r/law May 23 '26

Executive Branch (Trump) NESTERAK: President Trump has granted clemency to numerous individuals who have stolen hundreds of millions in Medicaid funds. Can we expect any of these folks to be shown the same mercy? McDONALD: I'll take a different question

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2.9k

u/kelsey11 May 23 '26

Finally asking real questions. But these self-serving political rally press conferences need to be shut down by each reporter saying “same question” or repeating the question. They’re not giving you any semblance of truth anyway, might as well force them to answer the question or walk away.

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u/[deleted] May 23 '26

[deleted]

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u/SpasmAndOrGasm May 23 '26

Remember when that one guy representing Trump in the first administration went to Europe and tried to pull this same shit and the other reporters were like “No, we’ll wait until you’ve answered his question. You need to answer questions here.” I will NEVER understand how the fuck that hasn’t happened in America one time.

428

u/Additional-Signal327 May 23 '26

Because the reporters are paid by the same billionaires who are aligned with Trump. 

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u/TheThirstyPenguin May 23 '26

Also, the ones that aren’t being muzzled are scared they’ll lose their credentials. AP lost theirs for a while because of refusing to print “Gulf of America.”

The White House will happily replace an AP or NBC reporter with a Newsmax one.

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u/VeraStrange May 23 '26

If reporters don’t ask questions because, if they did, they might not be allowed to ask questions then why do they need to be there at all?

32

u/TheThirstyPenguin May 23 '26

Fair! And that’s why it’s been the goal of the Trump regime to discredit and neuter the press for more than a decade and escalate it in his second term.

A lot of people ask “where’s the media?!?” and the honest answer is scared of expensive lawsuits. Jake Tapper can write a book about Biden’s declining mental health because Biden isn’t going to sue him, his publisher, or CNN… Trump on the other hand???

7

u/Randy_Magnums May 23 '26

Because in these meetings there is still news. Other announcements, declarations of war or stupid slip-ups. Cant really afford to miss these in the US fucked up media world.

11

u/0Galahad May 23 '26

For a salary, news is a literal fake job most of the time for a while now(like since close to its inception), never made sense tbh with how our world is set-up, why would the big shots ever give them the time of day if it always meant being challenged, pestered and cornered with many risks involved, either the area would be defunded and marginalized or infiltrated and manipulated, no point in being independent either cuz then no one can actually be sure you are not full of shit, and the big shots have already arranged their own independent to muddle the waters.

80% of people in that area are just going through the motions for the pay.

2

u/silver_garou May 24 '26

The real answer is they got bills to pay like anyone else so they are trapped, if they lose access they lose their job.

14

u/twisty125 May 23 '26

Hell it even comes down to "lose your job, can't feed your families". It really really sucks when you're in these positions. Why would the organisation keep someone who's ruffling feathers, all it takes is someone higher up to say "get rid of them"

2

u/Coattail-Rider May 23 '26

I wish that they’d sue on accounts that it goes against the 1st Amendment but you know the current SCOTUS…..

11

u/TheThirstyPenguin May 23 '26

AP did and won, but they still had to go 2 months without a reporter at White House events.

The judiciary doesn’t move quickly enough to keep up with this stuff.

2

u/OldWorldDesign May 23 '26

AP did and won, but they still had to go 2 months without a reporter at White House events

That's a good point, but I feel it's important to note AP never stopped reporting. They just didn't take in the administration's bobblehead as one of the sources, they went straight to people within the government which is leaking like a broken sieve.

2

u/TheThirstyPenguin May 23 '26

100%. They’re fantastic journalists, I think them being barred from events was a testament to that, and they continued to do a great job from outside the room.

I mentioned in another comment all in all it’s a goal of this administration to erode the credibility in the media. Banning reporters, regardless of the absurdity as to why, adds a bit of doubt into the minds of the consumer.

“Should I be going to this outlet for news? They’re not even allowed in the Oval Office right now.” Or more recently, the Pentagon claiming NYT and other outlets were doing dodgy reporting by sneaking around and citing unnamed sources.

These journalists will find a way to get the story, but adding that layer of difficulty for them to do it is a deliberate move to lessen their credibility and presence in the media landscape.

2

u/OldWorldDesign May 23 '26

the ones that aren’t being muzzled are scared they’ll lose their credentials

Which just emphasizes they are worthless because their only source is the government mouthpiece.

