Trump Press Conference Leaves Journalist Feeling 'Insufferable'

Journalist Frédéric Koller recounts a profoundly uncomfortable experience at a Donald Trump press conference in Evian, describing a feeling so overwhelming that he felt physically compelled to leave. Koller, who had vowed not to dedicate another column to Trump, found the atmosphere "insufferable," not due to Trump's words, but due to the surrounding environment.

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My body literally guided me out of the room. It was necessary to flee.

Upon Trump's entrance, a small group, seemingly cheerleaders, began applauding him from the press seating area. Koller noted the presence of U.S. Ambassador to Bern, Callista Gingrich, or someone resembling her, among them. This display, he felt, was highly unusual for a head of state's press conference, contributing to an unsettling, almost cult-like, atmosphere.

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This barracks-like atmosphere is also unusual.

Inside, Trump was flanked by four ministers, Jamieson Greer and Howard Lutnick (Commerce), and Marco Rubio (Foreign Affairs) and Scott Bessent (Treasury), who stood rigidly for nearly an hour. Koller highlights a particularly telling exchange where Trump, while praising the intelligence of markets, turned to his Treasury Secretary and asked, "Scott, are the markets smarter than me?" Bessent's immediate, tense reply was, "No, Sir!" This moment, Koller suggests, exemplifies the "barracks-like" ambiance.

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Scott, are the markets smarter than me?

The press conference continued with Trump fielding a question from Fox News' Peter, who quoted Trump himself from January 2020. Trump interrupted to ask who said it, and upon hearing it was him, prompted laughter from some journalists. It was at this point, Koller writes, that he decided to leave, fearing arrest for "lèse-majesté."

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No, Sir!