Despite ‘fake news’ claims, Trump gives media wide access: CNN’s Collins
Under President Donald Trump, the man who popularized the term “fake news,” covering the White House has become unlike anything reporters have experienced. CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins said the president’s unusual accessibility — and his constant readiness to take media questions — keeps reporters on their toes, and sometimes leaves them sleep-deprived.
“Most politicians are not very press savvy. I think Trump always understood the value of a camera and a microphone,” Collins said Monday on the Trading Secrets podcast hosted by Jason Tartick.
“Embraced the media”
Collins explained that Trump is more accessible to the media than most politicians, including past presidents.
“When you speak to reporters who covered President Obama, he almost never responded to shouted questions,” she said. “It wasn’t his thing. He would have his moments with world leaders, and then you would leave the Oval. Trump kind of upended that when he came into the White House. Sometimes presidents are press-averse. Trump embraced the media.”
Collins, who first started covering presidents during Trump’s first term, says reporting on him is different from “typical presidents.” Events that would typically be low-profile can quickly turn into impromptu press conferences with Trump leading the discussion.
“It’s different because Trump is such an accessible president that, like, if he’s just swearing in the ambassador to Greece — typically wouldn’t be a newsworthy event if President Biden or any typical president was doing it,” Collins said. “Trump will swear someone in and then he’ll turn to you and say, ‘Any questions?’ and he’ll take questions for 45 minutes.”
No sleep on Air Force One
Collins says she even has the president’s phone number. During the Mar-a-Lago raid, she called him and he confirmed details directly.
But she cautions that his accessibility can be too much for some reporters. She says it can lead to reporters getting little to no sleep on trips abroad.
“He does not sleep,” she said. “I had this source who said, ‘You never want to be on Air Force One on a trip.’ And I said, ‘Why? You’d think you’d want to be in the axis of power, close to Trump. He doesn’t sleep on these trips. You know you’re not going to sleep on that flight.”
“He doesn’t sleep on these trips, and you’re going to Asia or something, and that’s like the only time you’re going to sleep before you go on this trip, but Trump is just always up and talking,” Collins said.
Trump is most accessible president in history
Collins’ observations are supported by data. A Sunday Times review found that Trump spoke to journalists more in his first 100 days than any other president in history. Short Q&A sessions, press conferences and interviews were far more frequent than during previous administrations.
Pew Research also shows that Trump’s visibility in front of the camera increased public attention to politics. Four out of every 10 adults surveyed reported paying more attention to political news under Trump.
A complicated media relationship
Trump’s relationship with the press has been complicated for years. He famously labeled mainstream networks “fake news” during his first administration, including CNN and Collins.
Early in his second term, the White House limited the Associated Press’ access to the Oval Office after a dispute over referring to the “Gulf of America.” The AP sued, claiming the restrictions were retaliation and violated First Amendment protections.
A federal judge ruled in April in favor of the AP, but the White House appealed. In July, an appeals court said the White House does not have to restore full access while the case continues, citing the administration’s “broad discretion” over press credentials. Arguments are scheduled for November.
Collins’ experiences illustrate the unique dynamic of covering Trump — a president who is the most accessible to the press, yet whose administration is also at the center of ongoing legal disputes over press freedoms.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