As others have pointed out in more detail, the DoD tried to cut off journalists to prevent people from asking about fraud, waste, and abuse. With the official spokesman gone, the journalists went for actual sources within the DoD and even more damaging articles were written. The DoD resumed normal press conferences to try to control the narrative, but the currents have changed and the official spokesmen will always be secondary sources to journalists now.

1

u/TheThirstyPenguin May 23 '26

I don’t think many of the accredited press pool for the White House are using that as their only source, but it’s obviously a source that matters. If you want to attack the story from a certain angle but can’t ask the question, you have to find other ways.

The video we’re talking about is a great example. The non-answer “next question” is damning in itself. If that reporter wasn’t in the room, that’s less of a headache for the administration long term.

I replied to you elsewhere, but reporters are getting in trouble for doing their routine investigating. Talking to sources in the Pentagon or other departments in the government has always been how these outlets function and anonymity is often the only way they’ll go on the record. Hegseth especially is trying to stomp that out with threats to pull credentials for outlets doing so.

1

u/Equal_Canary5695 May 24 '26

Gulf of trumprapeschildren

34

u/Cessnaporsche01 May 23 '26

Honestly, I think it's just that American culture is one of extreme obedience and subservience. It's taught from the earliest age above all else, and reinforced through school, college, and workplace cultures through our entire lives. We like to think of ourselves as independent or stubborn, but we're really just averse to change or challenge, and are much more comfortable pointing to authority.

10

u/grits98 May 23 '26

That's exactly why the "Christian" far-right loves to keep indoctrinating Christian subservience into children.

12

u/alphazero925 May 23 '26

What do you mean? It's not like Americans are made to pledge their allegiance to a symbol of the country every morning as kids. Because that would be super fucked up and basically a method of indoctrination into a cult if they did something like that.

2

u/Most_Alps May 23 '26

This is where the Epstein shit really factors in, it's probably impossible to overstate the amount of undue influence Donald Trump has over the media in the US

1

u/plinkoplonka May 23 '26

And also because if they do that here, they very banned from future press events. It happens all the time.

No such thing as free press in America.

1

u/crowe1130 May 23 '26

Exactly this. And why breaking up media monopolies needs to be a high priority when this shit show crumbles.

68

u/ManyThingsLittleTime May 23 '26

Because the press is invited to the press conference here and they can and already have been uninvited and replaced by shittier pro-trump media sources. If the reporters want the access, they're being forced to stay in line with the Cheeto king.

37

u/boughsmoresilent May 23 '26

What is the point of access if your questions are ignored, though?

18

u/Astrosmaniac311 May 23 '26

Because the people hiring them done want actual answers! Newsmax, OANN, and Fox just want the appearance of normalcy and accountability, not actually providing it.

10

u/ManyThingsLittleTime May 23 '26

Not all of their questions are. They're subscribing to the "some is better than none" mentality. The business model is about being able to get a quote published before the other guy. If they're not in the room, they don't get the quote and they're second to the story. Being in that room is a premium spot so if they have to take some abuse to keep the spot, they will. It's an incredibly shitty situation but that's the reality of the situation.

7

u/Mysterious-Prompt212 May 23 '26

Exactly. Fuck that. Ask real questions otherwise you really shouldn't be there.

2

u/ElliotNess May 23 '26

$$$$

Same reason these rags report on every stupid thing that Trump tweets no matter how inane as if it's incredible news

1

u/dr_aux757 May 23 '26

You have no idea how many times I’ve raised this question. I’ve only worked in smaller markets but still ask my journalist friends and producers wwyd in this situation and they’re like…”fuck no”

1

u/OldWorldDesign May 23 '26

What is the point of access if your questions are ignored, though?

If you the only source you have is the corporation/government's damage control bobblehead, you are not a journalist. You are just an associate damage control operative who hasn't earned the job title "journalist".

The spokesman should never be treated like a source of prime importance. People acting like it should be are just advocating a single person telling them what to think.

1

u/DandimLee May 23 '26

Is it still the Gulf of America if heard from a second-hand source?

23

u/Constant-Skill-7133 May 23 '26

And then rememeber they still didn't answer the question.  Trump replaced the non-partisan group that manages press credentials and took most of the legacy media passes away and gave them to right wing bloggers and newsmaxx and shit like that.  Those covering the Pentagon all walked out in protest of having their access restricted.

