Exclusive: The Trump Administration May Evict the Press from the White House

[Denzil_DC]

Source: Esquire

The upset to the existing order caused by the presidential election has been acutely felt by no one, perhaps, so much it has by the national press. At Donald Trump's press conference on Wednesday, reporters found themselves not only subject to a scolding ("Fake news!" "Disgraceful!&quot but also awakened to the strong suggestion that, at least in tactical terms, the showdown had been won by the president-elect.

The media's sense of dislocation may soon become literal.

According to three senior officials on the transition team, a plan to evict the press corps from the White House is under serious consideration by the incoming Trump Administration. If the plan goes through, one of the officials said, the media will be removed from the cozy confines of the White House press room, where it has worked for several decades. Members of the press will be relocated to the White House Conference Center—near Lafayette Square—or to a space in the Old Executive Office Building, next door to the White House.

"There has been no decision," Sean Spicer, Trump's press secretary, said about the plan today. But Spicer acknowledged that "there has been some discussion about how to do it."

Read more: http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/news/a52301/trump-evict-press-white-house/

[onecaliberal]

1. Well I hate to say it but maybe they will finally start doing their actual jobs

[bettyellen]

10. They did help do this to us. As wrong as this is it's nothing to what so many of

Us will pay for their laziness and for repeating his lies on headline after headline. They normalized this shit and it's only fitting that they're going to have to battle their way back into relevancy.

[blue cat]

17. Maybe

Both sides will quit watching.

[kacekwl]

21. Not doing the job now.

Might as well sit on the curb outside the White House. Can show loops of trump TV instead.

[onecaliberal]

25. Yes everyone with a brain knows they haven't been doing their job.

Hence my comment. Perhaps they will get mad and DO SOMETHING like I don't know... report on facts.

[kacekwl]

38. Depends on what the corporate board room decides

Remember who owns the press.

[onecaliberal]

42. The foreign press is going to start coming out wth some damning stuff shortly.

They're already saying tapes exist and the FBI has had them for months.

[Cha]

26. Don't hate to say it.. I was going to post.. Bring it on! This sounds

like good news to me.

Hopefully it will be a sea change in the WHPC

[PatrickforO]

31. I hope.

I do think you are right

[LiberalLovinLug]

55. Or maybe they will just claw over each other to gain access

He'll invite Fox News and Breitbart etc in for his press briefings, no one else. And enough people, both supporters and not, will watch the only footage available of the Disaster in Chief in his new reality TV show. The best show, the greatest show ever.

[onecaliberal]

71. He already invited faux and assbart in

[TomCADem]

2. Perhaps They Will Have Levels of Privilege - Brietbart Gets Front and Center...

...and the more you act like a real journalist, the farther away you sit. The NY Times and Washington Post are relegated to reading Trump's tweets from the sidewalk in front of the White House.

[groundloop]

67. Exactly... this is his plan to bring them into compliance

Those who comply can have a comfy office and get good bits of gossip to report, those who refuse to comply will be out in the cold. That bastard is a master at manipulating people.

[intheflow]

73. It won't be "good bits of gossip."

It will be disinformation. Absolutely everything that comes out of Trump's team is, and will continue to be, propaganda.

[LovingA2andMI]

3. This Idiot Hates The Aspect of A Free Press...

Which is enshrined in OUR U.S. Constitution. If the Idiot cannot understand this, he MUST be IMPEACHED and REMOVED. Point, Blank, Period!

[TomCADem]

7. But, Isn't This Hate Bipartisan? We Call It MSM. The right calls it liberal media.

It is one thing to express skepticism, but disparagement of the press is the one thing the left and right apparently agree on.

[LovingA2andMI]

11. Disagree...

Strongly. It was NEVER a suggestion or happened for Barack Obama's Administration to move the Press out of the White House, into an undisclosed location somewhere in Washington, D.C. Neither George W. Bush for that matter or Bill Clinton, Ronald Reagan or George H.W. Bush.

So, not understanding your point here, at all. Also, any violation of respecting the Constitutional Right to a Free Press by Trump, should not be placed in a cyber hole of "All Presidents Do This". No -- the only Idiot who happens soon-to-be illegitimately serving as POTUS suggesting such, is TRUMP.

[marybourg]

47. Actually, (from the linked story)

"In the midst of the George W. Bush presidency, when relations between reporters and the Administration were growing testy, the White House press corps was removed from the press room for nearly a year, while the facility was remodeled. The move prompted such concern that the president himself had to offer his assurance that it was only temporary. (As it happened, press conferences were held at the White House Conference Center during the renovation).

[baldguy]

15. The difference is that the Left wants the media to get it's act together & do it's fucking job.

The Right wants the media to just go away - by force if necessary.

