President Trump spends between four and eight hours watching television on a daily basis, The New York Times reported Saturday, citing unnamed sources with ties to the president.
"Before taking office, Mr. Trump told top aides to think of each presidential day as an episode in a television show in which he vanquishes rivals," the Times story says. "People close to him estimate that Mr. Trump spends at least four hours a day, and sometimes as much as twice that, in front of a television, sometimes with the volume muted, marinating in the no-holds-barred wars of cable news and eager to fire back."
Trump has long been known to begin his days with an early TV viewing session, usually featuring Fox & Friends, which he regularly live-tweets. His advisers have reportedly begged him to watch less, a plea that has fallen on very deaf ears if the Times story is correct. Were he not president, Trump's viewing habits would be less remarkable: The average American watches about four hours of television per day, and those over 65 (Trump is 71) average seven hours, which is reasonable if you are retired and not the most powerful person in the world.
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Read the rest of the New York Times report here for a look inside the president's routine and his relationship with White House Chief of Staff John Kelly.
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