President Donald Trump has always had a special talent for handling the media, and HuffPost’s S.V. Date learned that the hard way during a press gaggle on Air Force One. As Trump traveled to New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX, Date attempted what he probably thought would be a “gotcha” moment, only to be left humiliated in front of his peers.
Date, HuffPost’s senior White House correspondent, asked Trump about a comment he claimed Vice President JD Vance had made earlier in the day—one of those classic, loaded media questions designed to manufacture controversy out of thin air. “The Vice President suggested that if the Supreme Court rules in a way that you don’t like, they could just enforce it by themselves. Do you agree with that?” Date asked.
Now, most politicians would have given some long-winded, carefully measured response designed to avoid media hysteria. Not Trump. Without missing a beat, he hit Date with a dismissive, “I don’t even know what you’re talking about. Neither do you. Who are you with?”
Date, surely bracing himself for what was coming next, answered, “HuffPost, sir.”
Cue Trump’s signature smirk. “Who?” he asked again, letting Date twist in the wind.
“HuffPost,” Date repeated, undoubtedly regretting his life choices.
“Ah, no wonder,” Trump shot back. “I thought they were—I thought they died. They’re still around? I haven’t read them in years, I thought they died.”
President Trump demolishes Fake News “reporter” @svdate on Air Force One:
POTUS: “I don’t know even what you’re talking about. Neither do you. Who are you with?”@svdate: “HuffPost, sir.”
POTUS: “No wonder. I thought they died.” pic.twitter.com/kNB0359aJA
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 9, 2025
And just like that, it was over. Date was dismissed, the press gaggle moved on, and HuffPost was left with yet another embarrassing moment where they were forced to acknowledge that Trump doesn’t take them seriously. And why would he? This is the same outlet that spent years peddling Russiagate conspiracies, breathlessly warning of “authoritarianism” every time Trump so much as breathed, and defending Biden’s disastrous policies while pretending everything was fine.
Meanwhile, the question itself was nothing more than a poorly disguised attempt to twist JD Vance’s words. The comment in question stemmed from U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer’s move to block Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing U.S. Treasury payment systems—yet another instance of activist judges interfering with legitimate executive power.
Vance responded on X, pointing out the obvious: a judge doesn’t have the right to micromanage the executive branch’s operations. “If a judge tried to tell a general how to conduct a military operation, that would be illegal,” Vance wrote. “If a judge tried to command the attorney general in how to use her discretion as a prosecutor, that’s also illegal. Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.”
If a judge tried to tell a general how to conduct a military operation, that would be illegal.
If a judge tried to command the attorney general in how to use her discretion as a prosecutor, that’s also illegal.
Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.
— JD Vance (@JDVance) February 9, 2025
Of course, the usual Democrat media complex immediately went into panic mode, breathlessly claiming this meant Trump and Vance planned to ignore the Supreme Court whenever it was inconvenient. Never mind the fact that Biden actually ignored the Supreme Court when it ruled against his student loan forgiveness scheme. That was fine. That was democracy. But the second a Republican points out that judges don’t have unlimited power over the executive branch? It’s the end of the rule of law!
Rep. Dan Goldman, as usual, jumped in on X with his best attempt at a lecture. “It’s called the ‘rule of law’ @jdvance. Our constitution created three co-equal branches of government to provide checks and balances on each other (‘separation of powers’). The judiciary makes sure that the executive follows the law. If you do, then you won’t have problems.”
Goldman conveniently ignored that Vance wasn’t talking about disregarding the law—he was talking about judges stepping outside their role to dictate executive decisions. But since when has the left cared about details?
Trump handled the moment like only he can—by completely shutting down a desperate media attempt to stir up controversy. HuffPost can keep trying, but if Sunday’s encounter was any indication, they’re just going to keep getting steamrolled.
