ABC Jon Karl is using the language of emotionally battered victims to talk about Trump

[Grasswire2]

A few days ago after Trump blew up at him in the briefing, Karl said "I know he didn't mean it." !!!

Today on MSNBC, Karl, discussing Trump's demeanor (and Karl's new book), laughingly described an incident from the 2016 campaign where he was interviewing Trump who blew up at him, screaming all kinds of abusive battering words, and Trump walked out on the interview. A bit later, Trump came back and then asked that they pose for photos together. Trump was smiling his widest smile in the resulting pic, Karl told Nicole Wallace just now.

He said to Nicole Wallace: "He (Trump) courts me. He flatters me. . . it's a 26-year relationship."

Karl and Nicole laughed and enjoyed their chatting about the abusive relationship. I was triggered. I'm sure that men and women viewers who have experienced emotional battering don't think it's all so funny. Especially when the abuse comes from a sociopath / narcissist.

@jonkarl

[elleng]

1. Sure don't.

[DonaldsRump]

2. He is a weak reporter

I know some on DU don't like him, but when Chris Cuomo totally recovers, I hope he volunteers to do a tour of duty in DC for these "press" "briefings". CC is a tiger and does not let go. That's what you need.

Even if that doesn't happen, the rest of the wimps in the press corps need to band together so that they can get to the bottom of things. Otherwise, they all are just acquiescing in a Trump election rally.

[Grasswire2]

4. at this point, I would call him a "patsy"...

...although I understand the possible negative connotation in terms of sexual orientation. I don't mean it that way, simply mean that Karl is allowing himself to be made a victim.

[tblue37]

6. Karl was trained by a right-wing program to insert rightwing into major news organizations. nt

[DonaldsRump]

9. We need ruthlessly dedicated REAL reporters

Like Dan Rather, Mike Wallace, Sam Donaldson, Helen Thomas, Carl Bernstein etc., not sycophants or weak-kneed "journalists" who are bootlickers solely because Trump might throw them a bone.

It is a real disservice to viewers to call this "news."

[Mike 03]

3. Great post.

That was a strange interview, and you really figured out why.

The other peculiar thing Karl did was say, to paraphrase, Don't get upset with Sean Spicer and Sarah Sanders for lying, "don't get angry with them" (he used almost those exact words) because it's their job and the lying "comes from the top", almost like they don't have free will to decide whether to accept or resign from a job like that. EDIT: I don't even think Nicole Wallace asked him a question about it, he just jumped in to defend them. It was random and bizarre.

It did not make me want to buy his book.

Thank you for putting your finger on it, because I couldn't understand why I had such a negative reaction to that interview.

[Grasswire2]

5. Strange, yes.

I'm a little put off by Nicole's cozy reaction. Thinking of George Carlin: "It's a club, and you ain't in it."

[Mike 03]

7. Exactly what you said.

"It's a club..." They treated this as "inside football" and an "inside joke" when we're talking about something so extremely serious. As much as I like Nicole Wallace, she does have a tendency to laugh inappropriately. I sometimes do that too, so I'm not in a position to criticize her, but that interview was like a song played in the wrong key.

[Grasswire2]

8. good description. nt

[Just_Vote_Dem]

10. You shouldn't be

Deep down, she's still a Repug. Just doesn't like Trump because he does the hatefulness out in the open, instead of hiding it like most of her ilk does.

[Hekate]

11. I really did not see the laughter from Karl you describe. He said he was very shaken...

...by being screamed at & threatened before Trump's rally. He sounded shaken just talking about it -- he even half-clenched his fists describing DT's behavior. (I thought to myself: Trump was getting himself juiced up before the rally, wasn't he? )

So DT comes back, grinning, completes the interview (which Jon Karl said he felt it was his job to do) and then asks if Karl wants a photo. Karl said it was a very weird photo: DT grinning from ear to ear and himself, the journalist, frozen in place lookng as though he wanted to be any place on the planet other than where he was.

You are right: Trump is a classic abuser. I myself have always seen him this way.

He gets people where he wants them & forces them to stay there. I have heard this over and over about DT from reporters/journalists: "It was my job, and I can't make the story about me."

Well the problem with that is that Trump uses that professional ethic to harm people, and has always done. So, my tip to all journalists is this: Maybe you should make this the story, because like one woman getting raped by a predator, the predator counts on her silence, and it is not just about her but about all the other women who have been and will be raped by the same *hole.

Gods do I hate him.