Trump bucks protocol on press access

[webfact]

Trump bucks protocol on press access

By KATHLEEN HENNESSEY

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is keeping America in the dark about his earliest conversations and decisions about his incoming government, and bucking a long-standing practice intended to ensure the public has a watchful eye on the nation's new leader.

 

Trump on Thursday refused to allow journalists to travel with him to Washington for his historic first meeting with President Barack Obama and congressional leaders. The Republican's top advisers rebuffed news organizations' requests for a small "pool" of journalists to trail Trump as he attended meetings Washington.

 

The decision was part of an opaque pattern in Trump's first moves since his victory Tuesday. Trump was entirely out of sight on Wednesday. His aides said he was huddled with advisers at his offices in New York. His team has not put out a daily schedule, or offered any detailed updates on how he has spent his time. They have not acknowledged phone calls or other contact with world leaders.

 

When Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a congratulatory telegram to Trump on Wednesday, Moscow spread the word. A phone call with British Prime Minster Theresa May was announced in London. The pattern was repeated for calls with leaders of Israel, Egypt, South Korea and Australia.

 

The White House typically releases statements on the president's phone calls with foreign leaders, providing some details about the conversation. Past presidents-elect have had early briefings with journalists, even in confusing first hours after Election Day.

 

But early signs suggest Trump is willing to break protocol when it comes to press access and transparency.

 

As a candidate, Trump railed against the press as "disgusting" and "dishonest." He refused to allow a pool of campaign reporters and photographers fly on his plane to events, sometimes starting his rallies before his press corps arrived. The practice did not extend to his running mate, Mike Pence, who was followed by a traditional pool of journalists.

 

News organizations had tried for weeks to coordinate a pool of journalists to travel with Trump immediately after Election Day if he won. The Associated Press is among those reaching out to Trump advisers about press access.

 

Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks said the president-elect's team expects "to operate a traditional pool and look forward to implementing our plans in the near future."

 

The White House Correspondents' Association, which coordinates press pools and advocates for transparency at the White House, urged Trump to allow journalists to cover his meetings and other movements.

 

"This decision could leave Americans blind about his whereabouts and well-being in the event of a national crisis," said Jeff Mason, White House correspondent for Reuters and the group's president. "Not allowing a pool of journalists to travel with and cover the next president of the United States is unacceptable."

 

Trump's meeting with Obama in the Oval Office was recorded by the pool of White House reporters, photographers and TV journalists who cover the president.

 

Every president and president-elect in recent memory has traveled with a pool of journalists when they leave the White House grounds.

 

A pool of reporters and photographers were in the motorcade when President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed in Dallas. The pool was just steps away from President Ronald Reagan when he was shot outside a hotel in the District of Columbia, and was stationed outside his hospital as he recovered. The pool also travels on vacation and foreign trips and at times captures personal, historic moments of the presidency.

 

The practice makes journalists eyewitnesses to how the president conducts business, rather than relying on secondhand accounts. It often captures more intimate moments between the president and people he greets. The White House, meanwhile, depends on having journalists near at all times to relay the president's first comments on breaking news.

 

News organizations take turns serving in the small group, paying their way and sharing the material collected in the pool with the larger press corps. The pool also covers official events at the White House when space doesn't allow for the full press corps.

 

Because of safety concerns, presidents and presidents-elect travel in a bubble of security, with the exact timing of their travel kept secret and streets often blocked off around their events. That leaves news organizations dependent on the White House to facilitate the pool coverage by arranging security clearances and transportation.

 

Obama also has looked for new ways to limit White House press access.

 

On Thursday, photographers were not allowed to shoot a meeting between first lady Michelle Obama and Melania Trump, who joined her husband on the White House visit.

 

The White House released a photo taken by a staff photographer and circulated it on social media. The Associated Press does not distribute such photos.

 

White House photographers were allowed to shoot a similar meeting between Mrs. Obama and then-first lady Laura Bush eight years ago.

 

-- © Associated Press 2016-11-11

[3FingeredWillie]

The more he ignores protocol, the more he gives the excuse for others to. Will he have a private email server too?

