Some of the first came from Peter Alexander of NBC News, whom Trump once branded “a terrible reporter” in this room for daring to ask him about the coronavirus. Whereas Spicer merely delivered a tirade on his debut – falsely claiming that Trump had the biggest-ever inauguration crowd – and took no questions, Psaki lingered for half an hour and fielded many. Psaki is at the centre of the picture, looking ashen-faced. In a memorable photo from 9 November 2016, members of White House staff look shellshocked as Obama talks to them in the Rose Garden about Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton. For a Doctor Who fan it would be like getting your favorite Doctor back after four regenerations really went off the rails. Was it, after all, just a dream? Now comes Psaki, a veteran of Barack Obama’s White House and state department, instantly turning the clock back to the norms – things like facts, science and not yelling insults at reporters – of that era. Then there was Stephanie Grisham, who never held a briefing, so that the lectern literally gathered dust, and finally Kayleigh McEnany, who ended each briefing with a made-for-Fox-News takedown of the media. Spicer, who once claimed that Adolf Hitler never used chemical weapons, was succeeded by Sarah Sanders, who was caught in a lie about the firing of the FBI director, James Comey. But we have a common goal, which is sharing accurate information with the American people.”Įven chalk and cheese, even matter and antimatter have more in common than this tone and the president who railed against “fake news” and “the enemy of the people”. Polished and professional, she arrived wearing a mask, breaking from Trump tradition, and told a dozen physically distanced reporters: “There will be moments when we disagree, and there will certainly be days where we disagree for extensive parts of the briefing even, perhaps. The 42-year-old’s maiden briefing on Wednesday was radical in its normality and startling in its civility. Later she added: “I have deep respect for the role of a free and independent press in our democracy.” When the president asked me to serve in this role, we talked about the importance of bringing truth and transparency back to the briefing room.” Psaki, by contrast, began the new era with a smile: “It’s an honour to be here with all of you. “Some members of the media were engaged in deliberately false reporting,” Spicer scowled in reference to Trump’s inauguration, adding darkly: “We’re going to hold the press accountable.” Just compare their remarks about the press.
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