Donald Trump ditches press pool for steak dinner at Manhattan restaurant
At 6:14 p.m. on Tuesday, Donald Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks told the reporters and photographers covering Trump at his Manhattan residence that the president-elect was staying in his apartment for the rest of the night — calling a "lid." Less than two hours later, an unscheduled motorcade left Trump Tower, and the press pool did not know where Trump was until a Bloomberg municipal-bond journalist tweeted out a photo of him entering the upscale 21 Club restaurant (which she misidentified as Keene's).
Hicks later said she had not meant to lie to the press and had not known Trump was slipping out to dine with his family, then asked the press pool to respect the president-elect's privacy. That is traditionally not how the presidency works — at least one member of the protective press pool always follows the president around to inform the public where he is and document if anything happens to or near the U.S. commander-in-chief. Ditching the press is a big violation of protocol, and not the first from Trump, who declined to travel with the press while he was campaigning and hasn't held a press conference since the summer. "With his Tuesday night actions, the Trump Administration is shaping up to be the least accessible to the public and the press in modern history," say Alexandra Jaffe and Ali Vitali at NBC News.
At first glance, this sounds like "a Beltway media thing, or an inside baseball thing," but it really isn't, Rachel Maddow said on MSNBC. "Once you are president, once you are president-elect, it is a matter of tradition, it is a matter of security, it is a matter of national interest that you don't go dark — you're not really allowed to be a private person anymore," she explained. "There's no law that says the president or president-elect has to allow a press pool representative to follow their movements, but it is tradition, and it's tradition for a reason, and it's a tradition that has a national security basis, and it's a tradition, so far at least, that Donald Trump appears intent on not following." Peter Weber
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.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
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.
-
Netherlands split on WFH for sex workers
Speed Read Councils concerned over 'nuisance' of at-home sex work, but others say changes will curb underground sex trade
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
'He adored Trump, and then rejected him'
Today's Newspapers A roundup of the headlines from the US front pages
By The Week Staff Published
-
The Thursday Murder Club: who's in the film and what we can expect
Speed Read Author Richard Osman reveals starry cast set to play his 'septuagenarian sleuths'
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
Ukraine cheers House approval of military aid
Speed Read Following a lengthy struggle, the House has approved $95 billion in aid for Ukraine and Israel
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Poland, Germany nab alleged anti-Ukraine spies
Speed Read A man was arrested over a supposed Russian plot to kill Ukrainian President Zelenskyy
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Israel hits Iran with retaliatory airstrike
Speed Read The attack comes after Iran's drone and missile barrage last weekend
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Peter Murrell: Sturgeon's husband charged over SNP 'embezzlement' claims
Speed Read SNP expresses 'shock' as former chief executive rearrested in long-running investigation into claims of mishandled campaign funds
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Mark Menzies: Tories investigate MP after 'bad people' cash claims
Speed Read Fylde MP will sit as an independent while party looks into allegations he misused campaign funds on medical expenses and blackmail pay-out
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK Published
-
Why Johnson won't just pass Ukraine aid
Speed Read The House Speaker could have sent $60 billion in military aid to Ukraine — but it would have split his caucus
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Sudan on brink of collapse after a year of war
Speed Read 18 million people face famine as the country continues its bloody downward spiral
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump's first criminal trial starts with jury picks
Speed Read The former president faces charges related to hush money payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published