>>> SPEAKING TODAY ON AIR FORCE ONE WHERE, AGAIN, AUDIO
RECORDING WAS ALLOWED BUT NO
CAMERAS, THE PRESIDENT TOOK
ISSUE WITH THE WAY HE IS PORTRAY
PORTRAYED AS SPEAKING IN THIS
NEW BOOK OUT NEXT WEEK FROM BOB
WOODWARD.
WOODWARD. >> THE BOOK THAT WAS WRITTEN WAS
FICTION.
FICTION. I DON’T SPEAK THAT WAY.
I’M HIGHLY EDUCATED.
AND, ALWAYS DID WELL.
ALWAYS DID WELL, NO MATTER WHAT
I DID.
I DID. >> HOW THIS PRESIDENT TALKS CAN
BE SOMETHING, AS YOU CAN TELL,
HE GETS SENSITIVE ABOUT.
IF HE FEELS SOMEONE IS CALLING
HIM OUT ON HIS INTELLIGENCE OR
SCHOOLING.
SCHOOLING. TONIGHT, WE HAD A VISIT TO THE
STUDIO BY ONE OF THE SMARTEST
GUYS WE KNOW.
HE STUDIES WORDS AND THE WAY
PEOPLE SAY THEM FOR A LIVING.
WE OFTEN ASK HIM ABOUT HOW THIS
PRESIDENT TALKS, OTHER THAN A
LOT.
LOT. HERE NOW, OUR GUEST, ARMED WITH
A PhD IN LINGUISTICS FROM
STANFORD.
STANFORD. HE’S A FROMPROFESSOR AT COLUMBIA
UNIVERSITY AND A CONTRIBUTOR TO
THE "ATLANTIC."
THE "ATLANTIC." PROFESSOR, WELCOME.
PROFESSOR, WELCOME. IS EVERY DAY IN THIS PRESIDENCY
A WORD FESTIVAL IN YOUR LINE OF
WORK OR GROUNDHOG DAY?
>> I DON’T LIKE TO WATCH HIM.
I DON’T LIKE TO LISTEN TO HIM.
I LIKE TO READ MY NEWS.
IT IS BAD ENOUGH JUST READING
THE SORTS OF THINGS HE SAYS,
WRITTEN OUT, WHEN I OCCASIONALLY
AM FORCED TO ACTUALLY WATCH HIM
DO WHAT HE DOES.
THEN I AM EVER STRUCK BY WHAT A
MEAT AND POTATOES APPROACH HE
HAS TO WHAT MOST PEOPLE WOULD
APPROACH AS STATESMANLIKE.
>> I THINK OF YOU CONSTANTLY
BECAUSE YOU’RE THE ONLY PERSON
IN YOUR LINE OF WORK WHO I KNOW,
AND YOUR LINE OF WORK COMES UP
SO OFTEN WHEN WE WATCH HIM.
I WAS WATCHING THE PRESIDENT
LAST NIGHT IN BILLINGS, MONTANA.
IT WAS HIS DELIVERY AROUND THE
SUBJECT, BY THE WAY, OF
POTENTIAL IMPEACHMENT OF
HIMSELF, THAT STRUCK ME.
WE’LL PLAY THIS AND TALK TO THE
PROFESSOR ON THE OTHER SIDE.
>> THEY LIKE TO USE THE IMPEACH
WORD.
WORD. MAXINE -- MAXIME WATERS.
HOW DO YOU IMPEACH SOMEONE WHO
IS DOING A GOOD JOB?
THE ECONOMY IS GOOD.
HOW DO YOU DO IT?
HOW DO YOUIT?
HOW DO YOU DO IT?
WE WILL IMPEACH HIM.
BUT HE’S DOING A GREAT JOB.
IT’S SO RIDICULOUS.
BUT WE’LL WORRY ABOUT THAT IF IT
EVER HAPPENS.
EVER HAPPENS. BUT IF IT DOES HAPPEN, IT’S YOUR
FAULT BECAUSE YOU DIDN’T GO OUT
TO VOTE.
TO VOTE. >> I SAY THIS CLINICALLY ABSENT
JUDGMENT.
JUDGMENT. THE MAN WAS A REALITY TELEVISION
ENTERTAINMENT STAR HEADQUARTERED
IN THIS BUILDING FOR 14 CAREERS.
IF YOU LOOK BACK AT BUDDY
HACKETT AND SCHECKY GREEN, THE
CARSON SHOWS.
CARSON SHOWS. >> THE PEOPLE HE GREW UP
WATCHING.
WATCHING. > GENERATIONALLY, THAT’S A SET
HE’S DOING.
HE’S DOING. THAT’S A SET PIECE.
THAT’S BORDERLINE STANDUP.
>> YEAH, I MEAN WHAT HE’S DOING
IS THE SORTS OF PEOPLE THAT HE
WATCHED ON TV STARTING IN THE
LATE 50s INTO THE EARLY ’70s AND
REALLY ALTHOUGH I MEAN
TECHNICALLY HE DOESN’T DRINK, IS
HE YOUR UNCLE SITTING BY THE
POOL WITH A BEER, THAT BEER IS
LIKELY A BUDWEISER AND HE’S JUST
KIND OF RUNNING HIS MOUTH IN A
COLORFUL WAY AND ENJOYING THE
ATTENTION OF HIS LITTLE NIECES
AND THE TEENAGER FROM NEXT DOOR.
