In a recent interview with ABC News correspondent Terry Moran, President Trump challenged the journalist's assertion that a photograph of MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia's tattooed knuckles had been manipulated digitally.
The interview, intended to shed light on Trump's first 100 days in office, was frequently marked by disagreement.
Moran, echoing the narrative of left-leaning media, suggested that the image of Abrego Garcia's knuckles, tattooed with gang symbols, had been "doctored" because officials had annotated each symbol to clarify its meaning. This is akin to claiming that a map has been manipulated because it includes a legend.
During the Tuesday evening interview, President Trump was discussing Abrego Garcia's gang affiliations and referred to the tattoos on his knuckles. Moran casually suggested that the photograph "was Photoshop." Trump, seemingly taken aback by the assertion, responded with a fitting level of disdain.
"That was Photoshop?" he retorted. "Terry, you can't do that - they're givin' you the big break of a lifetime. You know, you're doin' the interview. I picked you because - frankly, I never heard of you, but that's okay."
When Moran attempted to steer the conversation towards Ukraine, Trump refused to be sidetracked.
"This is why people no longer believe the news, because it's fake news."
According to RedState, after such an exchange, it becomes evident that Moran is not the top-tier interviewer at ABC. The New York Post reported that ABC's leading interviewers - David Muir and George Stephanopoulos - were not involved in this interview, leaving the task to their less experienced colleague.
RedState's Becca Lower provided evidence supporting the authenticity of the photograph of Abrego Garcia, noting that "no one is saying that the exact letters are tattooed," but the media is "twisting the truth."
The necessity of the image to prove Abrego Garcia's gang affiliations is questionable, given that two separate judges had already confirmed them. The media seems to focus on minor details, hoping to undermine the entire story.
Later in the interview, President Trump criticized the media for their lack of coverage of Joe Biden's cognitive decline over several years.
"We had a president that was grossly incompetent. You knew it, I knew it, and everybody knew it," Trump stated. "But you guys didn't want to write it because you're fake news."
"And, by the way, ABC is one of the worst. I have to be honest with you."
Moran could only respond with a curt "thank you for the opinion."
Alex Thompson, a reporter for Axios, recently criticized his media peers for their failure to cover former President Biden's apparent mental decline.
In another notable exchange, Moran asked President Trump if he trusts Vladimir Putin to act in good faith during peace negotiations. Trump promptly responded with a sharp rebuke.
"I don't trust you. I don't trust - I don't trust a lot of people. I don't trust you," Trump said. "Look at you. You come in all shootin' for bear. You're so happy to do the interview."
"And then you start hitting me with fake questions. You start tellin' me that a guy whose hand is covered with a tattoo doesn't have the tattoo."
Trump concluded by accusing Moran of dishonesty, a claim that the ABC interviewer disputed.
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