This morning, Donald Trump used his campaign and the spotlight he is under regarding his long history of racist Birtherism...to promote his newest hotel.
After enticing the media there with promises of holding a ‘press conference’ — i.e. an event during which questions could be asked — he rickrolled them.
The media was relegated to the back of the room.
The event opened with Trump boasting, at length, about his hotel.
It then moved on to people praising Trump.
Then a 33 second statement in which Trump conferred citizenship on our sitting President.
Then event over.
No questions allowed.
After the show, a tour of the hotel commenced and designated members of the press pool were allowed to join. Not the full slate of the day’s designated members though. Just those who could help Trump by providing hotel publicity in the form of still and video images. In other words, the day’s designated still photographer and cameraman were allowed to go but the pool producer and journalist (i.e the people who might ask questions) were not.
xAs the designated pool producer; attempted to go on pooled tour, as is customary. Was physically restrained from accompanying the camera.
— Candace Smith (@CandaceSmith_) September 16, 2016 xSo the campaign allowed a still camera and video camera to go w/ Trump on hotel tour. Print poolers or your tv producer was not allowed.
— Candace Smith (@CandaceSmith_) September 16, 2016My understanding is that it was NBC whose cameraman was on the day’s roster. The network responded to the attempt to use them this way by deleting all footage the cameraman shot.
xTrump did not allow editorial presence on his photo-op tour - just cameras. Thus: TV nets won't distribute or use it
— Hallie Jackson (@HallieJackson) September 16, 2016 xA source says Trump broadcast pool just erased tape of his tour of the hotel in protest of bait-and-switch w no editorial access.
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) September 16, 2016Donald Trump blatantly crossed the line today, using his campaign as a tool to advance his personal business interests. Is there any doubt he would use the Oval Office the same way?
Time for the media to dig deeper into what Newsweek’s Kurt Eichenwald started.