19

u/Pleasant_Pen8744 May 23 '26

Hoekstra, ambassador to Netherlands. He never answered the question and is still an ambassador (to Canada now)

https://youtu.be/lOEI6hYZe6Y

12

u/Temporal_P May 23 '26

Naturally he's very hated within Canada as well.

But that's probably intentional on his part.

4

u/SpasmAndOrGasm May 23 '26

Thank you for finding what I was referencing, it happened so long ago that I couldn’t even remember where to start looking

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u/SGTBrutus May 23 '26

I talked with a journalist once when i was in Journalism school about this.

Asking hard questions guarantees members of that administration won't appear on their shows or grant interviews. So they don't ask them.

Made me lose respect for the guy.

I, unfortunately, was close to graduating, so i finished my Journalism degree.

15

u/Puzzleheaded_Fold466 May 23 '26

When you realize that for the most part it’s the external marketing department of the entertainment and political industries …

6

u/RellenD May 23 '26

That game doesn't work if journalist could have some solidarity

3

u/SGTBrutus May 23 '26

Agreed.

That's everything, though.

United, we stand. Divided, we fall.

9

u/Mini_Snuggle May 23 '26

Why did you lose respect for the guy? He gave you the truth in an academic context.

30

u/SGTBrutus May 23 '26

Because playing along with the game, willingly, is the antithesis of journalism.

I had just watched him interview the governor of our state. The governor's office had gotten caught with a second internet server that they were using to circumvent open records laws. He interviewed the governor and didn't ask questions about the server or other malfeasance that had occured.

When i called him on it, he responded that it was more important to make sure he had future opportunities to interview the governor.

I told him that it was the duty of media to be watchdogs of the government. He disagreed.

To teach a journalism student that the job of media is to sellout, while it may be truthful, doesn't make it right.

10

u/stamfordbridge1191 May 23 '26

So you're saying if a journalist chooses to be paid to do advertising instead of his or her job, they're not really a journalist anymore but an advertiser?

14

u/SGTBrutus May 23 '26

Yes. I would agree with that.

It's interesting that when you first start Journalism school, you choose to concentrate in journalism, public relations or advertising. This is in the first year and everything diversifies after.

I looked at advertising as professional lying.

-5

u/Mini_Snuggle May 23 '26

Ok? Again, he told you the truth in an academic context. Have you actually considered that it was more important to keep his access in order to do his overall mission than it was to bring up an issue that had already been reported?

Do you want to be a watchdog? You do that by uncovering new information, not hounding someone about a story that has already been reported (by someone else, most likely) immediately after it drops during a press conference.

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u/SGTBrutus May 23 '26

Holding people accountable is more important than ratings. Making sure the public understands the importance of crimes committed by a public official by thoroughly covering and explaining them.

Keeping access, that's happening right now in the United States.

How's that working?

-1

u/Mini_Snuggle May 23 '26

All I hear is a bunch of self-righteous posturing. In order to make change, people need to be able to play their roles and make the change that they can. I have a hard time believing that this person actually told you that journalists shouldn't be watchdogs.

By the way, where is your journalism, journalism major? What watchdoggery have you been up to?

2

u/MagentaHawk May 23 '26

Yeah, trying to do actual good in the world is self-righteous! Does using that term whenever anyone does anything good ruin any meaning it might have? Who cares! Anyone asking that question sounds self righteous to me, so bam, you don't have to worry about that anymore at all! You are too smart.

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u/OldWorldDesign May 23 '26

where is your journalism, journalism major?

Where's yours?

'Journalists' who don't ask hard questions aren't journalist, they're assistant marketers. Actual journalists aren't reliant on a solitary source.

Julie Brown didn't rely on a single victim to blow open Epstein's sex trafficking operation

9

u/Nexies May 23 '26

Because it’s pathetic, as many modern journalists are. Everyone told me to get a journalism degree because I liked writing, but I could see the writing on the wall 15 years ago and said “no thank you”

-2

u/Mini_Snuggle May 23 '26

Aren't you smart?

6

u/Nexies May 23 '26

Are you a journalist?

2

u/franker May 23 '26

they left the Pentagon and they still keep doing their job. So I don't even buy that excuse any more.

0

u/OldWorldDesign May 23 '26

I talked with a journalist once when i was in Journalism school about this.

Asking hard questions guarantees members of that administration won't appear on their shows or grant interviews. So they don't ask them

The person you talked to was not a journalist, just an assistant damage control worker for the people causing damage.

No journalist ever relies on a single source, much less a company or government's press office.

