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While standing outside the White House overseeing workers install a new flagpole—an activity often favored by Presidents who prefer not to work—Trump was asked about a recent interview. During the exchange, he found himself rambling about 60 Minutes and Kamala Harris.

Trump stated:

“They’ll do a great job with it, but what they did is they interviewed 60 Minutes, and Kamala. Her answer was horrendous, I’d say election threatening.”

“This was the day before the election. Her response was so incompetent and so election-threatening, they edited out her entire answer and replaced it with another response to a different question. They did this multiple times, and we caught them—they’re very embarrassed.”

He further claimed, “Do you think they do that for me?” to which the reporter responded, “I think it happens daily.”

Trump admitted to not noticing the media’s editing processes, saying, “Well, I’ve never seen it. I thought I’d seen everything, but this is very embarrassing.”

What the media often does—referred to as sanewashing—involves parsing, rewriting, and selectively editing Trump’s statements to portray him as more normal and to minimize signs of decline. The practice can include editing out parts of his comments to present a more positive image.

Furthermore, the White House’s reluctance to release full transcripts has made it easier for the media to sanitize Trump’s statements. Despite claims that 60 Minutes altered the interview, those assertions are false. Still, the network is negotiating a settlement due to a merger requiring approval from the Trump administration.

Ultimately, the media’s sanitization of Trump’s words continues, and at least one individual pointed out this reality openly.

What are your thoughts on the media’s role in sanitizing Trump’s statements? Share in the comments below.

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