[NovaBlue05]

After taking the last 8 years off, the media wants to resume providing their solemn duty to keep the citizens White House transparent.

[Jingthing]

He's a con man.

What did people expect?

The people didn't elect a president. 
They elected an authoritarian dictator.

Of course he's not going to have normal press access.

Authoritarian dictators never do unless it's their own completely controlled press. 

Edited November 11, 2016 by Jingthing

[3FingeredWillie]

Being a megalomaniac he could slip into paranoia and distrust of everyone. I'll worry when he replaces the general in charge of the nukes, the one he calls to send out the orders to the launchers, with one of his cult followers.

[Boon Mee]

14 minutes ago, NovaBlue05 said:

After taking the last 8 years off, the media wants to resume providing their solemn duty to keep the citizens White House transparent.

The Press better get used to Trump 'Bucking Protocol"!

After savaging him for years, they want him to now do their bidding? LOL   555

[Jingthing]

Just now, Boon Mee said:

The Press better get used to Trump 'Bucking Protocol"!

After savaging him for years, they want him to now do their bidding? LOL   555

Savaging him?

They gifted him BILLIONS of free advertising in the primaries. It's hard to imagine he would have ever been nominated without that.

Yes, they thought it was all a joke and entertainment and they made money off that because he's a BIG SHOW.

But still, show some balance and honesty, dude.

[LennyW]

A lot of things will be different now, no more same o same o, better get used to it!

[Jingthing]

Just now, LennyW said:

A lot of things will be different now, no more same o same o, better get used to it!

Better start FIGHTING it because the change agent is a CON MAN. 

[Boon Mee]

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

But still, show some balance and honesty, dude.

Look in the mirror?

Yes, Trump was savaged badly throughout the last 18 months by the Lamestream Media and now they want him to play nice?  555  LOL

[Jingthing]

Just now, Boon Mee said:

Look in the mirror?

Yes, Trump was savaged badly throughout the last 18 months by the Lamestream Media and now they want him to play nice?  555  LOL

Yeah, he'll have alt-right (KKK, Nazi, racist) Breitbart media now to do his bidding. Maybe they can partner up with RUSSIA TODAY. That would be good. 

[LennyW]

Just now, Jingthing said:

Better start FIGHTING it because the change agent is a CON MAN. 

Suck it up JT! You are in the MINORITY now.

[Boon Mee]

 The sneering response to Trump’s victory reveals exactly why he won. 

Read it Jingthing - it's all about the Nattering Nabobs of Negativism y'all are by definition members of...

[NovaBlue05]

Trump won't be able to take a bathroom break without the media wanting details.  Meanwhile, Obama & his AG obstruct justice in July to keep Hillary whole and the media showed zero journalistic curiosity

[Jingthing]

Just now, LennyW said:

Suck it up JT! You are in the MINORITY now.

Not really. Hillary Clinton won the POPULAR vote. 

[beechguy]

1 minute ago, Boon Mee said:

 The sneering response to Trump’s victory reveals exactly why he won. 

Read it Jingthing - it's all about the Nattering Nabobs of Negativism y'all are by definition members of...

I think JT is suffering from oxygen deprivation from choking on the crow.

[optad]

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

Not really. Hillary Clinton won the POPULAR vote. 

Her party dudded the guy who would have beaten Trump. One of their own.

 

Som nom nah JT. democrats brought this on themselves. 

Edited November 11, 2016 by optad
spelling

[Boon Mee]

2 minutes ago, optad said:

Her party duded the guy who would have Trump. 

 

Som nom nah JT. democrats brought this on themselves. 

Illustrates the Lamestream Media's smug failures.

The polls didn't work.  The celebs e.g. Beyonce etc didn't work.

Crooked Hillary ran a defective campaign based on...really nothing.

[dcutman]

58 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Not really. Hillary Clinton won the POPULAR vote. 

When the electoral vote gets nicked you will have an argument then.

In the mean time time, America is moving on, with or without you. I am pretty sure you will not be missed.