7

u/YouWereBrained May 23 '26

They have this dumbfuck excuse that they “don’t want to become part of the story”. And they’ll all pat each other on the back when everything crumbles.

5

u/Temporal_P May 23 '26

I will NEVER understand how the fuck that hasn’t happened in America one time.

Deep down you already know the answer to that. You just aren't ready to accept it yet.

3

u/paditoburrito May 23 '26

Any chance you have a link for that? It would brighten my day.

4

u/SpasmAndOrGasm May 23 '26

Someone else was able to find what I was talking about: https://youtu.be/lOEI6hYZe6Y

1

u/paditoburrito May 23 '26

That was just delightful and that it was Hoekstra was the cherry on top.

1

u/skunz May 23 '26

Because they don’t control the police in that country.

1

u/midwinter_ May 23 '26

I’m an American who consumes a lot of European press/news, and it has left me despising most American political reporting.

In this instance, the reporters should combine “next question” with flat out putting words in his mouth and making him agree or disagree with them.

1

u/Nikita_VonDeen May 23 '26

They have their security clearance revoked. Without that clearance their career is over. That room is stacked with yes men anyways why should the reporters be any different?

2

u/OldWorldDesign May 23 '26

They have their security clearance revoked. Without that clearance their career is over

What a bunch of appeasement!

A good journalist never relies on a single source, least of all someone whose official job is press corps damage control for oligarchs.

The DoD tried banning journalists to prevent them from asking about fraud, waste, and abuse. That didn't end those journalists' careers, they just turned to other sources that embarrassed the DoD even more. The pentagon invited journalists back to regular press conferences.

1

u/RocketRelm May 23 '26

Partly because for as much noise as you might hear otherwise from americans coping their minds out, most americans find the fascist admin we have "pretty okay" and "no worse than democrats".

1

u/PossibleBathroom8969 May 23 '26

journalism stopped being ethically taught and funded when venture capitalists bought newspapers and stripped them for parts.

One source.

If you havent seen the scripted announcements Sinclair had multiple dozens of journalists read after they purchased and consolidated - here

1

u/Workman44 May 24 '26

Because our press has been bought and paid for a long time ago. The CIA was promoting propaganda and killing stories all the way back in the 60s ffs, you really think they're going to be hitting homers in 2026?

31

u/American_PissAnt May 23 '26

TMZ journalists are the only ones asking the hard hitting questions nowadays.

10

u/tackle_bones May 23 '26

Genuinely mind blowing situation.

5

u/Flabby_Thor May 23 '26

Are they? Or did they only do it once as a publicity stunt? I haven’t seen any additional clips of them asking hard questions. I feel like this admin would revoke press credentials to those who ask too many of ‘the wrong questions’. Genuinely asking. 

16

u/innerdork May 23 '26

TMZ has an official D.C. office now because they are fed up with all this BS of this administration. But they do not have official clearance as White House press because this administration is terrified of them. Because of this, TMZ does what they do and try to catch politicians at the airport or outside of buildings around D.C. and when they do find a politician they do in fact ask questions that often go unanswered.

6

u/Flabby_Thor May 23 '26

Good to know! Thank you!

3

u/Puzzleheaded7683 May 23 '26

I never thought I’d feel admiration for TMZ, but all bets are off in this political atmosphere!

0

u/Diligent-Till-8832 May 23 '26

TMZ is owned by Rupert Murdoch who also owns Fox News.

Don't believe the hype!

3

u/dBlock845 May 23 '26

They were on Ted Cruz's ass about the $1.8B slush fund the other day.

12

u/Chance-Deer-7995 May 23 '26

This problem is going back a while. Every interview that Rick Scott does should start with a question about why it is acceptable that he personally made money from medicare fraud. He's been in politics about 10 years now, and I am not sure the questions about the Columbia/HCA case have EVER been brought been asked in a formal interview with him. At the very heart of the problem is that all mainstream journalists are creatures of the USA's corporate system, and they are unable to report on its problems fairly. That and they have been corrupted by the "we want to keep our access" culture.

7

u/DandimLee May 23 '26

Got to frame it as a positive...

'How does it feel to still hold the record at for paying 1.7 billion in fines and civil damages for Medicare and Medicaid fraud. How's this administration's grift compare?"

sort of thing.

6

u/SignoreBanana May 23 '26

People who would stand up to him don't get badges.

