Let's compare and contrast Trump vs. Obama and taking questions from the press, shall we?

Is it really such a bad thing that the White House press briefing has been replaced by questioning the president directly?

From Politico’s Michael Calderone:

The White House press briefing has essentially been replaced by Trump’s “chopper talk,” @dlippman and I write: https://t.co/J2TIEYYJ3d

— Michael Calderone (@mlcalderone) August 22, 2019

Just to compare and contrast, President Trump has done 80 of these “chopper talks.” President Obama? Just “three in eight years”:

Trump's stopped 80 times for Q&As in departing or returning to the White House aboard Marine One or on the tarmac before getting on or off Air Force One, according to CBS's @markknoller. Obama appears to have done just three in eight years.

— Michael Calderone (@mlcalderone) August 22, 2019

You know what else is a setting that can be controlled? The White House briefing room’s podium. This isn’t anything different than that, except that it’s the President of the United States:

It’s a chaotic setting Trump can control, like taking a question yesterday on background checks and shifting to the border. He nabs headlines (“I am the chosen one”) and attacks familiar targets (Obama, Biden, the squad, NYT, NBC) and new ones (Danish prime minister).

— Michael Calderone (@mlcalderone) August 22, 2019

And, of course, there was a fact check:

Trump also made at least 11 false claims in those 35 minutes on the South Lawn: https://t.co/jqo8ZJ7QIh

— Michael Calderone (@mlcalderone) August 22, 2019

Never change, guys:

As Anderson Cooper said last night: “It’s all just words. There is no actual meaning, often, when the president talks. And that’s alarming…. Should anyone pay attention to the president’s words?” https://t.co/eWqLvpcZ2A

— Michael Calderone (@mlcalderone) August 22, 2019

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