According to recent reports, President-elect Donald Trump could seriously shake up White House press briefings by demoting mainstream media outlets and bringing in independent media sources, such as prominent podcasters. As influencers, such as Joe Rogan, undermined the influence of the legacy media and played an outsized role in the election, some have suggested they play a more significant role in White House communications.
Conservative commentator Michael Knowles floated the idea during a conversation with Donald Trump Jr. during a recent interview. “I wonder now as your father is assembling his team, as maybe Karoline Leavitt is looking at the new press briefing room chart, maybe it’s time to reorder that chart, maybe take away some people’s seats,” Knowles said.
The president-elect’s son indicated that Knowles’ suggestion was a topic actively being discussed. “So we’re going to break some news here,” Trump said, claiming that he had just spoken with his father about replacing legacy media outlets in White House press briefings, instead bringing in “Rogan and guys like you.” Don Jr. added, “I’d love to see Rogan in the White House press briefing, or even rotate guys out.”
Trump continued, “We had the conversation about opening up the press room to a lot of these independent journalists. If the New York Times has lied, they’ve been adverse to everything, they’re functioning as the marketing arm of the Democrat Party, why not open it up to people who have larger viewerships, stronger followings?”
Knowles predicted there would be backlash from the Democrats and the mainstream media, which many have criticized as the propaganda arm of the Democratic Party. “The Left is gonna answer you, and they’re going to say well, the reason you need to keep the New York Times and the Washington Post in there is because they influence people, and the whole point of the White House briefing room is to convey the message of the White House to the American people.” he said.
However, the host of “The Michael Knowles Show” pointed out that podcasters now have a far larger audience and reach than legacy outlets struggling after the election. “But this is different, you have the New York Times and Washington Post admitting that podcasters and streamers are eating their lunch,” he added.
Regardless, Knowles maintained that the incoming Trump administration should move forward with demoting the mainstream media in press briefings. “If they’re dishonest, if they’re not asking questions that are in the interest of the American people, and the American people aren’t even paying attention,” Knowles further stated, “is the White House Briefing Room a charity now for journalists who otherwise would be out of work? Sorry guys, learn to code.”
The American Tribune reported on commentary toward the mainstream media suggesting that the American people have abandoned their trust in the outlets. Journalist Mark Halperin claimed, “The very same executives and producers, anchors and correspondence and writers who covered and participated in the cover-up of the Biden decline, and then after the decline had to be exposed and acknowledged, never acknowledged their role in it. All those people are covering the Trump administration, they also covered the campaign. I don’t understand how they think that they can cover the Trump campaign fairly, or Trump administration fairly, or be seen as covering the Trump administration fairly.” He added, “If they don’t acknowledge their role in the conspiracy and their failure to acknowledge it…. just doesn’t make any sense to me.”
Watch the panel discuss the legacy media below:
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