The New Yorker’s David Remnick has more from Pres.-elect Trump’s meeting Monday with the TV news media, which included executives Jeff Zucker of CNN, James Goldston of ABC, Deborah Turness of NBC, Jack Abernethy and Bill Shine of Fox News, and Phil Griffin of MSNBC; also anchors including Lester Holt, David Muir, George Stephanopoulos, Gayle King, Charlie Rose, Norah O’Donnell, Wolf Blitzer, John Dickerson, Chuck Todd, Erin Burnett, and Martha Raddatz.
For more than twenty minutes, Trump railed about “outrageous” and “dishonest” coverage. When he was asked about the sort of “fake news” that now clogs social media, Trump replied that it was the networks that were guilty of spreading fake news. The “worst,” he said, were CNN (“liars!”) and NBC.
The New Yorker read-out is much the same as the reporting in the New York Post about what was an off-the-record meeting. Remnick’s sources say Trump did not raise his voice, but his message was clear. If this was a way to “hit the restart button,” as Kellyanne Conway, called the meeting, some attendees aren’t ready to move on. But will, soon.
“I have to tell you, I am emotionally fucking pissed,” another participant said. “How can this not influence coverage? I am being totally honest with you. Toward the end of the campaign, it got to a point where I thought that the coverage was all about [Trump’s] flaws and problems. And that’s legit. But, I thought, O.K., let’s give them the benefit of the doubt. After the meeting today, though—and I am being human with you here—I think, Fuck him! I know I am being emotional about it. And I know I will get over it in a couple of days after Thanksgiving. But I really am offended. This was unprecedented. Outrageous!”