Jim Acosta Joins Meidas with Urgent Message to the Press
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What challenges do the press face with the Trump administration?
I'm joined by Jim Acosta. Hey, Jim, I got to ask you your perspective on these press briefings we've been seeing, the treatment of the press by the Trump administration. Have we reached the point where the press corps needs to boycott, the press room needs to just not show up? What do you think?
Yeah, I mean, I think we've reached a point now where, you know, I think the press needs to do a bit more. And that's a tough nut to crack. As I found, you know, covering him the first time around, you know, it's a little like herding cats trying to get everybody in the press corps to act in a uniform fashion.
Why is banning the Associated Press a significant issue?
But when you have the White House banning the AP from the Oval Office, banning the AP from Air Force One, and just to explain this to people, I mean, the Associated Press, the AP, is an institution that's been around for over 100 years. They're in about 100 countries. They're in all 50 states. I believe their journalism is read and viewed by some 4 billion people around the world. And just about every news outlet in the United States relies on the Associated Press. So when the White House kicks the AP out of the Oval Office, off of Air Force One, It has a major impact on the information that people are receiving around this country. And I just don't think it's something that should just be tolerated at this point.
I think that the AP should look at whether or not they should sue the administration. I think the AP needs to look at other options in terms of what can be done. And I think the rest of the press corps needs to start giving some serious consideration to whether or not it's worth sending everybody into the Oval Office, sending everybody on Air Force One, sending everybody into the briefing room. And I know some of my friends over there at the White House press corps will say, hang on a second, how are we supposed to cover this guy? I understand that. It's difficult if we're not there. But, you know, I do think for a moment, let the American people out there see this image of this aspiring autocrat in the Oval Office surrounded by just his propaganda outlets and right wing hacks.
That's not a good look for him. And I'll tell you something else about Donald Trump, Ben. He cares about having those cameras on him more than just about anything else in the world. If the press were to take those cameras away for a day or two, I think that there would be a lesson learned on his part. I think he would say, okay, maybe I ought to rethink this idea of kicking the Associated Press out of there if I can't have the cameras with me. And so I definitely think, you know, more can be done. Not saying a boycott tomorrow. I'm not saying anything drastic like that.
Should the press boycott the White House briefings?
But I do think some serious consideration needs to be given to, you know, doing a bit more to stand up for our friends at the Associated Press because they're such a valuable institution.
You think the Trump administration's attack on the AP, given their longstanding reputation, their distribution, their use by all of these other outlets, it's really an attack on all the other kind of major outlets out there trying to do reporting. That's why they're picking on the AP.
How does the attack on AP affect other media outlets?
Absolutely. And I think they're trying to send a message. They're trying to say, listen, if you don't do things our way, there's a price to be paid. Now, I mean, we need to remind the viewers out there, the reason why they're doing this to the AP is because they refuse to call the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf of America, which is the dumbest thing. I think if you were to come up with a list of the dumbest things that Donald Trump has done as president of the United States, renaming the Gulf of Mexico would have to be in the top five. I mean, you know, obviously telling people that they can inject disinfectants into their body, that's probably still at number one, that's the reigning champion. But renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, I'd have to put it in my top five. And because the Associated Press won't go along with that because they're serious journalists and they're not here to do the propaganda for the aspiring autocrat in the Oval Office, that's why they're being punished. And I worry it's a test case.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What challenges do the press face with the Trump administration?
0:00–0:37
2
Why is banning the Associated Press a significant issue?
0:37–2:44
3
Should the press boycott the White House briefings?
2:44–3:15
4
How does the attack on AP affect other media outlets?
3:15–5:07
5
What are the implications of misinformation from press secretaries?
5:07–5:35
6
Who is Caroline Leavitt and what controversies surround her?
5:35–12:03