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The Daily Signal

Jonathan Karl on “Retribution”: Inside Trump’s Return to Power

The Daily Signal

The Daily Signal

News, Government, Politics, Daily News

4.61.2K Ratings

🗓️ 9 November 2025

⏱️ 21 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl joins The Daily Signal’s Rob Bluey to discuss his highly anticipated and bestselling new book, “Retribution: Donald Trump and the Campaign That Changed America.” In this one-on-one interview, Karl reveals behind-the-scenes details from the 2024 campaign trail and his contentious relationship with the commander-in-chief.  Karl has covered Donald Trump for over 30 years and spoke regularly to the president during the 2024 campaign. In “Retribution,” he takes readers inside one of the most extraordinary political comebacks in American history—and what it means for the future of American politics. Karl is the author of four New York Times bestsellers: “Retribution,” “Tired of Winning,” “Betrayal,” and “Front Row at the Trump Show.” He is a Pulitzer Prize finalist and has won multiple journalism awards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Not that long ago in the Oval Office, about a month ago.

0:03.8

He told me you think you're a wonderful person.

0:06.1

You're not a wonderful person.

0:07.5

You're a terrible reporter.

0:09.5

You know it and I know it.

0:11.1

But even then, even then, right after he said that,

0:16.0

as the cameras are told to leave the Oval Office because the event is over,

0:20.7

he motioned to me. I went over to the Resolute deskk, and he said, oh, no, we're okay, we're okay, we're okay. And he, I said to him, I said, that was pretty tough. I mean, with the live cameras going, you're like insult. And he said, no, no, you were tough on me. You were tough on me. And he starts laughing.

0:45.2

ABC News, Chief Washington correspondent, Jonathan Carl, is the author of a new bestselling book called Retribution.

0:47.7

Donald Trump and the campaign that changed in America.

0:54.7

John joins us here at The Daily Signal to talk about the book and his access to President Trump and Hunter Biden and all of the players who made this such a remarkable campaign over the course of 2024.

0:59.0

First of all, John, congratulations on hitting the bestseller book.

1:01.9

I'm listening to the audio version of it.

1:03.9

And for all of our daily signal audience who wants some extra special features, I encourage them to buy a copy of the audio book

1:10.0

because you actually have some clips of President Trump and Hunter Biden included. So thank you for being here.

1:15.4

Yeah, thank you very much. And yeah, the audiobook is like a whole separate project. It's really

1:20.3

like a whole different thing because you actually, you hear some of my interviews. I actually

1:26.9

play the audio.

1:28.0

It's, you know, get banning in there as well.

1:30.6

And, you know, certainly a lot of Hunter Biden and, and, and President Trump.

1:36.0

But, but also, you know, instead of like if I'm quoting from a speech or from an interview or something, I don't just read it.

1:41.8

I play the actual event.

...

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