[NovaBlue05]

JT is pathetically clinging to the .001% difference between Trump's popular vote and Clintons as though it is a mandate.

[chubby]

global warming is a myth. And the world was created in 7 days. life starts at conception and ends at birth. 

[mania]

Quote

This decision could leave Americans blind about his whereabouts and well-being in the event of a national crisis," said Jeff Mason, White House correspondent for Reuters and the group's president. "Not allowing a pool of journalists to travel with and cover the next president of the United States is unacceptable."

 

What a load of crap.......Of course key folks would always know where he is......Talk about a crisis .......Having a pool of reporters always broadcasting the POTUS whereabouts.....that is a crisis waiting to happen.

 

The MSM should learn what is NOT acceptable......starting with their petty demands so soon after acting out for many months & choosing sides in elections instead of just reporting unbiased news like a good news source should.

 

News agencies that are nothing more than bought & paid for mouthpieces for their masters should not get security clearance as they pose a threat  to National security.

[mania]

47 minutes ago, 3FingeredWillie said:

The more he ignores protocol, the more he gives the excuse for others to. Will he have a private email server too?

 

Unlikely that he would but......Hillary seems to have shown the world there is nothing illegal in doing so.......unless of course now now your saying there was? In which case she should be bustin rocks in striped pajamas

[coma]

That is what the people voted for. Change. Change in protocol. Changing the status quo from the same old BS dished by the last god knows how many administrations. The media are mostly a bunch of corrupt self serving so and sos anyway. And we all know that what they report on Trump will not paint him in a good light. So screw the media. Well done again Mr Trump

[Strange]

18 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Not really. Hillary Clinton won the POPULAR vote. 

 

[Luckysilk]

It is a new world with President Elect Trump.

 

The press don't do in depth reporting any longer they are merely an extension of the press release culture and sensationalize meaningless tripe.

 

 

 

[daveAustin]

Don't blame him and anything to rile up the lefty sheeple. Bottom line: he doesn't need to do things by the book because he hasn't been BOUGHT. He also sees the press largely for what they are... sort of on par with lawyers. A bit dirty and would sell their grandmother for a buck.

[bassman]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

Savaging him?

They gifted him BILLIONS of free advertising in the primaries. It's hard to imagine he would have ever been nominated without that.

Yes, they thought it was all a joke and entertainment and they made money off that because he's a BIG SHOW.

But still, show some balance and honesty, dude.

 

The press did make Trump in the primaries, it was an all out effort between the Clinton Crime Family and MSM (Marxist/Socialist Media).  This was done in an attempt to taint the election with a republican whom they decided was most flawed.  They knew their corrupt candidate, which was and still is the target of several ongoing criminal investigations, had no chance otherwise.

 

Was it just me or did anyone else notice MSM's attitude shift after Trump locked down the nomination?  Particularly withholding the private secretly recorded tape between two men on a bus.   Could have been released in the primaries but was not.

 

You got what you and your corrupted media and party designed, but with results you didn't expect.  Time for you losers to suck it up and stop the whinging.  Play with fire and you should expect to get burnt.

[bassman]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

He's a con man.

What did people expect?

The people didn't elect a president. 
They elected an authoritarian dictator.

Of course he's not going to have normal press access.

Authoritarian dictators never do unless it's their own completely controlled press. 

 

I knew Kleenex was having a problem keeping the shelves stocked in the states, looks like there is a run on tissue in Thailand also.  Can't believe all the cry babies coming out after their picture of Kool Aid was kicked over.  Whats the word for it...pathetic-ism?

[wwest5829]

1 hour ago, NovaBlue05 said:

JT is pathetically clinging to the .001% difference between Trump's popular vote and Clintons as though it is a mandate.

Let's throw in the numbers of those who did not vote for either of these non viable Presidential Candidates. Trump is President Elect but he comes in under a huge cloud of his own making. He most certainly cannot claim a mandate from the majority of American citizens. As the Chinese curse says, "may you live in interesting times". These next few months, most especially, will be very interesting to watch.