In an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier that aired on Monday night, former US President Donald Trump voiced his frustration at being seen as “combative,” going on to blame the media for its coverage of him.
“I would like to be less controversial,” Trump told Baier during an interview that at times became hostile. “I find the press is extremely dishonest, and if I’m not combative, I don’t get my word across. I don’t think you could win.”
It's worth noting that the remark is a consistent complaint made by the former president about the media, especially during his years in office.
Earlier in the interview, of which a second part will be released on Tuesday evening, Baier derailed Trump’s 2020 election claim that his successor had not won fairly. Trump made a quip later in the interview, by saying Fox News is now watched by “a lot” fewer viewers than it once maintained.
The interview proved damning for Trump, as the former president appeared to essentially confessed to mishandling classified documents, legal experts have said. The remarks came days after he pleaded not guilty to 37 federal counts in the Mar-a-Lago case.