NYT reporter says her viral profile of Trump's White House was 'endearing.' Trump disagrees on Twitter.
Yes, CNN hosted a serious discussion on Monday night over whether President Trump actually owns a bathrobe. This is real life.
On Monday, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer picked out the bathrobe detail from a widely read article in The New York Times about Trump's first two weeks in the White House, asserting that Trump doesn't have or wear a bathrobe so the Times is peddling "fake news." It was the least important and probably least interesting part of the article, but Anderson Cooper asked Times reporter Maggie Haberman about it anyway.
"There's plenty of presidents who have worn bathrobes," Haberman said, and the bathrobe detail was just part of a "panorama" of life in the White House. "I thought it humanized President Trump," Cooper said. "I thought it was a nice profile of the man in the White House being in this new position." Haberman said that's what she and fellow reporter Glenn Thrush were trying to do.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The problem is, Trump "doesn't always want to be humanized," she said. "I think there are certain things he is a little private about, or a little guarded about, or he sees and he thinks they're intended in a different way than they are." The detail about aides not knowing how to turn on the lights in Cabinet room, for example, "frankly, we thought was sort of endearing," she said. "I mean, these people have been there literally two weeks," and they're "conducting this massive shake-up of Washington," as promised, "while kind of building the plane on takeoff."
Trump "is much more isolated than he's used to," Haberman said. "He has never held elected office of any kind before, and the first office he's holding is the presidency." He's living in a new house, she added, "and he's surrounded by this town of people in Washington who he knows sort of sneer at him, and these elected officials who sort of mock him behind his back, and he really wants to be accepted."
Haberman was clearly trying to be empathetic, but Trump did not appear to see it that way, tweeting soon after the CNN interview aired that "the failing @nytimes was forced to apologize to its subscribers for the poor reporting it did on my election win. Now they are worse!"
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Can AI tools be used to Hollywood's advantage?
Talking Points It makes some aspects of the industry faster and cheaper. It will also put many people in the entertainment world out of work
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
'Paraguay has found itself in a key position'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Meet Youngmi Mayer, the renegade comedian whose frank new memoir is a blitzkrieg to the genre
The Week Recommends 'I'm Laughing Because I'm Crying' details a biracial life on the margins, with humor as salving grace
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91
Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
OJ Simpson, star athlete tried for murder, dead at 76
Speed Read The former football hero and murder suspect lost his battle with cancer
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Momofuku's 'Chili Crunch' trademark uproar
Speed Read The company's attempt to own the sole rights has prompted backlash
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Kevin Hart awarded Mark Twain Prize
Speed Read He is the 25th recipient of the prestigious comedy prize
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Is Downton Abbey set to return for a final film?
Speed Read Imelda Staunton reveals that a third movie may be in the pipeline
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
'Oppenheimer' sweeps Oscars with 7 wins
speed read The film won best picture, best director (Christopher Nolan) and best actor (Cillian Murphy)
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'Rust' armorer convicted of manslaughter
speed read The film's cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed by actor Alec Baldwin during rehearsal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The Beatles are getting 4 intersecting biopics
Speed Read Director Sam Mendes is making four separate movies, each told from the perspective of one band member
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published