[cstanleytech]

40. No, its more that the Right wants the media under its heel to report what it

tells it to report when it tells it to report it and how it tells it to report it, they dont want the media however to regrow its spine and do things like investigate a story and the media by and large has gone along with the Right in all of that.

[baldguy]

44. The Right wants propagandists, not journalists.

[cstanleytech]

45. Exactly. nt

[calimary]

57. Lapdogs, not watchdogs.

[leanforward]

37. Strike two, impeach him

Strike one, friends and influenced by the Russians. Strike two, he is afraid of the media, other than AONN and the breitbart BS.

[cstanleytech]

43. For what? There isnt any Constitutional violation to move the press briefings to another location

as far as I am aware of.
It is however a dick move on the Trump administrations part if they actually follow through on this.

[Phoenix61]

4. That shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone

Media is a tool to be used to further their agenda.

[still_one]

5. I am not sure that is legal

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

12. Sure it is. There's no requirement that they have regular press conferences

at the White House. But there's a good chance this would backfire on them, badly.

[still_one]

22. The administration in the White House doesn't "own" the White House

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

27. No, but they have a lot of control over what goes on in it.

There have been journalists operating out of the WH for many years: http://www.whca.net/history.htm
But their presence has been an evolution, and not as the result of any statute or legal requirement. If they get kicked out of the WH or access is suddenly limited, the blowback will be huge.

[Denzil_DC]

46. If it happens,

one significant thing it would likely cut down on is casual meetings and socializing with staffers during the course of the day in corridors etc. By all accounts, the current accommodation is cozy to the point of being very cramped.

It sounds like Spicer also wants to dilute/expand the definition of "the press" to include RW bloggers.

[LovingA2andMI]

14. Bingo....

It does not appear on the surface to remotely pass the Legal Smell Test. The White House is not TRUMP'S House, it is the PEOPLE'S House and with such -- The People have a right to expect a Free Press with access to the People's House as enshrined in OUR U.S. Constitution.

[onenote]

52. There is no obligation, Constitutional or otherwise, for press briefings

Do you honestly think a court would compel the Executive Branch to hold press briefings?

And the current WH press room was only established in 1969. At various times before that executive branch briefings were held in various locations, including the State Department.

[TeamPooka]

6. Dictators and tyrants don't need the press.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

19. I wouldn't be so sure of that.

RT, Tass, Izvestia, Pravda - all have a place at the table.

Did I leave anyone out?

[TeamPooka]

30. Propaganda ministries are not the press.

[jalan48]

8. Trump doesn't seem to get the fact that the citizens are paying his salary.

He's not a private businessman anymore that can fire people he doesn't like or agree with.

[RainCaster]

36. DFT doesn't care about the lousy $400k salary. His bribes are so much higher.

He has already stated that $2m is not enough.

[democratisphere]

9. Drumpf runs fake staged news conferences, so why should

the media care. The media could ask a million questions and drumpf would give a million lies in return.

[vlyons]

13. Uh oh, the press is being sent to study hall

Well that should really piss off the press. Getting ejected from their privileged space in the WH. Hmmm that serves them right for being his stooges all this time. Stupid press.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

23. Be careful what you ask for, because you just might get it. NT

[LaydeeBug]

16. Perhaps they should not have become Russian Satellites, because I couldn't care less.

Not one fucking SECOND to the propaganda press.

[dalton99a]

18. The Press in the Third Reich

https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007655

When Adolf Hitler took power in 1933, the Nazis controlled less than three percent of Germany’s 4,700 papers.

The elimination of the German multi-party political system not only brought about the demise of hundreds of newspapers produced by outlawed political parties; it also allowed the state to seize the printing plants and equipment of the Communist and Social Democratic Parties, which were often turned over directly to the Nazi Party. In the following months, the Nazis established control or exerted influence over independent press organs.

During the first weeks of 1933, the Nazi regime deployed the radio, press, and newsreels to stoke fears of a pending “Communist uprising,” then channeled popular anxieties into political measures that eradicated civil liberties and democracy. SA (storm troopers) and members of the Nazi elite paramilitary formation, the SS, took to the streets to brutalize or arrest political opponents and incarcerate them in hastily established detention centers and concentration camps. Nazi thugs broke into opposing political party offices, destroying printing presses and newspapers.

Sometimes using holding companies to disguise new ownership, executives of the Nazi Party-owned publishing house, Franz Eher, established a huge empire that drove out competition and purchased newspapers at below-market prices. Some independent newspapers, particularly conservative newspapers and non-political illustrated weeklies, accommodated to the regime through self-censorship or initiative in dealing with approved topics.

