Former President Donald Trump shocked viewers of C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal Prime Time” on Monday when he dialed into the call-in show, explaining that he regularly watches the program to get a pulse on where Americans stand.
Host Mimi Geerges quickly recognized the surprise caller. “It looks like we’ve got a call from the White House,” she said before welcoming Trump, who praised her work and said he’d seen the show “numerous times.”
When asked why he tunes in to C-SPAN, Trump said the network’s call-in segments offer unfiltered feedback from voters. “I like to watch the call-ins because it gives me a little bit of an indication of where we are,” he said. “We have some great Republicans calling in, and I’m not so sure the Democrats are thrilled.”
The unannounced appearance quickly went viral, with a clip of the exchange racking up nearly a million views on X. Some users—even Trump critics—applauded the former president’s direct engagement, with one writing, “I wish other presidents did this more often.”
Trump’s Media Playbook: Unscripted Moments
The spontaneous call was classic Trump, recalling his penchant for unfiltered media appearances during his 2016 campaign and presidency. He frequently phoned into shows like “Fox & Friends” and has long bypassed traditional press protocols by taking reporter calls or granting off-the-cuff interviews.
Policy Talk: Immigration and Impeachment
Trump also fielded questions from Geerges, addressing immigration enforcement priorities when asked about longtime undocumented workers in agriculture and hospitality. “We haven’t put the same pressure on waitresses and farm workers as we have on murderers or drug dealers,” he said. “Not even close.”
The conversation turned to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (misidentified in the original source as “War Secretary Pete Hegseth”) amid reports of GOP impeachment discussions. Trump warned Republicans against supporting removal efforts, saying he’d “be disappointed in them” while praising military gains under Austin’s tenure.
He also claimed a U.S. operation in Venezuela wrapped up in “40 minutes” and secured access to significant oil reserves—a seeming reference to past sanctions relief efforts, though specifics were unclear.
Source: www.dailywire.com — https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-crashes-c-span-call-in-show-reveals-why-he-tunes-in