Transcription
Donald Trump gears up to sue ABC News over the reflecting pool reporting. I wonder if ABC will settle again just to really get on his good side this time. This is just another day.
While hordes of reflecting pool paras may still be terrorizing our capital, our President Donald Justice Trump has alerted the nation that there is actually a far greater threat to fear. Trump in a rage yesterday. Post said he's vowing to sue ABC for false reporting over its coverage of the reflecting pool renovations.
"That's right. As if Donald Trump wasn't already livid that these letters didn't stand for the aquatic broadcasting corporation. Now the man is taking legal action against ABC saying quote in describing the vandalism that took place at the reflecting pool in Washington DC. ABC Fake News, one of the worst in the business, even paying me $16 million for past bad and inaccurate reporting, failed to report that their close friends, Democrats Obama and Biden, spent over $und00 million on the reflecting pool, and it never worked. In fact, it was rarely open due to leaks and stench."
Uh, quick aside, you know, Donald Trump really wrote this one himself because he spelled "due to leaks," DO, which puts this past clip in a whole new light.
"He's a Democrat. That's how I got the name. You take the E out. You don't use the B. A lot of people don't know dumb has a B in it. Actually, sure. A lot of people don't know that. And I hear those same people also don't know how to seamlessly blend their hand makeup. But I digress. Trump continued, 'We are preparing lawsuits against ABC for false reporting. I like their money, which will also be given to the US Treasury.'"
And you got to love that he adds that extra little step in there about giving the money to the Treasury, even though we all know that's just a slight detour on the way to his own pockets. But this is how far Donald Trump is going with his lie that vandals took a knife to the bottom of the reflecting pool, suing a media outlet because somehow that will finally make his story real. And while that's not exactly new territory for him, ABC didn't do themselves any favors by settling a lawsuit with him back in 2024. Gosh, if only they'd consulted with practically anyone from Trump's first term, maybe they could have given him a heads up that loyalty doesn't exactly go both ways.
But lest you think that this lawsuit is the extent of Trump digging his heels in on this lie. There are a lot more cops, National Guard, even some US marshals out here keeping tabs on things. Back here at the reflecting pool, you can see what has become an unusual level of security around it. There are cameras stationed every 50 yards or so. We've seen National Guardsmen and federal marshals patrolling the edges of the pool to keep an eye out for uh troublemakers.
"Yes. As if wasting tens of millions of dollars on these vanity projects wasn't bad enough, now taxpayers are on the hook for more. Also, Donald Trump can make his gaslighting feel more realistic. Like, this is insane. Just admit that you're full of This would be like Lauren Boowbert creating a hand job task force to catch the mysterious culprit who keeps barging into Broadway shows and fondling their seatmates. Donald Trump just can't help himself and the questions like these are just going to keep on coming."
"Well, you mentioned yesterday that the Interior Department has video and photos. We reached out to them and they haven't shared it with us. Are you going to come to"
"They've arrested I think six people on the reflecting pool. So, the reflecting pool looks fantastic. I just got pictures of it. It's beautiful. But somebody went in with a knife and cut it."
"No, we heard that part yesterday. See, today they're asking you where the proof is that these knife wielding bandits snuck in under the cover of night to the heavily patrolled and security camera National Mall. And as you said,"
"they cut it up good,"
"right? Where is that proof?"
"The uh interior department can refer to you on that."
"Ah, so the interior department has all that material. Okay, then. So we ask, but neither the White House, Interior Department, nor National Park Service have provided any more proof."
"Neither the White House, Interior Department, nor the National Park Service have provided any proof of vandalism."
You know what this means, right? It's just a countdown until Trump stumbles upon a photoshopped image of ago Garcia's knuckles with the letters P tattooed on them, and we have to hear about the sick and twisted minds of the gang Trend Awa. There is an obsession around this failed reflecting pool project because it is just another example of Donald Trump's corruption and lies. Not that everyone sees it that way. Iran fraud. There have been assassination plots. But the liberal media is focused on something else entirely. They are very concerned about algae and the reflecting pool in Washington DC. But we should not be surprised because this is par for the course for the media.
"The liberal media is obsessing. If that's the case, then um what do you call this?"
"One was the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, which everybody knows."
