If there is just one thing a politician must learn from Donald Trump, is his ability to control media interviews by never letting a reporter get away with asking a gotcha question.

The lesson comes with a caveat…

Trump can control the interview because he is on top of his game – match fit! And even if he is not, he simply parries gotcha questions with his own questions or statements, embarrassing the reporters. He brings razor-sharp intellect to media interviews because he knows the media are out to get him, for proving them wrong in 2016 and, against all odds, in 2024.

In the good old days, reporters took their profession seriously and questioned politicians in an ethical manner, genuinely seeking answers for their readers and viewers. Those days are long gone. Today, we have reporters devoid of journalistic ethics and politicians who are not on top of their game. ‘Feeding frenzy’ and ‘media scrum’ are terms commonly used to describe media interviews. Journalistic ethics is long dead; but politicians missed the memo and are poor performers, still.

It is infuriating to watch a politician respond unwittingly to a reporter’s gotcha question, not knowing that they have been played – leaving the viewer un-enlightened by the response.

Being on top of one’s game must also extend to heads of government departments. Who can forget the beltings delivered by Pam Bondi and Kash Patel to Democratic Senators during their Senate confirmation hearings for US Attorney-General and Director of the FBI respectively? The only reason these officials could strike back against questions designed to embarrass, rather than establish fitness for the nominated positions, is because they were match fit.

One would think that politicians, having witnessed colleagues embarrassed by gotcha questions, would pull up their socks or stockings, or whatever – enabling this response to such question: ‘Your gotcha question doesn’t deserve a response; either ask a sensible question, or move on.’

A person would give much to ask the world’s most powerful man a question that enlightened viewers. Such a person would agonise over the question, ensuring it conveyed a degree of intellect, which Trump would perceive as a genuine enquiry. The questioner would want to be remembered as having asked an interesting question – a brag for the grandchildren.

Clearly, one ABC journalist missed the memo. His question to Trump was mind-numbingly banal: ‘But is it appropriate President Trump, that a President in office should be engaged in so much business activity?’

'You're hurting Australia': Donald Trump criticises ABC journalist John Lyons in White House clash pic.twitter.com/rlR4glUEVF

— Ben Knight (@benknight38) September 16, 2025

Allegations of Trump’s so-called business activities as President, have been aired in varying iterations in the media and, whether true or false, is of no interest to the average punter in Australia. The punter is more concerned about the President restoring the dignity of the United States and its military might, given that the United States is our only protector and shield, against foreign adversaries.

And the journalist’s reward for his gotcha question? A tongue-lashing from the President – an instant trivia question. Despite that lashing, the journalist displayed poor manners by rabbiting on until Trump said one word, ‘Quiet!’ delivered as a teacher would silence a smart-aleck kid.

What will the ABC journalist tell his grandchildren when they enquire about his opportunity to ask the most powerful man in the world a question? That he tried, but failed to embarrass the man? That the man told him to be ‘quiet’?

Trump knew that the administrations of Barack Obama, and that of Joe Biden in particular, had contributed to America becoming the laughing stock of the world and emboldened its adversaries. Hence his resolve to make America great again. He also knows that, if he, as President, is belittled by gotcha questions, America is also belittled. And a belittled America will be at the mercy of its adversaries – including so-called ‘friends’ such as Australia – as a wounded lion is to hyenas.

Politicians have a golden opportunity to learn that Trump’s standout achievement in controlling media interviews, is simple: he’s match fit.