Trump mortifies reporter with scathing remark on why he was picked for interview
President Trump humiliated ABC's Terry Moran by revealing why he picked him for 'the break of a lifetime' in getting to interview him on his 100th day in office.
The commander-in-chief put the senior national correspondent in his place during a tense exchange in which Moran challenged him about suspected MS-13 tattoos on deported illegal immigrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
'Hey, they're giving you the big break of a lifetime, you know you're doing the interview,' Trump said. 'I picked you because frankly, I never heard of you.
'I picked you, but you're not being very nice,' he complained.
The 78-year-old president's comments ended the heated discussion on Abrego Garcia's problematic tattoos.
Abrego Garcia became known after his national-headline deportation from Maryland to his native El Salvador, where he has been locked up since March 15.
Trump brought up the knuckle tattoos on the man's hand, which were purportedly a subtle indication of being a part of the violent Mara Salvatrucha gang.
'Wait a minute, he had 'MS-13' on his knuckles,' Trump said, referring to tattoos on Abrego Garcia's left hand.
'Oh, he had some tattoos that were interpreted that way,' Moran interjected before trying to ask another question.
Abrego Garcia's tattoos in question were sketched on the back left hand — a marijuana leaf, a smiley face, a cross, and a skull.
Some interpreted the random symbols to be a pictorial for 'M S 1 3.'
Moran attempted to change the topic, but Trump persisted in correcting Moran.
'Wait a minute, Terry, Terry, don't do that. It says MS-13,' he said, referring to the graphic released by the White House to explain the meaning of Abrego Garcia's ink.
Moran said the actual lettering on the graphic was photoshopped, despite the president's best efforts to explain himself.
'That was photoshopped? Terry, you can't do that,' Trump said before tearing into the outlet's senior national correspondent, calling him an unknown.
At other points in the interview, Moran had questioned Trump's deportation of suspected gang members without hearings.
'The law is the law,' Moran pressed, but the president insisted that a 'legal process' is being followed.
'They get whatever my lawyers say,' Trump said of the legal rights his administration is affording deportees.
Moran again brought up Abrego Garcia, whom Trump called dangerous.
'This is an MS-13 gang member, a tough cookie, been in lots of skirmishes, beat the hell out of his wife,' Trump said.
Abrego Garcia's wife applied for a protective order against him in 2021 after he allegedly physically abused her.
'OK? This is not an innocent, wonderful gentleman from Maryland,' he added.
Moran distanced himself from the conversation, saying he was 'not saying [Abrego Garcia] is a good guy.'
'It's about the rule of law,' the ABC host continued.
Tensions heated up again when Moran pressed Trump on whether he trusted Russian President Vladimir Putin.
'I don't trust you,' Trump said. 'I don't trust a lot of people.'
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