limbaugh used to say, Barack Husseeeiiin Obama. Remember? He was a piece of work. We miss him.”
Trump’s fellow guests looked uncomfortable and sat stone-faced as Schumer could be seen shaking his head.
Mediaite also reported more Trump failures at the Al Smith dinner that Newsmax ignored:
- Trump Slams ‘Terrible Mayor’ at Posh Dinner: ‘I Don’t Give a Sh*t If This Is Comedy or Not’
- Trump Roasts Eric Adams Over Indictment: ‘You’re Peanuts Compared to What They’ve Done to Me’
Newsmax was completely silent about one more aspect: Trump said that Fox News personnel helped write his jokes for the dinner. Fox News rushed to deny it, of course, but it’s unlikely anyone believes that.