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And now, from the University of Chicago Institute of Politics and CNN Audio, the Axe Files, with your host, David Axelrod.

Of all the White House correspondents who cover Donald Trump, few have known him longer than Jonathan Carl of ABC.

Carl then a young reporter for the New York Post first met Trump in the early 90s, when the future president was a sometimes source, plugging himself and his properties.

Now Carl's written a book called Front Row at the Trump Show giving us a bird's eye view of the Trump years in Washington.

I sat down with him Friday to talk about the upcoming Republican convention, the Potus' state of mind, headed into the final stretch, and Carl's own journey in life and journalism.

Jonathan Carl, it's really good to see you. We're right in the middle of a frantic couple of weeks of conventions and we're halfway through.

And I'm wondering what your impression was of the Democratic virtual Democratic convention and what you think the man you cover was thinking because he undoubtedly was watching.

I don't think there's any question of that. Is there?

There's no question that he was watching.

I mean, you saw it most obviously when Obama was speaking, he couldn't stop himself.

Yes, his catwalks were frozen.

Yes, the catwalks were frozen.

I thought it was fascinating.

I think that one thing here is the Democrats have known for months and months that they were almost certainly going to have a virtual convention and they've clearly been planning.

Yeah.

And it was really a technical feat.

There were a few goofy moments, I suppose, but I thought it was really...

You were then you'd expect the...

Many fewer than you would expect.

I thought that the roll call was just an unbelievable highlight because we've all been stuck in home.

And then we got to see the country.

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