[nini]

20. Is the press required to televise the state of the union etc

If not.. they should never show that jerk on the tube again -do NOT give him coverage to spout his lies.

Then - do their freaking jobs and tell the American people the truth.

[jmowreader]

29. No...

There's also nothing that says the press can't do the State of the Union MST3K-style, with Keith Olbermann, Samantha Bee, Samuel L. Jackson, Jon Stewart and Priestess Miriam Chamani of the Voodoo Spiritual Temple of New Orleans (no, I'm not kidding...http://www.voodoospiritualtemple.org) on the panel.

[olddad56]

24. what would Putin do?

ask yourself that question and you will have an idea of what Trump wants to do. He has no intention of being a president. He wants to be a dictator, just like his boss Vladie.

A secret regime where the citizens will have no idea what is going on. Where there will be on press or media that disputes his words. Only fake news outlets like Faux.

Funny, all of his supporters bought the lie that Hillary wanted to get rid of the 2cd amendment. Little did they know that their hero intended to get rid of the 1st amendment.

[bettyellen]

33. One big spectacle of a "press conference" per year, which is totally scripted

[Freethinker65]

28. Perhaps the tax payers can rent out a space at rack rate at a Trump property for the press?

His kids need the press room to coordinate their non-conflict of interest businesses.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

32. Trump is enamored of constant media attention - as long as it's positive.

That puts him in a difficult position. If he pisses them off, the coverage will not be positive. That means he'll refuse to have press conferences and will try to bypass the press using Twitter as his primary means of communication with the public. But that won't prevent negative coverage by the media (except Breitbart and Fox, but that will be the same as it's always been). The bad press will drive him nuts.

[MFM008]

34. This is your bed press

Now sleep in it.

[Doreen]

35. I gaurantee you this will be the most closed presidency ever.

All the new wrong unfair laws will just be landed on us in the morning. They will not let us know what is going on. This is what press has done for us in the past keeping us informed well that just ended with Trump in office. Freedom of press then freedom of speech then freedom of expression are all going away.

[sarcasmo]

39. Dictator.

[Lint Head]

41. Freedom of the Press is under attack.

[Still In Wisconsin]

48. Under attack?

It's deceased.

[Lint Head]

54. There is no real press or journalism. Right wing

corporate media moguls have morphed it into showbiz. Yet it is the last remnants of what the press use to be is being obliterated by corporate theocratic fascism.

[MADem]

49. Might work out for the best--they'll have to pound pavement and do their jobs.

No more sitting around the Rose Garden, pen at the ready, waiting to be scribes.

He'd better watch his shit, though--if he cuts out the press, the press may get very cut-throat in their coverage of him....after all, no access? Nothing left to lose. Everything to gain, from readers who fucking HATE THIS PEE-otus!

They just completely refurbished the press's accommodations in the WH....this is crazy.

[keithbvadu2]

50. There will only be five authorized press passes... Limbaugh, Jeff Gannon, Fox, Breitbart, Pravda

[Tatiana]

51. Awesome. I hope Team Trump continues to overplay their hand.

Perhaps this will be the motivation and encouragement the press need to actually do some real reporting.

The WH press corp are, for the most part, people of privilege. Taking their perks and privilege away just might result in an explosion of actual truth-telling.

[Tommy2Tone]

53. I hope he does

The press made him and now let them go to Facebook and get their news.

[democrank]

56. It will be interesting to see how much enabling the Republican leadership does

as Trump moves closer and closer toward a dictatorship.

[kairos12]

58. Dictation of Drumpt's tweets can be done anywhere. The MSM is probably still in hasty pursuit

of HRC's emails.

[Vinca]

59. If that doesn't signal the onset of a coup, I don't know what does.

Maybe the press should start doing its job and begin calling out the lies and criminal activity.

[yuiyoshida]

60. This orange man sure has super thin skin..

maybe all we need is a thousand cuts a some lemon juice.

[Mendocino]

61. A cockroach is hard to find

in the light of day.

[swiftwilde]

62. Breitbart Terrifying and fascinating

If you have not, but only if you have the stomach, please take a few minutes and check out the comments on Breitbart. I have started trolling them and it is a fascinating look into the minds of this sick group of people. I literally had an argument last night and was told that Democrats and Liberals are the real racists who have created the conspiracy that we are the inclusive party and that Conservative Republicans are the true supporters of minorities and that they ended slavery, fought for, created and implemented the civil rights movement and then as a cherry on top he said that liberals support abortion only to control the black population. I was struggling to wrap my head around it.

[Sunlei]

63. Republicans have already evicted the free press

[Mc Mike]

64. dRumpf repugs have it all backwards. HE needs the press, to get his nazi messaging out.

