Under President Donald Trump, the person who popularized the time period “fake news,” masking the White House has turn into in contrast to something reporters have skilled. NCS anchor Kaitlan Collins mentioned the president’s uncommon accessibility — and his fixed readiness to take media questions — retains reporters on their toes, and generally leaves them sleep-deprived.
“Most politicians are not very press savvy. I think Trump always understood the value of a camera and a microphone,” Collins mentioned Monday on the Trading Secrets podcast hosted by Jason Tartick.
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“Embraced the media”
Collins defined that Trump is extra accessible to the media than most politicians, together with previous presidents.
“When you speak to reporters who covered President Obama, he almost never responded to shouted questions,” she mentioned. “It wasn’t his thing. He would have his moments with world leaders, and then you would leave the Oval. Trump kind of upended that when he came into the White House. Sometimes presidents are press-averse. Trump embraced the media.”
Collins, who first began masking presidents throughout Trump’s first time period, says reporting on him is completely different from “typical presidents.” Events that might usually be low-profile can shortly flip into impromptu press conferences with Trump main the dialogue.
“It’s different because Trump is such an accessible president that, like, if he’s just swearing in the ambassador to Greece — typically wouldn’t be a newsworthy event if President Biden or any typical president was doing it,” Collins mentioned. “Trump will swear someone in and then he’ll turn to you and say, ‘Any questions?’ and he’ll take questions for 45 minutes.”
No sleep on Air Force One
Collins says she even has the president’s telephone quantity. During the Mar-a-Lago raid, she known as him and he confirmed particulars straight.
But she cautions that his accessibility could be an excessive amount of for some reporters. She says it will probably result in reporters getting little to no sleep on journeys overseas.
“He does not sleep,” she mentioned. “I had this source who said, ‘You never want to be on Air Force One on a trip.’ And I said, ‘Why? You’d think you’d want to be in the axis of power, close to Trump. He doesn’t sleep on these trips. You know you’re not going to sleep on that flight.”
“He doesn’t sleep on these trips, and you’re going to Asia or something, and that’s like the only time you’re going to sleep before you go on this trip, but Trump is just always up and talking,” Collins mentioned.
Trump is most accessible president in historical past
Collins’ observations are supported by information. A Sunday Times review discovered that Trump spoke to journalists extra in his first 100 days than some other president in historical past. Short Q&A classes, press conferences and interviews had been much more frequent than throughout earlier administrations.
Pew Research also shows that Trump’s visibility in entrance of the digital camera elevated public consideration to politics. Four out of each 10 adults surveyed reported paying extra consideration to political information underneath Trump.
An advanced media relationship
Trump’s relationship with the press has been difficult for years. He famously labeled mainstream networks “fake news” throughout his first administration, together with NCS and Collins.
Early in his second time period, the White House restricted the Associated Press’ access to the Oval Office after a dispute over referring to the “Gulf of America.” The AP sued, claiming the restrictions had been retaliation and violated First Amendment protections.
A federal decide dominated in April in favor of the AP, however the White House appealed. In July, an appeals courtroom mentioned the White House doesn’t have to revive full entry whereas the case continues, citing the administration’s “broad discretion” over press credentials. Arguments are scheduled for November.
Collins’ experiences illustrate the distinctive dynamic of masking Trump — a president who’s probably the most accessible to the press, but whose administration can also be on the heart of ongoing authorized disputes over press freedoms.
contributed to this report.