President Trump on Thursday blasted The Wall Street Journal for an editorial criticizing the daily White House press briefings, complaining that the news outlet failed to give proper attention to the number of viewers they attract.
In an opinion piece published Wednesday night titled “Trump’s Wasted Briefings,” the Journal’s editorial board bemoaned that the daily press conferences ostensibly intended to focus on the latest news surrounding the coronavirus had become “more about the many feuds of Donald J. Trump.”
The editorial board wrote that Trump’s frequent attacks on the press, governors and his critics during the briefing were “off-key” given the severity of the pandemic, which has killed thousands of people in the U.S.
The board urged Trump to cede center stage at the briefings to Vice President Pence and top health officials, who have regularly appeared at the briefings but have primarily waited to provide updates until the president delivers his own remarks.