How 'Trump’s psychopathologies' were exposed in Meet the Press interview: journalist

Some of Donald Trump's critics have been cautioning journalists against treating the 2024 GOP presidential frontrunner like a "normal" candidate because he is anything but "normal."

Discussing Kristen Welker's interview with Trump for NBC News' "Meet the Press," the Los Angeles Times' Lorraine Ali warned, "Treating the former reality TV star like any other presidential candidate or victor before him assumes that he's playing by the same set of rules as his predecessors. News flash: He's not…. The sit-down may prove to be a ratings boon for the network, and perhaps even further boost Welker's career, but it failed to cut through the usual low-information bluster of past interviews with the former president."

In a listicle published by the conservative website The Bulwark on September 19, however, journalist Will Saletan defends Welker's interview — arguing that Welker "exposed, up close and at length, Trump's pathologies."

Welker goes on to list them: (1) "the 'rigged' election," (2) "Trump's indictments," (3) "The Georgia phone call," (4) "ignoring his lawyers," and (5) "the 187 minutes."

"If you came to this interview hoping that Welker or NBC News would refute every lie Trump told," Saletan argues, "you'll be disappointed. But I don't think exhaustive refutation is what we need…. People need to be reacquainted with the reality of Trump."

Saletan continues, "They need to be reminded how recklessly he makes decisions, how poorly he controls his impulses, how ruthlessly he lies, and how impervious he is to correction….They need to be reminded what a psychopath he is. That's what Welker accomplished. She has done her job.”