I’m not excited about this Donald Trump Another attack on the “corrupt media.”

Fresh off his $15 million win over ABC and George Stephanopoulos, Trump yesterday sued the Des Moines Register and the gold standard pollster, The Des Moines Register, over a botched investigation. · Ann Selzer. She expected him to lose by four points and win the state championship by 13 points. He called it “blatant election interference.”

Trump also takes legal action against CBS for erroneous replacement of Tupperware on ’60 Minutes’ Kamala Harris Answer a different question than the one asked. But the network could argue it was a normal TV edit.

Trump is unlikely to win these lawsuits, but he doesn’t care. It would be enough to put his perceived adversary to the test and pay considerable expense in self-defense.

A kinder, gentler Trump? President-elect takes more moderate stance

Most legal experts say ABC would have won the lawsuit, which involves Stephanopoulos repeatedly saying in the E. Jean Carroll lawsuit that Trump was convicted of “rape” rather than “rape” by the malicious standard of a public figure. responsible for sexual abuse. . Trump must prove that the network deliberately showed a reckless disregard for the truth. But ABC may endure the embarrassment of handing over emails, text messages and cell phone records.

What surprises me, however, is that the president-elect would shift into attack mode just days after saying he had “tamed” the media and gotten better coverage. So much for the ceasefire.

But some of Trump’s more positive aspects were on display during the hour-long press conference, a serious purpose I saw during interviews in New York two weeks before the election.

After winning a $16 million legal victory over ABC, President-elect Trump appears to be once again targeting the so-called “corrupt media.” (Getty Images)

I’ve known Donald Trump for more than three decades, interviewed him twice this year, and now that we’ve heard the sometimes inflammatory rhetoric from the campaign, he sounds different.

Clearly energetic, the 78-year-old spoke deliberately slowly and softly while moderating his stance on some controversial issues. He knows how to deflect questions that shouldn’t be answered, such as “Will you retaliate against Iran?” He throws out phrases like “Maybe it’s my fault” that eclipse any superhuman image. He recently admitted that it would be difficult for grocery prices to come down.

The incoming president was asked if republican senator Opponents of his nomination should get primaries. His answers were carefully crafted.

Trump threatens more lawsuits against media, ABC to pay $15 million to settle

“If they’re unreasonable, I’ll give you a different answer. An answer that you’ll be shocked to hear. If they’re unreasonable, if they’re against someone for political reasons or stupid reasons, I’d say it has to do with I have nothing to do with it, I would say they could be primary-raised, but if they are reasonable and fair and genuinely disagree with something or someone, I can see that happening.”

Of course, it’s up to Trump to decide what is reasonable or fair.

Asked about Silicon Valley executives who have come to Mar-a-Lago or are about to come to Mar-a-Lago — leaders of Meta, Amazon, Google, Apple and others — Trump noted that they were “very hostile” during his first term ” (“Maybe that’s my fault, but I really don’t think so”). It doesn’t hurt that Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos are throwing a million dollars at his inauguration.

“One of the biggest differences” was that first semester “everyone was fighting me.” Now, “Everybody wants to be my friend. I don’t know, my personality has changed or something.” That’s a joke.

What was striking about the press conference was how much news Trump broke on a wide range of topics, some of which were barely mentioned.

He weighed in on the bogus Duke rape accuser who eventually admitted he lied in 2006, saying life will never be the same for lacrosse players who did nothing wrong. He talked about the Biden team’s failure to be honest with the public about drones. He described the “sickness” of those who view the UnitedHealthcare CEO’s alleged murderer positively. He supports the polio vaccine. He defended Pete Hegseth. He talked about Venezuela, Syria, Türkiye, North Korea and Bibi. He thought about TikTok.

Around-the-clock Trump coverage appears to be making a comeback — and a month early. (Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images)

There was a sense of déjà vu, a stark reminder of how Trump was a 24/7 news source during his first term, even when he spoke to reporters he didn’t like, sometimes denigrating them or pushing back on their reporting. A stark contrast to the soon-to-be ex-Guy, who spends his usual weekends without any news coverage in delaware Or at Camp David, it couldn’t be better.

So aside from his all-out attacks on the media, the new guy actually showed restraint and nuance and was clearly enjoying himself.

Maybe Trump is in a bad mood these days. Judge Juan Merchant refuses to quash the hush-money conviction on the grounds that his private behavior does not fall within the scope of the latest investigation Supreme Court Regarding the ruling on official conduct, the incoming president issued the following yesterday:

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“Mucha is worse and even more corrupt than (Jack) Smith when it comes to fighting for my hopeless political opponent, and he just can’t let go of the puzzle. Is it because of his conflicts and relationships that he keeps breaking the law? This has stopped Come down! …

“In a completely illegal, psychopathic order, the conflicted, corrupt, biased and incompetent Acting Judge Juan Mercan has absolutely no respect for the United States Supreme Court and its historic decision on immunity. But even without immunity, This illegal case is nothing more than a rigged scam.”

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Now here’s the Donald we met during the trial.