Trump's 'intellectual capacity' questioned after comparison to interview with Biden

[Tom of Temecula]

Both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump conducted lengthy interviews with Time Magazine this year, but journalist Magdi Jacobs contends that the magazine's interviewers seem to have dumbed down their questions when interviewing Trump. Writing on Twitter, Jacobs does a side-by-side comparison between the Trump and Biden interviews and flags significant differences in the way that interviewers question the two main presidential contenders.

"Something striking: the substance of Trump and Biden's answers is, of course, quite distinct but, even more than that, one can tell the interviewer has more confidence in the intellectual capacity of one man over the other," she wrote. They then pointed out to an instance in which the interviewer asked both men about their positions on defending Taiwan. "I want to get your thoughts on China," Time asked Trump. "Do you think the U.S. should defend Taiwan if China invades?"

When it came time to ask Biden the same question, however, the interviewer asked a much more detailed question. "CIA Director Bill Burns says the President Xi Jinping of China has ordered the Chinese military to be ready by 2027 to conduct a successful invasion of Taiwan," Time asked Biden. "You said on multiple occasions that you would use U.S. forces to defend Taiwan. What does that mean? Is it boots on the ground? What shape would that take?"

In analyzing this, Jacobs said that it indicated that Time interviewers believed they needed to dumb down questions to get a cogent response from Trump. "The interviewer(s) at Time seem to believe one man (Biden) is capable of answering a complex question containing multiple premises," she wrote. "The interviewer(s) at Time seem to not believe the other man (Trump) is capable of answering a simple unlayered question."

https://www.rawstory.com/trump-biden-2024-2668477005/

[Croney]

1. Put them on the debate stage, and ask them the same questions.

No dumbing-down for Dumbo.

[Miguelito Loveless]

4. Indeed.

This us the press enabling Trump.

[NJCher]

37. you could look at it that way

This us the press enabling Trump.


You could also look at it from the standpoint of the interviewer. It's not every day that you get the opportunity to interview a president. Are you going to dumb down questions for the sake of "enabling?"

If you take any interest in your work, you're going to make the most of it.

If I were the interviewer I would do exactly what this one did. I would get everything I could out of what is likely my one shot with the president of the U.S.

[Auggie]

9. Ideally, yes, if only our Presidential "debates" weren't such debacles

And I'm not referring to just Trump's juvenile behavior but the quality of questions asked. I'd be surprised if FOX and CNN producers would bring up such a detailed and important topic on a live stage such as Taiwan defense. More likely discussion will be about age, felony convictions, were you better off four years ago (I hate this question) and Hunter Biden.

[Funtatlaguy]

28. Mr Trump: " What is the appropriate role for each of the 3 branches

of government?

[Conjuay]

31. "To answer to ME!" n/t

[onethatcares]

2. f the questions

what were the answers? That's the only way to see how addled tfg is.

[Wounded Bear]

7. I think you're missing the point of the OP...

Last edited Fri Jun 7, 2024, 06:16 PM - Edit history (1)

In simple terms, the interviewers knew that trump couldn't grasp more complicated concepts like Pres Biden can.

Essentially, they asked trump high school mid term questions, and asked Biden graduate school questions.

[Wednesdays]

15. High school, nothing.

You can ask any average fifth grader what should be done if China invaded Taiwan, and receive a reasonably cognizant answer.

[peppertree]

21. Especially compared to Trump!

"I know China, mkay. And I know that China is big - very big."

Flashes white power sign.

"We gotta be BIGGER than China, it's the only way - and I'll make us bigger than China; bigger than anything you've ever seen, let me tell you."

Brain-dead Trumpkins hoot and fist-pump.

[Maraya1969]

24. One is written on Twitter. Someone posted a link to the Thread app and said you can read

the whole interview there

[marble falls]

3. Questioned? Confirmed.

[PatSeg]

5. Excellent observation

I'm sure we'd see this throughout interviews of both men. I'm surprised no one has brought it up before.

[orangecrush]

6. K&R

[azureblue]

8. if there IS a debate

Trump will, just like he did with Hillary, get all Adderall'd up and tweak out on stage. He snorts before all of his public appearances, and it shows in addled thinking, weird gestures and body movements, and now, drooling. And, like all tweakers, Trump thinks he is the King of the world when he's high, and is totally unaware of how he is actually acting..

So, Trump will get high before the debate, thinking this will be 2016 pt. 2, and fall apart on stage.

The key will be a moderator who will not let Trump run amok like the mod did in 2016. So you know the GOP is working to bribe the mod of their choosing, to let Trump do his act unfettered and to make sure Trump doesn't have to answer any question more difficult than "what's your name?".

[et tu]

10. cf45 will answer only if he has a name tag lol nt

[liberalla]

11. This really isn't anything new. They've been handling him with "care" for a long time

Kid gloves, etc.

However, it's nice for someone to notice and call attention to it. IMO

[SWBTATTReg]

12. One will never get an answer to any questions posed to the idiot tRUMP. His mind is gone already. He's

mentally disturbed and has a 'they are after me' complex w/ regard to everything and everyone.

What's next should he ever regain the WH? Arrest the population of all big cities and throw them into jail or detention camps? Seize all of the money from Musk and / or others and declare it as his money? Pass a law outlawing all democrats and independents? With this idiot, anything crazy is possible. He's already screwed up the Supreme Court for a generation, the last thing we need more from him is the ability to yet again appoint more crazed justices.

[KS Toronado]

13. If the interviewer knew TSF

was incapable of answering simple questions, that's what they should have been asking, at least a real
journalist would have instead of one overly concerned about popularity contests with page views.

