Piers Morgan: Trump and Media Should 'Take a Chill Pill'
*By Conor White*
Piers Morgan may count Donald Trump among his friends, but that doesn't mean he believes everything the president tells him.
After the journalist sat down with President Trump aboard Air Force One for the commander-in-chief's only UK interview, Morgan admitted to Cheddar on Monday he took many of Trump's comments with a grain of skepticism.
"He's very self-aggrandizing, he wants everyone to feel he's doing a great job," Morgan explained. "Now that he's president, he's making America great again, everything is brilliant. You have to cut through the hyperbole and try to get to reality, and reality is often not as great as President Trump would have us believe."
During his interview, Morgan aired some of his grievances against the president, including Trump's repeated claims that the mediaーand CNN, in particularーare plotting against him.
"I worked at CNN for four years, they're not a fake news network. I think they make mistakes like other media organizations, and when they do he's perfectly entitled to call them out for itーbut you can't call whole networks 'fake news,' and I wish he wouldn't do that. I don't think it's right and I think it's dangerous to call any sanctions of the press 'enemies of the people'."
But Morgan also admitted there's plenty of blame to go around.
"There's a very toxic atmosphere and relationship between Donald Trump and the American mainstream media in particular, which no other president has been subjected to. And no other president has taunted the media in this way either. So, it seems like a bit of a mutually abusive relationship."
Policy disagreements aside, Morgan noted he's interviewed Trump more than 35 timesーand he sees no reason to stop now.
"I've known him a long time, I like him personally; I don't really agree with much of his politics, but he's a great, interesting guy to interview. He's the most powerful man on earth, and right now he's doing some very, very interesting stuff."
For the full segment, [click here.](https://cheddar.com/videos/piers-morgan-discusses-relationship-with-potus)
With the Australian Open set to begin on Monday, Novak Djokovic is once again being threatened with deportation from Australia after his visa was briefly reinstated and revoked again over alleged discrepancies. Djokovic’s team will sit for an Immigration hearing on Saturday.
Makena Kelly, politics reporter at The Verge, joins Cheddar News to discuss what's next for net neutrality as Biden's other nominee for the FCC, Gigi Sohn, awaits votes from the committee and Senate.
Jewell Jackson McCabe, chair of the Keep Love Alive Campaign and founder of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, and Marvin Owens, chief engagement officer of Impact Shares and former senior director of Economic Development at the NAACP, join Cheddar News to reflect on racial issues still prevalent in America.
Hagar Chemali, Host of 'Oh My World' on Youtube and Former Spokesperson for the U.S. mission to the UN, joined Wake Up With Cheddar to share her expert insight into what the future of diplomacy could look like as the Russia-Ukraine crisis deepens.
Markets opened higher on the first trading day of the new year as investors continue to watch inflation and the rapid spread of the omicron variant in the U.S. Frances Newton Stacy, Optimal Capital Dir. of Strategy/Market Analyst joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
Markets opened lower this morning as investors rounded out a wild 2021. Jay Hatfield, CEO Infrastructure Capital Advisors, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss which sectors and industries to watch in the new year.
Markets opened higher as investors react to positive data on the labor front, with weekly jobless claims falling to 198,000 for the week ending December 25. Ross Mayfield, investment strategy analyst at Baird joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the market open.
U.S. officials spoke to Russian leaders for nearly eight hours earlier this week, in hopes of reducing tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Russia forced the west to the negotiating table by massing 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border, sparking fears of an invasion, and then submitted a set of demands which the west rejected. Joel Rubin, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State & President at Washington Strategy Group explains what the rest of the week might look like, and why other European nations may be on the side of the U.S.
Chicago schools opened their doors again following a dispute between the teachers union and the city over as the omicron variant continues to surge, but the safety issues they fought over weren't just limited to the Windy City. Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell, family medicine and urgent care doctor, joined Cheddar in discussing concerns of parents, teachers, and students as schools try to operate amid COVID and noted what she's been observing as the number of infections among children rises. "I am seeing them contract the illness from so many different aspects," she said. "It could be from a fellow classmate. It could be from a parent. All of those things really play in the effect of transmission as well as contracting the illness."
Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) is looking for clarification about a federal standard regarding THC impairment while driving. "I think in terms of marijuana, the fact that it's still a Schedule 1 narcotic — it's treated the same as heroin and cocaine — it means that we can't get standards developed," he said about the lack of cohesive regulations. The lawmaker also explained his previous opposition to cannabis legalization in Colorado when he was governor and why his position changed.