Last edited Tue Feb 14, 2017, 09:07 AM - Edit history (1)

If all the non-nazi press in the country takes his new ground rules in stride, and then just reports truthfully about him, with no input allowed from his flacks, his little anti-press vendetta will be destroyed.

He's pretending the press needs HIM, needs access to him. HE needs the press, needs access to the THEM. This move is his typical losing hand 'deal maker' strategy. Buffalo the opposition with nothing, and hope they crack.

His most controversial, insane, high profile, smash mouth tweets get 50 k likes and 16 k retweets, while there are over 300 million people in the country. Sure, his pitifully small handful of zealots will tune in to get his message from bircher Jones tv and breitbart, but that's a tiny drop in the bucket, in terms of number of citizens he needs to reach with his message. His Jones/Bannon audience is nowhere near the 'hitler's magic 10% of the population' that he needs to get his nazi agenda pushed forward.

All the press has to do is say, "Oh, you don't want to talk to us or answer questions? Fine. Here's the story we're running about you, of course it's 100% negative, because we're telling the truth about you. We'll add "no comment from dRumpfenfuhrer" to the story."

And, I'd like to add, all video media that has any of his flacks on should set the ground rules that the flacks are not allowed to sit at the desk with the interviewer, the flack has to sit in a sound booth. And as soon as the flack starts to filibuster and run on ad nauseum, as soon as they veer away from the topic or deflect, as soon as they lie, as soon as they interrupt the inteviewer or opposition guest, their mike gets cut. They can sit there gibbering away silently, making funny faces on the split screen. I saw Don Lemon do that with one of dRumpf's flunky Black 'pastors' a few months back.

Media could whip the dRumpf repugs right the fuck into line, if they really wanted to, if they saw the need for it, if they understood it's a matter of survival of the free press and America's Democracy.

[Trust Buster]

65. FOX and Breitbart will enjoy all the access to the White House that they desire. This is a proposed

move akin to what we have seen in the Soviet Union/Russia.

[Paladin]

66. If a prez-elect posed a comperable threat to the 2ND AMENDMENT, the country would be in flames.

That having been said, I find it a little hard to sympathize with the press. Their complacent, double-standard attitude towards Trump brought on this result, and we're all going to suffer because of it. Do your fucking jobs, journalists.

[Grins]

68. Good! The press should just get up and walk out anyway.

They should have done that after the way they were treated by His Fraudulence last Wednesday. Just stormed out of there the nanosecond he and his 'comrades' jeered them. Just leave the camera-peeps to record it.

Trump thrives on himself and he'll want them back. They need the press more than the press needs them.

[orangecrush]

69. How much of this

Is congress going to put up with?

Surely even most repubs have a limit.

[Snarkoleptic]

70. Some people's work is best done in the darkness.

This is not surprising, in the least.

[Denzil_DC]

72. Responses from the White House Correspondents' Association

WHCA @whca

The White House Correspondents’ Association notes with concern the comments President-elect Donald ... http://tmi.me/1fgOkE

The White House Correspondents’ Association notes with concern the comments President-elect Donald Trump’s chief of staff-designate Reince Priebus made on today's Hugh Hewitt program. There was a notable factual inaccuracy in Mr Priebus's remarks: News organizations have had assigned seats in the briefing room since those seats were installed in 1981. That was not an Obama-era innovation as Mr. Priebus suggested. The WHCA assumed responsibility for assigning the seats in the briefing room over the last two decades at the request of both Republican and Democratic administrations, who were mindful of the potential appearance of playing favorites if they assigned the seats themselves. The WHCA looks forward to meeting with the incoming administration to address questions and concerns on both sides about exactly this sort of issue. –Jeff Mason, WHCA President

Mark Knoller @markknoller

Statement from @whca pres on suggestions from incoming Trump Admin officials to move WH Briefings/news conferences.

[Blue Idaho]

74. Room for 800

The best way to defeat a free and honest press is to dilute their voices so they are drown out by a sea of simpletons - blog owners, newsletter writers, Twitter account holders, phone sanitizers... sorry - no phone sanitizer... It reminds me of that old saying about opinions and assholes - everyone's got one.

Sadly not everyone has an informed opinion - but that's exactly what this asshole is depending on.

[coco22]

75. Slannity,Breitbart and

nutty ass Iron planet to the rescue..

[Thinkingabout]

76. Having journalists and reporter's doing the leg work to arrive at truthful stories is an asset,

Guess Trump likes fake stories.

[orleans]

77. i watched a sunday morning show with chuck todd (gag)

and he asked, 2X, prefix whateverthefuckhisnameis if the press would be still be going to work at the white house and prefix told him they wanted to get a bigger room for the press but would not directly answer chuckie's little question. chuckie, put upon pie, didn't "press" it further. (ass)