Your Trump Questions Answered By Our White House Correspondent – From Iran To Inside The Press Pool

As The Independent’s White House correspondent, I’ve spent years covering Donald Trump – travelling pinch him arsenic portion of nan property pool, watching really decisions are made successful existent time, and seeing first-hand really quickly a time that originates arsenic regular tin move into thing acold much unpredictable.

That volatility is now playing retired connected nan world stage. From US–Iran tensions to wider questions astir Nato, alliances and America’s domiciled successful nan world, nan stakes of his presidency proceed to widen good beyond Washington.

In a caller Ask Me Anything, readers put their questions straight to maine astir Trump’s world ambitions, US–Iran relations, and what it is for illustration covering nan White House from wrong nan property pool.

Here are immoderate of your questions – and my answers:

Q: What is nan hardest portion of nan property pool?

Scout

A: When we talk astir nan “pool” what we mean is nan rotating group of reporters whose occupation is to support tabs connected nan president, spell into smaller venues wherever nan full property corps can't spell (e.g. nan Oval Office aliases furniture room) to inquire questions and record “pool reports” that spell retired to nan full property corps pinch colour and accusation connected what is transpiring, arsenic good arsenic recreation pinch nan president erstwhile he leaves Washington by flying pinch him aboard Air Force One.

The main “challenge” of excavation work is boredom — aliases fatigue.

I've spent countless hours sitting successful vans aliases successful holding areas/workspaces while presidents person closed-door meetings aliases prosecute successful recreational activities (such arsenic golf), aliases astatine nan White House connected days wherever nan president has nary nationalist events scheduled, each connected nan disconnected chance that he whitethorn alteration his mind and speak to us.

Sometimes nan agelong hours are rewarded pinch a chance to inquire questions aliases witnesser existent history. For example, I was connected excavation work successful August 2024 nan time Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, and respective different wrongly detained Americans arrived location aft then-president Biden secured their merchandise from Russian prisons.

Q: Are you concerned astir property freedom?

Andypandy

A: Very concerned.

We person highly beardown property state guarantees successful this state — really acold stronger than successful nan UK — but nan economical realities of nan news business person meant expanding consolidation which makes bigger organisations — usually TV news — much susceptible to unit from nan government.

It's besides disturbing to spot nan management return drastic steps to limit property access, specified arsenic virtually closing nan Pentagon's property accommodation and attempting to relocate nan Pentagon property corps to an off-site building while requiring escorts to speak pinch anyone successful nan Pentagon itself.

They've besides made it harder to support way of what nan president and vice president opportunity connected a regular ground by cutting disconnected nan merchandise of charismatic transcripts prepared by nan White House — location are stenographers successful each briefing and astatine each statesmanlike arena but those transcripts are nary longer released to us.

The bully point is location are organisations retired location that are pushing back, and individual reporters proceed to do nan aforesaid by breaking news and sparkling ray into what this management is doing — that's thing we'll proceed to do agelong aft Trump is nary longer connected nan scene.

Q: Are Republicans afloat down Trump? And why do they not guidelines up to Trump?

leafspot and punda

A: “MAGA Republicans” stay highly loyal, but they stay a number of nan country. Trump won a batch of votes from GOP-leaning voters who are now swinging nan different measurement because he hasn’t done what he promised pinch prices.

Republicans successful Congress and governors’ mansions want to stay successful office, and Trump has been effective successful swinging Republican superior voters against those who transverse him.

If he remains arsenic unpopular arsenic he is now (or much so) I would foretell immoderate successful nan GOP turn a spine arsenic soon arsenic superior filing deadlines commencement passing this year.

Q: Do Trump’s outrageous statements get reactions successful nan room?

EnfieldLad

A: I person nary thought what's successful nan president's caput astatine immoderate fixed infinitesimal but having publication a number of his books and covered him for 10 years, I tin opportunity pinch immoderate certainty that his much outrageous statements are deliberate and made for effect.

Sometimes he thinks he's being funny, for illustration erstwhile he made a Pearl Harbor joke during that gathering pinch nan Japanese PM. It did not spell complete good successful nan room aliases pinch nan PM.

Q: Given Trump's affinity to authoritarian leaders, are you assured that he will consequence losing nan mid-term elections and being impeached by nan caller congress?

Ex Cavalryman

A: The president is connected progressively shaky governmental crushed heading into nan midterm elections this November.

Trump tin publication a canvass and knows his statement is apt to return a thumping. But he besides knows he still has 2 much years successful powerfulness aft that.

It's not a matter of him taking immoderate risks. The elections are happening and our electoral strategy is truthful decentralised that he can't really do overmuch to interfere.

I powerfully fishy location will beryllium impeachment proceedings against him for a 3rd time, but I would not spot immoderate bets connected him being removed from office.

Q: Does Trump attraction astir world law?

Wellsy61

A: Yes — nan president is simply a existent believer successful a throwback style of “might makes right” world relations and he besides has been granted sweeping immunity from prosecution successful nan U.S. by our Supreme Court, for amended aliases worse.

To nan grade there's immoderate distancing by Vance, Rubio, etc, it would beryllium to sphere their governmental futures arsenic 2028 gets closer.

Q: Is location immoderate chance of nan 25th Amendment being invoked?

NeilSmush

A: No, no, and also, no.

Even if JD Vance were capable to person a mostly of Trump's furniture to motion connected and state him incapacitated, he tin simply nonstop a missive stating he's nary longer incapacitated. The only measurement to make it instrumentality would beryllium a supermajority ballot successful some nan House and Senate, and that's simply not happening.

Truth beryllium told, nan 25th was written for a business successful which nan president has had a changeable aliases immoderate benignant of catastrophic wounded and is incapacitated but not really dead.

Q: Has Trump severely undermined US governmental clout?

LiSitu

A: Yes, based connected what my sources show maine I deliberation nan adjacent president — and nan 1 aft that — will person a dense assistance arsenic acold arsenic restoring America's estimation arsenic an state and/or partner is concerned.

Q: Does Trump person a driving licence?

PorkRoll

A: Trump has a Florida licence and antecedently had 1 issued by his erstwhile location authorities of New York. He has owned a number of high-end cars that he has driven complete nan years, including a 2007 Ferrari astatine 1 point.

He famously managed to get a New York vanity licence sheet pinch his initials, “DJT,” which appeared connected a number of vehicles associated pinch him complete nan years. The initialed licence sheet was thing he picked up from his infamous lawyer-fixer, nan precocious Roy Cohn, who utilized a sheet for his car pinch nan initials “RMC.”

While Trump does person a license, Secret Service rules prohibit him from driving, though he is permitted to get down nan instrumentality of a play cart and does truthful frequently.

These questions and answers were portion of an ‘Ask Me Anything’ hosted by Andrew Feinberg connected Thursday 9 April. Some of nan questions and answers person been edited for this article. You tin publication nan afloat chat successful nan comments conception of nan original article.