Donald Trump scowls at his White House appearance, August 13, 2020

Donald Trump was flustered.

His White House daily appearances are meant to be stand-in campaign rallies, where he insults opponents and tried to replace information with confusion and deceptions.

But on Thursday, he slipped and called upon the wrong journalist.

S V Dáte of the Huffington Post had been ignored for years in Trump’s press briefings. But now the finger finally pointed at him.

He seized the moment: “Mr President, after 3 1/2 years, do you regret at all, all the lying you’ve done to the American people?”

Trump was taken aback: “All the what?”

Dáte repeated, “All the lying, all the dishonesties.”

Trump fumbled again, “That who has done?”

Dáte responded, “You have done. Tens of thousands —”

Trump, who has uttered more than 20,000 false statements since taking office in January 2017, finally understood. He cut off the journalist.

Dáte said later, “I had always thought that if he ever did call on me, this is the one thing that is really central to his presidency. [It is the] singular piece of his presidency that will be remembered in 10 years.”

And if he had ever had the chance to ask another question?

“’Mr President, you didn’t answer last time. Could you address why you’ve told…’ whatever the number [of lies] will be by then,” Dáte replied.