[Wednesdays]

14. Oh, sure. TSF's intellectual capacity is questioned by Raw Story.

So, what's the take by CBS, NBC, ABC, or CNN? Not to mention Fox?

[4lbs]

16. They "edit" his questions before airing. At least when they can. Sometimes he does so poorly they can't even do that.

[Johonny]

17. Trump isnt dumb persay, just intellectually lazy

He isn't interested in learning. Thinks he knows it all. Thinks he can snow you with bluster. Apparently this works on his very dumb voters. The rest of us know he isn't a deep thinker or a broad thinker. His lack of recall knowledge is striking. He doesn't know shit.

[TBF]

18. It's pretty apparent - he tends to simply hurl out insults

rather than thoughtfully consider a question and give a cogent reply. I can respect someone with a differing opinion, but his bluster is mind-numbing.

[yonder]

19. This is an interesting analysis of Time's presumably different approach to both candidates.

It makes one wonder if the questions were designed also for each man's expected audience of readers: keeping it simple for the tRump folks.

[OAITW r.2.0]

20. Just about any question asked of Trump will include some or all of the following responses

* It's the Democrat's fault
* Fake News
* Rigged _________
* Retribution/Revenge

When was the last time Trump gave thoughtful answers to anyon's questions? I can't recall any instances.

[Martin68]

22. Good to see this kind of analysis in the Mass Media.

[peggysue2]

26. I would argue that . . .

That this is exactly the sort of analyses voters need in a time of mass propaganda, endless projection from Team Trump and gaslighting extraordinaire.

There is truly no comparison when it comes to intellect and basic competency between these two men.

Joe Biden has spent his entire career in public service, knows the landscape, domestically and geo-politically, inside and out. Trump as per his norm is a dangerous faker, a conman through and through with enablers and supporters ready to wreak havoc on the country and the world at large.

The True Believers will never accept the truth bc they've concocted their own reality. But for the fence-sitters? This is what needs to be amplified from now until Election Day.

[Warpy]

23. They should have questioned THAT 8 years ago!

We all spotted it, the inability to hang onto a thought or complete a sentence, the reliance on slogans, the signal to his goons to lead the audience chants when he got stuck, the perseveration, the flight of ideas, the neologisms, the word salad, the confabulation. Clearly, he was slipping and we needed to know how quickly.

It's been quickly enough that doctors are going on the record that the guy aint right in the head no mo.

I'm really hoping something takes him out of circulation for a while, even six months or so would do. Even without the severe personality disorder, the man is simply not fit to run for office, let alone get elected. Watch the VP choice, that is who will likely have to run things if he is not removed and sent home to go gaga in peace.

Dementia is a terrible thing, people slipping away day by day, leaving their bodies behind. I can feel sorry for his family, even as damaged as they all are. I just don't want any of them in politics

[Capperdan]

25. He's plainly insane

The guy is completely whacko. Why does the media not just declare him insane? How can he even qualify to run for any office? Isn't there a competency test required as there is for any other government job? Every daily utterance from him gets broadcast and dissected by panels of experts. Over and over. He is poisoning the airwaves. My middle finger automatically pops up at every sight of the guy.

[brewens]

27. The Trump intellegence briefing should simply be he is handed a document to read and not allowed to

keep it or have anyone else in the room. He can ask questions but that is all. Load it up with big technical words. We won't have any concerns about his being able to leak anything.

[birdographer]

32. This would absolutely work

They could give the same one to Biden with full confidence he would (a) understand it, and (b) realize immediately what they were doing. No more cartoon drawings for Donnie, no more inserting his name every other sentence to keep his attention. Write it for an intelligent adult, and it might as well be in Swahili to him.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

29. TFG has drastically declined over the years and is now Dementia Don

[LudwigPastorius]

30. Maybe the interviewer knows that it doesn't matter what you ask Trump.

So, it doesn't pay to put any thought into the questions. Any time you ask Trump a question about anything, it comes back to him.

For example: Q "What are your thoughts on China?" A " No one has been tougher on China than me."

[Trueblue1968]

33. TIME interviewers suck. They should have been asked The Same Questions!!!!!!!! ! ! ! !

[Quanto Magnus]

34. Or more likely....

The NYT and it's reporters are on Team Convi....... errrr Trump.

[senseandsensibility]

35. And water is wet.

I mean I have to question the sanity and good faith of anyone who doubts this.

[elleng]

36. 'one can tell the interviewer has more confidence in the intellectual capacity of one man over the other,"'

[dchill]

38. They're grading him on a curve...

...the fuckers.

[Skittles]

39. the bar is always lowered for repukes

especially the white males

[Farmer-Rick]

40. The corporate media can't even report an accurate number of attendees

Anymore, let alone admit that a GOP candidate with a severe personality disorder has now fallen into dementia.

When was the last time any corporate media, not Fox, came out with a definitive head count at a Trump rally? They'll quote numbers provided by the GOP, but never do their own digging to get a real head count.

They see Trump wander off topic over and over again, hardly ever completing a thought. They ignore when he does finish with a topic and it ends with weird hand gestures, swear words, insults, unexplained silences, mumblings and abstract noises surrounded by simplistic repetitive adjectives.

But god forbid the corporate media call it out for what it really is.... dementia.

[Blue Owl]

41. Dump was actually PROUD of his Man, Woman, Person, Camera, TV moment

That pretty much sums up his mental capacity, state of mind, and the dumbed down kid gloves with which he’s being treated.