Trump, 79, Asks Reporter to Give Him Information on Taliban Hostage
President Donald Trump appeared to have never heard of an American held captive by the Taliban for almost a year.
During an exclusive interview Tuesday with News Nation, host Katie Pavlich touted Trump’s previous efforts to liberate hostages and asked the president about Dennis Coyle, a U.S. citizen who was reportedly kidnapped by the Taliban in Afghanistan last January.
“What is your administration doing to get him home?” Pavlich asked.
“Well, if you give me the name,” Trump said, even though Pavlich had just told him.
“Dennis Coyle,” she repeated.
“Well, if you give me some information, I’ll take care of that,” Trump continued.
“I know that your administration is working on it—” Pavlich said.
“I know they are,” Trump said quickly. “But I could do some things on the internet that are pretty impactful.”
Pavlich asked if Trump had a message for the Taliban, who had held Coyle “for no crime.”
“Well I’m not happy about them holding anybody. And especially if he’s not guilty of anything. And it sounds—from what I’ve heard, and again I’m not that familiar with it like you are, but I will certainly take a very strong position on it,” Trump said.
PAVLICH: Dennis Coyle has been taken hostage by the Taliban for almost a year. What are you doing to get him home?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 21, 2026
TRUMP: Well if you give me the name?
PAVLICH: Dennis Coyle
TRUMP: Ok. You give me some information, I can take care of that. I can do some things on the internet… pic.twitter.com/Nbsi1txmOI
But Trump’s remarks made it seem that he’d had never even heard of Coyle at all, and the president’s brilliant plan to free him seemed simply to involve posting a “very strong position” he’d made up on the spot.