On Wednesday, February 26, President Donald Trump concluded his first Cabinet meeting of his second term with a hot mic moment.
The gathering featured both prominent omissions and a number of new faces after Trump’s administration recently announced that the White House press pool will be hand-picked.
The meeting on Wednesday included co-host Lawrence Jones of Fox & Friends as well as right-wing media groups Newsmax and Blaze Media. The Trump administration and The Associated Press are still at odds over their “Gulf of America” argument.
Even though they did not have a reporter present, the AP streamed the meeting live, even after the official White House stream ended. Trump was heard speaking to Jones and requesting favorable coverage in the last seconds of the AP’s stream.
“Lawrence! Take a look at Lawrence! This man is extremely wealthy!As reporters started to leave the room, the president yelled. “He is never had it better.”
Following a brief conversation, Trump begged, “Lawrence, please say we did a great job.” All right? Let us say it was unthinkable.
Jones and his co-hosts were gushing over the first Cabinet meeting on Thursday’s Fox & Friends, but they did not quote the president explicitly.
Jones stated that these men and women are accustomed to sharing their opinions. “They are conveying the president’s ideas in a very clear and concise manner. I do not believe this has ever happened in an administration.
“Asking the President of the United States questions in the Oval Office and aboard Air Force One is a privilege granted to journalists, not a legal right,” the White House said in a statement posted to its official website the day before.
It went on to say, “This is the most transparent Administration in history, and we stand by our decision to hold the Fake News accountable for their lies, and President Trump will continue to grant an unprecedented level of access to the press.”
Daniels went on, “I am aware that this board will not support any effort by this administration or any other to supplant independent press coverage of the White House.” “The decision to participate in these new, government-appointed pools will need to be made by each of your organizations.”
As we serve our audiences both domestically and internationally, I am aware that there are many factors to consider, including the public interest. “I wish we were not here,” he continued.