BUT THE PROBLEM WITH THIS IS,
THAT IT SHOWS SOMETHING MORE
GENERAL ABOUT HIM.
THIS GOES BEYOND LANGUAGE.
I CANNOT THINK OF A PRESIDENT IN
THE GRAND SUCCESS WE’VE HAD WHO
HAS SPENT SO LITTLE EFFORT IN
TRYING TO BE SOMETHING LARGER
THAN THAT SWIMMING POOL
BUDWEISER BAKE.
BUDWEISER BAKE. HE NEVER TRIES.
SO YOU THINK OF SAY ARISTOCRAT
LIKE FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT WHO
FORGED THE NEW DEAL.
HE WASN’T THINKING ABOUT THAT
WHEN HE WAS A KID.
JOHN F. KENNEDY, TO TELL THE
TRUTH, THERE WEREN’T A LOT OF
THINGS WILL HE HIS MIND ON TILL
HE BECAME PRESIDENT.
HE WAS ABOUT TO DO GREAT THINGS.
LYNDON JOHNS WAS SOMEBODY WHO
WAS A VERY PAROCHIAL UNEDUCATED
BIGOTED TEXAN AND THE GREAT
SOCIETY COMES FROM HIM.
DONALD TRUMP NEVER DOES ANYTHING
THAT STRETCHES BEYOND EXACTLY
WHAT HE WAS WHEN.
I HAVE THIS ON GOOD AUTHORITY.
THIS IS SOMEBODY WHO TOOK A
RATHER GENTLE CHILD IN HIS
NEIGHBORHOOD WHEN HE WAS A
TEENAGER AND HUNG THAT KID OUT
THE WINDOW BY HIS FEET AND
ENJOYED WATCHING HIM YELL.
HAVE I IT ON GOOD AUTHORITY,
BELIEVE ME AS TRUMP SAYS.
HE’S NEVER GOTTEN BEYOND BEING
THAT LITTLE NOSE PICKING JERK.
HE’S JUST EXACTLY WHAT HE WAS
WHEN HE BEGAN.
IT STRIKES ME THAT EVEN AFTER
ALMOST TWO YEARS, HE’S NEVER HAD
THE SLIGHTEST IMPULSE TO GROW.
THAT’S WHAT YOU SEE IN HIS
AURATORY.
AURATORY. HE GETS UP THERE AND TALKS
WHETHER HE ANY OTHER PRESIDENT,
I’M SURE ZACK RIL TAYLOR TRIED
TO OH RATE.
HERE WE ARE.
>> YOU JUST SAID BELIEVE ME.
THAT’S A VERBAL TICK OF HIS.
I’LL USE HIS METHOD TO MAKE A
POINT.
POINT. HE DOES REPEAT THE SAME
PHRASEOLOGY IN A VERY SHORT
PERIOD OF TIME THE LIKES OF
WHICH WE’VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
HE DOES HAVE THESE FALLBACKS.
WE’VE ALL COME TO KNOW THEM.
I KNOW PEOPLE IN MY LIFE WHO SAY
OH, MY GOD, I’M TALKING LIKE
DONALD TRUMP.
DONALD TRUMP. HE YOU HEAR YOURSELF USING AN
EXPRESSION ONE THAT HE OWNS IT’S
NOW AYLING QUIS TICK PROBLEM.
>> THIS GETS INTO SOME
LINGUISTICS.
LINGUISTICS. WE THINK OF OURSELVES OF USING
GRAMMAR.
GRAMMAR. BUT THERE’S A MODERN WAY OF
THINKING.
THINKING. YOU’VE GOT YOUR WORDS, YOU’VE
GOT THINGS LIKE YOU PUT AN ED AT
THE END TO MAKE IT IN THE PAST
AND YOU HAVE YOUR EXPRESSIONS
LIKE WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE OR
BELIEVE ME OR GOODNESS GRACIOUS
OR I’LL BE HORN SWAGGLED.
IT’S YOUR BIG SAND BOX FULL OF
WORDS.
WORDS. WHOSE IS BIGGER?
WHAT’S INTERESTING WHEN HE USES
THOSE SAME EXPRESSIONS OVER AND
OVER AGAIN, IT SHOWS HE HAS A
SMALL VOCABULARY.
SMALL VOCABULARY. ALL OF THOSE EXPRESSIONS ARE
WORDS, AS WELL.
SO A CERTAIN KIND OF PERSON HAS
A CERTAIN SIZE AND CAN PICK AND
CAN CHOOSE AS YOU GET OLDER
ESPECIALLY IF YOU’RE A
RELATIVELY EXPERIENCED PERSON
SAY IN THE PUBLIC EYE, YOU HAVE
KIND OF A SMORGASBORD.
YOU TRY TO VARY IT.
BUT THE MOST INARTICULATE THING
ABOUTED
ABOUTED VO CAR BLARE.
WE’RE NOT ONLY TALKING ABOUT THE
SALS BURRILL MEAT AND POTATOES
WORDS.
WORDS. IT SOUNDS LIKE HE’S ABOUT 2 1/2
BECAUSE HE DOESN’T STRIPE TO
ADORN HIS SPEECH AT ALL.
THERE’S NO ART IN THE MAN.
YOU CAN’T IMAGINE HIM TAPPING
HIS FOOT, HAVING A FAVORITE
SONG, READING A BOOK.
IN THE SAME WAY WITH SPEECH, HE
LETS IT FALL OUT OF HIS MOUTH