Trump Gets Flustered When Asked About Death Penalty Proposal

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Donald Trump didn’t quite seem to grasp one of his own major policy proposals during a Fox News interview airing on Monday evening.

Trump last year said he would seek the death penalty for drug dealers if he wins next year’s election and returns to the White House.

But during the interview with Bret Baier, Trump boasted of giving a presidential pardon to Alice Johnson, who had been in prison for 21 years after being convicted for her role in a cocaine ring.

Baier stepped in with a fact-check.

“But she’d be killed under your plan,” he interjected.

Trump seemed flustered.

“Huh?” he said.

“As a drug dealer,” Baier began.

“No, no, no,” Trump shot back. “Under my? Oh, under that? Uhhhh... it would depend on the severity.”

But he continued to struggle as he tried to reconcile the pardon with his proposal:

Trump gets confused about whether Alice Johnson would have been executed under his "death penalty for drug dealers" proposal.

He eventually says she no because "you wouldn’t go to the past," then says she would never "have been on that phone call" with the death penalty. pic.twitter.com/2FAyIO19P2
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) June 20, 2023

Trump’s critics slammed him over the exchange:

Huh?
Say what?
Who me?
Noooooo.
Really?
Ummm.
Ok, yes, but starting now.
Yeah, yeah. That's it. https://t.co/qfyVSpeaic
— Michael Steele (@MichaelSteele) June 21, 2023

Another great Baier moment when Trump is bragging about freeing drug dealer Alice Johnson and Baier points out that Trump now vows to execute all drug dealers. pic.twitter.com/UeXWUzKQQD
— Helen Kennedy (@HelenKennedy) June 20, 2023

Wow. In all of these years this is the most I’ve ever seen Trump flustered in an interview.
More so than with any Chris Wallace sit down or Jonathan Swan’s charts and graphs. https://t.co/jrSFpkFcYR
— SeanNyberg (@SeanNyberg) June 21, 2023

Awkward. https://t.co/Z4FRHfZCUw
— Charlie Sykes (@SykesCharlie) June 21, 2023

Trump is deeply confused by an example. https://t.co/bP09QBhoCg
— Bob Cesca (@bobcesca_go) June 20, 2023

When you find out you pardoned someone for a crime you now think should command the death penalty. 🤷♂️ https://t.co/9p4jIlqoCL
— Rex Huppke (@RexHuppke) June 21, 2023

TRUMP: “I focused on nonviolent crime… I granted Alice Johnson clemency.”

BAIER: “She’s technically a drug dealer. She’d be killed under your plan.”

TRUMP: “Uhhhhhh….” pic.twitter.com/yrhtMPnovv
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) June 21, 2023

At the end of this clip Trump's actual rebuttal is that his proposal merely calls for the execution of future Alice Johnsons, not *the* Alice Johnson. https://t.co/XB8PNO0phZ
— Matthew Segal (@segalmr) June 21, 2023

Fox News is now holding trump more accountable than CNN. Unbelievable. https://t.co/lv3w8ctdTR
— Renee (@PettyLupone) June 20, 2023

🚨WATCH: Trump FREEZES in the moment and is visibly scrambling for words when Baier reveals that under Trump's new death penalty proposal, nonviolent offender Alice Johnson would have been killed by himpic.twitter.com/UePnhLii7U
— Republican Politics Enjoyer (@RepElections) June 20, 2023

Just a complete clown.

He brags about pardoning a drug dealer, then reinforces his policy to seek death penalty against all drug dealers. When asked about the disconnect, explains it doesn’t matter because it will only apply to future drug dealers. https://t.co/eR6lfmqWQR
— AG (@AGHamilton29) June 20, 2023