Thread | Brutkey

Can journalists please stop putting Trump on the spot about dumb shit he said before?

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/01/20/us/trump-news/a8a4a4b0-02b2-5b60-a3a8-0b757f2a4483?smid=url-share

Evan Prodromou
@evan@cosocial.ca

'Asked about his previous threats to take back the Panama Canal, Trump said that it was “sort of” still on the table.

“I don’t want to tell you that,” Trump said. “Sort of. I must say. Sort of. That’s sort of on the table.”'

HE FORGOT ABOUT IT UNTIL YOU REMINDED HIM WITH THIS QUESTION. STOP REMINDING HIM OF THINGS.

Evan Prodromou
@evan@cosocial.ca

Look, I know that this is part of what you learn at journalism school.

"Mr. Politician, you said you were going to do X and you haven't done it yet. Can you comment?"

"Mr. Politician, what did you mean when you said you'd do X?"

I can tell you definitively on behalf of the general public, we do not need those answers from Donald Trump, thank you very much! It's perfectly OK not to ask those questions and remind him of some terrible thing he said he'd do.

Evan Prodromou
@evan@cosocial.ca

Especially don't ask in a way that makes it sound like he's DUMB or BAD AT HIS JOB if he doesn't do the thing. We all know that he is dumb and bad at his job! We do not need piece of evidence no. 3,564,189 to be entered into the public record!

Evan Prodromou
@evan@cosocial.ca

"Mr. President, I don't think you're smart enough to invade Panama. I double-dog dare you! You don't have the guts! Last one to invade Panama is a low-down skunk!"