Today as he was on his way to Marine One, the president spoke with reporters. He took a number of questions on a wide range of topics and gave short answers. When he was asked by a snippy CNN reporter about his conversations with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Trump’s response was pure gold.
Sarah Westwood, a CNN reporter, asked whether Trump will ask Putin “not to meddle in the 2020 election during their meeting.”
Trump responded, “I’ll have a very good conversation with him. What I say to him is none of your business.”
Asked whether he plans to bring up 2020 election meddling with Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin, Pres. Trump says he'll have a "very good conversation with him," adding: "What I say to him is none of your business." https://t.co/MHZXL3dieD pic.twitter.com/w1PVWOxc9p— ABC News (@ABC) June 26, 2019
I asked President Trump whether he will ask Putin not to meddle in the 2020 election during their meeting. He said what he speaks to Putin about this week is “none of your business.”— Sarah Westwood (@sarahcwestwood) June 26, 2019
Over the last several years, CNN’s ratings have plummeted while Fox News’ and MSNBC’s ratings have gone up. Prior to the Trump Administration, CNN tended to aim for coverage that was middle-of-the-road but has become increasingly left-leaning during the Trump era. The network’s White House Correspondent, Jim Acosta, has attempted to make himself famous by catching the president in “gotcha” moments, making his anti-Trump bias clear.
Many Trump supporters wish that the president would ban the network from the White House altogether.
Earlier this month, Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced that she is stepping down from her role as White House Press Secretary. Stephanie Grisham, the Chief of Staff for First Lady Melania Trump, will be taking over the role. Sanders had the unique ability to be friendly but tough with the media–especially journalists from CNN. One can only hope that Grisham will have the same skill.
