The American – and global – media have taken their fair share of criticism during the current cycle involving the US presidential election, with former Republican candidate Marco Rubio blaming newscasts for inflating Donald Trump’s position in the race and making him the frontrunner. But now the media, in the shape of a Wisconsin talk-radio presenter, is striking back at Trump, with arguably the toughest interview he has faced since entering the race.
Charlie Sykes, host of his own radio programme in Milwaukee, spoke to the Republican candidate yesterday as Trump was touring the Dairy state ahead of its crucial primary next Tuesday, and Trump’s media advisors had failed to notice that Sykes has been a public advocate of the online #NeverTrump movement.
With the conversation kicking off with the ongoing he-said-he-said debacles over photographs of Trump and Cruz’s wives, Sykes refuses to drop what Trump describes as a “dead issue,” saying: “If a supporter of another candidate, not the candidate himself, does something despicable, it’s okay for you, personally – a candidate for president of the United States – to behave the same way?”
Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruztalks with radio host Charlie Sykes at a campaign stop in Pewaukee, Wisconsin [AP Photo/Morry Gash]
Sykes, also a supporter of Ted Cruz, then demands Trump respond to the “civility, decency, and actual conservative principles,” of Wisconsin voters by pressing the outspoken candidate on his track record of questionable comments on women – even playing the now infamous audio of women reading out Trump’s tweets. And while Trump tried to avoid the question, Sykes holds on.
While Sykes cannot be called impartial, even going so far as to inform Trump that he is a vocal critic of his potential candidacy, the Wisconsin-based broadcaster has been widely praised for his handling of the interview. Unapologetically tough but calm and measured, Sykes’ professionalism stands at the polar opposite end of Trump, whose bizarre and spiralling-out-of-control responses show a politician in trouble.
You can listen back to Sykes’ interview in full below:
