Steven Bannon Just Gave The Worst Reason For Trump & Spicer Cancelling On-Camera Briefings
President Donald Trump’s administration has displayed a near constant disdain for the media and the free press. In recent days things have gotten worse, with the White House banning cameras completely from press briefings.
This morning The Atlantic published their own take on the topic, arguing that Trump’s media team are destroying the long tradition of White House Press briefings.
But one of the paragraphs gives a particularly cogent summary of the Trump administration’s true thoughts and feelings when it comes to the press and the right of America’s citizens to be informed:
Neither Spicer nor deputy press secretary Sarah Sanders responded to queries about the changes to the briefings. Asked why the briefings are now routinely held off-camera, White House chief strategist Steve Bannon said in a text message “Sean got fatter,” and did not respond to a follow-up.
Steve Bannon, Trump’s chief strategist, couldn’t come up with a decent excuse for why the White House is avoiding the camera. Instead, his half-baked offering suggests that he believes the American people care more about the appearance of the Press Secretary than the content of his answers.
Obviously, this isn’t the real reason Spicer isn’t appearing on camera. The fact of the matter is Bannon probably doesn’t care enough about the right to a free and fair press to think of anything better to say.
The reason Spicer is being relegated is quite simple: Trump doesn’t like his handling of quesitons and frequent mistakes, nor is he fond of Spicer subsequently stealing the spotlight.
Spicer’s press briefings have become the stuff of legend, his awful public speaking skills, mixed words and gaffes perfectly summarising the chaos and half-assed mentality that goes on behind the scenes in the White House.
Politico summarised Trump’s feelings well, quoting a senior White House source who said:
“Trump has told allies and aides he doesn’t want Spicer, who has developed a belligerent persona from behind the lectern, publicly defending and explaining the message anymore.”
As a result, Trump has publicly brainstormed cancelling press briefings, and recent stories have emerged describing a growing exasperation and apathy from White House journalists, who are now wondering whether there is any point in attending briefings that offer nothing more than pathetic attempts at obfuscation and grandstanding.
As a very active President with lots of things happening, it is not possible for my surrogates to stand at podium with perfect accuracy!….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 12, 2017
…Maybe the best thing to do would be to cancel all future "press briefings" and hand out written responses for the sake of accuracy???
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 12, 2017
Trump may cancel those embarrassing press briefings, but until he does it is vital that the liberal media are in attendance.
Without them who will provide the counterbalance to the reports published by right-wing pro-Trump mouthpieces like Breitbart or the Washington Examiner?
Instead of finding someone decent to replace Spicer, Trump wants to stop briefings entirely.
As a replacement the only thing Trump offers his people is silence, and that silence speaks volumes about his respect for the American people and their right to know.
Spoiler alert: he has none.
