CNN’s Carol Costello gave one of the most bizarre and pointless Donald Trump–related interviews of this election cycle on Thursday. Speaking with the GOP front-runner’s former longtime butler Tony Senecal about Trump’s candidacy, Costello asked a dumbfounding series of “yes-no” questions about Thursday night’s upcoming GOP debate, Trump’s battles with Marco Rubio, and Trump’s business acumen.

The less than loquacious Senecal—who now acts as the “estate historian” for Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s 100-plus room, 18-acre Florida estate—responded with a series of basically monosyllabic answers such as “of course,” “absolutely,” and “sure.” When he wasn’t impersonating the Yes Guy from The Simpsons, Senecal was given plenty of opportunity to praise Trump as an all-American hero. “The man was born on Flag Day,” he informs us. “He’s a very patriotic person.”

Costello has no idea how to get anything of value out of the guy who was Trump’s personal butler for 16 years—I mean, ask him about how much Trump tips a manservant for Christmas, or what kind of shoe polish the guy likes, and how one tends to the gold leaf on 40 rams. Anyways, the whole ridiculous and entertaining debacle is above.

Also in Slate: “Anderson Cooper Interviewed Trump, and It Was a Disgrace”

