The TV networks are finally (!) doing what I’ve been suggesting since the early days of Trump 1.0, announcing on Monday that they’re not going to have a camera at Trump’s beck-and-call anymore, in response to the administration’s move to ban CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the press pool.
Bryan Boughton, the chair of the White House TV pool – which consists of CNN, CBS, ABC, NBC and Fox – said in a statement issued on Monday that “(e)ffective today, the TV pool will not be covering events designated as pool coverage of the President. This follows the White House’s position preventing CNN from fulfilling its assigned pool duties. There will be no replacement pool put in place.”
Whoa!
This means, no more pool cameras at Trump’s hokey signing ceremonies, his walks to and from helicopters and airplanes, the photo-ops in the Oval Office in which he yells at female reporters for not smiling enough.
Boughton, it needs to be noted, is the Washington bureau chief at Fox News.
“The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government,” Boughton said. “No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting.”
We all know the next move in this: Trump can’t breathe without seeing himself on TV.