# Does Trump want to undermine the role of the press? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 19, 2018, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-want-to-undermine-the-role-of-the-press/824796 "2018-11-19T15:21:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-want-to-undermine-the-role-of-the-press/824796/221 "2018-11-28T08:10:15Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > The POTUS is a busy person. He has a busy schedule. Meet with Senator A from 10:00 to 10:10. Meet with Congresswoman B from 10:10 to 10:30. Call the President of Turkey from 10:30 to 10:40. Meet with Governor C from 10:45 to 10:55. Attend press conference from 13:00 to 13:30. Receive call from President of Mexico from at 13:40. etc., etc., etc… Busy, busy, busy. This ignorance has already been addressed, but I’ll pile on. 🙂 [Mr Trump takes his first meeting of the day at 11:00 after three hours of “Executive Time”, according to a White House schedule , [“Executive time” is] the time that he spends in the White House residence watching TV and tweeting, according to the report.](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42610275) Multiple sources say he spends 4 to 8 hours per day watching TV, though he denies it: > [@](#): > > “I do not watch much television…I know they like to say — people that don’t know me — they like to say I watch television. People with fake sources — you know, fake reporters, fake sources. With all that TV viewing how does he find time for all the golfing? Or hobnobbing at Mar-a-Lago? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-want-to-undermine-the-role-of-the-press/824796/222 "2018-11-28T13:24:46Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > You forgot to mention the media attacks on Trump. Trump is a counter-puncher. “Trump is a counter-puncher” is just a euphemism to try to avoid admitting that he’s opposed to a free press. Who gives a shit if Trump pretends to be tough? The press has always attacked the President. It’s part of the job to be attacked. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-want-to-undermine-the-role-of-the-press/824796/223 "2018-11-28T13:56:19Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > “Trump is a counter-puncher” is just a euphemism to try to avoid admitting that he’s opposed to a free press. Who gives a shit if Trump pretends to be tough? > > The press has always attacked the President. It’s part of the job to be attacked. “Reporting on what the President does and says, and asking probing questions about those things” are not “attacking the President”; it’s informing the public and holding the President accountable for his actions. And Trump isn’t a “counterpuncher”; he’s a bully who attacks anyone he sees as a threat to him getting to do whatever he wants. In the same way that any small business that dared to sue Trump to get money he legitimately owed them got countersued into oblivion, Trump has attacked the press from Day 1 because they dare to counter his version of reality with one more in line with, well, reality. It’s also worth noting that most other presidents, including the last one, have made it clear that they accepted rough treatment from the media as a feature of the job necessary for the system to work as intended. You’d have to go back to Nixon to find one with such an adversarial approach to the press and we all remember why Nixon didn’t like what they were reporting. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-want-to-undermine-the-role-of-the-press/824796/224 "2018-11-28T16:04:58Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > This ignorance has already been addressed, but I’ll pile on. 🙂 > > [Mr Trump takes his first meeting of the day at 11:00 after three hours of “Executive Time”, according to a White House schedule , [“Executive time” is] the time that he spends in the White House residence watching TV and tweeting, according to the report.](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-42610275) > > Multiple sources say he spends 4 to 8 hours per day watching TV, though he denies it: > > With all that TV viewing how does he find time for all the golfing? Or hobnobbing at Mar-a-Lago? It makes me laugh when someone says the president is busy. He rarely has appts before noon. Take a look at his calendar: [https://factba.se/topic/calendar](https://factba.se/topic/calendar) I see a lot of golf in that schedule. 167 days of golf out of 547 days in office. That’s over 30% of his days golfing. Yeah, he’s busy as hell…golfing. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-want-to-undermine-the-role-of-the-press/824796/225 "2018-11-28T17:18:50Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > “Trump is a counter-puncher” is just a euphemism to try to avoid admitting that he’s opposed to a free press. I’ll remain skeptical pending hard evidence that Trump can count, much less punch anyone. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-want-to-undermine-the-role-of-the-press/824796/226 "2018-11-28T17:38:40Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > It makes me laugh when someone says the president is busy. He rarely has appts before noon. Take a look at his calendar: > > [factbase twitter - Roll Call](https://factba.se/topic/calendar) > > I see a lot of golf in that schedule. 167 days of golf out of 547 days in office. That’s over 30% of his days golfing. Yeah, he’s busy as hell…golfing. His busy schedule for today, November 28, is to have lunch and then 4 hours later light up the Christmas tree. Whew! I’ll bet he’s gonna be exhausted tonight! ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-want-to-undermine-the-role-of-the-press/824796/227 "2018-11-28T18:03:09Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > His busy schedule for today, November 28, is to have lunch and then 4 hours later light up the Christmas tree. Whew! I’ll bet he’s gonna be exhausted tonight! You forgot the 9:00 am ‘In-Town Pool Call Time’, whatever the fuck that might be. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-want-to-undermine-the-role-of-the-press/824796/228 "2018-11-28T18:26:01Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > You forgot the 9:00 am ‘In-Town Pool Call Time’, whatever the fuck that might be. Well that was a common euphemism in my youth but we would never do it at 9:00 am, so it must be something else. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-want-to-undermine-the-role-of-the-press/824796/229 "2018-11-28T22:02:54Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#): > > The fact of the matter is numerous press agencies expressed in writing a much greater concern of Trump stifling a member of the press without due process. None of them are claiming the issue that needed to be addressed Acosta’s use of time. (post shortened) Numerous press agencies turned their lawyers, and editors, loose in order to protect their businesses. You asked, “Can you name a single member of the press core who expressed concern Acosta had taken too much time in relation to this incident?” My response was that every reporter shown in the original video who was holding their hand in the air during Acosta’s grandstanding wanted Acosta to sit down, and shut up. Time’s a-wasting. Questions aren’t going to ask themselves, ya know. All of those reporters had a question that they wanted to ask. That’s why they were there. To ask a question. The Whitehouse didn’t schedule an open-ended, never-ending, press conference. The press conference was going to come to an end, either on schedule or at the President’s discretion. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-want-to-undermine-the-role-of-the-press/824796/230 "2018-11-28T22:10:59Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > “Trump is a counter-puncher” is just a euphemism to try to avoid admitting that he’s opposed to a free press. Who gives a shit if Trump pretends to be tough? > > The press has always attacked the President. It’s part of the job to be attacked. The press is still free to say whatever they wish to. As you point out, the press has always attacked the President. This President is returning as good as he gets. Some people object to a President counter-punching the biased press. Especially reporters like Acosta. Haters gotta hate. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-want-to-undermine-the-role-of-the-press/824796/231 "2018-11-28T22:12:13Z")
Yes, for the sake of brevity Trump should answer questions honestly and succinctly. I agree. Then move on to the next question. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-want-to-undermine-the-role-of-the-press/824796/232 "2018-11-28T22:16:20Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > The press is still free to say whatever they wish to. As you point out, the press has always attacked the President. This President is returning as good as he gets. Some people object to a President counter-punching the biased press. Especially reporters like Acosta. Haters gotta hate. I think you’ve covered all the talking points-well done. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-want-to-undermine-the-role-of-the-press/824796/233 "2018-11-28T22:49:20Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > Trump is a counter-puncher. This is complete and utter bullshit. No matter how many times you repeat it, it is still complete and utter bullshit. If you would take the time to click on the link provided by **Czarcasm** , you will find, in the very first story, an example of what Trump has done to the press. On the day of his inauguration, his staff refused to issue press credentials to a number of regional newspapers. He was not yet the president, and he was already being a asshole to the media. That was not counter-punching. That was a leading punch. A sucker punch, to be sure, but still a leading punch. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-want-to-undermine-the-role-of-the-press/824796/234 "2018-11-28T23:42:19Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > (post shortened) > > Numerous press agencies turned their lawyers, and editors, loose in order to protect their businesses. So you agree Trump want’s to undermine the role of the press? I mean why would they need to protect their business from Trump? As a casual follower of politics I’m kinda embarrassed for you that you can’t name a single member of the white house press corp. Anyone that watches the news regularly or reads a paper should be able to do so. Maybe all that FOX news you watch is failing to actually educate you. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-want-to-undermine-the-role-of-the-press/824796/235 "2018-11-28T23:53:30Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > If you would take the time to click on the link provided by **Czarcasm** , you will find, in the very first story, an example of what Trump has done to the press. On the day of his inauguration, his staff refused to issue press credentials to a number of regional newspapers. He was not yet the president, and he was already being a asshole to the media. > > That was not counter-punching. That was a leading punch. A sucker punch, to be sure, but still a leading punch. (post shortened) The asshole media began attacking Trump while he was a candidate. This feud goes back a long way. The media, and their supporters, seem to be under the impression that only the media is allowed to harass, mistreat, slander, trash, abuse, and attack politicians, and politicians should not be allowed to treat the media the same way the media treats them. Trump has others ways of communicating with the voters. The media has gotten their feelings hurt. Life’s a bitch. Both sides can agree to back off a bit, or the feud can continue unabated. Either way, I’m fine with it. OTOH, asking only one side to back off is a perfect example of an exercise in futility. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2018, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-want-to-undermine-the-role-of-the-press/824796/236 "2018-11-28T23:55:36Z")
(post shorterfied) > [@doorhinge](#): > > (post shortened) > > The asshole media …The media, and their supporters, … The media has gotten their feelings hurt. Life’s a bitch. > > … MAGA! ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-want-to-undermine-the-role-of-the-press/824796/237 "2018-11-29T00:03:17Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#): > > So you agree Trump want’s to undermine the role of the press? I mean why would they need to protect their business from Trump? > > As a casual follower of politics I’m kinda embarrassed for you that you can’t name a single member of the white house press corp. Anyone that watches the news regularly or reads a paper should be able to do so. Maybe all that FOX news you watch is failing to actually educate you. I agree that the lame stream media is undermining the role of the press. That’s their choice. I’m sure you could find a poll, or two, that show how much trust the voters/people have in the news media. The news media outlets are in the business of selling advertising. If you’re embarrassed maybe it’s because you feel the need to be embarrassed? I don’t doubt that your personal feelings are your own. Own them with pride. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-want-to-undermine-the-role-of-the-press/824796/238 "2018-11-29T00:07:33Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > (post shorterfied) > MAGA! I prefer MANMGA. (Make American News Media Great Again) What ever happened to this old news standard? \*\*\*“If your mother tells you she loves you, check it out with two independent sources.” - City News Bureau of Chicago \*\*\* ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-want-to-undermine-the-role-of-the-press/824796/239 "2018-11-29T00:11:11Z")
Fox and Limbaugh happened. ---
**Author:** ![JB99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/439d5e/32.png) [@JB99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JB99)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2018, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-want-to-undermine-the-role-of-the-press/824796/240 "2018-11-29T00:18:45Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > The lame stream media and Trump have had an adversarial relationship since Trump was a candidate. Trump was a shitty candidate. Now he’s a shitty president. Speaking the truth about a shitty politician is the media’s job. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-want-to-undermine-the-role-of-the-press/824796.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-trump-want-to-undermine-the-role-of-the-press/824796.md?page=13)