White House press correspondents tell POLITICO that, from their perspective, the coming weeks will serve as a “moment of truth” for Carney, who faces the greatest test of his tenure to date. Three days into a changed environment in the briefing room, they say they admire how he has held his ground, deflecting reporters inquiries while at the same time maintaining the cool, no-drama demeanor that has long been a defining feature of the Obama White House. …

“It’s not a briefing anymore, it’s a pounding,” former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said. “The best thing he can do is take the position of piñata and enjoy it.”

Carney doesn’t see the recent briefings as a drastic change from the past.

“There have been ebbs and flows to the intensity level of briefings for as long as I can remember, and certainly for as long as I’ve been doing this,” he told POLITICO late Wednesday afternoon. “I think reporters are doing their jobs when they ask hard questions. I have no problem with that.”