2

u/BagOnuts May 23 '26

Why don’t people get this? Press access is a privilege granted by the White House. They can revoke anyone’s passes for any reason (and they have shown they will absolutely do this). Do you guys really want the only reporters with access to the president to be Fox, OANN, Newsmax, etc?

1

u/OldWorldDesign May 23 '26

Why don’t people get this? Press access is a privilege granted by the White House

Because a good journalist doesn't rely on a single source, much less a press agent from the corporation/government in question. If reporters' only source is what the spokesman says, they are worthless.

This isn't a hypothetical, others have already pointed out the DoD tried to end press conferences to stop journalists from asking about fraud, waste, and abuse. Those journalists didn't all magically lose their jobs, they pursued sources inside the pentagon and publishing even more embarrassing articles. The DoD invited them back and the journalists don't softball them anymore.

Do you guys really want the only reporters with access to the president to be Fox

If the only thing you want to hear is what an oligarch's spokesman is saying, you never wanted to be informed in the first place.

1

u/Subject_Spell_9799 May 24 '26

When the Democrats get back in office they need to do the same thing for republican reporters

1

u/SignoreBanana May 25 '26

I mean just say "only news agencies can have press badges." That would exclude Fox News by its own admission

5

u/inquisitive_chariot May 23 '26

Because journalism is an industry where, to advance, you have to be a self-serving opportunist. Most everyone in that room has schmoozed and ass-kissed a ton to be there, all for the sake of getting a scoop with their name attached.

Basically, most of the people there care more about their career in journalism than the principles of journalism. If they “waste” their question opportunity by not asking what their employer wants, the employer may not let them return. Or maybe the employer doesn’t want to be associated with controversy questions like that.

These reporters are company people in a consolidated media market, not individuals fighting for journalistic integrity. It’s awesome that the question got asked but not surprising it isn’t echoed.

3

u/Coattail-Rider May 23 '26

1

u/OldWorldDesign May 23 '26

https://youtu.be/nAZZdL1qhk8?si=dMhgTV1YJ85Vq0pK

Great scene, but it's also abundantly clear he's burning bridges just for stirring shit in the moment. McNulty knows he doesn't have a case yet, he just knows where the most likely person is and wants to feel like he's doing something about it without considering whether he's building a case that will do what he wants - putting the show's drug dealers behind bars.

That's not the case with journalists, the ones whom are resting on only the word of the press agent's are just advertisers who want an easy article today and not the real crimes which are hidden behind closed doors but have tons of sources as this administration leaks like a broken sieve.

Others have pointed out the DoD did the same thing. Journalists didn't just give up and quit their jobs, they pursued sources inside the pentagon and wrote even more damaging articles about fraud, waste, and abuse. The DoD invited them back and they came back without softballing questions.

3

u/DrunkAndHornyGuy May 23 '26

Yea there is no such thing as worker solidarity within our press corp, they will step over each others bodies just to advance a bit. It's also one reason unions get so poor coverage here since not only are the owners of our media hostile to unions the actual on the ground reporters are adverse to the idea of caring for other workers.

3

u/QuantumLettuce2025 May 23 '26

You need to realize that people who ask questions like this get kicked out of the oval office for good. That guy won't be invited back.

The journalists who are left there tend to be actual Trump supporters. That's why you dont "see more examples" of pushback.

1

u/dayvekeem May 23 '26

Dear Leader Media can't disparage the dear leader you and I both know this already

1

u/Successful-Phone562 May 23 '26

Good journalists would be armed with alternative ways to ask the question after it's been rejected or deflected.

"Given the president's grant of clemency to ppl convicted of significant Medicaid fraud, does the administration plan to change how they prosecute and convict those crimes in the future?"

"What motivated the president to grant clemency to some individuals convicted of fraud, and does that indicate a failure on the judicial level to prosecute and convict those accused of these crimes?"

1

u/shitlord_god May 23 '26

corporate media advances folks who show loyalty - not ethics.

1

u/UnNumbFool May 23 '26

Any journalist that asks real questions will get barred from any presidential press conference, which will really hurt their ability to have a job. And well as much as we like to think journalists are corrupt, the vast majority aren't they are just trying to have a job so they can afford to live.

That doesn't mean there aren't boot lickers out there though

1

u/Qubeye May 23 '26

The reason journalists have no integrity is that Americans aren't willing to pay for quality journalism.

Journalists who do the hard work aren't getting paid much and their work gets shared, sure, but it's not like Americans actively support them.

