“Take your time, Pete.”
Those were the words spoken to me privately by President Donald J. Trump last Friday morning, when I picked up the phone to give him a two-minute warning before our radio interview on KCMO Talk Radio (plus KTOP in Topeka and KFRU in Columbia, Mo.).
I admit I couldn’t really believe it. But it was a strangely surreal and calming moment, as I was minutes away from going live with the 45th and 47th President of the United States.
The President Calls In Early
To take you behind the scenes, the President called in at 7:29 for his interview, which was set to begin at 7:33:30 ET. It seemed awfully early, but I told his team he could call in any time he wanted before our hard start time.
My producer answered the phone, and we wondered if we’d have to patch between several calls to finally reach the President. Instead, my producer said, “KCMO, this is Jon.”
The other end of the phone? “Hi Jon. It’s the President.”
Well, that was awfully simple. And unexpected.
From there, the President, who called in four minutes earlier than we anticipated, just waited. That’s when I picked up the phone for my two-minute warning.
“Mr. President, it’s Pete Mundo. We’ll be back in two minutes and get going.”
“Take your time, Pete. Take your time. I’ll just be sitting here trying to solve this war.”
“By the way, congratulations on your fourth child.”
My jaw almost hit the floor. As it turns out, my producer dropped the bug in his ear when he thanked him for calling in. That’s elite producer skills right there. And the President picking up on it is elite political skills.
“Thank you, Mr. President. We’re 90 seconds out.”
“No problem, Pete. Take your time.”
Nervous Energy, Not Nerves
I wasn’t nervous going into the interview. I just had some nervous energy. And I felt prepared, confident, and ready to ask the President about the upcoming midterms, the toss-up U.S. Senate race in Kansas, the Iran war, affordability, and anything else I could get in during our 17-minute conversation.
But his overly relaxed approach in our pre-interview discussion was unbelievable. He was a total pro. Of course, the President’s media skills and abilities have never been in doubt. He’s been going on radio shows for decades.
But I can’t tell you how many guests don’t want to be bothered until 30 seconds before they go on the air. And here’s the President of the United States sitting on hold for four minutes, no issues, telling ME to take my time.
A Final Audible
After getting through all the meat and potatoes of the interview on the U.S. Senate race, midterms, Iran, affordability, and prices, I had one question I wanted to end with: “Mr. President, who is your favorite NFL quarterback… and why is it Patrick Mahomes?” I got the chuckle. I wanted to humanize the end of the interview, but with 60 seconds left, I called a final audible.
I thanked him for coming on, and I thanked him for the off-air congratulations on having a fourth child on the way, and my first son. I asked if he had any advice on raising sons, since he’s raised three. He said, “I do. No drugs, no alcohol, no cigarettes. And I have another thing, but I don’t say it… You know what that thing is? [pregnant pause] Low-key the tattoos.”
He nailed the delivery. Which, love him or not, you can’t deny: the ability to hold and capture an audience has been there for decades, and it’s part of how the President rose to power as the leader of the free world.
The Country Will Survive
For those reading who aren’t fans of the President, the side of him I saw off the air was very different from the larger-than-life public persona most people are familiar with. And I sure do wish he would show more of that side in public.
And for those reading who are in the dumps about Tuesday night’s results, I’ll share the President’s final quote about our fourth child on the way. He said on the air, “That’s very important. That’s big stuff. That’s bigger than this, right?”
He’s right. It is more important. The country will survive. There will be another election in two years. And in the meantime, enjoy your life, love your family, and, “low-key the tattoos.”
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