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PBS NewsHour Segment Takes an Unexpected Turn
Abernathy made the remarks during his regular appearance on PBS NewsHour alongside liberal commentator Jonathan Capehart. Speaking with host Amna Nawaz, the Ohio based columnist offered praise that visibly unsettled the panel.
He told viewers he was “proud” of Trump’s actions during the Minneapolis standoff.
“We don’t usually talk about Donald Trump as the guy being the voice of reason in any given stretch of time,” Abernathy said.
“And yet I would say, this week, he really has.”
The comment was especially striking because Abernathy is not a reflexive Trump defender. A former Ohio GOP communications director who endorsed Trump in 2016, he has spent years criticizing the president’s tone and delivery even when backing his agenda.
This time, however, Abernathy made it clear that the contrast between Trump and Minnesota Democrats could not be ignored.
Democrat Leaders Branded Irresponsible as Trump De Escalates
Abernathy did not mince words when discussing Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.
While Democrat leaders ramped up rhetoric and stoked public tension, Abernathy said Trump worked behind the scenes to cool things down.
Trump personally reached out to Walz. The two discussed de escalation. The president backed a Senate funding compromise that had stalled. He even extended compliments to California Governor Gavin Newsom during an international appearance, despite Newsom attacking him at the same event.
“I don’t know what’s going on,” Abernathy admitted.
“I’m sure this will change very quickly.”
But for now, he said, Trump was acting like the adult in the room.
Border Czar Delivers Simple Message Democrats Hate
Abernathy also highlighted the clarity coming from Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan.
The message was blunt. Cooperation brings drawdown. Obstruction brings consequences.
Minnesota officials, he said, could end the standoff by working with ICE instead of blocking federal law enforcement.
That clarity stands in stark contrast to the emotional theatrics coming from Democrat officials and activist media allies.
Democrat Child Narrative Collapses on Air
The moment that truly exposed the media narrative came when Capehart attempted to push the emotional storyline involving five year old Liam Ramos.
Abernathy shut it down immediately.
“That’s not true,” he interrupted.
“We know there’s a different story about the 5-year-old. We know that that narrative is not true.”
Federal officials confirmed the child had been abandoned by his father and that an officer acted to protect him from running into traffic. The child is now in federal custody with his father.
“If he was separated, they’d be complaining that he separated from his family,” Abernathy noted.
“So he’s with his father.”
The exchange perfectly illustrated how Democrats weaponize children for political messaging, only to collapse when facts surface.
Why This Admission Matters
Abernathy represents the exact type of conservative voice Democrats love to cite when attacking Trump. A policy aligned critic. A former GOP insider. Someone often held up as proof that Trump alienates reasonable conservatives.
That is why his comments matter.
When someone like Abernathy publicly states that Trump handled the Minneapolis situation better than the so called adults in the room, it undercuts the entire Democrat narrative.
Walz and Frey appeared to believe they could engineer another national spectacle. Protests. Media outrage. Trump as the villain.
Instead, Trump quietly worked the phones, spoke about de escalation, and let Tom Homan handle negotiations while Democrats shouted about a “reign of terror.”
The optics flipped.
Even Abernathy noticed.
“President Trump realizes he’s a master at understanding public opinion and he can read the tea leaves,” Abernathy explained.
“He knows when the winds have shifted a little bit and he’s very good at resetting things.”
Translation is simple. Trump adjusted before Democrats could exploit the moment. He turned their playbook against them.
That is not retreat. That is strategic awareness.
And hearing it acknowledged on PBS NewsHour was the last thing liberals expected.
