WH Press Corps Doing Its Best Chicken Little Imitation

With Donald Trump’s inauguration more than a month away, each day presents a new sense of outrage from the liberal left. If it isn’t the president-elect’s latest cabinet appointment, it’s his views on tariffs or the border or what side of the bed he got up on. For the last week or so, a slow roll of outrage has built until members of the media have started doing their best Chicken Little imitation and all because–gasp–Trump might let someone besides the old guard media mavens into the press briefing room. How dare he!?! He wants to let bloggers and podcasters and folks not with WaPo, the Times, and other media outlets that long ago lost the public’s trust in to ask questions? Is he insane? (Psst. The answer’s “no”. In fact, the only ones insane are those who are losing their minds over this possibility.)

A little background first. The James S. Brady Press Briefing Room has a capacity of 49 seats according to one of the last reports I came across. During  the height of Covid, it was cut dramatically to 14. In May 2021, that was increased to 24, or 50% capacity. Approximately a month later, it went to full capacity for the first time in over a year. (The limit was cut to 14 in March 2020). During Covid, to even be considered for entry, reporters had to be vaccinated or show proof of a negative test. There was little to no outrage about this from the press corps. They had no problem marching in lock step to the Covid restrictions and pushing them through their reporting.

In May 2023, new rules were announced that limited who could get access to the briefing room. Mind you, this is during an administration where President Biden has held fewer news conferences than any president since Ronald Reagan. According to the Times, the current administration “has taken steps to reduce opportunities for journalists to question him in forums where he can offer unscripted answers and they can follow up. The result, critics say, is a president who has fewer moments of public accountability for his comments, decisions and actions.”

Yet the media continues to support him and is howling at the fact they may no longer have their coveted front row seats–or any seat–in the Brady Room.