Trump Eludes the Media Again

“In a highly unusual move, President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday night left his Manhattan residence without notifying the reporters covering him or giving any indication of where he was going,” NBC News reports.

“The maneuver seemed to deliberately limit access to the media… This came after Hicks had told his press pool the day had ended, and the only indication of his departure was an unannounced motorcade. Trump’s communications team did not respond to emails from the pooler requesting guidance.”

First Read: “Okay, we get it: It’s hard to get fired up about a man deciding to have dinner with his family without a bevy of reporters in tow. But the most fundamental purpose of the protective pool is to be present to document an unexpected emergency or catastrophic event that could involve the president of the United States. (Remember the outcry about the Clinton team’s media blackout during the Democratic nominee’s health scare this fall?) Trump’s not the president yet, and his team acknowledges that it is still working out the kinks in how it handles reporters. But if they continue to ignore the traditions of press access, it’ll mean further additions to a list of norms Trump has dismissed. And that list has been getting very long already.”