As we told you last night, Donald Trump ditched his protective press pool and dared to go out to dinner with his family without alerting the journalists assigned to cover him beforehand. This had former Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau quite upset at the president-elect’s actions:
the terrifying responses to your tweet make me think that many people have no idea what a pool is or why it's needed
— Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) November 16, 2016
Oh really, Jon? Please tell us how what Trump did is different from what then President-elect Obama did during his pre-inauguration vacation in Hawaii in 2008? (Hint: He can’t because it’s the exact same thing): From the New York Times on 12/26/08:
In the news-free zone that is Barack Obama’s preinauguration Hawaiian vacation, this passes for a bulletin: The president-elect ditched his “press pool” of media minders to take his daughters to a water park on Friday morning.
In making his dash — with his Secret Service security detail, to be sure — Mr. Obama drew attention both to the seemingly odd but important rituals of the presidential (and prepresidential) bubble and to just how much this very private public man chafes under its constraints.
At least some journos saw the absurdity of attacking the president-elect over a dinner:
He should be more transparent; he should treat the press better. But, um, it seems OK if the man has dinner. https://t.co/dupt8UTWFv
— Nicholas Thompson (@nxthompson) November 16, 2016
Even Matt Yglesias:
https://twitter.com/mattyglesias/status/798714207185358848
Anyway, but that’s not the only double-standard…
As for all of the transition in chaos stories, here’s a reminder that President-elect Obama didn’t name his Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, Attorney General and others until December 1, 2008. From the AP:
President-elect Barack Obama announced former rival Hillary Rodham Clinton as his choice for secretary of state Monday and also said he would keep Robert Gates as defense minister as the incoming administration seeks to wind down the U.S. role in Iraq.
Obama also named Washington lawyer Eric Holder as attorney general and Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano as homeland security secretary. He also announced two senior foreign policy positions outside the Cabinet: campaign foreign policy adviser Susan Rice as U.N. ambassador and retired Marine Gen. James L. Jones as national security adviser.
But if you read today’s stories in the MSM, it’s chaos at Trump Tower!
Trump says transition is "organized," despite reports of firings, infighting https://t.co/HMSCZUtqx1 pic.twitter.com/CdE1fnNBwa
— Talking Points Memo (@TPM) November 16, 2016
Sources say the transition team for Donald Trump is in disarray, but the President-elect insists everything is on track.
— CBS News Radio (@CBSNewsRadio) November 16, 2016
The @nytimes story on turmoil in the transition: https://t.co/hjVVtuOPwC backed up by reporting at @politico & @WSJ: https://t.co/ACEAlMDC2u https://t.co/nAtjoCTH4L
— Alex Howard (@digiphile) November 16, 2016
Got it? Obama gets to December to name is cabinet. But with Trump? The media wants answers right now.
***
Join the conversation as a VIP Member