The legendary journalist Barbara Walters was certainly a pioneer — in calling out Donald Trump’s BS.
A resurfaced and edited video of a 1990 interview Walters conducted with the future president for ABC’s “20/20” has made its way to TikTok and seems to prove that a leopard never changes its spots.
In the short clip on TikTok, Walters can be seen challenging Trump over his business acumen after the publication of his 1990 book, “Trump: Surviving at the Top.”
The clip starts with Trump busting out a soundbite that, by this point, comes off as an oldie but a goodie.
“I hope the general public understands how inherently dishonest the press in this country is,” Trump says.
“As a member of the press, let me try to clear up some of the things which you say are untrue,” Walters fires back, unbothered.
Walters then reads an excerpt from “Surviving at the Top.”
My bankers and I worked out a terrific deal that allows me to come out stronger than ever. I see the deal as a great victory.
She then stops reading and says to Trump directly:
“Being on the verge of bankruptcy, being bailed out by the banks, skating on thin ice and almost drowning? That’s a businessman to be admired?”
Trump, who had been trying to interrupt Walters while she was confronting him, attempts to deny her claims.
“You say ‘on the verge of bankruptcy,’ Barbara,” Trump begins. “And you talk ‘on the verge,’ and you listen to what people are saying—”
“I talked to your bankers,” Waters says.
“Well, that’s fine. And what do they say? I mean, you know, depending on which banker you’re talking to—”
“Several,” Walters shoots back.
The clip then cuts to Walters telling Trump that his bankers had told her that the best way he could get out of debt was by selling his hotel, the Plaza. Trump had bought the New York City hotel in 1988 for slightly more than $400 million, an outrageous amount of money for a hotel at the time, the New York Times reported.
According to the Times, Trump’s banks eventually took ownership of the Plaza and shopped it around until it sold in 1995 for a deal valued around $325 million — none of which went to Trump.
“Well, I don’t know what the bankers have said, but the Plaza is a very valuable property,” Trump tells Walters in the interview. “Everybody told me, ‘Oh, you paid too much. You paid too much.’ Now they’re all saying, ‘What a great deal he made.’”
“No, they’re not,” Walters replies before the clip ends.
She didn’t just expose him—she foreclosed on his whole persona. And yet, he’s the F head of the country 🥴🫤 #Fy #fyp #fypシ #pt #ptp
After watching the clip on TikTok, many people seemed to have a similar takeaway in the comments. As one TikToker put it: “he’s always been exactly who he is.”
“He’s been a lying, delusional conman his entire life,” another TikToker wrote.
“The press isn’t dishonest, HE is and that’s why he’s currently trying to suppress the press. 🙄🙄🙄,” said another user.
“If this interview happened in 2025 MAGA would blindly yell ‘fAkE nEwS!’” another TikTok pointed out.
“He’s always been a grifter,” echoed another user.
“He hates being called out by women, especially women in the press,” another user pointed out.
Although Trump was reportedly furious about his 1990 interview with Walters, the two were friends who ran in the same New York City circle.
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Trump even wrote kind words about the journalist after her death in 2022.
“She was the greatest of them all, by far,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I knew her well, was interviewed by her many times, and there was nobody like the legendary Barbara Walters – And never will be!”
