Did Donald Trump do anything impeachable that he just might have forgotten about? That’s the gist of an actual question to the President on Thursday by a local reporter. Scott Thuman of ABC 7 in Washington wondered, “As you look back over the past six months or year, have you had any recollection where you've wondered if anything you have done has been something that might be worthy of criminal charges in these investigations or impeachment as some on the left are implying?"
Trump called that “totally ridiculous” and scolded the journalist, “Millions and millions of people out there that are looking at what you have just said and said, ‘What are they doing?" In an earlier question, Trump quickly responded to Thuman:
SCOTT THUMAN: Did you at any time urge former FBI Director James Comey in any way, shape or form to close or back down the investigation into Michael Flynn? And also, as you look back —
TRUMP: No. No. Next question.
Interestingly, Thuman’s network, WJLA ABC 7, is owned by Sinclair Broadcasting. This has horrified liberal journalists because Sinclair is home to conservative commentators and radio hosts. The MRC’s Tim Graham explained in 2014:
Media reporter Paul Farhi organized a parade of horrified liberals – except he didn’t identify any of them as liberals. In large type on the front page of the Style section was Charles Lewis of the leftist Center for Public Integrity: “They are stuck with an idiosyncratic owner with its own political views and agenda. It’s a nightmarish scenario for journalists.”
A transcript of the question is below:
CBS News coverage of Donald Trump’s press conference
5/18/17
4:28DONALD TRUMP: Yes?
SCOTT THUMAN (ABC News 7): Thank you, Mr. President. In light of a very busy news week, a lot of people would like to get to a bottom of a couple things, give you a chance to go on record here. Did you at any time urge former FBI Director James Comey in any way, shape or form to close or back down the investigation into Michael Flynn? And also, as you look back —
TRUMP: No. No. Next question.
THUMAN: Next question. As you look back over the past six months or year, have you had any recollection where you've wondered if anything you have done has been something that might be worthy of criminal charges in these investigations or impeachment as some on the left are implying?
TRUMP: I think it’s totally ridiculous. Everybody thinks so. And again, we have to get back to working our country properly so that we can take care of the problems that we have. We have plenty of problems. We've done a fantastic job. We have a tremendous group of people. Millions and millions of people out there that are looking at what you have just said and said, “What are they doing?”
