Former President Donald Trump took a jab at ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos during a Fox News town hall on Wednesday, poking fun at the former Clinton advisor’s height and the network’s perceived partisanship ahead of the scheduled presidential debate on September 10th.
Calling him “Slopodopoulos,” Trump criticized the journalist, whom he is suing for defamation over false claims that Trump was “found liable for rape.” The lawsuit focuses on the fact that Stephanopoulos overlooked the distinction that the judgment against Trump in the E. Jean Carroll case was civil, not criminal. Despite the ongoing legal dispute, Trump has not shied away from ridiculing his mainstream media opponent and predicting that debate moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis will be “dishonest.”
The Fox town hall crowd roared with laughter at President Trump’s nickname for the reporter. “He’s a nasty guy. I’ve had him up to here,” he said, raising his arm to just the middle of his chest, causing the crowd to explode again. “But let me tell you. He’s a very, very bad kind of a guy, but I watched his interview with Joe Biden it was like the softest interview I’ve ever seen. It was softer than the CNN interview of Kamala.”
WATCH:
On Wednesday, the Harris campaign withdrew its push for unmuted microphones in the first debate, a strategy they had hoped would prompt Trump to dominate the conversation and alienate female swing voters. The Harris campaign’s agreement now aligns with the debate format agreed upon for the June 27th encounter between Trump and Biden, where the Democratic incumbent had requested restrictions to prevent Trump from monopolizing the discussion.
Stephanopoulos, who was the first reporter to interview Biden following his troubled debate performance, sparked speculation about Biden’s health and his ability to serve a second term. Additionally, Stephanopoulos was seen on the street expressing concerns to a passerby about the Democrats’ decision to run the 81-year-old Biden again.
“I don’t think he can serve four more years,” he said off-camera before quickly walking away. Stephanopoulos later walked his remarks back in a statement from ABC News. “Earlier today, I responded to a question from a passerby. I shouldn’t have,” Stephanopoulos said at the time. An ABC spokesperson added, “George expressed his own point of view and not the position of ABC News.”
BREAKING: ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos caught on video saying he doesn’t think Biden can serve another 4 years after his interview.
Stephanopoulos was intercepted in midtown Manhattan in footage released by TMZ.
Reporter: “Do you think Biden should step down? You’ve… pic.twitter.com/58FYwrWvqg
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 10, 2024
