As I reflect on a decade of coverage regarding the man who is quite fond of gold, it seems many journalists are experiencing what I’d call Trump Exhaustion Syndrome.
This isn’t just about feeling tired—it’s more about a kind of frustration that leads to a disregard for basic fact-checking. Many seem to think, “What’s the point? Everyone knows Trump says a lot of things that aren’t true.”
This situation is closely linked to the rise of social media. After all, why bother with a detailed analysis of what the president did yesterday when the buzz is all about him praising Nicki Minaj and, well, her famous backside?
And don’t worry; I’m prepared with evidence.
Just the other day, Trump openly stated he had directed the Justice Department to look into the bizarre Alaska election. He wasn’t shy about it—it was all right there, for everyone to hear.
There’s a common belief that the department is doing his bidding—like charging James Comey for the third time? For those who might not know, there was once a clear separation between the White House and the DOJ.
If Joe Biden had ever crossed that line even once, he would probably have faced impeachment and conviction.
As a former reporter for the Justice Department, I can confirm that this separation has been largely intact since Watergate, when AG John Mitchell ended up in prison.
Now, on a recent Sunday, hosts like CNN’s Dana Bash and CBS’s Margaret Brennan pressed Attorney General Todd Blanche quite rigorously about this issue (two Dan Sullivans, and according to the New York Times, the second one was brought in by the Democrats).
At one moment, Blanche addressed what the president ordered regarding the lawsuit his department was to file.
“No, no, he didn’t say it on camera,” the AG claimed. “Yes, he did,” countered Brennan.
Indeed, he did say it. But as I checked the major newspapers the following day, it seemed everyone had moved on. I’ve got to apologize if I overlooked someone’s insightful analysis. It was almost as if the story had vanished.
That’s the essence of Trump Exhaustion Syndrome playing out.
Here’s another instance. Just a couple of days ago, Trump claimed that although he might relocate the press briefing room, “the old swimming pool will never be brought back. I NEVER even thought of doing such a stupid thing!”
This sounded off to me, and I have to admit, I felt pretty drained after just twenty seconds of fact-checking.
In People Magazine, just last month, it stated, “As President Donald Trump battles in court to bar specific news outlets from the White House, he mentioned the possibility of converting the press briefing room back into the indoor pool built during Franklin D. Roosevelt’s time in ‘The People’s House.’”
So now we have this new interpretation of fake news: it’s anything the president once said that he now claims no longer reflects his views.
I want to be clear—I’m not against Trump. I actually like him on a personal level. I have covered him intermittently since 1987 and have interviewed him six times during the 2024 campaign.
He can definitely charm people when you meet him. Many times, we’ve had a decent rapport—he’s even sent me some positive notes. Other times? Well, not so much.
There’s a reason half the country voted for him, even if plenty of people are currently discontent over the Iran war and those ever-climbing gas prices. My aim here is to examine the behavior of the press.
Trump is undoubtedly a media maestro. He has known, since my early days in New York covering him as a controversial developer, how to divert the press from unflattering stories—and he’s acknowledged this fact to me.
When Trump remarks that “Norway sucks” and labels it a “s***-house country” (still harboring some resentment about not securing the Nobel Peace Prize), he knows those words will make waves.
The same goes for his remarks about Nicki Minaj. He has a keen awareness that a lot of the media will take the bait. Sometimes, he just gets a bit carried away at rallies.
I’m not suggesting these comments don’t merit coverage in a feature or as a light-hearted ending on a cable show, but they often overshadow other significant news.
When Trump called Barack Obama “stupid” over a quip about the White House resembling Saddam’s Cheesecake Factory, he was certainly crossing into important news territory.
And when he ordered a raid on Ilhan Omar’s residence—risking the long-held practice of steering clear of political interference within sixty days of an election—Trump undeniably created a major news event.
Back in 1987, Trump told me, unsolicited, that if he decided to run for president, he was confident he would win. I’ll admit, I was a bit skeptical.
After he descended the escalator in 2015, he estimated he had a 15 to 20 percent chance of clinching the nomination. He can actually be quite frank.
Years later, it’s hard to ignore the blatant anti-Trump sentiment in the media.
By convincing themselves there’s no value in challenging him because he lies so often, many have indeed succumbed to this Trump Exhaustion Syndrome.