"And I looked at just one of the little pieces that they did to finish. It's like a piece of glass. Beautiful color, beautiful everything. We're going to be able to do it for about a million eight 1.8 million and it's going to take one week. I'm using swimming pool material. It's going to be blue. Beautiful blue. Everybody's looking at that reflecting pool. They can't believe it reflects. We used a dark blue and we picked a color called American flag blue."
Donald Trump pitches his water harder than Jennifer Aniston. And with him, we don't even get the covered up boob tees. Thank you. Sure, one could argue that in the grand scheme of things, his botch reflecting pool project is small potatoes compared to the rest of his administration's wreckage. But isn't that the point that he's willing to lie about such a small issue? Because when he lies about that, we know he's lying about all the other stuff, too.
"Right now, we have the highest job numbers we've ever had in the country, in the history of the country. We're doing very well with Iran. They've been decimated. Our country is doing really well, and we're going to keep it that way."
Yes, our country is doing extremely well. Just don't ask for proof. And this lack of proof from the administration only highlights the importance of hardworking journalists right now in this country. Those are the people who separate fact from fiction and point out when our elected officials are completely full of Which is why Trump's impending lawsuit against ABC is all the more troubling. And when it comes to that suit, ABC has only one person to blame, themselves.
And breaking late today, court filings showing a settlement has been reached between ABC, ABC News, anchor George Stephanopoulos, and President-elect Trump. ABC agreeing to make a $15 million donation to a future Trump Presidential Foundation and museum, pay $1 million to cover legal fees, and publish a statement of regret to settle a defamation lawsuit Trump filed against ABC, ABC News, and Stephanopoulos in March. Stephanopoulos said on air that Trump had been found liable for rape in the Eugene Carol case when in fact Trump had been found civily liable for sexual abuse. That's right. He is a sexual abuser. Godamn it. You know, that really feels like Donald Trump's version of a doctor being called mister. Hey, I didn't spend four years at sexual abuser school to be called rapist Donald Trump.
Over a year ago, ABC News settled with not rapist Trump because they believed it would somehow buy them goodwill with a man whose favorite thing is bragging about how much power he has over media companies. And now they're about to be sued again for committing the cardinal sin of reporting. This is what happens when you roll over and capitulate. Trump knows he owns you. And by the way, what's worse is that ABC News rolled over on a technicality. Complicating the dispute, the judge in the Carol case clarified in a written opinion that New York's definition of the term rape is narrow and that the jury's finding "does not mean that she failed to prove Mr. Trump raped her as many people commonly understand the word rape." The jury found that Mr. Trump in fact did exactly that. Donald Trump was damn close to rape and ABC still paid up. That's like me calling this serial rape nuts and having to pay the folks at Post $16 million for making that joke, which I pray I won't have to do. The only thing that ABC News did by shelling out millions to Donald Trump is show how weak they are, how easily they can be pushed around. And of all the people in America who are allowed to look weak right now, journalists are not one of them.
This administration that claims to love the freedom of the press has a media offenders section of their website. This is not the site of some loud incel basement dwelling blogger or a page started by your crotchety aunt turned citizen journalist. This is on the website of the White House where they expose America's worst liars like CNN, the Washington Post, and even little old me. That's right. I made the list. Couldn't make the cut for sexiest cones alive. But this list, sure, it does not matter who you are. If you have a single ounce of criticism for Donald Trump or his administration, he will label you an unpatriotic enemy of the state. You cannot endear yourself to this man by settling or apologizing. All you can do is show him that he can own you. And if you're looking for any other proof of that,
"uh, Interior Department can refer to you on that. I wouldn't hold my breath."
Before you go, I'm very excited to announce that I've written a new book titled The Day After: How to Wield Power in a PostTrump World. The book explores what is, in my opinion, the single most important theme that we're dealing with in politics today and moving forward. Power. Specifically, how Republicans abuse it and how Democrats refuse to wield it. This book explains how we got here and more importantly, how we should finally wield power if we're fortunate enough to get it back. It is the blueprint for progressives who want to do far more than just restore the status quo. Please pre-order today by visiting the link in the episode description or go to brianetylcohen.com/book. You can grab yours from any of the major retailers like Amazon or Barnes & Noble or find an independent bookstore closest to you that's also listed on that website. Thanks so much for supporting Independent Media.