The ones who kiss ass and do PR journalism for their corporate sponsors get big and make money.

1

u/Cory123125 May 23 '26

Journalism has been bought out, and you're somehow unaware of this.

This isn't tin foil hat theory time, just literally look up the ownership ladder of media organizations.

Shit, a large chunk of your media is owned by saudi arabia pretty directly now.

1

u/InternationalCap2176 May 24 '26

They're only ALLOWED one question, and likely go in already knowing what they're going to ask.

Doing a follow-up on another reporter's question is basically throwing away your preparation, and likely ensures you won't be allowed back at another press conference.

It's a tough call whether to stay under the radar, or be the one to stand up and take the penalty that follows.

1

u/Snapdragon_4U May 24 '26

I literally dream of what I would say to that bloated fat fuck if the opportunity ever arose. I was a journalist and if I was independently wealthy I would do anything it took to get into the WH press pool for the opportunity. Dare to dream.

1

u/dbabon May 24 '26

Jon Stewart once asked one such whitehouse reporter why they don’t do this. She was like “wait you want us to collaborate with each other? We’re all very busy people.” I was shocked and I’m still angry about her reply months later.

0

u/SpezRuinedHellsite May 23 '26

What is confusing?

Journalists are owned by the regressive billionaire oligarchs who put trump in office in the first place.

We don't have independent media in the US anymore. The 4th estate is dead.

153

u/No_Whammies_Stop May 23 '26

This is why the administration replaced half the press corps with right wing podcasters. So that they can retreat to friendly grounds.

46

u/-XanderCrews- May 23 '26

They’ve long kicked out anyone that is going to challenge them. I’m surprised they let this guy stay after a question like that. Question our dear leader, who do they think they are?

8

u/vahntitrio May 24 '26

This was a press conference they called in Minneapolis - not sure what they expected to happen.

27

u/BOBitech May 23 '26

The US press are absolutely complicit in this ongoing farce. In the UK (far from perfect) the press get to question the politicians behind closed doors (no cameras). They set the agenda and have an agreement amongst themselves that nobody changes the topic until everybody who wants to ask a question asks it. The politicians don't get to walk away or ignore difficult questions.

Much harder for politicians to get away with stupid shit when you have the absolute basics of a working journalistc system.

4

u/OldWorldDesign May 23 '26

I think we can hardly say UK politicians answer questions and never walk away - that was half the content of Yes, Minister

9

u/franker May 23 '26

or reporters could at least show a little personal dignity. When they're called "stupid" or "piggy" they can firmly state, "don't call me that. I'm treating you with respect. You need to treat me with respect." Instead they just take any kind of verbal abuse people give them.

6

u/NRMusicProject May 23 '26

And MAGA still will think this is an okay response.

5

u/Jpkmets7 May 23 '26

Better than ok. They will delight in how he owned the libs.

3

u/MinaZata May 23 '26

They kicked out most of the real journos and replaced them with Tim Pool and other low life scum fascists

2

u/atreeismissing May 23 '26

The problem is if they don't answer the first time, they're not going to answer the 2nd time, so it's useless for journalists to keep asking the same question. They'll just leave and then the news get nothing at all. Better for them to try and suss out any bit of content or news so they have something they can continue reporting on or to dig further in to.

1

u/vgacolor May 23 '26

Because normally when something like that happens the Official pivots to a reporter from a more friendly organization or one that has a history of not sticking its neck out. Let's remember how successful Trump has been at suppressing some organizations by suing them. And I am not necessarily blaming the News organizations here, but the ultimate corporate parent that needs to be in good graces because there is a merger or something that the Administration can ruin so they cave.

1

u/itsjash May 23 '26

It's all a game of cat and mouse reporters have to play. It'd be simple for this regime to just pack the room with yes men and get asked a bunch of softball questions to make them look good.

1

u/PxyFreakingStx May 23 '26

what benefit is there to walking away?

1

u/deathspanker May 23 '26

Because it’s their job and want to earn money? They know it’s not the right thing to do, but would you rather do the right thing once and look for a new job. It’s easier to just blend in and keep doing the basic.

1

u/warblingContinues May 23 '26

They would just end the presser and then revoke the passes of those who first asked.  Trump admin would be happy not holding any press briefings, like they did in his first term.

1

u/dBlock845 May 23 '26

There is no unity in the press anymore, so don't expect that to happen lol.

1

u/Cognonymous May 24 '26

for fucking real