The daily exercise of political theater at the White House

What if they had a photo opportunity and nobody showed up?

“Press! Make your way out! Let’s go! Move, Jim!”

White House aides yell at press to leave as journalists try to question President Trump about his lawyer's comments this morning. https://t.co/AeHXfJju1B pic.twitter.com/Kzor7eAfht

— NBC News (@NBCNews) July 30, 2018

The loudest voice there was CNN’s Jim Acosta’s. Earlier this month, President Trump refused to take his questions. He keeps asking them anyway.

These things are always silly. When a dignitary visits, they stick him a chair, stick the president in a chair, and invite the media in to take video of two people sitting in chairs. For what?

The president and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte later held a press conference.

About the blogger

Bob Collins

bcollins@mpr.org • @newscut

Bob Collins retired from Minnesota Public Radio in 2019 after 12 years of writing NewsCut and pointing out to complainants that posts weren’t news stories. A son of Massachusetts, he was a news editor 1992-1998, created the MPR News regional website in 1999, invented the popular Select A Candidate, started several blogs, and every day lamented that his Minnesota Fantasy Legislature project never caught on.