Meeting between Donald Trump, media bigwigs called a 'total disaster'


Described as "like a f—ing firing squad," "a horrible meeting," and "a total disaster," a sit-down between Donald Trump and journalists from the major networks went about as well as expected.
The meeting, the New York Post reports, was held Monday at Trump Tower, attended by Lester Holt and Chuck Todd of NBC News; George Stephanopoulos, David Muir, and Martha Raddatz of ABC News; Charlie Rose and Gayle King of CBS News; Jeff Zucker and Erin Burnett of CNN; and others from MSNBC and Fox News. A person with knowledge of the meeting, which the participants agreed not to talk about, told the Post the journalists went in thinking they would discuss "the access they would get to the Trump administration, but instead they got a Trump-style dressing down."
Trump reportedly called the media "dishonest, deceitful liars," and told Zucker he hates CNN, adding that everyone there is a "liar" and Zucker should be "ashamed" of himself. Without naming Katy Tur, Trump brought up an "NBC female correspondent who got it wrong, then he referred to a horrible network correspondent who cried when Hillary [Clinton] lost who hosted a debate — which was Martha Raddatz," the Post's sources recount. King asked Trump how he proposed the media work with him, while Muir asked how Trump was going to handle living in D.C. with wife Melania and youngest son Barron remaining in New York City. While the Post reports it was a "horrible meeting," Trump's spokeswoman, Kellyanne Conway, had a different takeaway, telling reporters in the lobby of Trump Tower that the summit was "excellent."
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.
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
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
5 costly cartoons about the national debt
Cartoons Political cartoonists take on the USA's financial hole, rare bipartisan agreement, and Donald Trump and Mike Johnson.
-
Green goddess salad recipe
The Week Recommends Avocado can be the creamy star of the show in this fresh, sharp salad
-
The Biden cover-up: a 'near-treasonous' conspiracy
Talking Point Using 'Trumpian' tactics, the former president's inner circle maintained a conspiracy of silence around his cognitive and physical decline
-
Crypto firm Coinbase hacked, faces SEC scrutiny
Speed Read The Securities and Exchange Commission has also been investigating whether Coinbase misstated its user numbers in past disclosures
-
Starbucks baristas strike over dress code
speed read The new uniform 'puts the burden on baristas' to buy new clothes, said a Starbucks Workers United union delegate
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff display
Speed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect